Foods from Afar
Park City’s a bastion of world cuisine
Winter 2020/2021
Written By: Ted Scheffler | Images: Deborah DeKoff, Angela Howard, and courtesy Adolph’s Restaurant and 11Hauz
Park City has always been, in part, a town of immigrants. In the late 19th century, for example, Old Town had a Chinatown neighborhood, where Chinese immigrants who came to help build the railroads and, later, work in Park City’s mines, lived. Immigrants, and the global cuisines they bring with them, help to make Park City’s restaurant scene a deliciously diverse one. From pho and schnitzel to falafel, chile rellenos, and larb, there is a world of exotic eats to enjoy in our local, immigrant-operated restaurants. Here is just a sampling.
Adolph’s Restaurant
Switzerland
Adolph’s has been a fixture in Park City for so long — it’s Park City’s first and oldest fine-dining eatery — that it’s easy to forget that Adolph Imboden is an immigrant. The former Swiss ski racer started out in Swiss hotels and worked as a chef in Bermuda before moving to Vail, Colorado to join the team at Vail’s iconic Hotel Gasthof Gramshammer. Following a stint as the food and beverage manager at Park City Mountain Resort, he opened what was then called Adolph’s White House in 1974.
Fast forward some 46 years and Adolph’s is still one of Park City’s most sought-after reservations, with guests flocking there for classic Swiss specialties like bündnerfleisch, raclette, and fondue, alongside more modern fare such as ahi tuna sashimi and roasted rack of New Zealand lamb.
Reef’s Restaurant
Israel
This Deer Valley hot spot is a family affair — owned and operated by chef Asi Yoked and his wife Tali. Both are originally from Israel and were the first to bring authentic, Middle Eastern cuisine to Park City. What started as Reef’s Kitchen in Kimball Junction, became Reef’s Restaurant in the Deer Valley Club. The current menu at Reef’s (named for their son) is inspired by Asi and Tali’s global travels and range from the best falafel and hummus around to Moroccan salmon, chicken schnitzel, and Israeli salad.
Thai So Good
Thailand
The quartet of young men who own Thai So Good in Kimball Junction — Krit Lawakorn, Alpinan Sriboran, Danny Vo, and Chatchanin Thanaritiroj — hail from Thailand. At Thai So Good you’ll find staples from their homeland — rich, bold dishes such as larb and neua nam tok; traditional meat salads; khao soi, a classic Northern Thai curry noodle soup with chicken; an egg noodle dish known as bamee moo; and of course, popular dishes like pad thai, drunken noodles, and pad see ew.
When I spoke to Chatchanin about the cuisine of Thailand, he said, “Thai food has everything: it’s sweet and spicy, salty and sour.” It’s all about balance and harmony.
11Hauz
Jamaica
The Caribbean islands are loudly and proudly represented with the big, bold flavors found at 11Hauz, where Sheron Grant, her husband Errol Grant, and their daughters and granddaughters dish up authentic Jamaican fare to the delight of locals and tourists alike. Sheron speaks of learning to cook traditional Jamaican dishes from her grandmother, Florence Harding, while growing up in Jamaica. After moving to Park City to work as a nanny, Sheron Grant began selling Jamaican fare at the Park Silly Sunday Market, did some catering, and eventually opened 11Hauz in 2018.
At 11Hauz you will be treated to bright island flavors in dishes like roti curry, jerk chicken, Rasta pasta, oxtail, curried goat, ackee with salt fish, stewed peas, and much more. Reggae music rounds out this wonderfully Jamaican corner of Park City.
The Bridge Cafe & Grill
Brazil
Brazil is well-represented here in Park City. A trio of Brazilians — Fabio Ferreira, Alex Bartolo, and Emerson Oliveira — who at one time shared a crowded apartment and made a living doing odd jobs, now each run their own successful business. While you’ll now find Fabio at The Spur Bar & Grill, home to classic burgers and wings, and Alex at Bartolo’s, an Italian eatery serving daily fresh-made pasta, Emerson opened a restaurant that serves American fare alongside Brazilian specialties.
Emerson and his wife, Juliana Klein, run The Bridge Cafe & Grill at the bottom of the Town Lift. Here, you can find authentic Brazilian dishes such as coxinhas, camarão a brazuca, and moqueca baiana. Wash it all down with Brazil’s national cocktail: the caipirinha.
In addition to these tantalizing dining destinations, Park City is host to many more restaurants offering cuisine from around the globe, including Vietnam, Japan, Mexico, France, Spain, Australia, Ireland, Norway, India, and China. Combined with regional American foods, Park City is truly a world of fabulous flavors.
