More than 70 internationally acclaimed chefs are expected to descend on Park City this August as the inaugural Chef’s Table Festival transforms the mountain town into a global culinary destination. The four-day festival, scheduled Aug. 13-16, marks the first large-scale culinary event of its k ind in Park City, bringing together those featured on Netflix’s “Chef’s Table” series to the Wasatch Back. Organizers say the event is designed to be much more than a traditional food festival, with a format centered on chef-driven dining experiences rather than tasting booths and crowded exhibition tents. The festival will feature more than 100 events spread across local restaurants and venues, pairing visiting chefs with Park City’s own for collaborative lunches and dinners. That collaborative element, plugging chefs into the already-existing culinary scene of Park City, is what made participating in the event a no-brainer for Firewood on Main’s chef-owner John Murcko. “When I was very young in my career, I realized the importance of you never stop learning,” he said. “So I’m really looking forward to working with some really unique and incredible individuals, and meeting them and hearing their story.” It’s what he loves about the episodes he’s seen of “Chef’s Table.”  “It’s a lot more than just watching somebody put together a dinner. It’s usually why they do what they do, and why they are where they are, and how they play that into their food, which I think is really cool to see,” Murcko said. The show also resonates with Pierce Everett, food and beverage director at the Goldener Hirsch, Auberge Collection, another venue signed up for the festival. The Hirsch restaurant at Goldener Hirsch, Auberge Collection will participate in the Chef’s Table Festival this summer. Credit: Photo courtesy of Goldener Hirsch, Auberge Collection “In 2016, I remember watching and being blown away by the creativity and different ways of thinking from chefs on the second season,” Everett said. “So when this opportunity was presented to us, I was absolutely thrilled at the idea and knew we had to participate.” Briar Handly of HANDLE echoed those reactions: How could he pass up the chance to work alongside Michelin-starred chefs from around the world in his own kitchen? These reactions aren’t surprising, said Jennifer Wesselhoff, president and CEO of the Park City Chamber/Bureau. “When the Chef’s Table Festival team approached us, what got our attention was the opportunity for our local chefs to cook alongside some of the best in the world,” she said, “exchanging ideas, picking up new techniques and pushing their own craft forward. That kind of exposure elevates the whole culinary community, and the effects don’t disappear when the festival ends.” But first Park City had to prove itself a worthy host. Which it did, with flying colors, said the festival’s programming director, Hillary Miko. Miko said they wanted to avoid oversaturated markets and narrowed down their options to Jackson Hole, Wyoming; The Hamptons, New York; and Park City. Their choice became clear when they scouted the Wasatch Back. “Park City has an amazing hospitality infrastructure in it already from years of hosting Sundance and from being a very hospitality-focused city,” Miko said. “Your hotels are amazing, your restaurants are amazing, everyone has a very welcoming spirit and vibe.” That’s the perspective Wesselhoff’s team wants to spread: Park City isn’t just for skiing, and the culinary scene is ripe with talented chefs and growers. The Chamber/Bureau’s recent support of the Southwest Michelin Guide, which will include Park City and Utah, is another way they’ve pushed for more of this visibility, Wesselhoff said. Handly, who received a James Beard Award nomination in 2022, said an event like this shows what this town’s culinary leaders can do. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be part of Park City’s dining scene for a long time, so it’s really gratifying to see our small town recognized as a destination for food and hospitality, not just recreation,” he said.  The inaugural Chef’s Table Festival will gather 70 guest chefs, including the ones shown, in Park City for a series of meals and events. Credit: Courtesy of Chef's Table Festival While any food festival provides good exposure, the intimate design of this event mirrors the larger narrative around Park City’s hospitality brand, Wesselhoff said, as “personal, place-based, quality over quantity.” The festival’s structure was inspired in part by a European vibe, Miko said, emphasizing slower-paced experiences. She likened it to the Italian concept of “il dolce far niente:” the sweetness of doing nothing. Instead of watching celebrity chefs from a distance or standing in long lines for bites of food, ticket packages include opportunities for guests to sit down at meals prepared by these chefs. Four tiers guarantee a certain number of meals, and a certain number of “first choice” chefs, with a personalized itinerary created in the weeks before the event. All packages will also include access to events, talks and demos planned around town. The highest tier, “Be a Chef,” will give attendees the chance to live like a chef of their choice, whether that’s fly fishing or foraging with them, or learning a few recipes one-on-one. The festival’s current roster includes chefs featured on “Chef’s Table” such as Massimo Bottura, Francis Mallmann, Virgilio Martínez, Nancy Silverton, Sean Brock, Dario Cecchini, Franco Pepe, Pía León and Norbert Niederkofler. It won’t be every chef from the series per the usual scheduling conflicts, Miko said, which is why they’ve bolstered the lineup with other up-and-coming chefs who have the brand’s stamp of approval.  “You’re not just watching Francis Mallmann talk on a panel. You’re going to a dinner where he’s cooking for you, and there’s only 200 people there with you. It’s a much more intimate experience,” Miko said. “In a lot of cases, they’re what we call a four-hands dinner or a six-hands dinner, meaning there’s two or three chefs involved.” That’s where the collaboration with local chefs comes in, an opportunity for an exchange of knowledge behind the scenes. Murcko said Firewood, with its all-wood and open-concept kitchen, works well for meals like these. It’s also fun for visiting chefs, who get to play with less-common cooking tools and strategies. Credit: Park Record file photo by Jonathan Herrera Credit: Park Record file photo by Jonathan Herrera Executive Chef John Murcko of Firewood on Main, left, and Executive Chef Briar Handly of HANDLE both say they’re excited to participate in the Chef’s Table Festival this August. “Imagine if you’re in that position of a chef: You’re put into a mountain town, not knowing any of the vendors or your team you’re put with. How exciting for them to see, ‘Who am I getting paired with? What’s their personalities and passions? How can I get them to do something special?’” Murcko said. “So I think it’s a great challenge for them, too, to get to know our town and what we offer.” Organizers also plan to incorporate local retail businesses throughout the event, Miko said, like selling chefs’ products, cookbooks and specialty goods at existing shops to drive traffic.  It’s also involving the agriculture community, like a partnership with Copper Moose Farm where chefs can walk straight into the gardens to harvest ingredients for their meals. “August is an amazing culinary time in Park City. Because of the seasons, you’ve got all the vegetables and all of the things going,” Miko said. “They were asking us, when we were there a couple weeks ago, ‘Is there anything you want us to plant?’”  That willingness by the local industry to support the festival has reinforced the decision to make Park City the home of this first event, Miko said, and the hope is that visitors and residents who attend will walk away with a taste of the town. Wesselhoff, Murcko and Everett hope those guests will want to return. “I think what makes a great community is great programming, and I just love the idea that Park City’s taking this on. It just makes our town that much more fun,” Murcko said. “A lot of restaurants are getting involved. I think it’s just what Park City needs.” The current list of participating guest chefs, and information about tickets, can be found at festival.chefstable.com. Participating Park City restaurants as of Friday afternoon include: Firewood on Main The Hirsch  Dos Olas  HANDLE  Matilda  Riverhorse on Main Washington School House  Copper Moose Farm RIME La Stellina Courchevel Bistro Le Depot Brasserie Apex Cena Ristorante Yuki Yama The post Chef’s Table Festival to pair world-renowned chefs with Park City’s own appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less