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IN THE KITCHEN WITH
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In the Kitchen with Westgate Resorts’ Executive Chef Wayne Christian
by Colleen Vaughan photos by Deb DeKoff
TUCKED into Canyons Village is the luxurious Westgate Park City Resort & Spa, known for its high-end Edge Steakhouse and casual-fare Drafts Burger Bar. Patrons at Edge expect traditional steakhouse favorites but leave having tasted seasonal specials, sumptuous side dishes, and libations from a comprehensive wine and drink list.
At the helm of it all is award-winning Executive Chef Wayne Christian. His approach to cooking is steeped in the belief that every bite should be an experience. From seasonal ingredients to off-kilter preparations, Christian believes in making every taste and texture come together in unison for a truly memorable meal. This comes from a background working in every cooking and kitchen role imaginable, always with the payoff of creative, sensory food. We sat down with the Pennsylvania native to hear about his journey, from creating snow-day peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for his mom to leading a culinary team in Park City.
WHERE DID YOUR PASSION FOR COOKING AND FOOD START?
My mom always loved cooking, so I always loved cooking. My mom was a teacher, so growing up in Pennsylvania, we would spend snow days at home together. While she was watching her soaps, I would be downstairs making banquets out of the food we had in the house. And then I’d call her down, saying, “Mom, let’s eat!” And the living room would be set up with peanut butter and jelly trays and weird stuff like that. So it’s always been a passion.
HOW DID YOU END UP IN PARK CITY AT WESTGATE RESORTS?
After graduating from culinary school and working for seven years in Orlando, I wanted to move up to a sous-chef role. Westgate Resorts was hiring, and the first job they gave me was actually as the personal chef for Westgate’s CEO, David Siegel, and his wife, Jackie. I jumped at every chance to help with other things and learn under their other chefs.
Within six months, Westgate tapped me as their traveling sous-chef. I traveled to their properties in Las Vegas, Missouri, Tennessee, and all around Florida — anywhere they needed help. I eventually landed in Park City where I stepped into the executive sous-chef role at the resort for a year and a half.
Eventually, the position for chef de cuisine opened again at Edge. And even if it was a step-down role-wise, I knew I wanted to run a fine dining steakhouse. This is a once-in-a-lifetime job.
EDGE’S ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS
1/4 cup kosher salt 5 pounds Brussels sprouts 1 whole butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced 2 ounces canola oil 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 2 tablespoons butter 2 ounces Slide Ridge honey 1 ounce apple cider vinegar 1 ounce pepitas, toasted in butter 1 Cara Cara orange, sliced, with all white removed 3 tablespoons unsalted butter Salt and pepper, to taste > Fill a medium-size pot with water and 1/4 cup of kosher salt and bring to a rolling boil. Cut each Brussels sprout in half lengthwise, removing bottom core. Add to boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove and place immediately in ice bath, leaving long enough to cool completely. Remove from ice bath and place on drying towel to soak up excess moisture.
Heat oven to 350 F. Coat butternut squash in canola oil, season with salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Roast on a sheet pan for 30 minutes.
Set a large pan on stove over medium heat. After pan gets hot, add 1 ounce canola oil and 2 tablespoons of butter into pan.
Place Brussels sprouts into pan inside part down, add butternut squash and sear for 4 to 6 minutes, maintaining control of the heat so as not to burn butter.
After Brussels sprouts have properly roasted, turn them over and continue cooking 3 to 4 minutes. Remove Brussels sprouts and squash from pan and add to mixing bowl. While still hot, mix in honey, apple cider vinegar and a nice pinch of salt. Place into serving dish. Garnish with Cara Cara orange slices and toasted pepitas.
Additional fun ingredients to try: shredded cheese, chile flake, crispy pancetta and fresh chopped herbs.
WHAT IS THE BACK-OF-HOUSE CULTURE LIKE AT EDGE?
I’ve had the same core team for three years. Guys that started as grill and sauté cooks with me are now sous-chefs and chefs de cuisine here. And we’ve built this group of people that all respect each other.
I’m not like the kind of person who stands over you and tells you how we’re going to do a dish every time. I care more about drawing from each chef’s experience. What do you think we should do differently? What is your specialty? We combine all that to make a great culture.
WHAT MAKES EDGE THE KIND OF PLACE YOU WANT TO LEAD?
We try to get the best product and cook it the best way we can. We want to create a memory for somebody they will remember years later when reminiscing at the kitchen table with their family. They’re going to talk about it, and they’re going to be like, “I went to Edge and had this incredible steak.” Or, “We went to Edge, and the appetizers were off the chain, and the dessert and wine were incredible.”
People often come here to celebrate special occasions. They come here for their anniversaries, for their birthdays, for their one-offs. This meal could be everything they’ve worked for. We want to ensure that comes across in the decadence of the meal and the experience.
WHEN COMING UP WITH NEW DISHES, WHAT KIND OF FLAVORS OR ELEMENTS DO YOU GRAVITATE TO?
When we’re coming up with new menu ideas, I always look for stuff off the beaten path. So different ingredients, or spices or produce that we haven’t seen before, and determining how we can use that. A lot of my kitchen has a Filipino background, so they’ll bring different fruits like calamansi, or different oils and vinegars, or different preparations for things.
HOW DOES THAT PLAY OUT SEASONALLY?
In the fall, I want flavors that invoke warmth and coziness. I want something that’s going to make me sweat, maybe a little spice, sweetness and savoriness. In spring, I want everything to taste bright and feel brand new. And then when summer comes, I want to highlight heirloom tomatoes and the incredible berries and peaches.
And I always tell our team that patrons are getting a piece of steak on a plate. The side item needs to blow their minds. They should want to keep eating because it takes their experience over the top. Not only did they have a great steak, but they also had a great side item.
AND A COUPLE OF YOUR FAVORITE SIDE DISHES ON THE MENU ARE?
Truffle mac and cheese, garlic mashed potatoes and charred heirloom carrots.
WHAT ARE SOME UTAH AND REGIONAL VENDORS THAT YOU SOURCE FROM?
Our microgreens come from Brickhouse Growers in Orem. We use Slide Ridge honey and Beehive Cheese in our cooking. All of our meat is sourced from Idaho and Washington, and all our dry-aged meat is done in Salt Lake at Wasatch Meats.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE STARTING OUT IN THE CULINARY WORLD?
Work hard, and stay humble. There’s so much to learn. So if you love pressure, if you love satisfaction, if you love hard work, the culinary world is the place to go. Once you’re in it and you’ve been doing it for long enough, it’s the only place that makes sense. It’s the only place you feel truly accepted.
WHAT ARE YOUR CAREER ASPIRATIONS?
We have been on Forbes’ recommended list for five or six years, won AAA Four Diamond [status] and multiple Best of Utah trophies. We’ve accomplished a ton at Edge, but we have a white whale, which is to be rated four [stars] by Forbes. For a steakhouse, it’s very difficult. But that’s our goal. That’s what we’re going for.
WHAT IS ONE THING YOU ARE EMBARRASSED TO ADMIT YOU EAT?
Kraft macaroni and cheese with Heinz ketchup, corned beef hash from the can and dinosaur chicken nuggets.
WHAT IS YOUR "DAY-OFF" PROGRAM? AND FAVORITE SPOTS TO DINE OUT IN PARK CITY?
My days off are filled with spending time with my wife, Franchesca, and my three children, Tucker, Jackson and Parker. We grocery shop at Chinatown in SLC and visit state parks.
I don’t cook at home often. When I do, I love making scrambled eggs, fried rice, spaghetti and meatballs, and using a charcoal grill to cook chicken and steak. When dining out in Park City, I like PC Pho, Este Pizza. Yuki Yama is always solid and Wasatch Bagel, but not for bagels. For bagels I go to Park City [Bread &] Bagel. The Jamaican spot, 11Hauz, is always incredible; great staff.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT BEING A CHEF?
The pressure, the spontaneity, the people I work with. Having the freedom to express myself creatively. Every day is different. Every day we are making memories and creating experiences. We do the impossible all the time. We work hard, we stress, we problem solve, we process the numbers, we argue, we celebrate, we get frustrated.
At the end of the day, we’ve gone through everything the universe can throw at us, but we’ve made so many people happy. Tomorrow will be more of the same, with twists and turns, but we will have succeeded if the guests never feel it and go home happy. If we do our jobs correctly, those guests will talk about the meal they had in our restaurant for a very long time.
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