Snowbird, UT – Thanks to a complete remodel of the floor space, a new chef and a new manager, guests of the Aerie Restaurant, Lounge and Sushi Bar can expect an entirely new dining experience on the 10thfloor of The Cliff Lodge at Snowbird this winter.
“Snowbird is excited to continue offering award-winning dining to both our local and out-of-town guests alike,” said Bob Bonar, president of Snowbird. “As our flagship restaurant, The Aerie deserves this renovation in design, management and cuisine.”
The remodel requires the Aerie’s first full closure since the restaurant opened in 1986. The restaurant is scheduled to reopen for business in mid-December. The new design will have the capacity to welcome 200 guests in the restaurant, 75 in the lounge and 150 in private dining rooms. An entirely new staff has been hired to serve guests of the new Aerie.
Soft grey carpet and cork flooring will accompany a new stage, which will house après ski entertainment throughout the year. Additional lighting will be installed to provide a warm ambiance to complement the evening alpen glow from the restaurant’s 15-foot windows that face the Wasatch Mountains. A new standing bar will be located in the middle of the restaurant, and comfortable barrel chairs and couches will line the windows. The bar will feature countertops clear on top and frosted on the sides. To offer a clear view of the mountain, the back of the bar will be constructed of glass.
The newly hired chef, Ken Ohlinger, hails most recently from Devil’s Thumb Ranch in Winter Park, Colo. Prior to that, Ohlinger worked at several Relais and Châteaux restaurants. Ohlinger graduated with honors from The Culinary Institute of America, and was an apprentice for Michelin three-star chef Heinz Winkler in Germany. In 2003, Ohlinger was named one of Bertolli’s Top 10 Sous Chefs in the United States.
Lucette Barbier, the new manager of the Aerie, first entered the restaurant world working at the Michelin two-star restaurant “Le Cerf” in Alsace. This experience and others inspired her to earn a master’s degree in Hospitality and Restaurant Business in France. Her skills then blossomed with many experiences including time at the highly-rated Relais and Châteaux the Point in upstate New York, Fairmont hotel group, and most recently as the manager of Snowbird’s Seven Summits Club, bringing many years of experience to her new position.
The new Aerie Restaurant menu will feature a modern American gastropub cuisine. Ohlinger plans to use mostly local Utah ingredients with a focus on sourcing seasonal organic and sustainable ingredients. The Aerie will serve a skier’s breakfast buffet in the winter, and dinner year-round. The Aerie Sushi bar will continue offering fresh seafood in its classic sushi rolls created by Chef Yasuyuki Kanegae.
The Aerie’s award-winning wine list will continue to serve more than 950 wines. The beer will flow from specialist draught beer dispensing equipment, developed by Australian firm Hoshizaki Lancer, and includes glycol chiller plate technology and multi-tapped iced founts. The Aerie is the first restaurant in the United States to implement this new beverage dispensing technology.
The Aerie remodel is part of a nearly complete renovation of the Cliff Lodge, including conference rooms, lodging rooms, the Cliff Spa and common areas.