To celebrate this year’s summer solstice, Waldorf Astoria Park City is looking south for culinary inspiration. With the launch of the resort’s new quarterly dining series, Ridgeline Flame, a weekend collaboration will welcome Executive Chef Gustavo Pinet and Head Mixologist David Hernandez of Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal to the Wasatch Back hotel’s Powder restaurant. The inaugural event will bring the flavors, techniques and traditions of Los Cabos to Park City through a five-course dinner and a poolside lunch celebrating the arrival of summer. For Executive Chef Stuart Roger, the series is designed both to keep momentum in his kitchen during the off season and to keep things interesting for guests. It’s also a chance to reconnect with old colleagues from Roger’s time working in Mexico, first at Pedregal, before Pinet joined, and then in Cancun. “Chef Gustavo is an amazing chef,” Roger said. “David, his creativity on cocktails is also amazing, so I think we’re going to have fun. It’s going to be great for our guests.” Pinet and Hernandez agreed, praising Roger’s leadership and style in the kitchen. “I’d heard about (Roger) a lot of fun stories here in the kitchen with the team. This chef environment here in Cabo is a very small world, so we have a lot of friends in common,” Pinet said. “I find it very interesting how he works with Mexican flavors. For me, it’s interesting, as a Mexican, because he’s French, he’s been in different places, but how he cooks with it.”  Credit: Photo courtesy of Waldorf Astoria Park City Credit: Photo courtesy of Waldorf Astoria Park City Gustavo Pinet, left, the executive chef of Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, and David Hernandez, head mixologist, will design a dinner and lunch with cocktail pairings at the Waldorf Astoria Park City. Pinet said while he’s designed the menu, it will be a collaboration with Roger and his team, who will advise on the best local ingredients to use for both the dinner and the lunch. The dinner on Saturday will showcase some of the signature dishes from Los Cabos Pedregal, Pinet said, adapted with ingredients available in Utah.  That adaptation may include substituting local trout for ocean fish, he said, while preserving the flavors and techniques that define the restaurant’s cuisine. Pinet, who has spent more than a decade at the Los Cabos property and more than 26 years in the hospitality industry, said sharing Mexican culture through food remains central to his cooking. Each course will be paired with a unique cocktail designed by Hernandez. The summer solstice dinner at Waldorf Astoria Park City will conclude with a fire dancing show. Credit: Photo courtesy of Waldorf Astoria Park City “Usually I work more with agave spirits, tequila, mezcal and other agave spirits, but in this case I’m changing a little bit and try to explore different spirits, like gin or vodka, and for sure the bourbon; that one is one I love the most,” he said, excited for a planned visit to High West Distillery. He works off Pinet’s menu to bring out different flavors and textures in the drinks and said there’s always some visual element, perhaps unique herbs, to incorporate. The dinner will conclude with a fire dancing and drum show to celebrate the longest day of the year. The following day, the chefs will take a more casual approach during a Father’s Day poolside lunch of tacos featuring grilled fish, ribeye suadero and mushroom barbacoa, said Pinet. For Roger, the weekend is also about professional exchange. He hopes his culinary team will gain new perspectives from working alongside visiting chefs while Pinet and Hernandez experience the ingredients and culture of the Wasatch. Executive Chef Stuart Roger of Waldorf Astoria Park City will welcome old colleagues for a guest chef event, a nod to his time working in Mexico. Credit: Courtesy of Waldorf Astoria Park City “One of the goals as a chef also is transmission of knowledge. Having a new chef coming with us, and for our team to learn from him and learn some new techniques, learn his style, I think it’s great,” Roger said. “He also can observe how we organize our operation, the food, the ingredients we use and serve here, so it’s like a give-give.” For the chefs from Mexico, they’re especially excited to experience Utah for the first time, not just to try new herbs and local ingredients, but to be in nature, too. Additional Ridgeline Flame events — the next one planned for the fall — will feature other guest chefs, Roger said. Visit hilton.com/en/hotels/slcdmwa-waldorf-astoria-park-city/dining for reservations and to stay up to date on dining events. The post Los Cabos meets Park City with summer solstice meals at Waldorf Astoria appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less