In a few weeks, seven culinary experts from Park City will travel to New York to showcase their talents over five meals at the James Beard Foundation’s new venue, Platform.
The events, scheduled for Sept. 26-29, are intended to bring Park City’s culinary world to the New York scene, said Ginger Wicks, executive director of the Park City Area Restaurants Association.
The group benefited from its long-standing relationship with the James Beard House, a kitchen that the James Beard Foundation opened in 1986. The organization’s mission is to “celebrate, support and promote the people behind American food culture,” its website states. Similar to the Beard House, Platform, located in the Market 57 indoor market, is a “modern show kitchen, performance space and educational center for outstanding culinary arts programs.”
“When we learned about their new venue,” said Wicks, “…we reached out to them and decided this would be a fantastic collaboration to bring Park City’s culinary talent and amazing award-winning spirits to New York to showcase the city and raise awareness of what Park City has to offer in terms of our amazing culinary scene.”
The association has invited applications from members interested in preparing a dish, and the winners will be sent to New York to cook at Platform. Funding for the event comes from a grant from Summit County’s restaurant tax, the association said.
Five chefs and two spirits and their producers were selected from 16 entries:
- Chef Seth Adams of Riverhorse on Main
- Chef Michael Showers of High West Distillery
- Chef Clement Gelas from Courchevel Bistro
- Co-owner and chef Matthew Harris of Tupelo Park City
- Vice President of Food and Beverage Operations and Executive Chef Zane Holmquist of Stein Eriksen Lodge
- Co-owner and Master Botanical Distiller Sara Sergent of Alpine Distilling
- Beverage Manager Holly Booth of High West Distillery
“We have a lot of diversity in our culinary scene and this will raise awareness of that. It’s a fantastic platform for Park City,” Wicks said. Perhaps that’s a play on words?
Jennifer Wesselhoff, President and CEO of the Park City Chamber/Bureau, also explained the benefits of this opportunity to showcase Park City to the east.
“Food is an incredible part of the character of a community and an essential part of how we define ourselves as a community,” she said. “What message do we want to convey about Park City and Utah cuisine?”
There’s game from the Rocky Mountains, such as elk and bison, as well as trout farms from Utah, lamb from Morgan Valley and products from local dairies and cheese factories, Wesselhoff said, all of which are part of the menus created for the September events.
“Dinner: Riverhorse on Main” on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. features Adams’ menu that combines elements from Utah and New York – Utah lamb, New York duck, a venison sausage and New York apples. “Cocktail Party: High West Distillery” on Sept. 27 at 6:30 p.m. includes Showers’ take on a bison tartare and a Utah elk cutlet. At “Lunch: Courchevel Bistro” on Sept. 28 at noon, Gelas will create three kinds of trout: cured, in salad and bouillabaisse, in stew. Harris’ “Dinner: Tupelo Park City” on Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. will highlight some Utah-grown produce, like Green River watermelons, Utah peaches and Gold Creek Farms feta from Kamas. And at the closing event, “Brunch: Stein Eriksen Lodge,” Holmquist will serve Utah products like honey and Rocky Mountain elk.
Each event will feature drink pairings from Alpine Distilling or High West Distillery, cocktails such as Alpine’s “Moon Walker,” “Elevated Gin & Tonic,” and “Alpine Negroni,” or High West’s “Old Fashioned,” “Espresso Martini,” and “Spritz.”
For Holmquist, who was born and raised in Park City and has spent most of his career as a chef in the area, this event represents the culmination of his life’s work.
“I’ve spent my whole life trying to promote Utah and Utah food in Park City,” he said. “We’ve always had this weird stigma about our liquor laws and our food … and we weren’t known for our cuisine and what we do here.”
But Park City has now developed a diverse culinary scene with a lot of talent, he said.
“I think it’s so special for a family to shine and show off in New York and show the public that (Park City) is great – biking, skiing, fly fishing, but the food is damn good too,” Holmquist said.
