If you don’t know about Park City’s off-season dining deals, here’s a secret—they are good! Often in the form of two-for-one or other significant discounts at restaurants across town, summer is the time when locals know that all the hottest restaurants become reasonably priced for dinner–all while the bounty of Utah harvests grow abundant.
One of the best deals I’ve found lately is at Tupelo. Instead of the typical buy-one-get-one-free, Tupelo is instead offering a five-course tasting menu for the phenomenal price of $45 with an optional wine pairing of just $25. If you’ve been dying to try Tupelo but haven’t because of lack of reservations or entertainment dollars, now’s the time to head up to the resort town, cool down with some mountain breezes and enjoy one of the finest meals on Main Street.
And although it’s called a tasting menu, portions are generous and no one will go hungry. Even better, the menu will change throughout the summer season to reflect what’s in season so consider visiting more than once. Here’s a peek at the food and wine pairing menu I enjoyed in early summer and a more recent version with many more to come before the season is over.
Spring onion gazpacho with king crab, almonds, sourdough and aged cherry; Spanish cava
Served cold, big lumps of sweet king crab swam in the chunky soup that paired elegantly with the Spanish cava.
White asparagus with a poached duck egg, olives and a country ham crumble; California Sauvignon Blanc
A slightly addicting country ham crumble helped soak up warm duck egg yolk that added richness to the earthy white asparagus. Briny olives brought it all together with the Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc.
Charred octopus with Yukon potatoes, Dijon and smoked olive oil; Spanish Rosado
Hearty bites of tender octopus tentacles were charred to perfection and then drizzled with a smoked olive tapenade and a side of mashed potatoes. The dish was balanced by a big and juicy Spanish rosado.
Niman Ranch pork with mustard greens, ramps and morel mushrooms; Washington Cabernet Sauvignon
Possibly our favorite dish of the meal, delicate slices of Niman Ranch pork and sautéed morel mushrooms played off of the spicy mustard greens and bright onion/garlic flavors of fresh ramps. The Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet stood up to all those bold flavors well.
Seasonal dessert tasting; South African muscat
The trio of chocolate bites complementing fresh strawberries were all made richer with a sip of De Krans Reserve Muscat from South Africa.
A more recent menu provided by Tupelo featured the following:
Chilled Local Pea & Cucumber Soup, Housemade Yogurt, Bacon, Kimchee
Zonin, Prosecco, Veneto, Italy
* * *
Compressed Melon, Local Feta, Pickled Rind, Basil, Mint, Lime Salt
Charles Smith, Kung Fu Girl Riesling, Ancient Lakes, Washington State
* * *
Pan Roasted Trout, Smashed Peas, Heirloom Carrot, Coconut Juice
Skylark Alondra, Chardonnay, Middleridge Ranch Vineyard, Mendocino County
* * *
“Beef and Barley”: Niman Ranch Sirloin, Sautéed Greens, Oyster Mushrooms
Columbia Crest Grand Estates, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, Washington State
* * *
Seasonal Chocolate Tasting
De Krans, Reserve Muscat, Calitzdorp, South Africa
Leave a Reply