Dining at 11,500 Feet? Arizona Snowbowl Serves Five-Course Meal on Mountain Gondola

Originally posted on Powder | By Ian Greenwood | Last updated Aug 27, 2025 10:24 AM ET

Most skiers have eaten in the gondola, cobbling together quick meals that consist of energy drinks, espresso, and protein bars. Then, a few minutes later, they’re back on the slopes and fueled up to ski for a few more hours.

This past Sunday, August 24, 2025, Arizona Snowbowl flipped the haphazard gondola meal time script. For an evening, the ski resort offered a five-course tasting menu in collaboration with two Flagstaff, Arizona, restaurants, Shift Kitchen and Oeno Wine Lounge, aboard its gondola.

In total, the dinner took 90 minutes, with each revolution of the gondola seeing a new meal. When diners arrived at the base, servers would present them with the next dish and wine pairing. By the end of dinner, the sun was setting over the surrounding San Francisco peaks.

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“We’re truly grateful for Shift Kitchen and Oeno Wine Lounge creating a dynamic menu that paired their passion for culinary excellence with our unique setting,” said Angie Grubb, marketing manager at Arizona Snowbowl. “We look forward to collaborating with other talented local restaurants to bring more unforgettable dining experiences aboard the Arizona Gondola.”

The food sounded much better than warm Red Bull and stale granola, including banh mi spring rolls, lamb meat skewers, and campfire-roasted bison. For dessert, there was scotchmallow tart with honey marshmallow, caramel, and nut brittle.

Arizona Snowbowl plans to host more high-flying dinners in the future. On September 28, the ski resort’s next event will feature Satchmo’s BBQ and Mother Road Brewing Company. More information will be available on Arizona Snowbowl’s website.

Check out a video of the experience courtesy Arizona Snowbowl below.

Watch: Arizona Snowbowl Gondola Dinner

Outside of the gondola dinners, summer operations continue at Arizona Snowbowl. The gondola is open for scenic rides with tickets that start at $12. Scenic rides are available through October 19.

Not so long afterward, Arizona Snowbowl plans to open for skiing and snowboarding on November 21, 2025.

And the gondola, once a place for high-class tasting menus, will again become a place to scarf down humble snacks before the next lap—unless someone stuffs filet mignon into the pocket of their ski coat.

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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