Rehearsal Hall at Utah's Sundance Mountain Resort
APRÈS SKI Written by Bonnie Graves
For some that ski, the slopes and the snow are enough; what you eat afterwards (or, before, in the case of Sundance’s awardwinning brunch) is an afterthought. Increasingly though, ski resorts across the American West are realizing that their success is as much about amenities like fine dining as it is about pure powder. While there will always be those skiers who are happy enough with a quick tuna sandwich or a burger, perhaps wolfed down with some lukewarm hot chocolate or bad beer, many others now expect better food and then some. Voted the #1 Ski Resort in North America in Conde Nast’s 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards, Sundance may not be such a secret anymore. When Redford bought the land surrounding Utah’s majestic Mount Timpanogos in 1969, he envisioned a place where art, nature and community could coexist. He may not have imagined the juggernaut that has become the Sundance Film Festival. Much of that January glamour actually happens across the hill in Park City, where resorts like Deer Valley have dominated Utah’s ski industry. Quietly, the original Sundance Mountain Resort remains nestled at the base of the ‘sleeping maiden Utahna’ 56 slmag.net
and its winning combination of culture and cuisine makes it a standout. For wine enthusiasts, the list at the Tree Room restaurant – named for the belovedly stubborn tree that has grown in the center of the dining room for nearly 50 years – offers Utah’s best selections. While Mormon prohibitions against alcohol remain an issue in nearby Provo, Sundance is a welcome haven of fermented grape juice. Sundance’s proprietary label series has attracted fine wineries like Honig, Sokol-Blosser, Altamura, Selby and others. And no visit to Sundance is complete without a post-ski cocktail at the famous Owl Bar, where the bullet-riddled bar and the “Butch Cassidy” memorabilia bring an authentic cowboy vibe. Lastly, Sundance’s more casual restaurant, The Foundry Grill, offers a Sunday Brunch that is without compare. Be sure to make a reservation and to starve yourselves the night before, or you’ll fail to do justice to its jawdropping array of both savory and sweet brunch options. Heading north to Montana, another ski area is fast becoming a dining destination. Located halfway between West Yellowstone and Bozeman, Rainbow Ranch Lodge and the Big Sky Resort ski area have steadily drawn attention and celebrity investment.
