After more than three years helping shape the menu at Escala Provisions Company, Cristobal Sibaja Aragon stepped into the role of executive chef with a vision to create a restaurant that appeals to visitors and Park City residents alike. With the promotion from sous chef, Sibaja Aragon said he n ow oversees all culinary operations at Hyatt Centric Park City, located at Canyons Village, and is committed to making the program better and better. Because the work is “precious,” he said. Sibaja Aragon’s love of food stems from his childhood in Mexico, weekends spent in the kitchen with his family cooking breakfast before church. “My grandma was the best cook that I’ve ever met. Unfortunately, she passed away a few years ago, but it was her cooking that (made me say), I want to keep doing this,” he said. Culinary school in Mexico was expensive, Sibaja Aragon said, so that dream stayed on the back burner. He eventually moved to Provo, tried out a few restaurant jobs and began working at the Marriott in town. It was the executive chef there who pushed him to finally pursue a culinary degree. “He was like, ‘Hey, you’re pretty good at this, but I cannot teach you everything here. We have a great culinary program at (Utah Valley University), and I think you should apply and see how it goes,’” Sibaja Aragon said.  The program’s industry-focused curriculum helped him expand on his real-world restaurant experience, master the fundamentals and focus on creativity and flavor development. He’s bringing those lessons to Escala’s menu. Sibaja Aragon describes the restaurant’s style as “mountain comfort” food. Much of the kitchen’s recent evolution has focused on adding layers of flavor and making more items in house. One of those additions is an in-house smoking program. Every few days, the culinary team smokes chicken and pork belly on-site, he said. The smoked pork belly has become one of the kitchen’s most versatile ingredients, appearing in several dishes, including the restaurant’s popular Centric Benedict for breakfast or a Brussels sprouts appetizer. Slow cooking and braising are two favorite techniques, Sibaja Aragon said, which he learned to perfect at school. Braising allows tougher cuts of meat to develop rich flavor and tenderize over time, which is how the Wagyu braised beef cheek dish is prepared. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record A wagyu beef cheek, left, and crispy pork belly Brussel sprouts dish are newer additions inspired by chef Cristobal Sibaja Aragon. He also expanded the kitchen’s scratch-made options by introducing fresh pasta, something he considers both a creative outlet and a higher standard. Stuffed ravioli, with fillings that rotate regularly based on seasonal ingredients, has become a signature menu item. “We have all the tools. We have all the staff here that is willing to make it, they’re happy to make it, so it’s a pride of mine,” Sibaja Aragon said of the pasta program. “I love making pasta at home with my kids, and we mess with each other.” It’s one way he brings a feeling of home to the restaurant, something that the Hyatt Centric brand encourages chefs to do. A ravioli dish at Escala Provisions Company uses scratch-made pasta, a program the chef said he’s proud of. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record “Hyatt Centric brand is meant to be more local, more ‘centric,’ more in the heart of … things,” he explained. “Makes us think in the chef’s perspective, ‘If I go on vacation, what do I want? … This is what I want to see, this is what my parents want to see, what my kids want to see.’ So I’m bringing those into the restaurant.” As a ski-in, ski-out hotel at Park City Mountain, breakfast is their busiest service, and Sibaja Aragon said his team juggles both a range of times and a range of preferences for the meal. “We have people that want to go out and go ski right at 7 o’clock in the morning, so we have to make sure we have everything ready for them, and it’s things that they like,” he said. “I have two little kids myself, and I know the importance of that, in how little they eat and how picky they are.” But so far, not much is different in the responsibilities of his new role, the chef said, which also includes day-to-day managerial duties. It’s a small team, especially in the slower summer season, which makes it easier to continue investing in their individual development. So he plans to stay for a while. “This is my little baby now,” he joked. “I want my staff to succeed as well. I think part of my leadership is through kindness.” Executive Chef Cristobal Sibaja Aragon says he draws inspiration from his own family and travels when designing menus at Hyatt Centric Park City. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record Looking ahead, he hopes to continue expanding the restaurant beyond traditional hotel dining. Plans are already underway to introduce private chef experiences for guests staying at the property, while cooking classes would give visitors an opportunity to learn techniques directly from the culinary team. Escala also plans to maintain a strong presence at community events, including the Park City Wine Festival, helping introduce more local diners to the restaurant. Attracting that local audience remains one of Sibaja Aragon’s biggest goals. Since it’s located at the far end of Canyons Village, they don’t get much foot traffic, but the chef hopes more Summit County residents give Escala Provisions Company and its bar a chance.  “I love what I do. I enjoy doing it. I enjoy my team. It’s not about comfortability, but it’s (about) how can we elevate what we have now and make it better?” he said. “Since I started here three years ago, I’ve seen some good changes. And the way that we’re changing things is precious to me.” The post New executive chef brings personal touch, scratch cooking to Escala Provisions Company appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less