New Chefs at Cucina

Dean Peirose, owner of Cucina Wine Bar in The Avenues, recently shared some news saying: “New chefs, new flavors, and a brand-new menu on the horizon—Cucina is evolving, and we can’t wait for you to experience it!”

Bret Guild is the new Executive Chef at Cucina, replacing Joey Ferran. Here is what Dean had to say about Bret: “Bret has been in love with cooking since a young age, growing up in the kitchen alongside his mother and grandmother. His passion for working in kitchens has taken him across multiple states, allowing him to explore different culinary landscapes. For the past seven years, he has been an essential part of Cucina, embracing the fast-paced, creative energy of the hospitality industry. As Executive Chef, he is dedicated to creating seasonal, bold, and unforgettable dishes that define the Cucina experience. Cheers to many more years of culinary magic at Cucina!”

In addition, Grant Shaw has been named Cucina’s new Sous Chef. Dean said this about Grant: “Grant grew up in Seattle, where he spent his time scuba diving in Puget Sound and discovering his passion for the culinary world. Over the last decade in hospitality, he has honed his skills, spending the past four years at Cucina—learning, creating, and pushing culinary boundaries. His love for multi-course meals, housemade miso, and unique ingredients is shaping our kitchen in exciting ways.”

Pierose concluded, “With Chef Bret and Chef Grant leading the way, Cucina’s menu is about to get a serious refresh—full of seasonal flavors, creative dishes, and a few surprises.”

In my opinion, former Cucina chef Joey Ferran is as talented as they come and why anyone would let him get away is beyond me. But SLC’s Prohibition speakeasy is the big winner since Joey has taken over the kitchen there. With the addition of Chef Ferran, I would expect the Prohibition menu to show much more creativity and innovation shortly. Stay tuned.

15 Years of Silver Star Cafe

Jeff and Lisa Ward – owners of Park City’s venerable Silver Star Cafe – reached out recently to note that they are currently celebrating the 15th anniversary of their local culinary gem. 

They said, “Tuesday, March 25, 2025 marked the 15 year anniversary of the Silver Star Café. Café owners Jeff and Lisa Ward purchased the business from the Silver Star resort developers in March of 2010. At the time, it was called the “Silver Star Market and Café,” and it served a casual “order at the counter” breakfast and lunch concept which helped draw attention to the newly built Silver Star project while its residential units were being sold. Though notable in terms of real estate project exposure, the developers were not restaurateurs, and the business itself had not been successful. In early 2010, the Wards were approached by the developers about buying and operating the business, after which the Wards spent several months observing restaurant operations to identify where improvements could be made, and imagining what the business could become, before completing the business purchase in March.”

“After purchasing the Café, the Wards rebranded it as Silver Star Café (dropping the “Market”), shifted the concept to fine dining, eliminated breakfast, kept lunch, added dinner and weekend brunch, and live acoustic music for dinner patrons.”

“Today, the Silver Star Café is known as a community gathering place that celebrates the diverse regional foods of the American melting pot, with live acoustic roots music, and a warmly welcoming hospitality reflected in both service and atmosphere. The restaurant is ski-in/ski-out, located at the base of the Silver Star lift at Park City Mountain, and also sits at the trailheads for the Armstrong and Spiro trails for summer hiking and mountain biking. Locals and visitors are equally welcome, as are well-behaved dogs on the summer patio. The focus is on great food, ambiance, service and acoustic music— what they call the “four legs of our table.” The Café uses organic and locally sourced ingredients whenever possible, serves nothing with trans fats or high fructose corn syrup, and almost everything on the menus is gluten free, or can be made gluten-free. The Café’s made-from-scratch comfort food is influenced by regional flavors, and while elevated fine dining, it is also approachable.”

“Aware that restaurant work can often distress staff with stress and poor treatment, the Wards strive for a company culture that encourages life balance for their staff, with flexible schedules to accommodate other interests in their lives, and an atmosphere of respect, kindness, and support. They treat their staff like family. They are also committed to supporting independent music artists by hosting live acoustic music dinner shows throughout the year, at no additional cost to their guests. ‘We treat our music artists with the same warmth that we treat our guests, and respect for their art and talent. We hope that Silver Star Café feels like home, where all are treated as welcome friends’.”

Congratulations to Lisa, Jeff, and their talented team on achieving a remarkable 15 years of outstanding food, drink, and live music at Silver Star Cafe. 

New Spring/Summer Menu at Log Haven

Chef Dave Jones and his talented team at Log Haven restaurant have launched a new menu for spring and summer, and it’s getting rave reviews from guests. 

New meaty entrees at Log Haven include Imperial Milk Stout Brined Duroc Pork Chop with Andouille gravy, Carolina Gold rice grits, and pickled okra. I recently tried the new Bavette Steak on the menu and it was melt-in-the-mouth delicious. It’s a tender Wagyu Bavette, sliced and served on a bed of jalapeño mac and cheese, topped with corn salsa in a Oaxacan chili-port demi glace. 

Fish lovers will enjoy the new Mustard-Tarragon Crusted Salmon with shiitake mushroom-leek black lentils, pickled onions, Dijon smitane sauce, and Yukon potato straws. 

And for shellfish, there’s a new entree of Grilled Wild Gulf Prawns with ricotta gnocchi, shredded kale, pomodoro sauce, and seasoned bread crumbs. I tried this dish at Log Haven last weekend and thought it was a knockout. The homemade gnocchi might be the best I’ve ever tasted – add pomodoro and tender, plump prawns, what’s not to love? The dish was made even better with a wine pairing recommended by General Manager Ian Campbell. He suggested Alta Mora Etna Rosso from Italy, which was spot-on.