As spring emerges in area resorts, restaurant crews take a breather. Many places will close for a month or so and reopen with summer menus designed to attract non-skiers like us who find wildflowers more appealing than snowdrifts.
But there is an in-between time, when occasional storms mingle with emerging green, to lend a special mystique to the mountains and byways, empty except for a few stragglers of the winter just past.Adolph's in Park City, with almost a two-decade tradition and reputation for cuisine that transcends the seasons, stays open year-round for customers inclined toward a quiet dinner regardless of skiing or hiking conditions.
During our recent weeknight visit, the pace was leisurely, yet the service attentive and hospitable. We couldn't help but observe their professionalism since we chose two tableside preparations, one a luscious Caesar salad ($6 per person), the best we've had in a long time, and a colorful dessert, a sweet flaming cherries jubilee.
Other diners also took advantage of the menu's personalized choices, which include flaming spinach salad, chateaubriand ($45 for two), saddle of venison flamed with cognac ($48 for two), steak Diane ($24), and other desserts such as bananas Foster and crepes Suzette. The flames added conversation with the well-informed help (who explained how well the latest health inspection had gone) as well as eased the chill from the cool night air.
Our tableside choices were expertly done and definite palate pleasers; some of the other choices were less dramatic and, we felt for the price, less fulfilling. A homemade creamy onion soup ($3.50) was simply bland. A special salmon filet, sauced with capers and topped with green olives ($21.50), was a bit too salty for our tastes. Veal Adolph's ($21.50), one of the signature dishes, consisted of cubed veal rather than the promised thin veal slices, and the cream sauce with mushrooms and shallots was somewhat flat.
Each of the dinners came with sweet carrot slices, sauteed golden and green zucchini slices and egg noodles. The price also includes warm crusty sourdough bread and a green dinner salad.
We admired the presentation of each of the platters; the color and texture were clearly accented. This balance and artistry was most evident with the Bunderfleish appetizer ($7.50), paper-thin slices of beef, garnished with proscuitto, tiny gherkins, green olives dotting hard-boiled egg whites and pickled pearl onions.
There are a multitude of choices on Adolph's extensive and somewhat pricey bill of fare. These include oysters Rockefeller ($8.50); raclette Swiss style ($6.50), a melted imported Swiss cheese served with potatoes, pickles and pearl onions; escargots a la Bourguignonne ($6.75); marinated tomato salad with mozzarella and fresh basil ($5.25); New York steak Madagascar ($21.50), with green peppercorn and Dijon mustard; several veal dishes including saltimbocca Florentina ($21.50) with spinach, proscuitto and fresh mushrooms; fresh scallops Roger Verge ($21.50), with raspberry thyme sauce; roast duckling a la orange ($22.50); rack of lamb with chervilbutter ($25); tortellini portofino ($13.50), a creamy parmesan sauce with walnuts and mushrooms; imported Swiss bratwurst with tomato sauce ($13.50) and several versions of Swiss cheese fondues, served with a salad (around $5 each).
Adolph's is more than a survivor of the annual swings of the season. Now in its 16th year, it has been a constant gastronomic force pleasing locals and visitors alike with traditional continental cuisine.
Rating: * * * 1/2
Adolph's Restaurant at the Park City Golf Course, 649-7177. Open for dinner from 6-10 p.m., seven days a week; Gill Room from 4:30 p.m. Summer patio dining. Accepts major credit cards; reservations recommended for weekends.