12000 BIG COTTONWOOD ROAD
SOLITUDE, UTAH 84121
(801) 534-1400
SCOTT DESEELHORST, OWNER
JEAN LOUIS MONTECOT, CHEF
GREG NEVILLE, FOOD AND BEVERAGE
The Deseelhorst family migrated north from Arizona to operate their beloved Solitude Mountain Resort. The ski area was started in the 1950s; in 1977, Gary Deseelhorst, along with a few other investors, picked up Solitude Mountain Resort, which at the time was little more than a few ski lifts and an outhouse. The Deseelhorst family planned on elevating the ski resort from small and humble to large and somehow still humble.
Almost forty years later the Solitude land in Big Cottonwood Canyon bears witness to the family’s vision of a village with multiple restaurants, lifts, and excuses to spend an afternoon, evening, or weekend on the slopes and in their dining rooms. Through the course of the last few decades, Solitude slowly made their development (the only one allowed in the canyon) into a place locals love and travelers can find first-class service at a local’s pace.
Recently Solitude acquired Greg Neville (founder of Lugano) to manage the dining scene around Solitude and push it to the next level. On any given winter’s evening, you’ll find St. Bernards, the Yurt, Library Bar, and Honeycomb Grill packed with skiers looking to refuel. Greg is quick to recognize that these restaurants do really well at serving the guests in the village. At the same time he believes the next step for Solitude dining is one that calls the Salt Lake City foodie up the canyon simply for the food, sans skis.
If you’re looking for a completely different dining experience than you’ll get anywhere else in the city, make reservations at the Yurt. To get to the Yurt, you must strap on snowshoes and work your way through the dark woods for an evening of great beverages and a prefixed menu. It’s wintry, quiet, homey, and beyond warm in every sense of the word.
(SERVES 4)
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms (rehydrated with 4 ounces red wine and 1 whole clove garlic)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups mushroom stock
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds Idaho white potatoes
Oil for frying
½ pound fresh gruyère cheese, shredded
To prepare mushroom gravy: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the minced porcini mushrooms, butter, and flour. Stir until incorporated. Cook for 12–15 minutes for a dark roux. Stir in the stock and the juice from the porcini mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and continue cooking for 15–20 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm (the gravy should stick to the back of a spoon).
To prepare french fries: Peel the potatoes and cut into fries, 4 inches by ½ inch. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes to the boiling water and blanch for 4 minutes. Remove, drain, and cool completely. Heat 3–4 inches of oil to 325°F in a heavy-bottomed skillet and fry the potatoes for 5–6 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Remove fries from oil and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve: Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Mound the fries into individual 16-ounce bowls. Spoon the mushroom gravy over the fries. Top with gruyère cheese. Bake for 5 minutes, until cheese is melted, and serve.
(SERVES 4)
6 ounces Utah steelhead trout, finely diced but not minced and chilled
2 ounces extra-virgin olive oil
2 ounces minced shallots
½ ounce diced chives
Juice from ½ Meyer lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Deep-fried sunchokes (see recipe)
For the deep-fried sunchokes:
3 sunchokes, finely sliced
Oil for frying
Sea salt
2 ounces crème fraîche
1 ounce chive oil
In a bowl add trout, olive oil, shallots, chives, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and gently fold together. Taste seasoning for appropriate amounts of lemon, salt, and pepper and adjust as needed. Spoon tartare mixture into desired ring mold on a plate. Top with fried sunchoke chips. Garnish with crème fraîche and chive oil. Enjoy!
To prepare sunchokes: Slice sunchokes into thin rounds (about ¹/₁₆ inch thick); immediately drop the slices into a bowl of ice water to prevent browning. Rinse and drain then pat dry with paper towels. Pour enough oil into a large deep skillet to reach a depth of ½ inch. Heat oil to 375°F. Working in batches, fry sunchoke slices until golden brown, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a skimmer, transfer chips to paper towels to drain. Season with sea salt.
