Last week, Molly and I took a short trip to Park City, Utah to visit a few friends, ski a bit, work on a secret project (shh), and of course, eat!
The last time I spent a good amount of time in Park City was quite a while back and the food scene seems to have changed a bit. In my admittedly limited experience, it seems that Park City has taken a step away from comfort food and a step towards farm-to-table and “California cuisine.”
That’s a good thing for those who like dining diversity, but with a gentle caveat. On the one hand, Park City is in no danger of running short of comfort food. Chili, burgers, soups, and the like aren’t going anywhere (though the weather really made me want a shepherd’s pie, and I didn’t see one!), but the Californication of some restaurants will continue to add the variety every relatively small city craves.
The only downside is that these beet salads, assorted chutneys, and charcuterie boards tend to either skew too rote (see store-bought manchego and packaged salami) or too out there (I saw grapefruit slices on at least 6 different dishes). These things take time though, and if I had to guess, the food will continue to improve and I look forward to that, as I’ll be back very soon.
Our favorite restaurant we ate at on this trip was called Tupelo. As you walk in for brunch, you see a Bloody Mary bar, which is fun and interactive. Even though I don’t drink I ordered a Bloody and made my way over to fill my overflowing glass with pickled carrots, radishes, and a scotch bonnet sauce. Delicious. The waitress (who was awesome) STRONGLY recommended the elk burger and I love to take bold recommendations. She was 100% right as the burger was flavorful and most importantly, a perfect medium rare. The other standouts were the sourdough French toast and MOST IMPORTANTLY the biscuits with honey butter. Order two of those or you’ll end up biting off the hand of whoever grabs the last one.
Some other notable meals:
Riverhorse: This is the restaurant everyone tells you to go to, and they’re not wrong. The strong standout here was the filet, which was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The elk was also very good, but (and I admit some bias here), I just don’t understand why people put fruity compotes on gamey meat. I love the taste of game and order it for that reason. A simple scrape sending the sauce aside did the job though, and I was able to quickly resume my enjoyment. Some other highlights here: the blueberry cobbler is insanely good, the service is EXCELLENT, the fellow playing cover songs on a guitar in the corner is actually super talented, and they have a diverse and thoughtful vegetarian menu. I really think they take alternative diners into consideration rather than making them an afterthought and I really appreciate that even as someone with no particular dietary restrictions.
Goldener Hirsch: Though it is modeled after a hotel in Salzburg, Austria (birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart!) this place reminds me of every small hotel I’ve ever seen in Switzerland. Antlers everywhere and a crackling fireplace make this upscale eatery cozy and warm. The baffling thing about this restaurant is how well-executed some of the more difficult dishes were, but some of the simpler ones felt completely phoned in. The elk steak here was perfect (Though again with the fruits jams! Knock it off, everyone!) as was the duck (Also mysteriously and unnecessarily draped in citrus supremes), but the schnitzel was disastrous and the sides and fondue all felt hastily hodge-podged together. Get a hearty cut of meat and you’ll be satisfied. The dessert program is being overhauled and seems promising, but if you dine here, please give them honest feedback, as they are very close to excellence.
Handle: I love the vibe of this place. It’s open and airy without being loud and (again even though I don’t drink) the drink menu was extensive and seemed fantastic. There were hits and misses in the usual amount. The 25oz “baller steak” was perfectly cooked and served with addictive duck fat potatoes. The lamb shank, however, was delicious but the accompanying lentils and red pepper chutney, well, they just made no sense. Oysters were fresh and bright but needed a mignonette or something (though I applaud the charred lemon they provided for acid!) and the cheese and charcuterie board was fun and a crowd-pleaser but for the love of God lose the manchego!). The apple pie was a pitch perfect dessert with a smear of roasted marshmallow for added richness and depth! I shall return!
Places on the list for next time:
The Eating Establishment
High West
Yuki Yama
Five5eeds