Last week, The James Beard Foundation held its annual ceremony, nicknamed “the Oscars of food,” to recognize award winners across the culinary world — including the Wasatch Back.
Nick Zocco, executive chef of Hill Top Hospitality’s Urban Hill, was a finalist for the Best Chef: Mountain award and attended the ceremony. Meanwhile, Alpine Distilling’s Sara Sergent also came close with a semifinalist designation for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service.
This was Zocco’s third-consecutive nomination in the category and his second time as a finalist. With Sergent’s nomination, she became the first gin distiller to receive a nomination in the beverage service category.
Zocco and Sergent reflected on the importance of their James Beard nominations, for their individual careers and for the region, in a Q&A with The Park Record:
The Park Record: What does the James Beard recognition say about your work, the growing reputation of Utah’s dining scene and the Mountain West as a culinary destination?
Zocco: The recognition reflects the hard work that we as a team put in day in and day out. It is part of our culture to provide an experience for our guests that is not only a service but a place for them to remember each time they dine at Urban Hill. This is always a team effort and cannot be overlooked.
I am very proud to help lead the effort and represent Salt Lake City and Utah as a whole, providing an upscale option for locals and visitors alike. I’ve always said, great cities are defined by great places to eat!
Sergent: Distilled spirits have always been at the table, and what the James Beard Foundation is signaling with this nomination is that the conversation around food excellence has expanded to spirited creations. Botanical distilling is, at its core, a culinary art with the same seasonal thinking, the same reverence for provenance and ingredient, and the same obsession with balance. I’ve spent years working alongside chefs incorporating our spirits into course pairings, marinades, desserts, vinegars, main courses, custom spirits and cocktail offerings, and this nomination is tremendous.
PR: How has your approach to cooking and hospitality helped shape the experience you create?
Zocco: I think it just comes down to my industry experience. I’ve worked for different concepts and restaurants over many years and have taken something away from each of these. The things I’ve learned have allowed me to use them for the better. I was exposed to different techniques, ingredients and leadership styles that grew me into the chef I am today.
Sergent: When you walk into Alpine Distilling and the Alpine Social Club, you know the intention before you ever taste it. Our lounge functions as much as a test kitchen as it does a cocktail bar where guests can experience multiple different applications of a single spirit, from classic cocktails to culinary pairings. Our custom gin-making classes take that even further: Guests select and taste botanicals, and two and a half hours later they leave with their own custom bottle. It’s a chef’s table experience, but for distilling. That’s the philosophy; slow down, pay attention, enjoy time with the people around you and let the botanicals tell you what they want to become.
PR: Salt Lake City, and Park City, have not traditionally been viewed as major food cities in the country. What does this recognition mean for the local restaurant community?
Zocco: It’s huge! We are rapidly growing cities, and the talent pool here should not go unrecognized. I love the opportunity to see it grow right in front of us. There are so many talented people helping lead the way to support the industry here in Utah. The community has been incredible in showing support for all of us trying to make a difference for places where people can gather and enjoy a delicious meal. In a world where technology dominates our lives, restaurants will always be a place to see each other in person and enjoy a face-to-face conversation. I want this recognition to inspire others to work hard, provide respectable service and showcase genuine connection. We are all in it together.
Sergent: Park City has always punched above its weight culinarily. We have extraordinary chefs, extraordinary producers and an extraordinary landscape. This nomination is a signal to the food and beverage world that serious, creative, world-class work is happening in our mountain community.
PR: What do you hope people outside Utah learn about your work and the state’s culinary landscape through this recognition?
Zocco: I want people to understand that when they eat at Urban Hill, we are ready to provide the dining experience it should be. A place where we take pride in our food, service and connection with the people at the table. I love telling guests, “Welcome to our family.”
This is the value across our brand. Each of us at Hill Top Hospitality has an opportunity to genuinely pursue connection with our guests, whether it’s a one-time visit or many times. Our goal is to recognize that we are more than just restaurants; we are people who care about our community and human relationships.
Sergent: I hope they learn that craft at the highest level isn’t geography-dependent, and Park City, Utah, is world-class. What you need is obsession, patience and a deep connection to place and we have all three. Our spirits are rooted in this landscape. The botanicals, the elevation, the light over the Wasatch it’s all in the bottle. I also hope people discover that Park City’s food and beverage scene is genuinely extraordinary and that there’s a community of makers here supporting one another in a way that’s rare and worth celebrating.
PR: How do you see this nomination influencing the next chapter of your career?
Zocco: I want to keep growing and getting better at what I do. I am inspired to teach and mentor a younger generation of cooks and be a figure in building stronger community connections. This is an industry of never-ending learning and has built resilience around some of the most challenging headwinds our world has ever faced. I have realized we must work together to build a better system and combine our ideas to enrich the industry.
Urban Hill will continue to be a place that provides unforgettable moments, a place that supports community and a restaurant that strives to be the best we can possibly be. We will always do the right thing to make the experience worthwhile.
Sergent: A nomination like this doesn’t make you want to slow down; it makes you want to go. I have a portfolio of spirits that I’m deeply proud of, programming at the Social Club that I believe is genuinely changing how people engage with spirits, and I have a community in Park City that deserves to see this place become everything I know it can be. The nomination is a validation, but it’s also a responsibility, and the work continues.