Stein Eriksen Lodge has unveiled the newly remodeled Cena Ristorante at The Chateaux Deer Valley, marking the restaurant’s first comprehensive renovation in more than a decade and ushering in a new era under Executive Chef Tobin Torrez.
The relaunch follows the retirement of longtime chef Chris Wellmon, who led the restaurant for 16 years and mentored Torrez before passing him the helm.
Cena (pronounced ch-enna), Italian for “dinner,” has long been a staple of the lodge’s dining program. Executive Chef Zane Holmquist said the refreshed restaurant maintains its approachable identity while elevating both the menu and the atmosphere.
Tobin Torrez is now the executive chef of Cena Ristorante at The Chateaux Deer Valley, promoted from executive sous chef this year. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record
Although parts of the space have seen limited updates over the years, Holmquist noted that the restaurant had not undergone a full renovation since the lodge took it over. The lobby and lounge were remodeled this spring, and now the restaurant has followed suit.
The new design introduces a bright, contemporary aesthetic, and the dining room embraces an entirely new concept, Holmquist said.
“It’s hard to explain, but imagine dining in an aspen grove,” he said. “You’re literally in an aspen grove when you go into the space. So it’s going to be really cool.”
The lodge partnered with WOW Atelier, a Salt Lake City-based design team, to execute the transformation. Designers aim to bring a client’s vision to life, with the website describing a dedication to natural surroundings in the process.
“The design process is not just about form and function — it is about understanding how each element, no matter how large or small, fits into the natural world and the human experience. We craft spaces where every detail speaks, where the architecture and interior design breathe in harmony with the land and with you, our client,” the WOW Atelier website says.
The redesign of Cena Ristorante at The Chateaux, Deer Valley, gives a fresh, contemporary face to the mid-mountain eatery. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record
As Holmquist said, whole, vertical aspen logs line the dining room and function as natural slat walls between booths. White walls are decorated with three-dimensional art likened to tree rings, the ceilings are covered with sliced aspen rounds, and even light fixtures are chosen for their resemblance to rustling aspen leaves flickering in the breeze. Light wood elements are incorporated throughout, from brand new tables and chairs, to finishes on booths, adorned with new, light-leather cushions. The flooring is the only thing left from before, said Torrez, and even those were sanded down and refinished.
“For folks that only come in the wintertime, I think they’ll be pleasantly surprised when they see the new face of Cena,” Holmquist said. “It’s just going to be incredibly different than it was before; you won’t really recognize it.”
Torrez said the renovated space only emphasizes his work in the kitchen.
“You’re here for the whole experience,” he said. “Now it’s not just the food, but the restaurant itself is an experience as well. So we’re excited to be able to offer a little bit more refined food to go along with that.”
Holmquist emphasized that despite its refined menu and fresh look, Cena aims to remain accessible.
“I think Cena is an amazing value. It’s got a very approachable price point for Deer Valley, I think, much more approachable than anything on Main Street,” he said. “Price-wise, I think it’s really great for locals. It’s kind of a hidden spot, not everybody knows about it.”
A short rib tortelloni dish is added to the Cena winter menu, said Executive Chef Tobin Torrez. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record
It’s built around American Italian food, he said. And while the chefs aren’t Italian, they adhere to the cuisine’s unique history and technique, with many of the ingredients made by hand and intentionally selected.
“We make our own pastas, we make all of our own sauces, we make our own mozzarella cheese, we make our own burrata. So, we put a lot of hand time into it,” Holmquist said. “Our wine menu is not exclusively Italian, but we do have a really good depth of Italian wines and cocktails.”
Chef Torrez took the reins at Cena last year and has worked on its winter menu to prepare for its reopening this season.
“The philosophy, as far as this menu goes, is trying to take some more classic Italian cooking, but put our own modern twist on it,” Torrez said. “A lot of the dishes we are doing are rooted in that traditional Italian cooking … of that Northern Italian mountainous region to tie into where we are in Park City.”
For winter, Torrez said it’s all about those long, slow-cooked dishes to best capture the hearty, comfort flavors that diners often want. So they’ve added a lamb shank Osso Buco — a traditional Italian stew-like dish generally made with veal or oxtail — served with saffron risotto and also a braised short rib tortelloni pasta dish.
Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record
Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record
Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record
Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record
Winter menu items include slow-processed, hearty dishes like a lamb shank Osso Buco, as well as housemade Italian classics like tiramisu and burrata.
Holmquist said that, while Torrez leads the team, the menus are often collaborative and he lends his wealth of experience to the process.
“In all of our restaurants, I set up guidelines, or, if you would, goal posts for all of our chefs — this is the concept I want for this restaurant, style of food, price point, direction of food — and then I let my chefs create within those boundaries. Then we talk together and refine each dish as they put them up,” he said. “I want to empower them to create their own food and drive the cuisine, but also (with) my years of experience and global experience with food, I help guide them and tweak and change and get to just the right finishes on the dish.”
The restaurant is now open daily for dinner at 5:30 p.m., and Torrez said they’re eager to get into the winter season, which he described as their “bread and butter” being located at Deer Valley Resort.
“With the higher occupancy, with the seasonal crowd that comes in, it really does give us a chance to play around a little bit more and potentially offer stuff that might not sell as well during the summer,” he said.
Beyond dinner service, the team serves breakfast and lunch year-round, also catering to skiers seeking a more relaxed midday break.
“The great thing is, if you’re comfortable taking your boots off and walking 100 yards, instead of waiting 40 minutes at any other place on the mountain, you can walk across the street and sit down and dine at Cena for lunch,” Holmquist said.
To make a reservation: the-chateaux.com/dining/cena-ristorante.
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