For quite some time a unique dining experience called Monte SLC has been quietly thrilling foodies around town, mostly under the radar. The brainchild of talented chef Martin Babio, Monte SLC has operated as a pop-up affair and as private dinners for guests. But now, Monte SLC finally has a brick and mortar home, as it has permanently (fingers crossed) taken over the restaurant and bar space at South Salt Lake’s Beehive Distilling. 

It’s an inviting, airy location with plenty of space between tables. (YES! You can actually hold a conversation and HEAR the person sitting across the table from you.) Behind the bar is an enviable collection of Martin’s cookbooks and the modern but comfy dining room is bordered by whisky barrels, since Beehive is a working distillery. 

Currently, dinners at Monte SLC are constructed around a choice of tasting menus. I am told that soon Babio and his crew will begin to offer a la carte menus. That’s good news in my world since with each passing year I’m less and less of a fan of tasting menus. They tend to be quite expensive and when I’m paying top dollar for a meal I like to have some say in what I’m going to eat. Call me picky. I also find too many tasting menus are filled with precious and precocious dishes that might sound good on paper and look great on the plate, but are frequently convoluted and confused. In addition, tasting menu dining can be tedious – a test of endurance. My wife and I attended one such dinner recently and we had to bail before dessert was served as the dinner was well into its fifth hour with long lags between courses. Sorry, but there isn’t a restaurant on the planet that I want to linger in for five hours. Okay … maybe Taillevent. 

Well, I’m happy to report that although Monte SLC is constructed around tasting menus, the pacing during dinner is excellent and the cuisine is some of the most exciting that I’ve found in Utah since the early days of The Metropolitan and Forage. It’s enough to make me reconsider my avoidance of tasting menus. 

Karen & Martin Babio

At the top of the Monte SLC team is the gracious couple Martin and Karen Babio; he is the chef and spends most of his time in the kitchen while she serves as front of the house manager and hostess. The pair hails originally from Uruguay. 

Chef Babio is committed to sourcing products and ingredients locally, from produce and edible flowers to cheeses, honey and more. He says he likes to begin a day at the Farmers Market: “It’s about connecting with the land, with the people who grow our food, and with the honest flavors of each season. Every visit sparks an idea, a technique, an inspiration. At Monte, every dish begins here — with local, fresh, wild, and seasonal products. Going to the market isn’t a task… it’s a ritual that feeds our kitchen and gives purpose to everything we do.”

Amuse of Local Goat Cheese & Honey

The amuse that kicked off our Monte SLC experience backs up that philosophy – local goat cheese and honey adorned with edible flowers. 

Lamb Croquettes

Following the amuse was a trio of “snacks” which included melt-in-the mouth lamb croquettes with creamy aioli nestled in smoking straw. 

Confit Corn & Peas Tartalette

Another of the snacks was an amazing tartalette of fresh corn and peas confit. Simple, but wonderful. 

Chicken Liver & Heart Pâté

Rounding out the snack threesome was chicken liver and heart pâté served in a crispy cone, topped with a caviar dollop, and served in a wooden box strewn with large South American-style corn kernels. 

Beet Carpaccio

Next up was a beet carpaccio “salad” with lavender. I put salad in quotes since the delicious beet carpaccio was served in a bowl atop a foamy broth enhanced by caviar (a $25 upcharge) and sprinkled with edible flowers. I’m not normally a fan of beets, but this dish was spectacular. 

Service at Monte SLC is second to none, headed up in part by sommelier Ignacio Cittadini, originally from Argentina, who I previously encountered when he was at Osteria Amore. He keeps wine glasses filled and serves in part as entertainment during dinner as he pours Champagne and puts on a tableside show of preparing liquid nitrogen-infused marshmallows as part of a Monte SLC intermezzo.  

Ravioli with Lemongrass Sauce

I recommend going easy on the amazing homemade pull-apart brioche with cultured butter because there is plenty more to come and you’ll want to save room. For example, a heavenly pasta course of ravioli filled with orange confit chicken and served in a luscious, spicy lemongrass sauce topped with greens is a simply outstanding showcase of fresh summertime flavors. Chef Babio calls the dish “a rare Italo-Filipino fusion rarely seen in the American West.” 

“Cold Waters”

Equally exciting and innovative is a dish called “Cold Waters” wherein scallop, pork, celeriac, potato, and trout commingle in what is possibly the most amazing – and certainly the most creative – ceviche I’ve ever come across. It’s a dish of the quality that I’d expect to find in a Michelin starred restaurant like Le Bernardin. 

“Protein”

A dish simply named “Protein” features rare venison, yam, carrot, and Monte’s BBQ sauce. For $85 you can substitute A5 Wagyu beef for the venison, which we did. When in Rome… If your budget can withstand the A5 Wagyu upcharge, go for it. You’ll vividly remember every scrumptious bite. 

Before we knew it, Ignacio was hovering over a stone molcajete torching chunks of  binchō-tan charcoal until hot as molten lava. What on earth was this about? we wondered. 

Well, dessert is in part a performance piece in which local beeswax ice cream with miso caramel is seared at the table by Ignacio with tongs holding that red hot charcoal. It’s the perfect finale to an exceptional dining experience. 

As I said previously, Monte SLC is as exciting as any culinary experience I’ve had in Utah. In fact, I would go as far as to say that it should qualify as Utah’s first Michelin starred eatery. If you’re not familiar with the Michelin rating system, here is what the Michelin folks say about their Michelin stars: “A Michelin Star is awarded to restaurants offering outstanding cooking. We take into account five universal criteria: the quality of the ingredients, the harmony of flavours, the mastery of techniques, the personality of the chef as expressed through their cuisine and, just as importantly, consistency both across the entire menu and over time.” Contrary to what many think, Michelin stars are NOT based on service or decor/ambiance. As they clarify, “A Michelin Star is awarded for the food on the plate – nothing else. The style of a restaurant and its degree of formality or informality have no bearing whatsoever on the award.” 

I can’t speak to consistency, since Monte SLC is so new. However, Martin Babio and his cuisine checks all of the other Michelin boxes, in my opinion. But don’t take my word; try Monte SLC for yourself. It is truly inspired dining and I’m thrilled that it’s part of the ever evolving SLC dining scene.  

Summer seatings at Monte are available on TOCK and menus include a midweek 5-course menu for $95 pp; a 12-14-course menu for $175 pp; and a 7-course menu for $115 pp. Optional wine pairings are available as well as wines by the glass and by the bottle. Monte SLC also serves cocktails and liquor. 

Photos by Ted Scheffler 

Culinary quote of the week: “I don’t like gourmet cooking or ‘this’ cooking or ‘that’ cooking. I like good cooking.” – James Beard