Salt Lake City: Livability in the 21st Century

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CHRISTOPHER’S PRIME
STEAK HOUSE & GRILL
Right: Our classic filet mignon is a crowd favorite.
Below: Welcome to the comfortable service and amazing food Christopher’s
has to offer.
Winner of the prestigious Utah “Best of State” award and
recipient of an “Excellent” classification by Zagat and the
Open Table award for “Top Customer Choice,” Christopher’s
Prime Steak House & Grill remains the leader in the Utah
fine dining scene. It was founded on the principal that fine
dining is about an experience, and from its award-winning
architecture to the one-of-a-kind art collection to the warm,
comfortable service and amazing food, Christopher’s has
delivered that experience to guests from around the world.
Christopher Patterson, originally from the Boston/Cape
Cod area, founded Christopher’s in 1995, assembling a team
of the industry’s “best and brightest” and retaining his staff
over a period of many years. Some chefs have been working
with him for ten to fifteen years, and some of the service
staff for over seventeen years.
“It was a struggle early on. However, perseverance and
hard work eventually paid off,” Patterson says. “We invest
hundreds of man-hours annually in menu development and
sourcing only the best ingredients for every dish. Those featured
include Idaho’s Snake River Farms American Wagyu
beef, twenty-one day aged USDA Prime beef, and organic
salmon from Loch Duart, Scotland.”
Although every customer has his own favorites,
Christopher’s is especially noted for its New England Clam
Chowder with Ipswich Clams; Crab and Andouille Stuffed
Mushrooms with Béarnaise Sauce and Parmesan Crust;
Award winning New Orleans Bread Pudding with Kentucky
Bourbon Sauce, Whipped Cream and Candied Pecans.
The restaurant’s wine list offers hundreds of selections
including award-winners across all varietals, vintages and
many wines not offered at any other restaurants in Utah.
“Our menus change constantly, evolving with the seasons,
markets and food trends. Our chefs have been expertly
trained in ingredients and presentations from around the
world,” Patterson says. “Although the talent and menu
selections are diverse, we maintain a stringent policy of
sticking to the core principle of all menu items, using only
top-notch ingredients to create outstanding flavors. If either
component is missing, it doesn’t make the cut.”
At Christopher’s, every menu item must go through an
extensive process, with all these steps involving Patterson:
• An extensive description of the item is written.
• A full recipe is written, adhering to Christopher’s portion
and ingredient minimum standards.
• A tasting with the chefs preparing the item as presented
for a guest. Patterson will personally taste the item, and/
or have a panel of diners taste it.
• Release of the item as a special, to get feedback over
the course of a month. Those that receive a ninety-five
percent or better favorable rating go on the next menu.
“We have experienced modest growth through the years
and have endured ups and downs with the economy,
including the latest recession,” Patterson says. “We have
always focused on not changing our model. Levels of
pricing, service, and portion size have remained consistent
with the market throughout all economic turmoil.”
S A L T L A K E C I T Y — L i v a b i l i t y i n t h e 2 1 s t C e n t u r y
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