Tucked into a snow-covered yurt in the Wasatch Back mountains, a seasonal nighttime experience at The Lodge at Blue Sky, Auberge Collection, is leaning into the playful energy of a Mexican cantina.
Tacocat Speakeasy, open Fridays and Saturdays, is the hotel’s newest dining concept, a nod to Executive Chef Guillermo Tellez’s roots and a new approach to Park City après, a scene dominated by sushi and champagne.
It started with a shuttle ride from the lodge, bumping Latin pop tracks for the journey back into Blue Sky’s snow-covered property. On arrival, a welcome drink of a Mexican fermented pineapple juice called tepache is served in traditional ceramic cups.
Inside, a wood-burning fireplace and heaters keep the space warm, but the decorations add a warmth of their own. Orange marigold streamers drape the ceilings and walls. Rainbow-colored wool blankets, vibrant skulls and butterfly stickers accent the room. The menu boasts cantina favorites like margaritas and mezcal shots, as well as shareable bites like steak tacos and house-made guacamole.
The concept, according to experience manager Priscilla Barnett, was designed to contrast the property’s typically refined programming and offer something more relaxed.
“It’s very much like a Mexican cantina-type experience. It’s supposed to be super fun and playful,” Barnett said. “A lot of the time, a lot of our experiences are really refined … whereas for here, it’s just a place to play and let go and have fun. We treat it more like a bar than a second dining area.”
The idea for the mountaintop cantina came together after Blue Sky Utah General Manager Joe Ogdie returned from a sales trip, she said. So the team put their heads together and made it happen, with ideas from out-of-state concepts. For example, a hat wall is one built-in activity stemming from Ogdie’s experience.
“He really wanted to do some kind of alter ego hat wall, where you step into the space and you become a version of somebody on this wall. And they’re all historical figures,” Barnett said. “It’s really silly and cheeky, but people love it.”
There’s a blue-and-red Luchador mask, of course, but also a curly white wig as “Julius Caesar” or a snake headband for “Cleopatra.”
The playful tone continues with a custom Tacocat drink cart fabricated by the resort’s engineering team from salvaged car parts, Barnett said. The cart lights up, plays music and is used to serve the fermented tepache welcome drink as guests settle in.
Despite the whimsical touches, Barnett said demand has been strong.
“I think that something that we realized is guests are looking for really unique experiences. Like everyone here, they’re from a luxury background. They’ve done all the luxury things. They’re kind of just wanting to have fun on their luxury vacation,” she said.
But Tacocat Speakeasy isn’t just for lodge guests, she said. The space is open to the public and even operates as an all-ages venue from 5-7 p.m. before becoming a 21-plus bar until 10:30 p.m.
Because at the center of the experience is a cocktail menu built not only around flavor but also interaction. One of the ideas that Barnett contributed is immersive drinks, with activities that can include rolling dice to determine a custom drink, throwing a paper airplane toward a target to select a surprise shot or capturing the evening with a Polaroid photo tied to a drink’s presentation.
For bartender and events captain Violet Gross, the beverage program starts with traditional cantina inspiration and expands into sensory design.
It’s all about “enjoying mezcal, tequilas together using seasonal, simple ingredients, which is really all you need for a delicious margarita,” Gross said.
When developing the list, Gross, who has worked in her role for over five years, said presentation plays a central role.
“Building a cocktail menu, we think of different glassware, different colors, different smells, different textures,” she said. “Every (drink) has a different glass, different garnish. We’re using homemade ingredients for everything, fresh squeezed.”
Much of the glassware itself was sourced from thrift stores or traditional hand-blown makers, helping reinforce the individuality of each drink. Gross added that the interactive elements help the bar stand out in Utah’s hospitality landscape.
“In Utah, we’re limited to the basic, typical bar experience. And this is really unique. I mean, where else can you throw a die and the bartender can come up with something completely unique just for you? Where else can you throw a paper airplane to hit a bottle and you get a shot of that bottle?” she said.
Flavor experimentation also plays a role in the program. For instance, one flavor listed on the dice is “smoke.” Rather than simply using a mezcal or lighting something on fire, Gross said she created a smoked black tea agave, which gives her another flavor profile to play with.
Of course, when enjoying these cocktails, chef Tellez said, “We gotta have food.”
When creating the simple Tacocat menu, the Mexican chef said he wanted to keep options simple, shareable and traditional to Mexican home cooking. The offerings include tacos, enchiladas, elotes and taquitos, plus chips with house-made salsas. Tellez said many of the dishes draw directly from everyday culinary traditions, like the taquitos made with birria, a slow-cooked meat served with consommé, the broth from the cooking.
“Birria is a traditional thing in a lot of houses,” Tellez explained. “One day they’ll have the birria with the broth and everything, and then in the next couple of days they make what is called quesabirria, which is a quesadilla with the cheese and the meat, so they have food for two, three days. It’s a very traditional thing.”
The tepache drink is another common drink in Mexico, he said.
“(It) is true to the small towns,” he said, “A lot of people, they can’t afford to buy alcohol because it’s too expensive, so they created this fermented drink.”
Across the menu, his kitchen intentionally focuses on familiar flavors and straightforward preparations. House-made components include three fresh salsas — roja, verde and a nut- and chile-based macha-style salsa — along with sourced tortillas and in-house churros for dessert. The chef noted the recipes are intentionally kept mild to appeal to a broad audience.
To keep everything tasting fresh while navigating a tiny yurt kitchen, Tellez said they got creative for the tacos and enchiladas preparation.
“The tacos, here, we grill the meats. And instead of having a lot of stuff made ahead of time, we just decided to do it on the grill, like skewers, and then you just put it on the tortilla,” Tellez said.
Enchiladas are made with chicken tinga and a creamy cheddar cheese sauce, assembled and baked in a square ramekin, then topped with corn and rajas con crema.
Tellez said it’s been fun to have a new dining option, and so far, feedback has been great. As for bringing the feel of Mexico to the mountains, they could’ve gone heavier on the decorations, he joked. That’s why he’s got his Dia de los Muertos skull patch ironed on his sleeve as another pop of color — plus both arms full of colorful skull tattoos he’ll show off.
The venue will stay open until May before the lodge shifts its focus back to WildKitchen for the summer. To make reservations, visit tinyurl.com/ywm756xx.