The Culinary Institute’s new home
Sessions will be held at the Deer Valley Club
Scott Iwasaki, The Park Record
Posted: 06/18/2013 05:11:01 PM MDT
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Montage Deer Valley’s Yu Yamamoto is on the faculty of the Park City Culinary Institute. Yamamoto…
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The Park City Culinary Institute has found a new home.
After holding sessions at Treasure Mountain Inn and the Temple Har Shalom, the school has moved to the Deer Valley Club, 7720 Royal Street East at Silver Lake Village at the beginning of April.
Laurie Moldawer, director of the Park City Culinary Institute, said the venue is a perfect fit because instructors, including master chefs from Park City’s top restaurants, can utilize the dining area and the kitchen, which measures 1,000 square feet, in and of itself.
“It’s one of the larger kitchens in Park City,” Moldawer said. “When we do a demonstration, chefs bring in people close to the action, so they can see how a dish is made,” she said.
For the past 2 ½ months, Moldawer and her faculty have experimented with the space.
“We’ve already done two private events and are finding ways to renovate the classes,” she said. “We’ve been getting used to the space and trying to figure out how to use it efficiently and attractively.”
When a class is in session, participants watch the chefs create their culinary artworks while sitting on stainless steel tables near the cutting area.
“It’s great because the Park City Culinary Institute is its sole occupier,” Moldawer said. “We control the space.”
The space also includes the outdoor terrace where grilling classes will be held.
“During the summer we will hold the sessions outside, and we will set up according to the time of day and where the sun is shining,” Moldawer said. “We have a barbecue grill and electric stove, so we’ll have three burners going at once.
“Then we’ll pull out the stainless steel tables and situate them around the tables, depending on the class,” she said.
The facility also includes a dry and cool wine storage area where bottles can be stored on the existing wooden racks.
“The way they built the area out is so beautiful,” Moldawer said. “It’s a shame it was just sitting here unused for a couple of years.
“This is a great space for wine-tasting events and private dining events,” she said. “We have also talked with the Chamber bureau and have been listed as a private dining and additional conference facility, because we can close some areas off for other purposes.”
The space can also be used for corporate retreats and team-building events.
“That’s really a great thing for us and for business,” Moldawer said. “A cooking class is great way to build communication, leadership and efficiency skills with employees.”
Moldawer discovered the Deer Valley Club after she talked to realtor Jess Reid.
“He suggested I give this place a call,” Moldawer said. “I did and told them we were in a little bit of a time crunch, and they got everything together for us in such a short period of time. We move in a couple of weeks after the first phone call.
“Everyone who works here is just wonderful at what they do and are so accommodating, even when it comes to unusual requests,” Moldawer said.
Although the venue has changed, the Park City Culinary Institute’s goal, which was set when the school was established earlier this year, hasn’t changed, Moldawer said.
“We want to continue a program for professionals, including signature courses that will prepare students for jobs at the world-class ski resorts and restaurants of the Rocky Mountains,” she said. “We also want to build a robust calendar of recreational programming, including classes for serious amateurs.”
To do so, Moldawer, who attended the renowned Le Cordon Bleu Institute in Paris and apprenticed with Michelin-star Chef Roland Durand and interned at Jeffrey Chodorow’s Restaurant Ono, has recruited a list of who’s whom of Park City-area chefs.
They include Montage Deer Valley’s Jerry Garcia, Sushi Blue’s Michael Hohl, Lespri Prime Steak Sushi Bar’s Scott Boberek, “Bohemian Chef” Becky Trowbridge, Sundance Resort’s Ryker Brown, Wine Insiders’ John Davis, Montage Deer Valley’s Yu Yamamoto, Good Karma’s Houman Gohary, San Francisco’s Mission Eatery’s Jake Des Voignes, Hanamaru Restaurant’s Roy Yamamoto and Wai K “Quinnie” Lee, whose family owned a restaurant in Slim River, Malaysia.
“When people take these classes, they just don’t sit around and watch these chef’s cook a small portion of food,” Moldawer said. “Nor do the participants get only a taste of the finished dish.
“They get a whole meal, along with a wine or sake pairing, if they are older than 21 years of age,” she said. “Anyone can watch someone cook a main course, but when they attend a session here, they get the full treatment.”
This week’s schedule includes Techniques on the Terrace with Houman Gohary tonight, June 20; Old World Steakhouse with Scott Boberek on June 22; Dim Sum with Wai K “Quinnie” Lee on June 23 and Summer Cocktail Party and Dinner Making Mojitos with “Bohemian Chef” Becky Trowbridge on Tuesday, June 25.
All classes will begin at 6 p.m., except Old World Steakhouse, which will begin at 11 a.m.
“It’s great to see the Institute getting some traction,” Moldawer said. “The community has given us a ton of support, and now that we’re at Deer Valley, we’re getting some interest from the resorts around here, and that’s such a wonderful thing.”
For a full schedule of upcoming courses at the Park City Culinary Institute, visit www.parkcityculinaryinstitute.com.