A few changes at Riverhorse on Main will help modernize the restaurant as Park City diners face more and more options. Owner Dave Spence wants to ensure the restaurant is still the first choice. As customers-turned-owners, Spence and wife and co-owner Suzie said they are especially invested. The St. Louis-based couple have owned a home in Park City since 2003, when they discovered Riverhorse on Main and became regulars at the Main Street restaurant. The Spences even had Riverhorse cater events at their home. Founder Jerry Gilomen approached the couple in 2010 when he was ready to sell, and they agreed. “It’s an iconic place, and we wanted to capitalize upon the momentum that was created, and create more,” Spence said. In that first year, the couple spent more than $1 million on renovations. They redesigned the overall space and moved the kitchen to the back of the restaurant. Since then, Riverhouse on Main has tripled sales while aiming to maintain quality. After 16 years, Spence said it’s ready for another refresh. “There’s a lot of competition coming on with Deer Valley East Village,” he said. “You’ve got to stay on top of your game, and people do have choices. We want to make sure we’re their No. 1 choice.” The restaurant will be closed through Nov. 18 for larger changes. Phase one will wrap up in December. Spence said changes will be subtle, “like painting a room.” The lighting will improve, and new chairs, linens, artwork and a 2,000-bottle wine wall will be added. The most notable change, installing sound deadening, is intended to address the restaurant’s biggest complaint: noise. Riverhorse on Main is getting a refresh with improved lighting and sound deadening, new linens and chairs, plus some new artwork. Credit: Photo courtesy of Riverhorse on Main Ryan Williams, the new executive chef, said a brand-new oven is the best part of the deal. Williams was promoted from sous chef following Seth Adams’ departure, who served as executive chef for nearly 30 years and co-owned the restaurant with Spence. His wife, Casey, was involved with its interior design for over 20 years. Adams still owns Salt Box in Prospector. In this “next chapter” of Riverhorse, Williams said he plans to add his own flair to the meals but promised not to touch tried-and-true favorites like the halibut, trout, wild game trio, lobster bisque, mashed potatoes and molten cake. Spence agreed. “If we took (that) off the menu, we would have people up and down Main Street with pitchforks,” he joked. The new chef said his goal for the rest of the menu is to focus on “cleaner eating” with less heavy cream and butter, and play off the strengths of his diverse kitchen. For the fall, Williams already swapped the pierogies for birria empanadas made with wagyu and butternut squash. He’s also working on a second vegetarian option. Williams said his team can try anything with a twist because of the restaurant’s contemporary American style. For the rotating seasonal menu, he plans to work with purveyors to find new, interesting ingredients that differentiate Riverhorse from other Main Street restaurants. He’s added a dry-aged ribeye option and hopes to create a dish using a barramundi fish sourced from Arizona. The fresh ideas reflect a fresh atmosphere, Williams said. A physical restaurant refresh is always exciting for back-of-house staff, he said. He’s been with Riverhorse almost as long as Spence has owned it, joining the restaurant after moving from upstate New York. “It’s good, anytime, to get an update. It’s like getting a new car, or going on a vacation. It just gives a little breath of fresh air,” he said. The restaurant refresh and new chef are just two parts of Riverhorse’s next chapter. Spencer is also revamping the business next door, changing Palomino to The Bar at Riverhorse. He said they took over the former Marmot four years ago and completed an expensive renovation to convert the 20-foot-wide historical building into a functioning bar. By creating a hole in the wall, the space was connected to the existing restaurant, and the two share a staircase. It opened in 2024 as a craft cocktail bar with small bites just in time for the Sundance Film Festival. “It sounded great in concept, but people speak with their wallets,” said Spence. “We thought everybody would know it’s connected with Riverhorse, and yet probably 75% of the people didn’t know, and so we thought, ‘OK, let’s make it very obvious, just call it The Bar at Riverhorse.’” Now, guests will be greeted at that bar space before being led to their seats for dinner, and the former Riverhorse bar will be converted into more private dining space. Over time, the bar menu will expand when more kitchen capabilities are added. The Bar at Riverhorse is designed as the first stop for Riverhorse on Main diners. Credit: Photo courtesy of Riverhorse on MainPalomino is now The Bar at Riverhorse, with the Riverhorse on Main logo of a horse incorporated into the new bar design. Credit: Logo courtesy of Riverhorse on MainThe Bar at Riverhorse will have rotating menus on Sundays, where NFL games will also be playing for guests to watch. Credit: Photo courtesy of Riverhorse on Main Williams said he’s excited to use the bar extension to test out new dishes and give his team something different to make. He wants that space to serve more locals. The bar will have dry-aged burger nights on Thursdays, taco Tuesdays and rotating menus on Sundays, when NFL games will also be played. The menus are designed to showcase the kitchen staff’s strengths and cultures and could include Peruvian, Mexican, or Asian food. “(Dishes) that we might want to see on the menu in the future, or just something fun for us, that’s different, that we’re not cooking every day,” Williams said. Spence and Williams said the changes aren’t motivated by the arrival of the Michelin Guide in Utah, but by a desire to serve regulars and maintain high quality. An accolade like that wouldn’t hurt, though. “We knew the areas that need to be improved, and we’re working on those. So if it happens, it’s great, a nice feather in everybody’s cap. If it doesn’t, that doesn’t mean there were failures,” Spence said. Williams’ primary focus will be serving their usual crowd 350 people a night with consistency, which is what keeps diners returning for special moments, from birthdays to anniversaries. He also recently hired a pastry chef, which should help improve the overall options. Keeping things interesting for his staff is one way he plans to lead the team and prevent burnout. This year they’re also offering ski passes through a Park City Chamber/Bureau partner program. Williams said the better a staff is taken care of, the better the food will taste. Dave Spence, left, and wife Suzie co-own the Riverhorse on Main. Credit: Photo courtesy of Riverhorse on Main “I don’t think that people have an appreciation, sitting in the seats, how much that staff cares to put the best product out,” Spence said. “Credit to (Williams) and his staff in the kitchen. They’re a very harmonious group. They get along. There’s not a lot of yelling, and everybody’s held to a very high standard.” The pair are introducing Riverhorse’s new era with a prix fixe wine dinner, The Next Chapter, featuring selections from Spence’s Napa vineyard on Howell Mountain. The five-course meal, priced at $325 per person, is planned for Dec. 12. Reservations can be made at riverhorseparkcity.com/experiences.  “I think Riverhorse is a feel-good type of place. … I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked around and somebody’s getting engaged, or it’s a birthday, or it’s a guy’s golf trip, or a couple’s ski trip, or whatever, and they’re all smiling and laughing,” said Spence. “We’ve been a very successful restaurant that a lot of people know, but we think it just needed a little freshening.” The post Riverhorse on Main gets a refresh and a new chef appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less