There’s a reason we select our local partners so carefully – they’re the best at what they do. Take Log Haven, one of SLC’s finest and most romantic dining destinations, who proudly just announced their eleventh straight Wine Spectator Award of Excellence from; an award reserved only for restaurants that “offer an interesting and diverse selection of 100 or more wines that are well-presented and thematically match the restaurant cuisine.”
Just five restaurants in total throughout the whole Salt Lake Valley managed to earn this prestigious title. Ian Campbell, Log Haven’s GM and Wine Director commented, “We’re thrilled to receive this distinction, especially the recognition of our strength in Californian, French and Italian wines. At Log Haven, be it our culinary or wine programs, we pride ourselves on fusing traditional and modern styles for a whole that’s greater than the sum of its parts. Our Old and New World wines really embody that spirit and we couldn’t be more pleased to have those efforts recognized.”
Personally speaking, Log Haven is one of my favorite locations to enjoy a glass or six; and what’s more, Campbell is the type of wine guru that inspires you to drink learn more, rather than run off into the Millcreek wilds from terminology and pretension overload.
Campbell is constantly seeking new ways to enhance the restaurant’s acclaimed wine program, most recently by expanding Log Haven’s offerings to include special wines that are available nowhere else in the state. These “Limited Availability” wines change frequently and currently include Straightline Syrah from Santa Barbara County, and Trinafour Dry Muscat from Mendocino County.
Log Haven also features specialty wine and cocktails each month too. This month’s featured wine is Fisher Unity Cabernet 2011. A union between Sonoma and Napa Valley grapes, this Bordeaux-style blend is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, and is fruit-forward in true California style. It’s a perfect match for Log Haven’s Peppered Angus Filet and Grilled Bison Teres Major Steak – and of course – a thoroughly enjoyable respite form the summer sun to boot.
6451 E Millcreek Canyon Rd, Salt Lake City, UT 84109
(801) 272-8255
www.log-haven.com
La Bonne Vie
I apologize in advance for that picture. I too just felt my belt buckle at the mouth watering pastry, prepared with aplomb by La Bonne Vie Patisserie in The Grand America Hotel. So why exactly did I just curse all your elaborate diets to certain failure with such a weapon of mass restraint destruction? Honestly, there is a reason.
The éclair above is La Vie’s ‘Stinger Bee’ made with honey from Vernal, Utah. It’s the first of pastry chef Ishraht Mackie’s new range of éclair flavors inspired by Utah. Additional flavors to come in the future include a Bear Lake Raspberry Éclair and Black Cherry Jell-O Éclair. La Bonne Vie opens daily at 10am and closes at 9pm Monday through Saturday and 5pm on Sundays. Check them out. Oh, and put back the diet to 2015.
555 S Main St, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
(801) 258-6554
www.grandamerica.com/dining/labonnevie
High West
Finally congratulations to High West and their “Mustang Shandy” creation – winner of the Park City Area Restaurant Association’s Summer Cocktail Contest. Indeed, the libation was a run away winner recording nearly twice as many votes than the next-closest competitor. The win earned High West bartender Jeremy Gross $200 in cash not to mention some some serious bragging rights – and no doubt requests from friends hosting parties soon.
“This contest was a blast, and we’re thrilled to be going home with the title this summer,” High West proprietor David Perkins said. “It was a close competition with a lot of great cocktails, but I think our combination of craft-distilled whiskeys and expert bartenders is what really put us over the top.”
Mustang Shandy features spiced honey syrup infused with High West’s smoky Campfire whiskey, along with fresh lemon juice and Boulevard Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale. Those ingredients are combined with Son of Bourye in a shaker with large ice cubes, then shaken and strained into a chilled pilsner glass. It’s topped with Tank 7 and finished off with a garnish of fresh lemon zest and grains of paradise.
All entries and recipes can be found on the PCARA web site at www.parkcityrestaurants.com
703 Park Ave, Park City, UT 84060
(435) 649-8300
www.highwest.com
* Gastronomic SLC is a proud local partner of Log Haven.
Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC. I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have written in myopic detail about the Salt Lake City dining scene for the better part of seventeen years.
I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV. Pause those credits, yep, that’s me! I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. What they’re saying about me: “Not inaccurate”, “I thought he was older”, “I don’t share his feelings”.
Want to know more? This is why I am the way I am.
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