Snowbird opened its new restaurant, The Nest, on December 10, bringing fanfare to the site of the old Mid-Gad Restaurant, which had to be replaced because it was aging. The new structure is an airy, glass building that doesn’t detract from the surrounding mountain scenery in Gad Valley, but it does beckon skiers to stop inside for lunch.
The food is far from the overpriced $25 chicken strips that ski resorts have become notorious for—menu items mix world fares like butter chicken, pozole and Jamaican jerk chicken with elevated ski resort classics, like Wagyu burgers and fish ‘n’ chips. No matter what you order, it’s all delicious and sure to please after a morning on the slopes.
“My team comes from all over the world, and they are incredibly talented cooks. I wanted to showcase what they’ve brought to Snowbird,” Snowbird Culinary Director Ben Mogren said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
He said he wanted to match the beautiful scenery and upscale design of the building, and a typical burger joint just wouldn’t do.
Don’t worry, you can still order up a hearty fried dish when the craving strikes. “We can’t just do burgers, but we still have to do a burger and make it the best burger you’ve ever had on a mountain,” Mogren said. “This summer we worked with the local meat purveyor and developed a signature Wagyu burger.”
Replacing Mid-Gad Wasn’t an Easy Task
Nima Mahak, the resort’s senior director of village operations, oversaw the project. During the grand opening, he said it was not an easy task.
Initially, his team wanted to remodel the old building, which was beloved. “Pretty soon we realized that the building was structurally beyond repair,” he said. “So we changed course.”
About five years ago, they came up with an “ambitious” design that included a coffee shop, sit-down fine dining, a ski school area and some shopping space. The project estimate came back—it had exceeded the budget, so they went back to the drawing board.
“We got the team back together and world on version three,” Mahak said. It became the completed project, which is now open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m (hot meals are available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and accessible from the Mid-Gad and Gad Mountain chairlifts.
When you go, be sure to try the Pozole, a hearty Mexican soup and the Butter Chicken, the resort’s take on a popular Indian curry dish. Both items are perfect for warming up on a ski day.
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