As a Park City native I will be the first to admit that—unlike Sundance Mountain Resort—the restaurants in the area leave a lot to be desired. World-class dining atmospheres both on and off Main Street often translate to sub-par menu items in a town that profits off of its association with the luxury resorts around it. For a Utah resort town, the Utah Valley offers a variety of fast casual and upscale dining options that are hard to beat. Some, right in the resorts themselves, as is the case at Sundance Mountain Resort.
I will not say where, but I once ate Brussels sprouts at an overpriced restaurant that were simmered in a root beer reduction. The restaurant has since closed and been replaced with another short-lived food experience that will likely re-open under a new name by the time you make it to the area next season.
The Foundry
At Sundance Mountain Resort, a small handful of high-quality restaurants replace the seemingly endless list of mediocre food options in other nearby ski towns. The Foundry, it’s main farm-to-table grill that is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, offers a diverse menu full of go-to comforts and luxury splurges.
Unlike the root beer-coated atrocity in nearby Park City, The Foundry and the Owl Bar’s Brussels sprouts appetizer ($14 and worth every penny) is (*chefs kiss*) a perfect blend of sweet, savory, crunchy, chewy Asian-fusion that pairs well with any other menu item. The truffle mac n’ cheese ($12), though technically a side, is worth ordering two of right off the bat—to avoid the impending fight that will arise over who did not get enough.
Main courses at The Foundry range from fresh fish and meats to an entire menu of vegan options like mushroom fried orzo ($26) and Beyond tacos ($18), as well as pasta favorites and comfort foods like fried chicken ($32) or a classic burger ($19)—many of which (and I can’t say all because I have not sampled each dish) are exceptional and cooked to perfection.
At breakfast, The Foundry’s chefs shine just as bright, with a variety of dishes from healthy morning starts to indulgences that are worth breaking your regular diet. The roasted carrot toast ($16), which creates a colorful palette of healthy flavors like Harissa carrot butter, feta cheese, and roasted carrots with poached eggs and buttermilk sauce, is a good, healthy option before a long ski day. Also available is steel cut oatmeal ($10), or a fresh smoothie bowl ($12) with pepitas and chia pudding.
But The Foundry’s pancakes ($12)—and I do not say this often as pancakes are so rarely my go-to—are one of its best dishes. Perfectly fluffy with a sugary crisp on the outside, the pancakes are the perfect amount of sweet that anyone can indulge in first-thing in the morning—and I say this as someone that does not eat sugar, ever.
Sundance Deli, Bearclaw Cabin, and Creekside Cafe
For lunch, I recommend grabbing a sandwich at the Sundance Deli and eating it outside in the summer, where the spectacular views of Mount Timpanogos are some of the resorts most breathtaking sights. At the top of the resort, which you can access via chair lift, is the Bearclaw Cabin, a fully-functioning restaurant that offers Latin favorites like ceviche ($10) or the resorts famous nachos ($15 +$5 for meat).
Lunch at the Sundance Deli is simple, with a range of sandwich options from a turkey club ($15) or a Buffalo chicken sandwich on an onion Asiago roll ($14). For the meatless, the vegetarian sandwich ($13) features a portobello mushroom with red peppers and boursin cheese on an everything bagel.
Over at the Creekside cafe, fast-casual, seasonal eats help hungry ski and snowboarders get in and out quickly without compromising on the flavors and specialties that Sundance is famous for. Plates like pulled pork ($12) or a portobello and pesto sandwich ($10) are part of the 2019-2020 seasonal winter menu.
Fine Dining at the Tree Room
At its fine dining restaurant, Sundance’s rustic western design comes to life in a cabin-like dining room adorned with Native American art that honors the native tribe—the Ute Tribal Nation—that gave Utah its name. Also on the walls, patrons can find an assortment of pieces from Redford’s personal collection of Native American art, as well as photos from film sets that Redford worked on throughout his career.
But it’s in the food, as well as the atmosphere, that the Tree Room consistently earns its place atop best in state lists and on Forbes’ travel guide of four star dining experiences. The dining room, which was built in 1970 and was constructed around a single oak tree that still stands—and grows—in the room today.
Fresh, seasonal menu items like trout roe truffle ($14), beef tartare with smoked mussel aoli ($18) and elk loin with butternut squash ($48) are among a few of the menu items that can be sampled throughout the four course dining experience. At The Tree Room, the philosophy of food as art brings the fine dining experience to life without compromising on flavor and texture—a hard feat as I described earlier in the facade of fine dining at other resort areas in the state.
For a small resort, Sundance shines in its ability to create a multifaceted dining experience without having to leave the grounds of the resort at all. In addition to its seemingly endless list of activities offered at the resort—from spa and ski days to art classes, hiking and biking, nightlife, and film screenings, its ability to create a retreat-like luxury ambience without triggering a sense of cabin fever is a triumph—one that Sundance Mountain Resort executes effortlessly.
We would like to extend a thank you to Explore Utah and Sundance Mountain Resort for hosting Grit Daily to experience what the resort has to offer for this feature. All opinions are our own.
