Diners who made a reservation at RIME Thursday evening were met with a special switch up from the seafood and steakhouse’s usual offerings.For one night, the kitchen at the St. Regis Deer Valley restaurant was handed over to Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian for the hotel’s first-ever kitchen takeover . The three-day event also featured Sandwich King Jeff Mauro, a longtime co-chef and family friend of Zakarian. Wednesday night, Mauro took over the kitchens at the hotel’s Italian restaurant La Stellina, and the two collaborated for a six-course dinner Friday night.The Mauros and Zakarians have been vacationing in Park City to ski together for a few years now, so the collaboration with the St. Regis was like a dream come true, and a no-brainer, said Mauro. The families occupied a booth in the back corner of the restaurant in support of Zakarian.“It’s been really cold in Chicago, so this is nice,” Mauro said of the spring skiing weather. “It’s like I’m on a beach vacation.”While Mauro chose to work the room during his dinner, showing off his Food Network comedy-charm, Zakarian chose to be in the kitchen, working the line.“He’s in his element,” said Mauro at Thursday’s dinner. With an open-kitchen concept at RIME, Zakarian stood out in a denim blue chef’s uniform, his name printed simply in white block letters on the chest. He appeared almost peaceful, a resting smile while he seared and plated lamb chops with deliberate movements. Zakarian’s said his style of cooking has become very simple over his career, and his goal is to do as little as possible to the ingredients to let their natural flavors shine. The menu he created for the night certainly demonstrated that.Fresh herbs and vegetables were everywhere: A tuna tonnato was topped with a garden of fennel and basil; a butternut squash and apple soup was dotted with finely-chopped chives and pine nuts. The grilled lamb entree was paired with a tapenade and artichokes, while the pan-seared snapper was served with a vibrant salsa verde, like a chimichurri, cherry tomatoes and a lemon.  Even one of the desserts was almost healthy, an orange olive oil cake topped with mascarpone chantilly and spiced pears. For the night’s wine pairings, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars’ head winemaker Marcus Notaro flew in from Napa Valley for the dinner. He chatted with guests about the four wines featured that night. The “Aveta” Sauvignon Blanc was their one white wine, which Notaro described as bright, floral with notes of guava and a lingering finish. For red wine enthusiasts, the list included three Cabernet Sauvignons: the “Fay Vineyard,” a cool vintage with a softer mouthfeel, their “SLV Vineyard,” and the prestigious “Cask 23,” each of which highlighted the depth and complexity of Napa Valley terroir.The menu and Zakarian’s ease in the kitchen made it clear why this man earned the title Iron Chef in 2011 after a decades-long career in New York City. While Chef Geoffrey Zakarian, left, took over RIME’s kitchen, its usual chef, Larry Abrams, worked the crowd. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park RecordOutside of his usual post for the night, St. Regis’ Chef de Cuisine Lawrence “Larry” H. Abrams worked the crowd. The takeover concept was something he helped make happen, and it should be just the start.“Next year it’ll be twice as big,” Abrams said.The post RIME serves bright flavors, guest wines during Iron Chef takeover appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less