The 2008 Sundance Film Food Festival

The Sundance Film Festival is getting to the point where what you eat is as interesting as what you see.

I recognize that may not be an entirely good thing.

Honors for best dinner party go to Talisker Club, which hosted a seven-course meal that began with a duck's-egg custard (served in the shell, thanks very much) with oysters and Iranian Osetra caviar and ended with a spiced ice cream Napoleon. Along the way were wine pairings that included Domaine Louis Latour Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 2005 and (my favorite) Thibault Liger-Belair Nuits-St. George, "Les St. George," Premier Cru 2005.

Full disclosure: Variety hosted the event. Even fuller disclosure: To attend, you had to be either a Black Amex card holder, one of Variety's 10 Directors to Watch or, you know, work for Variety. Extra points for the evening's sommelier, who operates out of Salt Lake City. I asked him what it was like to promote wine in a state that largely believes his job to be a greased pole to hell. "Sometimes I feel like I'm promoting a love of wine, " he said. "Sometimes I feel like a drug dealer. And I can live with that."

Honors for best dinner party that Sundance attendees might actually attend went to the second-annual Bon Appetit Supper Club. Yes, the magazine chose to host a dinner for "The Hottie and the Nottie," with Paris Hilton as the guest of honor. No, neither the film nor Ms. Hilton have anything to do with Sundance.

However, Bon Appetit also hosted dinners for a half dozen other Sundance films, including "Bottle Shock," where the wines were provided by the Bo Barrett's Chateau Montelena (Barrett's portrayed in the movie by Chris Pine, soon to be known as Captain Kirk in "Star Trek.").  The crowds were controlled, the food was delicious and the interior was impressive thanks to the world's biggest doily that papered the dining room walls, which also posed graciously with "Bottle Shock" stars Bill Pullman and Alan Rickman, above.

Best-kept dining secret: That Bon Appetit was hosting a Sundance dinner for U2. According to publisher Paul Jowdy, it began when his secretary said there was a man on the line, but she couldn't understand him because his accent was so thick. "I don't know why I took the call," he said, especially when the brogue-tongued caller insisted Jowdy sign a nondisclosure agreement online before he even revealed the reason for their conversation. But Jowdy did, upon which Paul McGuinness introduced himself as the manager of U2. The band heard about the Supper Club and would Bon Appetit be interested in hosting them for their film "U2 3D"? And could Bon Appetit arrange for a Champagne sponsor, since the Edge loves Champagne, and a chef from New Orleans, since the band is very interested in supporting the area? One Veuve Cliquot and a John Besh later, it was done. (Al Gore with Bono and the bubbly-loving guitarist, above.)

Best Park City addition: The Sky Lodge. The hotel opened less than a month before the festival, so the Sky Lodge had its issues -- including double-charging me for my room. However, it also introduced three new restaurants, Fin, Easy Street Brasserie and La Boheme. None are cheap but all provided comfort and sustenance on demand -- at Sundance, no small feat. Bonus points to breakfast at Easy Street, which is included in the room charge and where the waiters happily put up with our sprawling, highly caffeinated story budget meetings.

Sundance is over; the cold I contracted there has (almost) followed suit. I'm back.

[EDIT:] Almost forgot to mention: Should you travel to Norwalk, OH, and should you  stay at the Georgian Manor B&B, you might have something like this for breakfast. French toast with berry compote, fresh blueberry muffins and the comforts of a flawlessly restored 1906 home helped make a tough trip much more tender. RIP, Ross Stewart.   

Comments

[Keith & Lynda Tanner]

Just wanted to comment on the Georgian Manor B&B in Norwalk, Ohio. We have spent the last four New Year's Eve's there with friends and had fabulous breakfasts each morning. The hosts, Gene & Judy, join us at the local lodge to bring in the the new year with a great party. Fabulous hosts and delicious breakfasts! Very highly recommended whether you're looking for a relaxing weekend, antiquing, shopping, or fun the Georgian Manor is the place to stay.

[Keith & Lynda Tanner]

Just wanted to comment on the Georgian Manor B&B in Norwalk, Ohio. We have spent the last four New Year's Eve's there with friends and had fabulous breakfasts each morning. The hosts, Gene & Judy, join us at the local lodge to bring in the new year with a great party. Fabulous hosts and delicious breakfasts! Very highly recommended whether you're looking for a relaxing weekend, antiquing, shopping, or fun the Georgian Manor is the place to stay.