Buck Hill for year-round destination dining?
That's the hope of Dave Solner, owner of what's more commonly known as the winter ski and snowboard destination in Burnsville (15400 Buck Hill Road, Burnsville, 952-435-7174, buckhill.com).
Solner took over the restaurant on the north end of the property this summer, which had been previously run by a third party. Now the restaurant is under new management — his — and with a new name: Buck '54 Bar & Grill, with a nod to the year the ski slope opened.
"We're trying to create a local establishment not just for skiers and as a ski resort, but for the community," said Solner. "My vision is a year-round entertainment destination." That means four seasons of activities, all building on what Buck Hill already does post-winter: concerts, car shows, mountain biking and catered events.
And when mealtime comes along, Solner wants the guests to stick around.
"We want people in the city to come down here and check out these sight lines of the hillside and sunsets. It's an oasis in the middle of an urban environment," he said.
To make that happen, Solner has had a major deck built on the second-story restaurant, one that seats up to 175 guests with its 20- by 60-foot expanse, with a new sound system attached.
"There's nothing in the south [Twin Cities] with a patio like that. The nearest patio this size would be Maynard's [in Excelsior] or Fletcher's [in Spring Park, both on Lake Minnetonka]," said Nate Birr, chief financial operator of Buck Hill. "We want to be a staple in the south suburbs.
