St. Regis Deer Valley transformed its RIME dining room with two long tables set for around 40 guests at the Chef’s Tasting event, bringing celebrity chefs Geoffrey Zakarian and Jeff Mauro back to Park City for the second annual Culinary Takeover.
Running through Saturday, the takeover builds on last year’s debut with a mix of formats, from a high-energy kickoff party to one-night-only menus at the hotel’s restaurants. The concept, sparked by the two chefs’ annual ski vacations to town, pairs Zakarian’s simple, refined style with Mauro’s more casual, comfort-focused approach while integrating the St. Regis culinary team throughout each event.
Thursday’s dinner at RIME included five courses from the two guest chefs as well as three St. Regis culinary leaders: Executive Chef Matthew Fradera, Chef de Cuisine Pablo Matos and Executive Pastry Chef Marcelo Ferrinha.
A cocktail hour before the culinary takeover dinner included an elaborate charcuterie and a chance to mingle with the visiting chefs. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record 
The St. Regis Deer Valley Chef de Cuisine Pablo Matos helps plate the third course of the culinary takeover dinner featuring Geoffrey Zakarian and Jeff Mauro at the hotel. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record
A cocktail hour got the event started with an elaborate raw bar and charcuterie featuring Zakarian’s and Mauro’s branded ingredients like olive oils and salts. The spread was doubled from the previous year, and along with the return of a champagne skirt lady, the hotel added a mysterious cocktail wall: ring a bell and white-gloved hands delivered drinks through a fake plant wall.
While a string quartet performed modern pop songs — very “Bridgerton” — the evening was far from Victorian-era stiff, the wine and food flowing as easily as chef Mauro’s jokes.
“I was going to come up here and sing the National Anthem,” Mauro said after greeting guests and explaining his course, drawing laughter from the crowd.
Maruo’s dish was a deconstructed Reuben sandwich, a nod to his moniker “Sandwich King,” with a pastrami-rubbed cut of steak, red cabbage, Gouda foam and salt and vinegar potato straws on top for crunch.
“Gotta stay on brand,” he said. “It’s what everyone really wants to eat at these things.”
It was the main entree. After it was served, Mauro returned and worked the crowd, many guests taking the opportunity to ask how to get the peppery rub for home.
Zakarian’s course — long slices of raw tuna served as a tonnato, an Italian-style sauce made with the fish — was a crowd favorite for its lightness, topped with an “herb salad” of dill, parsley and a mint-like basil, as well as crispy capers. As the second course, and on a hot spring day, it brought a much-needed lightness.
“So this is the dish of an Iron Chef,” said attendee Chris Bender, who was visiting with his wife, Danelle, from Kansas City for their 10-year-old son’s spring break.
It was the family’s third time returning to Park City, and they couldn’t say anything bad about the town. They’d just missed the first Culinary Takeover series last year, but the timing worked great this time around, and the event was their last dinner before a flight home the next morning.
Executive Chef Matthew Fradera served a mushroom tortellini dish inspired by his Italian heritage. The St. Regis chef said events like the culinary takeover give him and his team a chance to test their skills against famous chefs. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record 
Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian’s course stayed true to his philosophy that simple is best: a tuna tonnato topped with a bunch of fresh herbs. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record 
The first course was a scallop dish designed by the hotel’s Chef de Cuisine Pablo Matos. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record
For the other courses, Matos, who oversees RIME, put together an elaborate scallop dish with a curry-like sauce, roasted fennel root and a squid ink tuile on top. Fradera presented a simpler pasta dish: a house-made tortellini with ricotta, mushrooms, parmesan and fresh-shaved black truffle, then garnished with red veined sorrel for a pop of color.
Fradera said events like these are always a welcome refresh to the work, sparking creative inspiration and friendly competition in the kitchen.
“When you can go up against some iron chefs and some famous chefs, and go like, ‘Alright, I can hold my own against these guys,’ it gives you reassurance as a chef,” he added.
The dessert course was a surprise — Ferrinha refused to explain the dish at the start, promising it would “blow your minds” — and sure enough, gasps snuck out as servers began to place pink Lorax-like trees around the tables. The pastry team had constructed wire trees topped with pink cotton candy, a pile of small, house-made candies and chocolate collected beneath them. The course, Ferrinha explained, was called “the tree of life” as a nod to her Brazilian childhood, where these wire trees were all the rage in the ’90s.
As the dinner wrapped up, Chris collected signatures from all five chefs on the evening’s menu — a tradition the couple has turned into a personal keepsake over the years, Danelle said. Whenever possible, they ask chefs to sign menus from memorable meals, later framing and displaying them in their kitchen back home. One of their favorites comes from The French Laundry, she said.
The visiting chefs have two more events while in town. Zakarian is scheduled to take over La Stellina on Friday, adding dishes that reflect his signature precision within the restaurant’s Italian menu. Mauro will close out the series on Saturday with a dinner also at RIME, bringing his Italian and Chicago roots — and of course, his sense of humor — to the night.
As for the 70-degree March ski day in Park City, Mauro was in good spirits.
“I’m all for embracing what we get, which is pretty freaking great,” Mauro said. “I’m more of a ski (for) two hours kind of guy.”