Restaurant review: Tony, casual and wood-fired, too, at Deer Valley’s Brass Tag

Deer Valley • My first visit to The Brass Tag restaurant in Deer Valley reminded me of that old TV show, "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous."

First we had to find the unmarked driveway for the garage at the Lodges at Deer Valley. Then we had to be buzzed in by the front desk because parking is exclusively for guests of this upscale resort hotel.

It's classic Deer Valley, where even the not-so-well-to-do and obscure can sample, if only briefly, the pampered life of those to the manor born.

Once you've breached the wall, you'll discover a cozy dining spot that is at once unpretentious and luxurious, with dark wood, a bar topped by two televisions for sports watching and comfy upholstered chairs. The menu, designed to refuel a body's depleted stores after a rigorous day on the slopes, takes advantage of regionally sourced fare where possible. It's all cooked in a wood-fired oven with mostly excellent results, although a few dishes didn't hit the mark.

Case in point: an appetizer flatbread that features tidbits of house-cured duck and parma prosciutto plus thinly sliced green apple, smoky gouda and arugula ($14). It all sits on a layer of whiskey cream sauce, which sounded intriguing but tasted sharply of alcohol in some bites. It seemed unnecessary with all that other good stuff, but beyond that, the bread should have been crisper.

Still, while flawed, that flatbread is indicative of the flavor combinations, most of them successful, that you'll find on the Brass Tag menu. You can order plain house-made potato chips ($4), for example, or the highly recommended oven-fired chimichurri chips ($10). Really, you need four mouths for this rich starter, which is more like an exotic form of nachos with its creamy layer of melted gruyere and cheddar cheeses, crumbles of bacon and drizzle of tangy green sauce.

I'll thank our server for suggesting those chips. And that's another point in the Brass Tag's favor. The service was friendly without being fawning, and the staff is well-trained (although please do ask before removing a cocktail that might look drained but has one more lovely sip). This being the shoulder season, it wasn't busy the two times I visited, but I'm betting that a full house won't see the service level drop.

Another server suggestion we loved was an appetizer of three red piquillo peppers, stuffed with chorizo and blanketed with a bright green mint/cilantro sauce ($7). They came sizzling in one of the restaurant's miniature cast-iron skillets, which not only look adorable but work well in that wood-fired oven. The peppers tasted as good as they looked due to their inspired flavor combo.

Other appetizer options include a baked pretzel with browned butter, apple cider and a fig mustard dipping sauce ($6); a baked brie with picked onions, fig mustard and elderberry jelly ($10); and roasted vegetable caponata with toasted almond cracker bread ($10).

There are three salads on the menu ($8-$9); we sampled the excellent version with roasted yellow peppers, onions, cucumbers, pear tomatoes and walnuts on a bed of soft butter leaf lettuce, dressed with a light and delicious vinaigrette flavored with caramelized lemon. I'd be tempted to try the baby spinach salad next time if only for the caramelized pineapple.

The entrée selection consists of just five dishes, although a diner could make a small meal from a salad and one of the three chef's favorites, which include an onion soup ($10), steamed clams ($15) or the shrimp skillet ($16) cooked in your choice of one of three sauces. I tried the version flavored with fresh tarragon and parmesan and wasn't impressed. Since it came in one of those cute skillets, I envisioned sizzling seafood, but it was more like poached. It wasn't bad — just boring compared with other dishes.

One of the best entrées is quail ($16), which I don't see on many menus. Yes, it's a small bird, so maybe not best for a huge appetite. But it had so many intriguing elements, from the tandoori rub to cornbread stuffing, kale chips, a schmear of sweet potato purée and a dab of lime coconut sauce. They all came together to create a veritable gustatory concerto.

If you're really hungry, or want to get two meals out of one dish, try the pork chop ($32) if it's available as the chop of the day. It was porcine perfection: thick, pink and juicy, plated with a cheesy spaghetti squash.

The chop of the day comes with a diner's choice of side dishes (all $7 if ordered à la carte), which include roasted Brussels sprouts, creamed spinach and spaetzle flavored with cheddar cheese, chives and truffles. The latter was rich enough to serve as a small meal if paired with a salad or appetizer and was delectable. You can't go wrong with the spinach, either, but the sprouts and their bacon chunks were overpowered by a dressing of balsamic vinegar.

Sometimes a hard day of skiing just demands a burger, and the Brass Tag version ($16) is spectacular: a half pound of juicy beef, cooked to order, topped with pancetta, pickled onion, fresh spinach, gruyere and the genius of smoked paprika aioli.

There's also a 10-ounce New York steak ($42), a daily fish option (market price) and a hash made of mushrooms and potato that also features quinoa and an egg ($14).

Desserts are all made in tiny cast-iron skillets and range from a cobbler of the day to a bread pudding ($10). The cobbler we sampled was studded with pears and apples, topped with a whiskey sauce that seemed more apropos here than on flatbread. It was tasty but didn't make me go "wow" like the bread pudding ($10), with a homemade caramel sauce so good I wanted to eat it with a spoon, without the pudding.

Brass Tag has a full bar and offers several craft cocktails (all $10). The wine selection is modest (six reds and six whites), but all are available by the glass as well as the bottle, except for the port. Here's a tip: There's no corkage fee for the first bottle of wine you bring in, but you'll be charged $20 for any subsequent bottles.

Also worth noting: Espresso isn't available.

Brass Tag, which opened in July, is a worthy addition to Deer Valley's constellation of dining options. From the comfortable décor to the expert service to the inventive cuisine it's worth considering, whether you're famous or not.

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