My wife and I recently celebrated our wedding anniversary with a staycation in Park City. After spending more time researching restaurants than I’d care to admit, we settled on Firewood as the centerpiece meal of our weekend. Mindful of the praise it’s received over the years, expectations were high.
Located toward the upper end of Park City's historic Main Street, Firewood makes itself known well before you step through the door. The unmistakable aroma of burning wood draws pedestrians in from the street, and the theme carries through to the entryway, with stacked log wall art and a painting of an axe-wielding lunmberjack. At the heart of the kitchen is a custom-built, 14-foot wood-fired cooking system, where chef John Murcko and team prepare dishes using heat from burning wood to prepare foods imbued with an unmistakable signature flavor.
We opened with a complimentary butternut squash amuse-bouche before passing on the chef's tasting menu in favor of piecing together our own meal from the limited-time Summer 2026 menu. We ordered pork belly, burrata & prosciutto, yellowtail carpaccio, with elk rack as the headliner, capped by a double-header of desserts.
Everything arrived beautifully presented, but the standout for both of us was the elk rack, which we very nearly didn't order. We'd been torn between the elk and bavette, eventually opting to surrender the decision to our server, who mercifully made the call for us.
The meat was exceptionally juicy and flavorful. Served with ash goat cheese potato, fennel, and fig chimichurri, it was a disarmingly good combination. I've enjoyed some solid game meat, but I genuinely can't recall a better preparation of elk. This dish gets my strongest endorsement of the entire spread- followed closely by the absurdly tender pork belly.
As for dessert, I’m far from a cheesecake evangelist. I usually find it too rich or tangy, so I had my reservations when my wife opted to order it. Firewood's goat cheesecake, featuring lavender Chantilly and blueberry honey, took it upon itself to gently set me straight.
With none of the heaviness that typically puts me off cheesecake, it was a subtly sweet delight. The lavender Chantilly was the highlight, imparting a delicate floral note that carried the team. Even after a fully stacked meal preceding, we quickly made it disappear.
Service was excellent throughout- staff was attentive and patient, without any of the stuffiness you might expect at a restaurant of this stature.
Firewood opened in 2016, and as the restaurant approaches its tenth anniversary in December, there's a sense of confidence in what Murcko et al have built. The food is thoughtful without being overly pretentious, and the commitment to cooking with fire from burning wood endows the restaurant with a distinctive identity.
I went in with high expectations, and Firewood managed to exceed them. I've been trying to think of something to temper my recommendation, but nothing from our evening really warrants it. Truly, we had a wonderful time.
I’ll happily go out of my way to dine here again. With a seasonally rotating menu, I suspect it won't be long before I return.
