The only thing better than skiing at Deer Valley Resort just might be eating at Deer Valley®. This full-service ski resort in Park City, Utah is famous for its award-winning cuisine—like legendary Turkey Chili and giant chocolate chip cookies—served in a spectacular mountain setting. Whether you fancy a fast slopeside lunch or crave a gourmet fire-cooked dinner, here are the can’t-miss meals at Deer Valley Resort.

1. Crab Legs at the Seafood Buffet

Watch the Snow Park Lodge transform from a skier’s cafeteria to a fancy nightly buffet that’s heaven for seafood lovers. Rated by Zagat as one of America’s Top Restaurants, the sheer array and quality of the cuisine make it easy to love. Start with the Natural Buffet where overflowing bowls of Dungeness and Opilio crab legs, smoked salmon, boiled shrimp, artisan cheeses, and Greek and Caesar salads make deciding how to fill your plate a bit overwhelming.

Round out your meal with seasonal specialties like seared-to-order ahi tuna, honey-glazed sablefish, roasted brown sugar-glazed acorn squash, and roasted garlic mashed potatoes. While it’s called the Seafood Buffet, the hand-carved prime rib and free-range roasted duck are also standouts. Save room for the exquisite desserts: banana pecan cake, vanilla bean crème brûlée, and the Deer Valley Chocolate Snowball—a chocolate flourless torte wrapped in whipped cream.

2. Turkey Chili at Snowshoe Tommy’s

Famous for a good reason, Deer Valley Turkey Chili is available in different iterations all over the mountain. Ski in to Snowshoe Tommy’s at the top of Bald Mountain to hit pause on your ski day and play on Turkey Chili served the classic way. This quick-serve cabin dishes it up in a cup or bowl topped with sour cream, cheddar cheese, onions, and diced tomatoes. Can’t get enough? Pop by Deer Valley Grocery~Café to stock up on fresh or frozen batches or bagged mix to take home.

3. Turkey Chili Nachos at Edgar’s Beer and Spirits Lounge

When your ski day’s done, wind down at EBS Lounge at the resort base with a handcrafted cocktail or Utah beer paired with a heaping plate of Turkey Chili nachos. Nachos are an après-ski food favorite, and Deer Valley’s twist takes this classic to the next level. The giant plate comes heaped with blue corn tortilla chips covered in Turkey Chili, melted cheddar cheese, green onions, and cilantro sour cream—and it’s best shared with a hungry crowd.

4. Vietnamese Pho at Bald Mountain Pho

Ski cuisine is evolving beyond burgers and fries, and the best new way to warm up on a cold day is at the new ski day fave—Bald Mountain Pho. This traditional Vietnamese soup is served mid-mountain inside Silver Lake Lodge, and diners can choose between rich beef or ginger mushroom broth, or the two broths mixed together for a distinctively delicious flavor. Add rice noodles and thin-sliced Wagyu beef or tofu and shiitake mushrooms next, then top your bowl with fresh bean sprouts, lime wedges, sliced jalapeños, Thai basil, mint, and as much spicy sauce as you can handle.

5. Swiss Raclette at Fireside Dining

Be transported to the European Alps at Empire Canyon Lodge’s Fireside Dining, where a ski lodge is transformed nightly into a four-course dinner served from stone fireplaces. To enhance your experience, climb in the horse-drawn sleigh piled high with blankets for a ride across Deer Valley’s snowy terrain.

A favorite Deer Valley dining experience for kids and adults alike, the meal begins with Swiss raclette heated over an open fire that pairs with steamed potatoes, fresh baguettes, cured Swiss and Italian meats, cornichons, and pearl onions. Next, go from fireplace-to-fireplace filling your plate with roasted leg of lamb, hearty stews, and fresh salads.

Be sure to save room for the most anticipated fireplace of all: dessert. Indulge in chocolate, caramel, and white chocolate Grand Marnier fondue coupled with fresh strawberries, bananas, apples, dried apricots, cinnamon pound cake, cookie bites, and almond biscotti.

6. Natural Salad Buffet at Empire Canyon Grill

Take in views of the Daly Bowl and Chutes while feasting on healthy cuisine at Empire Canyon Grill. The Natural Salad Buffet here features classic Caesar and field green salads alongside pasta, grain, and veggie dishes like asian noodles and lemon broccoli penne pasta. Add to your plate with freshly baked bread, imported artisan cheeses, marinated wild mushrooms, and a wide selection of dressings. After a ski lunch this good for you, don’t think twice about snagging a jumbo snickerdoodle, chocolate chip, or oatmeal raisin cookie for the chairlift.

7. Brick Oven Tandoori Shrimp Skillet at The Brass Tag

Tucked upstairs at the Lodges at Deer Valley, The Brass Tag’s claim to fame is brick oven cuisine ranging from seafood skillets and flatbread pizzettes to oven-baked chocolate chip cookies and brownies. Kick off your après feast here with the chimichurri chips—thin, crispy potato chips topped with cheddar cheese, gruyère, bacon, and scallions. Follow it with a shrimp skillet, your choice of sauces, coconut cilantro jasmine rice, and plenty of naan bread. Not a shrimp fan? Try the brick oven-cooked Margherita Pizzette, a flatbread topped with slow-roasted tomatoes, fresh basil, and housemade mozzarella.

8. Creative Plates at The Mariposa

For fine dining and special occasions, The Mariposa’s mid-mountain location at Silver Lake Lodge is the perfect place to celebrate. With a blend of classic and current cuisine, including vegetarian and tasting menus, The Mariposa rated #1 restaurant in Utah by the Zagat Restaurant Guide, provides a memorable dining experience. Guest favorites include the bison fillet paired with local artisan brie, beurre blanc and lemon gnocchi, and seared sea scallops.

Make a dining reservation at deervalley.com or please call 435-645-6632 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., MST.

Originally written by RootsRated Media for Deer Valley.