Salt Lake City Bailliage Really Has a “Handle” on Virtual Events

By Sue Geary, Vice Chargée de Presse

Never to be deterred in our quest to gather as a bailliage to enjoy beautiful food paired with the perfect wines, we are getting more comfortable with pandemic-forced virtual meetings.  Our participating chefs are getting ever more inventive at assuring that each course-to-go looks and tastes as it might at their restaurants.  Vice Conseiller Culinaire Jodie Rogers arranged for our October member dinner to be provided by Handle Restaurant of Park City, with meals distributed from HSL (Handle Salt Lake).  Chef Briar Handly provided written instructions for the final preparation of the exquisite four-course dinner.

Handle Restaurant became a part of Park City’s dining options in 2014, and won Salt Lake Magazine’s Dining Award just one year later.  Its creative chefs focus on American cuisine of locally-sourced and organic foods.  Their menu is rich with small plates of seasonal specialties as well as familiar favorites. Executive Chef and owner, Briar Handy, is joined by chefs Melissa Gray and Meagan Nash and a “rockstar” staff.

For our first course of Salmon Gravlox Mousse, Vice Echanson Kasey Dubler presented Domaine Des Baumard Savenniers as its companion wine.  This Chenin Blanc from France’s Loire Region was the perfect pairing for the salmon and pepper jelly.  Kasey selected Clos a Coutale Cahors, in the Southwest Region of France, for our second course of Beef Heart Tartare.  Cahors is the only appellation to widely replant Malbec after the devastating freeze of 1956.  To add to our bank of wine trivia, Kasey told us that the owner of Clos a Coutale invented the double-hinged waiter’s corkscrew!  Kasey chose Chateau Mont-Redon Chateuneuf-du-Pape as the pairing for the Lamb Shoulder Roulade entrée.  Our diners who requested vegan and gluten-free alternatives were most appreciative of Chef Handly’s excellent choices for each course.

The dessert of Thai Iced Tea was attended not by a wine, but by a lively discussion about cocktails initiated by Vice Conseiller Gastronomique Hon. Rita Paxton.  The conversation generated many ideas for Mondiale events in the near future.

Most Dedicated Award:  With her participation in this event, Vice Conseiller Gastronomique Sammie Doyle clearly deserves the award for Most Dedicated Chaîne Board Member.  She and her husband, Sean, joined us for dinner from a hotel room, where they were celebrating their anniversary!

Our Bailli’s New Skill:  We did have some technical difficulties for the first time since we have met via Zoom.  Bailli Sheral Schowe’s audio became distorted early into the event, which really hampered her participation.  When she spoke, her words sounded like the notes played on the keys of Linus’ piano.  Nothing we tried corrected the problem.  So, with all respect due to those who claim to speak in tongues, we have witnessed our Bailli speak in tunes!