The four-day event kicks off Thursday, Sept. 26 at a new James Beard Foundation food hall called Platform. Platform is a show kitchen, event space and educational hub on Pier 57 in New York City. It features a rotating roster of chefs, including James Beard Award winners and nominees, as well as emerging talent.
Park City Area Restaurant Association Executive Director Ginger Wicks said her organization has had a long-standing relationship with the James Beard Foundation, which annually honors chefs and restaurants with awards that are considered the Oscars of culinary dining.
“We were invited to go to the James Beard House, which is also located in New York City, in the fall of 2019 and we took again, a variety of chefs who did a culinary dinner there,” she said. “All the chefs worked together, and it was such a unique experience.”
Eager to partner with the Beard Foundation again, the restaurant association has been working with five participating chefs and two distilleries since November to create unique dining experiences representing Park City.
Co-owner and Executive Chef Seth Adams with Riverhorse on Main will be the first to represent the area. He will bring decades of expertise and eclectic American cuisine to a fine dining experience Thursday, Sept. 26.
Then Friday, Sept. 27, High West Distillery’s Executive Chef Michael Showers will host a cocktail party featuring elevated Western Mountain fare. High West Distillery will also pair its craft whiskeys and cocktails with each course.
Executive Chef Clement Gelas with Courchevel Bistro will prepare lunch Saturday, Sept. 28. He will serve French and European-inspired cuisine with fresh local ingredients.
Matthew Harris with tupelo will create a dinner experience Saturday evening. The menu is derived from Harris’ world travels and personal experiences with sustainable, artisanal food producers.
Executive Chef Zane Holmquist with The Stein Collection will round out the dining experiences from Park City chefs Sunday, Sept. 29. He will host a brunch featuring traditional breakfast favorites, made-to-order stations and a variety of hot and cold entrées.
Master botanical distiller Sarah Sergent from Alpine Distilling on Park City’s Main Street will pair her distillery’s award-winning spirits and signature cocktails to the dining experiences on Sept. 26, 28 and 29.
Wicks said the chefs have to bring some items with them in preparation for the meals.
“Our chefs are creating such unique experiences that some of the items, yes, they are going to have to bring with them on the plane, but the James Beard team at the Platform is working diligently to help source whatever ingredients they need now to have at the platform for them,” she said.
The restaurant association can send the local chefs and distillers to New York using a Summit County Restaurant Tax Grant. All participating chefs and distilleries were chosen through a selection committee with people from the Utah Office of Tourism and the Park City Chamber Bureau.
Tickets for each culinary experience are $95 to $185.
