I had the exclusive opportunity to ski from restaurant to restaurant with Executive Chef of Mountain Dining Alex Malmborg, tasting everything from smoky barbeque sandwiches to homemade glazed donuts, literally eating our way across the mountain.
The best advice I was given that day was to pace myself. We stopped at 6 on-mountain restaurants, starting at Lookout Cabin on the Canyons Village side. Each restaurant has its own executive chef and unique menu to set it apart.
Taking the advice seriously, I picked reasonable bite-sized portions from each of the plates Chef Chris Durfee presented: Shrimp Scampi Spaetzl, Sous Vide Wagyu Steak, and my favorite Horseradish-Honey Glazed Grilled Salmon and Baby Spinach Salad. The horseradish-honey glaze had a sweet nip that complimented the salmon’s flakey texture.
At our second stop at the outdoor Tombstone Grill is where I got a little ahead of myself. My favorite food in the world is chicken wings so when Chef Sean Wharton brought over a plate of their Famous Tombstone Barbeque Drummies, I knew I was in trouble. They were so tangy and juicy! I loved them down to the leftover sauce on my fingers.
Already feeling the effects of our calories, we took our time skiing the way to Cloud Dine. I don’t know how we got so lucky, but the weather was absolutely gorgeous all day. With sun on our backs and soft snow under our skis, it had finally begun to feel like spring. I was only sad to go inside for a minute before I smelled our next meal waiting for us.
Chef Alex calls Cloud Dine arguably the most popular restaurant on the mountain, which makes sense because of its wonderfully crafted menu. Chef Greg Hansen has helped execute several classic ski-food dishes in a completely new way. The Hand Cut Fries, for example, come with a trio of house-made sauces: BBQ, Utah’s Fry Sauce, and Chef’s favorite Parmesan Truffle Aioli. The Old West Wagyu Burger, Chef’s Flatbread Pizza of the Day, and the famous Cloud Dine donut are all winners, especially when you eat them in view of Wasatch Mountains.
With Miners Camp as our next stop, we took the scenic Quicksilver Gondola that connects Canyons Village to the Park City Base Area. Miners Camp is the resort’s newest on-mountain restaurant and can seat about 500+ people. Chef Jared Pontius’s menu ranges from fresh Vegan Dolmas to hearty Beef Tenderloin Sandwiches. Reminding myself that we still had two more restaurants to go, I tried a little bit of each dish, including the Marinated Portabella Burger and Fried Cheddar Cheese Curds.
From there, we followed Chef Alex to Summit House, Park City’s highest elevation restaurant. The 9250 Salad was named exactly for that reason. Summit House Chef Jeromy Stanley explained how all food deliveries are made by snowcat, which trek up the mountain no matter what kind of weather. To make sure the produce stays fresh and away from freezing temperatures, the Food & Beverage team will sometimes package the food in blankets and put inside insulated coolers!
If you think I couldn’t eat more, you’re wrong! Because it was my favorite time of day: après ski. Legends Bar & Grill sits directly at the base of the resort and is an easy stop for any one in need of a cocktail or après meal. Executive Chef Brian Prusse and Sous Chef Jared Hedrick blew us away with their new gastro-pub inspired menu:Pork Belly Street Tacos, Garlic-Ginger Glazed Crispy Cauliflower, Blistered Shishito Peppers, and Wagyu Top Sirloin Steak. But more important are the drinks! Legend’s has a full-service bar and serves specialty cocktails like the Maple Manhattan and housemade Bloody Mary’s.
Our Foodie Tour with Chef Alex was a unique and delicious way to spend a day on the mountain and one that I'd highly recommend undertaking, even if it's only stopping at one of the great dining experiences that I've described. See you on the mountain!