Deer Valley Utah Fine Dining Restaurants
May 7, 2009 by Robin Rutecki
Filed under Destinations
The ski resorts in Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado have been competing over the last 20 years to create the perfect mountain vacation getaway. The ski vacation is no longer the same experience it was in the 1980s when lodgings of marginal quality were considered the norm.
Over the last 10 years western ski resorts have continually expanded their size, quality of facilities, and breadth of services. Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah and Vail Resort in Vail, Colorado have risen to the top of the ski resort show down. Deer Valley Resort has been ranked the #1 Ski Resort in North America by the readers of Ski Magazine in 2001, 2005, 2007, and 2008. Vail Resort held the honor in 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2006.
To consistently hold the #1 spot in Ski Magazines survey, Deer Valley Resort focuses on its dining experience, on mountain services, and well manicured ski runs. Deer Valley is widely known to have the best food in the ski business but it does not just stop with lunch. The resort converts its opulent ski lodges into fine dining restaurants each night during the ski season. Each evening the staff redecorates with such skill you can hardly notice that you are dining in the same lodge you ate lunch earlier in the day.
The Mariposa is considered Deer Valleys flagship dining establishment serving European continental fare. Fireside Dining offers optional romantic horse drawn sleigh rides before dinner and a unique Swiss alpine menu served alongside stone fireplaces. The Seafood Buffet is a longtime favorite featuring a large selection of seafood as well as hearty items from the grill.
Park City has also added many fine dining establishments as well as hundreds of new luxury ski accommodations. The modern traveler demands a decidedly more luxurious experience than the traditional ski vacation lodging options and restaurants were able to provide.
Due to this recent transition towards a more discerning visitor, Park City and Deer Valley restaurants have responded by providing an ever improving dining experience. Mobile, Michelin, AAA, and Zagat rate several restaurants close to Deer Valley Resort as top choices within their widely read travel guides.
Although there are many fantastic Deer Valley restaurants, my favorite choice is the Goldener Hirsch Restaurant which is tucked away in the Austrian inspired Goldener Hirsch Inn. The Stein Eriksen Lodge has arguably one of the finest restaurants in the county with its Glitretind Restaurant. The Glitretind is also famous for its daily Skiers Lunch Buffet during the winter season.
No matter what your personal preference, Deer Valley Resort certainly lives up to its reputation as a top ski destination in North America. There are now many unique dining options to compliment the fabulous skiing and scenery. Its definitely worth a closer look.