Review: Good Karma in Park City, Utah

My brother and I were recently in Park City for a few days of skiing. Opting for "cheap" on President's Day Weekend, we stayed well off Main St. and the resorts, over in the Prospector Square area. The hotel was kind of a dump, but it turned out we had the good fortune to be only a short walk from a really good restaurant.

I saw Good Karma on the list of nearby chow at the hotel, and thought we should try it, based solely on the name and a hunch. I figured at worst we'd be in for some hippie vegetarian food, and maybe luck would turn up something better. Luck was on our side; in fact we liked it so much we had two breakfasts and a dinner there.

When I first walked in, I was immediately struck by the good vibe of the space. It is simple and light, with a few well-placed pieces of art from India, and a stencil of the word "imagine" on a brick wall. Things just look clean and in the right place, including a view into an immaculate kitchen. Even the bathroom is cool, with a wall covered in striking close-up photos of people from around the world.

My breakfast of Huevos Rancheros confirmed the initial assessment that we were somewhere that cared what they were doing. The homemade ranchero sauce was lively and just what I wanted before a day on the hill. My brother was equally happy with his quiche.

When we returned for dinner, we had the good fortune to be waited on by co-owner Howard Moffett, so we got to learn a bit more about the restaurant's history while eating a really enjoyable meal. Howard told us that my expectation of a hippie veg place wasn't wrong, it was just a year or so late: the previous incarnation of the restaurant was right downtown in two old quonset huts, with counter service, a very laid back vibe, and food run between buildings on dim sum carts! They have come a very long way with the new space.

My favorite dishes were an amuse-bouche of butternut squash soup with chai foam, a little spicy beet salad, and the Key lime sorbet. The curries were also very tasty. We didn't even get to delve into the Japanese or Persian portions of the menu.

If I had to pick one small nit with the food, I think the dal would be a bit better if it was pureed smoother and a little thinner, so that it had more of a contrast with the curries.

Good Karma is by no means a vegetarian restaurant, but there are extensive vegetarian and vegan items on the menu so that makes it especially good for mixed groups. If you are in Park City, you gotta check it out - I promise it will be a fun and tasty experience.