jfreides923

Since you've all been so helpful with recommendations on lodging and activities in Park City, I thought I'd ask about restaurants. Since we're going to be there during Christmas week, I'd like to stick with places that accept reservations. Please let me know your thoughts on the following:

Night 1: Trying to choose between Kampai and the Blind Dog. I've read that Kampai has rude waitstaff but Blind Dog's service is hit or miss. I also heard that Blind Dog has really small portions.

Night 2: Considering the Seafood Buffet at DV. I don't mind paying $50 a person if it's really worth it. I've seen nothing but good reviews so far.

Night 3: Debating between a low-cost night at Bandits or splurging on Grappa.

Night 4: Considering Grub's Steak House and the Riverhorse.

Any help would be really appreciated. It's really difficult to make up my mind with all these mixed reviews. Thanks!

J

Dayle

Hi J,

I would go to Kampai. I thought it was excellent and the service was fine. But, I was the guest of one of their most regular customers.

No contest - Grappa. If you leave Park City without dining at Grappa, you'll be sorry!

It's The Grubsteak, and they don't take reservations except for large groups. Riverhorse has good food, but in my opinion over priced. They are the ones with the bad & slow service.

The seafood buffet at DV is excellent. If you can eat a lot - go!

winesipper

Dayle and I are only connected on a couple of places, and beg to differ on the others.

We love Kampai and the Blind Dog but my guess is that you are thinking of having sushi at one or the other? I would go for Kampai because we have found the Blind Dog too pricey. We have never had a service problem at Kampai. Nevertheless, the Blind Dog serves up other great meals in reasonable portions and the environment is nice.

We continue to be disappointed with the service and ambience at Grappa. The food is very good but the tables are all jammed together, and it could be the luck of the draw, but there is always a table of 12 next to us and everyone is half in the bag, or a family with a 2 year old that has had it with the evening.

The DV seafood buffet is a winner.

I don't even know anyone who has been to Bandits or Grub Steak, but the Riverhorse is consistantly very good and they have music most nights if I recall.

May I suggest that you first decide what kind of a dining experience you want on vacation because your present choices of restaurant are not in the same league as one other, and then factor in whether you are going to be taking young children with you during these dining experiences implying that you may want to get in and get out of a restaurant faster than normal. If you choose to elaborate more we might be able to help better.

jfreides923

OK, so here's more about us. It's just my husband and me on this trip -- first time to Park City. We'll be there for 4 full days, skiing all day. I don't mind springing for an expensive dinner like the DV Seafood Buffet if it's worth it. We're from New York, so restaurants that are crowded and noisy don't phase us. We're just as happy eating at a good burger place as a fancy French restaurant, so long as the food is good. We like all kinds of food, particularly steak and seafood. Since I don't know when we'll get back there, I want to try some of the best restaurants in town.

From what you've both said so far, it sounds like the DV Seafood Buffet and Kampai for sushi are winners. Bandit's appealed to me because it sounds like they have good BBQ -- DH loves ribs. Grubs Steak's menu obviously looked good for steaks. I was considering Grappa because the menu sounds delicious and it got lots of good reviews (and some disappointing ones). If the food is that good there, we'll put up with whiny kids or drunk adults at the next table.

Any other advise or recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks,
J

winesipper

Let me check a few things and get back to you in a day or two.

Tom

Litespeed_Chick

Grappa was the best restaurant we went to on our trip to PC. We had sushi at what I had been told was the best sushi in PC (recommendation from Chowhound.com, usually VERY reliable), can't remember the name, unfortunately. The fish was inedible, but the other people in the restaurant seemed to be scarfing it down with no problem. It made for an expensive evening having to pay for what we had already ordered, and then get up and go somewhere else for dinner.

I think you should wait til you get back to NY to eat sushi.

winesipper

I happened to check your other posts and realize that you may be staying near PC Mtn Resort (Silver King?). The suggestions below are not all within walking distance, but they just a short, free bus ride if you so choose. Otherwise brace up for NYC type parking problems.

I would stay with Grappa afterall in view of your lastest update. The first floor is charming and the Italian focused food is very good. There are several places for sushi and I prefer Kampai.

For a good steak, I would try the Prime Steak House located near the Marriott at the base of Main St.

For fish, the most edible thing I see on menus is the Utah red trout and many places have this. There are no real seafood restaurants in PC that I know of, so I guess that makes the DV seafood buffet a possibility but you may want to check because something rings in my mind about that only being on Sundays?

You are going to PC at maybe the busiest time of the ski season, so you best make your reservations as early as possible.

Other favorites of mine are:
Wahso -Main St, w/Utah gourmet food
Riverhorse - Main St,w/music in main rm
Blind Dog - Quaint, almost pub like
Zoom - owned by Robt Redford on Main St
Chez Betty - quiet, excellent food
350 Main - nice atmosphere, vg food

Hope this helps, Tom

Dayle

Hi again J,

It's interesting, bu tnot surprising, how even people who live in Park City and go to these restaurants frequently can have different experiences and opinions!

I have never had a screaming child or drunken group experience at Grappa. I've never even seen a kid in there! I think it's too expensive for most people to take their kids, and there is definitely no Kids Menu!

Some of the other restaurants Tom recommends are all good too. Zoom has had mixed reviews from some people, but every time I've been there the service has been great and the food excellent.

The DV seafood buffet is at least 2 times a weeks during ski season. Can't remember exactly what nights. Just check on their web site.

Do make your reservations way ahead!

winesipper

Dayle, I agree with you and have found that recommending restaurants is a no win proposition because people provide opinions on their entire experience - food for sure, candles seem to add points, a surly wait staff can deduct points, so in the end the recommendation seems to come from all directions.

Let's hope we have another great snow season. My new boots from Cole's need a workout!

Tom

dskier

Hey, I'm not a local and only have been to PC 3 times (so far). I usually sit at a bar and eat, so my recoms are a little different. I like Zoom a lot. The food's good, the bartender's friendly, and I always meet people I like there. 350 Main is also great. I think I ate the Grubsteak and wasn't thrilled. Kind of more of a family place. Blind Dog was pretty good, but it's out at Prospector Sq. (so's Grubsteak)so I prefer staying around Main St. Here's acouple of sites that might help.

http://www.parkcityinfo.com/dining/restaurant/

http://www.parkcitymagazine.com/inde...istRestaurants