After two successful stints as a featured chef for Deer Valley Resort’s Taste of Luxury series, acclaimed Italian chef Giancarlo Morelli is returning — this time, for a summer dinner.
Known internationally for his inventive and deeply Italian cuisine, Morelli will bring a whole new meal to life on both Friday and Saturday, Aug. 22 and 23, followed by a hands-on cooking class on Sunday, Aug. 24.
As his third time cooking at the mountain resort, and his first time experiencing it in the summer, Morelli said he couldn’t be more excited.
“I decided to come back because my first time in 2023 in March was an amazing experience,” Morelli said. “I love the mountain. I was born in a mountain near Bergamo, in Italy. And at Deer Valley, I felt in my heart joy — a fantastic moment. I promised myself I want to return.”
Morelli’s passion-driven philosophy will be front and center in his summer visit with a menu designed around local, seasonal ingredients and reinterpretations of classic Italian flavors. The five-course, VIP dinner — priced at $270 with a pre-dinner reception or $258 for the meal alone — will showcase what Morelli calls “light dishes” that he said are meant to reflect the freshness and vibrancy of the warm season.
“I want to use only the summer ingredients because my philosophy in my kitchen is seasonal,” he said. “The season, for me, is very important. The things on the plate are completely different.”
One of the standouts of the upcoming menu is a new risotto infused with gin, made with sea bass carpaccio, lemon and sage flower, a dish Morelli developed specifically for this visit. With a house gin-and-tonic recipe that has become a favorite at his restaurants in Italy, the dish also reflects Morelli’s playfulness in the kitchen.
Plus, risotto is one of the chef’s specialties: His signature risotto dish with ricotta, red shrimp and black truffle was awarded “Risotto of the Year” by the Gallo Prize competition 15 years ago.
Chef Morelli holds up a glass of his famous Gin and Tonic cocktails during a previous Taste of Luxury event. For this visit, he said he plans to create a gin-and-tonic-infused risotto dish inspired by the beloved drink. Credit: Photo courtesy of Deer Valley Resort
“It’s one of my best signature dishes in my life,” Morelli said.
It’s the only dish that is served at all of his restaurants and will always stay on the menu, he said. Along with risotto, Morelli said polenta is also a lifelong staple.
“I love polenta. Because I was born in Bergamo, in Bergamo you don’t ‘try’ polenta. The first day in your life, the mom puts a little spoon of polenta in your mouth,” he said with a laugh. “It’s incredible. And I love polenta. In my life, I want to taste, every day, every moment, polenta — with cheese, with strawberry. I love polenta with ice cream.”
Morelli’s passion for food, he said, was passed down from his mother and grandmother, who always cooked from scratch and never wasted ingredients. That early exposure laid the foundation for his approach to sustainable, full-circle cooking, a mindset he still brings to every dish.
“In our culture, it is very important to reuse,” he said. “My grandmother, she used everything in the kitchen.”
For example, Morelli learned that instead of adding salt, he can use vegetable skins to create a salted broth and help bring out the natural seasoning in the ingredients. It’s both no waste and a healthier alternative.
Morelli’s team in Italy — spread across four restaurants, including his original concept, Pomiroeu, in Milan — follows that same ethic of creativity and constant evolution. Each restaurant has its own identity and its own rotating menu, which he and his staff change at least five times a year.
“I and my team study every day with the quality of the ingredients and invent every day one dish for the future,” he said. “In this case, it is very important to have a team. My team works with me for the new menu, for the new dish, and they study with me every day for new concepts. It’s important for the future of my cuisine.”
That emphasis on innovation is one reason Morelli enjoys collaborating with Deer Valley’s culinary team, who bring their own expertise and resources to the table. It’s an opportunity for cultural exchange, and after two visits, he’s more familiar with the Park City chefs now, he said.
For his cooking class, Morelli said that, while he taught gnocchi and ravioli in past years, this year’s focus will be on orecchiette pasta, a simple variety from southern Italy made only with flour and water.
“Orecchiette is incredible. The quality and the taste and the smell — for me, it’s one of the best pasta in the world,” he said.
The class will also include a recipe for tagliolini pasta with burrata, potato and green beans, a summery construction of a pasta dish that can be adapted for all seasons.
Chef Morelli demonstrates a technique in a Deer Valley kitchen during a previous visit to the resort. A key element of the resort’s Taste of Luxury series is the opportunity for Deer Valley staff to learn from highly successful chefs. Credit: Photo courtesy of Deer Valley Resort
“In the winter, you can use tagliolini with white truffle or black truffle, or in a carbonara style,” he said.
Morelli emphasized that when leading these cooking classes, his goal is “no secrets.”
“It’s a sharing culture for me. The secret is only to put a great passion inside the plate. Only in this case can you have a fantastic meal and fantastic recipe, not with technique,” he said. “Technique, yes, it’s OK, but it’s not essential.”
Guests who attend the Sunday class, priced at $360, will receive a custom apron, a pasta maker and a special gift in addition to a recipe card with all ingredients that can easily be sourced locally. That accessibility is intentional, Morelli said, and part of his broader mission to help people recreate the experience at home.
When he’s not cooking or teaching during the Taste of Luxury weekend, Morelli said he looks forward to spending time outdoors in the mountains in which he feels so at home — and maybe getting in a round of golf.
To learn more or purchase tickets for the events, visit tinyurl.com/2v6fxuj3.
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