Finca: private dining room for wine dinners
I first met winemaker and owner José Manuel Echeverría and his family while visiting different vineyards in Spain about five years ago. He and his wife, Maria Seanz Olazabal, both come from wine-making families and spent many years working in other vineyards before starting their own vineyard and winery in the Navarra region of Spain. Bodegas y Vinedos Alzania stood out immediately for its remarkable, small production wines. José Manuel is very precise in his wine-making and runs a meticulous winery and vineyard. He’s also a great cook and a lovely host, and as we sat together talking, sharing dinner and tasting and discussing each wine, I knew I wanted to feature several of the Alzania wines on Finca’s regular wine menu and, if possible, bring José Manuel to our great Salt Lake City. This is the second year we’re lucky enough to host him to share his wines and his story with us in person during one of his few stops on his tour in the U.S.
Executive chef Phelix Gardner, chef de cuisine Dallas Olson and sous chef Carter Light and their team are offering a special five-course tasting menu to pair perfectly with five Spanish wines from Bodegas y Vinedos Alzania, including Tempura Calcots (green onions) with romesco buerre blanc and cracked black pepper, Hominy Risotto with spinach, raisins, pine nuts, and Moroccan Spiced Spring Lamb (rack) with smoked vanilla and stone fruit chutney, and cous cous. The menu will be paired with five Alzania wines, three that are available in Utah and two wines special ordered for Finca (2009 Alzania Syrah and 2007 Alzania 21 del 10) to share at this wine dinner. The tasting menu is $45 for food and $45 for wine pairings, plus gratuity. Visit our website for the full menu www.fincaslc.com/events. There is limited space available for this special event, so please email evan@pagoslc.com to make reservations.
327 W 200 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
(801) 487-0699
www.fincaslc.com
Cucina Deli – Cucina Deli and Communal Brands team up in this forthcoming wine dinner. On Saturday, April 11th at 6pm enjoy 5 courses and 5 wines for $88 ($48 for food, $40 for wine).
Old and new world wines will be blind tasted and paired with some of the Avenues’ best cuisine.
1026 2nd Ave, Salt Lake City, UT 84103
(801) 322-3055
www.cucinadeli.com
Avenues Proper – Speaking of the Avenues, another excellent restaurant celebrates their second anniversary with a very special dinner, just a few weeks later. Held on Sunday, April 26th and beginning with a social hour at 5:30, dinner begins proper (see what I did there) at 6:30. Menu is as follows:
1st course
* House Corned Beef, Pate, Seeded Loaf, Braised Cabbage, Mushroom Jus
* Slainte Stout
2nd course
* Roasted Beet Salad, Honey-Whipped Chèvre, Frisee, Citrus Segments, Pistachios, Granola
* Honey Vienna Lager
3rd course
* Oysters, Green Apple Gelee, Cholula Tobikko
* Avenues Annual
Intermezzo
* Goza-Peach Sorbet
* Goza The Goserian
4th course
* Beef Tenderloin, Scallion Puree, Spring Succotash, Smoked Blue Cheese
* Roggenschwarz
5th course
* Chocolate-Orange Mousse Tart, Nut & Caramel Popcorn, Whipped Cream
* Salted Caramel Porter
Cost for the meal is $90 (food $72, beer pairing $18).
376 8th Avenue, Suite C, Salt Lake City, UT 84103
(385) 227-8628
www.avenuesproper.com
Franck’s – On Monday, April 20th at 7:00pm this East side eatery holds another of their regular wine dinners, this time featuring the wines of Scarbolo Winery. The evening is hosted by Valter Scarbolo and local wine broker Marco Stevanoni. Chefs Robert Perkins & Adam Vickers have created the following four course menu for the event:
1st course
* Prosciutto Di San Daniele, Creminelli cured meats, pickled rhubarb & romanesco, spiced apricot puree, smoked pork fat almonds
* 2014 Scarbolo Friulano
2nd course
* Roasted turbot & butter basted clams, lobster-creme fraiche risotto, citrus-tarragon foam
* 2012 Scarbolo Pinot Grigio Ramato XL
3rd course
* Red wine braised Snake River Farms pork stew, Montasio cheese polenta, herb salad
* 2011 Scarbolo Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso
4th course
* Seared Rosewood Farms wagyu beef spinalis, variations of turnip, grilled ramps, blueberry-red wine gastrique
* 2011 Scarbolo Merlot “Campo del Viotto”
Cost is $95 per person ($50 wine and $45 food).
6263 S Holladay Blvd, Holladay, UT 84121
(801) 274-6264
www.francksfood.com
Savory Salt Lake – Finally, save May 22nd in your diary for the fourth annual Savory Salt Lake. Guests will be invited to vote for their favorite bites from a panoply of SLC’s finest chefs as they compete to win best dish; not to mention raise funds for KUER 90.1 too. Restaurants signed on so far include:
* Eva’s
* Riverhorse On Main
* Provisions
* Mazza
* Tin Angel
* Finca
* Current
* Saffron Valley
* R&R BBQ
* MacCools
* Salt Lake Culinary Center
* Salt Bistro
* Stoneground
* Les Madeleines
* Chocolot
* Cakes De Fleur
* Desire Desserts
Also, Squatters and Beehive Distilling will be providing the drinks.
Judging will be veteran Doug Fabrizio and Vanessa Chang plus newcomers Ty and Holly Burrell. Ty and Holly Burrell are part-time residents of Salt Lake City. Holly is a born-and-raised Utah native and Ty migrated to the state for onstage roles in the Utah Shakespeare Festival. The couple lived in New York for a time where Holly attended culinary school at The French Culinary Institute. Ty Burrell and his brother own and operate Bar-X in downtown Salt Lake City and recently opened the new Beer Bar next door. KUER is thrilled to have this dynamic foodie duo join the panel of judges for Savory Salt Lake.
The event is held Friday, May 22, from 6:30 to 9:00 pm at The Tower at Rice Eccles Stadium
(451 South 1400 East). Tickets are now available via http://kuer.org/post/savory-salt-lake-2015.
* Gastronomic SLC is a proud local partner of Finca.
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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