It’s early July, which means my favorite midsummer night’s feast is once again upon us. Originating in 2015 as a celebratory fundraiser for Tracy Aviary, SB Dance and Race Swami, Eat Drink SLC continues to outdo itself. Nearly 30 local restaurants teamed up with a wide variety of wineries, distilleries and breweries to provide small bites and sips to those in attendance.
Despite the best efforts of Tracy Aviary’s dense canopy of trees and its various avian-friendly waterways, that 102-degree heatwave still managed to find me and follow me inside. One of the most interesting things about attending Eat Drink SLC is seeing how the food vendors have tailored their menus to the environment—as Utah has been in the grip of that same heatwave that wouldn’t leave me alone, most vendors used the cooler end of the culinary spectrum to craft their event dishes.
There is only a handful of cold savory dishes that I really like, but on a hot summer night like this, that’s all I really wanted. For me, this evening was all about the food vendors that relied upon their culinary chill skills.
Right out of the gate, Trio’s Charred Octopus served with White Bean Olive Hummus and Hearts of Palm struck a bullseye. The considerable portions of octopus were perfectly tender, and the briny flavor complemented the herbaceous mixture of dill and cilantro that was tossed with the hearts of palm. It’s the kind of small plate that makes one forget that they’re in a landlocked desert by letting some fresh, oceanic flavors roll over the tongue.
As I moved deeper into the aviary, pausing every so often to observe a flamboyance of flamingos or parliament of owls, I came to an impressively arranged table operated by The Blended Table. It’s a catering service frequently booked by organizations like the Utah Museum of Fine Art and Red Butte Garden, and they had packed a lot of gastronomic firepower into their small setup. They started with a crisp and refreshing Watermelon Radish Spring Roll that was accompanied by a Peanut Plum Dipping sauce, and finished with a beautifully cooked medallion of Beef Tenderloin topped with Horseradish Cream. Spring rolls and tenderloin aren’t traditionally bedfellows, but who cares? The tenderloin was juicy, and the crunchy cool spring roll was perfect for a summer night.
The sun was starting to set, which knocked the thermostat down a few notches. It was still a searing 98 degrees, but I was happy to take what I could get. I was also happy to see Cucina’s crispy won tons topped with tuna poke mixed with Guajillo chile, mango and avocado lined up like military troops for inspection. This was another bite that swept me away to a more tropical climate, making me almost appreciate the heat for providing the right contrast to that deliciously smooth poke mixture.
Across the aisle from Cucina, Manoli’s was busy winning the award for the evening’s best use of cold beets. Many vendors had incorporated different variations of beets into their dishes, but the little red beauties at Manoli’s were a cut above. Braised in balsamic vinegar and drizzled with some Horseradish Skordalia and Champagne Vinaigrette, these beets retained their earthy sweetness, and the unexpectedly great combo of horseradish and vinaigrette livened up the palate in the best way.
I topped the savory selection off with an impeccably conceived Confit Melon Soup from Avenues Proper. It was a pleasant surprise to see how in touch they were with subtlety. This wee shot glass of flavor was the perfect way to transition from the more savory dishes to dessert. The soup tasted like fresh cantaloupe with a bit of mango, and the thinly sliced pickled grapes provided both a lovely texture and some sweet/sour flavor to the broth. It would go especially well with Proper Burger Co.’s Johnny Utah Burger—here’s hoping we see this on the menu sometime soon.
Ice cream was a no-brainer for dessert, and the two finest vendors of said frozen treat were Amour Café and PJK’s Creamery. Amour was doling out fluffy spheres of Manhattan Stracciatella Gelato topped with a Cocktail Mix Cookie. Chef Amber Billingsley knows how to make gelato sing, and the sweet and salty cookie was an excellent gelato delivery system. The ripped dudes at PJK’s had four tasty flavors of their famous, home-churned ice cream ready to cool off the evening’s toasty attendees. I went for Buttered Popcorn Ice Cream and then I went back for Strawberry Balsamic Gelato. The Buttered Popcorn was a creamy, slightly salted wonder, and the Strawberry Balsamic had a lovely tartness paired well with the balsamic vinegar.
As the angry sun finally retreated behind the Oquirrh Mountains to bother the other side of the planet with its unwelcome inferno, I was grateful to be among such fine chefs and restaurateurs. Eat Drink SLC always serves as a tasty reminder that Utah’s food scene is worth getting out and experiencing—even if the temperature happens to be in the triple digits. –Alex Springer
Click photos for captions
Eat Drink SLC kicks off its annual event right at home at the beautifully scenic Tracy Aviary. Photo: Talyn Sherer
3 Badge Mixology teams up with Copper Common to pour up the “Hello Honey Cocktail,” consisting of Bozcal Mezcal, Cointreau, hopped honey jalapeño syrup, lime and Proper Brewing Co.’s Lake Effect Gose. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Copper Common samples out their tasty blanched almond milk shots with a touch of powdered sugar. Photo: Talyn Sherer
The good-for-one drink tickets made the tasting choices a game of refined selection throughout the event. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Cheese and wine maker Melanie Krause of Cinder Winery talks shop with a local wine enthusiast while sampling some of her dry viognier. Photo: Talyn Sherer
My friends over at Amour Café dished up my favorite dessert, the Manhattan Stracciatella Gelato, complete with a chocolate sweet and salty cookie. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Kid Curry Spirits gave us the boot in shot glass form as we sampled out their delicious and smooth rum. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Kid Curry won the Tastings gold medal for their small-batch silver rum, which pairs well with pretty much anything. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Beehive Cheese always pairs well with the wine being served up at Eat Drink SLC. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Andy Mueller of Beehive Cheese is one part of the creative genius that goes into every wheel of cheese they make. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Pallet had me returning for seconds and thirds with their samplings of the herbed falafel with house-made pita, spicy green tahini sauce and a herbed salad with picked radish. Photo: Talyn Sherer
One of the most talked-about dishes throughout the aviary was Trio’s braised octopus with white bean olive hummus, hearts of palm and jalapeño citronette. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Uvaggio wine was a personal favorite of the night with their refined and delicate balance of sweet and dry reds. Photo: Talyn Sherer
The artists officially known as MiNX make their annual appearance at Eat Drink SLC to set the tone for the entire event. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Stanza served up a delicious bruschetta featuring whipped goat cheese, marinated heirloom tomatoes and a balsamic drizzle. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Elk Cove Vineyards has a motto we can all stand behind: “Save Water, Drink Wine!” Photo: Talyn Sherer
Provisions gave us a sweet, salty and savory treat of chicken liver mousse with smoked organic chicken, rhubarb compote, basil and pistachio over a slice of toast. Photo: Talyn Sherer
3 Cups helped cool us off with their chocolate spice cookie featuring Blue Copper Coffee gelato and the cherry almond cookie with High West Stracciatela gelato. Photo: Talyn Sherer
My go-to wine for many years has been the bottles from Haraszthy Family Cellars. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Blended Table gave us the most unique tasting of the night which was their watermelon radish spring roll with a peanut plum dipping sauce. Photo: Talyn Sherer
The newest mystery craze to hit SLC was The Dispensary, who sampled out their meat and veggie pies. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Uinta found a little slice of Shangri-La in the park as they set up shop amongst the wild birds. Photo: Talyn Sherer
(L–R) Vine Lore reps Tatiana Subbotin and Whitney Norton passed out golden cork necklaces for those wishing to win a custom made firepit. Photo: Talyn Sherer
3 Badge Eonology sampled out their signature Plungerhead wine, which was everything I hoped and dreamed it would be. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Taking the food scene by storm the chefs over at Park City Culinary Institute left a lasting impression with their Vino Cotto Profiteroles, stuffed with goat cheese, cream cheese, red and yellow bell peppers, parsley chives and vino cotto. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Frida Bistro crafted the albondingas de pollo with con mole negro, crema Mexicana, ajonjoli and totopps that would be surely approved by the master artist herself. Photo: Talyn Sherer
The Tracy Aviary peacock gets to a higher elevation to scout out its next sampling booth. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Red Rock gave us a nice refreshing slice of watermelon with a basil and raspberry sauce drizzle. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Lorenza wines are the gold standard of rose wine within the California landscape. Photo: Talyn Sherer
(L–R) Melinda Kearney and her son Stefan Ouellette have been crafting rose wine, and only rose wine, for the past few years, perfecting every bottle as they go. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Neighbors of the Tracy Aviary, Manoli’s cooked up some balsamic braised beets with horseradish skordalia, water cress and champagne vinaigrette. Photo: Talyn Sherer
(L–R) Chefs Katrina Cutrubus and Manoli of Manoli’s are making a new name for high-end Mediterranean and Greek food in the valley. Photo: Talyn Sherer
The Beehive Distilling Barrel Reserve Gin is a refined creation that cannot even be described in caption form. Photo: Talyn Sherer
More delicious albondingas made up of pork meatballs, red sauce and feta were courtesy of Lake Effect. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Fire & Slice Wood Pizza had me practically diving into their wood-burning oven to taste a piece of their margherita pizza topped with rosemary olive oil. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Fire & Slice Wood Fire Pizza sampled out their house specialty pie made with fresh arugula, white balsamic and honey vinaigrette, pickled red onion, and a three-cheese blend. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Willamette Valley Vineyards had crowds of thirsty winos pouring into their booth throughout the night. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Cucina brought us a sampling of their Tuna Poke mixed with guajillo chile, mango, avocado, sesame on top of a wonton. Photo: Talyn Sherer
No matter what corner of the Tracy Aviary you find yourself in, you are sure to be greeted by the tunes of a live band. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Fireside on Regent made their debut with a cracked pepper and chevre gougere stuffed with tarragon egg salad, guanciale crisps, butter lettuce and chives. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Zest turned some heads and converted a few non-believers with their samplings of various vegan cheeses. Photo: Talyn Sherer
There is nothing better than a warm buttery roll with a mustard seed finish from Trestle Tavern. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Takashi shows us their cocktail game with the “Smile Jamaica,” featuring Kirk and Sweeney 18-year rum, Campari and hibiscus tea. Photo: Talyn Sherer
The newest sensation from the minds of Whiskey Street and Bourbon House is White Horse Spirits and Kitchen. Their elegant and delicious beef tenderloin tartare was the game changer of the night. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Whiskey Street featured some delicious Wathen’s Boubon in their Smoked Peach Old Fashioned. Photo: Talyn Sherer
The tomato lovers rejoiced at Stoneground Kitchen’s heirloom tomato salad with house-cured pancetta, bagna cauda and crispy quinoa. Photo: Talyn Sherer
(L–R) Manager Jason Nardone, executive chef Nathan Powers, Zach Arybello and Diego Garcia are the powerhouse team that makes up Bambara. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Vive Juicery teases us with their unique bottles filled with even more unique juice blends. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Avenues Proper offered up a unique and flavorful cantaloupe soup with microgreens, candied nuts and okra. Photo: Talyn Sherer
(L–R) Hayleigh Anderson, head chef Jeff Springer and Vance Lott are solely responsible for my undying love of Avenues Proper’s food. Photo: Talyn Sherer
As the sun begins to set over the Tracy Aviary the golden-hour mood starts to set in. Photo: Talyn Sherer
PJK’s creamery has become a staple of any food event going on around town, and they never disappoint. Photo: Talyn Sherer
(L–R) Lacey Moran and Austen Stanton were really pleased with all the cocktail and food choices being served up throughout the night. Photo: Talyn Sherer
(L–R) Three of my favorite people, Amber Billingsley, Casee Francis and John Francis all make up my friendly neighborhood Amour Café. Photo: Talyn Sherer
(L–R) Lucas Newman, June Ropp, Matthew Pettit and Laura Kramer all share a good laugh while enjoying some tasty drinks. Photo: Talyn Sherer
(L-R) Fellow SLUG stafferinos Orchid Behzad, Angela Brown, Fletcher Booth, Nancy Rivera, Alexander Ortega, Kathy Zhou and Sam Feinman all came out to show their support for Eat Drink SLC. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Can’t think of a better way to spend a summer night than with a nice glass of wine next to a cozy fire at the Tracy Aviary. Photo: Talyn Sherer
(L–R) Frankie “The Wolf” and Tony Tartini will be caught serving drinks over at your favorite local bar Whiskey Street. Photo: Talyn Sherer
Nothing says you’re having a good time like collecting a random group of people for a random photo. Photo: Talyn Sherer
(L–R) Ginger Steensma, Sally Padawer, Amy Martin and Aurelie Ferrut wind down the night with a glass of white wine on a park bench. Photo: Talyn Sherer
(L-R) Zest owner Casey Staker and SLUG Executive Editor in chief Angela Brown say their final goodbyes as the night comes to an end. Photo: Talyn Sherer
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