Forget stuffy dining rooms and flickering fluorescents. This season, ditch the indoors and embrace the magic of al fresco dining surrounded by trees, a gentle breeze, and wildflowers. It’s here where the beauty of the outdoors becomes the backdrop for an unforgettable culinary adventure along the Wasatch Back.
The Hideout Steakhouse & BBQ
The Hideout Steakhouse & BBQ in Myton, Utah, opened in 2013. Owner Todd Gillespie grew up in the grocery store business and is passionate about offering an extraordinary dining experience that stands out in diners’ minds for years to come. Enjoy the novelty of their signature dining experience—Steak on a Stone—an engaging way to sear your steak to perfection right at your table on a basalt stone heated to 500-600 degrees and seasoned with rock salt.
“I went to meat cutting school and was a butcher for my dad for 67 years,” says Gillespie. “After a career in the construction business, I wanted to get back to this. We thought at first we would do barbecue foods, but we later decided we would do steaks and developed the steak-on-a-stone concept. We literally took some boulders off the side of a mountain in Phoenix, cut them down, and built some platters in Myton to go around them. They stay hot for at least 45 minutes.”
The Hideout Steakhouse uses many family recipes and they take pride in crafting the scratch-made bread served with house-made cinnamon butter as well as the creamed corn and Gillespie’s father’s recipe for baked beans.
Open Monday through Saturday at 11 am.
8400 S Parriette Rd., Myton, UT 84052
Taste Utah Tip: House-made ice cream is made every week using an antique five-gallon ice cream maker. Flavors include traditional vanilla and other favorites such as Oreo and seasonal peach.
WildKitchen, The Lodge at Blue Sky
Reimagine open-air dining with WildKitchen, an outdoor epicurean adventure created by filmmaker Guy Ritchie. It’s not just a meal; it’s an escape into nature with the world’s premier retractable canvas and hardwood WildTent experience.
This culinary experience challenges chefs to showcase their skills on the multifunctional WildTable, powered only by charcoal. The live cooking experience, which sits atop the Blue Sky property as the first in the United States, includes dinner created by a series of rotating award-winning guest chefs, such as local chef Viet Pham of Pretty Bird Chicken.
Reachable only by house transportation or through guided nature excursions, WildKitchen offers a deep connection with the surroundings on the way to a memorable meal.
“WildKitchen is a very unique design, a very interactive cooking experience,” explains Executive Chef of The Lodge at Blue Sky, Guillermo Tellez Cruz. “It will be a very cool experience. We will be using a lot of vegetables from our farm; it will definitely be farm-to-table.”
WildKitchen features a communal table seating 24 guests where visitors can engage with chefs and savor a menu influenced by local harvests from Gracie’s Farm and regional meats. Anticipate plates like black trout, elk loin, and Gracie’s homemade preserves paired up with Gritchie Brew beers, select wines, and inventive cocktails.
Available Thursdays through Mondays, May 24-October 30. $150 per adult, $75 per child under 12. $75 optional wine pairing, $50 optional non-alcoholic pairing.
The Lodge at Blue Sky, 27649 Old Lincoln Hwy,
Wanship, UT 84017
Taste Utah Tip: The Lodge at Blue Sky is the first to host WildKitchen in the United States and is open to both guests and visitors.
The Notch
Head out on a scenic drive along Mirror Lake Highway and discover the local hangout spot, where live music every Saturday sets the vibe. The Notch became family-friendly recently by transitioning from tavern to restaurant, so bring the kiddos. Immerse yourself in the beauty of nature while enjoying house-made smoked BBQ ribs, smoked salmon, or the bacon bleu cheese burger with fries. To beat the heat, you can add a cold beer if you’re so inclined, The Notch has the second-oldest liquor license in the state.
“This was a one-room tavern. We have old photos of donkeys in the parking lot,” says co-owner Caylan Rinck. “We purchased The Notch in 2018, and it reminds me of home in Minnesota. We like to describe our food as ‘really good bar food’. We’re not fine dining and don’t want to be. Come in and get a good hearty meal.”
Two areas of outdoor dining are available to enjoy the landscape, and both are dog-friendly for leashed pets. Open every day (except Christmas & Thanksgiving) from noon until late.
2392 E Mirror Lake Hwy., Samak, UT 84036
Taste Utah Tip: Mid-week is a great time to visit The Notch in the summer. Come ride Slate Creek mountain bike trail that was recently extended and is now 17 miles long.