“Do you have your room key?” Jerry asked. He was collecting towels at the pool. We'd met the night before when he worked an event in the hotel’s convention center. The key card had an original picture of the buildings once owned by Homestake Mine.
“See this building here? That’s where my aunt and uncle lived. They raised five children in the apartment over the garage.” Jerry epitomized the warmth and friendliness of Deadwood Mountain Grand employees.
Deadwood Mountain Grand Resort, now affiliated with Holiday Inn, was created in historic buildings used by Homestake Mine to refine gold from crushed ore and slurry. The complex is built into a hill overlooking Deadwood, South Dakota. The buildings were largely abandoned, most recently put to use by the Lawrence County Highway Department as a garage and shop. When entrepreneurs decided to create a hotel, casino and event center they retained the character of the buildings. The new owners kept the huge beams and floors of the slurry plant and undertook a massive renovation project that transformed an eyesore into a magnificent complex that includes a fine hotel with spa and swimming pool and the Aught 6 Restaurant.
While it is unusual for people to refer to the number zero as ‘aught’ today, it was popular in the old days to give a date as nineteen-aught-six. That’s when the slurry plant was created by ‘Cyanide’ Charlie Merrill to extract gold from crushed ore in the immense structure. People that lived in Deadwood or grew up in the area, like Jerry, remember the old days, before renovations transformed the massive buildings.
Dining in the Aught 6 Restaurant is an experience not to be missed. Polished wood floors, original high ceilings with floor to ceiling windows that give out to a balcony terrace for seasonal dining and tall banquettes that offer privacy and comfort add to the experience. Wood tables are in keeping with the décor, each with a flickering candle and fine plate ware including brightly colored U.S. made Syracuse, Cantina china from the art deco period.
Matt Mehia, Director of Food Service, presented the wine list. The list, in its leather folder, is comprehensive. Red wines include Michael Picard Chateuneuf du Pape $7 the glass, $30 the bottle. Cakebread Merlot is $40 a bottle. The list includes a variety of house wines. Coastal Vines Merlot from California is $5 a glass, $15 for a bottle and Beringer white Zinfandel from California is $5 a glass and $15 a bottle.
Matt introduced our server Cherie Fourbear from Sturgis, South Dakota. Cherie smiled when she said, “I get to enjoy the rally every year. I take off here and work as a cook in One Eyed Jack during motorcycle week.” Cherie presented leather bound menus.
Matt Mehia took drink orders and explained, “We’ve implemented a friendly menu. We resource our beef from Sturgis. We used to get our beef from Montana but seek out local South Dakota products where possible. We have wonderful grasslands and great beef in our state. People come back to us again and again. We serve food they understand. The resort is now under the Holiday Inn banner so as of tomorrow we will be known as the Deadwood Mountain Grand Holiday Inn Resort,” Matt said.
“With that of course kids eat free and we have increased amenities for our hotel guests. We prepared the menu to offer tasteful food that is South Dakota friendly. We want to keep the family ambiance,” Matt explained.
New chefs have been appointed at the resort. Chef Porfirio Belmontes and Sous Chef Jessica Priem have taken the reins in the kitchen. “My Mom cooked in Laredo, Texas. I grew up cooking. I went to Le Bleu Culinary School in Austin. I had three careers, in architecture and engineering as well. I cooked blowfish in Japan. I studied cooking in Japan and Thailand. I ate live octopus,” Chef Belmontes laughed.
“I like to try anything. This week Chinese. Next week will be something else. I’ve been a chef 27 years,” he said.
Jessica grew up in Hot Springs, South Dakota on a farm. “My parents started in the restaurant business. I went to Mitchell Tech here in South Dakota. It is our culinary school. I love to bake. My favorite is barbecue and smoking,” Jessica said.
“I’m brand new here at the Mountain Grand. I want us to do our own baking. We want to try and make this restaurant number one in South Dakota, that is our goal,” Chef Belmontes said. The resort hosts concerts and special events in their large convention center and on stage. Good food is an important aspect in choosing a venue for celebrities and performers as well as catered events.
Matt Mehia recommended Starmont Sauvignon Blanc 2009 from Napa Valley. It was an excellent choice and came to table chilled perfectly, placed in a cooling bucket. Service was impeccable. Matt is a cook in his own right having worked as Executive Chef at Spearfish Canyon Lodge. He served as Sous Chef at the Mountain Grand until he was promoted to food manager.
Appetizers include fried calamari $8. This dish is highly recommended. The calamari is lightly breaded and fried golden brown. Tastefully served with sweet chili sauce and chop sticks. The calamari was tender and had a wonderful flavor. Golden fried steak fingers come with Chipotle mayo or barbecue sauce $7. Chicken egg rolls are flour tortillas stuffed with cheese, chicken and vegetables served with a Chipotle dipping sauce $8.
Salads are served in a large bowl. We chose the house salad and served ourselves with mushrooms and mixed greens. Classic Caesar, brisket and tomato and iceberg lettuce wedge salads are also available.
For pasta lovers the main course can include shrimp scampi in white wine lemon butter with feta cheese, tomato and green onions $20. There is Fettuccine Alfredo $14, Cappellini and pesto $14 and Tortellini a la Vodka for $16.
Steaks offered are the 12-ounce New York strip and 16-ounce bone-in ribeye. The ribeye was perfectly cooked and succulent South Dakota beef. The meat was tender and juicy having been dry aged for 21 days. Sautéed asparagus and whipped potatoes were excellent sides. The strip is $22, ribeye $25.
Grilled walleye is a locally caught favorite $14. There is a sweet reduction of Jack Daniels on top of grilled salmon that is tasty for $16. The menu contains something for every taste including a 12-ounce bone in pork chop, teriyaki chicken and ginger soy shrimp.
The Aught 6 has some mighty desserts. The chocolate molten lava cake is a work of art with two scoops of vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Chocolate lovers need not go wanting since there is also a Deadwood Mountain Grand brownie sundae. Huge brownie triangles stand up over vanilla ice cream with plenty of whipped cream and chocolate sauce. Desserts run about $10.
Dining out is as much an experience as it is a food event. Servers, chefs and staff of the Deadwood Mountain Grand Holiday Inn Resort and their Aught 6 Restaurant make it fun. The place is steeped in history. The location is ideal for those who relish adventure in the Black Hills where gold strikes made Deadwood a wild town in its day.
For more information or reservations call toll-free 1-877-907-4726 or 605-559-0386 or visit their website at www.deadwoodmountaingrand.com.
