Category Archives: Dining

Fine Dining in the Sky at Arizona Snowbowl

Not that you have ever daydreamed of downing more than a Gatorade and granola bar onboard a gondola, but you might now. Arizona Snowbowl has reinvented the ride (at least for the summer) so you can experience fine dining in the sky. The event masters have blended gourmet cuisine, fine wines, and breathtaking views of the San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff and given a reason to fire their pistons.

This a one-of-a-kind culinary experience hosted aboard the Arizona Gondola debuted August 24, 2025, with Flagstaff’s acclaimed Shift Kitchen and Oeno Wine Lounge. They delivered a five-course tasting menu paired with curated wines, all served at 11,500 feet above the stunning San Francisco Peaks.

Transformed gondola cabins provided an intimate alpine restaurant, complete with custom-built tables. Guests savored each course during an 18-minute gondola lap, enjoying new dishes, wine pairings, and panoramic sunset views with every rotation. The 90-minute experience showcased a meticulously crafted menu featuring seasonal ingredients and regional flavors. Each course was paired with a complementary wine.

The evening’s menu:

  1. Banh Mi Spring Rolls: Housemade chicken pâté, smoked duck breast, lemongrass pickled vegetables, jalapeño, and fresh herbs, paired with Tarland Zero Brut Nature Champagne.
  2. Lamb Meat Skewers: Filipino meat candy sauce with toasted chiles, paired with Los Milics Jule’s Vermentino 2024.
  3. Smoked Gouda and Potato Pierogi: Garlic dill sauce and crispy soppressata, paired with Los Milics Ita’s Rosé 2023.
  4. Campfire-Roasted Bison: Served with farm vegetables and accompaniments, paired with Los Milics Renato’s Red 2022.
  5. Scotchmallow Tart: Honey marshmallow, caramel, and nut brittle, paired with Graham’s Six Grapes Reserve Port.

Gourmet Dining In A Bucket

“We’re truly grateful for Shift Kitchen and Oeno Wine Lounge creating a dynamic menu that paired their passion for culinary excellence with our unique setting,” said Angie Grubb, Marketing Manager at Arizona Snowbowl. “We look forward to collaborating with other talented local restaurants to bring more unforgettable dining experiences aboard the Arizona Gondola.

You may have missed the August event but Satchmo’s BBQ and Mother Road Brewing will pair up for the next Shift Your Viewpoint Dinner on September 28, 2025. This upcoming event promises another unforgettable evening of elevated cuisine, craft brews, and stunning views. Tickets will be available on Arizona Snowbowl’s event page but if you’re like us you’ll be forwarding this post to your local ski area in the hopes they copy this innovative dining experience! Whether you’re a foodie, an outdoor enthusiast, or simply seeking a unique experience, riding a gondola for dinner rather than TO dinner is a must-try.

Where is Snowbowl?

Arizona Snowbowl is located in the heart of Flagstaff, Arizona; a little bustling college town known for year-round outdoor play. The Shift Your Viewpoint Dinner adds a new dimension to the resort’s offerings, combining adventure with fine dining.

High West’s Dead Man’s Boot

deadmans boot cocktail

There are two drinks in Park City I dream about. One is Pimp My Ride from Billy Blanco’s and the other is courtesy of High West Distillery. These days, however, between the tourists and the bougie waitstaff, it’s impossible to get a table at High West or even a seat at the bar.

So now I make the Dead Man’s Boot at home…and you can too.

DEAD MAN’S BOOT

1.5 oz Double Rye! (or whatever your favorite whiskey)
1 oz Reposado Tequila
0.5 oz Fresh Lime Juice
0.5 oz Simple Syrup
Fever Tree Ginger Beer
Lime Wedge Garnish

Add all ingredients except ginger beer in a cocktail shaker. Add chip ice, shake, strain over ice, and top with ginger beer. Garnish with a lime wedge. 

Watch it being made at 1:10-

Igloo and Dome Dining During Covid-19

Alpenglobe Dome at Deer Valley

Not too long ago, we’d never dream of eating outside in the winter. Hot food instantly turns cold along with your fingers, toes and nose. Can you say unpleasant? But with all of the new rules surrounding Covid-19 safety like limited seating or full-indoor closures, resort restaurants have been forced to get creative or lose their businesses. 

No indoor dining, you say? We’ll do you one better and offer really expensive indoor-outdoor dining for your vacation pleasure. How’s that for finding a silver lining to the Covid-19 ski season circus? Enter tent, yurt, igloo and dome dining. Even old gondolas find a new home this winter.

gondola dining cars

 

Colorado Dining Cabs

In Steamboat Springs, Mountain Tap Brewery has taken three, bright purple gondolas and repurposed them with electric heating, Bluetooth speakers, twinkly lights and room for up to six friends to safely dine and drink. 

Telluride also has set out 20 newly refurbished, heated, ventilated and socially distanced buckets. Up to eight guests can sit on plush seats, and order from 12 different restaurants around the plaza.

At Aurum Food and Wine in Breckenridge and Steamboat, you can climb inside a yurts, bundle up with quilts and lanterns and feast on a special chef’s multi-course meal. 

Vail, Colo., restaurants have also gotten into the game by adding heated tents and igloos. 

Utah’s Yurts Igloo and Dome Dining

alpenglobe dome dining at Stein Eriksen Lodge Deck

Courtesy of Stein Eriksen Lodge

Speaking of igloos, Alpenglobes are all the rage in the Beehive State. The Utah-based company designs these clear domes to offer diners a 360-degree, panoramic view from posh spot like the deck of the Stein Eriksen Lodge and Butcher’s Chophouse in Park City. It’ll cost you $200 for 90 minutes but what’s that kind of money compared to the company of good friends and family on vacation. Plus you get adjustable heating, Bluetooth music dimmable chandeliers, mountain views and cocktails.

The Wasatch Brew Pub at the top of Main Street in Park City erected their own cool little igloos to serve Covid-conscious diners. Each dome seats up to eight people and reservations are required.

And at the bottom of Main, you’ll spot another Alpenglobe for whiskey fans. The High West Distillery’s Nelson Cottage .  The eight guests not only get those panoramic views, heat, and ventilation but variable mood lighting as well. They won’t be able to dine off a full menu but can get sips and snacks.

Inside the igloo

The Yurt Village at The St. Regis Deer Valley is quite the spectacle over at the hotel’s “Ski Beach.” Three custom-made yurts feature mahogany lattices, plexiglass for stargazing and radiant heat. They are themed based on the 2002 Olympics events that were held at Deer Valley (Aerials, Moguls and Slalom) and seat eight for a gourmet mountain meal.

All of these unique dining spectacles come with a high pricetag, demand and limitations. Most can seat only 6- 8 guests and are booked up well in advance. There is also a food and beverage minimum ranging from $200 – $400 (depending on the date and time) plus tax and gratuity. But getting engaged, having a birthday, only taking one vacation during a pandemic? If you can score one just once, it might be totally worth the splurge. 

Adventure Recipe: Camp Donuts and Skillet Strawberry Jam

camp donuts

 

This recipe came from The Dirty Gourmet during the Pursuit Series at Snowbasin Resort last summer. Unfortunately, the Series was cancelled for this summer but whipping up these super easy beignet-type camp donuts, even at home, brought back some fun memories of long days in the sun, great food, challenging adventures and cocktail parties around the campfire. 

Camp Donuts and Jam Ingredients

Donut Holes:

1 Roll of refrigerated biscuit dough (such as Pillsbury or Annie’s)

Jam:

2 cups sliced strawberries

2 to 4 tablespoons sugar

Juice of 1 small lemon

1 tablespoon chia seeds

1 pinch of kosher salt

camp donuts cooking demo

CAMP DONUTS RECIPE

In a skillet or a medium pot set over medium heat, place the berries and sugar. Mash the berries with a wooden spoon or a fork, until the berries soften and release their juices, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, chia seeds, and salt.

To make the doughnut holes, cut premade biscuit dough in small 1” pieces and shape in a ball. In a fry pan over low heat, add enough oil to cover half of the donut. Cook the donuts on the griddle for about 5 minutes per side, or until they’re lightly browned and cooked through. 

camp pots

 

Adventure Recipe Revealed: Club Med’s White Chocolate Bread

white chocolate bread

Being stranded inside my own house for who-knows-how-long is forcing me to find ways to bring the adventure home. Travel blogs, YouTube videos and exotic recipes not only relieve stress but help me escape. The one iconic food that will forever take me back to a time where life was rich and filled with ecstasy is Club Med’s White Chocolate Bread. 

 

The sweet pastry, starter and side dish is served at every meal in every village. I’m a Club Med Geek- Cancun, Turquoise, Guaymas, Punta Cana. I even worked at two villages. So I lived off that White Chocolate Bread. If you’ve been to a Club Med, you know exactly what I’m talking about. 

White Chocolate Bread

White Chocolate Bread

10 Yield: 1 loaf

1 1/2 cups flour
14 grams yeast (2 packets)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup water
6 ounces white chocolate chips
1. Place the flour, salt, & yeast in the bowl of an
electric mixer. Mix on medium-low or first speed
for 1 minute.
2. Add 2/3 of the water at first, then add the rest as
needed and mix for 10 minutes. If the dough needs
more water, add as needed. The dough should be
smooth, homogeneous, and should not stick to your
fingers when you touch it. It should pull away from the
sides of the bowl.
3. Add the chips and mix for an additional 2-3 minutes
or until the chips are well distributed throughout
the dough.
4. Take the dough out of the bowl and lightly knead into
a ball. Let rest for 5 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
5. After the 5 minutes of resting, pound the dough flat
and then form the dough into the desired shape
of the loaf you want. This can be done by folding
the dough into the middle and sealing it with your
palm. Repeat this procedure until you have formed
a loaf shape. Place the loaf on a lined sheet pan
with silpat or parchment paper and let rest for
approximately 45 minutes or until it has doubled in
size. If you are in a dry environment, place a damp
cloth over the loaf.
6. Once the dough has doubled, place in the oven
(make sure to place 1/2 cup of water in a pan or
directly on the oven bottom to create vapor) and
bake approximately 20 minutes at 400°F or until
nicely browned on top. Don’t be alarmed if the white
chocolate chips exposed are burned, this is normal.
7. Once the bread is baked, remove from the oven and
let rest on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
8. Serve warm.

 

One day soon, I hope, this staycation will be over and Club Med will offer amazing deals so that we can fly to a beautiful place, breathe fresh, clean air and eat that delicious bread while admiring this view. Stay safe and healthy, Everyone!

circus club at Club Med

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