For decades, Sunday brunch at the Stein Eriksen Lodge has been one of Park City’s most enduring traditions, one that locals and visitors have celebrated for generations.
“I think it’s just one of those must-dos in Park City,” said Executive Chef Zane Holmquist. “There are just so many options. You can spend two hours really just relaxing and letting life roll by.”
The ritual dates back nearly to the property’s opening, and many patrons return year after year.
“The hotel’s been here for 45 years, so it’s been running for about 40 years,” Holmquist said. “It is kind of a Park City cult classic. It’s one of those things that we see groups of 20 and 30 and family reunions and get-togethers and welcome homes and birthday parties and anniversaries and all those sorts of things.”
Guests often plan for a long and leisurely visit, moving between stations that stretch across the dining room. The variety, Holmquist said, is deliberately broad, but the standard is consistent.
“You’ve got just a huge selection, an array of soups and salads, meats, cheeses, seafood, sushi, just a huge range at Stein’s quality,” he said. “We make everything in-house. We make everything from scratch, from dressings to soups to stocks to sauces.”
Classic breakfast items sit alongside more contemporary offerings, like cheese blintzes topped with berry compote, huli huli chicken with tamarind jus, miniature waffles with raspberry jam or braised pork osso buco with orange yam puree.
Holmquist said some features are so well known that visitors expect them before they’ve even sat down.
“Our world-famous maple bacon, which is our Utah bacon, is stunning,” he said. “And the assortment of breakfast dishes, eggs, potatoes, bacon, a quick bread, a pancake, French toast. And then you’ve got more lunch items, and then you’ve got a carving station every day. On Sundays, it expands into the omelet bar, the bananas foster station, so it’s really got something for everybody.”
An omelet bar and bananas foster are fundamental, Holmquist said, as well as mimosas and bloody marys.
“We’re so well known for our bloody marys, which are huge for our Sunday brunch,” Holmquist said. “We’ve got five different Bloody Marys at any given time. We work with Alpine to make our own Worcestershire sauce for those; we use Alpine vodka.”
The service runs from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and reservations are all but essential. Pricing is $80 for adults, $25 for children ages 5 to 12, and complimentary for those under 5, and reservations can be made at steinlodge.com/dining/stein-s-famous-sunday-brunch.
Seasonal shifts also shape the experience. When the weather is warm, brunch spills outdoors onto the deck; colder months bring guests inside by the fireplaces. Holmquist said diners can also upgrade to one of the lodge’s enclosed alpenglobes for a private, unique setting.
The desserts alone justify the brunch’s reputation, the chef added, and his pastry team spends days preparing multiple categories of sweets.
“Chef Jeremy will have 25 to 30 pastries and desserts, besides the banana foster,” Holmquist said. “Hot desserts, individual desserts, cookies, pies, cakes, tortes, cheesecakes, candies, all made in-house, all made in our pastry shop. He (also) makes beautiful Parker house rolls for every Sunday.”
Some stations have remained unchanged for decades, while others have evolved as the lodge expanded its culinary influences. Crab craws and legs, Caesar salad and the omelet bar are untouchable, Holmquist added. Those who want a fully customized plate can visit the action stations, where cooks prepare hot dishes to order — something Holmquist said guests return to again and again.
Otherwise, it’s highly rotational and seasonal. Over the years, they’ve explored more cuisine options, from the flavors of Asian and Pacific Islands to the southwest and Mexico. They’re also conscious to add options for any dietary restrictions, with staff available to show guests what to avoid. Holmquist said he’s gradually added more components and categories until the space itself became the limiting factor.
“We’re to the point the last eight or 10 years, I can’t make it any bigger. I’ve run out of room,” he said with a laugh. “There are about 60 items to pick from. I’m not sure how you could not find something to suit.”
Ski season weekends bring a diverse crowd. With the mountain open for winter, it’s about half skier, half non-skier, Holmquist said. In slower seasons, Sunday brunch can serve around 120 people. But at peak, that number jumps closer to 400 guests.
“It’s a big production for us,” he said.
Behind the scenes, the operation spans nearly a full week. Planning begins several days out with menu decisions and ordering, followed by coordinated prep across teams responsible for each category.
“So Tuesday and Wednesday, we start ordering food, we start writing the menu. We decide what fish we’re going to have, what meats and proteins we’re going to have,” he said. “The breakfast team will work on what they’re doing. Is it going to be an eggs benedict, is it going to be chilaquiles? Start working on what pancake or waffle or crepes it’s going to be. And that’ll evolve Tuesday up until Thursday.”
By Friday and Saturday, the kitchen transitions into full production, turning proteins, sauces and fish into finished components that will be ready for the rush. Holmquist said staff bring in proteins and start producing some of the bigger stuff: cutting meat, cutting fish, cutting chickens, making sauces, making the soup and starting that process.
“Saturday, it’s all in,” he continued. “They’re finishing the soups, they’re making the prep for the salads, the salad dressings. They’re cutting the meats, the salamis, they’re poaching the fish, they’re cooking the crab, they’re prepping the sushi so it’s ready to go and make.”
Then Sunday begins before sunrise.
“Things go in the oven, roasting turkeys or prime ribs, and the team starts setting up the action stations and getting ready to pull it together,” Holmquist said. “That last 30 minutes are crazy. … The chefs are finishing up dishes, the buffet team is taking the food out, getting it set, making sure everything’s got a tag and utensil and in its place.”
And then off they go.
Holmquist said his favorite part of the service comes from watching both guests and staff enjoy it. Watching employees share the experience with their families is especially meaningful, he added.
“When our team has family in from out of town … and I go out on the floor, when I see how excited our team members are to show off to their families and show where they work to their families — to me, that’s my favorite,” Holmquist said. “That’s the best part of Sunday brunch.”