Forklift

Overview: Nestled in a canyon in the Wasatch Front, Snowbird is a mountain village that includes 15 resort owned restuarants. Although Snowbird's remote location has the advantage of eliminating all dining competition for overnight guests, they do a decent job providing good food for okay prices. You can make what you want of your dining experience- chow down on $1.50 tacos during happy hour, or feast on a meal of (surprisingly fresh) sushi on the top floor of the Cliff lodge. The best option for all meals however, is breakfast at the Forklift. With menu items such as Country Biscuits and Gravy and Thick Cut Oatmeal Brulee, the Forklift stands out as the only Snowbird restaurant worth discussing.

Medium Well: While all of the menus at Snowbird were mundane and forgettable, the Forklift is the exception that proves the rule. Serving only breakfast and lunch, the Forklift is adjacent to the aerial tram in Snowbird Center - a central location to all Snowbird lodges. While everything we ate at Forklift was cooked perfectly and ultimately satisfying, we both agree that our favorite was the Dave's Power Spuds. Dave's Power Spuds is a bowl of shoestring hash browns, seasoned with fresh dill - which imparts a more delicate flavor than dried dill - topped with melted cheddar cheese, two slices of bacon and your choice of eggs. Not only was it decidedly delicious, but with enough macronutrients and calories to keep you at peak performance the entire day, Dave's Spuds is the ideal breakfast for any skier or boarder. Even the more traditional items at the Forklift were compelling. The pancakes were made with a whole grain batter and served with blueberries or walnuts, and the Eggs Benedict became original when made with layers of pesto, prosciutto, basil and tomato. The only disappointment about the Forklift was that it is closes after lunch. Had it been open, we would have gladly made the trek in the snow to try their dinner options. I bet they'd have a good burger.

Medium Dead: I was seriously disappointed with most of the food at Snowbird. The sushi at Aerie was good but expensive and everything else on the menu was mediocre. The happy hour tacos at El Chanate were fine at $1.50 but I am not a huge fan of Mexican food. The Forklift is the exception. We ate here everyday at Snowbird but only at breakfast because they close at 4. I ate something different every day but Dave's Power Spuds and the breakfast burrito were my favorites. The burrito was enormous packed with eggs, refried beans, sour cream, jack and cheddar cheese, wrapped in a chipotle tortilla then covered in more cheese and red salsa. Just in case you are really hungry it comes with the house specialty onion-dill hash browns on the side. I hate scrambled eggs but the eggs in the burrito were the most fluffy eggs I have ever eaten. Dave's Power Spuds were epic - a huge bowl of the onion-dill hash browns mixed with sauteed mushrooms and topped with tons of cheddar cheese. Just for fun I had mine with two sunnyside-up eggs and a bagel with cream cheese on the side. This is exactly what I want for breakfast when I go skiing; a great mix of protein, fat and carbs and so much food that I didn't need to stop for lunch.

The Verdict: Go to Snowbird for the skiing, not the food, but while you are there, the Forklift is an absolute must for a pre-skiing breakfast chow down.