Park City & Deer Valley

This Winter Brings Diverse New Culinary Options for Every Palate

Already a foodie haven, offering everything from foie gras to French fries to pho, this season sees an explosion in the Park City dining scene with several new restaurants opening in a range of price points and styles.

Apex, the Montage Deer Valley    $$$$

While this new luxury hotel at the top of Deer Valley's Empire Canyon offers a handful of dining options, Apex is certainly its signature restaurant. Capitalizing on the farm-to-table trend, Apex sets the scene for a memorable on-mountain experience with a warm atmosphere and expansive views of aspen groves. Casual by day and refined by night, Apex focuses on fresh, seasonal ingredients in dishes like Duck Confit Tortellini with Wild Mushrooms and Braised Short Ribs with Horseradish Whipped Potatoes.  www.montagedeervalley.com

The Blind Dog Grill    $$$

While technically not a new offering, this perennial local's favorite recently opened after a lengthy hiatus into a new psace in the old Anderson's Lumber building on Kearns Blvd. The atmosphere in the new location is casual enough for last minute dinner decisions, but upscale enough to feel like a special night out. The menu remains largely unchanged, offering an extensive list of fresh sushi options, plus classic American comfort food, with a focus on seafood. The DK Jumbo Lump Crab Cake and Peny's Signature Dreamloaf never go out of style.    www.blinddoggrill.com

Silver Restaurant & Lounge    $$$$

Silver offers progressive American cuisine and a huge wine list in a dramatic setting on Main Street. Silver's three levels include lounge spaces (with a live DJ and a glass-walled terrace,) as well as a main dining room. Locals may know executive chef Todd Mark Miller from his stints at Salt Lake's Metropolitan, Fresco and Café Trio, but most recently he helmed the kitchen at New York's STK. Having opened in February, you can expect and chic, adult vibe and dishes like Braised Octopus Escabeche with Fennel and Roasted Lemon, plus New York Minute Steak with Chanterelle Mushrooms and Red Wine/Thyme Emulsion.    www.silverrestaurant.com

A Wok Away    $$

Opend in late January on Bonanza Drive, A Wok Away is the latest offering from veteran restaurateur Soo Chyung of Uki-Arashi. I response to what he viewed as a gaping hole in Park City's culinary scene, Chyung created a traditional Chinese take-out joint fused with a noodle bar for tasty, easy food away from the Main Street hussle. A native Chinese chef and fresh ingredients ensure creative menu items that are recognizable, but infused with authentic flavors. The counter seats 40.    www.awokaway.com

Sammy's Bistro    $$

A short walk away from A Wok Away, Park City native son Sam Harris has recently opened his own casual eatery that offers a convivial atmoshphere that works for families and post slope fuel-ups. With a diverse menu and efficient, friendly service learned from his years working in the local restaurant industry, Sammy's Bistro offers comfort food like his signature BBQ shrimp skewers made popular at his Park Silly Market food booth.

Yamato Steakhouse & Sushi    $$$ 

Quickly filling the void in Blind Dog's old space is the new Yamato, sister restaurant to Old Town's Oishi Sushi. Bringing fresh life to the space is chef Toshio Sekikawa, who combines Japanese steakhouse dishes like Yakitori Lamb Racks and Chilled Wagyu Beed Shabu-Shabu with imaginative sushi offerings like the Xanax roll: salmon, cucumber, and lemon topped with scallops, int leaves and wasabit vinaigrette.    www.yamatosteakhouse.com

For More Information on Park City and Deer Valley Contact:
Michael LaPay, Associate Broker
Prudential Utah Real Estate
Mobile: 435-640-5700
Toll Free: 888-410-7653

mlapay@pureparkcityrealestate.com

City Hall will Allow up to 12 of them in 2011 Applications due by Mid-March

The number of dining decks on Main Street could quadruple this summer from the three that were built in 2010, a scenario that some involved say is unlikely even as they acknowledge there could be more decks this year than there were last year.

City Hall, which regulates the decks, recently started accepting applications from restaurateurs who want to build one in 2011. The applications are due by March 14 and are available on the municipal website.

Francisco Astorga, the City Hall planner handling the applications for the dining decks, said up to 12 will be allowed in 2011. City Hall in 2010 approved four of the dining decks. Three of them opened in 2010. The 12 that will be allowed this year include the four that were approved in 2010, meaning there are eight slots available for newcomers in 2011.

The Planning Department had not received an application by late Monday afternoon. Astorga said he did not expect more than eight applications to be filed. The application fee is $180. Restaurants must also pay City Hall $675 for each parking spot a dining deck occupies, a sum based on a portion of what the municipal government would collect in paid-parking fees on the spots.

Astorga said there is chatter about restaurants that might file an application to put in a deck. He declined to elaborate.

"We hear a lot of rumors, but I can't confirm," he said.

Bistro 412, Cisero's and Zona Rosa built decks in 2010. Red Banjo Pizza Parlour received approval to build one but opted not to put it in last year.

City Hall will consider the applications based on criteria like the location of a proposed deck and its proximity to another one. The Planning Department has the ability to approve a permit for a deck, but the Park City Council must approve lease agreements for the decks to be put on the street. This year's season for the decks is scheduled from May 1 until Oct. 30.

The decks debuted with fanfare last summer and altered the streetscape of Main Street. They were taken down as winter approached. The restaurateurs who operated decks in 2010 were pleased, with one of them saying the outdoor seating was consistently packed.

Restaurants and Main Street leaders see the decks as an attraction that makes the street more competitive with other shopping, dining and entertainment options in Park City and surrounding Summit County.

Alison Butz, the executive director of the Historic Park City Alliance, a group that promotes Main Street, said information about dining decks and applications have been sent to each restaurant in the Main Street area -- more than 40, according to Butz.

She estimated perhaps four restaurants that did not operate decks in 2010 will submit applications. Butz declined to discuss which restaurants she is hearing might seek approvals to build the decks this year. She said it is unlikely there will be more applications than the eight slots available.

"It's going to be great. It really adds atmosphere to see people dining," Butz said.

Shabu, a restaurant on the 400 block of Main Street, plans to submit an application to build a deck, said Kevin Valaika, the Shabu owner and the chair of the Park City Area Restaurant Association.

Valaika said he hopes the maximum number of decks is built in 2011, saying they offer Main Street a marketing tool for the summer.

"Humans like to eat outside. Outdoor dining is a major attraction to Main Street," he said.

by Jay Hamburger OF THE RECORD STAFF : The Park Record

For More Information on Park City and Deer Valley Contact:
Michael Lapay
Prudential Utah Real Estate
Mobile: 435-640-5700
Toll Free: 888-410-7653

mlapay@pureparkcityrealestate.com

January's Big National Trade Shows Both Saw Good Attendance

Both the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) and the SnowSports Industries of America (SIA) wrapped up trade shows in Salt Lake City and Denver at the end of January and released statements calling them a huge success.

The OIA said attendance at its OutdoorRetailer Winter Market was up 16 percent for overall attendance. It was the highest net-sold square feet for the Winter Market ever, the release said.

Both associations said the success of shows reflects the strength of the outdoor retail industry.

During these tough economic times people are rethinking the purchase of new cars, boats, recreational vehicles and other big-ticket items. But it doesn't cost much to buy a new pair of shoes and go for a hike, said Jans general manager Jack Walzer.

His industry was definitely affected by the economic troubles in 2008 and 2009, but not as badly as other travel and leisure-related industries. Even in the bad times, business has been "OK," he said.

Locally, Walzer said good business is tied to good weather.

Gary Cole, founder of Colesport, agreed, adding, "When it snows, we're geniuses, when it doesn't we struggle. It's been a stellar year so far for snowfall."

Early snowfall in November got people buying earlier, and they bought more than in recent autumns, Walzer said.

Coming out of two tough years is a struggle as well, he added, because manufacturers have been making less, so there's a scarcity in the most popular products. Ordering must be spot-on or shops run out and miss potential sales.

This trend is forcing people to order early and that's hard, Cole said, because it takes time to analyze what the best-selling items were the previous season. Ordering early is like guessing blind, he explained.

But outdoor retailers are optimistic about 2011, both said.

"There are more visitors in town, and people are spending more," Walzer said.

Cole said business has been up every single week since mid-October some weeks up "substantially."

There are a few concerns the OIA said are on the minds of retailers this year. One that locals agreed with is product flow from China.

"Inflation in China is now hitting every major product area," an OIA newsletter reported late last month. "China's growth will spur more intense competition for resources. This has squeezed margins throughout the supply chain and will make it difficult for smaller, younger brands to bring innovation to the market."

Walzer said his trouble with China has been products arriving late. The selling season is short for snow sports and mountain biking equipment. If inventory doesn't arrive on time, sales opportunities are missed. As a result, he's been trying to diversify what manufacturers he orders from so they're not all in China.

Cole said he's been told that when the recession started and factories closed, Chinese workers went home to the rural areas. Now that things are picking up, factories aren't seeing the workers return and there's a labor shortage.

Doug Levasseur, manager of Wolf Summit Golf, a specialty outdoor retailer, said there's also a problem with counterfeit items from China sold online as name-brand products. If Wolf Summit has a driver on sale for $300 or $400 and a customer has seen what appears to be the same one online for $100, the local shop won't make the sale. But Levasseur knows that manufacturer, and knows it would never allow that item to sell for so little.

Online shopping is part of another challenge for 2011 the OIA highlighted.

"Rapidly shifting consumer expectations, accelerated most recently by smartphones and 24-hour fulfillment, are challenging existing supply and distribution channels," the newsletter said.

Specialty outdoor retailer Chad Jaques, owner of Trout Bum 2, said competing with online retailers is always a struggle, but when so many companies, both brick-and-mortar stores and online retailers, have gone out of business in the recession, many "liquidation" sales can be found on the Internet.

"It reduces our opportunity to sell especially high-end merchandise it's hard on us," he said.

Walzer and Cole said they benefit from being in a resort town. Once people are already here they'll buy what they need. No one is going to arrive for a vacation and then have something they need or forgot shipped to them here.

Plus people trust the expertise of local experts, Walzer said. And Colesport carries many items not available online, Cole said.

Another challenge in 2011 is credit. Many banks are still being stingy with business loans, the OIA newsletter said.

That makes it hard to stock inventory, Jaques said.

Product must be purchased months before it can be sold. Borrowing is the only way for small or new businesses to do that. When loans are hard to get or reduced, you can't buy what you need to have a big year, he said.

The last point of concern, according to the OIA, is reduced hours or even closures at state parks. Most states legislatures, including Utah's, are looking at cutting the budgets of state parks to save money. This could reduce the number of places people use the items they buy from outdoor retailers.

Jaques said that isn't a concern because the two state parks in Midway are so well used it is unlikely the state would cut their hours. Additionally, the Provo River's fishing areas are some of the best maintained spots the Department of Natural Resources oversees.

by Andrew Kirk OF THE RECORD STAFF : The Park Record

For More Information on Park City and Deer Valley Contact:
Michael Lapay
Prudential Utah Real Estate
Mobile: 435-640-5700
Toll Free: 888-410-7653

mlapay@pureparkcityrealestate.com

Officials Expect New Commercial Project to Include Costco

Those in Summit County who are pining for a Costco might soon get their wish.

A non-binding agreement between Summit County, Park City and the state Military Installation Development Authority contemplates a Costco near The Home Depot in the Snyderville Basin. The store would be part of a roughly 350,000-square-foot commercial center that would be developed in conjunction with a hotel in the Park City area.

Military officials are overseeing the project. The main focus of the hotel would be to provide lodging discounts for servicemen and women. Officials expect the resort to be built near Jordanelle Reservoir in Wasatch County. The Air Force for years has sought a location for a hotel in the Park City area. But the project grew to include the separate commercial center.

Having a Costco nearby would help developers offset the costs of providing the inexpensive rooms for soldiers, explained Park City Manager Tom Bakaly.

"We've been working for years to try and have the hotel be the right size and in the right place," Bakaly said, adding that the hotel could have between 60 and 200 rooms.

More than 100 acres of land near Home Depot are owned by the city and county. Officials have agreed to sell about 35 acres for the retail project.

The property would be sold for about $42,056 per acre.

"That's what we paid for it," Bakaly said about the land.

But the project must include a Costco, he added.

"We didn't want this to cannibalize existing commercial," Bakaly said in an interview Thursday. "One condition is that it be a Costco."

The project could also include another big-box store such as Target, he added.

At 350,000 square feet, the center would increase the amount of commercial space in Park City and the Snyderville Basin by nearly 13 percent.

"Any increase is scary and I'm acknowledging that," Bakaly said. Summit County Councilman Chris Robinson also said Costco is a good fit.

"There are a lot of people in this county who are going to Salt Lake or elsewhere to shop at Costco," Robinson said. "We think a lot of people would say if it's going to involve a Costco that is probably better than it being absent a Costco. I think it's a plus."

The newest agreement between the city, county and MIDA establishes a fund into which tax revenue would be funneled for helping provide lodging discounts for the military. Much of the sales tax generated by the commercial project would be used to help fund those discounts.

Meanwhile, much of the property tax revenue generated by the commercial project would help fund the development.

Many people on the West Side of Summit County are opposed to the project. Critics claim that local tax dollars should not be used to subsidize a private commercial project.

But the federal government has the authority to bypass local zoning laws. By entering the discussion as landowners, Bakaly said the city and county were able to reduce the size of the commercial project. Last year, a memorandum of understanding between the Military Installation Development Authority, city and county envisioned the possibility of 1.25 million square feet of commercial development at the site.

"I don't know if anything short of zero is going to please everyone," Robinson said.

The new agreement would also allow Park City to purchase the Red Maple tract of open space along the State Road 248 entryway for about $2 million. Government officials will not approve the non-binding letter of intent until several public hearings are conducted in February.

Hearings before the Park City Council are scheduled February 10th, 2011 and February 17th, 2011. The Summit County Council is scheduled to conduct public hearings February 7th, 2011 and February 15th, 2011.

by Patrick Parkinson OF THE RECORD STAFF : The Park Record

For More Information on Park City and Deer Valley Contact:
Michael Lapay
Prudential Utah Real Estate
Mobile: 435-640-5700
Toll Free: 888-410-7653

mlapay@pureparkcityrealestate.com

Merchants Say the Redstone Cinemas Venue lets Them in on the Action

The Sundance Film Festival is back at Redstone, and Kimball Junction businesses couldn't be happier.

The Sundance Institute first used the Redstone Cinemas as a venue in 2007, and then stopped after the 2009 festival saying it was too costly.

Institute spokesperson Brooks Addicott said the return was needed to replace the theater space lost due to the Racquet Club renovation.

"Redstone Cinemas worked well with us this year to strike a balance with our budget and their financial needs," Addicott said. "We felt the expenditure for both the venue rental and the added shuttles was worth it in order to ensure festival goers had more opportunities to see films."

David Corwin, president of Metropolitan Theatres Corporation that owns the movie theater, said there is no a financial incentive to host Sundance, but it's good for the community and for the neighborhood.

"We look forward to it," he said. "Being one of two theaters in town, it's certainly something we see value in participating in."

With eight screens, Redstone Cinemas can accommodate the festival and still show its regular fare.

"In some respects it's a negative on the regular business, but having said that, we're a movie theater and we encourage and enjoy it when people have an appetite for different kinds of films," he said.

Redstone merchants and others support it as well.

Ilese Jaffa, owner of Good Thymes Bistro in Newpark, said they don't experience any extra business from Sundance otherwise. The huge crowds don't make it out to the Junction if all the films are in Park City.

Tom Richardson is the owner of Beadniks, president of the Redstone Merchant Association and a board member of the Kimball Junction Business Association. He loves the fact that Redstone is a Sundance venue this year.

"We're hoping we can get them to come back next year," he said. "It's good for us and produces more (foot) traffic in the area."

There are about 26 restaurants and over 200 stores in Kimball Junction right now. If festival attendees can get acquainted with what the area offers, he thinks they'll make the effort to dine, shop or revisit the neighborhood.

"We have a lot to offer people and it's a great opportunity to shine. We're trying to distinguish ourselves as a place where both tourists and locals can come," he added.

The increased traffic doesn't guarantee more business, but Richardson said it's a chance to try out new strategies.

In 2009, Beadniks offered a discount to people who could show a movie ticket. Richardson is encouraging everyone to do something similar this month.

The Kimball Junction Business Association is taking advantage of every form of free marketing available to promote the area's offerings and specials.

"If locals shy away from crowds on Main Street, we could see more traffic here," he added. "My message to merchants is to just participate and a good number have said they're in."

Kimball Junction has a lot to offer festival attendees, and discounts can give them even more reasons to explore those offerings, he said.

by Andrew Kirk OF THE RECORD STAFF : The Park Record

For More Information on Park City and Deer Valley Contact:
Michael Lapay
Prudential Utah Real Estate
Mobile: 435-640-5700
Toll Free: 888-410-7653

mlapay@pureparkcityrealestate.com