The evening begins with a 25 minute Snow Cat-pulled sleigh ride that carries guests some 1,800 vertical feet from the base of Park City Mountain to the Viking Yurt, with a capacity of 32 dinner guests. For those who might want indoor comfort during the trip to the Yurt, the heated Snow Cat can accommodate eight people who don’t wish to encounter the outdoor elements.
The mountain views are spectacular from the Viking Yurt sleigh, especially this time of year when the sun is setting during the ride up the mountain. While you’ll always want to dress warm for a sleigh ride, the Viking Yurt does provide soft blankets to help protect guests from the wind and cold.
After nearly a quarter century of operating the Viking Yurt the Viks retired last year, and in May of 2023 new owners Brian and Dena Merrill and their family took over the business, promising “no major changes” to the venerable Yurt, while “infusing a new energy into the beloved establishment.” Judging from our recent Viking Yurt experience, I’d say mission accomplished!
Upon arrival at the Viking Yurt, guests are greeted by the friendly staff with pewter mugs of Glogg to enjoy by the warm fire – a hot non-alcoholic berry-based cider spiced with nutmeg, cardamom and cinnamon. For those who might want to turn their Glogg into an adult beverage, they can doctor it by purchasing a shot of Linie Aquavit, High West Whiskey, Basil Hayden Bourbon, Ciroc Snap Frost Vodka, or other liquors available.
Some of the folks the evening we visited the Viking Yurt were enjoying festive ski shots to get the party started. Non-alcoholic beverage choices include soft drinks, sparkling cider and San Pellegrino Blood Orange.
Lobster & Salmon Bisque
Seating at the Viking Yurt is communal, giving couples and guests with smaller parties a chance to make new friends. I was very impressed by the first course of the Viking Yurt “Signature Menu” – a menu which remains constant throughout the season. It was a soup course of luscious Lobster and Salmon Bisque, garnished with chives and sil-gochu chili threads and served with warm bread alongside. We appreciated that the Yurt kitchen staff can accommodate gluten-free guests and those with other dietary restrictions. In my wife’s case, she was served a terrific Tomato-Coconut Curry soup that was gluten-free.
Pianist Jenny Floor
I’m not quite sure how the Viks managed to schlep a baby grand piano up to the Yurt when it opened for the 1998-1999 season, but they did. And live tunes provided by a pianist – Jenny Floor the night we were there – adds to the warm, cozy and inviting ambiance. I loved her song selections with lots of Beatles, Elton John, Sting, and other classic pop-rock tunes to enjoy.
Green Salad with Anisette Pear
Soup was followed by a salad course, and not just a standard “house” salad. It was a plate of garden greens with watermelon radish, pepitas, anisette-marinated pear, and cherry tomatoes, perfectly dressed with a light and luscious lemon and honey dressing. My first thought about a Viking-themed dinner was that we might be getting ourselves into a kitschy dinner where the food isn’t necessarily the main attraction. I’m thinking, for example, of those Medieval-themed jousting dinners. Kudos for Chef Nick Smith and his staff for taking the food at Viking Yurt dinners seriously. That perfect salad was a good example of serious cuisine served in a fun setting.
Lemon-Tarragon Sorbet Intermezzo
Next up was an Intermezzo – a very refreshing and delicious lemon-tarragon sorbet palate cleanser, served, literally, on the rocks. One of the excellent servers – Jack – explained that when the Viks traveled to Norway every year for vacation, they would return with rocks from that country that they would use to serve sorbet in. The bottom of each rock is engraved with a Roman numeral which corresponds to an entry in a page of the menu that tells guests what part of Norway their particular rock was from and some details about the region.
In addition to better-than-expected cuisine, the Viking Yurt also offers a small, but very well-selected wine list, plus beer and liquor. Some wine list highlights include Domaine Ansen ‘Struch’ Cremant d’Alsace ($61/bottle), Weingut Bründlmayer Grüner Veltliner ‘Terrassen” ($76/bottle), and a white wine we enjoyed: Vinos de Encostas ‘Heaven & Hell’ Treixadura blend from Spain ($84/bottle). The Viking Yurt also offers a few wines by the glass.
The team of servers at the Viking Yurt the evening we visited were simply outstanding. Bridget, Abi and Jack were super-attentive, professional and friendly, anticipating every guest’s needs. That’s not easily done in a setting where all of the diners are served pretty much simultaneously and there is a need for the evening to stay on schedule – you can’t just get up from your table, walk outside, and flag down an Uber ride. Cheers to the top-notch Viking Yurt service staff.
Braised Beef Short Rib
The entree for the evening was pretty spectacular: Beef Short Ribs that were braised for nine hours and served on a bed of Jarlsberg mashed potatoes, with Gorgonzola-mushroom cream sauce on the side, savory cauliflower and carrots, red wine lingonberry braising jus, and topped with spiralized beets. I could have eaten the ridiculously tender short ribs with a spoon – talk about “melt in the mouth!” The Yurt also offers guests some alternative entrees (which must be ordered in advance) such as Grilled Chicken with mushroom-Gorgonzola cheese cream sauce; Broiled Salmon with apricot glaze; and Stuffed Portobello Mushroom.
As wine, beer, and shot glasses were emptied, the Viking Yurt dinner crowd began to loosen up and before we knew it, Viking helmets were being passed around to guests for raucous photos and selfies.
In the “Yurtinal”
There is no running water at the Viking Yurt, but there is plenty of hand sanitizer provided for guests and the outhouse – which they call a “Yurtinal” – is much nicer than the Honey Wagon I’d expected. I particularly liked the window dressing in the Yurtinal.
Cheese Course
The last savory course of the evening was a carefully curated cheese course featuring Beehive Cheese Co. Barely Buzzed cheese with a lavender and espresso-rubbed rind; a Norwegian goat cheese called Ski Queen Gjetost; Irish Porter Cheddar; and a sharp, funky and strong French Monks cheese Tête de Moine that was my favorite – thinly shaved and shaped into sort of a stinky boutineer, plus blood orange fruit slices and biquinho red peppers.
By the end of the evening, my wife and I were having a really good time and I forgot to take a photo of our dessert: Marzipan and Valrhona Chocolate Cake with vanilla cardamom ice cream and chocolate medallion topping. You’ll just have to trust me that, like everything else that evening, dessert was delicious.
The Viking Yurt dining experience is one of the most unique and memorable that you can have in Utah and there is still time to get reservations for the end of this winter season. Regular pricing is $215 per person, which includes tax and gratuity (additional gratuities for musicians, alcohol purchases, and Snow Cat drivers are appreciated). Holiday pricing – December 18 – January 1 – is $280 per person.
Photos by Ted Scheffler
Culinary quote of the week: “Seeing is deceiving. It’s eating that’s believing.” James Thurber
