The designer and I are not wine drinkers, but after a divine Valentine’s Day dinner at The Snake Creek Grill, I have some questions…
Towards the end of my Bachelor’s experience at BYU, I waited tables at La Dolce Vita in Provo, Utah. (I still believe it is some of the best Italian food I’ve had in the States). A college town, and LDS community, so not many chose to enjoy their meals with wine. Yet, it is found within the business part of town, so there were some traveling businessmen that enjoyed a great Italian meal with wine from time to time.
It took me 20 minutes or more to open my first bottle of wine. My manager wanted me to do it myself, and I was so afraid of spilling the wine over the two gentlemen at my table. Somehow, it opened, and to my surprise, the men found my inexperience quite entertaining. My tip amount said enough.
A few years later, I spent a semester abroad, living and studying architecture in Torino. My roommates loved to enjoy wine at dinner, and we all loved cooking our meals with the Italian wine…we thought it made our experience all the more authentic. 🙂
I still enjoy cooking with a nice bottle of red or white wine. But we’re on a budget, so we don’t eat out much, and rarely in fine restaurants. Valentine’s Day was an exception.
The designer and I received the last reservations at the acclaimed Snake Creek Grill (thanks to Dean, the owner and chef). We arrived early and sat in the rear dining room filled with large oil paintings, mostly by Candace Rideout, (placed by next door Art Gallery Owner, Cynthia Stott of Two Sisters Fine Art).
We enjoyed several of the night’s specials: a creamy shrimp corn chowder, field of greens salad with blue cheese and a house dressing, hand-pressed french fries, a creamy shitake mushroom steak fillet, and a flour-less chocolate tart. It was all amazing, we ate till we could enjoy no more.
During our meal, other couples arrived and enjoyed their dinner. There were a couple tables enjoying beer, but the other three near us all were having wine. Wine they had brought in themselves. And for my questions:
When invited to dinner it is customary to bring wine, flowers, and other gifts for the host and hostess. But bringing wine to one of the three finest restaurants in the valley? Is this really appropriate? I always thought that the wine list was chosen to accentuate your meal, and that it was the responsibility of the servers to know what wines best accompanied each entree.
Anyone willing to shed some light on the niceties and customs around wine and fine dining? This curious gal is just wondering…
As for the Snake Creek Grill. It is an experience you won’t want to miss. Next time you’re cozy in or around Park City, enjoying the snow, Sundance Film Festival, or the nearby reservoirs of Deer Creekand Jordanelle. Make a trip to the Heber Valley. Spend a day golfing at the Homestead, cross-country skiing at Soldier Hollow, and enjoy your evening dining with Chef Dean at the Snake Creek Grill in Old Town Heber. Enjoy the art in Cynthia’s Two Sisters Fine Art Gallery, and dream of interiors by Andy ofMCG Design.
Still have room on your agenda? Call the designer and I, and meet us and the kiddos at some of our favorite summer spots:
Or bike with us in Provo Canyon and visit Bridal Veil Falls…
We’ll be drinking from our water bottles. 🙂
the daily delights by katrina berg 
The reason some people choose to bring their own wine is to save $$. Usually restaurants will charge a corking fee if you bring your own wine (for the restaurant to open the bottle and give them glasses to drink it from). But this fee usually pales in comparison to the cost of buying the bottle of wine from the restaurant. So bringing their own is a relatively easy way to cut spending while still enjoying all the frills.
Laura,
Thanks for the insight. So it wasn’t that strange to see everyone bringing in their own wine…economical huh? I love how you put it: saving money and still enjoying the good life. Sounds good. Thanks for the 411. 🙂