News and Reviews

"I would like you to thank Chef Adam Findlay for me for preparing, with out a doubt, the most wonderful meal I have ever had in my life. I was one of the AICC group that visited the yurt on Monday the 28th of February. This is a meal I will never forget,and will tell anyone who will listen about. We all had such a wonderful time we will be back next year for sure. Thanks again." Mike Qualls Santa Ana, Ca "Hi Joy, I just wanted to send you a quick thank you for everything you did for our wedding reception on March 1. The Yurt was absolutely perfect! We couldn't have been happier with how everything turned out. From the warm and cozy atmosphere, to the wonderful wait staff, to the exceptional food, it was all so perfect. And the cake... it was the best cake we have ever had, and so beautiful too. All of our guests were so impressed and had such a great time. It was everything we had hoped it would be, and more. Thank you and your staff for making our wedding day perfect." -Danielle and Jeremy Brooks "An incredible experience was had by all! Such a pleasurable evening and your staff was terrific, along with the excellent food. It was a great opportunity to work with you and we look forward to doing so again soon." - Carl Schuster (CEO of WOLFGANG PUCK Catering and Events) and P.Engler "Dinning at the yurt is an event, not just a nice meal." Hans Geisse, M.D. "Can't remember a more memorable evening!" Cindy Paskett "What a great night!! We loved the tandem skis and the wonderful new acquaintances we made. Thank you for a lovely evening." Diane Moore & Rob Johnson "The sleigh ride, the snowshoeing, the walk into another sphere - it felt like leaving one country for another! Another wonderful meal" - Debbie Drennan "One of the best experiences we've ever had!" Bobby & Lyra Faulk "Unforgettable! A perfect evening for our entire family! Thank you for providing such a rare, special, unique experience!!" Kevin & Anna Katterheney "All we can say is "Most excellent right down to the outhouse!" Mark & Linda Olsen "….The best wedding we've ever been to!" Dolores & Michael from New Jersey "Best meal in Utah!" Eddie, Mary Therese "Usually get together with warm water and sparkling sunsets. We'll take full moons and the yurt any day." Jeff & Suzy, Virginia Beach "Greeted at the base by Geir and whisked up the mountain on a bright clear moonlit night, stars shining bright. The air was crisp but the chill of the journey was instantly warmed by the warm glogg and the gracious hospitality of the yurt high above. the yurt chef cuisine was no less than a dream. We thank you for an experience that we will always remember. " Shelie Davis, Charlottesville, VA

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JACKETS NOT REQUIRED

Wining and dining in the shadows of a baby grand at Utah’s most unique restaurant
By Ted Scheffler - Park City Magazine

One thing people tend to forget when drawing up plans to build a Mongolian-style yurt in a high-altitude mountain setting, is where to put the baby grand piano. In the case of Joy and Geir Vik, proprietors of The Viking Yurt at The Canyons, it wasn’t so much a matter of where to put their baby grand. It was more a question of how in the world do you transport an antique baby grand piano to a remote, 8000-foot location in the middle of a ski resort? Well, we’ll let you in on that secret later. For now, rest assured that as the 2004-2005 winter season at The Canyons kicks into full gear, Joy Vik’s cherished heirloom piano is well-tuned and safely ensconced over on one side of the Viking Yurt.
Being treated to luscious melodies by a concert pianist in the dead of winter at 8,000 feet is just one of the enticing and unusual aspects of dining in an already unusual type of restaurant: a yurt. There are other yurts-turned-restaurants around the country and even here in Utah. But we’d venture a guess that none of them feature baby grand pianos. But then, the original yurts weren’t really conceived of as places of entertainment and fine dining either.
Looking like something from the architectural notes of Buckminster Fuller, yurts actually date back a couple of thousand years. A yurt is a “portable” (and we use the term loosely here…), domed, tent-style structure originally used as havens by nomadic tribes in Mongolia. The original yurts were primitive but functional; hardly models of energy conservation. By contrast, modern day yurts are technological wonders, made with bubble wrap insulation designed by NASA, and sealed with electronically welded seams providing remarkable durability, energy efficiency, and strength. At Joy and Geir Vik’s Viking Yurt, there’s a domed skylight at the apex of the cone-shaped roof, which gives their yurt restaurant an airy and open feel. As the owners put it, “You can hear the wind, see the snow, enjoy the outdoors, but it’s comfortable and warm when you’re inside.”
Getting to The Viking Yurt is half the fun: A custom-designed snow cat-pulled sleigh transports guests wrapped in cozy, warm blankets up mountainside ski runs as the valley lights below begin to fade during the 1,000 foot vertical ascent. Or, take advantage of special evenings during the winter when you can snowshoe or cross-country ski to The Viking Yurt from The Canyons Red Pine Lodge, schussing through a winter wonderland of sparkling snowflakes lit by only headlamps, the moon, and the twinkling stars.
If getting to The Viking Yurt is half of the fun, eating at The Viking Yurt accounts for at least three-quarters of the attraction. All of which adds up to a dining experience that’s way over the top – more than just a meal, dining at The Viking Yurt is a synergetic encounter, where the evening equals a lot more than the sum of its parts.
Coming in from the cold, a warm fire and mugs of hot Norwegian spiced glogg turn frozen smiles into silly grins as guests mingle while the grand piano tinkles in the background. But don’t lollygag too long with the glogg, because world-class multi-course dinners await at The Viking Yurt, prepared by acclaimed California Culinary Academy-trained Executive Chef Adam Findlay. Findlay has traversed the culinary universe and most recently went from the über-urban posh Metropolitan restaurant in Salt Lake City to the ultra-rustic Viking Yurt at The Canyons. Well, you can take the chef out of the city but you can’t take the city out of the chef: Chef Findlay’s Viking Yurt menu is an ode to contemporary American cuisine, fusing classic cooking techniques and methods with wonderfully fresh and new ingredients and food styles.
A typically enterprising Findlay entrée might feature Kobe beef and fingerling potatoes with Cabrales butter, microgreens, and wild hand-picked mushrooms, all preceded by mizuna salad with citrus fried chevre and vanilla citrus gastrique. Following a course of domestic and imported cheeses specially selected by the chef, for dessert you’ll find yourself bathed in the heavenly sweetness of dishes like devil’s food chocolate cake with black cherries and vanilla sauce or perhaps Chef Findlay’s innovative lingonberry-cheese tart with warm almond milk, all served with freshly made espresso and tea.
With a seating capacity of 32 people, The Viking Yurt is the ideal place for a romantic dinner amongst 30-new found friends. But it’s also the perfect choice for private parties and business affairs. Treating clients or your hardworking staff to an evening of yurt dining is one they’ll not soon forget. And what better venue than The Viking Yurt to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, or even to get hitched? A honeymoon suite at The Grand Summit Hotel is just a cozy, quick sleigh ride back down the mountainside.
And speaking of that mountainside, here’s how the baby grand piano found its way into The Viking Yurt. According to Joy and Geir, they couldn’t find a single moving company willing to take on the task of moving the piano up The Canyons mountainside to The Viking Yurt – even in good summer weather. So in what might have been a TV ad filmed for Chevrolet, Geir strapped a mattress to the Vik’s snowmobile trailer, gingerly stacked Joy’s beloved antique baby grand piano on top, and pulled the whole shebang up a rutted ski maintenance road behind the Vik’s Chevy Suburban. And the Mongolians thought they had it rough!

Plans for the 2004-2005 winter season include a new 10-person mini-yurt for small parties, located in the forest across Red Pine Road from The Viking Yurt. For The Viking Yurt and mini yurt reservations, call (435) 615-YURT or email yurt@parkcity.net.

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Destination yurt: Outdoor excitement and gourmet meals bring adventurers to Utah

By Nancy Hobbs
Special to The Tribune

PARK CITY - Joy and Geir Vik like to tell guests that when they serve dinner, it's at "a whole new altitude."
The play on words helps convey that their restaurant, The Viking Yurt, offers a winter-dining experience at 8,000 feet above sea level - the last 1,000 of which are ascended by a snowcat pulling an open-air, 32-seat sled.
It is a moonlight adventure and gourmet meal wrapped together in one long, sparkling evening offered from December until March above The Canyons resort in Park City. The Viking Yurt is just one option for those seeking to combine the season's natural beauty with an excursion and elegant repast - not to mention the luxury of someone else doing most of the work. How about an invigorating snowshoe or ski into dinner; revving up an appetite for a gourmet picnic behind the controls of a snowmobile; or enjoying a close-up view of wildlife from the back of a horse-drawn sled, followed by a prime-rib feast?
Even with the hefty price to dine at The Viking Yurt - $100 to $150, plus tax and tips - it fills to capacity almost every night between Thanksgiving and late March, says Joy Vik, who started the venture with her husband six years ago. They run the business as independent contractors with The Canyons, buckling customers into their sleigh and transporting them above the resort's Red Pine Lodge at midmountain. The ride's sometimes steep pitches are rewarded with incredible views of the electric city below, and finally with the forested isolation of the yurt's mountain setting.

For a more aerobic adventure, visit on a "tour night," when the snowcat stops at the lodge, where patrons don snowshoes, Nordic skis or even tandem skis for "date skiing" the final 500 yards. The yurt itself is based on the model of round, domed tentlike structures that have been used by nomadic Mongolians as their portable homes for 2,000 years. From the frigid outside, the yurt looks simple and rustic with the glow of a woodstove fire illuminating the walls. But technological advances, including state-of-the-art insulation and solar-powered energy, keep diners warm and cozy inside.
So, too, does the steaming glogg that is served in heavy pewter mugs as soon as diners shed their coats and hats.
Meanwhile, pianist Manuel Maravi treats the arriving guests to a medley of songs on the yurt's baby grand piano - an heirloom inherited by Joy Vik and delivered to the yurt with more than a little difficulty.
By the time dinner is served, chef Adam Findlay has put in most of the afternoon getting the meal's multiple courses started in the kitchen at Red Pine Lodge, where he has the luxury of running water and space to move around. Shortly before diners arrive, he transports the food to the yurt by snowmobile, where his kitchen is cramped and the Viking stove is fueled by propane tanks.Those hardly prove to be limitations, however, as Findlay (a former chef at Salt Lake's elegant Metropolitan) and his small cadre of servers present a picture-perfect, five-course feast for a full house of 32 diners.
On a recent night, the meal started with pumpkin bisque and chantilly cr me (a lightly sweetened whipped cream), included a buffalo tenderloin, and finished with goat cheese tarts and a huckleberry compote. Not your usual mountain picnic fare - but then the venue doesn't attract casual diners, either.
One table of eight, for example, included two New Yorkers; a couple from Yakima, Wash.; a woman from Baltimore and her former school chum now living in West Virginia; and a young woman from Knoxville, Tenn., on a ski vacation with her father, who's currently working and living in Kirkuk, lraq.
They all were looking for an eventful evening, and most said it was worth the price of admission.
"It was probably one of the most enjoyable evenings I can remember spending," said Susan Knight, of Huntington, W.Va. "It was set up in a way that was conducive to meeting others. I enjoyed the food and the fellowship."
In keeping with the party atmosphere, Joel McCausland, there celebrating the holidays with other members of Utah's Sport Court senior staff and their spouses, bumped in on the pianist to play and sing a couple of songs himself. And in accordance with "house rules," the Kaysville diner wore the viking helmet while crooning, prompting old and new friends to grab their cameras. The fun continued back down the slope, with a sleigh ride New Yorker Anna Lui likened to a Disneyland thrill, with steep descents and snow blasting at them from the resort's snowmaking machines.
"It was definitely adventurous," Lui said after returning to Manhattan. "I don't think I could have skied those slopes; they were beyond my level."
Wayne Potter, ironically, complained about inhaling diesel fumes on the sleigh ride. Potter was on vacation from his job managing oil projects in northern Iraq. Otherwise, he said, "the food was great and the atmosphere was nice."
Children are discouraged from attending, Joy Vik explained, primarily because the food is more sophisticated than most youngsters like, and the evening lasts several hours, with no early departures. Given that much of the cost is due to its unique setting and transportation expense, the price is the same for everyone.
"It's a long, elegant evening to sit in there and enjoy all the courses," says Vik. "Most young children would have a hard time sitting that long."
This year, the Viks are trying out a "mini yurt" to accommodate families and small parties. Parties of up to 10 can book the mini yurt on nights that The Canyons' gondola is running, which is how diners get to and from the smaller, more rustic version of The Viking Yurt.

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EXTREME DINNER SCENE

by Jacqueline Landeen, Foodist ™ - December 2001

If there was a Relais et Chateaux rating for yurts, Joy and Geir Vik’s Park City Yurt would well deserve its gold. A portable/permanent domed tent used by Mongolian nomadic tribes, this high-tech yurt structure is Utah’s extreme dinner scene. Joy and Geir, from Utah and Norway, the talented yurt chef, and their gracious yurt crew, have carefully orchestrated an unforgettable yurt dining experience.

Starting at Canyons Resort base gondola at 6:00 p.m., twenty-eight warmly-wrapped adventurers are seat-belted into a green custom-built sleigh, huddling, while pulled up the mountain in a snow cat by Geir, whose Norwegian confidence matches Joy’s exuberance. This part in itself is worth the flying snow as we gently ascend narrow ski trails, stopping for bright-lighted snow making machines and groomers, those unseen but heard creatures of the mountain midnight. As sleigh riders pass bracing bevvies front to back , extreme merriment ensues in this extreme environment. Any thoughts about feeling chilled vaporize into shouting laughter and falling snowflakes. Arriving yurtside thirty minutes later, it’s time to peel away clothing layers. Welcomed with pewter mugs of hot glogg; that mulled spicy concoction, the wood-burning stove warms to the bone. This cozy high-ceiling dining space is aglow with lanterns, gelatinous glacier ice (Joy’s creation) candlescapes, and Viking table settings. Having warmed his fingers, lawyer-pianist Bing Young plays his easy, up-tempo tunes as diners seat themselves for the five-course meal to follow. Frankly, I’d be content with a bowl of porridge in this humble yurt haven.

As the yurt chef prepares his first course in the yurt’s wisely small, utilitarian kitchen for all to see, it is clear that this is the height of civility. Eating velvety celery root mussel soup while sipping wines of humble finesse with 28 human beings high on a mountain top; does it get any better? When the crispy three-inch puff potato shell filled with teensy asparagus and beets coated with a saffron vinaigrette is served, life is slowed to a standstill. Each delectable mouthful is savored at length, not swilled in a snap. With three courses to come, the group is grateful for the well-honed efforts of Joy, Geir, the yurt chef and staff, raising their glasses to their family of five. A fork-buttery filet mignon entrée is followed by a Scandinavian-Mediterranean plate of shaved sheep’s milk cheese, Sicilian stem capers, hazelnuts, petite dried figs, and demitasse-sized poached pears. It achieves the gustatory goal of an Italian digestivo; preparing the tummy for the final sweet finish of chocolate, French-press coffee and that requisite Scandinavian liqueur akavit and Jagermeister shots served in an antique ski. All that said, The Viking Yurt dining experience is Joy & Geir Vik’s brainchild. With innumerable ordinances and hoops to jump through because of the non-existence of such a business establishment in Park City, this daily Viking happening in winter as well as summer, has succeeded in becoming a one-night outfitting expedition tailored to the finest outdoor creature comforts. Strangers and friends come together in a manner routine to Nordic climates. Joy and Geir’s philosophy has been clear-cut from the get-go: attention to detail for the evening’s experience as it translates to diners’ complete enjoyment and well-being. In other words, high hospitality on the high mountain.

Finally, there are those children who have participated in sleigh ride parties with the yurt chef's kid food awaiting them at the yurt as they wail up the mountain in peals and squeals of anticipation. At some 8,000 feet in the air, this writer, as well as other diners and kiddie eaters, are converted party yurtlets.

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T'was the month of December The night air was chilling But the stars were on fire and the sleigh ride was thrilling We bundled with friends As we drove up the mountain The snow guns alight Like a Las Vegas fountain Our cheeks were quite rosy Our laughter contagious The view from the sleigh Divine and outrageous When what to our wondering eyes did appear The yurt! all aglow, the group gave up a cheer The warmth from the fire Hot glug in our tummies We gathered around And sampled the yummies The room overflowed With good conversation We toasted our host And his Norwegian nation We toasted our hostess And her imagination We oohed and we aahed Over the Yurt Chef's cooking We tried to sneak seconds When no one was looking The entree was heaven The salad unique We'd all love to dine here Each night of the week But the hour got late And we soon were returning Back down the slope With our hearts full of yearning What an experience! What a dessert! Nothing compares To the grand Viking Yurt.

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Utah Outdoors, February 2000 Dinner and 'ski dating' Enjoying a unique evening at the Canyons By Golden Webb       Geir Vik is a distinguished-looking gentleman with piercing blue eyes and salt-and-pepper hair. A transplant from Norway, he speaks perfect English but his Viking blood shines through in the thick Nordic purr of his voice. He'd make a great character in a James Bond movie, one of those suave Germanic types who dazzle you with their brilliant smiles before they break your neck with a flick of their wrist. On the other hand, he seems perfectly cast to be a backcountry cross-country ski guide and alpine restauranteur. He cuts a dashing figure schussing down snowy forest lanes by starlight, leading groups of giggling, cuddling love-birds to a romantic dining experience in, say, a luxurious Viking dinner yurt. The atmosphere is cozy inside the Viking Dinner Yurt, and the food is delicious.       Happily, this is exactly what he does, right here in Utah, almost every night, at The Canyons ski resort near Park City. He plans to continue to do it indefinitely, at least, that is, until MI5 or the SAS come calling, and then its back to international espionage.       All kidding aside, The Viking Yurt provides a dating and dining event that seems to transport you into a more romantic and mysterious world. Geir and his wife Joy have crafted an experience that combines European blue-blood elegance with ancient Nordic primeval wildness, fine dining in the midst of a deep snowbound forest glittering under a dome of stars.       The adventure begins as you board the "Flight of the Canyons" gondola. It's about an eight-minute ride up the mountain and as you soar higher and higher, the lights of Park City begin to wink into view, spreading out far below like a constellation of multi-colored stars. The hum of the gondola as it zooms through the air becomes hypnotic, but the dizzying empty spaces shearing away below keep you plenty alert and wakeful.     What exactly is ski dating, you ask? At their web site (http://www.parkcityyurts.com/) Joy and Geir explain that ski dating is a way to get warm, get physical and get to know one another! Ski-dating dates back to those brisk Norwegian winters in the 1800s. A smitten fellow would ask the woman he fancied for a "ski date." She, being stout of heart and solid of thigh, would ponder the proposal, consider her feelings for the strapping fellow and then decide if she was up for the adventure. If she agreed, the handsome couple would meet, greet, and strap on skisÑone pair of skis. That's right, ski dating involves one pair of Nordic skis, two people. With a pair of bindings set both fore and aft, a couple glides in tandem. The couple struggles uphill, sails downhill, and discovers how well they work together. Best of all, the occasional gentle tumble on one pair of skis makes for an interesting landing. Untangling takes some communication (and often an explanation or apology). Getting back on your feet requires a little team effort. But it's all done in the best of spirits. The mood is fun, the tandem skiing adventurous and the wanderlust inside all of us is set free.       And that's exactly how it was for us that beautiful Thursday night. Geir was the consummate gentleman, humble and patient and very helpful in assisting the beginners (me) to clip into and out of their Nordic skis. Two people, one pair of skies. Teamwork is essential or you take a tumble.       Then it was off into the woods. Several couples took the bait and chose to go tandem and some were quite successful in their cooperation and synchronicity. The ones that weren't had it just as good, though, as multiple intimate tumbles into soft fluffy power with the opposite sex makes for a successful night in my book.       Soon enough, up through the trees ahead we could see the warm glow of the Viking Dinner Yurt. A yurt is a domed, tent-like structure that dates back over 2,000 years and has been used by aboriginal peoples the world over as an efficient, portable, yet comfortable and homey shelter. Despite its rustic appearance, Geir and Joy's yurt is quite high-tech. Bubble-wrap insulation developed by NASA keeps the warmth in and the seams were electronically welded using radio waves, adding to the roof's strength and durability. Sturdy fir rafters and steel rivets support a cone-shaped top with a domed skylight at its apex. This overhead view and abundant natural light give the yurt an open, airy feel.       By the time we reached the yurt everyone had worked up an appetite and were well-deserving of the five-course meal that awaited. By candlelight Iverson Brownell, our expert chef, served up a series of gourmet delicacies fit for Nordic kings: Hot glogg, gravlax and cured meats served on grilled brushette; Wild Mushroom Soup with oyster, shitake and crimini mushrooms; warm Heirloom Tomato Salad with pan flashed spinach, caramelized vidalia onions and applewood basil vinaigrette; flame roasted pork tenderloin with sauteed blue potatoes, balsamic Swiss chard, roasted corn custard and apple-fennel compote; and finally for desert a rum and craisan filled Sacher Torte.       As enjoyable as the delicious food was the company I shared at my table. Gary and Marti Underwood were all the way from Alabama and spun entertaining tales of their travels to many countries, while Tim Brenwald, of Marker Ski Bindings, and his companion Heidi Voelker, a former Olympian, gave us a glimpse of the grueling yet elite and romantic world of world-class skiing and competition.       All in all, a very fun night, not only for its uniqueness but for its well-oiled, laid-back progression from one activity to the next. Geir was formerly an executive in a computer software company; this is his first foray into recreational dining, but it seems like he and Joy with her business background have been doing it for years. And, hopefully, they will, as more and more people discover the delights of winter starlight, shaggy fragrant pines, the sibilant hiss of skis on snow, the breath of a significant other on one's neck, the occasional convenient tumble into a soft snowbank, and at the end of it all, warm lights, good food, and friendly company.