Prospecting for Flavor

Sporting more eateries per square inch than New York City, Paris, or San Francisco, Park City’s Main Street is a foodies’ Shangri-La. But along with that pricey real estate come pricey meals and the occasional parking hassle. So for a sensible alternative to Main Street dining — especially during busy times like holidays and the Sundance Film Festival — heading over to Park City’s Prospector and NOMA (North of Main) neighborhoods can be rewarding for the palate, not to mention easy on the nerves and the budget.

With ample parking and easy access, Prospector restaurants are a terrific option for quick get-in-and-get-out business lunches as well as leisurely nighttime dining. And if you’re really in a hurry or prefer to eat at home or the office, most of these restaurants are equipped for take-out, too. Good Karma even has a walk-up window for anyone who wishes to abscond with its killer curry in a hurry.

We can thank the Swiss for two of the most venerable restaurants in the neighborhood: Adolph’s and the Grub Steak Restaurant. One of Park City’s most cherished dining destinations, Adolph’s Restaurant has been wooing locals and tourists alike since the Swiss-born Adolph Imboden opened his namesake eatery in the mid-’70s. Adolph’s regulars tend to huddle at the copper-topped bar for the tremendous cocktails and burgers, while more serious diners might want to garner a prized table and sink into time-tested classics like Steak Diane, escargot, duck a l’ orange, and raclette.

Where’s the beef? You’ll find it at the Grub Steak Restaurant in Prospector Square, where Adolph’s colleague and fellow Swiss countryman Hans Fuegi’s steakhouse has been feeding Park City for 30 years. Start at the 45-item salad bar and work your way to the Grub Steak’s luscious dry-aged top sirloin, the popular Hunter’s Mixed Grill, Utah red trout, elk sirloin, and the baseball cut of Black Angus beef, all rounded off nicely with an alluring wine list.

Go from Fuegi to Fuego by heading west a block on Sidewinder Drive. At Fuego Bistro and Pizzeria, you’ll discover scrumptious gourmet pizzas — one even called the Prospector — along with grilled Italian sandwiches and entrées like pasta frittata, linguine with Gorgonzola, chicken Pompeii, and beef Tornados, plus a full bar, all at refreshingly fair prices.

Tucked away in the Park City Marriott on Sidewinder Drive is Starbucks, Timbers private club, and a popular local’s breakfast, lunch and dinner location, the Park City Grill. Lots of rustic stone and wood, super friendly service, and plentiful parking make the Marriott’s Park City Grill a popular stop for hearty and wholesome rotisserie and smokehouse fare.

For a quick bite and abundant parking, drop into Prospector Plaza on Bonanza Drive. Brand new this season, you’ll find Bob Murphy’s wholesome gourmet soups at Souperman, and right next door, Nick-N-Willy’s Pizza, serving up “small batch” gourmet pizzas straight from their brick oven or ready to take home to cook in your own kitchen. Einstein Bros. is one of Park City’s most popular pre-ski gathering spots for tasty bagels and hot java, while close by, El Chubasco bustles at lunchtime when hungry customers fill up on authentic Mexican tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and specialty dishes like birria, pozole, menudo, and tortas. At Spencer’s Smokin’ Grill, you’ll find smoky temptations like BBQ pork ribs, rotisserie chicken, smoked sausage sandwiches, smoked salmon, fire-roasted veggies and hearty Miner’s Chili, all served up in an informal, family-friendly atmosphere. There’s even macaroni and cheese for the kids.

Looking for something fishy? Since 1998, Penny Lehman-Kinsey and her family have been serving über-fresh fish and seafood at their Blind Dog Grill, named for Penny’s blind black lab, Rigger. A tribute to the Blind Dog’s Park City popularity, the business has grown to include Blind Dog Grill, Blind Dog Sushi and, most recently, Blind Dog To Go, where you’ll find everything from lobster bisque and lobster salad by the pound to sushi-grade ahi, fish tacos, couscous, live lobsters, and even lobster bibs to go with ’em. The Blind Dog is famous for its crab cakes, and you’ll find those at all three Blind Dog establishments. Eclectic Blind Dog dishes such as diver scallops with duck, rock shrimp, and chorizo jambalaya keep seafaring customers happy and content here in landlocked Utah.

For exotic eats, Good Karma mingles Japanese, Indian, and Middle Eastern flavors in a funky, colorful, and inviting setting. Travel the globe with udon and ramen soups from Japan, the Middle Eastern begumi platter and cruciferous slaw, Punjabi vegetable kabobs, fiery-hot chicken tikka masala from India, and scrumptious homemade Persian baklava.

One of the best off-Main eateries in Park City is Bill White’s Windy Ridge Café. Here you’ll experience Bill White’s famed cuisine and ambience (also seen at Grappa, Chimayo, Ghidotti’s and Wahso), but at off-Main prices. A bowl of gazpacho and the grilled flat-iron steak salad makes for a luscious lunch at Windy Ridge. For dinner, the pistachio-crusted halibut and barbecued lamb shank are hard to beat. There’s also a terrific wine-by-the-glass selection, and brunch is served on Sundays. Happy prospecting!

A longtime food, wine, and travel writer, Ted Scheffler regularly prospects for delectable dishes in Park City and beyond.

Restaurants:

Adolph’s Restaurant, 435.649.7177.
Blind Dog Grill & Blind Dog Sushi, 435.655.0800.
Blind Dog To Go, 435.658.1700.
El Chubasco, 435.645.9114.
Einstein Bros., 435.645.9323.
Fuego Bistro and Pizzeria, 435.645.8646.
Good Karma, 435.658.0958.
Grub Steak, 435.649.8060.
Nick-N-Willy’s Pizza, 1890 Bonanza Drive, 435.658.4872.
Park City Grill, 435.615.4525.
Souperman, 435.604.0419.
Spencer’s Smokin’ Grill, 435.645.8483.
Windy Ridge Café, 435.647.0880.