Skip to main content
Nov 16
Love0

Les Madeleines Announces Closure

By Eat & Drink

For the past 19 years, the chef and owner of Les Madeleines Romina Rasmussen has infused Salt Lake City with an authentic European flavor. Inspired by her global travels and cross-continental flavors, the pastries—made entirely from scratch—came from the world-sized imagination. On Monday, the beloved bakery announced that they will be closing due to staffing shortages, supply issues and other hardships.

In an Instagram post, Romina writes, “I’m incredibly grateful for all the support over the years from guests, vendors, friends and family, but it’s time to change directions for me personally.” The shop still intends to celebrate its 19th anniversary on December 15, and offer one last holiday season of kouign amann, Bûche de Noël, panettone and other pastry favorites. Their official last day will be December 30th.

In way of celebrating Romina for all they’ve accomplished through the years, including accolades like Salt Lake Magazines Pastry Chef of the Year in 2007, we are looking back on how she got her start in the city and her philosophy to baking.

A Well-Traveled Palette

After training at the French Culinary Institute in New York, NY, Chef Romina perfected her skills working at Mesa Grill in New York City and the Mandarin Oriental Miami’s fine dining restaurant, Azul, before coming back to her hometown, Salt Lake City, and opening Les Madeleines in 2003. After living and traveling the world, Chef Romina found it easy to come back to her hometown. She jokes that her training technique might have been French learned, but her love of the kitchen goes all the way back home. “No one else in the family baked. I was always making a mess in the kitchen.” Now she gets to do it for a living.

She may be home, but Chef Romina’s world travels can be tasted in every bite of her delectables. Her palate is a flavor passport that regularly takes her on culinary adventures to try new things. “I was in Orvieto, Italy, and tried a cookie made with chocolate, hazelnuts and pistachios. When I got home I tried to get as close to the original flavor profile as I could because I wanted to keep eating it.”

In Dordogne, France, Chef Romina tracked down a man who made poppy blossom-flavored ice cream. “We drove 30 kilometers to find this alleged ice cream shop, which turned out to be a 7-Eleven-like store that just happened to sell the ice cream,” she says. “We then had to drive all over to find his garden to actually try his flavors.”

Ground Breaking Baked Goods

Chef Romina is a bit of a pastry chef vanguard. Les Madeleines’ pièce de résistance, as she likes to refer to it, is the kouing aman (named 2012 Pastry of the Year by Food & Wine). “I read about it. It looked interesting. So I made it.” If you’ve never had it—it’s a rich buttery pastry from Brittany, France, with layers of dough, and caramelized sugar on the outside. If you have eaten a Les Madeleines kouing aman—you have tasted history. Les Madeleines was the first bakery west of the Mississippi to offer the Breton pastry.

When Chef Romina first opened her cafe no one locally was using or had heard of Meyer lemons (a hybrid between lemons and oranges). “I had to fight tooth and nail to get them when I started and now you can buy them at Costco.” She jokes that in the beginning when the bakery ran out of the lemons, she feared there would be pastry uprisings. A joke maybe, but she always keeps the cafe stocked.

Les Madeleines was also one of the first bakeries to offer a variety of unique, gourmet cupcake flavors and French macarons (or “buttons”) in Utah. The macarons became so popular the shop no longer makes cupcakes.

Les Madeleines’ Flavor Philosophy

At Les Madeleines, everything is made from scratch. “We don’t use any mixes or ready-made ingredients. We make seven kinds of bread. And we make our own toffee bits for our shortbread.”

If you settle for unimaginative sweets, Les Madeleines may not be for you. “You won’t find a single chocolate chip cookie,” she says. Though inventive and adventurous, Chef Romina wouldn’t consider herself a mad-scientist of baking because, to her, baking is still a science but due to her culinary curiosity she does like to experiment with flavor profiles. “I’m not wild and crazy. I did more extreme flavors at the beginning, but this market didn’t quite embrace it. So I have to find a balance between crazy and what people will buy.”

That’s why Chef Romina used ever-popular cupcakes to introduce some of the more unfamiliar flavors. “When we opened, no one knew what a passion fruit was. Since we’ve opened, Salt Lakers have become more familiar with flavors they have never had the opportunity to try before.” Some of her craziest combinations include cardamon and orange, passion fruit and coconut, and bourbon pecan—flavors often used in other cuisines, but seldom seen in American pastry shops. She even pairs lychee, pistachio, raspberry and rose water. “At first it might be off-putting, but once you try it, you love it.”

If you’re craving something more savory, Les Madeleines also serves breakfast and lunch daily. The soup de jour and pommes frites—french fries to most—are hard to resist. So is Chef Romina’s macaroni and cheese.

Accolades

In 2007, she was named Best Pastry Chef by Salt Lake magazine and both she and Les Madeleines continue to amass accolades and recognition from both regional and national media including: The Food Network’s Road Tasted with the Neelys and The Best Thing I Ever Ate, O The Oprah Magazine, Food & Wine, Better Homes & Gardens and Sunset Magazine.

Order online for local and nationwide shipping.
216 East 500 South, SLC
801-355-2294

Nov 15
Love0
Illiterate-Light-Photo-by-Joey-Wharton

Preview: Illiterate Light w/ Kind Hearted Strangers

By Music

There’s plenty we missed in 2020-21, especially live music. Lucky for us, KRCL is partnering with The State Room to help us make up lost ground by hosting a Virginia-based indie-rock duo, Illiterate Light, on Nov. 18, 2022. In 2019, they were an up-and-coming band who had just signed with Atlantic Records and released their self-titled debut record. Then the pandemic hit and interrupted their ability to tour and promote it. Of course, great music doesn’t have a shelf-life. It’s never too late to discover a solid debut album even if it’s three years old. Thanks to the DJs at KRCL for staying current, even when the rest of us might be stuck in a time warp. They always seem to find the best new music. There’s no better place to see an exciting new band than The State Room.

The two-piece power duo consists of Jeff Gorman on lead vocal and guitar (he also plays bass notes with a foot pedal) and Jake Cochran on vocals and stand-up drums. Fun fact: Gorman is the nephew of Black Crowes’ founding drummer Steve Gorman.  

Their indie-rock sound, with its folky edges and hints of psychedelia, has been compared to The Band of Horses. I wouldn’t corral them by such a narrow association. Indeed, they are cutting their own path in the Indie-folk genre. Stylistically, they run the gauntlet of early millennia indie rock bands like Fleet Foxes, My Morning Jacket, and Wilco. I can also hear textures of Houndmouth and The Flaming Lips in their sound. Another fun fact: the band’s name was inspired by the line “that illiterate light is with us every night.” from the Wilco song “Theologians.” 

Gorman’s voice has a tonal quality similar to Neil Young’s. In fact, on their live EP In The Moment they scoured Young’s massive catalog to resurrect an obscure, deep-cut, “Vampire Blues.” Their fresh, live version of the 1974 cult classic about the dangers of fossil fuel dependence is both prescient and relevant today. Hopefully, they’ll include it on their setlist for The State Room show. “I Wanna Leave America” and “American Boy” are both great original songs with a Youngian (not to be mistaken with Jungian) flare that makes a connection between the socio-political despair of Young’s 1970s and today.

Their sophomore album Sunburned is set for release in January 2023 with a couple of teaser singles already out like “Heaven Bends” and “Light Me Up,” both trippy and melodic tunes with kaleidoscopic harmonies and a driving rock beat. Armed with a growing repertoire of great indie-folk rock songs and a reputation for a high-energy live show, I can see why KRCL is presenting this dynamic duo.

Opening is Colorado-based roots rockers, Kind Hearted Strangers. They just released an 11-minute opus “Cerberus” that’s an electrified, mind-bending, dead-head-styled jam that should blend nicely with their more contemporary folk-rock songs like “The California Zephyr” and “Red and Blue.”

In a spooky post-Halloween coincidence, I sat down to write this preview while listening to KRCL. They played “Sometimes Love Takes So Long” by Illiterate Light. How did they know what I was writing about? Is that COVID vaccine microchip implanted in my arm tuned to 90.9 FM and the DJ can channel my thoughts? Or can we just trust KRCL plays the best under-the-radar music that commercial radio constantly ignores?

  • Who: Illiterate Light w/ Kind Hearted Strangers
  • What: Indie-folk rock
  • Where: The State Room
  • When: Nov. 18, 2022
  • Tickets and info: thestateroompresents.com, KRCL.org

Nov 11
Love0
Elaina-Morris-AHG

Ascend Hospitality Group opens AQUA TERRA Steak + Sushi in City Creek

By From Our Partners

Ascend Hospitality Group (AHG) made its first foray into the Utah market with Famous Dave’s BBQ locations in 2018, and most recently with the first-ever Famous Dave’s Quick ’Que Drive-Thru in South Salt Lake. AQUA TERRA Steak + Sushi, opening at City Creek Center on December 1, represents the company’s next level of commitment to the Utah community, says founding partner, president, and CEO Elaina Morris.

“We don’t just bring restaurants to the regions we believe are great places to do business, we bring our philosophy of ‘service before self,’” Morris says. “We are committed to investing in the communities where we operate through job creation and an intense focus on meaningful engagement with our employees, at the table and within each community we serve.”

Headquartered in Bellevue, Wash., AHG is a Black-and-female-led hospitality group that provides world-class hospitality and culinary experiences with restaurants throughout Washington, Oregon, Utah, and Arizona. AQUA TERRA Steak + Sushi, located on the west side of the Main Street bridge at City Creek Center, will deliver a curated and intentional dining experience in a sleek Art-Deco-inspired atmosphere. Premium steak and wild game cuts, a wide range of sushi, omakase and crispy rice, an array of classic and sake cocktails, and wine offerings are all combined to create, what Morris calls, “next-level, experiential dining, which is the AHG difference.”

AQUA TERRA Steak + Sushi’s Tomahawk Rib-Eye.

“Bottom line, we offer an experience,” she says. “As they walk in, our guests instantly create memories as they look around and see the special touches and the atmosphere we’ve created in one restaurant setting. Our goal is to offer something exceptional, whether it’s a romantic evening for two or a multi-generational family gathering.”  

But with this latest restaurant, Morris will also continue to bring her company’s larger vision for philanthropy through the group’s service arm, AHG Cares. Through AHG Cares, the company hones its philanthropic and community efforts through various public and private programs and collaborations, with an emphasis on raising awareness for, or directly providing, aid to students and student-athletes in need. For example, last August, the company partnered with Amazon, the Why Not You Foundation, and international pop star Ciara to provide backpacks to over 500 underprivileged children to go back to school with confidence.

“The way we interact with the community is the way we run our restaurants,” she says. “Our core values are ‘you matter, team matters, and service matters and how we show up for our guests, our employees and our community exemplify our mission.” 

AQUA TERRA Steak + Sushi’s Nigiri.

Morris says AHG is actively seeking community partners and nonprofits to work together on fundraising efforts and community contributions. 

AQUA Terra Steak + Sushi opens on Thursday, Dec. 1 at 50 S. Main St., Ste. 168, in City Creek Center. For more information visit, aquaterrasteak.com.  

Nov 09
Love0
BLASPHEMOUS-brands

Blasphemous Utah Brands

By Eat & Drink

One of the first things that I bought when I moved to Utah was a Polygamy Porter baseball cap. The Wasatch Brewery label had an additional layer of humor for myself, seeing as my surname is Porter and the Porters from which I hail are Mormon polygamist stock. Even without the personal connection, Wasatch’s Polygamy Porter, which launched more than two decades ago, was at the forefront of what is now a trend: brand and product names that subvert Utah’s predominate religious culture. I say “subvert” because most of these products are forbidden for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to consume. 

For the creators of these spirits and brews, however, it’s about more than having a bit of fun. They want to make a good product while tapping (pun intended) into an alternative culture, creating a community for the non-religious, united by more than their love of liquor, coffee and beer. 

“I really care about the community, which is something that a lot of people lose when they leave the church,” says Melissa Anders, a former Mormon who runs Apostate Coffee. Apostate’s labels feature roast names that reference LDS teachings (Choose The Light roast instead of “Choose the right”) and the Word of Wisdom (Iced “Hot Drink” roast). Apostate also posts customers’ “I’m an Apostate” stories, inspired by the LDS Church’s past “I’m a Mormon” campaign. “I think a lot of people feel they are alone after leaving, so hearing other people’s stories can be affirming,” says Anders. 

Chris Vines of Temple Grounds Coffee Co. says making reference to Mormon culture was a way to instantly connect with their community of Utah coffee drinkers. Their coffee blends include The Holy Roast and, their most popular, Outer Darkness and Celestial Blend. It was also important to her and husband Ben to find a way to thread the needle. “We wanted it to be funny, but not rude or disrespectful to members of the church,” says Chris, whose family still belongs to the LDS Church. 

But, at the end of the day, that’s not who these products are for. “These are hot drinks for the people who drink them,” says Ben. 

In another reference to Utah’s polygamist past, there’s Five Wives Vodka. “It’s a message in a bottle,” says Mark Fine, President and CEO of Ogden’s Own Distillery. “Our spirits are telling the stories that the church might want us to forget.” In fact, pretty much all of Ogden’s Own labels fit that bill (e.g.: Madam Pattirini Gin). Now, with Five Husbands, Ogden’s Own is telling the stories of members of Utah’s LGBTQ+ community who appear on this year’s label (and a portion of the profits of Five Husbands Vodka is donated to support LGBTQ+ causes). They are people who are “authentically themselves,” says Fine. “These are not just ‘Five Husbands’, but truly ‘Five Stories’ that I hope people will relate to and support who one is or who one wishes to be.”