Weekends are made for leisurely breakfasts. Whether you’re in the mood for a full-scale brunch, down-home diner classics or an authentic New York deli, read on to learn more about some of Utah’s favorite hash and egg hideouts.
Silver Fork Lodge
Wind your way 11 miles and 8000 feet up Big Cottonwood Canyon to the historic Silver Fork Lodge and enjoy breakfast daily on the expansive deck overlooking Honeycomb Canyon and Solitude Ski Resort. The lodge has a long history of feeding hungry folks, starting as a grocery store in the 1850s for a community of miners and sawmill workers. Work up a pre-breakfast appetite on one of the many nearby trails in the Mount Olympus or Twin Peaks Wilderness areas, then guiltlessly start with a pre-breakfast snack of homemade fresh cinnamon rolls before digging into a stack of sourdough pancakes made from 70-year old starter, or house-made corned beef hash and eggs with a bottomless mug of Silver Fork Special Blend coffee. Eggs Benedict fans can choose from classic, Florentine or Salmon Benedict, and on the lighter side, the menu features seared trout & eggs, granola with fruit or ala carte items. This summer, grab a picnic table in the upper lot near the lodge’s new food truck, christened “The Silver Spoon,” serving milkshakes, hamburgers and specialty hot dogs imported from the East Coast—try the “Texas Hot,” a tasty dog smothered in chili, nutmeg and allspice on a classic bun.
Needles Lodge at Snowbasin
For another “Peak” dining experience, make a trip to Snowbasin Ski Resort’s Needles Lodge’s summer Sunday brunch. Reserve your spot on the 8900 feet scenic gondola ride up to the lodge and dine indoors or outside on the large patio—both spots afford awe-inspiring views of the Ogden Valley, the craggy ridgeline and the Cirque. The lodge offers an all-you-can-eat buffet with carving stations, eggs benedict, crepes, hot and cold dishes, salads and desserts. The chefs can also accommodate gluten free diets and other special requests. Guests are invited to enjoy nearby trails, the .4-mile Cirque Loop or the .5-mile Rich Trail up to the ridgeline, before taking the gondola or hiking down in time for the “Blues, Brews and BBQ” held at the base area from noon to 5:00 p.m.
Feldman’s Deli
If you’re craving real bagels and schmear, start your day the deli way and head to Feldman’s Deli in Millcreek. Winner of “Best Bagel in the U.S,” and numerous other dining awards, Feldman’s Deli brings authentic Jewish cuisine to Utah. Get there early if you want one of those award-winning bagels—their old family recipe takes 14 hours to make on a 10-burner stove, resulting in only two to three dozen per day. Choose fresh, plump, plain, poppy seed, sesame or everything bagels and top with hummus, liver, egg salad, East Coast Nova lox, wild Sockeye Scottish Salmon, or a variety of tasty schmears. Feed your deli addiction with REAL New York corned beef hash, Corned Beef or Pastrami with Swiss and choice of potato, or Eggs Benny served on potato latkes. “We try and do breakfast as if you’re in downtown New York City,” says owner Michael Feldman. “The salami and eggs are my dad’s favorite,” he says. “It looks like a pepperoni pizza.” Another favorite is the Fried Egg Sandwich with Taylor Ham and cheese on a hard roll, or classic cheese Blintzes with fruit compote and powdered sugar.
Ruth’s Diner
Ruth’s Diner in Emigration Canyon is a Utah tradition that humbly began as Ruth’s Hamburgers in downtown Salt Lake City in 1930. When the building was demolished, Ruth bought a trolley car and moved it up the canyon where she reopened in 1949. Food critic Ted Scheffler once remarked, “In a perfect world, every town would have a diner just like Ruth’s.” Celebrating 90 years of yummy goodness, Ruth’s Diner is the place to go for Ruth’s Famous Mile High Biscuits and Country Gravy ( a recession special), sweet Cinnamon Roll French Toast served with orange cream cheese and warm maple syrup, or the Pulled Pork Eggs Benedict. Enjoy fresh Atlantic Salmon Hash, Migas—a breakfast fajita—Sunrise Spuds in the original trolley car dining room or on the leafy outdoor patio that backs up to Emigration Creek. And the best part? Breakfast is served daily from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. for a truly decadent weekender.
Nutritionists and breakfast believers say, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” and “A day without breakfast is like a day without sunshine,” so don’t just take my word for it, get “egg-cited” about mornings!
