For anyone who loves to play in the snow, winter 2022-23 has been a godsend in Northern Utah. The skiing and boarding has been nothing short of spectacular at our local resorts, and my family recently enjoyed a visit to Snowbasin Resort to check out both the slopes and the slopeside dining scene there. Both were mighty impressive. Equally impressive is that the cuisine is so wide-ranging at Snowbasin. Especially given the fact that every single ingredient – every pepperoni slice, lettuce leaf, can of beer, potato and hamburger bun – has to be schlepped up to lodges like Needles and John Paul via the gondola, snow cat or snowmobile. Nicholas and Sysco trucks don’t deliver at 8,700 feet. 

Snowbasin eating and drinking options run the gamut from the picnic tables at Strawberry Slopeside Dining where you can snag a quick pizza slice, burgers, all-beef kosher franks, beer and more, to The Overlook – a full-service bar located inside Needles Lodge at 8,700 feet in altitude. Needless to say, the views from the aptly named Overlook are sensational. There is also diverse dining at Earl’s Lodge, John Paul Lodge, and Cinnabar. 

The latter – Cinnabar – is one of my favorite dining destinations at Snowbasin. Located in Earl’s Lodge, Cinnabar is open daily for brunch/lunch, as well as the place to be for apres ski. It’s also available to book for special events, meetings, weddings, private parties, conferences and such. And, although Cinnabar is a full service bar and restaurant, kids are allowed to eat there too. That’s in contrast to the Overlook bar in Needles lodge, which seats folks 21 and over only. 

Standard brunch/breakfast items at Snowbasin include scrumptious baked goods made in-house such as the Nutella croissant, danishes, savory and sweet waffles and the irresistible cinnamon sticky rolls. 

For the breakfast-minded, there are also breakfast burritos, eggs Benedict, breakfast sliders, and deliciously decadent French toast with seasonal berry sauce and powdered sugar.

A couple of years ago, Snowbasin remodeled Earl’s Lodge and installed the Servery – a food court type of area with numerous food stations including ones for pizza, Asian noodles, baked goods, pizza, soup, breakfast, salads, burgers and other grilled foods, a carvery, and a homestyle comfort foods station with items like macaroni and cheese, chili (bison and vegetarian), loaded baked potatoes, and homemade old-fashioned turkey pot pie. 

For pizza lovers – and who doesn’t love pizza? – freshly made pizzas are available whole or by the slice at Strawberry Slopeside, Earl’s Lodge and Needles Lodge and topping options include veggies, sausage, pepperoni or just cheese. And kudos to Snowbasin for including a gluten free personal pizza among their pizza offerings. 

Looking for something a little lighter? How about a salad? Options at Snowbasin include an Italian chopped salad with radicchio, salami, red onion, provolone, pepperoncini, chickpeas, grape tomatoes, and Italian vinaigrette; an apple & pomegranate salad; Asian salad; traditional Caesar; Mother Earth (with roasted winter vegetables); and even a hearty Mexican mole salad with grilled chicken, cotija cheese, grilled corn, avocado, black beans, orange segments, shaved almonds, Romaine, fried tortilla strips, and Mexican mole dressing. My wife absolutely loved the BLT salad at lunchtime, saying it was one of the best salads she’d ever had. It was chopped Romaine lettuce with bacon, brioche crumbs, heirloom tomatoes, and crumbled Gorgonzola cheese with green goddess ranch dressing. 

If you prefer your BLT in a more standard sandwich form, Cinnabar has that too! The sandwiches come with homemade crispy chips that are completely addictive. 

The Snowbasin culinary crew excels at sandwiches such as the French onion grilled cheese; Italian beef; smoked pulled pork; short rib Philly; rotisserie chicken French dip; sweet potato banh mi; Hanoi BBQ pulled pork; a range of signature grilled cheese sandwiches at the Overlook; Austrian Reuben; beer bratwurst; chicken schnitzel on ciabatta; honey-glazed fried chicken; and more. Of the sandwiches I’ve sampled at Snowbasin, none is better than the perfect Prime rib French dip sandwich with awesome au jus. 

If you’re looking for something a little more exotic for lunch, visit the Asian noodle station in Earl’s Lodge for tantalizing noodle dishes like Chang Mai –  yellow curry broth, pickled cabbage, chili oil, cilantro, red onion, fried wonton and lime; or perhaps Drunken Noodles with egg, baby corn, onion, red pepper, scallions and basil. There are also hearty bowls of ramen available, including traditional shoyu ramen and coconut red curry ramen. 

It’s hard, however, to beat an old-fashioned burger for lunch after a morning of powder hunting. And it’s even harder to beat the bodacious Wagyu burger at Snowbasin, a perfectly cooked (medium-rare in my case), juicy Wagyu beef patty with melted cheese and caramelized onions on a perfect bun with crispy chip-like fries and remoulade on the side. 

If you’re looking for a unique way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, consider the Mountain-Top Valentine’s Day Dinner at Snowbasin. It’s a four-course, prix fixe dinner that will be held 8,700 feet up at Needles Lodge, providing the perfect ambiance for a romantic night out. The evening will feature chef-crafted plates utilizing artisan ingredients with thoughtfully selected wine pairings for each dish. Seatings are available from 6:00 – 9:00 pm, and reservations are required. The price is $99 per person and includes a ticket for the gondola ride up to Needles Lodge. Optional wine pairings are an additional $34. Click here for the menu and to make reservations.  

Photos by Ted Scheffler & Courtesy of Snowbasin Resort 

Culinary quote of the week: “Unless you are a pizza, the answer is yes, I can live without you.” – Bill Murray 

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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.