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He had me. I was ready to rock. here – and they range from really good
to superb. Readers of Ski magazine rank
I love dancing – but I don’t do it with 4½
Deer Valley the best ski resort in North
-foot boards strapped to my feet. Pretty America for dining (also best for service,
soon I was gyrating out of control. In- grooming, lodging and family programs.)
stead of smooth, rhythmic moves, I was a Zagat rates Deer Valley’s Mariposa the
60-something lunatic diving into a mosh best restaurant in Utah.
pit. Others on our snowy dance floor
gracefully whirled around me. My confi- Twenty years ago, ski resort meals meant
dence melted like summer snow. overcooked pre-fabbed burgers, limp
greasy fries and canned chili. At Deer
Frasier had seen it before. Often.
Valley, fries are hand-cut and burgers are
“Half of what we do as instructors is work made to order with prime Niman Ranch
to give you the confidence that you can organic beef. Skiers can get chili – but it’ll
slow down and stop,” he said. “Surmount- be wild game chili, made with bison, boar,
ing the fear factor is just repetition.” elk -- coffee and beer; locals call it the
protein bomb.
Fear had made me a fan of slow dancing.
Frasier was patient. Encouraging. “The The Skiers Brunch at Stein Eriksen Lodge
two most important tips for having a is a foodie’s fantasy – a belt-busting feast
great day on the slopes,” he finally said: of locally sourced, highest-quality, all-
“Know when to stop – and know where to you-can-eat cuisine. There’s a stunning
eat.” buffet of fresh salads, abundant shell-
fish, numerous carving stations, endless
Knowing when to stop was the easy part.
selections of made-to-order dishes and a
Gold medal dining 14-foot-long display of desserts to die for. Above: A perfectly seared scallop at the Mariposa restaurant
at Deer Valley. Top right: A quartet of lamb legs cooking the
Deer Valley has revolutionized ski re- But if I could return to only one Deer Val- old-fashioned way. Top left: The dining room at the Mariposa.
sort dining. There are 11 restaurants ley restaurant, it would be Fireside Din-
Opposite top: A seafood mini-feast at the Mariposa.

Wine Dine & Travel Spring 2014 77