Judy and I have enjoyed eating dinner out on our deck this summer, but sometimes we still like to get out. This week we are sharing the outdoor dining options in Park City and the surrounding areas. And, as with all public gathering places these days, please wear a mask, maintain social distancing and stay home if you are feeling sick.
The Park City Restaurant Association has lots of information about dining in Park City as well as a current list of all open establishments (over 50 are open now) - click here to see them. While restaurants are following guidelines to ensure that dining in a Park City restaurant is safe; some businesses are taking additional steps to protect our community further by including additional social distancing measures, arriving at a specific time or the adoption of no walk-in policies.
Main Street in Historic Park City is also a little different this summer as Sundays are now car-free. The Historic Park City Alliance announced car-free Main Street Sundays will go through September 6, 2020. The 0.8-mile stretch of shops, cafes, bars, and restaurants invites merchants to expand into the street to welcome visitors to the district. Cars will be prohibited on the street from 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. On-street dining, shopping, and experiences will vary each week.
There are many beautiful places in Utah with outdoor dining options and Melissa Fields of Ski Utah shares some of the other Utah mountain towns and resort restaurants serving up great food—with a side of fantastic views—on outdoor patios for the 2020 summer season in Bluebird Day Summer Dining.
Little Cottonwood Canyon - At Alta Ski Area, The Snowpine Lodge's Gulch Pub patio is open daily from 12 a.m. - 8 p.m. Wednesday - Sunday. The Alta Lodge will open for Saturday lunch (dine-in and take-out, noon - 2 p.m.) on August 1; Sunday Brunch service begins on August 2 (9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m., reservations required).
Down canyon at Snowbird, the patios at Snowbird SeventyOne and The Forklift are open daily. Or head into the Snowbird Center to grab a sandwich from Snowbird General Gritts, a pie from Tram Car Pizza or coffee and housemade pastry from Baked & Brewed to enjoy on the ‘Bird’s large Plaza Deck.
Big Cottonwood Canyon - The iconic Silver Fork Lodge and Restaurant located just 1.5 miles west of Solitude in Big Cottonwood Canyon, is open daily for the summer season (8 a.m. - 8 p.m.). Dine inside the restaurant or on the lodge’s large back patio. Or grab food to-go from the Silver Spoon Food Truck, parked in the lodge’s upper parking lot Wednesday through Sunday (noon - 7 p.m.).
Millcreek Canyon - The rustically charming Log Haven serves dinner nightly on its cool and verdant patio surrounded by the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
Park City - While several restaurants operate seasonal patios along Park City’s Historic Main Street in warm weather months, on Sundays this summer, the entire thoroughfare is dedicated to walkers, cyclists and outdoor dining. During Car-free Sundays, cars are prohibited on Park City’s Main Street from 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. through September 6, 2020. On-street dining, shopping and experiences will vary each week.
At Deer Valley Resort, the deck is open (8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.) at the Deer Valley Grocery ~ Café—as is Pebble Beach, the stand-up paddleboard beach and pond located adjacent to the café’s deck. On June 26, the patio Royal Street Cafe opened for the summer season (11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m., daily).
Sundance Mountain Resort is serving up tasty meals at the Foundry Grill by reservation only with plenty of outdoor seating, as well as grab-and-go options from The Deli and Foodtruck on the lawn. Snag a table and enjoy a sandwich with breathtaking views of Mount Timpanogos.
Over in the Heber Valley, the same culinary team responsible for Tupelo Park City, is opening Heber City’s newest eatery, Afterword. There, local producers will be highlighted in a farm-to-table experience on Afterword’s spacious patio.
For hungry hikers, climbers and bikers traveling to or from the 450,000-plus-acre High Uintas Wilderness (located east of Kamas along the Mirror Lake Highway), a stop at Samak Smokehouse & Country Store for a sandwich, stickie, smoked trout or cold drinks (and Uintas Recreation Passes) is de rigueur. For those looking to stick around awhile at this Wasatch Back institution, check out the Smokehouse’s Summer BBQ, held outside on the lawn next to the smokehouse on Sunday nights (5 to 8 p.m.) through Labor Day weekend.
Whether you are dining at home or at your favorite local restaurant - our friends at Alpine Distilling have wonderful, locally crafted spirits that are an expression of the rejuvenative effects of time spent outdoors. When Alpine Distilling isn’t making hand sanitizer to help combat Covid-19 they’re busy crafting award-winning spirits that capture the taste of life in a mountain town. Alpine donates a percentage of proceeds to the Park City Swaner Nature Preserve, the Utah Olympic Park, and many other local nonprofit organizations and community initiatives.
Alpine Distilling specializes in botanically-inspired spirits, gin, and spiced bourbon. Their unique Preserve Liqueur was inspired by sunset at the Swaner Nature Preserve and encapsulates notes of blood orange, black tea, raspberry, lemon balm, and ginger. This inspired liqueur just earned Double-Gold Medals at both the World Spirit Awards and London’s Women Wine & Spirit Awards. Their Alpine Gin also scored Double-Gold at London’s Women Wine & Spirit Award. Try this lovely recipe tonight:
ALPINE DISTILLING'S THYME TO PRESERVE
- 1.5oz. Alpine Gin
- 0.5oz. Preserve Liqueur
- 0.75oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
- 0.5oz. Cane Syrup
- 2-3 Sprigs of Freshly Cut Thyme
- 1-2 Lemon Slices
