When you think of food on the ski slopes it’s not always a positive impression. You might think of over priced hot dogs or chili, so heavy that it disables you from getting back out in the snow… not so at Deer Valley. The food at Deer Valley Resort, whether you’re dining in their lodge on a ski day or at one of their restaurants at night, just might change your idea of ski food altogether, or maybe, if you’re a foodie like me, you’ll be changing the slopes you ski on. I’m talking Roasted Red Pepper Smoked Cheddar Fondito, Niman Ranch Beef Shortrib, and Chai Gianduja Ice Cream. These slopes are for food lovers! The food at Deer Valley goes far beyond just an energy source for your ski day!
One of the beautiful things about being a chef at Deer Valley is that you work seasonally. Often times, the Deer Valley chefs travel to Europe in the off season to be inspired as they create their new winter menus. Thus, every year, we are getting new delicious flavors and a reenergized chef. Here are some highlights of the 2012-2013 Deer Valley Resort restaurant menus:
Smoked Tomato Blue Crab Dip, served and for sale by the jar at Deer Valley Grocery Cafe. Wild Caught crab, house smoked tomatoes, fresh tarragon, and parmesam baked pita chips.
Juniper Berry Crusted Walleye, served at Fireside Dining. This lake fish dish was inspired by the chef’s summer trip to Northern Italy, where cooks often use every part of the ingredients as not to waste any potential flavor. The fish is topped with house-made ricotta, garnished with tiny pearls of balsamic, and surrounded by a lemon sauce made with the extra whey from the ricotta cheese.
Garithes me Domato Kai Feta, served at the Seafood Buffet. A Greek inspired dish, served with white shrimp from the gulf, Shepherd’s Farm Feta, and herloom cherry tomatoes.
Niman Ranch Beef Shortrib, served at Mariposa. A perfect portion of rich beef in a Pontack sauce, with chevre mashed potatoes. Mariposa now serves a whole menu of dishes similar to this, as they transformed their restaurant to a small plate style of dining so you can enjoy more variety during your meal.
The RSC BBQ Sampler, served at the Royal Street Cafe. Three distinct sliders: maple bacon barbecue bison burger, bugogi on a bao bun, and house smoked puled pork. The secret to flavor in all of these tasty bites is smoke, slow-cooking, and fresh meat. The bison is freshly ground, while the bulgogi contains slow-cooked beef cheeks, and the pork is slow-roasted and served with a smokey barbecue sauce.
Brown Butter Almond Pineapple Upside Down Cake, served at the Seafood Buffet. A new take on this classic dessert, garnished with coconut-ime mascarpone cream, and candied marcona almonds.
Ice Cream and Sorbet, served at Mariposa. Not many ice creams can touch what they’re creating in the kitchen at Mariposa. The chai gianduja ice cream, being my favorite, was perfectly spiced with a nutty flavor of hazelnuts and a perfectly creamy consistency. Also, their hibiscus sorbet was remarkably refreshing and perfectly tart.
Even if you’re not hitting the slopes this year, a trip to Deer Valley is in order! I promise, your thoughts of ski resort food will forever be altered!
Check out the Deer Valley website for more information on dining at Deer Valley Resort. You can also see last year’s dining highlights on this slcfoodie post.
Hi Becky,
My name is Jane and I’m with Dwellable.
I was looking for blogs about Deer Valley to share on our site and I came across your post…If you’re open to it, shoot me an email at jane(at)dwellable(dot)com.
Hope to hear from you soon!
Jane