Utah Is Hiding a Delicious Resort With a Farm and Distillery On-Site

Hidden among the rolling landscape surrounding Park City, Utah is a luxury resort with enough delicious experiences to ensure every bite you eat on vacation is memorable.

Sure, you could venture into town for a meal, but the array of culinary delights available at The Lodge at Blue Sky will compel you to linger on the property for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks — all while still getting a taste of regional flavors.

This high-end hotel from the Auberge Resorts Collection merges elegant amenities with stunning outdoor space, and has an array of activities, ranging from dog sledding to skeet shooting. The diversity of offerings extends to food, too, and you can enjoy a memorable meal anywhere from the privacy of your room to the top of a mountain — and the throughline that connects all of the cuisine at Blue Sky is a guarantee of delicious dishes and careful attention to local sourcing.

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While driving up the (very long) winding driveway to the main building of the resort, you’ll notice a small farm in the distance. Dubbed Gracie’s Farm — after a horse that the property  owner Barb Phillips rescued — this tiny but powerful piece of agriculture is where Blue Sky Lodge uses sustainable growing methods to cultivate seasonal produce. It’s a no-till farm, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions by keeping carbon in the soil instead of releasing it as dirt is overturned. Any greenhouses you see are geothermally heated, using the earth’s natural heat to promote energy efficiency and minimize electricity. Bee hives nearby help pollinate the crops, and animals like goats provide natural fertilizer from manure as they graze on fallow land.

Because Gracie’s Farm relies on many labor-intensive, manual methods to care for its soil and plants, it’s not a massive operation. But what the farm does grow — while I was there I spied end-of-season tomatoes, shishito peppers, garlic, and leafy greens — is incorporated into the menu at Yuta, the on-site restaurant. Even if you’re not staying at the resort, during peak growing seasons the farm will occasionally host an outdoor dinner party for the community, with a long dining table covered with flowers and dishes crafted from the fruits and vegetables grown here.

In the main building of the resort — alongside a bar, infinity pool, and Blue Sky’s signature suites, the largest accommodations available — Yuta channels Utah in both its design and food. Light fixtures are made with sculptural branches that reference the land around you, and a muted, sandstone palette of colors gives the restaurant a refined but earthy feel.

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The menu at Yuta has a mix of comforting dishes — one of my favorites was the everything-seasoned Hawaiian bread rolls, which are fluffy, sweet, and come with cultured butter — and more fresh, sophisticated items, like a tart citrus-cured hiramasa crudo. The range ensures there’s something that will appeal to everyone. If you want a taste of local ingredients, try the elk chop for your entrée (you can watch chefs grilling it over flames in the open kitchen), or ask your server which dishes feature produce from Gracie’s farm that evening.

If you’re in the mood for something even more unique, make sure you go to Blue Sky in the summer or early fall so you can dine at Wild Kitchen. This experience will take you on top of a mountain to enjoy a multi-course meal cooked entirely over live fire at a decked-out and heated communal table with strangers. Dinners at Wild Kitchen are often cooked by a rotating cast of visiting acclaimed chefs, and by the end of the evening you’ll have enjoyed four wine pairings and befriended the people around you. The mountaintop views and appetizers on a deck at sunset don’t hurt either.

Anyone who visits the property in February can take advantage of another seasonal treat, the residency of three-Michelin-starred SingleThread. For the third year in a row, the head chef and farmer of this fellow farm-restaurant-hotel hybrid will be popping up at Blue Sky with a culinary experience that pairs a 14-seat, 16-course omakase dinner with a curated film series.

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Titled “ThroughLine,” Blue Sky says, “At the heart of this dining experience is a captivating eight-part film series directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Justin Taylor Smith. As each course unfolds, guests will embark on a cinematic exploration of the farmers, growers, and artisans who cultivate the ingredients on their plates.” Patrons can book a seat at this year’s SingleThread residency — which will last for nine days, from February 13-17 and February 20-23 — through the property’s website.

Whiskey fans are in luck at Blue Sky, because Park City-based brand High West Distillery has a tasting room and distillery on the resort’s property, just a seven-minute walk from the main building — although, of course, the hotel will arrange a ride if you’d like. In 2006, High West was the first whiskey distillery to open in Utah since Prohibition.

Many of High West’s whiskeys are blended, producing signature flavor profiles that have won over fans across the country. Even if you’re not very familiar with whiskey, the brand’s bourbons are approachable, and a tasting offers a great introduction to the category. Make sure you take a tour of the distillery to learn how copper pot distilling and barrel aging work.

Whether you want to sip whiskey, order lemon-ricotta pancakes from Yuta to your room, have a romantic evening at a beautiful restaurant, or embark on a culinary adventure, it’s safe to say you’ll find something that excites you at The Lodge at Blue Sky — and if you have time, I recommend trying each option.

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