dinner at Lea's

It was a glorious day in Park City and we couldn't wait for dinner at Lea's. From the deck, the majestic views of the Jordanelle Resevoir were breathtaking. Jazzy music was playing and Barry poured champagne while we mingled and nibbled on savory Thai hors d'oeuvres...

Thai Corn Fritters...  Crispy, crunchy, yummy. Think crispy puffy latkes but with corn, and add curry paste or turmeric (or fish sauce!) to make them Thai. Outrageous with the champagne!

Shrimp Spring Rolls and Dipping Sauce.  Tasty, light and perfectly teeny rolls of traditional shrimp, mint and rice noodles. Dark sauce tasted like ginger and hoisin. Addicting.

Thai Chicken Satay and Peanut Sauce.  Love the foil-wrap skewer, clean and elegant. The chicken breast was delicious and moist. Traditionally, Satay requires the the addition of turmeric spice (turmeric powder) which is responsible for the trademark yellow and kicky flavor. Sauce was sweet, nutty and garlicky.

"Dinner is ready!" Lea graciously herded us inside and summoned us one by one to our assigned seats, typical Lea-style. Mountain elegance.

Barry poured and paired a fantastic Australian syrah and a German Riesling kabinett to go with the spicy Asian feast. Love how they roll!

First course was served tableside: Shrimp Glass Noodle Salad and Crispy Baguette.

Their Thai Chef made an appearance and explained the forthcoming FEAST at the Buffet:

Braised Baby Bokchoy.  Done perfectly. Crunchy, sweet, perfect, versus overcooked, soggy bokchoy (blah!).

Wet Saucy Meaty Off-the-Bone Ribs!  Um, just look. Awesome ribs, man. Finger-lickin'.

Broiled Salmon and Asian Pesto.  Not a typical salmon fan, I loved bold flavors it was drowned in.

Chef's SIGNATURE Pad Thai with Tofu, Eggs and Shrimp.  "Signature"...enough said. 

Mega Jumbo Humongous Prawns and Snap Peas in Addicting Spicy Sauce.  My absolute fave. Shrimp were BIG like lobsters, fat, juicy, spicy and intense. Snow peas were sweet and al dente. Must sip Reisling with each saucy bite.

Coconut Curry with Chicken Breast and Peas.  Delicious. Curry broth addicting. Could drink this stuff.

The evening's wine and bubbly selections lined up on the Buffet.

Lea goes above and beyond when she takes over at the Buffet. Count on Lea to ensure that you are well-fed (actually, over-fed) with the best of the BEST.

This spicy Asian feast paired stunningly with the Riesling kabinett. Can you tell I love Rieslings? I actually went back for seconds. A complete food and wine OVERLOAD and we still had dessert...

Later on, much later.... Plates were cleared and Coffee served... and Desserts brought out.

Pie #1:  Fruity Crumble.

Pie #2:  Key Lime Pie. Impressively, Lea proudly announces that she made this pie all by herself. Go, girl!

Also:  4-layer Chocolate Cake (from Costco $16.99, best tasting, best value chocolate cake in the world), Whipped Cream, Chocolate and Vanilla Ice-cream, Cantaloupe. Our beautiful hostess kills us, really KILLS us with Dessert...

Obscene amounts of sugary decadence. Seriously...

And way, WAY late into the night... in and out of our food coma, through stimulating happy conversation, I snuck out to the deck. This time, the moonlight illuminated the Jordanelle Resevoir and the mountains and sky surrounding it. 

Thank you, Lea and Barry, of an evening of utter bliss. It was a magical time with old and new friends, fantastic interesting conversation, elegant wine pairings and sensational food OVERLOAD! xox