(Sunset) -- From urban epicurean retreats to snowy chalets accessed by snowmobile, these lofty restaurants will lift your spirits





Jump into a Sno-Cat and ride to Cloud 9 in Aspen.





Cloud Nine Alpine Bistro





Aspen, Colorado





No need to be a skier to glimpse Aspen's best mountaintop views; just jump into a Sno-Cat and head up Aspen Highlands for an intimate four-course meal.





What's for dinner: Look for elk chops and pumpkin gnocchi, oyster-stuffed roasted Cornish game hen with chanterelles and horseradish purée. INFO: Sno-Cat dinners are held on Thursday nights December through March; $125, including transportation; reservations required; 970/923-8715. --Lori Midson





Fresh Tracks Café





Nelson, B.C.





Sure, locals love the deep, sugary snow, but what we love most about Whitewater Winter Resort in the Canadian Selkirk Mountains is the food. In fact, the clamor for Burgundian-trained chef Shelley Adams's tasty creations has grown so loud that her cookbook, "Whitewater Cooks: Pure, Simple and Real Creations from the Fresh Tracks Café" (Whitecap Books, 2007; $30 U.S.), is already into its fourth printing, and volume two is on the way.





What's for dinner: Whiskey-smoked salmon chowder, burgers piled high with caramelized onions and goat cheese. INFO: Entrées average $12 or less; Whitewater Winter Resort; 800/666-9420. --Deana Lancaster





Timberline Lodge





Mt. Hood, Oregon





WPA-era hand-hewn furniture and unforgettable views converge 6,000 feet up Mt. Hood in the lodge's Cascade Dining Room.





What's for dinner: Dishes like salmon coulibiac, handmade desserts. INFO: Entrée prices average more than $30; reservations required; 503/622-0700. --Bonnie Henderson





Different Pointe of View





Phoenix, Arizona





Who needs snowcapped peaks and alpine meadows when you can see swaying palms, pink oleanders and showstopping views of downtown Phoenix? The Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort's 1,800-foot-high perch on a rocky mountain is the place to get perspective on the desert.





What's for dinner: Classic lobster bisque, truffle-grilled filet mignon. INFO: Entrée prices average more than $30; 11111 N. Seventh St.; 602/866-6350. --Nora Burba Trulsson





Yamashiro





Hollywood, California





Dinner at Yamashiro is as much an escape from reality as any Hollywood film. Surrounded by Japanese gardens and built from teak and cedar, the restaurant high above Hollywood Boulevard is an exact handcrafted replica of a palace outside Kyoto. The rooms within are like a series of scenes, each with a different mood.





What's for dinner: Asian barbecue baby back ribs with ginger black beans and sweet-potato fries, or sushi and sashimi. INFO: Entrée prices average more than $30; 1999 N. Sycamore Ave.; 323/466-5125. --Matthew Jaffe





Parallax Sno-Cat dinners





Mammoth Mountain, California





Like the tanklike Sno-Cat that's been stylishly retrofitted with plush seats, the midmountain restaurant at McCoy Station transforms itself from a chili-and-fries ski lodge into a candlelit enclave with white tablecloths and five-course meals on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and holidays.





What's for dinner: Entrées like roasted venison loin chop, macadamia-crusted halibut. INFO: Three-course dinners are $79 per person; five courses with wine pairings for $139 -- transportation included in the price of dinner; December 14--30 (closed December 25) and January 1-5; reservations required; 800/626-6684. --Tim Neville





The Yurt at Solitude





Solitude, Utah





Don a pair of skis or snowshoes for the 3/4-mile trek from Solitude Village to this mountainside Mongolian yurt.





What's for dinner: Granny Smith apple-and-stilton salad, pan-seared Long Island duck breast with balsamic mashed sweet potatoes. INFO: Closed Mon; $100 per person, including equipment rental; reserve two months in advance; 12000 Big Cottonwood Canyon; 801/536-5709. --Kate Siber





Zach's Cabin





Beaver Creek, Colorado





Bundle under blankets for the open-
How long is the trek to Solitude? what does the cafe offer What is the name of the cafe that offers simple food at great prices? Where is the Fresh Tracks Cafe located? What offers simple food at great prices? what is the name of the cafe
3/4-mile Whiskey-smoked salmon chowder, burgers piled high Fresh Tracks Café Nelson, B.C. Whitewater Winter Resort Fresh Tracks Café
question: How long is the trek to Solitude?, answer: 3/4-mile | question: what does the cafe offer, answer: Whiskey-smoked salmon chowder, burgers piled high | question: What is the name of the cafe that offers simple food at great prices?, answer: Fresh Tracks Café | question: Where is the Fresh Tracks Cafe located?, answer: Nelson, B.C. | question: What offers simple food at great prices?, answer: Whitewater Winter Resort | question: what is the name of the cafe, answer: Fresh Tracks Café