From Deer Valley Resort’s mid-mountain, the Goldener Hirsch Restaurant’s new Après Chalet experience brings alpine flavors to hungry skiers. 

The restaurant at the Goldener Hirsch Inn, Auberge Resorts Collection, has long been a staple for fine dining, offering a taste of the Austrian experience with its menu and a dining space decorated with original Austrian antiques collected by the Eccles family, the hotel’s owners.

Open for lunch and dinner, the restaurant known especially for a house-made fondue has earned many awards over the years,

---

---

But this year for the first time, the Goldener Hirsch Restaurant has expanded its hours to welcome guests and skiers for an après-ski taste of their food and beverage menu, open from 2-4:30 p.m. 

With its prime location in Silver Lake Village, the hotel converted their slice of patio under the heart-shaped wooden balconies of the original Goldener Hirsch Inn into a seating area with bright red benches and Adirondack chairs circled around three fire pits and heaters. Between neighboring buildings, the white ribbon of a Deer Valley run is visible, sparkling in the afternoon daylight.

---

---

Meredith Parkinson, the hotel’s assistant director of food and beverage, left a long career in standalone restaurants, having worked 16 years at Wasatch and Squatters, to try out the hospitality world. When it comes to food and beverage, the hotel’s values bring a higher level of service, she said. 

“You want to wow (guests), we want to make sure that their stay is comfortable, and you really want to make them feel like family,” said Parkinson.

When it comes to choosing where to enjoy a drink and a hearty snack after a full morning of skiing, the hospitality attitude may check all the right boxes. But for the Goldener Hirsch specifically, their commitment to a European atmosphere also sets it apart, said Parkinson.

“The setting is so charming, and it’s the Austrian feel,” she said. She recalled a conversation with guests the day before. “They were saying, ‘This is just such a great experience. The atmosphere is great, the color of the chairs, being out in the sun and it looks nice.'”

In the sunlight, the eye-catching red aims to attract tired skiers and the smell of a wood-burning fire promises warmth. So, by 3:30 p.m. on a sleepy Monday, every seat was filled with skiers basking in the unseasonably warm January sun.

A menu from the chef team run by Executive Chef Senthil Krishnamurthy included signature dishes like their restaurant’s famous fondue and wreath-shaped Bavarian soft pretzel, as well as bites like a Baked Truffle Mac & Cheese and the Mini Lobster Roll Trio.

For hearty, post-workout eats, warm, protein- and carb-filled dishes offered plenty.

The Golden Stag Slider Trio ($35) served three uniquely-flavored mini burgers with fresh-made fries. A Utah-based locally crafted burger featured cheddar and a light fry sauce, a teriyaki burger was served with a purple cabbage slaw, and an arugula and tzatziki burger brought a pop of Mediterranean.

The Baked Truffle Mac & Cheese ($32) was served in a mini cast iron skillet, which kept the creamy pasta warm despite the high mountain cold. The subtle truffle flavor infused the gruyere and appenzeller cheese sauce, all topped with Sicilian panko crumbs and a shell of crispy, melted cheese.

Three styles of house soft pretzel (starting at $18) included Classic Bavarian, Olive Feta and Gruyere Paprika, each served with toppings of a sweet apple mostarda and a tart maille ancient mustard along with pickled vegetables made in house. The Bavarian pretzel, a Goldener Hirsch classic, was seasoned with salt crystals and poppy seeds.

Aside from their full-bar and beer and wine options, the drink menu featured four spritz drinks ($18) for a refreshing buzz — a traditional aperol spritz, a tequila-ginger-lime-pomegranate spritz, a gin-and-lemon with Creme de Violette spritz, and a blood orange-lemon spritz.

A take on an espresso martini, the Express-o Lift Martini ($24) used Casamigos Reoisadi tequila instead of vodka, along with whiskey barrel bitters and orange bitters for a creamy drink. It came served with a cinnamon “GH” dusted on top.

For warm drinks, the gourmet Hot Chocolate ($20) was pricey for a reason, the server assured. Poured live from a copper kettle, the steaming drink melted a chocolate “lid” to drop a house-made marshmallow, decorated with a golden stag, the Goldener Hirsch logo, into the glass. It was served with a bowl of vanilla chantilly whipped cream and a powdered sugar-dusted shortbread cookie.

The Après Chalet is open daily throughout the season and seating is also available inside the restaurant. Walk-ins are welcome, encouraged even, and dogs are welcome on the patio. Check out the full menu at aubergeresorts.com/goldenerhirsch/goldener-hirsch-restaurant/apres.