Fireside Dining

We live in Park City full time and are always looking for good food. We’re originally from the East Coast where there is a strong food culture and world-​class restaurants. Because of Deer Valley’s reputation, we thought Fireside would be a good choice for Valentine’s Day. We were wrong. First, it’s located at Empire Lodge. The same place we go to warm up and use the bathroom when we’re skiing every Saturday. Fireside is in the cafeteria section of the lodge and smells like wet feet. Inside, it has that cafeteria ambiance — nothing special. Not cozy. Not romantic. They try very hard to make it seem nice, but if you put lipstick on a pig, it’s still a pig. Also, parking was atrocious and no valet. Seriously? Second, the food was just okay. For the price tag attached to this smelly experience, we really expected more. How does one remove the flavor from trout? The dessert station basically had the contents of my fridge and pantry. Third, the wine selection was only so-​so. We paid $ 10 per glass for a Pinot Gris we could get a whole bottle of at the state store for about $ 15. Maybe less. Lastly, the price of this experience did not match the meal. With tip, it ran us almost $ 200 and we were there less than an hour because there was literally nothing worth eating. That is shameful. Deer Valley should legitimately be ashamed of itself. I could have gone to Ruth’s Chris and eaten a much better (read superb) meal for quite a bit less and I would have enjoyed the experience much more. Because the food wasn’t very good and Fireside stank, we were in and out in an hour when we were supposed to spend a romantic evening together.

This was awesome. The 4 course meal was exquisite and worth the money. The service was great and there are plenty of servers to keep your table clean.
The 4 stations were setup perfectly so as to not cause a bunch of people left standing waiting for food. This is an experience you will enjoy.
The cheese and meats were unreal. Great selections. (Strawberry chutney was ridiculous)
The stews, ribs and soups were on point and filled with flavor.
I am only giving it 4 out of 5 stars because The lamb was very rare and I prefer it a little more medium well. However the fire side cooking does not m allow it to be medium well.
Also, the desserts were amazing. Fresh and a great balance of salty, sweet, savory.
Make this meal a must have on your list when you visit.

This is one place I must go every time in in Deer Valley. The food is great, so many options. The service and staff are great. Must have the cheese rackette, twice if you have room

I had the pleasure of having dinner again at Fireside Dining last weekend while in Park City. I returned here after such a positive experience last winter. Truly this is one of the best, most unique dining experiences I have had — and it is absolute perfection for a mountain restaurant. There are several fireplaces inside the restaurant and each offers a different dining course. The raclette and leg of lamb are standard fares, as well as the chocolate fondue for dessert. They have a rotating stew/​soup/​salad/​hearty fare station as well. In addition to the excellent food, the service is superb. We were welcomed by a manager and a host, as well as someone to check our coats and our table server was exceptional. All of these combined experiences make up a wonderful evening out.
*Also, I’m not sure why this is categorized as a French restaurant… It’s definitely not!

$ 63 per person for some warmed up cheese and cut rate tomato soup? Did I miss something? One of the absolute worst dining experiences I’ve had.

Pretty dope dining experience and ambience but the food leaves a bit to be desired. We drove up here prior to Christmas and it LITERALLY felt like we were driving into a Christmas card with the snow coming down and whatnot. We were unfamiliar with the area so we had A LOT of difficulty finding the entrance to this place. The parking lot and building are NOT clearly marked AT ALL. Be prepared for that (it’s kind of by a roundabout– it’s shocking that there are no signs for this place). The staff was VERY COURTEOUS and helpful. They offered to help take a photo of our family, explained the food options, etc. The food was okay– seemed like we were paying for the experience more than the taste. For instance, I’m a lamb fanatic and frequently eat it (Greek festivals mostly). Their lamb was average, as were most of the other options. However, the Mac N Cheese is ON POINT, as are the melted cheese plate things. If you want the ultra high priced buffet experience to be about food taste; I’d suggest another place in SLC (it’s in a «large American» hotel…). If you want ambience and a Christmas-​y memory– Fireside Dining is a decent/​good option.

This is hands down one of the best dining experience I’ve had in any place in the world. The ambience is amazing and so cozy and warm. Then there is the food. Exceptional in every way. The fondue was one of my favorite courses and I may have eaten a bit too much of that at the start. One of my favorite aspects is going from station to station and seeing what the food is, how it is presented and then enjoying every savory bite. This is a must do for anyone looking for an intimate meal, special occasion or just a decadent treat.

This place was an amazing dinner experience. You walk in and they just ask for coat; that’s so cool! The service was exemplary yet me and my love were carded for alcohol even though we are both legal age which is surprising at such a fine establishment. Great food options! The cheese was amazing from the fire place. Short rib, Mac n cheese, dessert platter wit melted chocolate were all great options!

ambiance/​/​*****
park city seems to have a rep for being the switzerland of america
i couldn’t agree more~ fireside dining is located at the apex of the gorgeous slopes
with a fireplace glowing in every room and floor to ceiling windows
it is an atmosphere of a family gathering~
service/​/​*****
since we snagged a last minute reservation, our dinner was for the evening’s final seating
unlike most places with servers that would have been checked out in the last hour of their shift
everyone at fireside were super professional and courteous… and that’s hard considering it’s buffet… so you never know when the peeps will stop eating
food/​/​*****
for dinner it is a four course buffet
raclette is the belle of the ball~
they have this nifty contraption that melts the cheese in measured intervals over the fireplace
this awesome g33kness trumps the traditional individual service… besides it’s more effective for buffet service anyway
then a table has beautiful arrangements of the typical accompaniments of pickles. charcuteries. potatoes. etc.
the second and third rooms become progressively intimate with a frequently rotating menu of pigeon. lamb. and assorted soups and salads
finally~ the meal ends with a chocolate fondue fountain and various bite sized desserts
~*~
come famished & leave satiated~

This place was very unique in the way your dining experience is. The food was good but a lot of exotic types of food. Not many options in the way of a kids menu or food for the not so adventurous. What I did eat was very good.
My advice is to call ahead as I hear the menu changes frequent.

We finally made it to Fireside Dining for our anniversary. The food was fantastic and the service excellent. We are Glitretind regulars but are thinking of making this our choice for next Christmas. Heck, we even saw Stein Eriksen himself enjoying dinner a few tables away.
The Swiss Racalette to start was a new experience and we really liked it. Go easy as you could easily make this first course a whole meal. The veal stew, Utah trout and venison were out of this world. The stew and trout are mainstays on the menu and the venison was the selection for this week. Don’t worry about the carbs and have your stew on top of the potato rosti. I really like lamb so the 3^rd course, leg of lamb roasted on a string right at the fireplace was great.
The last course, chocolate fondue, was good but the first 3 courses are so terrific, I could live without it. Hard core chocolate fans won’t want to miss it though.

Just an amazing place. Definitely worth the price. Took my wife to celebrate our 5^th yr anniversary… Happy wife, happy life!
EVERYTHING TASTES AMAZING!!!

Definitely worth doing, as a treat. Yes it feels like you are paying a lot per head, but you will absolutely get your money’s worth. With four fireplaces brimming with options, you will not go hungry. When you consider that you are getting eat all you want appetizers, salad, main course and dessert, it is not that much per head, especially relative to everything else in Park City. And as we know, Deer Valley knows how to produce excellent food, in a wonderful mountain setting.

Guess I’d call it a glorified buffet, but the concept is somewhat novel: each crackling fireplace in the dining room has a specific dish (or dishes) that is being offered (more or less self-​serve). There is a lot of food offered out in the open (without any sneeze guards), which made me a bit uneasy… it’s cold and flu season after all. The food itself was all fairly tasty, though not super refined (stews, roasted lamb, charcuterie). For large groups and/​or if you’ve got kids I think it’s a decent spot (it’s super casual). Service was actually standout, we had a great server and our plates were picked up the second we were done. Parking is free in a dedicated and clearly indicated lot, but there wasn’t much space. I had to park in what I’d call an «unofficial» space and fortunately my car was still there when I got back.

Ahhh, Fireside Dinning never fails to impress me. The service and atmosphere is excellent! It’s amazing how they can transform the Empire lodge into this beautiful buffet!
There were 4 courses:
1) The melted cheese (raclet?)
It was very good, make sure to get that strawberry compote and the mustards.
2) The second course was the hunter stew, trout, and potato pancakes. The sausage in the hunter stew was a bit gamey for my taste. The trout was very moist and fresh, and the pancakes were perfectly cooked.
3) The third course was the leg of lamb. (I skipped out on this course because I’m not a huge fan of lamb.)
4) The fourth and final course was the Dark chocolate, White chocolate, and the caramel fondue. The strawberries were very good with the dark chocolate!
Great job guys! Keep it up!

The Fireside Dining experience is truly a one of a kind! The restaurant is in the Empire Lodge at Deer Valley and although part of the Deer Valley resort, many (I included) come from outside the resort to dine here. The unique layout features four fireside prix fix food stations, all with some of the food heated by the fire and a separate stand for cold sides and accompanying food. Since it is a serve yourself buffet style eatery, they have a service bar in the main room in which you can go up and order drinks individually.
The first course (I say this tentatively since it is a free-​willed buffet and I was tempted to jump straight for dessert) consisted of raclette swiss cheese with a station for breads, cured meats, three homemade whole grain mustards and a wonderful homemade strawberry tarragon preserve. The cheese is slowly melted fireside and you can sit back and watch it melt onto your plate before they serve it to you — YUM! If I began all my meals like this I would be a few pounds heavier but a whole lot happier!
The next (tentative) course consisted of tender braised beef short ribs, Almond-​flour dusted Utah trout, veal stew, and a variety of vegetable soups. The short ribs were pull-​apart tender and rich. I opted out of the other two options in fear I wouldn’t save room for dessert but the side salad and soups were delicious as well!
The third course was a fire roasted leg of lamb. Literally roasting right there on the fire for all to see. I had this with a side of chestnut parmesan brussel sprouts. Although a little rare for my liking, nothing to complain about from this course and everyone seemed to enjoy it. To be honest, I was getting pretty stuffed but still had my eye on the prize — dessert.
Ah, the long awaited trio of carmel, dark chocolate and white chocolate fondu along with gooey chocolate baked pudding. I really can’t say much about this that you aren’t already imagining but I’ll tell you this — I literally licked the plate.
Overall, Fireside Dining is such a unique Swiss/​French take on buffet fireside food and I highly recommend it if you are in Park City and looking for a special dining experience. And for the quality and unlimited quantity of food, I really think the price is a steal (roughly 60 $). Be sure to try it out, but make sure to make a reservation in the busy ski season!

Absolutely stunning dining experience. We’re a party of 7 and this has become a yearly thing and honestly, the cheese station is incredible, just like you’d have in Switzerland with the potatoes and accoutrements but the other stations are also noteworthy. Each fireplace has something special going on. Go hungry and enjoy the feast.

Tolle Atmosphäre und gutes Essen!

Deer Valley does it once again! If anyone has ever been to the seafood buffet, you know it is remarkable how Deer Valley can turn around a ski lodge into a cozy dining room in just a few hours. The Fireside Dining at the Empire Lodge is even more of a turn … we were all amazed how nice the lodge felt as a dining room.
The food was very good as well. We lived in Switzerland for several years, and developed an abiding love for raclette, which is quite hard to find in the States. So for us, the raclette is the high point of eating at Fireside. Plate upon plate of gooey melted raclette cheese … yes, you can hear your arteries hardening, but hey you only live once! They couple this with all the proper fixings — pearl onions, gerkins, boiled potatoes, even house made bunderfleish (a lovely traditional air dried beef).
If you can peel yourself away from the raclette, they also offer a variety of stews and other slow cooked comfort dishes. The night we were there, they had a nice wild mushroom and beef stew, and braised short ribs, both of which were excellent.
They also feature a slow roasted whole leg of lamb, which was really outstanding, as were the mashed potatoes with arugula pesto — yum! Only real disappointment was the rosti (a Swiss version of hash browns), which just wasn’t as flavorful or moist as the real thing.
If you can make it that far, they also offer dessert fondue with chocolate or caramel sauce and a variety of fruit and other items to dip into the sauces.
Wine list was fairly extensive and had some very nice selections. We started with a very nice barbera d’alba, but the second and third bottles were corked and we had to send them back. The staff were very accomodating, and asked no questions, just fixed the problem. We finally switched to a California meritage, and thoroughly enjoyed that.
Bottom line, if you’re in Deer Valley, definitely find a date to make it up to Fireside (note they only do Fireside on Wednesday through Saturday), but make reservations as it fills up fast!

Very appropriate name. All the food is by a fireplace. Price is steep but the food was DARN GOOD!
Everything I tasted was yummy. Some of the highlights were:
– The melted cheese. I started off with a plate and ended my meal with a second plate.
– The leg of lamb was moist and flavorful. Almost tasted like duck.
– Bacon pancake with venison medallion was awesome!
– Veal stew was very good. It was hearty yet not heavy.
Really, everything tasted great.

Spring in Deer Valley has me wondering if the staff and crew want to pack up and head down the mountain for the summer. Laid back, not quite as efficient has defined our stay this spring break. I know the less than stellar ski season must have an impact on the spirit of the sport and all those who cater to us. But, the last mile of a marathon must be run with integrity or you crash before your timing chip hits the finish line giving you credit for a job well done.
Fireside is a favorite thing for us during our Deer Valley stays. It is pricey but always worth the cost. But this time, it failed to deliver. The flavors were okay, the choices not too varied, and the staff appeared to be rode hard and put away wet. Specifiically, the Boar ribs were cold and had a tough texture and tart flavor. The leek soup was tangy and thin and the lamb, my hubby’s fav, was only okay.
Then at the end they had the nerve to nickel and dime us for a cup of coffee, which should be included.
Will not return… too many other optiions abound… though not bad, just not Deer Valley stellar.