D. James Cannon famously coined the term “Greatest Snow on Earth,” the motto on our license plates. Polly Stern and the folks at Deer Valley took the ski resort beyond the snow. “The overall goal in our food offerings when opening was to be the first ski resort to offer the type of dining options and services you would find at a five-star hotel,” says Deer Valley’s communications director, Emily Summers. When most ski resorts were still dishing up paper plate menus full of carb-loading pizzas and grilled cheese sandwiches with a view towards fueling a day on the slopes, Deer Valley’s General Manager Jim Nassikas, his son Bill (the resort’s first Food and Beverage Director) and Julie Wilson, Silver Lake Lodge’s manager at the time, created several sophisticated dining outlets on the property with the idea that the entire resort experience, not just the snow, should be the greatest. At first, food outlets were buffet-style (The Carvery, The Natural Buffet, etc.) but Deer Valley’s food operations became as famous as its snow and the restaurants grew into nationally lauded destinations. In 2016, three of Deer Valley’s restaurants were awarded Wine Spectator Awards: Mariposa, Fireside Dining and Seafood Buffet. Deer Valley blazed the trail—now the quality of cuisine at a ski resort is as important as ski services.
See more inside the 2017 May/June Issue.
