After driving five hours from Sioux Falls to Shortgrass, I left Meander feeling as though I'd accidentally selected "meager rations" in a real-life Oregon Trail simulation. There's something uniquely disquieting about being at a remote resort, far from any alternative dining options, and realizing, after dinner, that you're still hungry. That, in the end, is how I felt about Meander: impressed by much of what Shortgrass is trying to build, but left conflicted by the experience as a whole. There is no question that Shortgrass is a labor of love. The setting is striking, the architecture sits gently within the landscape, and there is a clear, intentional vision guiding the property. If there is a defining strength, it is hospitality. I arrived early and had missed the arrival instructions entirely, yet the staff couldn't have been more gracious. The host brings genuine personality to the evening, and it's obvious he loves what he does. He has a way of making guests feel immediately at ease. The bartender was equally charming and skilled. Those interactions became some of the most memorable parts of the evening. Meander's chef shows real talent. My favorite cut of beef is a culotte steak, so seeing it on the menu was an unexpected treat, and it was expertly prepared. The gazpacho was exceptional, easily among the best I've had, even after living in Spain, and the brown butter ice cream was another standout. As the chef exclaimed, it's a good thing that brown butter ice cream is not available in stores. Where the experience lost momentum was in the execution. The pacing felt uneven, including roughly a 15-minute gap between the soup and salad courses. My entree was served with a steak knife but only a salad fork. I was dining alone and was seated toward the back of the room, facing a flower mosaic rather than the expansive view. In a setting where the landscape is such a central part of the experience, a simple adjustment to seat solo diners toward the windows would have meaningfully elevated the evening. None of these details are significant individually, but together they prevented the dinner from feeling as polished as its aspirations. The larger issue is value. At $120 per person for a fixed-price dinner, I expected to leave impressed - not hungry. The meal consisted of one small wedge of bread, a bowl of soup, a modest and forgettable salad (dressed too sweetly for my taste), and two thin slices of culotte steak with a bed of pomme puree. Everything was thoughtfully prepared, but the portions simply didn't match the price. When guests are staying in a place this isolated, dinner cannot simply be good - it needs to feel complete. The same applies to the accommodations. The bungalows are lovely, and amenities like the natural bio pool and private stream make for a relaxing setting. But at roughly $1,100 per night, even with meals included, the experience still feels as though it is working toward its price point rather than comfortably exceeding it. Shortgrass has all the ingredients to become something remarkable: a beautiful setting, unique accommodations, a talented kitchen, and genuinely outstanding hospitality. With some refinements, it could easily evolve from a beautiful remote stay into a true destination people plan entire trips around. Ultimately, I admired Meander more than I enjoyed it. read more