On December 27, 2013, Bloomberg reported South Dakota is the hottest address for America’s billionaires because of its tax-friendly trust laws, but in the world of gourmet eating and fine dining, the nearby state of Utah is becoming one of America’s prime eating destinations. Over the past decade, celebrity chefs have flocked to various parts of this state to open their establishments and feed the wealthy. Knowledgeable foodies with discriminating palates have begun to take culinary vacations to Utah, attending food and wine festivals, culinary classes and farm tours. Thanks to the international media exposure of The 2002 Olympic Winter Games and the annual renowned Sundance Film Festival, Utah has become a gourmet emporium. Salt Lake City and Park City are host to some of the world’s most expensive winter vacation homes and luxury five-star hotels. Where there is wealth, good food always follows.
Fine dining restaurants, gourmet groceries and sustainable farmers have sprinkled Utah’s landscape, producing and selling some of the world’s best food, mostly grown locally. Some of those sustainable farmers are growing their products in unexpected locations -- on the side of mountains.