YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif., November 18, 2009 – The culinary expertise of Yosemite’s executive chefs will be showcased this Thanksgiving with dining opportunities for visiting guests at three locations on Thursday, November 26. 

The Ahwahnee Dining Room | The Ahwahnee®

Yosemite’s AAA Four-Diamond, historic national landmark hotel, The Ahwahnee, is located in the heart of Yosemite Valley.  The Ahwahnee Dining Room features logs of stripped and polished sugar pine, which support the 34-foot-high beamed ceilings, and reinforce the rustic ambiance that is reflective of the hotel’s mountain surroundings.

 Executive Chef Percy Whatley’s Thanksgiving Dinner Menu features entrées of Diestel Ranch Organic Turkey, Herb Roasted Brandt Farms Prime Rib, Pan Seared Arctic Char (fish), Snake River Farms Pit Smoked Ham, and Portobello-Ricotta Raviolo.

Mountain Room Restaurant | Yosemite Lodge at the Falls

The casual elegance of the Mountain Room Restaurant provides families with a relaxed alternative to The Ahwahnee.  Located at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, so named for its close proximity to the seasonal Yosemite Falls, the Mountain Room Restaurant and Lounge offer superior culinary fare in a modern, wood and glass-themed setting that features the art of local photographers.

Executive Chef Michael Gover’s Thanksgiving Dinner Menu features entrées of Fresh California Turkey, Slow Baked Sugar Cured Ham, Pepita Crusted Halibut, Prime Rib of Beef, and Baked Tofurky.

Wawona Dining Room | Wawona Hotel

A rustic, Victorian setting awaits those who visit the Wawona Dining Room, situated in the Wawona Hotel in the southernmost area of Yosemite National Park.  The 129-year-old historic hotel is a cluster of white buildings, whose rooms open onto wrap-around verandas.  Guests relax in Adirondack chairs and watch mule deer nibble on the beer hop vines trailing down the porch columns.

Executive Chef Robert Stritzinger’s Thanksgiving Dinner Menu features entrées of Tender Roasted Turkey with Giblet Gravy, Bourbon Glazed Grilled Pork Loin, Roast Prime Rib of Angus Beef, Broiled Fresh Salmon Fillet, and Butternut Squash Spinach Lasagna.

 For advance Thanksgiving dinner reservations in Yosemite and further information for all three dining venues, call (801) 559-4884, or visit www.YosemitePark.com.

 About The Ahwahnee, Yosemite Lodge at the Falls and Wawona Hotel

All of Yosemite’s fine dining locations at The Ahwahnee Dining Room, Mountain Room Restaurant, and Wawona Dining Room are operated by DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite, Inc., a subsidiary of Delaware North Companies and the authorized National Park Service concessionaire overseeing lodging, dining, guest recreation, retail and transportation for Yosemite’s 3.5 million annual visitors.

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