Living in a mountain town during winter offers a refreshing culinary landscape where local chefs craft menus that are both comforting and creative. They blend seasonal ingredients into dishes that showcase the season’s flavors while supporting other local providers.
Twisted Fern
Twisted Fern embraces a spirit of playful innovation. Executive chef and owner Adam Ross isn’t afraid to experiment with bold flavors and unexpected combinations, even when fresh produce is limited. Ross also works with a handful of local farmers, such as PaMaw’s Organic Farm, to ensure he gets the best produce available. Their winter menu is filled with creativity and local fare.
Ross explains, “Whatever I can get consistently from local providers or the Intermountain West is what I plan my winter menu around. It’s the busiest time of the year in Park City, and it’s the hardest growing season. I try to support the same farmers in the winter that I support in the summer, even if it is just microgreens.”
As far as proteins, check out the new dry-aged hamburger on the winter menu, sourced from Wasatch Meats.
“I focus a lot on comfort food during the winter,” Ross says. “I want the menu to be very approachable but unique, taking something common but showing it in a different way. It’s also the holiday season, and I want it to be warm and inviting.”
1300 Snow Creek Dr., suite RS, Park City, UT 84060
Matilda
Matilda’s menu reflects an understanding of what diners crave when it’s cold outside: warmth and richness. By transforming simple, hardy ingredients into sophisticated plates, the culinary team here proves that winter is a season of abundance.
Executive Chef Pierson Shields explains, “We work with a few local farmers, they text/email us once a week with what they have available in their greenhouses, like Swiss chard and root vegetables. We use what they have—it could be 5 pounds or 20 pounds. We just picked up 30 pounds of sunchokes that we’ll use through April.”
This dedication to seasonal integrity ensures every dish reflects the region and the time of year.
“Instead of taking the approach: I want to do lamb and figure out the dish, it’s dictated more by the great local products we can get. Alex Hagen, Frances Hunt, and I are going into the season with a really great core menu and a rotating specials insert with 3-5 items.”
In addition, Shields intends to use rotisserie chicken from their sister restaurant, Tilly’s Charcoal Chicken, for a barbecue pizza.
1600 Snow Creek Dr., Park City, UT 84060
RIME
RIME’s strategy is built around sourcing high-quality proteins and seafood and pairing them with the best seasonal produce available. Located within a luxury hotel, the restaurant consistently delivers an elevated dining experience that highlights classic steakhouse fare with a modern, mountain-inspired twist. Classically French-trained executive chef, Matthew Fradera, is the culinary mastermind behind the entire St. Regis Deer Valley resort’s menu offerings. He and his sous chef, Pablo Matos, embrace seasonal trends and various cultural influences. In fact, the braised lamb shank on the current menu was created by Matos, drawing from his visit to Peru.
Chef Fradera notes, “Being able to utilize our providers from California and the East Coast and fly in our seafood daily gives us a big advantage. We also infuse Japanese citrus into some of our dishes to highlight those flavors and brighten dishes up across the resort’s menus.”
This commitment to quality is evident in every bite, making RIME a go-to destination for a refined winter meal.
2300 Deer Valley Drive East, Park City, UT 84060
