COURTESY OF THE VIKING YURT
One of the cornerstones of the Viking lifestyle is, of course, the cold. After all, the people now known as Vikings were living in the northern reaches of Europe between 750-1100 C.E., before the days of modern heating or down jackets. But here in the Wasatch, we’re no strangers to chilly temps either. That’s why winter is the perfect time to truly dine as the Vikings did. And the best place to do so is The Viking Yurt. While the yurt is located at Park City Mountain, it’s privately owned by wife-and-husband team Joy Merritt Vik and Geir Vik. The four-hour experience begins with a 23-minute sleigh ride that gains 1,800 feet up to a wood stove-heated yurt. There, the Viks take visitors through a culinary Viking
COURTESY OF THE VIKING YURT
COURTESY OF THE VIKING YURT
The Viking Yurt
journey that begins with a glass of glögg and sails through five more courses, including an appropriately meaty entrée such as braised short ribs and a cheese course served on an aspen slab designed to be eaten by hand, Viking style. Every year, the Viks gain new inspiration for their menu by traveling to Geir’s native Norway. It was a trip there that gave Joy the idea to start serving her intermezzo course—a sorbet palate cleanser—in a dish made from Norwegian rocks. “A famous Norwegian geologist made 50 rocks for me from rock collected all over Norway,” she explains. The Viking Yurt opens Dec. 15 for service, but you can begin making reservations Oct. 1. 435-615-9878 vikingyurt.com Devour Utah • October 2017 35