Chaîne Salt Lake City Chaîne Blog

San Diego Chapter Calendar

Cessily Johnson — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 04:28:38 GMT

The email below from the San Diego chapter contains a summary of their events. Feel free to reach out to their Bailli for additional details if you're traveling and interested in attending any of them!

Dear San Diego Chapter Members,

I am excited to announce the 2025 San Diego Chapter Calendar of Events!! I would like to take the time to also welcome those additional Chaine members from the La Jolla, Newport Beach and Salt Lake City Chapters that will be on our email lists and may join us from time to time. We will gladly welcome all Chaine members as we get together at our SD Chapter events in 2025!

As an FYI, the 2025 calendar will be focused on our Chapter events, but I have also included the Chaine National and International Events provided on the national Chaine website and Cuvee newsletter. In addition, I have included a few non-Chaine related events that may be of interest since we are a group that loves food & wine. Note, I have included links were available.

Not all details are finalized for events occurring later in the year so I will be periodically sending an updated calendar as details get finalized. Lastly, I may from time to time offer 2-3 smaller “pop-up” events throughout the year. Now, please find our Chapter’s 2025 Calendar of Events below:

Saturday, February 1, 2025

Theme: 2025 Member and Potential New Member Welcome Event

Venue: California English – Brunch Menu

Dress: Casual

Ribbons: Optional

Capacity: No max (Chaine Members and Non-Chaine Members)

Cost: $105 for Chaine Members / $130 for Non-Chaine Members

Registration email to be sent week of January 6^th

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Theme: Mondiale Event – In-House Tasting with Samsara Winery

Venue: Robinson Household – Evening tasting

Dress: Casual

Ribbons: Optional

Capacity: Max 20 (Chaine Members Only)

Cost: $25/person for food

Registration email to be sent week of February 3^rd

Monday, April 28, 2025

Theme: Wine Dinner (Wine theme TBD)

Venue: Amalfi Llama

Dress: Business Casual

Ribbons: Required

Capacity: ~30-40 (Chaine Members and Guests)

Cost: TBD

Registration email to be sent week of March 31^st

Friday, June 27, 2025

Theme: Mondiale Event – In-House Tasting with Seven Apart Winery

Venue: Robinson Household – Evening tasting

Dress: Casual

Ribbons: Optional

Capacity: Max 20 (Chaine Members Only)

Cost: $25/person for food; Winery requires purchase

Registration email to be sent week of June 2^nd

Sunday, August 3^rd, 2025

Theme: Tacos y Tequila Summer Fiesta

Venue: TBD

Dress: Festive fiesta wear

Ribbons: Optional

Capacity: TBD (Chaine Members and Guests)

Cost: TBD

Registration email to be sent week of July 7^th

Sunday, September 21, 2025

Theme: SD Chapter Fall Induction Ceremony Dinner (Samsara Winery to be served)

Venue: Avant @ Rancho Bernardo Inn

Dress: Formal/Black Tie

Ribbons: Required

Capacity: ~60 (Chaine Members and Guests)

Cost: TBD

Registration email to be sent week of August 18^th

Date TBD, 2025

Theme: Joint San Diego and La Jolla Chapters Holiday Celebration

Venue: TBD

Dress: Formal/Black Tie

Ribbons: Required

Capacity: TBD (Chaine Members and Guests)

Cost: TBD

Registration email to be sent TBD

National Chaine Events:

Grand Chapitre in Honolulu, May 14-18

2025 Grand Chapitre – Paradise Awaits! Registration is now Live - Chaine des Rotisseurs

International Chaine Travel Events:

EXPLORE SOUTH AFRICA!

A Trip of a Lifetime to South Africa

February 20 – March 5, 2025

DETAILS!

PHILOXENIA (FEE lo zeen ya)

An Odyssey of Greek Cuisine, Culture and Hospitality

April 5-14, 2025

DETAILS!

Non-Chaine events of Interest

San Diego Restaurant Week at various venues

Jan 26 through Feb 2 (San Diego Restaurant Week) - usually extends a week

Also, to be held September 14 through September 21

Outstanding in the Field lunch in Valley Center

Guest Chef: Brian Redzikowski of Kettner Exchange

Guest Winery: Habit Wine Co

(February 15, 2025 | Peads and Barnetts – Outstanding in the Field)

World of Pinot Noir: Seminars, Luncheons, Dinners and Grand Tasting Events

WOPN Feb 27 through March 1

I hope you all are excited as I am for the 2025 planned events for our Chapter! I look forward to seeing each of you at one, or all, of the events!

Vive la Chaîne!

Sincerely,

James M Robinson

Bailli and Conseiller Société Mondiale du Vin

Confrérìe de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, Bailliage de San Diego

(619) 866-9187

Déjeuner Rosé - Bastille Day Celebration

Sun, 21 Jul 2024 19:00:00 GMT

Members of the Salt Lake City Bailliage and their guests trekked to the “back side” of the Wasatch Mountains on Sunday, July 21^st for our annual Bastille Day Celebration. Instead of a traditional dinner, the bailliage partnered with Co-owner and Executive Chef, John Platt of Midway Mercantile to create a multi-course midday meal featuring a variety of French Rosé and Champagne wines.

While primarily self-trained, Chef John started his career in public education. He soon realized his true passion was in the kitchen and pivoted to work in the restaurant industry. Chef John, his wife Sandra, and their partner Pablo Butler relocated to Utah and opened Midway Mercantile in 2017. The trio previously ran a neighborhood restaurant together in Seattle for 17 years and dreamed of opening a restaurant in Utah. Together they have created a delicious dining destination with a menu that includes freshly made pasta, stone hearth pizzas, and a wide variety of entrees featuring ingredients sourced from local farms and purveyors.

The Midway Mercantile restaurant has quickly become a favorite of many of the members of the Salt Lake City Bailliage. He and his wife have become great friends to several of our members including our Event Chair, Vice Chargée de Missions Rebecca Love. After more than a year of dreaming about partnering together to host an event, she finally made it happen!

Chef John and his wife Sandra closed the restaurant for the afternoon and hosted our group on their private, outdoor patio. Their team expertly prepared a five-course lunch with a few surprises thrown in to highlight the wines.

The first course included a duo of Fried Oysters with a Smoked Paprika Aioli served alongside Pomegranate Marinated Strawberries and Watermelon, Butter Lettuce, and Balsamic. The Les Caves du Sieur d'Arques Crémant de Limoux Aimery 1531 Cremant Brut Rosé, Crémant de Limoux AOC complimented the dish perfectly.

A Beet Muhamarra Dip, Stone Hearth Flatbread & Toasted Pine Nuts with Herbes de Provence followed and was paired with a 2021 Commanderie de la Bargemon Rosé, Coteaux D'Aix-En-Provence AOC.

The third course was Smoked Trout Rillettes, Brioche Toasts and Rustling Aspen Farm Gem Lettuces & Dukkah Seasoned Roasted Scottish Salmon. The 2021 Le Saint Pâle Gamay Noir Rosé, Beaujolais AOC was the perfect accompaniment.

Chef John snuck in a special, small bite in between the third and fourth courses. Sadly, when members of the Salt Lake City Bailliage sat down with Chef John to develop the event’s menu, his Campfire Idaho Trout with Lemon and Caper Butter Sauce didn’t pair well with any of the wines. However, Chef John didn’t want us to miss out! He served each guest a small portion of this signature dish for everyone to enjoy. No one was complaining!

The official fourth course (the main course) was a Grilled Lamb Chop with Rosemary Dijon Sauce with Smashed Tagge Farm Baby Red Potatoes and Local Farm Ratatouille. The 2023 Domaine de la Bastide Blanche Rosé, Bandol AOC may have been the favorite wine of the afternoon by many!

The next fun bonus bite was an Amouse Bouche served right before the dessert. The dish was a tasty Duck Leg Confit featuring local Utah Honey.

And, finally, the dessert course was a Strawberry Rhubarb Ginger Crisp with Ice Cream paired with Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Cuvée Sublime Demi-Sec, Champagne AOC.

At the close of the meal, Bailli Provincial Sheral Schowe presented Chef John with a certificate and a pewter Chaîne plate to display in the restaurant.

World Chaîne Day in Salt Lake City

Sun, 21 Apr 2024 01:00:00 GMT

The Salt Lake City Baillage celebrated World Chaîne Day with a feast of Italian cuisine at Caffé Molise in downtown Salt Lake City.

Caffé Molise is located in the recently renovated Eagles Building which was constructed in 1915. The building originally housed the Fraternal Order of Eagles - a social club whose membership sponsored social and cultural activities. In the 19th century, they furnished free medical services and lobbied for fair labor policies in Utah.

Our dinner was served in the main level private dining room which provided a cozy space to enjoy the company of dear friends as we embarked on another culinary adventure!

Members and their guests were treated to five course meal expertly paired with a selection of Italian wines from our local Chaîne cellar. Prior to each course, one of the officers presented each wine.

The first course featured a seared spice-rubbed ahi tuna with fennel relish served on fresh arugula tossed with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice paired with a 2022 Araldica la Luciana Gavi.

Smoky grilled eggplant baba ganoush with fresh coriander raita drizzle and pita came next which was beautifully paired with a 2019 Fontanafredda Langhe Rosato Solerose.

For the third course, a hearty pappardelle al sugo featuring a slow simmered sauce of beef, pork, tomatoes, and aromatics topped with Asiago and fresh basil was paired with a crowd-pleasing 2011 Il Macchione Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

Duck Leg Confit with bitter orange gastrique followed for the fourth course. The duck was paired with a 2014 Gaja Sito Moresco Langhe.

To wrap up the evening, everyone enjoyed a slice of decadent dark chocolate cake with a fresh strawberry puree paired with a 2003 Giuseppe Lonardi Le Arele Recioto Della Valpolicella.

At the end of the evening, members and their guests left with the official 2024 World Chaîne Day pin to add to their ribbons to help them remember another delightful culinary adventure.

An Evening of Elegance and Friendship: The Paulée

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 01:00:00 GMT

On the evening of February 3rd, the opulent penthouse of Dame Diana Wehrly became the rendezvous for an extraordinary gathering that epitomized both luxury and camaraderie. Inspired by the traditional Burgundian Paulée, this intimate event was designed to foster friendship within the bailliage, with members sharing not just exquisite wines but also the stories that made each bottle special.

The selection of wines for the evening was nothing short of spectacular, featuring rarities and vintages that could make any connoisseur's heart skip a beat. The lineup boasted a 2002 vintage Krug champagne and a vintage Philliponnat champagne, both setting a sparkling tone for the night. The deep, complex notes of a 1975 Barolo and the rich, velvety layers of a 1977 Bertani Amarone offered a journey through time, while a Cult California Pinot Noir provided a nod to the modern excellence in winemaking. The evening was sweetened further by an assortment of dessert wines, each telling its own unique story. Adding to the allure, both white and red Grand Cru Burgundies were savored, their nuanced elegance and depth bringing a touch of Burgundy's esteemed terroir to the occasion.

Adding to the exclusivity of the event, VIP guests Vice Echanson des Etats-Unis Hon. David Merrill and Conseiller Gastronomique Provincial Provincial Richard Pater graced the penthouse with their presence, bringing with them tales of vineyards and vintages from across the globe.

The culinary journey, curated by Chef Adam Park, was a masterpiece in itself, pairing perfectly with the wines and enhancing the overall experience. From the delicate balance of shrimp and avocado on endive to the rich and hearty beef tartare with black garlic toast, each dish was a testament to the chef's creativity and expertise. The hoisin glazed pork belly bao buns and pea pesto with mint and burrata were crowd favorites, while the demi sticky toffee pudding offered a sweet finale to the sumptuous menu.

The evening's highlight was undoubtedly the moment each member presented the wine they had brought, sharing the personal stories and passions that accompanied their choice. This act of sharing went beyond the wine itself, fostering a sense of community and friendship among the attendees.

Set against the backdrop of Dame Diana's penthouse, with its breathtaking views and elegant ambiance, the event was a celebration of the finer things in life: good wine, great food, and even greater company. It was an evening that encapsulated the essence of the Paulée tradition, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of those who were fortunate enough to be part of it.

As glasses clinked and laughter filled the air, it was clear that this Paulée was more than just a wine tasting—it was a testament to the bonds that form over shared experiences and the timeless joy of gathering with friends old and new.

Familia Deicas Winemaker Dinner

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 02:00:00 GMT

The Salt Lake City Bailliage had the honor and privilege to host winemaker Santiago Deicas from the Familia Deicas Winery in Uruguay. Santiago Deicas is considered to be a trailblazer in South American winemaking. At just 36 years old, he’s already been named as one of the “Top 5 Most Influential Winemakers in South America” by Decanter back in 2021. He regularly pushes boundaries in the dynamic world of wine in the Uruguayan wine scene.

The setting for this memorable six-course dinner was Cucina Wine Bar nestled in the Avenues section of Salt Lake City. Executive Chef Joey Ferran and his team expertly paired a bounty of culinary delights with Santiago’s delicious wines. Chef Ferran was born and raised in Salt Lake County and has worked in some of the area’s most prestigious kitchens. He cultivates strong relationships with local growers, foragers, and importers to incorporate a wide variety of seasonal ingredients to his dishes.

As the Salt Lake City Bailliage members and their guests arrived, they were treated with small bites of Ahi Tartare paired with their choice of Don Pascual Coastal White 2021 or Don Pascual Coastal Tannat 2020 - or both!

Octopus was the star of the first seated course plated with a marcona almond romesco, artichoke coulis, green garlic oil, and a dash of scallion ash. The pairing with the Familia Deicas 2023 Atlántico Sur Albariño worked very well.

Juniper duck breast came next, with a smoked wheat berry ragout, kabocha squash, brassica, and saba. The wine pairing - Familia Deicas 2021 Extreme Vineyards Cerro del Guavirá - features a blend of Merlot, Tannat, Petit Verdot, and Viognier that are all harvested on the same day and co-fermented together. This co-fermentation provides an aromatic and textural diversity to the wine.

In the third course, Chef Ferran and his team created a hearty rabbit cassoulet with heirloom lima beans, hen of the woods mushrooms, pancetta lardon, and a side of grilled bread. The wine pairing for this course was the Familia Deicas 2021 Atlántico Sur Tannat. This wine is 100% Tannat which is harvested from several vineyards located just a few kilometers from the coast. The grapes in this wine mature rapidly and are thus harvested early. As a result, they produce a balanced wine featuring floral aromas, fresh fruit and minerals, and an enveloping texture.

A bison striploin with purple potato, king trumpet, oregano chimichurri, and sauce choron followed. It was paired with the highly awaited Familia Deicas 2016 Preludio. This wine consists of a blend of Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Marselan. Each year the winery starts with 600 barrels. Every six months during the 24-30 month aging process, only the best barrels are selected to continue the aging process. At the conclusion, fewer than 200 barrels remain. The final blend and proportions for each vintage are determined by a committee of tasters.

The final dish of the night was a Tahitian vanilla bean crème brûlée with langue du chat and Chantilly cream. As we scooped our last morsels of dessert, we made new friends, strengthen existing friendships, and enjoyed the company of such a renowned winemaker and chef.

An Evening of Italian Sensory Delights

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 01:00:00 GMT

Antica Sicilia provided a warm and inviting backdrop for a delightful event of conviviality accompanied by Italian sensory delights! Wine importer and longtime friend of the Salt Lake City Baillage, Stephanie Cuadra, guided us through hand-selected wines while sharing her passion and expertise. From the first sip to the last bite, each course was thoughtfully paired with wines that elevated and accentuated the flavors of the delectable dishes prepared by Chef Guiseppe Mirenda and his team.

Upon arrival, members and their guests were greeted with a glass of Massimago “Zurlie” Pét Nat Rosé, Corvina, Valpolicella, Veneto while they eagerly awaited the seven-course Italian Feast to come.

The Antipasto course was comprised of a trio of separate dishes: Parmigiano Tartara Mista, Cannoli di Parmigiano, and Dates & Spec. The dishes were accompanied by Stephanie Cuadra’s own 2020 Lasorte Cuadra Silos, IGT Valle d’Itria, Puglia. Stephanie and her husband founded the Lasorte Cuadra winery in 2019 at their farm in Valle d’Itria, Puglia. They produce only a small quantity of wine – around 7,000 cases – half of which is exported to Utah.

Members and their guests were treated to a pair of dishes for the Pasta course. First was a delightful Bucatini Caccio e Pepe that was finished with truffle. The second was Tagliolini Pistacchio e Gamberi which was a shrimp pasta dish finished in a creamy pistachio sauce. Both of these dishes were paired with the Famiglia Demelas Giogu 2020 Cannonau di Sardegna DOC, Sardgena.

The Secondi course featured Duck Breast with blood orange candied fruit, pear reduction, and gorgonzola sauce as well as Crusted Lamb finished in a beef jus. The Santa Maria La Nave Calmarossa 2018 Etna Rosso DOC, Sicilia paired beautifully with the delicious duck and lamb.

For dessert, we chose between a profiterole and a citrus sorbet to round out the evening paired with our choice of Digestivo.

la fête nationale française with Special Induction

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT

The Salt Lake City Bailliage held a very special Induction Dinner at the Log Haven Restaurant in Salt Lake City, Utah. Log Haven has been a fine dining destination for decades.

Log Haven was originally built in 1920 by Mr. L. F. Rains as a log hideaway and wedding anniversary gift for his wife. It is located four miles up the Millcreek Canyon and just 20 minutes from Downtown Salt Lake City. The idyllic retreat was later converted to a restaurant and changed hands a number of times over the years. During the late 1980s, Log Haven was slated to be destroyed. However, Margot Provost purchased the property in 1994 and completely refurbished and renovated the historic retreat. It is now a favorite romantic destination for fine dining, weddings, anniversaries, and celebrations of all kinds!

Log Haven has been recognized with countless awards some of which include Best Utah Restaurant as well as the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. The restaurant has since been featured in many publications including Food & Wine Magazine, USA Today, and Bon Appétit Magazine.

A Special Elevation

Far West Bailli Provincial Phil Kress kicked off the induction ceremony with the elevation of Salt Lake City Bailli Honoraire Sheral Schowe to Far West Bailli Provincial. The Salt Lake Bailliage is extremely proud of Sheral’s elevation to Bailli Provencial. She has revitalized the bailliage even through the difficult Covid years.

Retiring officers

Following her elevation, Far West Bailli Provicial Sheral Schowe recognized both retiring Far West Bailli Provicial Honoraire Phil Kress and Conseiller Gastronomique Provincial Dan Ketelaars for their many years of service in their roles to the Far West Region as well as the retirement of Vice Chargée de Missions Cessily Johnson who was also presented with the Bronze Star of Excellence.

Inductions and Elevations

The celebration continued with the induction of Dame Diane Faiz.

Outgoing Bailli Provencial Phil Kress was elevated to Chambellan Provincial. Vice Chancelier-Argentier Richard Pater was elevated to Conseiller Gastronomique Provincial.

Dame Kristin Kortonick was elevated to Vice Chargée de Presse.

Dame Rebecca Love was elevated to Vice Chargée de Missions.

It’s quite possible that only in Salt Lake City new inductees into the Société Mondiale du vin are inducted using a portion rootstock from the famed Romanée-Conti vineyard! Bailli Provencial Sheral Schowe provided a brief introduction to the Société Mondiale du vin and entertained us all with the story of how she came into possession of the rootstock twenty years ago.

During this special ceremony, four new members were welcomed into the Société Mondiale du vin including Officer Maître Rôtisseur Hans Fuegi, Dame Diane Faiz, Chevalier Sean Steinmann, and Dame Mary Steinmann.

Reception

After the ceremony members and their guests enjoyed a brief outdoor reception accompanied by an Alsatian Crémant while enjoy the beautiful Log Haven grounds before gathering in Log Haven’s library for a four-course dinner expertly paired with French Wines.

Wines

Keeping with our French theme, we served all French wines throughout the evening including NV Bertrand Senecourt Beau Joie Special Cuvée Brut, AOC Champagne; 2016 Domaine Marc Colin et Fils AOC Bourgogne-Aligoté, Saint-Aubin, Cote D'Or, France; 2012 René Bouvier AOC Gevrey-Chambertin Racines du Temps Très Vieilles Vignes, Côte de Nuits, France which paired beautifully with all three of our entrée choices; and 2003 Domaine Bourillon Dorléans AOC Vouvray Demi-Sec, Central Loire, France.

Food

Our meal included an assortment of dishes carefully selected from Log Haven’s menu including Alpine Nachos and Jalapeño Queso Fresco Crab Cakes to start followed by an Arugula Salad. Members and their guests were able to choose their own entrée from the following: Coffee and Cocoa Rubbed Elk Striploin, Paprika Cured Salmon, or Grilled Trumpet Mushrooms. The meal concluded with a choice of Peach Fruit Crisp or Maple Crème Brûlée.

World Chaine Day - Urban Hill

Sue Geary — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 21:36:04 GMT

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!

Induction Gala - March 2023

Sue Geary — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 01:22:12 GMT

Induction Gala – March 2023

By Sue Geary, Vice Chargée de Presse, FWS, IWS, SWS

Event photos by: Diego Ramos

Members and guests of the Salt Lake City Bailliage gathered for our Annual Induction Ceremony on the evening of Saturday, March 25, and what a celebration it was! We assembled in the ballroom of Edison House, a new private social club in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City. Edison House was conceived by brothers George Cardon-Bystry and Charlie Cardon with the goals of bringing the energy of arts, culture, and vibrancy of big city living to Salt Lake in a space dedicated to inclusivity of people of varied backgrounds.

Edison House was fortunate to attract the talent of Executive Chef Zachary “Buzz” Willey. Willey served for 10 years as Head Chef at the popular Pallet Bistro. Prior to that, he was Sous Chef at Del Mar Country Club. Willey studied culinary arts at The Art Institute of California-San Diego. Willey and his staff provided a beautiful dinner and exceptional service.

Ceremony: Elevations, Inductions, Promotions, Honors, and Awards

We were honored to have Bailli Provencial Phil and Daryl Kress with us for this event. Phil presided as Induction Officer for one of his last events before completing his term of office. Having relied on Phil’s expertise and support over the past three years, the officiers were especially pleased that he could attend this important induction event. We appreciate Phil’s leadership, enthusiasm, and devotion to La Chaîne shown during his tenure as Bailli for the Far West Province.

First in the order of awards was the elevation of Andrew Cole Johnson as Bailli and recognition of Sheral Schowe as Bailli Honoraire. Through her skilled and energetic leadership, Sheral has sustained and revitalized our bailliage. She not only kept us going through the interruption of the Covid shutdown, but she has also overseen an increase in membership and attendance at our events. We are proud that Sheral will advance to the position of Bailli Provincial of the Far West Province and look forward to our continued association.

Cole Johnson assumes the position of Bailli with the enthusiastic endorsement of the officiers who have worked closely with him over the past three years. Cole has established essential infrastructure for our bailliage, including our new website, in his assignment as Vice Chargé de Médias Sociaux. He has produced the elegant programs for our dinners and has done most of the photography for our events. He is dedicated to La Chaîne and has represented our bailliage at regional, national, and international chapitres.

The ceremony continued with the inductions of five new members of La Chaîne and six new members of La Société Mondiale du Vin. Dame Rita Paxton, one of our founders, was promoted to Officier and honored as Grand Commandeur for her 40 years of membership and leadership. Maître de Table Resturateur Helen Petras was promoted to Officier Maître Restaurateur and awarded the honor Officier Commandeur for her many years of dedication to our bailliage. Chevalier Michael Hickey was honored as Silver Commandeur. Maître de Table Restaurateur Neil Cohen was promoted to Officier Maître Restaurateur. Maître Rôtisseur Hans Fuegi was promoted to Officier Maître Rôtisseur. (For more information about those who were promoted, see related articles on this site).

Bailli Honoraire Sheral Schowe presented the Bronze Star of Excellence to Bailli Andrew Cole Johnson for his many contributions to our bailliage. Sheral presented the Bronze Medal of Honor to Vice Échanson Kasey Dubler for his work in procuring exceptional wines to substantially increase both the volume and the quality of our bailliage cellar. Bailli Provincial Phil Kress presented the Bronze Star of Excellence to Vice Chancelier-Argentier Richard Pater for the work he has done to greatly improve the financial integrity of our bailliage. Richard will assume the role of Provincial Chambellan in May while he continues to serve in his position with our bailliage.

Dinner and Entertainment

The reception featured crudité of seasonal vegetables with hummus, chipotle hummus, eggplant purée, and cucumber mint yogurt. An expansive raw bar included chef’s selection of East and West Coast Oysters, poached local shrimp, clams, mussels, and crab claws cocktail of mignonette, horseradish, lemon, and micro tabasco.

Guests were poured MV Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut, AOC Champagne served in Methuselah to complete this festive start of the evening.

As members and guests were enjoying the delicious hors-d’œuvres, our new Bailli Cole Johnson donned a protective apron and stepped out to the patio to sabrage a Jeroboam of MV Moët & Chandon. And for another something you don’t see at just any Chaîne event, the sons of both outgoing and incoming baillis, Professional du Vin Devon Schowe and Sommelier Grey Johnson, entertained the crowd with a lively rendition of The Boar’s Head. This performance was intended not as a duet but as a sing-along, but few, if any, sang along!

A first course of roasted beets, pickled mustard seed, hazelnut, mizuna, and orange vinaigrette was beautifully paired with 2014 Domaine Billaud-Simon, Chablis Les Clos, AOC Chablis Grand Cru. The second course offerings were a choice of Ahi tartare with spicy carrot, pineapple, and avocado salsa or vegan charred mushroom with miso eggplant, dashi, and fried shallot. The 2021 Domaine de la Verrière, Chêne Bleu Le Rosé, IGP Vaucluse was the ideal companion to both. The choices of third course were filet mignon with broccolini, pearl onion, pomme purée, and demi-glace or braised maitake with celery root purée, sweety drops, walnuts, and crispy eggplant paired with the exquisite 2011 Château Pontet-Canet, Grand Cru Classé, AOC Pauillac. The final course offerings were of Pots de Crème with Dulcey Chocolate, walnut, and honeycomb or cobbler of apple blackberry compote, almond rosemary crumble, and whipped crème fraiche. The 2012 La Maison Cazes, Les Clos de Paulilles Traditionnel, AOC Banyuls proved to be the perfect accompaniment.

We were pleased that Beverly Hills Bailliage Vice Chargée de Presse Karissa Rischall and Stephen Rischall could join us for this dinner. We recognize Monty and Christine Botosan who traveled from Connecticutt at attend this event. Events Director Sophie Dunkle, whose attention to detail, helped make this event a success. Finally, we wish to thank all of the culinary staff for their superb professional service.

Congratulations

Inductees à la Chaîne:

Sean Steinmann, Chevalier

Mary Steinmann, Dame de la Chaîne

Michele Hoffman, Dame de la Chaîne

Tanner Lenart, Dame de la Chaîne

Oliver Grey Johnson, Sommelier

Inductees à la Société Mondiale du Vin:

Chevalier Monty Botosan

Dame de la Chaîne Christine Botosan

Dame de Chaîne Tanner Lenart

Dame de la Chaîne Michele Hoffman

Dame de la Chaîne Tarja Dye

Sommelier Oliver Grey Johnson

Promotions:

Officier Rita Paxton

Officier Maître Restaurateur Neil Cohen

Officier Maître Restaurateur Helen Petras

Officier Maître Rôtisseur Hans Fuegi

Awards:

Bronze Star of Excellence Bailli Andrew Cole Johnson

Bronze Mondiale Medal of Honor Vice Échanson Kasey Dubler

Bronze Star of Excellence Vice Chancelier-Argentier Richard Pater

Honors:

Officier Commandeur-Officier Maître Restaurateur Helen Petras

Grand Commandeur-Officier Rita Paxton

Silver Commandeur Michael Hickey

Hans Fuegi - Officier and Commandeur

Sue Geary — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 01:19:24 GMT

Hans Fuegi

Officier and Commandeur

Hans Fuegi was born in Zurich Switzerland. After studying business, he spent several years working for a French hospitality company in various continents and countries before arriving in the United States in 1979.

He worked as waiter, manager, and cook at restaurants in Aspen, Colorado and Manhattan Beach, California before settling down in Park City. He became manager of Adolph’s Restaurant. Later, he took over the lease for the Mid Mountain Restaurant at Park City Mountain Resort. Hans began offering some of the dishes he had enjoyed on the slopes in the Alps and the Mid Mountain Restaurant became a favorite lunch spot for Park City skiers.

Hans opened The Matterhorn Restaurant in Mammoth Lakes, California offering Swiss and French fare. Owning these two restaurants provided Hans with the perfect reason to pursue his dream of flying an airplane, which he did regularly between Salt Lake City and Mammoth for about 5 years until he sold the California restaurant. Flying remains a passion for Hans along with skiing, biking, pickle ball, scuba diving and traveling.

Hans took over the lease for the base facility at Park City Mountain Resort. He named the place Steeps Restaurant and Bar and continued to offer lunch and après ski entertainment. Hans sold that restaurant in 1998.

Not one to be idle for long, Hans started the Slickrock Café in Moab, offering Southwestern fare for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He owned and operated that enterprise for about 12 years. The travel to and from Moab, of course, gave him another reason to own and fly an airplane.

In 1992, Hans purchased the Grub Steak Restaurant, a well-established steak and seafood restaurant. He owned and operated that business until 2017. Since then, Hans has been involved in residential development in Park City and in management of his commercial real estate properties in Utah, Montana, and California.

We are fortunate that, along with his many ventures, Hans became an active member of the Salt Lake City Baillige of La Chaîne. We are so delighted to honor him tonight with this award.

Helen Petras - Officier Commandeur

Sue Geary — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 01:17:46 GMT

Helen Petras

Officier Maître Restaurateur and

Officier Commandeur

Helen was born in the Czech Republic where, as just a youngster, she fell in love with fine food and cooking in the kitchen of her grandmother, Bozi, a true epicurean. Helen attended business school before emigrating to her beloved second home, America, 35 years ago.

Helen developed a love of wine and a more sophisticated palette. She opened her first restaurant, Helen’s, specializing in Central and Eastern European cuisines.

Her second successful hospitality business was the Bohemian Brewery. Founded in 2001, Bohemian Brewery was intended to focus on the great lager beers of Europe and Bohemian pub-style cuisine. The brewery crafts traditional lager beers that adhere to the German Purity Laws.

Helen is delighted and proud to be a part of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs and we are delighted and proud to be able to honor her this even

Neil Cohen -Officier Commandeur

Sue Geary — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 01:15:19 GMT

Neil Cohen

Officier Maître Restaurateur

and Officier Commandeur

A Massachusetts native, Neil came to Utah in 1972 to ski and to work at Snowbird after graduating from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. He remained at Snowbird through the 1970’s and 1980’s as Food and Beverage Director for The Club at Snowbird and The Cliff Lodge. During that time, he also served on the Boards of Directors of the Utah Restaurant Association and the Utah Club Association. From 1985 to 2000, he taught classes in hospitality management at the University of Utah.

Neil was a Licensing and Compliance Specialist for the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control from 1989 until his retirement in 2011. After retiring, he returned to Snowbird to serve as their in-house historian. He also serves on the Salt Lake County Planning Commission.

During his first tenure at Snowbird, Neil wanted to feature a spectacular seafood buffet on Friday nights in the winter. Since there was nothing but frozen seafood to be found, Neil used his contacts in Boston to order fresh fish from fisheries that was then shipped by air cargo to Salt Lake. He and friends would drive to the airport each Thursday to pick up the fish. The seafood buffet became the most popular night for Snowbird guests. That prompted other local restaurants to start featuring fresh seafood.

Neil can also claim some credit for Utah’s first really good coffee when John Bolton, Chef of The Golden Cliff Restaurant purchased a commercial roasting machine to roast his own coffee beans. John went on to establish Salt Lake Roasting Company. Another first in Utah was the Raw Bar and Sushi Bar introduced in the mid-1970s at The Eagles Nest Lounge.

Very early in his time at Snowbird, Neil realized that to meet the needs of the local, national, and international clientele, there would need to be some changes in the state’s strict alcohol beverage laws. He began advocating for those changes with the legislature and the Utah Liquor Control Commission and the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. He continued to educate and advocate during his employment with the DABC. Just a few of the many changes made as a result of Neil’s work are:

• Beginning of a special order system for wines the success of which led to the Liquor Commission opening the first State Wine Store in Trolley Square;

• A law creating the private club visitor card that allowed patrons to order wine and mixed drinks at Snowbird and elsewhere. This was a boost to the tourism, hotel, and restaurant industries;

• Legalizing wine and good pairing dinners and wine festivals;

• Legislation allowing home brewing of beer;

• Changes in the dispensing law to allow wine-by-the-glass; and

• Collaboration with the Olympic Organizing Committee to write a liquor law handbook.

While managing the Golden Cliff Restaurant in the 1980s, Neil was asked to do a dinner for La Chaîne by board members of the Salt Lake Bailliage: Col. Jack Daniels, Carole Von Schmidt, and Bill Nassikas. The dinner was hailed as “the best ever” by many members of the Bailliage, and Neil was asked to consider joining the confrérie. After attending a subsequent dinner or two, he did join, and soon became a board member as the Vice Conseiller Culinaire, and a member of the Société Mondial du Vin. He continued to serve as an officer of the Salt Lake Bailliage for over 30 years, retiring from the board as the Vice Conseiller Argentier, becoming the Vice Conseiller Argentier Honoraire.

Neil looks back on his contributions with pride, but most importantly, is very happy to be semi-retired and especially enjoy the Good Wine, Good Food, and Good Company of the Chaînes des Rotisseurs! We are so fortunate to have such a knowledgeable and contributing member as our friend, Neil Cohen.

Rita Paxton Officier and Grand Commandeur

Sue Geary — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 01:12:03 GMT

Rita Paxton

Officier and Grand Commandeur

Rita’s culinary curiosity began at the age of ten when she received for her birthday a Better Homes and Garden cookbook and started preparing food for her family. In the few years since then, she has expanded her knowledge and experience of food and wine as she moved from a semi-rural Ohio town to Belgrade, Yugoslavia to the California Bay Area and to Salt Lake City, where she and Roger have resided since 1964.

Rita’s nearly 40 years as a member of La Chaîne began at her induction in September of 1983. The previous month, the Salt Lake Tribune's food writer published an article entitled “Superb Cooking with a Wordly Flair” featuring Rita's recipes and her culinary history.

At about the same time she entered the wine and spirits brokerage business beginning as a part time employee and gradually becoming a co-partner and the chief financial officer of Phoenix Wines and Spirits. This firm employed at its peak eight employees, including at one time Utah's only sommelier. Until two of the nation's large brokerage firms entered the Utah market, PWS sales were number one in the state. She retired from the business ten years ago. In 1982, Rita, along with Ashby Decker and others, founded the popular and well-respected Wasatch Mountain Food and Wine Society, which continued 35 years.

Rita has been a Chaine member during the Bailli leadership of seven of the eight SLC Chaine Baillis. She was inducted into the organization along with Stuart Cross, who was the Hotel Utah's CEO and the predecessor of Ashby Decker. She has served as Vice Chargée de Presse and as Vice Conseiller Gastronomique.

In her spare time, Rita was an elementary school teacher with Salt Lake City District for forty-three years. She taught summertime cooking classes for elementary-aged students. One of her students, who did not attend any of these classes, occasionally brought his homemade food to share with his classmates. He later became a professionally trained chef and is now the chef and owner of a fine dining Salt Lake City restaurant.

Rita continues to grace all of our Chaîne gatherings with her knowledge, her impeccable class, and her “worldly flair.” We are humbled to honor Rita in her elevation to Officier and Grand Commandeur.

Dinner Amical - Cafe Madrid

Sue Geary — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 17:03:53 GMT

Diner Amical Café Madrid

By Sue Geary, Vice Chargée de Presse, FWS, IWS, SWS

Event photos by: Laura Wheatley, SWS, IWS

Members and guests of the Salt Lake City Bailliage gathered on the evening of Sunday, March 19 for a casual Spanish dinner at Café Madrid. Café Madrid opened its doors to us on the day of the week that the business is usually closed, so the entire restaurant was ours for the evening.

Café Madrid has been a landmark in Salt Lake City for decades. It holds the honor of being Utah’s first authentic Spanish tapas restaurant, which was originally located at the Black Diamond Center on 3900 South. The restaurant re-opened in 2003 by owners Gabrielle and Todd McAffee. Gabrielle had worked as a server for the original owners. Award-winning Spanish Chef de Cuisine, Nacho Basurto developed the menu. In 2011, the McAffee’s finished a new building at the current location on Highland Drive. Café Madrid has been recognized by Salt Lake Magazine as Best European Restaurant, Most Unique Restaurant, and as Best Café or Bistro. A rotating exhibit of paintings by artist JC Pino adds authenticity of Spanish culture to the dining experience in this beautiful space.

Guests gathered in the beautiful café area for a glass (or more) of 2020 Raventós i Blanc de Nit, Conca del Riu Anoia to enjoy with the Charcuteria of Jamón Serrano, Chorizos de Pamplona y Soria, Queso Manchego, and Patatas Bravas. After a period of greetings and lively conversation, we moved to the main dining hall to be seated among eight tables. Thanks to our creative Vice Charge’ des Médias Cole Johnson, each table was identified by a beautiful placard honoring a renowned Spanish artist.

Our dinner began with a Tortilla Española with Croquetas de Pollo accompanied by a 2021 Noelia Bebelia Albariño, Rias Baixas, Soutomaior, Pontevedra. We are extremely fortunate to have access to this superb wine from this very small producer thanks to Stephanie Cuadra of Terrestoria Imports who brings this wine only to Utah. Another remote and unique wine was paired with our entrée of Seafood Paella. Thanks to Échanson Kasey Dubler for procuring the exquisite 2019 Bodegas Los Bermejos Listan Negro Rosado, Canary Islands, Lanzarote. The next course Solomillo de Buey al Queso Picon de Tresviso was given the perfect companion of 2006 Bodegas Familia Chavarri Izarbe Gran Reserva, D.O.Ca. Rioja. Our meal ended with a Budin Español with the beautiful MV Bodegas Lustau Pedro Ximénez San Emilio Sherry.

Our compliments go to Chef Mario Lugo and his staff for the beautiful meal. We appreciate the assistance and enthusiasm of Manager Diego Ramos, who helped make this event a success.

New Member Spotlight: Darcie Mueller

Sue Geary — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 02:17:37 GMT

New Member Spotlight: Darcie Mueller

By Sue Geary, Vice Chargée de Presse, FWS, IWS, SWS

Photo by Vice Chargé des Médias Sociaux Cole Johnson

Darcie Mueller moved to Utah from Southern California in 2006. Darcie works for Intermountain Healthcare as Director in the Information Technology Department where she leads the team that develops My Health+ patient portal. She has an eight-year-old son named Logan. They also have two rescue dogs, Jack and Rey, and Darcie has fostered rescue dogs.

Beyond her love for wine and spirits and good food, Darcie enjoys spending time outdoors camping and exploring our many hiking trails. Her pursuits this year are to renew mountain biking and learn fly fishing. Darcie also loves to travel and plans to visit both Italy and Greece this year. As a testament to her seriousness as a member of La Chaîne, Darcie traveled to Lyon, France with Cole and Cessily Johnson to attend the International Grand Chapitre 2021 where she participated in the Induction Ceremony. She became a member of the Mondiale at the induction conducted by Bailli Delegue des États-Unis Bertrand de Boutray at Silver Lake Lodge Deer Valley in September of 2022.

Darcie was invited to become a member of our bailliage by Cessily and Cole Johnson. She and Cessily met when Darcie began her tenure at Intermountain Healthcare and became close friends. At Cole’s and Cessily’s invitation, Darcie participated in a Rosé Class conducted by our Bailli Sheral Schowe by way of Zoom during the Covid shut-down. She was thereby primed for more food and wine gatherings offered by the Chaîne.

Darcie finds the Chaîne interesting for the opportunities it provides to meet new people, travel to fun places, and explore great food and wine. We are happy that Darcie made the move to Salt Lake City and are most fortunate that she has joined our bailliage. Welcome, Darcie!

Bailli Sheral Schowe, Dame de la Chaîne Darcie Mueller,

Bailli Delegué Bertrand de Boutray, Échason Kasey Dubler

Diner Amical - The Cabin at Provisions

Sue Geary — Fri, 13 Jan 2023 22:52:17 GMT

Diner Amical – The Cabin at Provisions

By Sue Geary, Vice Chargée de Presse, FWS, IWS, SWS

Event photos by: Cole Johnson, Vice Charge’ des Médias Sociaux, FWS

Additional photo credit: Sheral Schowe, Bailli

On Saturday, November 12, 2022, members of the Salt Lake City Bailliage gathered in a cozy cabin in the outback.

More precisely, we met at the private dining area known as The Cabin which sits out back of Provisions Restaurant in Millcreek. As another of our more casual events, it was an evening of lively conversation, first meetings, better acquaintances, and old friends enjoying a relaxed dinner with sterling wines.

Provisions Restaurant is recognized for its small-batch, seasonal menu and its respect for responsible farming and use of sustainable ingredients. Having grown up on a farm in Star Valley, Wyoming, Executive Chef Tyler Stokes learned the importance of how and where our food is grown. Chef Stokes honed his culinary skills through his work as Executive Chef at The Lookout Cabin at Canyon’s Resort, Lugano Restaurant in Salt Lake City, and Globus in Sun Valley, Idaho. After opening Dashi Restaurant in Sun Valley, Stokes returned to Salt Lake City to open Provisions.

Provisions has achieved many accolades for the creativity and quality that Chef Stokes and his staff bring to the dining experience. The restaurant has received Salt Lake Magazine’s Best Restaurant Award, City Weekly Magazine’s Best Salt Lake Valley Restaurant, and the Utah Restaurant Association Taste of Utah Award. Executive Chef Tyler Stokes was recognized as Chef of the Year 2022.

We certainly learned why Provisions has established such a proud reputation. We had a fabulous meal. Guests were given choices of menu items in advance of the dinner. Échanson Kasey Dubler selected the perfect wines for the options at each course.

As guests arrived, they enjoyed charcuterie and cheese accompanied by a 2017 Franco Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut Rive di San Floriano. Our first course offered a choice of Wild Arugula Salad with dried cherries, candied pecans, Champagne dressing, and feta paired with 2018 Esmeralda Garcia Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León Arenas de Santjuste Verdego, or Butternut Squash Soup with coconut milk, lemongrass, ginger, olive oil, and sage with a 2018 Trimbach Gerwurztraminer Alsace. The main course included three options. A Grilled Salmon with creamy white polenta, sauteed greens, red wine agro dolce, and olive tapenade perfectly paired with a 2017 Domaine de la Garodière Morgon. The 2013 Il Macchione Vino Nobile de Montepulciano was an excellent accompaniment to the Grilled Prime Beef Tenderloin with parmesan mashed potatoes, charred radicchio, ginger soy jus, and truffle butter. Finally, a beautiful vegan meal of Khao Soi, an aromatic coconut curry soup with rice noodles, seasoned vegetables, garnished with cilantro, red onion, and lime was partnered well with the 2017 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmerlreich Riesling Kabinett.

The dessert choices allowed for two lovely dessert wines to shine. A Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee with fresh berries

was ideally matched with a 2007 Château Sigales Rabaud while Puglia’s 2017 Schola Sarmenti Primitivo Salento Rosso Passito Corimei proved an elegant companion to the Dark Chocolate Pudding with whipped cream, chocolate crumb, and salted caramel.

This event provided a timely opportunity for our bailliage officiers to present some potential changes of leadership at both provincial and local levels. Bailli Sheral Schowe informed those in attendance that she has been asked to become a candidate for Bailli Provincial for the Far West Province when Phil Kress’s term ends this coming May. She has asked our Argentier Richard Pater to serve with her as Provincial Chambellan. Richard would retain his assignment as Argentier of our bailliage. Members of our board have unanimously nominated Cole Johnson to advance from Vice Chargé des Médias Sociaux to Bailli. If approved through election by our membership, these changes will be formalized during our next induction ceremony scheduled for March of 2023.

Fall 2022 Mondiale Induction

Sue Geary — Mon, 09 Jan 2023 20:07:33 GMT

Fall 2022 Mondiale Induction

By Sue Geary, Vice Chargée de Presse, FWS, IWS, SWS

Event photos by: Cole Johnson, Vice Charge’ des Médias Sociaux, FWS

Additional photo credit: Sheral Schowe, Bailli

Oh, what a night! Members and guests of the Salt Lake City Bailliage gathered at Deer Valley’s Silver Lake Lodge on the beautiful fall evening of September 25 for the induction of our new Mondiale members. We were honored that Bailli Delegue des États-Unis Bertrand de Boutray was able to be here to conduct the ceremony and celebrate with us.

This being a Mondiale event, all eyes were on the exquisite wines so expertly selected by our Échanson Kasey Dubler. Upon their arrival guests were greeted with a glass of MV Decotanne Balance de Noir Brut Champagne which paired beautifully with plated starters of Duck Poppers with jalapeno, bacon, and cream cheese; Beet and Goat Cheese Terrine; and Coq Au Vin Pheasant Lollipops.

Our nine esteemed inductees were seated center stage against the beautiful mountain backdrop for the ceremony. Other guests were seated at tables encircling the presentation. Bailli Sheral Schowe assisted Bailli Delegue Bertrand de Boutray with the introduction of each of our new Chaîne and Mondiale members.

The Emilie Floor Ensemble provided a musical transition from the ceremony and accompaniment to the dinner. Emilie sang French songs for much of the dinner hour in honor of the history of the Chaîne and Mondiale. We are delighted that Emilie has returned with her musical talent to Salt Lake City following her long tenure in performance at The Waldorf Astoria in New York City.

Guests were served our first wine, MV Les Caves du Sieur d’Arques Aimery 1531 Brut Rose, Crémant de Limoux, to accompany Elk Tartare with poached yolk, frisée, and bell pepper coulis. The second course of Mussels Bouillabaisse with saffron rouille foam and grilled bread was a perfect companion to a 2018 Domaine les Pallières Au Petit Bonheur Rosé, Gigondas. An exquisite Goose Cassoulet with garlic sausage and flageolet was beautifully paired with the show-stopper wine of the evening, the 2013 Domaine Château De La Tour Vielles Vignes, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru.

Each table of guests enjoyed sharing a family-style Cheese Board with the very rare 1991 Domaine Maire Vin Jaune, Arbois. The grande finale to the meal was a Foie Gras Rocher with roasted peach and foie gras ice cream with elderberry sauce and a 2014 Château Cantegril, Sauternes.

Silver Lake Lodge Executive Chef Samuel Phelan and his creative staff deserve our highest commendations for the perfect meal to showcase the starring wines of this Mondiale event. Chef Phelan brings over 15 years of culinary expertise to his position with Deer Valley. His previous experience with other luxury resorts--including as Executive Chef at Zermatt Resort and Waldorf Astoria Park City and Sous Chef at Montage—have honed his specialization with high-paced and highest-quality food presentation. Our compliments also to Deer Valley Resort Executive Chef Peter Menteer and Sous Chef Chris Gibson for their leadership and for the high standards they have established. There simply couldn’t have been a more ideal setting for this special ceremony and dinner.

As guests finished their last bites, the most daring of the crowd were the first to occupy the dance floor. Don’t miss the photos of Bailli Delegue Bertrand de Boutray showing his dance moves with Bailli Sheral Schowe and Dame de la Chaîne Diane Wehrly!

Welcome to Chaîne Inductees

Chevalier Bryan Bitter

Dame de la Chaîne Kristin Kortonick

Welcome to Mondiale Inductees

Chevalier Bryan Bitter

Vice Conseiller Cullinaire Sammie Doyle

Conseiller Gastronomique Sean Doyle

Dame de la Chaîne Dr. Rebecca Love

Professional du Vin Cheryl Mansen

Dame de la Chaîne Darcie Mueller

Chevalier Mark Wenzel

Professional du Vin Pamela Wood

New Member Spotlight: Rebecca Doersam

Sue Geary — Mon, 09 Jan 2023 20:00:46 GMT

New Member Spotlight: Rebecca Doersam

By Sue Geary, Vice Chargée de Presse, FWS, IWS, SWS

Photo by Vice Chargé des Medias Sociaux Cole Johnson

Becky Doersam describes herself as “a perpetual student of wine.” Indeed, she embraces every learning opportunity including both in-person and online courses. Becky has earned the titles of Italian Wine Scholar and Spanish Wine Scholar through the Wine Scholar Guild. She has completed the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Awards in Wine Levels 1 through 4. Becky demonstrates a belief in immersion learning as well with her frequent travels to Italy, Spain, Austria, California and elsewhere to visit winemakers and taste their wines. She has a particular interest the less-common grape varieties and small-production wines from throughout the world.

A native of Philadelphia, Becky was stationed at Ft. Douglas during her tenure in the Navy. She stayed on in Salt Lake City to complete a degree in Special Education at the University of Utah and to ultimately become Vision Specialist with Granite School District. Becky just retired from that career leaving even more time to advance her career in the world of wine.

Becky became a member of the Salt Lake City Bailliage of La Chaîne at the invitation of Sheral Schowe. She finds Chaîne and Mondiale events as the perfect place to experience exceptional wine and food parings with fellow aficionados. Welcome, Becky. We are so happy that you are a part of our bailliage.

Bastille Day Mondiale

Sue Geary — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 19:19:50 GMT

La Fête Nationale Française 2022 - Mondiale

By Sue Geary, Vice Chargée de Presse

Photos by Vice Chargé des Médias Sociaux Cole Johnson

On the evening of Monday, July 11, local members of SociétéMondiale du Vin were reminded why they joined this organization, which is devoted to the enjoyment of fine wines and crafted beverages. This first Mondiale event of the year was an early celebration of the French national holiday commonly known outside of France as Bastille Day. Franck’s Restaurant--tucked into the wooded area of Holladay known historically as Knudsen’s Grove--was the perfect setting for this celebration. Executive Chef Robert Perkins has distinguished Franck’s for his unique no-recipes menus of exquisitely flavorful and complex combinations. The evening’s menu was a tribute to the reputation the Chef Perkins and his talented staff have earned.

The elegant five-course dinner set the perfect stage for the stars of a Mondiale event,

exceptional wines and cocktails. As guests arrived, they enjoyed an elegant selection of hors d’oeuvres with cocktails. French 75, anyone?

The first wine of the evening, 2020 Henri Bourgeois La Côte des Monts Damnés, Sancerre AOC, was paired with Beurre Noisette White Tuna with confit summer peas, crispy Hen of the Woods mushroom, sauce meunière, candied lemon and baby summer pea tendrils. It wouldn’t be summer without a bright Provencial rosé and the 2020 Hecht & Bannier Rosé, Bandol AOC was a delightful partner with beet lavender emulsion with whipped goat cheese, BBQ beets, crystalized rosemary, and extra virgin rosemary oil. In the starring entrée role was an elegant 2011 Château Le Dome, St. Émilion Grand Cru AOC taking center stage with Filet de Boeuf Saignant with garbanzo cassoulet, asparagus, five spice hollandaise, ginger-burgundy jus, butter braised radish, and radish-frisee salad. A 2007 Château Suduiraut, Sauternes AOC graced the Blackberry Clafoutisch with vanilla bean curd, gorgonzola gelato, and chervil.

With the goal that our Mondiale events be educational as well as entertaining, we were fortunate to have the expertise of both our Vice Chargé des Médias Sociaux and Cocktail Master Cole Johnson and our most-knowledgeable Echanson Kasey Dubler. Thank you, Cole and Kasey. Our appreciation also to Dame de la Chaîne Amy Paul and Officier Rex Falkenrath for making the arrangements with Francks and helping with the menu tasting. Finally, thank you to everyone who attended this event. See you all in September for our Mondiale Induction Dinner!

New Member Spotlight: Mark Wenzel

Sue Geary — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 21:20:12 GMT

New Member Spotlight: Mark Wenzel

By Sue Geary, Vice Chargée de Presse, FWS, IWS, SWS

Photo by Vice Chargé des Médias Sociaux Cole Johnson

Mark Wenzel got his introduction to wine while serving a mission for the LDS Church in Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino Counties. Wait! No! That can’t be right! Mark Wenzel first gained an appreciation for what he would later know as terroir while biking throughout Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino Counties while serving a mission in the late 1980’s. Riding a bicycle over every foot of elevation, feeling every degree of temperature change, while observing the changes in soils and the seasonal changes in vineyards is indeed a good inauguration to viniculture. Some years later, Mark’s love of good food led to his exploration of good wines from those three California counties and elsewhere in the world.

Mark is an engineer working in the medical device industry, most recently doing research in disease diagnostics equipment. One avenue for his study of wine has been the Utah Wine Club, for which he has presented educational events and of which he is now the President. It was through that club that Mark met Richard Pater, who invited Mark to join the Bailliage de Salt Lake City of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. Richard also officiated the wedding of Mark and Lyndsey in February of this year. Lyndsey, who joins Mark at all Chaîne events, has a background in digital marketing and currently works as a real estate agent. Both are mostly native Utahns. Mark credits “the lure of fantastic cuisine and le vin de classe mondiale that accompanies it” as hisreason for exploring la Chaîne, but it was the camaraderie he experienced at our events that led to his decision to join. He looks forward to finding inspiration from the many fine chefs who create the menus for our events.

Welcome Mark and Lyndsey! We are pleased that you have joined our bailliage.

New Member Spotlight: Anna Bennett

Sue Geary — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 19:50:21 GMT

New Member Spotlight: Anna Bennett

By Sue Geary, Vice Chargée de Presse, FWS, IWS, SWS

Photo by Vice Chargé des Médias Sociaux Cole Johnson

Anna Bennett enjoyed a 27-year career as a court reporter. In March of 2010, Anna and her late husband, Rodney, founded Buffalo Blessings, a nonprofit charity dedicated to providing food and basic necessities to nearly 800 Hopi and Navajo families who live on the reservations in Arizona. Anna continues to serve as its president and director. The work of the organization became particularly challenging during the Covid pandemic. Rodney, who had coordinated the delivery of food, passed away in March of 2020. Anna found another way of continuing to provide food through grocery store gift certificates for the many families in need.

Anna comes to La Chaîne with an appreciation for good food and a knowledge of fine wines. She and Rodney served on the board of directors of Wasatch Mountains Food and Wine Society for many years. Rodney served as its president for ten years.

Anna was invited to become a member of Bailliage de Salt Lake City of La Chaîne by Don and Kristen Winder and by Mike and Kaye O’Brien. Anna finds it a privilege to be a part of this historic organization. She looks forward to continuing its tradition of absolute enjoyment and appreciation of fine food and wine in the company of friends, old and new.

Welcome, Anna. Your humanitarian work exemplifies and honors the spirit of La Chaîne. We are most pleased that you have become a member of our bailliage.

Bailli Sheral Schowe, Dame de la Chaine Anna Bennett, Bailli Provincial Philip Kress

Un Diner Amical, Bartolo's

Sue Geary — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 19:34:49 GMT

Un Dîner Amical, Bartolo’s

By Sue Geary, Vice Chargée de Presse, FWS, IWS, SWS

The mildest of months is May’s reputation

So a rooftop patio was our destination.

A casual dinner this time it would be

With family-style pastas and BYOB.

In shirt sleeves and sunglasses we gathered to play

Admiring the sunset and toasting the day.

For this event we waived the formality

In the spirit of fun and pure joviality.

With the charcuterie offerings our guests were delighted

Then along came a west wind that wasn’t invited.

As we settled in our places and heard the corks popping

We worried to see the barometer dropping

While wind gusts sent heaters and wine glasses crashing

For their airborne napkins the guests were all dashing.

Now in parkas and blankets and earmuffs and hats

We huddled to dine like Siberian cats.

But undaunted we stayed and enjoyed to the end

Who cares about weather when we are with friends?

In defiance we pledged that we’d do it again

And howled back at the wind “Viva la Chaîne!”

During the lock-down of the Covid pandemic, Chef Alex Bartolo of Bartolo’s Restaurant of Salt Lake City prepared a beautiful take-out meal for one of the events we held via Zoom. We vowed to return to Bartolo’s in person and set the date of Sunday, May 22 for a warm spring evening on the patio. Thank you to Vice Conseiller Gastronomique Sammie Doyle and Vice Conseiller Culinaire Sean Doyle who worked with Chef Alex to plan everything except the weather. Thanks to Vice Chargeé de Missions Cessily Johnson for advertisement and registration, and to Vice Chargédes Médias Sociaux Cole Johnson and Bailli Sheral Schowe for capturing some of the comedy of this event in photos.

The dinner began with a beautiful charcuterie offering which we enjoyed as we visited and admired the view of the Wasatch Mountains. Once seated, guests enjoyed an appetizer of salmon crudo and steak tartar followed by beet burrata salad. The family-style course of pastas included Tuscan chicken macaroni with walnuts, lamb campanelle, and pesto malfaldine. The dessert of citrus and mixed berry cannoli was accompanied by a taste of espresso martini. Guests brought their own wines, so there was plenty of sharing and paring across tables throughout the evening. As originally planned, the meal was to be prepared on the rooftop patio. The weather forced a change to that plan. We appreciate the Bartolo’s staff who provided excellent service shuttling food from the main floor of the restaurant to the roof then dodging wind-blown food, glasses, and space heaters. Thank you most of all to the members of our bailliage who attended the event and endured the disruptive wind and cold in good humor. This will surely be another of our most memorable gatherings!

Bailliage de Salt Lake City 2022 Winter Induction Gala

Sue Geary — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 21:45:55 GMT

Bailliage de Salt Lake City 2022 Winter Induction Gala

By Sue Geary, Vice Chargee’ de Presse, FWS, IWS, SWS

Event photos by: Cole Johnson, Vice Charge’ des Medias Sociaux, FWS

Additional photo credit: Sheral Schowe, Bailli

The Induction Gala held at Salt Lake Country Club on February 20, 2022 certainly elevated the bar for our bailliage. We chose the Country Club as our venue for the explicit purpose of enjoying Chef Melvin Harward’s culinary artistry one more time before his retirement at the end of 43 years. The evening was simply perfect from start to finish!

Our event was held in the upstairs dining area of the 100-year-old clubhouse, the entry of which was transformed by a massive ice sculpture incorporating the Chaîne logo and a display of our three dessert wines: W & J Graham’s 30 year Tawny Port, 2020 Marenco Brachetto d’Acqui Pineto, and 2020 Vietti Moscato d’Asti. The foot of the sculpture was adorned with the Chef’s Gift of loaves of beautifully-wrapped artisan bread. Members and guests returned to this area at the end of the evening for a dessert social featuring three confection-and-wine pairings.

Bailli Provincial Philip I. Kress traveled from his home in Irvine, California to serve as Inducting Officier. Vice Chancelier Argentier Richard Pater introduced and welcomed each of our nine inductees. Three members were promoted to officier and we honored both a Silver Commandeur and a Gold Commandeur. We feel fortunate that our bailliage has continued to grow amid the challenges of the past two years, and we look forward to getting better acquainted with our new members.

Following the Induction Ceremony, diners were seated to enjoy a tasting plate of Osetra caviar toast, Maryland crab and dill phyllo, wild mushroom brisee, and carpaccio of beef tenderloin paired with NV Beau Joie Special Cuvee Brut Champagne. This exquisite zero dosage Champagne wears a copper suit of armor which added beautifully to our table décor.

Vice Echanson Kasey Dubler chose 2020 Menard-Gaborit Premier Cru Escale Muscadet to accompany the yellow fin tuna a foie gras baguette appetizer. The seafood course, an espresso sea scallop plank with butternut risotto, was matched with 2017 Domain Romain Collet “Les Pargues” Chablis. The seafood course was followed by a salad of Mountain Rose apple brulee and cambozola croutons and walnuts in a raspberry and port vinaigrette along side 2019 Domaine Jean Fery & Fils. The 2012 Marc Sorrel Hermitage was the perfect match for our entrée of roast rack of lamb poivre with chive potatoes, morel mushrooms, and fig caponata.

During the dinner, Bailli Sheral Schowe and Officier Rex Falkenrath honored Chef Mel Harward with a Lifetime Achievement Award to add to the many honors he has received over the course of his career. The award recognized his long tenure as a member of our bailliage, his mentorship of other chefs who have become celebrated both within and beyond Utah, and his professionalism and creativity which exemplify the values of le Chaîne.

We are grateful to Officier Rex Falkenrath and Dame de la Chaîne Amy Paul for arranging for our induction to be held at Salt Lake Country Club. This was indeed an evening to remember.

Welcome to Our Inductees

Chevaliers Monty Botosan and Mark Wenzel

Dames de la Chaîne Anna Bennett, Christine Botosan, and Rebecca Love

Professionals du Vin Cheryl Mansen and Pamela Wood

Maître Restaurateur Sean Doyle

Maître Rôtisseur Harold Robert Jacobs

Promotions

Vice Conseiller Gastronomique Sammie Doyle

Vice Conseiller Culinaire Sean Doyle

Vice Echanson Kasey Dubler

Commandeur

Chevalier Jon Last, Silver Commandeur

Officier Rex Falkenrath, Gold Commandeur

Une Grande Soiree, the Aerie - A French Wine Dinner

Sue Geary — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 19:21:25 GMT

Une grande soiree, the Aerie – A French Wine Dinner

By Sue Geary, Vice Chargee’ de Presse, FWS, IWS, SWS

We could not have picked a more beautiful autumn day than that of October 9, 2021. Our dinner event at Snowbird Resort required a 20-minute drive through Little Cottonwood Canyon at the peak of its coat of fall colors. The vivid pallet of orange, red, and yellow against the dark green evergreens and the granite mountainside was simply breathtaking. The view was even more spectacular from the Aerie Restaurant, located on the top floor of the Cliff Lodge, with its panorama view of the ski area and the surrounding canyon.

Chef Ken Ohlinger--who took the reins at the Aerie in 2011 following a tenure at Devil’s Thumb Ranch in Winter Park, Colorado—prepared a most exquisite dinner for this fall gathering. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Ohlinger apprenticed at a Michelin three-star restaurant in Germany and was later named one of Bertolli’s Top 10 Sous Chefs in the United States. His culinary artistry relies on local, seasonal, and organic ingredients. Vice Conseiller Gastronomique Sammie Doyle worked with Chef Ohlinger in assembling the perfect menu.

Bailli Sheral Schowe procured the MV Michel Genet Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut Nature Champagne to accompany the Hors D’oeuvres of Quinoa Fritters with mushroom and white truffle herb aioli, Oyster Shooters with jalapeno cocktail sauce, and Beef Tartar with anchovy dressing and parmesan. Echanson Kasey Dubler dug deep into our bailliage cellar to select the perfect French wines for the four-course meal.

The first course of Peppercorn-encrusted carpaccio of bison with pickled peppers, parmesan crisp, and anchovy oil was perfectly paired with the NV Olivier Morin, Cuvee Tentation, Cremant de Bourgogne. Kasey chose a 2009 Louis Jadot Boucherottes Domaine des Heritiers Premier Cru, Côte de Beaune, Bourgogne for the second course of House-made Gnocchi with roasted mushrooms and boursin cream. The third course offering was a choice of local Grilled Double R Ranch beef tenderloin with mushroom butter and fingerling potatoes in roasted red onion sauce or Ratatouille roasted vegetables and timbale with lentil puree and toasted farro. Both paired superbly with the 2008 Château Montrose, St. Estephe, Medoc, Bordeaux. The perfect finale 1998 Domaine Gardies Ambre, Rivesaltes, Languedoc-Roussillon accompanied the last course of assorted domestic cheeses, spiced pecans, fruit compote, and crostini.

The highlight of the evening was the celebration of the birthday of Dame de la Chaîne Anne Cullimore Decker. Bailli Honoraire Ashby Decker, who served a 26-year term as our Bailli, gave the birthday toast to his wife. Vice Echanson des Etats-Unis David Merrill and his wife, Colleen, generously provided a Jeroboam of 1990 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin La Grande Dame Champagne for this special occasion. As we discovered, both Grande Dames are still in their prime!

Thank you to Chef Ohlinger and his staff. Thank you also to Vice Charge des Medias Sociaux Cole Johnson, who was released from the hospital just in time to take photos of our attendees for the evening. Finally, thank you to Vice Chargee de Missions Cessily Johnson and Vice Chancelier Argentier Richard Pater for taking such excellent care of the guests they brought to this event.

Une Fete Italienne: Italian Wine Dinner at Fratelli

Sue Geary — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 20:48:37 GMT

Une fête Italienne: Italian Wine Dinner

By Sue Geary, Vice Chargee’ de Presse, FWS, IWS, SWS

Photos by: Cole Johnson, Vice Charge’ des Medias Sociaux

On the evening of July 11, we held our first live event after a year-long detour into virtual gatherings. This marked the first anniversary for the current Board of Directors. Even under the capable direction of Bailli Sheral Schowe, we confess to experiencing a few jitters as we prepared for this dinner. Seeing the delight of our members and guests as they arrived for this reunion event put us all at ease for an enjoyable evening.

We could not have picked a more perfect place for our re-entry than Fratelli Ristorante.Fratelli translates to “brothers” and Chef Pete Cannella and Manager Dave Cannel grew up working in their family restaurant in downtown Salt Lake City serving dishes born of their grandmother’s cooking secrets. Now in its 15^th year and having recently moved to its newly-built restaurant, Fratelli remains one of few locally-owned restaurants in the Sandy area. Chef Pete and his capable staff made this a night to remember.

Guests were greeted upon arrival with a sparkling glass of Barone Pizzini Rose’ Extra Brut Franciacorta DOCG Edizione 2014 to enjoy with trays of antipasti and lively conversation. We moved from the reception area to be seated for a delicious Citrus Seafood Salad paired with I Pentri Flora Falanghina Beneventano IGT 2018. Our knowledgeable Vice Echanson Kasey Dubler had prepared wine notes to accompany the menu of carefully-selected Italian wines. He was also on hand to introduce the wines and answer questions throughout the evening.

The second course of House-made Butternut Squash Ravioli was perfectly matched with the Gianni Gagliardo Fallegro Favorita Langhe DOC 2019. The third course of Braciole, a stuffed braised flank steak, was the ideal centerpiece to the two red wines of the same vintage served side-by-side: Lungarotti Rubesco Vigna Monticchio Torgiano Riserva DOCG 2008 and Tenuta di Arceno Il Fauno Di Arcanum Toscana IGT 2008. Diners at each table enjoyed discussing the differences in these two wines and declaring their preferred pairing. The Pistachio Almond Gelato Sandwich alongside Marenco Scrapona Moscato d’Asti DOCG 2019 was a sweet finale to a beautiful evening.

Many of our guests lingered for conversation well after the end of the event as the smiling Fratelli staff looked wistfully toward the door. This long-awaited live event affirmed how much we had missed the camaraderie of our bailliage and how good it was to be together again.

Celebrating World Chaine Day 2021 with Mazza Restaurant

Sue Geary — Tue, 17 Aug 2021 00:08:02 GMT

Celebrating World Chaîne Day 2021 with Mazza Restaurant

By Sue Geary, Vice Charge’ de Presse, FWS, IWS, SWS

Members of the Salt Lake Bailliage could not have enjoyed a more fitting celebration of World Chaîne Day than to sample the cuisine and wines of Lebanon with an elegant dinner prepared by Mazza Restaurant. This is a dinner that was planned for another time and another place. Bailli Sheral Schowe had met with Mazza owner Ali Sabbah over a year ago to plan the dinner that was to be held last spring. Ali placed a special order of wines for this event, and the Chateau Musar in our cellar had been waiting for this meal. Members of the board were excited to gather for an event in the beautiful dining room of the newly-opened Mazza of Sandy, the restaurant that had replaced the Mazza at 9^th and 9^th. And then, the growing Covid-19 pandemic brought our plans to a jarring halt. More sadly, Mazza of Sandy became a casualty of the pandemic.

Resilience can be a brutal requirement for restaurateurs. During the year of the Covid shut-down, Ali and his staff shifted to providing only take-out meals from the original Mazza Restaurant which opened 20 years ago in the unique 15^th and 15^th neighborhood. (Some of our Bailliage members are of an age to remember Smokey’s Records which occupied that space.) Our event planning with Ali resumed in February for our April 24 dinner, and to say that the dinner was worth the wait would be a gross understatement.

Several board members were on hand that afternoon to distribute the carefully-packaged meals in front of the restaurant. Bailli Sheral Schowe dispensed color-coded bags of wines from the back of her car. And thus began her new fantasy of driving around in a bright pink truck delivering wine.

Speaking of wine, participants for this event were given the choice of two wine selections with three wines in each. Echanson Kasey Dubler gave a most-informative and interesting presentation on the wines of Lebanon including the long history of viticulture in that part of the world, some of the premier winemakers, and the influence of Bordeaux on the Lebanese red blends. Kasey also described some of the grapes that are indigenous to the area, including Obaideh and Merwah that comprised the blend of the Chateau Musar Blanc 2010 in our offerings.

Ali joined us for this our last event via Zoom to describe the exquisite menu items. The meal began with an appetizer of prawns in spicy garlic and herb sauce. The multiple layers of flavor paired beautifully with both the Chateau Musar Blanc and the Barkan Classic Chardonnay 2018. Ali introduced the Lebanese crunchy garden salad and explained the tradition of eating the salad throughout the meal for a contrasting texture and a means of cleansing the palate between courses. The next course of most delicious lamb meatballs in tomato pomegranate sauce was accompanied by a Chateau Ksara Sunset 2017 Rose’ that carried us to the jeweled rice with fava beans, nuts, and dried fruit. The final course was a duck schawarma with tahini sauce and pita that deserved the Chateau Musar Rouge 2006 and the Chateau Ksara Reserve Du Couvent 2016.

This was the best-attended in our year of remote events, and we are still hearing rave reviews of this beautiful meal. We are grateful to Ali Sabbah for making this such an exceptional event under such challenging conditions. We all look forward to dining at Mazza in person.

Bartolo Pasta Dinner and Italian Wine Pairings

Sue Geary — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 18:31:10 GMT

Bartolo Pasta Dinner and Italian Wine Pairings

By Sue Geary, Vice Charge’ de Presse, FWS, IWS, SWS

On Saturday, March 20, 2021, we enjoyed a spectacular dinner from the newly-opened Bartolo Restaurant. Bartolo’s of Salt Lake, which borders the Sugarhouse and 9^th and 9^th Neighborhoods, is the second restaurant for owners Alex and Rhia Bartolo following their first opening in Park City. Each location was designed to be “an artisanal neighborhood spot with an Italian inspired kitchen specializing in pastas and serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.” The Salt Lake City restaurant includes a rooftop dining area with panoramic views of the city and surrounding Wasatch Mountains.

During the week before our scheduled dinner event, we were able to view a delightful and informative YouTube demonstration of Chef Alex making pasta by hand. Alex’s careful instruction could easily be followed by the cooks in our group who want to make authentic pasta at home. And for those of us who are not as ambitious, we learned that Bartolo’s sells its freshly-made pasta in addition to its menu items.

Alex Bartolo joined us for the four-course event to describe the three pasta choices, each from a different region of Italy. The wines were selected and presented by Charge’ de Presse Sue Geary, who is also an Italian wine instructor. In response to requests we had received from some of our members, Sue recommended wines at two price points for each of the entrée options.

Bailli Sheral Schowe welcomed our members and guests as we enjoyed the appetizer of house-made focaccia and ricotta cheese with red wine-poached pears, toasted pine nuts and rosemary. Our first wine-- Terredora Di Paolo Corte di Giso Irpinia Falanghina 2018 from the Campania Region--paired nicely both with the appetizer and with the beautiful and delicious Beet Tomato Burrata Salad.

Chef Alex chose Agnolotti alla Piemontese as representative of the Monferrat District of Piemonte. The delectable sauce of beef, brown butter, and Parmigiano-Reggiano was paired with a choice of two Barbera wines from Asti appellations: Vietti Barbera D’Asti Tre Vigne 2018 and Michele Chiarlo La Court Nizza Riserva 2016.

The second of our pasta entrée options was Firenze’s signature dish, Pappardelle al Cinghialle. This delicious wild boar ragu with tomatoes and pecorino welcomed the Sangiovese wines selected: Castello di Bossi Chianti Classico 2016 and Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino 2015.

The vegetarian pasta presented was Macaroni alla Norma, which originated in Italy’s southern and more agricultural regions of Sicilia and Catania. Chef Alex prepared a most exquisite version of this dish of fried eggplant, tomatoes, basil, and ricotta salata. The wine offerings were Morgante Nero D’Avola Sicilia 2018 and Alta Mora Etna Rosso 2017.

The dinner’s grand finale was Chef Alex’s own approach to Tiramisu. His lighter use of lady fingers allows the Brandy mascarpone, coffee cream, and chocolate to blend most delicately. The meal could not have ended more perfectly. Our only challenge now will be in deciding which menu items to sample on our next visit to this welcoming neighborhood restaurant.

Losing a Legend: A Tribute to Tony Caputo

Sue Geary — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 22:55:53 GMT

Losing a Legend: A Tribute to Tony Caputo

By Sue Geary, Vice Charge’ de Presse

Confrerie de La Chaîne des Rotisseurs of Salt Lake City

Earlier this week, we read about the death of Steven Spurrier, author, wine merchant, founder of L’Academie du Vin, organizer of The Judgement of Paris, and overall champion of French wines. Members of the Confrerie de La Chaîne des Rotisseurs of Salt Lake City who are students of wine, wine educators, culinary artists, or who simply enjoy fine wines knew Spurrier by his reputation and were stunned by the loss of such a giant.

And then . . . we learned of the sudden death of Tony Caputo. Tony was someone we knew not just by reputation for his prominent role in bringing fine artisan foods to our community. We knew Tony for his insistence on quality and authenticity in the foods he imported and the cheeses he made. We knew Tony for the warm smile with which he greeted every one of his customers as well as the many strangers who recognized him and said “hello” whenever he was around town. We knew Tony for his wit and playfulness, most recently as one of the “Old Coots Giving Advice” at the downtown market. We knew Tony for his generosity in giving a leg up to other small business owners. We knew Tony and Mary who, especially since their retirements, seemed never to be apart.

Tony’s knowledge of Mediterranean foods (gained from his work at Granatos Deli and Kitchen), his pride in his Italian heritage, and a genuine love of people converged in his decision to open his own Italian market in 1997. Against the advice of some, Tony settled on a location in a neglected area of Salt Lake City’s downtown across the street from a notorious park. The success of Caputo’s Market and Deli transformed the area with a devoted customer base, attracted more specialty food stores, provided an incubator for other small businesses, and launched a weekly Farmer’s Market at that park. Tony was also a leader among Salt Lake City’s local businesses in promoting responsible environmental practices and taking action on issues of importance to our community’s under-represented populations. His son, Matt and daughter-in-law, Yelena, continue all of those traditions at Caputo’s now four locations.

As our Bailli and owner of Wasatch Academy of Wine, Sheral Schowe, recalls, “I used to teach wine classes at his original market in town and he was always so welcoming and warm when I would see him at fundraisers, at his market and at the Saturday Farmer’s Market… [Caputo’s] has supported our Chaîne events as well as my Italian Wine Scholar classes for years.” In just the past seven months, our Bailliage has enjoyed two events with Caputo’s beautiful artisanal meats, cheeses, olive oils, and chocolates delivered to our doors. Although we will continue to rely on Caputo’s quality products and expert staff for many events to come, Tony Caputo was one-of-a-kind whom we will dearly miss.

L'Amore - Chaine et Mondiale Induction

Sue Geary — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 22:45:34 GMT

L’Amore – Chaîne et Mondiale Induction

By Sue Geary, Vice Charge’ de Presse, FWS, IWS, SWS

The Salt Lake City Bailliage held it first event of 2021 with cocktails and inductions on the eve, not of the new year, but of Valentine’s Day. Under the leadership of Bailli Provincial Phil Kress and with the help of Bailli Sheral Schowe and Vice Chancelier Argentier Richard Pater, we welcomed four new Chaîne and Mondiale members:

Dame de la Chaîne Rebecca Doersam

Professional du Vin Cheryl Mansen

Chevalier Tim Peterson

Dame de la Chaîne Jessica Wacker

We were honored that Chancelier des Etats-Unis de L’Amerique Rufus Cressend was able to join us for the induction. We were pleased to have Phil Kress’ wife, Daryl, at this event. This is the second induction ceremony we have held by way of ZOOM. We wish we weren’t getting so good at it. There is reason to hope that the next one will be live once again.

The induction ceremony was followed by a Mondiale Cocktail Class expertly led by Cole Johnson, Vice Charge’ des Medias Sociaux, French Wine Scholar, and passionate mixologist. With a nod to our Valentine’s Day theme, most of the seven cocktails that Cole selected had shades of pink or red. We enjoyed Kir Royale, French 75, Sazerac, Aromatic Gin and Tonic, New York Sour, and Old Fashioned. Cole guided us through the process of mixing each cocktail while he also presented some of the history, folklore, and origin of each drink. Participants enjoyed the snacks we each made from recipes that Cole shared prior to the event. Many of our members had been asking for an event focusing on cocktails. Thank you, Cole, for making it happen!

The Gift of Food: SLC Bailliage Donates to Utah Food Bank

Sue Geary — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 21:53:31 GMT

Salt Lake City Bailliage Gives the Gift of Food

By Sue Geary, Vice Charge’ de Presse, FWS, IWS, SWS

The Salt Lake City Bailliage’s current Board of Directors--installed in July--has yet to hold an in-person event. Yet, out of necessity and with a good deal of pluck, we have found new ways of bringing our members together by offering a variety of activities. For the months of November and December, in lieu of dinners we opted for events with minimal cost and for modest registration fees with the goal of generating a cash donation for a charitable cause. Vice Echanson Kasey Dubler masterfully prepared and conducted both events: a Beaujolais and Thanksgiving Wines Class and a Champagne Brunch.

We have felt an urgency to find a way of giving to our community. As we have watched the cumulative effects of a growing and sustained pandemic, we have mourned the closures of many local restaurants and the resulting loss of jobs among the culinary work force. For the broader community, this pandemic has only intensified the shocking disparity between those who have enough and those with far too little. School closures and after-school program suspensions have disrupted this critical source of weekday meals for children and youth. The economic ripple has stressed food budgets for hard-working parents who have lost employment with more families than ever experiencing food insecurity. For these reasons, the Board voted to direct the funds we raised to the Utah Food Bank, where every dollar donated generates another eight dollars.

The Utah Food Bank, founded in 1904, has been a critical source of food for many families. According to Executive Director, Ginette Bott, the pandemic of 2020 “caused hunger on a scale we’ve never seen before.” The need has increased by 160,000 Utahns, and the number of children experiencing food insecurity has grown from 1 in 7 to 1 in 5. In response, Utah Food Bank increased its mobile pantries by 113% and provided 474,000 meals for kids.

We are extremely proud of our members and friends for their generosity by which we raised $1,000. The $8,000 our donation generates will provide meals for 40,000 individuals. We look forward to holding more events for charitable giving in this new year.

Bott, G. A Look Back at 2020, January 1, 2021. utahfoodbank.org.

Champagne Brunch December

Sue Geary — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 21:50:31 GMT

“Do” Try This at Home: Beginning with a Sabrage Salt Lake City Bailliage Enjoys a Remote Champagne Brunch

By Sue Geary, Vice Charge’ de Presse, FWS, IWS, SWS

Our eagerness for an end to the year 2020 can not be over-stated, so we popped some corks to say good riddance and celebrated the New Year with our December member event. Vice Echanson Kasey Dubler took charge of this fun and educational remote gathering starting with a sabrage demonstration. Kasey then gave an excellent presentation on Champagne including its history, production, grapes, winemakers, and recommendation of some exceptional Champagnes. We took two side tours to highlight other sparkling wines, Prosecco Superiore DOCG of Veneto, Italy, and Raventos Cava of Catalonia, Spain.

Members who registered for this event received a list of Champagnes and other sparkling wines available through our local, state-operated wine stores and some recipes for quiche. We made our own brunches and dined together via Zoom during the presentation. All of the registration fees we collected became part of a donation to the Utah Food Bank.

It was fun to toast one another and salute our endurance as a bailliage through the challenges of this year. We greet 2021 hopeful that we will soon be able to meet again in person to enjoy fine dining, fine wines, and fine friendships!

November Event 2020

Sue Geary — Thu, 07 Jan 2021 21:58:19 GMT

Salt Lake City Bailliage Prepares for Thanksgiving

By Sue Geary, Vice Chargée de Presse, FWS, IWS, SWS

Wine trivia question for the season:

Which wine is released for shipment every year at 12:01 am of the third Thursday of November?

Answer:

Beaujolais Nouveau

There could not be a more perfect wine to feature for our November gathering than this young wine which is a perfect match for Thanksgiving Dinner. Our Vice Echanson Kasey Dubler could not have done a finer job of taking us on an educational journey through the Beaujolais Region of France. Kasey’s spotlight on Beaujolais Nouveau was delightfully informative. It was also bittersweet given that one of our many losses of 2020 was Georges Duboeuf, the wine merchant turned winemaker who started a global ritual around the nouveau wine thereby elevating the Beaujolais Region as a whole. Duboeuf died of a stroke on January 4 at the age of 86, but his nouveau wines with the bright floral labels graced the wine store shelves again this year.

Kasey also took us north to the explore the ten crus of Beaujolais. These are the more elegant, complex, and age-worthy wines of the region. Beaujolais is unique in that its wines are almost exclusively made from the Gamay grape. The differences in the wines’ characteristics are largely attributed to differences in the soils of the northern and southern parts of the region.

For the second part of our pre-Thanksgiving event, Kasey described some wines that pair especially well with the many foods of a traditional Thanksgiving feast. Chaîne Board members submitted their favorite Thanksgiving wines and Kasey completed the line-up with a few wines that aren’t always associated with this holiday meal. A new section of our Chaîne Salt Lake City website titled Education includes all of the slides that Kasey prepared for this event.

Once again, it was so nice to see some of our members (from the waist up, at least) thanks to Zoom. We were delighted that Ashby Decker, who served an incredible 23 years as our Bailli, and his wife, Anne Cullimore Decker, were able to join us for this event. We appreciate everyone’s continued support during these most challenging times.

August Dinner 2020

Sue Geary — Thu, 07 Jan 2021 21:56:19 GMT

Salt Lake City Bailliage First Online Member Event a Great Success

By Sue Geary, Vice Charge’ de Presse

Not to be dissuaded by a just a little global pandemic, the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Baillage de Salt Lake City held it first member event of the season on Saturday, August 29. The dinner was well-attended and, although we gathered by way of Zoom out of necessity, it was so nice to see everyone.

The Dinner

A beautiful four-course dinner was provided by Royal Street Café of Deer Valley. Chef Chris Gibson went the extra distance by helping to assemble each dinner-to-go from our new distribution center, which doubles as Vice Conseiller Gastronomique Sammie Doyle’s garage. Chef Gibson even provided instruction on the plating of each course for every person who picked up their food and wine. Then he joined us for the dinner to describe each exquisite course of mostly locally-sourced ingredients.

Vice Echanson Kasey Dubler selected three single-variety white wines for this dinner. The first course of Castelvetrano olives and charcuterie was accompanied by Astobiza 2019, an Ondarrabi Zuri from the Arabako Txakolina DO of Spain’s Basque country. The second course, a summer burrata salad, was paired with Tasca d’Almerita Regaleali Rose 2019 made from the Nerello Mascalese grape of Sicilia. The pairing that was voted as the evening’s favorite was the marriage of the Olivier Leffaive Bourgogne Les Setilles 2018 with the Maine Lobster Tower.

Thank you to Chris Gibson for providing such a lovely meal under challenging circumstances! Royal Street Café remains open and offers outdoor dining so its guests can enjoy stunning mountain scenery throughout the Fall season. Chef Gibson and his staff have more menu items well worth sampling.

Upcoming Charity Events

Bailli Sheral Schowe announced that our board voted in support of her recommendation for our balliage to sponsor some activities dedicated exclusively to giving. Vice Conseiller Culinaire Jodie Rogers is working on an event to benefit the Utah Food Bank to be held around Thanksgiving. Vice Charge’ de Missions Cessily Johnson and Tarja Pater are planning for our baillage to sponsor a tree for the annual Festival of Trees, which supports Primary Children’s Hospital. Tarja explained that they will be collecting wine corks for use as ornaments. So, if you find that for some reason you have a surplus of corks, please plan to donate what you can for this project. Richard Pater, our Vice Chancelier-Argentier, generously offered an alternative for anyone who does not have extra corks. You can give a few nice bottles of wine directly to Richard who will then extract the corks over a few weeks’ time and donate them on your behalf!

We all recognize how very fortunate we are to be able to gather to enjoy elegant meals and fine wine while others in our community struggle with too little. We realize, too, how the culinary industry has been impacted by the coronavirus.

October Event

A Tour of Italy by Caputo’s Market and Deli is scheduled for Saturday, October 26, 6:30-9:00 pm

October Dinner 2020

Sue Geary — Thu, 07 Jan 2021 21:49:45 GMT

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!

A tour of Italy

Cole Johnson — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 00:52:38 GMT

Written by Vice Chargée de Presse Sue Geary PhD FWS IWS SWS

Who said we can’t travel during a pandemic? Our member event for September of 2020 was a tasting Tour of Italy provided by Adrianna Pachelli of Caputo’s Market and Deli. We were delighted that Balli Provencal Phil Kress and Ira Falk of Chaîne USA were both able to join us for this event. There are some benefits to our virtual gatherings.

The carefully-selected cheeses, salumi, olives, and chocolate were delivered to the homes of everyone who registered for this event (even those in California). Once again, we collected our wines from the home of Vice Conseiller Gastronomique Sammie Doyle. Sammie reports that, whenever someone comes to her home now, her three-year-old son asks, “Are you here for wine?” Clearly, we have a future Chaîne member!

Our virtual tasting tour began with Vice Conseiller Culinaire Jodie Rogers’ introduction of Adri Pachelli. Adri then began our journey with olives from both Liguria and Sicilia. Balli Sheral Schowe presented our first wine, Donnafugata Anthilia Sicilia DOC 2019. The first cheeses took us to Lombardia and Emilia-Romagna. Vice Charge’ de Presse Sue Geary introduced Scaia Rosato Veneto IGT 2019 to accompany our second cheese samplers, from Veneto and Sardinia, as well as a lovely prosciutto from Friuli. We traveled next to Toscana and Calabria for a tasting of salumi paired with Podere Conca Agapanto Bolgheri DOC 2017. Sheral Schowe instructed us to pop the cork of our Marenco Pineto Brachetto d’Aqui DOCG for our last stops in Piemonte and Tuscana for two exquisite chocolates.

Adri showed her knowledge of the diverse and unique artisanal foods of Italy. She also revealed her love of the country and respect for its many culinary customs. The tastings reinforced the critical role of terroir, not only for wines, but also for traditional foods. Adri gave us insight into the effort that Caputo’s makes to assure that the foods it imports from Italy and other southern European countries taste as they should. This attention to authenticity and quality was the motivation for Caputo’s to add a cheese cave years ago.

We are fortunate to have this local specialty market. Since its founding by Tony Caputo in 1997, Caputo’s has grown to three locations. Matt Caputo has taken the reins for a second generation of this local treasure. Matt continues Caputo’s tradition by showing leadership among Salt Lake City’s local businesses in promoting responsible environmental practices and taking action on issues of importance to our community’s under-represented populations. Thank you to Caputo’s and to Adri for providing an informative and enjoyable Tour of Italy!

SLC Bailliage's Induction Ceremony

Cessily Johnson — Sat, 18 Jul 2020 06:00:00 GMT

Authored by Sue Geary, Vice Chargée de Presse

In early celebration of Bastille Day, the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Bailliage de Salt Lake City, Utah held its Induction Ceremony on Sunday, July 12. The ceremony installed a new Board of Directors with prominent wine educator, Sheral Schowe, elevated to the position of Bailli. Bailli Provincial, Phil Kress, officiated from his home in Irvine, California for the Far West Region’s first induction via video conferencing.

Sheral Schowe, FWS, SWS, Bailli

This was our inaugural dinner event as talking heads and we can thank Vice Charge’ de Missions, Cessily Johnson, for handling the details of production. Cole Johnson, Vice Charge’ de Media Sociaux--who has been at work establishing our website--took photos during the event. In the process, we discovered our…

Top 5 Reasons to Love Gathering by Video Conferencing:

Reason #5: You don’t have to secure a designated driver for a ride home after the event

All of our driving was in advance of the event for the purpose of collecting our dinner. Our elegant meal was provided by The Blind Dog Restaurant and Raw Bar in Park City, whose printed menu carries the motto, It is imperative that you maintain a sense of humor. That advice was quite fitting to the challenges of the day. The process of getting our meals served from a restaurant 32 miles away from Salt Lake City and to the homes of our eight new board inductees might be best described as a relay.

Vice Conseiller Culinaire, Jodie Rogers, picked up the individually-packaged meals from the restaurant in Park City. Sammie Doyle, Vice Conseiller Gastronomique, grabbed the baton to take the food to her home in Salt Lake City then set up her garage as distribution central. Bailli Sheral Schowe selected and purchased the two beautiful French wines. Finally, each member collected their meal, wines, ribbon, and scroll.

Reason #4: Your pets can attend the event without having to certify as support animals

Speaking of pets, The Blind Dog was established in 1998 by Executive Chef, Penn Kinsey and her husband, Derrick, and named as an homage to their black lab, Rizza, who was blinded in an accident. Photographs of dogs are a prominent part of the restaurant’s décor. The award-winning restaurant--featuring fresh seafood, sushi, raw bar, and premium steak—is one of Park City’s premier venues for fine dining. Given the complexities of the logistics for our event, Chef Kinsey wisely chose a cold menu.

Reason #3: You need only comb or style the front of your hair

The neatly-combed Kasey Dubler, Vice Echanson, introduced each of the wines and shared some of the winemaker’s history. The Piper-Heidsieck NV Champagne provided the perfect toast for each of our inductions and paired beautifully with the gazpacho and the salad. The Stephane Aviron Julienas 2017 carried us in style into the main course of ahi tuna.

Reason #2: You can change your clothes during the event

We may not have thought of this had not Vice Chancelier-Argentier, Richard Pater, discarded his suit and tie to enjoy dessert in a Hawaiian print shirt. We do advise that this maneuver be done off-camera.

Reason #1: You need dress only from the waist up!

It surely would have been our preference to have gathered--fully-dressed and in-person--to enjoy the unique ambience of The Blind Dog. Yet, we respect the need to adapt to the challenges imposed by a growing pandemic, and as a new board we are eager to design events that will keep our Bailliage active and engaged by remote means for as long as necessary. We admire and salute the ingenuity and perseverance of the culinary industry and the many winemakers whose contributions, in good times and bad, are the raison d’etre of the Chaîne des Rotisseurs.