Last weekend we celebrated in true Talisker style with a slew of the head chefs and their best creations coming onto their fall menu.  This Taste of Talisker SLCmixer, was a first of its kind and one that we will all remember for some time – (especially the flavor of the pumpkin gnocchi pictured above)!

We all gathered at Roth’s Culinary Scene, a kitchen showroom filled with top of the line Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to meet and congratulate Talisker’s new head chef, Zeke Wrey.  Now I’ve known Zeke for sometime now and have enjoyed his food from the first time I tasted it so I knew how great of a thing it was when they announced his promotion to head chef.  The very first time I tasted some of Zeke’s creations I had promptly returned from a trip to Europe, still jet lagged and filled with tastes of Rome, Tuscany and Paris, yet his foods blew me away! Instantly, gratefulness swept over me to live in such a budding culinary town.

Some of you may be asking, “What is Talisker exactly?”  Talisker owns over 14,000 acres of land around and in Park City, offering world class lifestyle, skiing, amenities, and of course food.

On this evening, Talisker, brought all of their top chefs to the kitchen (sous chefs were put in charge at the restaurants for the night) so we were to have a feast of the senses! The chefs split up into a couple separate kitchens in the Roth showroom to create pieces of their fall menus.  Talisker has several restaurants in Park City and specifically at the Canyons Resort.  Here are descriptions of a few of them:

Talisker on Main – The cornerstone of the Talisker Restaurant Collection, this culinary standout was named the “Best Restaurant in Park City” two years in a row by Salt Lake Magazine. This restaurant focuses on sampling many distinctive regional flavors with a constantly evolving menu inspire by the fresh produce available during the changing seasons. Located on historic Main Street, Talisker on Main also offers one of the best wine selections in Park City.

The Farm – named the “Best New Restaurant in Utah” in February 2012 by Salt Lake Magazine and features an innovative menu that focuses on locally sourced ingredients from farms and artisans within 200 miles of Park City. Located in the heart of the Canyons Resort Village

Bistro at the Canyons –  the first certified glatt kosher restaurant open all winter season at any ski resort in the nation, and the latest addition to the culinary family at Canyons.

Slopes –  embraces a “living well” mantra and focuses on a balance of freshness, variety, flavor and nutrition while emphasizing seasonal ingredients. The menu features both healthy and hearty options with a number of selections for those with special dietary needs. Located in the Waldorf Astoria, this amazing restaurant also features an impressive selection of wines.

Throughout the evening we were treated to some of the best flavors our state offers, as Talisker prides itself on using local and seasonal ingredients. We also were thrilled to try true kosher foods from the chef at Bistro, the first glatt kosher restaurant at any ski resort in the nation.

We also thoroughly enjoyed the cocktails and wine that Sean Marron introduced us to. Their seasonal cocktails feature a pumpkin cocktail, a yellow beet cocktail and a few others, all of which were enjoyed by everyone. And the wines available were extensive and tasty!

Here are a few more shots of the evening.  As you can see, the folks at Talisker don’t overlook the details, their culianary craft is careful and beautifully constructed, every bite being unique and bursting in flavor.

Because much of what they serve at every Talisker restaurant is seasonal, their menus are constantly evolving. This fall or winter will be the perfect time to drive up to the beautiful mountains of Park City and taste for yourself, the fresh inventive flavors that Talisker restaurants offer!

For a list of our upcoming SLCmixers please visit SLCmixers.com.

Have you ever had a dining experience that just completely changed your mood or helped you forget everything going on around you? As we sat inside the atrium umbrella on the deck of The Canyons ski resort at one of the most highly acclaimed restaurants in Park City, The Farm, and as our friendly waiter handed us over a couple of cocktails, I easily slipped into the euphoria of the moment. Sometimes a book or a long run helps me to take a break from the business of life but in this case it was a meal, and a delicious mulit-course meal at that!  Today I’m going to take you on a journey through our tasteful evening at The Farm.

The open air kitchen allows anyone entering the restaurant to see just how freshly prepared each dish is that comes to your table at The Farm. Many of the dishes they serve at The Farm highlight the natural flavors of the food, without any distractions or overly seasoned additives to keep you from tasting the fresh selections of produce and meats.

After walking past the kitchen area we chose to sit in their indoor/outdoor area, what they call the glass atrium or the umbrella. Blinds guard the sun from making the area too hot and if the sun is getting in your eyes at all a server will hang up a thicker blanket to shade your table.  We always feel spoiled by the quality of service we get in Park City.  When the sun goes down the blinds go up and you have a peaceful setting overlooking the ski slopes with the cool mountain air greeting each table.

The chef started the evening by bringing a complementary amuse-bouche to our table. Of our first few small bites, my favorite was the fried-green tomato, a firm tomato fried to a crisp in grainy cornmeal and served with a tangy, spicy aioli and an assortment of unusual greens on top.

Pork Belly also graced their amazing menu of hors d’oeuvres (which we can never pass up an opportunity to taste pork belly).  This salty cut of meat lived up to its reputation – it melted our mouths.

I let Josh enjoy most of the pork belly while I moved on to a small serving of their cracked pepper fettucini served with sweet english peas, a bite of trout and the smallest quail egg cracked on top.I am so glad that The Farm serves up fresh, lighter fare because we had a long evening of eating on this occasion!  Before our main entrees came out we cleansed our pallets with some refreshing golden and pink beets that were lightly roasted and naturally flavorful.

At this moment in our meal, we took a few deep breaths and a few more sips of the tasty Pinot Noir selected by our waiter before we moved to our entrees.  I really appreciate that the Farm serves half-bottles of wine.  Especially since I began the evening with a cocktail, a half-bottle is the perfect amount to enjoy with a meal.  We enjoyed every sip of the Domaine Drouhin from the Willamette Valley in Oregon.

For our main course Josh tried their grass fed beef, which was a rare cut on this day, and was served with horseradish flan, chard, beets and chimichurri.  The cut of meat was perfectly tender and as Josh described ‘incredible!’

I chose the Grass Valley Steelhead, a cut of trout simply seasoned with garlic and fresh herbs, served with mushrooms (foraged by the chef himself), asparagus and parsley infused goat milk.  The goat’s milk sauce was most unusual, adding a tangy, creamy sauce that didn’t overwhelm the dish but added a intriguing flavor to a few bites.

After consuming most of what was on my plate I got up to walk around the restaurant and take a few photos.  I wanted to show you their creativity in their outdoor dining area.  The ‘live tables’ were specially made for the restaurant’s spot at Savor the Summit and were lined with a shallow trough for herbs to grow.  Diners can add herbs to their dishes or pick from a wide selection of mint for their summer mojito.

No one had to twist my arm to try something off the dessert menu at The Farm.  The only problem was deciding which dessert.  Luckily there was one that both Josh and I were drawn to, Peanut Butter Pie with an Oreo crust and a topping of chocolate ganache and espresso reduction sauce.   We savored each bite as we shared a small glass of Alvear dessert wine, a wine that uses the solera process in aging, which uses fractional blending from previous vintages giving the finished product a vintage to boast about.

I’m always amazed by the interesting and congenial servers in Park City restaurants, but that is even an understatement for our service at The Farm. Our server, Michael, gave us many nuggets of interesting information about our food and wine and did so in a way that we felt was modest and friendly. The Farm served us memorable bites, exceptional service and atmosphere, and overall a magical evening slope-side.  This is a place I’ll return to for any special occasion or just to take a break from the craziness of life and enjoy seasonally fresh flavors and cool mountain air.

The Farm at The Canyons Resort