Oh, Thanksgiving. The one day a year when the blaring smoke alarm caused by a scorched turkey is welcomed, if only because it drowns out your uncle’s most disreputable opinions for a few precious moments. The football game between middling rust-belt squads is never an instant classic, and there’s a non-zero chance the homemade pecan pie your second cousin brought over is harboring a serious food-borne pathogen. You have only one sensible choice: skip it. Go skiing all day, and enjoy a holiday feast at one of Park City’s famed restaurants.
Instead of spending the day shuttling between the kitchen and couch and while contributing to the nation’s heart-disease epidemic, dust off your skis and snowboards and hit the slopes. Park City Mountain opens on Wednesday, Nov. 21, making Thanksgiving a perfect day to get your winter legs under you. Sure, not a lot of terrain is open yet, but the hordes of tourists have yet to arrive and Turkey Day is forecast to be the beginning of a major winter storm. Both base areas will be open for the season starting Wednesday with Payday, First Time and Three Kings lifts spinning from Park City base with the Saddleback and High Meadow lifts as well as Red Pine Gondola running at Canyons. The early turkey gets the worm.
Once your legs have had enough, indulge in the annual holiday overconsumption while taking advantage of Thanksgiving specials at participating Park City restaurants. The Park City Area Restaurant Association is partnering with more than a dozen area restaurants to offer special holiday menus for a stress-free holiday experience. Whether you dine in or get take out, enjoy the handwork of Park City’s finest chefs and be thankful you’re not subjected to the dry turkey, soggy stuffing and conspicuously warm cocktail shrimp that can turn any family gathering into an ordeal. Select participating restaurants are listed below, and you can visit the PCARA Website for full details on menus and pricing.
- The Brass Tag at Deer Valley Resort: Prix fixe, $49. 2900 Deer Valley Dr., (435) 615-2410
- Butcher’s Chop House: Prix fixe, $35 for adults, $18 for children. Regular a la carte menu also available. 751 Main St., (435) 647-0040
- Cena at The Chateaux Deer Valley: A la carte menu. 7815 Royal Street East St., (435) 658-9500
- Deer Valley Grocery Cafe and Deer Valley Bakery: To-go items. 1375 Deer Valley Dr., (435) 615-2400
- The Eating Establishment: A la carte. 317 Main St., (435) 649-8284
- Flanagan’s on Main: Prix fixe, $29.95. 438 Main St., (435) 649-8600
- Grub Steak: Prix fixe, $34.75 for adults, $17.75 for children ages 12 and younger. 2093 Sidewinder Dr., (435) 649-8060
- Montage at Deer Valley Resort: Buffet at Apex, $85 for adults, $40 for children ages 5-12. Grab-and-Go serving up to 8 people, $250. 9100 Marsac Ave., (435) 604-1300
- No Name Saloon: Free buffet for anyone 21 and Older. 447 Main St., (435) 649-6667
- Powder at Waldorf Astoria Park City: Prix Fixe, $55 for adults, $35 for children ages 4-12. 2100 Frostwood Dr., (435) 647-5566
- Riverhorse Provisions: Carry-out dinner for two $42. 221 Main St., (435) 649-0799
