Park City – Great Skiing and Fine Dining In Town and On-Mountain

Not only does Park City have the Greatest Snow on Earth, it also has some of the best restaurants you’ll find in a ski resort town.

There are over a hundred restaurants in Park City and I’ll leave you to explore all the town restaurants.  Just walk around (many won’t take reservations in high season) and you can pick from a range of menus covering every kind of food you could ever want – from good old American burgers, steaks and pizza to international cuisines such as Asian, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Italian, Greek, Vietnamese and Indo-Persian.

Now, I want to tell you about dining at the three world class resorts.

Lunch options at Canyons, Deer Valley and Park City Mountain Resort cover the spectrum of everything from salads to pizza to cooked to order meat and vegetarian platters to table served and leisurely European alps style lunching.

Here are some highlights of where you can enjoy lunch on the mountains including my favorites:

At Canyons Resort inevitably all skis and boards will lead to Red Pine lodge at the top of the Red Pine gondola where you’ll find all the American classics.

I like to head over to Sun Lodge at the base of Sun Peak to soak up some rays and catch an early lunch of a made-to-order salad and a bowl of soup.

If I’m entertaining friends at Canyons we head up to Lookout Cabin.  Don’t let the rustic name fool you: you will be seated by a maitre d’ and enjoy Rocky Mountain cuisine with a full service bar.  The chefs work right in the middle of the restaurant, but if it’s nice, take a table outside for great views of the Wasatch Range.

Dining on the deck at Lookout Cabin

Deer Valley — need I say more — is ready for breakfast and lunch when you arrive at either Snow Park or Silver Lake restaurants. For lunch each offers The Natural Salad Buffet, hot specialties – including grilled items, carved roasts, deli sandwiches and more.

If I’m finishing my sunny morning date with the Lady Morgan  – ‘the goods are in the woods’ as they say and the Centennial trees hold powder for days  – my favorite lunch spot is Empire Canyon Grill. Here you’ll find a traditional and gourmet grill, the Natural Salad Buffet, soup, chilies, paninis and fresh baked goods.

Oh – I’ll have lunch with my Deer Valley skiing guests at Deer Valley’s Royal Street Cafe in Silver Lake Lodge. This restaurant offers Deer Valley’s award-winning cuisine in a contemporary lodge setting.  Prepare for creative appetizers and salads, panini sandwiches, specialty burgers and entrées and – the Deer Valley Turkey Chili.

At Park City Mountain Resort you’ll find great lunch fares at the base area with the upstairs Legacy Cafe – fresh pastas, burgers, daily specials and the very popular gourmet soup, salad and baked potato bar.

While the kid’s are chowing down sneak down to Legend’s Bar and Grill for mom and dad pub fare – don’t miss the legendary Legend’s Burger.

My hangout for lunch at PCMR – after mornings in the McConkey/Pioneer Mountainzone – is the Mid-Mountain Lodge. Gourmet roasted sandwiches or the Mid Mountain Burger available indoor or outside with the new outdoor grill. Get there for an early lunch and an outdoor table with fantastic views and great photo opps.

I also have some favorite on-mountain places for dinner. At Canyons Resort The Farm at the Resort Village (park up there in the evening) offers an innovative menu, focusing on items locally grown or raised at nearby farms.

Let me mention the Bistro At Canyons – it is the only ski resort restaurant in the U.S. serving American kosher cuisine including Friday Sabbath dinner and Saturday Sabbath lunch.

At Deer Valley I enjoy fireside dining at Empire Canyon Lodge. This culinary tour features four courses served from five stone fireplaces. Savor warm Swiss raclette cheese, cured meats, salads, delectable stews, potato rosti, risotto or polenta, fire-roasted leg of lamb, fresh baked breads and dessert fondue.

A Park City Mountain Resort evening is romance time with a 25 minute sleigh ride up PCMR ski trails arriving at the Viking Yurt. Inside, you are greeted with hot, spicy glogg and a six-course dinner fit for a Norse king. All the while you will be accompanied with live piano music and followed by a sleigh ride back to the base area all cuddled up in warm cozy blankets.

I’m always happy to share what I love about Park City and I hope you can come, bring the family, see, ski and enjoy all dining options that makes this town and the mountains an unforgettable experience. If I’ve missed one of your favorite spots, please share it with us!