DEER VALLEY RESORT, PARK CITY, UTAH (Summer, 2004) – Deer Valley Resort has been lauded for their trend-setting and mouth-watering cuisine since the day they opened in December of 1981. The Resort has been honored by winning countless awards for on-mountain restaurants, its chefs, its food and its dining ambiance.

Just because the snow stops flying doesn't mean guests need miss out on their favorite Deer Valley edibles. The focus in the summer is on fresh fare, savored al fresco on the deck of the Royal Street Café at the hub of mountain biking, hiking and scenic chairlift operations at the Resort's mid-mountain area Silver Lake Village, or from concession stands on Deer Valley's grassy slopes behind Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater.

“Dining at Deer Valley in the summer is a leisurely, thoroughly enjoyable way to beat summer heat,” says Julie Wilson, Resort food and beverage director. “Our mountain temperatures are cool and refreshing, setting the scene for a very pleasing gastronomic experience. Dining on the deck of Royal Street Café for lunch has become a cherished tradition for both locals and visitors. And, enjoying one of our Gourmet Picnic Baskets or take-away dinners from our concession stands during events makes summer easy for our guests. We're doing the cooking for you this summer. Come up and enjoy it.”

Royal Street Café's fresh, innovative cuisine includes favorites like the award-winning Vermont Cheddar burger or Deer Valley Turkey Chili and newer passions such as the shrimp and lobster margarita appetizer with papaya salsa and fresh guacamole, served in a margarita glass. Or, a gourmet veggie panini. Or, edamame with natural sea salt and hoisin dipping sauce. Or Yellowfin tuna tartare with an arugula salad and white truffle oil. Refreshing gazpacho with lemon dill cream or lobster chowder with puff pastry crouton, tarragon cream and chive oil anyone?

Remodeled interiors at Royal Street Café feature a contemporary mountain look, with slate floors, cozy dining niches including booths, circle booths, banquettes and tables. Vent wood finishes allow diners privacy and open viewing all at the same time. And of course, the outside deck, adorned with a green and white striped awning and colorful flower boxes, is a favorite lunchtime spot for all of Park City. Royal Street Café is located at the mid-mountain Silver Lake Lodge, adjacent to Deer Valley's lift-accessed mountain biking operation and is open for lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Wednesdays through Sundays and holidays, June 18 through Labor Day, conditions permitting.

Deer Valley's Gourmet Picnic Baskets have become a staple of summer at the Resort as well – a portable one. They are offered at all Deer Valley concerts including the Deer Valley Music Festival concerts and the Fidelity Investments Park City Jazz Festival. Baskets feature iced gulf shrimp with homemade citrus cocktail sauce, chilled petit filet of beef on a bed of caramelized onions, served with a horseradish chive cream or roasted game hen marinated with rosemary, cumin and maple, Cambozola cheese with Bartlett pears and red flame grapes, baby spinach salad with grilled Gala apples, maple glazed cashews, feta cheese and mustard tarragon vinaigrette, and freshly baked demi-baguette. A freshly baked raspberry truffle brownie and lemon almond macaroon finishes the delectable meal. Single baskets are $32 per person or $60 for a basket for two. Assorted beverages are available. Seventy-two hour advance notice is required to order a Gourmet Picnic Basket, so please plan accordingly. Accompanying wines can also be ordered with advance notice.

One of the best things sizzling at Deer Valley Resort in summertime are the grills at the concession stands during special events. Deer Valley's chefs serve concession items such as grilled burgers, all beef hotdogs, garden burgers, the famed Deer Valley Turkey Chili (or try the Turkey Chili dog), Caesar salads and chicken sandwiches with sautéed onions and mushrooms on fresh ciabatta bread. Top off your dinner with an ice cream sandwich made with two homemade Deer Valley jumbo cookies.

Deer Valley Resort's experienced food and beverage team caters everything from elegant dinners for weddings and special events to burgers on the grill or gourmet box lunches for summertime groups and conventions. Deer Valley operates the food and beverage service at one of the most elegant convention properties, The Lodges at Deer Valley - so meeting goers need not miss out on the special Deer Valley dining experience.

Gourmands can also pick-up Deer Valley Signatures food items, or order them by phone or online from the Deer Valley Signatures stores located in Silver Lake Village or at 625 Main Street, or at Deer Valley Etc. in Snow Park Lodge. Items like Deer Valley Jumbo Cookie Mix, Turkey Chili Mix and dressings and marinades are available.

To place a Gourmet Picnic Basket order, call 800-424-DEER (3337) or 435-645-6650. To place a phone order with Deer Valley Signatures, call 800-833-2002 or 435-615-6003 or log onto www.deervalley.com. For more information on any of Deer Valley's restaurants or available food services, please contact Resort Communications Manager Christa Graff at 800-424-DEER (3337), 435-645-6522, or view the Resort Web site at www.deervalley.com.