Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/49694
of snow—compared to last year's 55-foot record. We're talking 300 feet more than any other winter in our recorded history." With news like that, Mammoth's food and bever- age industry is gearing up for a storm of more than snow, as thousands of snow-seekers are poised to head to the town—and after a long day on the slopes, they'll be hungry and thirsty. The Man Who Created Restaurant Row "I'm shooting for three-star restaurants with Restaurateur Carey Sigmen (center) is a member of Mammoth Lake's old guard. The Mogul has been a longstanding and much-respected dining spot. Here, Gian Frigerio of SWS and Denise Cardamone of Constellation Wines U.S. let Sigmen know just how important he is to this community. When we ask what perpetuates a restaurant's success for so long, Sigmen replies, "The mountain ambience and the community are in sync; The Mogul's local, warm welcome is without pretense. That resonates with customers." A burgeoning retreat in the back country of the Sierra Nevada mountains and the John Muir Wilderness, Mammoth Lakes is close to both Yosemite and Lake Tahoe (a two-and-a-half-hour drive), and is a mere five-hour drive from Los Angeles. Thanks to Horizon airlines, flights have now made passage to the resort even easier, with multiple options from LAX, San Jose and San Francisco, and Orange County's John Wayne and San Diego airports next on the list of departing cities headed to the mountain. A new high-speed quad chair (to be known as Chair 5) facilitates the influx of skiers ascending (and then descend- ing) the mountain, and the 2011–2012 season is anticipating El Niño, which local media forecasters predict will bring a record-setting snowfall. "The weather experts are talking about a one-thousand-inch winter," he reports. "That's 70 feet four-star quality," says James Demetriades, a Los Angeles–based entrepreneur whose vision for Mammoth Lakes is coming to life in a series of restaurants catering to connoisseurs of high-end food and wine. With his first establishment, Rafters, which opened earlier this year, Demetriades has opted for a California-inspired restaurant with a decid- edly cabin-in-the-mountains flair. Wine Director Chip Ermish has created a fine menu to pair with Chef Kerry Mechler's "San Francisco neighbor- hood" cuisine. "We're leaving nothing to chance," says Ermish, James Demetriades is creating an upscale "restaurant row" in Mammoth Lakes. He is standing in front of his latest offer- ing, Red Lantern, which opened last month. MORE OF THE WHO'S WHO OF MAMMOTH LAKES Highbrow Hangout The "in" winebar in Mammoth Lakes is Side Door, a narrow mecca for wine fans in the busy Village center. Always converging around the bar are palates waiting to be pleased; expectations have been high due to some awesome choices by owner Shields Richardson and his well-trained beverage team. Now that it's armed with a spirits license, artisan spirits are in the mix at one of the most highbrow hangouts in town. Casey Boshae of Francis Coppola Winery talks with Shields Richardson, proprietor of Side Door. december 201 1 / the tasting panel / 99