Table talk

Simon's Restaurant at the Homestead Resort in Midway and the Goldener Hirsch Inn in Deer Valley received their first Four Diamond ratings by the American Automobile Association this year. They join only a handful of other Utah restaurants that earned the honor: The Glitretind, Deer Valley; The Tree Room, Sundance Resort; La Caille, Salt Lake City; Log Haven, Salt Lake City; Metropolitan, Salt Lake City; and the Blue Boar Inn, Midway.

"The honor of being awarded the four diamond ranking is a tribute to our staff and their dedication to the overall experience at Simon's," said Don Heidel, food and beverage director at the Homestead.

The executive chef at the Goldener Hirsch Inn is Jean Louis Montecot, whose menus combine Continental and American cuisine, including pine nut-crusted trout and homemade s'mores.

AAA began inspections of hotels and restaurants in 1937. The inspectors conduct unannounced evaluations of lodgings and restaurants, scrutinizing such areas as cleanliness, safety, ambiance, amenities and service. Of more than 50,000 establishments inspected by AAA each year throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, only 4 percent of restaurants win Four Diamond Awards.

The Singing Cricket, 673 E. Simpson Ave., will feature two dinners that salute local chefs who operate their own restaurants. Laura Kierstead, chef/owner of the Singing Cricket, will team with Greg Neville, chef/owner of Lugano, for a five-course Italian meal on April 7. Neville specializes in rustic Italian cuisine, with made-from-scratch pasta, wood-oven pizzas and roasted meats.

On May 18, Kierstead will present a five-course Lebanese-themed dinner with Ali Sabbah, chef/owner of Mazza. Sabbah specializes in a variety of Middle Eastern dishes including lamb masakham, baked kafka, lamb and spinach stew, falafel, stuffed grape leaves and honey-drenched baklava.

Both dinners take place at the Singing Cricket at 7 p.m. and are $60 per person, with wine pairings extra. Reservations, 487-0056.

Kierstead quotes Utah Restaurant Association figures that of the 4,483 restaurants in Utah, 62 percent are fast food, and of the remaining number, 60 percent are franchises or chains. Of the rest, only a few are chef-owned and operated.

Luna's Italian Ice Cafe, 2126 S. Highland Drive, served free Italian ice from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday in its Rock the Equinox Give-Away Blast, as a way to acquaint Utahns with this frozen dessert.

Made fresh daily with real fruit such as mango and passion fruit, Italian ice is dairy-free, fat-free, vegan and kosher, and is a popular treat in South Philadelphia. The Italian Ice Cafe was recently opened by Cynthia Osmun.

Dairy Queen is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its Blizzard frozen treat. The Blizzard blends soft-serve ice cream and different types of candy and flavorings. The celebration begins in April with additions to the Berry CheeseQuake Blizzard line.

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Submit restaurant announcements to Valerie Phillips, Food Editor, Deseret Morning News, 30 E. 100 South, P.O. Box 1257, Salt Lake City, UT 84110; by fax to 801-237-2550; or by e-mail to vphillips@desnews.com.