Under the Sun & Moon
If you’re weary of routine restaurant dining, I have a way to break out of the culinary rut: Snowbird Resort’s Full Moon Dinners.
Each month, in conjunction with a new full moon, Snowbird hosts an anything-but-typical buffet dinner. What’s atypical about it?
Well, for starters, the Full Moon Dinners are held at 11,000 feet in The Summit restaurant at the top of Snowbird’s Hidden Peak. Up there, the views are nothing short of spectacular. And guests get a double-dip: getting to see the sun set in the west, while also watching the moon rise in the east.
With The Summit’s 360-degree views, you’ll enjoy both sunset and moonrise, almost simultaneously.
The Experience
The mode of transportation to the Full Moon Dinners isn’t standard, either. You won’t be using Uber or Lyft; rather, you’ll be swiftly ushered up to Hidden Peak and The Summit restaurant via an Aerial Tram Ride, which is included in the price of dinner. It’s all part of the Full Moon fun.
Since the Snowbird Full Moon Dinners are buffet affairs, there’s lots of time to wander around The Summit restaurant—both inside and outside—to take in panoramic views and shoot plenty of photos. It’s a leisurely affair where guests dine at their own pace.
Most of the dinners have a theme of some sort.
The one I attended a couple of months ago was the Pink Moon dinner and featured some pink-hued dishes such as iced Gulf shrimp; roasted strip loin of beef with pink peppercorn jus; and horseradish and beet seared salmon.
As with any buffet, it’s wise to pace yourself at the Snowbird Full Moon Dinners. It’s far too easy to pig out—as I usually do—on handfuls of Gulf shrimp, which were served with traditional cocktail sauce, lemons, limes, and mango-jalapeño chutney. Along with those tender, scrumptious shrimp, we enjoyed Warm Spanish Salmorejo Soup with prosciutto, toast points, chopped hard-cooked eggs, and smoked paprika salt. Yum!
Food stations—including a carving station—are strewn throughout the 23,000-square-foot Summit building, meaning that there’s plenty of room to maneuver and no long lines.
One of the first stops for me was the carving station which, for the Pink Moon dinner, featured Roasted Strip Loin of Beef with pink peppercorn jus, horseradish and sour cream, chive and truffle aioli, Himalayan pink salt, and Boursin mashed red potatoes.
Next, it was off to explore the various entrees available to guests. I particularly enjoyed Charred Blood Orange Chicken, served with fennel couscous, orange peel salt, and baby kale with white balsamic and olive oil.
Meanwhile, my wife—who loves salmon—was very satisfied digging into Snowbird’s Horseradish & Beet Seared Salmon with three-onion rice pilaf, lemons, capers, citrus creme fraiche, and balsamic cipollini onions.
Vegetarians aren’t left out either, with options such as Wild Mushroom Ragu with creamy polenta, grilled asparagus, shaved parmesan, shredded asiago, and pesto oil. I sampled all three entree choices and loved them all. I’m mighty impressed at the high quality of the Full Moon Dinners cuisine, especially given that it’s created and cooked at 11,000 feet atop a mountain!
And now something from The Summit you’ll really love!
The dessert station, needless to say, is very popular. There’s a huge assortment of sweet things to enjoy, including homemade marshmallows, strawberry & white chocolate chip cookies, rosewater Madeleines, pink lemonade French macarons, chocolate raspberry torte, and Snowbird’s signature carrot cake. Enjoy them all!
Full Moon Dinner coming up—don’t miss it!
The next Full Moon Dinner at Snowbird takes place on Wednesday, July 16 at 7:00 pm with a Full Buck Moon theme. Menu items for that dinner include Pepper-Crusted New York Strip Loin; Shrimp & Andouille Sausage Gumbo; Hazelnut Romesco Chicken; Blistered Tomato & Rosemary Gnocchi; Hardwood Smoked Salmon Platter; Alpine Meat & Cheese Board; a vast dessert selection, and more.
The cost for the Full Moon Dinners at Snowbird, which includes Tram Ride, dinner, and live musical entertainment is $75/Adults; $45 Children 7–12; and $25 for kids 6 and under. An extensive selection of wine, beer, cocktails, spirits, and ciders is also available for guests.
For extraordinary dining with spectacular views and cuisine to match, I hope to see you soon under the full moon at Snowbird.
Culinary quote of the week:
I never eat in a restaurant that’s over a hundred feet off the ground and won’t stand still. — Calvin Trillin
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Originally trained as an anthropologist, Ted Scheffler is a seasoned food, wine & travel writer based in Utah. He loves cooking, skiing, and spends an inordinate amount of time tending to his ever-growing herd of guitars and amplifiers.
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