Initially operating as one of the first food booths at the Park Silly Sunday Market, Sam Harris opened Sammy’s Bistro at 1890 Bonanza Drive in January 2011. Guy Fieri of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives raved about “the local boy serving low brow gourmet grub like the signature Chivito Club and Chicken Bowl with rice”.

“My goal is to provide exceptional, reasonably priced food, while maintaining a friendly, generous vibe.” That spirit drew a devoted, all star kitchen staff and a solid local following.

The bistro is also acclaimed for its bar menu. Keeping the local spirit, Wasatch and Squatter’s brews are on tap and the drink menu includes zesty cocktails like the Beehive Mule, made with Utah clover honey, lime, ginger beer and featuring Dented Brick Roof Raiser vodka.

Harris and Dented Brick founder Marc Christensen’s friendship began in a lively debate over dining superiority between Park City and Salt Lake; then they became neighbors in Park City.

Christensen grew up in the Idaho wine country and was always interested in “Farm to Table” cuisine. “I contemplated starting a wine business,” Christensen says, “then a friend introduced me to distillation, and the rest is history.”

Hemingway Daquiri
1.5 oz Antelope Island Rum
.5 oz Luxardo Maraschino Cherry liqueur
.5 oz lime juice
.75 oz white grapefruit juice

Located on the site of Utah’s first distillery where Brigham Young acquired liquor for “medicinal purposes” in the 1850’s, Dented Brick opened in April 2016 with a white rum. Today, 11 different spirits are available in 8 states. Hugh Moon Rye White Whiskey, the first in a series of labels based on authentic western characters, won a double gold medal at the 2018 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Antelope Island Rum, also a Gold Medal Winner, exudes tropical aromas and flavors of roasted nuts, a “coco-nutty” body and banana leaf finish.

The Antelope Island Rum is the main ingredient in the Bistro’s Hemingway Daquiri, a refreshing summer cocktail inspired by the author. Harris said, “My wife and I were watching Papa—Ernest in Cuba, a film about Hemingway’s time in 1950’s Havana. He’s such a ‘badass,’ so we duplicated the drink he created at a bar where he wrote.”

While sipping an exhilarating cocktail, watch your favorite sports teams or enjoy lunch and dinner on the bistro’s dog-friendly patio, seven days a week. Or visit Dented Brick’s Distillery for free tours 11:00-7:00, Wednesdays – Saturdays. Tastings are $5, and spirits can be purchased on site.

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