News

Taqueria 27 Has New Owners

Congrats to the Todd and Kristin Gardner, who recently sold Taqueria 27 to restauranteur Laxman Paudyal.

From the press release:

Taqueria 27, a local favorite, is delighted to announce new ownership. The restaurant will continue to serve up its unique signature tacos and delicious margaritas under the direction of the new owners, who are committed to preserving the quality and character of the restaurant.

Miles Clark, the new operations manager for Taqueria 27, is a Salt Lake City local through and through. He loves the food culture of the city and surrounding areas. He has also been in the restaurant business since he was 15 years old, holding jobs from dishwasher to manager to everything in between.

“I am looking forward to taking such an amazing company to new heights,” said Miles. “We plan to expand Taqueria 27 with the same high standards that have already been in place. We are very proud of the previous owners’ dedication to very fresh food and cocktails! We would like to continue with their high dedication to our food and drink menus. We are bringing in new liquor options for our guests.” 

Laxman Paudyal, Taqueria 27’s new president, is a successful businessman that has grown from the ground up. He is a military vet that worked with the US military in several countries as a translator. He was born and raised in Nepal. He has been in the United States since 2002, where he put himself through college at BYU. He has successfully run multiple restaurants, including Big Daddy’s Pizza and Carlos And Harleys.

“Our goals are to continue high-quality service and food standards,” Miles continued. “Our mission is to take care of our guests as though they were at our own dinner tables. Our drive is to provide guests with timely service, great food, and a high-quality work environment for our staff. Our key to success will be our fresh-to-order food and drinks and our knowledge of the restaurant industry.”

News, photo essay, review

Fireside Dining at Deer Valley

A few years ago, my wife and I travelled around Switzerland during the holidays. One excursion took out to Lac Leman, where we visited an old castle and walked around Montreux (the highlight being visiting Queen’s recording studio inside of a wild casino). It was chilly, and we found ourselves in a park by the lake. The park was decorated with all sorts of holiday cheer, and various vendors were scattered about.

We tucked into one small little wooden hut, and were immediately welcomed by the warmth of a fire and the aroma of melting cheese. We found the right place.

The raclette shack was a warm, welcome reprieve from the bitter cold evening. We sat down and ordered two plates of raclette and watched as they warmed up a half wheel of cheese and the scraped the melted bits onto a plate, then added boiled potatoes, cornichons, bread, and other tasty items to accompany the cheese. That tiny hut, and the rich dish, were the perfect combination to battle a chilly Swiss night.

Raclette station

The same feelings I experienced there were re-kindled in me upon a visit to Deer Valley’s Fireside Dining, located in the Empire Lodge at Deer Valley resort.

Ski lodge by day, it switches over to a wonderful dining location at night. Although it is a big space, the way the lodge is designed it splits tables up among various different locations, giving it a much cozier feeling than you might think.

Fireside Dining is a unique setup; there are five or six different “stations,” each one anchored by a large fireplace that is actively cooking some component of the meal. At our visit, the stations were as follows:

  1. Raclette, consisting of melted Raclette cheese from the heat of the fireplace, and depositing the cheese on a plate. You then move on to the rest of the Raclette table, which contains charcuterie, potatoes, house-pickled onions, homemade mustards (don’t skip the fig mustard–it’s incredible!), and sliced baguettes.
  2. A soup and salad station, featuring a beer cheese soup, beautiful gem salad, house made pretzels, and other delicious items.
  3. A stew station, featuring a rich veal and mushroom stew, wonderfully tender salmon, and hand-grated rosti (ask them to pour the stew over the rosti for a nice, crunchy surprise at the bottom of your stew).
  4. The carvery station had roasted leg of lamb (they had leg roasting in front of the fire, suspended by string) and ribeye, with some wonderful sauces to complement, and the most deliciously herby spaetzl that I’ve ever had.
  5. And of course the desserts. The evening we were there, they had a flambé station that featured an orange créme galette, with fresh oranges, sweetened cream cheese, and a blood orange caramel. A few steps away a fireplace was warming three Dutch ovens with white chocolate, milk chocolate, and caramel fondues. Plenty of delicious fruits, cookies, and cakes were nearby to accompany the fondue.

Given the price, I wasn’t sure what to expect from an attire perspective. But it turned out it was a somewhat casual affair, with some in sweaters and snow boots, and most in either slacks or jeans.

Soup and salads
The fondue station

The service was exactly what you would expect from Deer Valley: attentive but not overbearing. Always there if you needed them, but never hovering.

When we made our reservation we also reserved a spot on a short sleigh ride which starts and stops right outside the lodge. It was the perfect way to get ready for dinner as we caught snowflakes on our tongues and cheered the horses on.

Reservations for the season open up in the fall, so you’ll want to keep an eye out on social media for Deer Valley’s announcement regarding reservations.

As we sat there that evening, I was transported back, at least momentarily, to the warmth and deliciousness of that evening in the raclette shack in Switzerland. Fireside is welcoming, approachable, and not stuffy in the slightest. The majority of those dining are on ski vacations, and I’m sure Deer Valley would like more locals to know about this unique experience.

We skied at Deer Valley before our dinner, changed into our “street clothes,” and meandered Main Street on our way over to the lodge. If you ski, I’d highly suggest making a whole day of it and then finish it off by dining at Fireside.

Fireside Dining
Empire Canyon Lodge
9200 Marsac Avenue
Park City, UT 84060
(435) 649-1000
Fireside Dining

Ribeye at the carvery station
Flambé
Leg of lamb roasting
New Restaurants, News

Urban Hill at Post District

I think it’s safe to say that the Kirchheimer family is all-in on Salt Lake City. Brooks Kirchheimer has been saying for years that they would love to one day open a restaurant in SLC after two successful ventures in Park City, Heath & Hill and Hill’s Kitchen.

And now they’re putting their money where their mouths are, opening the gorgeous new Urban Hill restaurant in the exciting new Post District. Brooks’ dad, the other co-founder of their restaurant group, said “we’re all betting on SLC’s future.” And this restaurant proves that statement completely.

I will disclose that I am an unabashed fanboy of what the developers of Post District are doing. They are taking old buildings on the block (between 5th South and 6th South and 3rd West and 5th West) and are not only preserving the character of the area, but are amplifying it.

So naturally I was ecstatic to hear that Urban Hill was going to be Post District’s first commercial tenant, anchoring the rest of the retail development and setting a very high bar for future retail neighbors.

No expense was spared with the restaurant design. The Hill group hired Denver-based restaurant design firm Semple Brown Design. The best way I can describe the design is modern, elegant, and warm. Fireplaces, warm tones, and elegant woodwork abound.

The Hill restaurant group is officially named Leave Room For Dessert Eateries, but I’m way too lazy to type all of that out. So it’s called Hill restaurant group around these parts. The Kirchheimers take a unique and refreshing approach to staffing their restaurants. They are big believers in community, and believe that community starts with their employees, whom they call “associates.”

Hill associates are given health insurance benefits on day one of employment. They participate in profit-sharing and other benefits that you typically don’t associate with restaurant staff benefits. Brooks believes that if they have inspired associates, then they will create inspired experiences for their guests. Given their prior successes, it seems like they’re proving that the model works.

I wasn’t able to try too much of the menu at the grand opening event, but I think it’s safe to say that their high standards regarding staffing and restaurant design also transfer over to the food. To start, they hired Executive Chef Nick Zocco, formerly of Mesa Grill, SW Steakhouse, and most recently at Tupelo in Park City.

The menu is robust but not overwhelming. The same can’t be said of the alcohol menu, which I believe has more pages than the Bible. While we were there, they were putting the final bottles of wine in their wine cellar, which is smack dab in the middle of the dining area, and very impressive.

The food menu features oysters, mussels, the largest shrimp I’ve ever seen, striped bass, black angus filet, and bison ribeye. The prices reflect the quality of the ingredients, with entrees ranging from $29 to $110. Urban Hill seems to be the Hill group’s final leg of their three-legged stool of affordability, with Hill’s Kitchen at the lower price range, Hearth & Hill in the middle, and Urban Hill at the top. Seems like a smart strategy to me.

I wish them the very best. They’ll have a feather in their cap as the first business to take a risk at Post District, anchoring the future development of the area. And if this is the level of quality that will fill out the rest of Post, then SLC is in for a treat.

Urban Hill
550 South 300 West, Salt Lake City
(385) 295-4200
urban-hill.com
Open daily from 4pm to 9:30pm

Events, News

Deer Valley Hosts 2023 Freestyle Ski World Cup

Deer Valley remains one of the world’s premier locations to host the Freestyle World Cup, with 2023 marking their 25th year as host. This year they will be hosting the aerial and moguls competitions from February 2nd through February 4th.

Even if you’re not a skier, the event is an absolute party. Crowds numbering in the thousands gather at the base of the runs, and the feeling is absolutely electric as the crowd cheers on some of the best skiers in the world. If you need further proof, check out my photo from a few years ago.

New this year, Deer Valley is offering a “Freestyle Feast,” which includes dinner, an exclusive VIP viewing area, a commemorative event gift, and complimentary lift access to get you up to the event. Prices are $200 per person per night, and will sell out fast. Reservations begin 11/28/22 at 10am MST at the following link.

new menu, News

Emigration Cafe’s New Brunch Menu

From our friends at Emigration Cafe:

NEW BRUNCH MENU ALERT! 
Every Saturday & Sunday 10am-2pm

BRUNCH MENU 
SHARE PLATES

Green Garbanzo Hummus Ⓥ – cherry tomatoes, sweet herbs, sumac, warm pita

 Parmesan Flatbread Ⓥ – pinza dough, parmesan, olive oil                                 

3 Cheese Artichoke Dip Ⓥ – parmesan flatbread, pickled chile
Smoked Salmon Toast – Sourdough, goat cheese, capers, red onion, preserved lemon salad                   

SOUP & SALAD

Lemon Rice Soup ⓋGF – Lemon, Arborio rice, vegetable broth
Soup of the day
House Salad Ⓥ – pecans, pickled grapes, onion, honey cider vin, goat cheese crostini
Classic Caesar Ⓥ – romaine, house croutons, parmesan, lemon, house dressing
Classic Greek Ⓥ – tomato, cucumber, onion, feta, Kalamata, romaine, croutons
Arugula & Fennel Ⓥ GF – chevre, cherry bourbon vinaigrette, slivered almond
Butter Lettuce – miso buttermilk dressing, smoked blue cheese, bacon, everything bagel crumble, tomato

SANDWICHES

Grilled Cheese with Brie and Havarti Ⓥ – brie, Havarti cheese, apple, onion jam, sourdough
BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich-  miso buttermilk slaw, fried onions, ciabatta
Emigration Burger*– 6oz grilled patty, American cheese, grilled onions, garlic aioli, half dill pickles, lettuce
Smoked Turkey Club* – millionaire bacon, avocado spread, lettuce, aioli, ciabatta, onion
Grilled Trout Tartine* – open faced, cabbage slaw, remoulade, ciabatta
BLT– bacon, tomato, aioli, lettuce, spicy carrot slaw, sourdough

MAINS
Avocado Toast Ⓥ – avocado, radish, everything bagel spice, breakfast potatoes
Overnight Oats Ⓥ – brown sugar, banana, pecans, seasonal berries
French Toast Casserole –  house-made challah French toast, miso caramel sauce, fresh peaches, candied pecans, whipped cream
Egg Sandwich –bacon or avocado, American cheese, aioli, fried egg, brioche, potatoes
Chicken & Biscuit – fried chicken, saw-mill gravy, chili-honey glaze, pickled chilis, sunny up egg
Breakfast Burrito – scrambled eggs, queso sauce, bacon, heirloom beans, potatoes, aioli
Vegan Burrito Ⓥ– broken tofu, queso sauce, potatoes, tomatillo salsa, beans
Shrimp & Grits – cheddar grits, Tasso ham, summer squash, cherry tomato, white wine cream
Basic Breakfast GF– choice of eggs, potatoes millionaire bacon or seasonal vegetables

Emigration Cafe | 1709 E. 1300 S. | SLC
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner – Monday – Saturday
Saturday & Sunday Brunch – 10am-3pm
Online ordering now available, order here. 
Reservations now available for all party sizes. Book your table here. 
801-906-8101

Events

Pago on 9th’s 13th Annual Pumpkin Tasting Menu

From Pago on 9th:

Pago on 9th
13th Annual Pumpkin Tasting Menu 
+ Orange Wine Pairing 

Friday, October 28 – Monday, October 31, 2022
(Full Menu + Pumpkin Menu available)
Food $45 + Wine Pairings $34 

For the thirteenth year in a row, we are offering orange wine pairings for all the gourd goodness chef has created. Orange wines refer to white grape varietals that have been fermented on their grape skins, which gives the wine its orange or amber color. I assure you no oranges were harmed (or added) in this winemaking style. What you get is a bit more texture/body and depth than its white wine counterpart. Personally, I love orange wines year-round, but fall reminds me of their importance. ~ Scott Evans 
First Course

SPICED PUMPKIN SOUP
(V, GF) + Cilantro, Thai basil

Barbara Fores “Abrisa’t” ‘17 + GARNATXA BLANCA + Terra Alta, Spain (3oz)
Second Course

PUMPKIN CARBONARA
(VG) + Shiitake mushroom-bacon, cured egg yolk

*Aransat ‘21 + PINOT GRIGIO + Friuli, Italy (5oz)
Third Course

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE
(VG) + Apple cider gastrique, graham cracker

Subject to Change “Disco” ‘21 + SAUVIGNON BLANC + California (3oz)

PAGO on 9th | 9th & 9th | SLC
Make a reservations here* 
*Please note in your reservation if you plan to enjoy the pumpkin menu so we can prepare the appropriate amount of dishes. 

News

Park City Restaurants Announce Fall Hours

From the Park City Area Restaurant Association:

Autumn has arrived, and Park City Area Restaurant Association (PCARA) members are shifting gears – and hours – to accommodate guests through shoulder season and prepare for what will be a lively, bustling winter to come.    

“Some restaurants will scale back to gear up for a busy winter ahead, while others will continue with their regular hours through shoulder season to serve our loyal locals and fall visitors,” Park City Area Restaurant Association Executive Director Ginger Wicks said. “Autumn harvest brings such an abundance of locally-sourced ingredients, and we encourage patrons to support our restaurant community by trying out limited-time seasonal menus along with beloved signature dishes.”  

For the most up-to-date information on shoulder season hours, visit parkcityrestaurants.com. Currently, PCARA member fall hours are as follows:

350 Main

Open Wednesday – Saturday, 5 p.m. – Close

Closed Thanksgiving

Alpine Distilling

Closed Saturday, Oct. 8 – Saturday, Oct. 15 

Big Dipper

Open Monday – Wednesday, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., and Thursday – Sunday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Closed Thanksgiving

The Brass Tag

Closing Oct. 16 – Dec. 2, reopening Saturday, Dec. 3

Courchevel Bistro

Stop in for Happy Hour Wednesdays – Sundays from 5 – 6 p.m. through Saturday, Nov. 5 for 20% off select appetizers and desserts. 

Closing Sunday, Nov. 6 – Tuesday, Dec. 6

Deer Valley Grocery~Café

Closing Oct. 24 – Nov. 15, reopening Wednesday, Nov. 16

Escala Provisions Restaurant & Bar

Open 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. daily

Grub Steak Restaurant

Open nightly, 5 – 9 p.m.

Hearth and Hill

Open Monday – Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Hill’s Kitchen

Open 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. daily 

High West Distillery

Saloon (Historic Park City): Closing Sunday, Nov. 13 – Sunday, Nov. 30

Refectory (Wanship): Closing Monday, Nov. 14 – Friday, Dec. 2

Nelson Cottage (Historic Park City): Saturday, Oct. 29 – Friday, Dec. 16

Riverhorse on Main

Open Sunday – Thursday, 5 – 9 p.m., Friday – Saturday, 5 – 9:30 p.m.

Closing Sunday, Nov. 6 – Thursday, Nov. 10

Closed Thanksgiving

Roadhouse Grill & Pub – Park City

Open Sunday – Sunday

8 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Salt Box Eatery & Catering

Open Monday – Sunday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. 

Grab and go, family meal pick up and catering pick up available until 5 p.m.

Shabu

Open nightly, 5 p.m. – Close 

The Spur Bar & Grill

Open daily, 11 a.m. – 1 a.m. featuring live music every night

Closed Thanksgiving

The Star Bar

Open Wednesday – Saturday, 5 p.m. – Close

Closed Thanksgiving

Stein Collection

Enjoy a staycation at Stein Eriksen Lodge, Stein Eriksen Residences, or The Chateaux Deer Valley with the Taste of Fall package. Enjoy overnight accommodations including a 3-course dinner for two at The Glitretind (served in Troll Hallen Lounge) or Sunday Brunch. 

Troll Hallen Lounge (Stein Eriksen Lodge)

Open 7 a.m. – Midnight daily

Champions Club (Stein Eriksen Lodge)

Closing Monday, Oct. 10 – Tuesday, Nov. 22

First Tracks Kaffe (Stein Eriksen Lodge)

Closing Monday, Oct. 10 – Tuesday, Nov. 22

Cena Ristorante & Lounge (The Chateaux)

Closing Monday, Oct. 31 – Tuesday, Nov. 22

The 7-8-8-0 Club (Stein Eriksen Residences)

Closing Monday, Oct. 31 – Tuesday, Nov. 22

Sterling Steak and Lounge

Free Pumpkin Carving October 21st  – 6 p.m.

Tupelo

Closed Mondays and Tuesdays until mid-December and closed Sundays until next spring

Versante Hearth + Bar

Open 4 – 9 p.m. nightly

Wild Ember

Closed until Wednesday, Dec. 14

For more information about restaurants’ fall hours or the PCARA, visit www.parkcityrestaurants.com or contact Christa Graff, of Graff Public Relations, at christa@graffpr.com or 435-640-7921.

Events

Deer Valley Dinner with Chef Massimo Bottura

Experience a one-of-a-kind culinary event with Chef Massimo Bottura the evenings of December 16, 17 and 18, 2022, in the world-class resort’s Fireside Dining at Empire Canyon Lodge. Taste the Difference during an intimate evening with Chef Massimo and Deer Valley’s renowned culinary team while enjoying featured wines from Daou Vineyards and Dalla Terra and a luxury gift from KJUS Ski/Golf wear. 

Choose from two different experiences with this 3-star Michelin chef.

VIP MEET & GREET RECEPTION WITH CHEF MASSIMO BOTTURA
An exclusive VIP meet-and-greet reception and personal cookbook signing with Chef Massimo, as well as an Italian dinner, consisting of a multiple course tasting menu with wine pairings, full bar service, and live jazz music.
CHEF MASSIMO BOTTURA MICHELIN STAR
ITALIAN DINNER
Hear remarks from Chef Massimo, as well as Deer Valley’s culinary and beverage teams before savoring six unforgettable courses including Italian wine pairings and live jazz music.

You can book your spot on Deer Valley’s website.

Uncategorized

Remembering Valter

Several years ago, as Chocolot was starting to really get some traction, we considered opening a brick and mortar location in Salt Lake. My mom and I stopped by the office of Ken Milo, a local architect and at the time the owner of Cucina Toscana restaurant and some nearby commercial spots.

As we walked through the old Caputo’s location, as well as the basement of Cucina Toscana, Ken introduced us to a gregarious Italian named Valter. Part Einstein, part Mr. Bean, and part Doc Brown.

It was so long ago that I don’t remember much of the conversation, but I remember him treating us like we were long-lost relatives, and wouldn’t let us leave until he showed us his newest project he was working on at the time: his gelateria.

In this humble basement sat several thousand dollars’ worth of stainless steel equipment, cranking out his gelato. He gladly scooped several different flavors and insisted we try them and tell him what we thought.

I remember being struck at the time by just how friendly this man was. It was nearly shocking to see someone as unguarded as Valter. As we continued our tour of the facilities, we said our goodbyes. Aftewards, I asked my mom how he knew Valter, because he was so friendly to her. “I’ve never met him before,” was her reply.

And that was it. For him, it was one of a million similar interactions he had over the years with his guests. But for me, it’s a very small interaction that has stuck with me for many, many years.

I’m sure most everyone is familiar with Maya Angelou’s wise words, in which she said “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Valter was this quote personified. The world would be a different place if we all acted a bit more like Valter.

review

Pat’s BBQ

I’m not usually one to rag on local restaurants. I like to think of myself as more of a hype man regarding SLC’s dining scene than anything else. I truly feel that anyone that’s willing to stick their neck out and run a restaurant deserves our applause and support. Generally speaking, if a restaurant is out there trying their best, I tend to give them the benefit of the doubt when things fall short.

However, there’s a point in which certain restaurants don’t even try anymore, and when they get to that point, they deserve to be called out. I feel it’s disrespectful to customers when the service and the food is so egregiously bad that it’s obvious the restaurant has given up on having any sort of standards.

Sadly, such is the case with Pat’s BBQ. I don’t know what happened to Pat’s over the past little while, but whatever it is, it hasn’t been for the better. I will say I noticed a similar pattern with another once-great BBQ restaurant: R&R BBQ. Both have seemed to followed the same path: original owner/pitmaster sells out, transitions away from the business, and the quality control falls apart.

At the Commonwealth location off 21st South, it’s a full-service restaurant, unlike their State St location, which is quick-serve style. I feel the quick-serve setup is better for most BBQ restaurants, and given that 90% of the BBQ restaurants I’ve been to over the years is the “order at the counter and sit down” style, I think it’s evident that that’s the way to go.

Walking into Pat’s was a sleepy affair, with us waiting several minutes be be acknowledged by the lone server working that day. The first red flag was that the place smelled absolutely nothing like a BBQ place. I want to walk in and smell like there’s a raging campfire in the room next door (or at least somewhere in the vicinity.) Staged or not, I want some smell of burning wood to tell me there’s some serious smoking work going on behind the scenes. Pat’s smelled more like a Costco or a library than a BBQ restaurant.

Once seated, no drink order was taken, and what seemed like ten minutes passed before our food order was taken. It was not busy.

And then the food arrived. First, the positives: the french fries were very good. Breaded, crispy, and warm. Same goes for the baked beans, which were rich and flavorful. And then there was the brisket, which was a room-temperature nightmare, and the slices had some obvious oxidation that told me these slices had been sitting out for a while. The room-temperature meat made me nervous. A comment was made to the server about this, and the reply was “I’ll let her know” (assuming the “her” was the cook). No efforts were made to rectify the situation by either replacing the meat with another option, or taking it off the bill. If I’m running a restaurant and a customer tells me something’s not up to snuff, they’re going to get more than just an “I’m sorry.” “I’m sorry” doesn’t fix the problem. It just makes the server feel better while leaving the diner with a bad experience.

For the cornbread, I might as well have eaten drywall spackle. It would have been more moist and would have had more flavor than what we were given. And maybe the drywall would have come with a side of butter, which is more than the cornbread came with.

My kid had the mac and cheese, which looked sadder than the empty band stage behind us. He didn’t even touch it. It was barely warm, with terrible presentation, and lacking in flavor. For my four-year-old to not completely house a cup of mac-and-cheese told me everything I needed to know about it.

If a shoulder shrug and an eye roll could be personified in food and service format, it was perfected in this meal at Pat’s.

Enjoy the $25, Pat’s. It’s going to be the last money you ever see from me.