The First of the First

With June being the wet and cold that it was, the summer was short lived. Much drier than the summers of my past, the high desert mountain life was good. Short lived indeed it was and this first day of October brought in the first day of snow! It began with a previous day of gloomy, casting over clouds and a touch of rain which transformed into a night of snow. I awoke to a truck covered in white and experienced my first real window scraping and door frozen shut. More caught up in the excitement of a mountain range and immediate surrounding covered in white, I somewhat lost sight of the fact that it was 23 degrees.

The job brought me great success in the way of personal endeavours and through the eyes of my superiors. We had over 1000 rounds of golf via the likes of the sales team. Their golf was complimentary however their food and beverage was at a full retail which well surpassed the forcasted revenue budget. A total closing of 31 lots during a three and a half month season put us fifth in the nation for real estate developments. On the contrary we received a good bit of negative feedback stating that the golf course is "too hard" and a little "unfair". As a result we have made some adjustments to a couple of the greens to allow for them to become more "playable". Due to the cold and snow we will address a few others in the spring of next year with the same objectives in mind.

I shall be headed back to Florida for the winter after a little travel abroad the Asian continent with my brother. What the winter holds for me is uncertain, however, I somewhat like it that way. I shall return back to Park City, Utah in mid to late April for a more than likely repeat of this past season. The only exception is that I will have a better understanding of what to expect and will have an opportunity to try different ideas out and already know what is feasable or not due to a little longer season.

Long Time Coming

It has been a long time coming for this entry...trust me..I know. The ongoing of my working habits are still in continuance. Mom, Dad, and Juliet came for a little visit far into the high desert. This was the only excuse for me to take my first and second day off since June. Unfortunately the job required me to tend to it with heavy payloads and the time spent with the family was short and the family's time in the Park City area was as well. Back to the hustle and bustle of the norms that beckon me. Since it has been a full fiscal month of service and golf at the club I, along with my staff have accomplished great heights as far as the industry is concerned. Our little submarine of a kitchen/golf shop/office has under gone great stresses within the first month. We went without air until about two and a half weeks ago which only creates greater mountains to scale. During our pseudo stroke of heat the ice machine could not manage the quantity needed, the inventory was in spoils, the temperament of the subordinates was frail and the teetering on the brink of was almost to its topple. Non the less all is becoming of its settlement. It might just be a calm before the storm as the calendar haunts us a few upcoming weeks of gale forces in addition to the owner and his family arriving for two of them.

I do believe that I am fully acclimated to the climate and altitude but I am continually puzzled by the weather patterns. The other day there was a fire south of here and it blocked the sun out. As a result the temperature fell to 36 for a low that even created a few patchy areas on the golf course of frost. Do remember that it is August! Per hearsay there is a cold front lurking into the area and it is expected to maintain the rather nippy mornings. I thought there was a thing called global warming dancing in our shadows? What do I know...I am just a chef.

The Day That Never Ends

It has been a good while since I have been united with this somewhat epistolary relationship. I have stopped pondering the endless days and countless hours that have brought me to submerge myself into the trade in which I have chosen. Just to put it into concept a bit I do believe that I am climbing well into the consecutive 30 day mark with a 12-14 hour day being short by relative measures. I have had a regional vice president, an executive vice president, and a regional executive chef within my presence for the better part of a week before, during, and after the grand opening of the golf course and club. Just to create a bit of icing, the owner and all of his family were engaged in all of our activities as well. This has not been the easiest of times for me lately with all of the variables at large. I have only become more aware of myself during this extensive duration without having any time for myself.



I didn't get the health inspection, fire Marshall inspection, and certificate of occupancy until 2:00 or 3:00pm on the 2nd of July. This was a bit of a set back for the small factor that I had to prepare a private dinner for the single most powerful man in golf at 8:00pm along with a few other golf figureheads, the owners, and the entire executive team for Red Ledges. None the less I, along with the help of my staff, accomplished it with an "out of the park" experience for those to whom it mattered. Around 5:30pm that night the owner was showing off the facility to Jack Nicklaus and all of the sudden they popped through the door of the kitchen. I was working on the grill, my hand were greasy, and lets just say that we had christened the kitchen just so, and I froze like an Arctic blizzard when I saw Jack. I couldn't speak, I couldn't shake his hand, all I could do is pretend that I wasn't about to crumble into a million shards of ice. That wasn't the way that I had imagined the first meeting of the greatest to play out. Upon the arrival of Jack into the cottage where the dinner was held I made sure to give myself the proper greeting and disclosure of who I was with a bit more composure. The menu was as follows:

Utah Elk Sausage Crostini

whole grain mustard cream cheese

Southwest Chopped Salad

romaine, black beans, chickpeas, teardrop tomatoes,

red onions, sharp white cheddar, cilantro balsamic dressing

Grilled Halibut

basil mashed potatoes, tomato-pine nut white truffle sauce

Coffee Rubbed Bison Tenderloin

ancho chili jus

oven roasted honey and green onion glazed sweet potato fries

Strawberry Muffin Tops

vanilla bean ice cream

Blackberry Tartlets

Just to name some of the others that were in attendance....Johny Miller, Jim McLean

That was a 19.5 hour day but the wink that Jack gave me as he departed for his car was worth every aching bone in my body!

This only begins yet another tremendous day of labor. The 3rd of July was the only day that I had to develop my menu for the club. The 4th was our first official day of business with well over 100 rounds of golf on the tee sheet which forced yet another crunched time schedule.

The owner and his family ate every day that they were in town. They require every attention to detail that we posses. Tony's favorite thing to eat is a steak and french fries...even when he goes to the finest chop houses around the nation. He mostly ate hamburgers and for some reason I think that he is hooked on my fresh chips instead of fries now. Upon leaving to return to his home in Miami he pulled me aside and progressed to say "Daniel, your food is not good" at this point I couldn't predict what was coming next. My heart sunk as if I was about to hear the word that I was certain I didn't want to. He then followed with..."it is fabulous"! and I could then breath again.

Not knowing the ones that are responsible for all of what is to be at Red Ledges it comes down to the purest moment of truth in order to create an experience for them to remember and to ensure that I have captured the all of the little details and not just put color to canvas will ensure that when the owners come back they will have the expectation of quality and flavour that begins the great experience. (if you expect it to be great, average automatically becomes good and great becomes fabulous) it also enables me to keep my job for another week.

Life (non) Aquatic

Having lived on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico for twenty five years, being a product of a marine biologist, and then relocating to the mountainous region of Utah the day after I found a quarter century, the aquatic life has become an image imprinted inside of me. The vast landscapes, the foreign topography, and the arid expanses only remind me all too greatly of where life comes from. Patterns and shapes of natural and artificial methods create a delicate balance of how frail mankind and life as a whole is to its dependency upon water. Vegetation resembling the forms of what resides in the sea coupled with hand originated resourcing via a demand to survive. The Jordanelle emerges into view as the journey to work brings me up and down the mountains while the anemone and squid like flowering plants expose themselves around the corners and crannies of landscaped yards and roadside gardens. Forms flowing like the tides along the zephyrean moved hills bring the subtle smile and gentle reminder that the ocean truly isn't far away.

To Be Square

The plate and the fork.....the cow and the moon...the little dog laughed because he had the spoon. Never ending seems to be the dinner ware decision. I have become as frugal as possible with my purchases for the club. Not my choice but by force. They forgot to budget small wares!! This would be all of the "small" things that make a kitchen operational. Containers, glasses, plates, mops, utensils, pots, pans, and such. What should be a cost of $10,000 or so has been violently beat down to less than half. One might say rob Peter to pay Paul, but I say.....what about Marry? The owner is into all sorts of contemporary design and style which brings the lack of budget to a whole new concept. I find it ironic that with the line of credit, the national accounts, and the wholesale tax exempt status of the company in which I work, a cliche filled retail store has the ability to be square at a much cheaper cost than any distribution company can offer. None the less, the above is one of the plates that I have chosen to be my palate. At six dollars it can be effective for breakage. At six dollars it can be replaced that same day. At six dollars.....who cares what goes on it. I do believe that most of the membership is expecting to eat off of paper and plastic as most new golf clubs do. This, I feel, will bring a new beginning to a new concept of private clubs through efficient production of much more than burgers and dogs. When we receive accolades like "best of" this and "best new" that, those who desire it will follow suit.

Philosophies change minds.......Minds change philosophies.

Disparate Climates

Altitude affected climates, clouds beneath your feet, rain for countless days, hail all week. ................... 6,500 feet brings a whole new meaning to weather. I heard a commercial that said "turn off your sprinklers... Utah's wet enough" as if the people of Utah are expecting to have some kind of drought. The past several days have been pelted with the ever so agile hail storms. Some isolated between sunny bursts and breeze kissed hillsides. Some in rolling patterns like droves of footmen engulfing the entire city. I'm not sure about the wet enough part. I have welcomed the moisture with a smile. As a matter of fact I do believe that I have brought this rain with me. I have been in some kind of precipitation every day since a week or so before my birthday. The sky is fragile up here on magic mountain. At any time with little to no warning electric bolts slice the air and pierce the soul. It isn't regularly that the eyes get to see the disparate climates from above. It is like looking into the chest of mother nature having no comprehension of what visualizes before you while settling into awe.

The Little Brain That Could.....The Hands That Badly Want To

Two weeks now in the office. Phone call, email, phone call, pricing, cataloging, email, spread sheet, email, arrival of glass samples, ownership axing 20 of 22 samples, credit app, email, meeting, phone call, do it again.........when does it stop? This has been the daily routine of me. Only weeks away from grand opening and it will more than likely come down to the last second. Thom says it best..."this just feels like spinning plates". The only piece of mind that I get is around 7:30 pm when I settle into the couch with a good album and the laptop. (yes, still working) Last Sunday I took a rest and turned the TV on for the first and only time since I have been here and succeeded at not using my brain.

The sun finally came out today but it was only 62 degrees. I am starting to feel better upon becoming acclimated to the 6,500 feet closer to the sky of my location. I also have quite the grand appetite since I have been here. This morning I went to Salt Lake City and met a baker. She had a plethora of goods for me to try so you can only imagine the carb-fest I ate for breakfast. Afterwards I went to another purveyor in SLC that specializes in meats and game. Upon arrival back at the office to engage in the before mentioned, no one was there which only meant that I would be enjoying my wonderful sandwich alone made from the freshly baked bread and fantastic meats. I have noticed that all of my associate contemporaries are fast food junkies. Meanwhile I am over at my desk eating bananas, nectarines, and granola. I have mentioned it to them but they continue to eat that garbage anyways. The clubhouse has got to get finished so I....1. can start developing my recipes, 2. get away from the continuous administrative duties and get my hands into some food, and 3. start feeding everyone wholesome meals before they turn into a french fry or a greasy spoon burger.

From House to Hole and Home Again

Moving the Earth, growing the grass, remodeling the house....these are the reasons for what I do. In a month, maybe two, the shaggy rimmed cups and the naked "trailer" will be transformed into functional recreation and leisure establishments. Transplanting Junipers through a process of months and thousands of dollars, raising berms of unorganized rocks and gravel, splattering paint from here to there, removing the skeleton then replacing it not in the manner of which it came, a concept shall come alive. Red Ledges Clubhouse shall fully operate under the moniker from the staff "The D W T"(double wide trailer) until a permanent structure is built four years or so away.

The Cold Closet

A small room, an extra corner, the garage door entry, a shivering body. 3055 Fawn Dr. isn't much but it suits me well. The weather has been what is said to be abnormal for the high mountain desert. It has rained almost every day which makes the temperature struggle to break 56 degrees. Adding to the altitude adjustments within my transition makes for a slight discomfort in this closet of mine. Pre fixe utilities attached to the rent makes the climate a bit more bearable. Heat will overtake before long. Somewhere around 6500 ft. is the elevation at which my head rests.

Gluttony Without a Price

California Pizza Kitchen.........

commercial....sterotypical.....free!

A bit of R&D for the job. The boss said he was going to send me on a mission to several area eateries to experience some of his delights. Recreation a la Daniel is my mission via an all expenses paid culinary tour. The micro-brew I drank was better. A bit generic but I can change that. He won't eat it again when I am done with it!






BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad

chicken, romaine, black beans, cheese, tortillas, tomatoes, jicama, basil, cilantro, avocado, creamy herb dressing. It's much larger than it looks.
At $12.95 it holds good value due to its size.

The Land of Bloody Noses

St. George

Only among the erroding landscape of millions of moons does this emotion find me. The tapering reds, subtle greens, the blood of my nose. Yesterdays heat...the mornings cold. Scattered illusions of prehistoric expanse wonder me...am I here or here I am. It has been almost two weeks in Utah and I have driven more than 3000 miles. Far away from the the lush semitrical, straight row forests of JOE land where the organic presence overtakes any comprehension of what the human element thinks it knows. I find it hard to think in the desert. Sitting about, the bats fly around my head as I try to digest the physical and mental reasons of my work. Ironically......solace.