Eat up: Ski resorts put a new twist on mountain dining

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Jan 26, 2005 by Valerie Phillips Deseret Morning News

It's not just about skiing or snowboarding anymore. Over the years, Utah ski resorts have expanded their cuisine from chili and burgers to fancy meals in the lodges.

But some have taken it up a notch -- farther up to the tops of the mountains; farther up the scale of fine dining. And at $70 to $125 per person, these fine-dining adventures are about as steep as the mountainside.

"This is the way the whole industry is going," said Joy Vik, co- owner of the Viking Yurt at The Canyons. Both her business and The Yurt at Solitude are solidly booked through the winter, prompting others, like Park City Mountain Resort and Snowbasin, to offer similar dining experiences.

A yurt is a domed, circular tent, used for centuries in Mongolia. When nestled on a dark, snowy mountainside 8,000 feet above sea level, these tents take on an air of rustic romanticism. Torches light the path to the door, and you can see the twinkling lights of civilization far below. The remote locations aren't reachable by car. The Yurt at Solitude takes a mile of snowshoeing or cross-country skiing. At the Viking Yurt, you're transported up the ski slopes on a 32-seat sled pulled by a snowcat. The Silver Fissure Yurt at the Park City Mountain Resort requires a 25-minute snowcat ride.

But indoors, you'll find tables set with linen and crystal -- even a grand piano at the Viking Yurt.

At the Silver Fissure, you're greeted with a steaming cup of wassail and a cheese tray. The buffet dinner on one January weeknight began with a bowl of corn chowder and Caesar salad or mixed greens tossed with fresh raspberries and toasted almonds. Diners could try both the poached salmon and prime rib au jus, accompanied by herb- roasted potatoes and green beans Almondine, and polish off the night with bread pudding full of cherries and golden raisins.

The spread was prepared by Chris Lyngle, Park City Mountain Resort's executive chef. "So far we're doing it just a couple nights a week, and we hope to expand on that," he said.

During the daytime, skiers use the yurt to warm up with a cup of hot chocolate or quick bowl of soup. But high-end meals take more effort, and there's no running water or ovens. Lyngle cooks the food at the resort's Summit House Lodge and transports it by snowmobile to the yurt.

"We have a panini machine back there, and I use that to keep the food warm," he said.

Due to these logistics, any menu adjustments or dietary needs need advance notice. The yurt accommodates a maximum of 18 people. Couples or smaller groups can book a table, but if at least 10 total people aren't booked for the night, the dinner will be canceled with a 24- hour notice. The cost is $125 per person.

The Yurt at Solitude was begun more than 15 years ago, said Jay Burke, the resort's marketing director. "Our owner, Gary DeSeelhorst, had taken some trips near Aspen, where a guy was taking people out to his cabin on dog sleds. They'd have this wonderful meal in front of the fire, he'd read them poetry, and they'd have a phenomenal time. So that's what gave Gary the idea. We're the ones who got the ball rolling."

The resort provides skis, snowshoes and head lanterns for the journey. "It's less than a mile, and we take our time, so it's more like a leisurely stroll. Most people can do it."

Awaiting the group is a five-course meal, cooked in front of the guests by Eric Moore and Matt Barriger, chefs at Solitude's St. Bernard's restaurant. "They do a lot of prep work at the base and bring the food up by snowmobile ahead of the group in time to get the stoves fired up," Burke said. "We keep the menu unique, so when guests come back their second or third time they're not having the same sirloin," Burke said. "The group can call for the menu about five days in advance."

It's $75 per person, plus a 19 percent service fee, which puts the total around $96. Burke doesn't mind that other resorts are following suit. "We can only do 20 people a night, so it's good that others are offering it. Our prime days go in October, but we often have some availability during midweek."

So who are the customers? Just out-of-state tourists? Sundance celebrities? Surprisingly, no.

"The majority of our people are locals," Burke said. "That's because a lot of out-of-state people book their vacation in late November for the Christmas holiday, and by then, we're already sold out. But they can put their name on a list, and inevitably we'll have some people cancel. From now until March, we do have a few slots open. The only day we're closed is Monday."

The Viking Yurt, owned by Joy and Geir Vik, has seen its share of the Sundance crowd -- "You'll see women with high spiked heels and bare legs, wrapped in a mink coat," said Joy. But, having signed privacy agreements beforehand, they don't mention specific names.

The first year, guests arrived by gondola. When the resort closed the gondola at nights, the couple had a sled built that could be pulled by a snowcat. On "tour" nights, guests can snowshoe or cross- country ski the final 500 yards.