Last night we attended the annual Dine-Around Social at Deer Valley Resort. We toured and tasted the many restaurant options and met the chefs of these fabulous venues. The evening began with hot toddies at the Snow Park Lodge. We warmed up with Peppermint Patties (hot cocoa, peppermint liquor, homemade whipped cream, and shaved peppermint sprinkles!). What a way to get into the spirit. After mingling for a bit, we zipped up to the Royal Street Cafe via the Silver Lake Express chair lift. Upon our arrival, we were greeted with wine, beer and the award winning signature cocktail “St. Germain Cocktail” (Prosecco, St. Germain Liquor-Elderflower, and a splash of soda). These were a festive and great way to begin your first course. You can always count on Deer Valley to provide you with exceptional service and great food. We enjoyed bison burger sliders and tuna tartar on a homemade crisp chip. This gave us a chance to meet a few new faces and then off to the next venue! We walked to The Mariposa Restaurant located at Silver Lake Lodge and met the Chef. He introduced our first course; Dungeness Crab Causa – (Aji Chili lime juice mashed yukon gold potatoes, with an heirloom tomato and smashed avocado prepared with tomato water, and cilantro oil). As he described our first course everyone gasped…oh the anticipation of great food! You know it’s good when our mouths were watering at the description alone. The taste…superb! Then it was off to Empire Canyon Lodge. We boarded the Luxury motor coaches provided by All Resort Express where we enjoyed ski movies as we headed up the canyon. It was a perfect night with snow flurries shining in the light. As we entered the lodge we were greeted by the smiling staff and a glass of wine. The wines of the evening were paired by Clint Strohl, Manager of both the Silver Lake Lodge and Empire Canyon Lodge. Julie Wilson, Director of Food & Beverage was there to provide us with a warm welcome. Empire Canyon Lodge is home to the Fireside Dining Room. If you haven’t had the opportunity to dine at this restaurant you better make sure to put it on your list because this is an experience you shouldn’t miss. Fireside Dining offers local favorites from the European Alps every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. Fireside Dining at Empire Canyon Lodge features four courses served from the beautiful stone fireplaces. You begin by visiting one fireplace to find their first course of warm Swiss raclette cheese accompanied by steamed new potatoes, house marinated pearl onions, cornichons, cured Italian and Swiss meats, freshly baked baguettes and condiments including house-made mustards and chutneys. Continuing to the next fireplace for simmering stews and fricassées made with hearty Alpine ingredients such as veal, venison, chicken, beef short ribs, quail, wild mushrooms, leeks, roasted tomatoes, root vegetables and fresh herbs. Another fireplace serves leg of lamb, roasted slowly by the fire, brushed with fresh herbs and seasoning, accompanied by dutch oven specialties, polenta or three onion risotto. Is your mouth watering yet? If so, then hurry and make your reservation because Fireside Dining books quickly. While you’re at it, be sure to add on a sleigh ride! Sleigh rides are offered in 15 minute intervals around Deer Valley. Enjoy the ride before, after or during dinner (you might need to take a breather). Although Fireside dining is a great place to celebrate special occasions it is also a great experience for the entire family. Kids are welcome and I guarantee as the mother of three boys, your kids will love it! One of my favorite things about Fireside dining is talking with the chefs and learning about the courses and the preparations. Last night I had the opportunity to meet Chef Adam Walker who is partipating in his externship with The Chefs Academy in Indianapolis. Chef Adam spoke to us about what to expect while we waited and watched our cheese melt onto our plates. Watching it melt slowly makes it that much better to taste. We took Chef Adam’s preparation advice and off we went to garnish our cheese with the many options. Interactive dining is like making new friends. Speaking of which, we met Brian and Lisa Barnes from St. Louis, Missouri who are vacationing in Deer Valley this week. Friends told them about Fireside Dining so they decided to check it out. When they arrived, they found out the restaurant was closed for a special event! In grand Deer Valley fashion and with the hospitality we have all come to know from the Deer Valley staff, Brian and Lisa were invited to stay and join the group. They were so happy to grab a seat and of course they fit right in! If you think Deer Valley is out of your league, think again. If you join the staff at any of there restaurants (over 9) you are guaranteed friendly faces, amazing culinary cuisine and an incredible wine list. By the end of Fireside we were pretty full but off we went to the Seafood Buffet at Snow Park Lodge where we enjoyed our final course of the evening. The dessert bar at the Seafood Buffet offered decadent chocolates, pastries and so much more we couldn’t taste it all! A big thank you to everyone at Deer Valley for creating such a wonderful evening for all of us to enjoy.
