This story appears in the June 2025 issue of Utah Business. Subscribe.
Lavanya Mahate | Saffron Valley
“The nomination was definitely surreal, and I wasn’t expecting it. The nomination was a huge honor, and I was ecstatic about it. It was much bigger than me as a restaurateur; it meant so much for Indian cuisine, for Salt Lake and for women. It feels great to be acknowledged and receive national recognition, but I don’t let that dictate my work. I like to embrace a healthy mind, body and spirit, and that’s where I get the energy to do what I do. Hospitality is all about being warm and welcoming, and if we take the spirit of who we are from that, it doesn’t work.”
Adalberto Diaz | Fillings & Emulsions
“I would never in a million years think I would even be nominated for something as big as James Beard. I don’t know what to do about it or think about it. I congratulated my team because I knew I wouldn’t be nominated without them. Apart from it being an honor and a surprise, I’m just going to do what I do, which is bake. Nothing gives me more joy than seeing someone’s face after they’ve tried something I’ve made for them. I like to get a little closer to the food. I have also tried to create a welcome space that displays my culture and my personality, and I’m sharing that with everybody and anybody. People haven’t seen everything we can do yet.”
Manoli & Katrina Katsanevas | Manoli’s
“We try to create a very good work atmosphere and morale, and that starts from the top to the bottom. We take our jobs very seriously, but we also know how to have fun. You can’t weather the storm alone. The hospitality nomination is the most flattering for us. Being Greek, hospitality is huge for us. We want people to come to Manoli’s and feel welcome and forget about their troubles. It makes me and Katrina feel very grateful. The most satisfying thing is knowing you’re taking care of your staff and your guests, but next to that, it feels like everything you’re doing is worth it.”
Scott Gardner & Sean Neves | Water Witch
“The mission statement of the bar was hospitality. If you’re going to open a bar that has any sort of elevated programming, you need to set yourself apart. The idea of constant growth sets us apart to an extent. We’re always finding new ways to engage our staff and try to push events that pique public intrigue. We’ve talked about how we want Water Witch to be referred to in the public many times. The regulars keep the place going, and I think that we saw the magic in that a long time ago. We want everyone to feel like they’re part of the party.” — Scott Gardner
Mike Blocher & Nick Fahs | Table X
“The James Beard nominations we’ve received for the restaurant and for Table X Bread over the years are an incredible honor. To be recognized with restaurants all over the country, many of which we’ve admired for a long time, has always been hard to wrap my head around. When this type of recognition comes about, it really reassures me that hard work, taking care of the people that work with us, and paying attention to our guests’ and team’s needs are really the recipe for a well-run business.”
Andrew Fuller | Oquirrh
“Hospitality really just comes down to helping people feel welcome and feel important and feel like their needs are taken care of. We have a lot of diners that we see often, and we’re always making notes on maybe where they like to sit or what they like to drink or how they like to order. I think over time, when those people visit us, they can see that attention to detail. When people come in and sit down, and when the server knows them by name and knows the wine they like, that makes people feel very welcome and feel like we’ve been paying attention.”
Matt Harris | tupelo
“The nomination is fantastic. It means a great deal to the restaurant, Park City and Utah in general. Everybody is elevated with any one of us getting nominated. The root of the word hospitality is ‘hospitable.’ At tupelo, we try to give a little bit of Southern hospitality and have that warm feeling when you come in. You always have to keep on the cutting edge. If you’re focused and keeping your brand fresh, it keeps the business aspect fresh as well. There are a lot of upsides to having a restaurant here. We definitely get support from our local clientele and from the tourist traffic. We’re fortunate to be a destination place for Utah in general.”
Nick Zocco | Urban Hill
“It’s very humbling to be recognized and to be on such a prestigious list. It solidified the hard work I’ve put into it. I’ve put myself into a position where I’ve become a success story, but I didn’t do it alone. You can’t run a restaurant like this with just one person. I work with my team, and the recognition should go to the entire team and restaurant. The whole restaurant should be proud every day. Every day we strive for perfection, and I know it’s not perfect, but we try. We pride ourselves on being supportive of one another no matter what.”