the day after World Chaîne Day 2023
By Sue Geary, Vice Chargée de Presse, FWS, IWS, SWS
Members and guests of the Bailliage de Salt Lake City gathered at Urban Hill on Sunday, April 23 in celebration of World Chaîne Day. This year’s World Chaîne Day was dedicated to the Chaîne’s charity organization, ACCR (the Association Caritative de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs), which provides financial aid to students in hotel, restaurant, and catering programs worldwide. Attendees were invited to donate to this worthy endeavor.
Urban Hill, in the city’s newly-bustling Post District, is the latest of restaurateur Brooks Kirchheimer’s creative dining spots, joining Park City’s Hearth and Hill and Hill’s Kitchen. This beautiful new restaurant continues the Kirchheimer Family’s commitment to “make every dining experience a special occasion.” Former manager of Montage Deer Valley and Sundance Resort’s Zoom Restaurant, Brooks opened his first restaurant in 2018 and has received multiple awards over the intervening years.
Executive Chef, Nick Zocco, Executive Pastry Chef, Chris Straughan, and their skilled and professional staff provided an exceptional dining experience. Vice Échanson Kasey Dubler chose from our cellar a selection of California wines that paired exquisitely with the elegant meal. Bailli Cole Johnson welcomed everyone and provided descriptions of the wines at each course.
Guests were greeted with a glass of festive 2022 Scar of the Sea Pinot Noir Pét Nat, San Luis Obispo County to accompany the three appetizer offerings: Chorizo Croquetas of romesco, Manchego, marcona almonds, and pickled cauliflower; Ember Roasted Carrots with feta, pepitas, pine nuts, cilantro, and New Mexico red chile sauce; and Dill Seasoned Latkes with crème fraiche, egg, apple butter, American caviar, and chive. Urban Hill’s very attentive servers made certain that no glass remained empty during the reception.
Once seated, guests enjoyed their choices of two first-course offerings. The French Onion Soup with sweet onion, gruyere, and baguette was well-paired with the 2021 Idlewild Flora and Fauna Red, North Coast. A Caesar Salad with little gem lettuce, parmesan frico, croutons, and anchovies was perfectly matched with 2021 Tangent Albariño, Edna Valley.
Diners were able to pre-select among three main course choices with an exceptional wine pairing for each. A Lamb Porterhouse with sweet potato, roasted fennel, cashew-olive relish, mint, and Bourbon gravy paired beautifully with the 2013 Hayfork Cabernet Sauvignon Lewelling Ranch, St. Helena. Maine Diver Scallops with fregola sardo, shoyu braised carrots, pickled chiles, and lemon-ginger beurre blanc cried out for a companion white blend, 2020 Arbe Garbe White, Russian River Valley. The Roasted Half Chicken with blue corn grits, collard greens, bacon, turnip, and natural jus found the ideal accompaniment with the 2020 Sanford Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills.
The meal ended with a choice of two desserts, Cheescake with sable Breton cookie and seasonal fruit or Mango Guava Sorbet. Both paired well with the 2020 Quady Essensia, San Joaquin Valley, a sweet and spicy wine made from Orange Muscat grapes.
As always, the event décor designed by our creative Bailli Cole Johnson, reflected the theme of this California wine dinner. Wine country maps directed guests to their assigned tables which were marked with the names of the AVAs of the evening’s wines. The intimate private dining room proved to be an ideal spot for this more casual event. Thank you to Urban Hill and to everyone who attended!
