2 award-nominated cooks collaborated for 1 epic night time in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — Two main award-nominated and Utah movie star cooks got here collectively to supply visitors with one memorable night time of meals in Salt Lake City lately.

Chef Nick Zocco of Urban Hill reached out to chef Viet Pham of the Pretty Bird franchise to accomplice collectively within the kitchen to craft a fusion of every of their signature skills.

“I want people to recognize that this is a night out on the town that they can enjoy and one they’re going to remember for many months or many years to come,” Zocco mentioned. “And I think it’s a special offering that doesn’t happen often.”

The menu featured Zocco’s specialty, trendy meals with a Southwestern twist, highlighting the scrumptious qualities of seafood whereas additionally that includes dishes that demonstrated Pham’s strategies, with one dish even smothered in Pretty Bird sauce.

As a storm raged on, visitors at Urban Hill loved a five-course meal that included menu gadgets like a torched wagyu tartare, hearth-roasted aged niman ranch lamb saddle, and Zocco’s private favourite — a kombu-cured smoked sablefish.

About the cooks

Both Zocco and Pham defeated Bobby Flay on Food Network exhibits earlier than. Both cooks have additionally been finalists for the celebrated James Beard Awards greater than as soon as.

Before Pretty Bird fame, Pham established himself as one to look at within the culinary world, co-owning and co-operating the fine-dining spot Forage in Salt Lake City.

“I just really like his style,” Zocco instructed the Deseret News. “I’ve watched Viet for many years. I just think he’s a very humble, real person, and I truly admire what he does and just his personality. I love the way that he has kind of leaned out of that fine dining segment but really got into the Food Network TV. I think I kind of just wanted to get in the kitchen with him.”

The eating and planning expertise is a full-on collaboration from start-to-finish — each cooks got here collectively to plan the menu.

“It’s really about just getting in the kitchen with somebody that you’ve maybe never cooked with, but now you’ve had that relationship and that partnership and you see that maybe I’m inspiring something and they’re inspiring something,” Zocco mentioned. “And so it kind of works both ways.”

The background on the meals collaborations

Salt Lake City is an up-and-coming meals scene, with increasingly more James Beard nominees yearly, and as an alternative of competing with different cooks, Zocco desires to present them a platform and showcase their abilities alongside his personal.

“I wanted to get to know other chefs and become friends with other chefs because we all have to live in the same community,” Zocco mentioned. “Salt Lake is an exploding city and I want to be the forefront of creating those partnerships and supporting those other restaurants.”

This is not the primary collaboration Zocco has executed, and it possible will not be his final both.

“There’s a lot of restaurants around town and a lot of talent around town that should be recognized,” Zocco mentioned.

My expertise on the dinner

Urban Hill is certainly one of my favourite eating places, and I’m additionally a giant fan of Pretty Bird, so I used to be excited once I heard about this collaboration.

From the second you entered and the hostess made positive to validate your parking to the second I left, I felt seen and brought care of at Urban Hill.

My pal that I introduced with me would not eat beef or lamb, so the employees graciously accommodated us, and for the 2 dishes that concerned these elements, they introduced out a particular plate only for her with meals she might eat.

From the primary course to the final, each dish was flavorful, distinctive and a few had been even surprising.

Here had been my favourite dishes:

• Torched wagyu tartare: It was served on a blue corn tostada and got here with hatch chile nuoc cham, beet gel, miso-cured egg, and caviar. This dish was savory, salty and scrumptious. I’ll bear in mind this one for the remainder of my life.
• Whistling Springs cured native trout: This dish got here on a tiny cracker, and had preserved lemon and Pham’s signature Pretty Bird sauce.
• Kombu-cured smoked sablefish: I can see why chef Nick was so enthusiastic about this one. It comes with mole amarillo, peekytoe crab, cactus, corn and peach salsa. The flavors take you on a journey, and it virtually seems like being in New Mexico, which is the place chef Nick’s roots are. It was a terrific third course.

What’s subsequent for Urban Hill?

If you missed this one, the subsequent occasion Urban Hill will probably be internet hosting is an “Urban Hill Farm Tasting,” which is an immersive occasion the place Zocco “will create two bites inspired by ingredients from each of six local farms and purveyors,” in line with a launch.

That occasion takes place Wednesday, Aug. 19, at Urban Hill. Tickets might be bought here.