Amid the picturesque allure of Park City’s historic Main Street, two new gastronomic hotspots have emerged, inviting locals and visitors alike to step into these new flavors on Main Street. Both are owned and operated by entrepreneurs who’ve witnessed decades of change in this ski town and look forward to being at the forefront of the ever-changing landscape of food and hospitality in Park City.
Captivating hearts and palates with their unique blend of ambiance, flavors, and hospitality, ChefDance Social and Palomino are capturing the vibrant spirit of Park City one bite and sip at a time.
ChefDance Social
After two decades of feeding and entertaining guests at the Sundance Film Festival, ChefDance founders Kenny Griswold and Mimi Kim have opened ChefDance Social, a permanent culinary establishment at 427 Main Street.
The vision for ChefDance is a venue for curated prix fixe dinners, exclusive food-forward events, intimate social gatherings, and unique after-dinner musical performances that blend gastronomy with some of the biggest names in entertainment for once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
As it has for the past 20 years, ChefDance Social will feature a rotating lineup of world-renowned guest chefs, including Michelin-starred, James Beard nominated, and emerging up-and-coming chefs, ensuring a diverse and dynamic culinary experience season after season. Having hosted over 150 chefs from around the world, diners at ChefDance Social can expect a world-class food and beverage program with an emphasis on delivering premiere guest experiences.
The 200-seat upscale restaurant is a fusion of Italian and global culinary flavors where food meets culture. The founders tapped James Beard Award-winning Chef Shawn McClain to curate an Italian-inspired opening menu. A native of the Midwest, McClain’s journey from the School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College in Chicago to the pinnacle of the culinary world is a story of passion, innovation, and dedication through his portfolio of seven distinguished restaurants across Chicago, Las Vegas, and Detroit.
McClain brought on Executive Chef Jordan Harvey, who studied at Johnson & Wales and worked under esteemed chef Paul Anders in Vail before relocating to Utah to work at Sundance Mountain Resort and Montage Hotels, to oversee the kitchen.
Kim’s vision for ChefDance is a place where food, conversation, and culture converge in a meaningful way. Her role goes beyond curating menus and inviting renowned chefs. She is the architect of experiences that celebrate filmmakers, honor culinary talents, and foster connections among attendees from various backgrounds – from film and finance to culinary arts. Her ability to create celebratory and thought-provoking events has been a key factor in ChefDance’s enduring success, showcasing the transformative power of food and community.
Palomino
Palomino, a spirited clubhouse from Riverhorse on Main, has opened at 540 Main Street and offers a refined bar scene of laid-back elegance conveniently located alongside Riverhorse. Whether enjoying a cocktail before a dinner reservation, après ski, or during a shopping break, Palomino brings together the culinary prowess of Riverhorse with a space designed around curved edges, a subdued color palette, and thoughtful art pieces to facilitate lively conversation.
“Our dream of opening an upscale bar as part of our Riverhorse offerings has finally come to life, and we are excited to welcome the community to experience it for themselves,” says Executive Chef Seth Adams of Riverhorse Hospitality Group. “Palomino’s signature cocktails, beer, wine, and spirits menus, paired with our inventive bites and small plates, complement the perfect après outing, night on the town, or any reason to celebrate.”
Savor a snack trio of marinated olives, Marcona almonds, and buffalo jerky; French onion wild game sliders; and petite lobster rolls. Or indulge in jumbo lump crab, goat cheese pockets, pimento cheese with housemade saltine crackers, caviar, and oysters. Save room for decadent treats of key lime pie, a Palomino Cloud, or a Manhattan ice cream sandwich featuring High West ice cream and Ritual Chocolate cookies.
The sophisticated style and warm surroundings of the Palomino space, which can hold 80 people standing or 49 seated, was expertly designed by Casey Adams of FORM Design, who has also left her mark on other Riverhorse Hospitality Group properties. “We wanted something high end and swanky,” she says. “It’s feminine forward, not just a bar. It’s fun and flirty and has a high-end vibe.” Her incredible eye guided the purposeful vision for the bar’s inviting atmosphere and intentional spaces including the VIP room that can be rented for special events.
Palomino ushers in an elevated bar experience that still feels relaxed and at home with informed service staff who strike a perfect balance between sophisticated and edgy. “It’s a playful place to have a good time,” Casey continues as she describes the effort that went into the artistic sound dampening installation of the grid ceiling for a comfortable guest experience.
With carefully curated drinks and bites to celebrate everything from another round at après or the evening’s final nightcap, the welcoming atmosphere of Palomino invites guests to saddle up and come enjoy the ride daily from 3 pm to midnight.
Palomino Recipe
The creative juices were overflowing at Palomino, which is why most of the cocktails have such cool names—they were all potential options for the bar name itself. Bar manager Ashley Smith crafted each cocktail with the highest quality ingredients and care, building stunning visual displays and flavor profiles.
The Seamstress is a delightfully savory sipper featuring local Alpine gin. As the warmer months arrive, the fresh heirloom tomato juice will only get tastier as fire bitters and habanero bitters give this cocktail a touch of heat countered by St. Germain elderflower liqueur. This one’s sure to become your patio partner throughout the summer.
The Seamstress
• 2 oz. fresh heirloom tomato juice
• 1.5 oz. Alpine gin
• 0.5 oz. St. Germain
• 0.5 oz. lime juice
• 0.75 oz. simple syrup
• 2 twists of cracked black pepper
• 2 dashes of fire bitters
• 2 drops of habanero bitters
Directions:
Add all ingredients except the black pepper in to a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. Serve in a rocks glass over ice. Crack pepper over drink before serving. Garnish with Riverhorse’s house made jerky stabbed with a horse pin (or your favorite meat jerky).