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Riverhorse trots out a fine new restaurant | |
| By Nancy Hobbs Special to The Tribune |
10/31/2003 | |
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PARK CITY -- Since its opening in the 1980s, Riverhorse on historic Main Street has proven, time and again, to be one of Park City's premier restaurants.
Could diners expect a new sister establishment at the city's gateway to be on par? The setting of Riverhorse On the Green is certainly different, perched right off the putting green and 10th tee of the Park City Golf Course, with a spectacular view of Park City Mountain Resort in the distance. Walls of windows frame the view from every room of this elegantly appointed restaurant, so no one misses out. Of course, the main attraction is the food, and though each restaurant has its own "personality," this is where you note a familial resemblance -- including elevated Park City prices -- with Riverhorse on Main. Bill Hufferd, corporate chef and general manager of both sites, was wise to duplicate the "original Riverhorse potstickers" at On the Green, as well as the popular macadamia nut-crusted halibut with mango chutney and creamy mashed potatoes. But there is plenty of room for On the Green's executive chef Seth Adams to show off his talent with a menu so loaded with terrific sounding offerings, it's hard to make a choice. We accepted that challenge on recent dinner and lunch visits, however, and were generally pleased with the results, including exceptional service on both occasions. For starters, we were smitten with the wild mushroom tart, sautéed shiitake and portabello mushrooms served on puff pastry in a rich and delicious balsamic reduction ($8.50). Less impressive was an appetizer of tempura-battered jumbo shrimp -- our only disappointment on both occasions. The batter was on the heavy side and the four shrimp were too small to be billed as "jumbo" ($9.95). Besides enjoying the sweet, flaky Alaskan halibut mentioned previously -- the restaurant's top seller at $26.50 -- we sampled the herb-crusted rack of lamb ($35). The rack was generous, with six or seven ribs cooked to a perfect medium-rare and served with a tasty red-wine demiglace. The pork chops are also excellent, with two thick chops stuffed with a mixture of apples, artichoke hearts and Gruyere cheese ($24.50). I liked the option of being able to choose two accompaniments for the meat dishes, though once again, paring down the choices was tough: asparagus, sautéed broccolini or mushrooms, creamed corn or roasted tomatoes; and potatoes five ways, from double baked to pommes frites. We tried most, and though I would describe the tomato as "broiled with bread crumbs" rather than roasted, all were cooked to their best and attractively presented. We also tried the sea bass, an impressive presentation of a whole fish served on a bed of delicious stir-fried vegetables. The fish was prepared with a soy, ginger and garlic sauce, lending a terrific flavor to the moist inside meat as well as the crispy and delicious skin ($28.50). Among the delicious sounding items we didn't try were grilled Utah red trout with capers, diced tomatoes and sautéed asparagus; grilled lobster tail; a couple of bone-in steaks; and spinach and ricotta ravioli or grilled pesto-crusted chicken over linguini. The lunch menu is more abbreviated, with more salad and sandwich choices (including a half-pound burger), and fewer special entrées. At our server's recommendation, we tried the classic French nicoise salad with ahi tuna. Although it was delicious, served with mixed baby greens, red potatoes, kalamata olives and super-thin, super fresh green beans, the three slices of seared Ahi were notably skimpy ($12.95). We enjoyed the veggie sandwich, one of four sandwiches priced at $8.95 and served with pommes frites or a nice house salad made of mixed greens and topped with enoki mushrooms. The sandwich was served on tasty herb foccacia, with eggplant, roasted peppers and buffalo mozzarella. Even though satiated, it's hard to pass on Death by Chocolate: flourless chocolate cake, more the texture of rich truffles, is paired with premium chocolate ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate sauce in a beautifully decadent display ($8.95). Also spectacular was the night's special chocolate souffle, ordered with dinner. Although the souffle was tasty, the best part of that dessert was the luscious Grand Marnier-laced sabayon sauce diners can pour over the top ($9.95). Riverhourse On the Green is adjacent to the Hotel Park City and serves as the hotel's diner, offering breakfast, from a classic continental with coffee, juice or fruit and a basket of pastries for $8.95, to omelets and pancakes. Though it has a lofty reputation to live up to in the award-winning Riverhorse on Main, Jerry and Susan Gilomens' newest restaurant venture has earned its own bragging rights after almost a year of operation. With exceptional scenery and service to match its food, it is an elegant, albeit expensive, night out. ----- Nancy Hobbs is The Tribune's restaurant reviewer. The newspaper covers the cost of meals at restaurants reviewed and there is no connection between reviews and restaurant advertising. Hobbs welcomes food and wine news, comments and suggestions at nhobbs@xmission.com Riverhorse On the Green
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