Should lamb shank braised in molasses be the daily special ($34), don’t pass it up. The fork-tender lamb falls off the bone at a touch, and the lamb, sauce, and bitter greens blend into a fine combination. Spaetzle compliments the dish well. This dish hits the spot on a cold winter evening and was clearly superior to the $46 rack of lamb at the nearby Café Mariposa.

Weinerschnitzel, sauerkraut, and spaetzle is another excellent dish. This plate has gone through three or four variations since Jean-Louis took over the kitchen, and excellent as the current version is, I preferred version number one, where the veal, slightly creamy sauerkraut, and baked apple with cheese complimented each other to perfection.

Veal Marsala was the best version of this classic either of us had ever tasted, and it was accompanied by interesting and tasty wild mushroom pate. Elk Rib chop is a good introduction to wild game, topped with an excellent red-wine reduction and served with a small roast potato topped with mashed potatoes. It sounds pedestrian, but it was anything but. The two treatments of the potato were characterized by different textures and even different flavors, and they go together like magic. Over the last month, we have had four different versions of potatoes at Goldner Hirsch, all different, and all strikingly good—a revelation of just what can be done with an old standby by a talented chef.

Apple strudel was all you could ask for. Heimbeer Kuchen is a super-rich, semisweet chocolate fudge cake topped with fresh raspberries, whipped cream, and a raspberry sauce which will satisfy your sweet tooth for a week. Wines were $32-110 and also were available by the glass.

Last but not least, the décor and ambience of the Goldner Hirsch are superb. This is place where you feel good just sitting there.

The Goldner Hirsch is on Park City’s free bus route. By car, take Royal St. or Marsac Ave./Empire Canyon Rd. from the Deer Valley traffic circle. For parking under the hotel, enter from the rear or in the lot next to the hotel.

A lunch recommendation at DV is a tough call. DV’s three cafeterias redefine cafeteria food and are a not-to-be-missed experience. The skier’s buffet ($27) at Stein Eriksen Lodge is superb and also should not be missed. That said, the Goldner Hirsch is the best lunch spot. The $8.75 hamburger at the cafeterias is excellent. The Hirsch’s $9 burger is even better, and the extra quarter gets you incomparable fries or Terra Chips, making for a fully satisfying and very filling lunch. (Burger at Stein’s: $17.)

The bratwurst ($13) with potatoes and sauerkraut is right from the heart of Old Germany, an outstanding grilled sausage served with Yukon Gold potato slices cooked to perfection and kraut mit speck. Ever attentive to detail, Chef Jean Louis dishes up a different version of sauerkraut with lunch than the version served at diner with weinerschnitzel. Regardless, it was excellent service on all our visits.

Adding to the pleasure of a lunch or dinner at the Goldner Hirsch is the delightful decor of the restaurant. This is place where you feel good just sitting there. Brightly lit by the sun at lunch, the dining room takes on a different atmosphere in the glow of the fire and dim lights at night. From 2:30 on, much of the lunch menu is available in the bar for après-ski eats.

To get to the Goldner Hirsch while skiing, come down Birdseye run. Facing you at the bottom of the run on the hill on the left is Stein Eriksen Lodge. On the far right is Silver Lake Lodge. Head toward the far left end of the Silver Lake Lodge (painted burnt orange), where a few steps lead up to Mt Cervin Plaza just behind the lodge. Go up the steps and follow the brick deck along the left side of the building. That deck connects to the Goldner Hirsch’s deck, about a 40-yard walk. Access is also easy from the Viking lift.

The seafood tower ($32) is a pile of tomato slice, grilled halibut, shrimp, portabella mushroom, salmon, and red potatoes that almost looks too good to eat. The halibut--slightly overcooked--was spectacularly broiled under a high flame, which gave it a crisp crust on top. The salmon was cooked to perfection--flaky to the touch, but still moist--and all was as fresh as seafood can be when 800 miles from the nearest ocean. The mushroom and balsamic demi-glaze perfectly accented the fish.

Should lamb shank braised in molasses be the daily special ($34), don’t pass it up. The fork-tender lamb falls off the bone at a touch, and the lamb, sauce, and bitter greens blend into a fine combination. Spaetzle compliments the dish well. This dish hits the spot on a cold winter evening and was clearly superior to the $46 rack of lamb at the nearby Café Mariposa.

Weinerschnitzel, sauerkraut, and Spaetzle are other excellent dishes. This plate has gone through three to four variations since Jean-Louis took over the kitchen, and excellent as the current version is, I preferred version number one, where the veal, slightly creamy sauerkraut, and baked apple with cheese complimented each other to perfection.

The apple strudel was all you could ask for. Heimbeer Kuchen is a super-rich, semisweet chocolate fudge cake topped with fresh raspberries, whipped cream, and a raspberry sauce and will satisfy your sweet tooth for a week.

Wines cost from $32 to $110 and are also available by the glass.

Last but not least, the decor and ambiance of the restaurant are superb. You feel good just sitting here.

The Goldner Hirsch is located at Deer Valley’s mid-mountain base and is on Park City’s free bus route. By car, take Royal Street or Marsac Avenue/Empire Canyon Road from the Deer Valley traffic circle. When parking under the hotel, enter from the rear, or park in the lot next to the hotel.

For lunch and après ski snacks, the restaurant is just off Mt. Cervin Plaza, behind the Silver Lake Lodge and half a block from the lifts. Leave your skis at the free ski check.

Dinner #2
Although the elk chop convinced me I don’t much like elk, this was the elk’s fault, not the restaurant’s, for the dish was superb. The chop was perfectly cooked to the medium-rare stage that is best for game, and the sauce was an excellent compliment to the meat. The side dishes, wild mushroom and onion pie and a small baked potato topped with mashed potatoes, were superb.

Veal Marsala, a daily specialty, was the best version of this classic either of us has ever encountered.