Category: Uncategorized

As we are still very much in the early stages of this pandemic, my heart goes out to all of those involved in the restaurant/hospitality industry. For years, I (and many others) have been touting the ever-growing food scene in Salt Lake. In the past 10 years, our dining scene has seen growth and transformation that I don’t think anybody could have fully imagined. So it pains me to think of what the state of the industry in our salty city will look like a year or two from now.

This piece in the New York Times, written by Gabrielle Hamilton, is a heartbreaking glimpse into what is going on in the industry right now. Even more disheartening is that Hamilton is an award-winning chef and author—someone who you would expect to be able to financially able to weather a financial storm such as this. And if Prune may not survive after all of this is over, what is going to happen to all of the mom-and-pop shops out there that don’t have the sizzle and star power of a James Beard award-winning chef? Here’s an excerpt from the piece:

It would be nigh impossible for me, in the context of a pandemic, to argue for the necessity of my existence. Do my sweetbreads and my Parmesan omelet count as essential at this time? In economic terms, I don’t think I could even argue that Prune matters anymore, in a neighborhood and a city now fully saturated with restaurants much like mine, many of them better than mine — some of which have expanded to employ as many as 100 people, not just cooks and servers and bartenders but also human-resource directors and cookbook ghostwriters.I am not going to suddenly start arguing the merits of my restaurant as a vital part of an “industry” or that I help to make up 2 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product or that I should be helped out by our government because I am one of those who employ nearly 12 million Americans in the work force. But those seem to be the only persuasive terms — with my banks, my insurers, my industry lobbyists and legislators. I have to hope, though, that we matter in some other alternative economy; that we are still a thread in the fabric that might unravel if you yanked us from the weave.Everybody’s saying that restaurants won’t make it back, that we won’t survive. I imagine this is at least partly true: Not all of us will make it, and not all of us will perish. But I can’t easily discern the determining factors, even though thinking about which restaurants will survive — and why — has become an obsession these past weeks. What delusional mind-set am I in that I just do not feel that this is the end, that I find myself convinced that this is only a pause, if I want it to be? I don’t carry investor debt; my vendors trust me; if my building’s co-op evicted me, they would have a beast of a time getting a new tenant to replace me.But I know few of us will come back as we were. And that doesn’t seem to me like a bad thing at all; perhaps it will be a chance for a correction, as my friend, the chef Alex Raij, calls it.

tupelo Park City, historic Main Street’s home for inspired fine dining, invites guests to an exclusive wine dinner featuring Ridge Vineyards. These single-vineyard wines hailing from California’s Sonoma and Santa Clara Counties will be paired with four handcrafted courses from tupelo’s kitchen on Wednesday, October 24, at 7:00 p.m.

“Ridge Vineyards produces some of the best wines in Northern California, and we know the palates here in Park City will thoroughly enjoy them,” said tupelo Park City Chef & Owner Matt Harris. “Our menu is focused on the season, and we look forward to pairing some of our autumn harvest with the vineyard’s exceptional varietals.”

Chef Harris and his team will prepare four courses and close with a decadent dessert course, each to complement a thoughtfully selected Ridge Vineyards wine. The full menu includes:

1st

Black Bass Crudo, Compressed Apple, Spruce Tea, Lemon, Ginger Crumb, Dashi

2016 Ridge Estate Chardonnay

2nd

Suckling Pig, Caramelize Shallots, Grilled Concord Grapes, Braised Endive, Toasted Pecans

2016 Ridge East Bench Zinfandel

3rd

Roasted Duck Breast, Tupelo Farms Chokecherry Gastrique, Roasted Autumn Vegetables, Acorn Squash Puree

2016 Ridge Geyserville Zinfandel

4th

Braised Rabbit Risotto, Wild Mushrooms, Spiced Bordelaise Sauce

2015 Ridge Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Chocolate Truffles & Autumnal Macarons to Finish

The 21+ event seats only three dozen guests. Tickets are $180 per person for dinner and four wine pairings before tax and service fee. More information and reservation details can be found here: https://tupeloparkcity.com/events/ridge-vineyards-wine-dinner

To learn more about the Ridge Vineyards Wine Dinner at tupelo, contact Christa Graff with Graff Public Relations, LLC, at 435.640.7921 or christa@graffpr.com. Additional information, hours of operations and reservations are available at tupeloparkcity.com.

In another step toward re-establishing itself as the heart of downtown Salt Lake City, The Gateway has announced that they have reached an agreement with entertainment and dining chain, Dave & Buster’s, to open its first Utah location on the property.
In addition to its $100 million redevelopment plan, The Gateway and its parent company, Vestar, have been looking for a big name, family-friendly venue to anchor its rebranding effort.

“This is a huge win for us,” said Edie Trott, marketing director at The Gateway. “We like to offer our visitors something exclusive and unique, and Dave & Buster’s is the perfect one-of-a-kind dining and entertainment experience that we think people can get excited about.”

“Vestar has a long, fortunate history of working with Dave & Buster’s throughout our portfolio,” said Jenny Cushing, Vice President of Leasing at Vestar. “They’re synonymous with the kind of entertainment we’re dedicated to bringing to The Gateway. This latest announcement is just the start of a series of new developments that we’re excited to share with all of Salt Lake City.”

With restaurants in 34 states, and internationally, Dave & Buster’s has found success with a unique combination of entertainment and dining, offering its customers the opportunity to “eat, drink, play and watch,” all in one location.

“We take a great deal of care with how we grow our business—and coming into the Salt Lake market appealed to us for a number of reasons,” said John Mulleady, Senior Vice President of Development. “The Gateway provided us with the perfect opportunity to introduce Utah families to our brand of entertainment and dining. With something to offer everyone—at any age—we think this brings something special to the community.”