Monte may be the first restaurant in Utah to receive a MICHELIN Star, but its sign is easy to miss: a small logo in sweeping cursive on a window to the left of Beehive Distillery’s entrance. Beyond a stack of barrels, the space feels like a chic hotel lobby, with a bar, an intimate seating area and a wall lined with shelves brimming with cookbooks. A small Michelin Man statue offers the only clue to the restaurant’s newfound recognition.
For founder and head chef Martin Babio, earning a Michelin star is not a reason to change what he and his wife have built. It is recognition of the work that got them here — and an achievement he wants to share with Utah’s culinary community.
“This achievement was not the goal; it’s just a consequence of the hard work,” Babio says. “It’s a consequence of a lot of effort, nights without sleep, a lot of tears. This is not for Monte; this is for the whole gastronomy community in Utah.”
How do the seasons shape Monte’s tasting menu?
“Monte is not just a restaurant; it’s an experience. We offer a tasting menu with 12 different courses. With Monte, we support local producers and the local economy. … Our menu is mountain-based. We use a lot of wild food like bison, quail, duck, rabbits. … We use 100% organic produce. We don’t use seed oil; we use just avocado oil or olive oil. Our food is super, super healthy.”
How does your upbringing in Uruguay influence your cooking?
“You know, it all depends on the season. It depends on what kind of produce I can get [during] the season. I come from Uruguay, from a farming family, [where] my grandma taught me to use this kind of food, and because my grandpa was a hunter, [he would] bring food and put it on the table, and my grandma cooked [these kinds of meals] all the time. This is why I love to use this food.”
Photo by Carlos Arevalo, SLC Photo and AY Creative What do you hope Monte’s recognition means for other Utah restaurants?
“The Monte door is open for everybody. If somebody has a question, if somebody wants to learn anything, if any restaurant wants to make a collaboration with us, we want to help everybody. … Focus, work hard, push forward. It’s about the team too.”
How did the Michelin star affect demand?
“At the same moment when I walked on stage [at the Michelin awards ceremony in Vegas], my phone and my watch started to beep [with reservation notifications]. We had 400 reservations in 10 minutes and 1,000 reservations in 24 hours. We have 800 people on the waitlist right now. We’re sold out until next year. This is why we’re opening up one more day a week, because we want to give the opportunity [to dine at Monte] with all these people.”
How do you plan to grow without losing Monte’s family atmosphere?
“This achievement changed a lot, but at the same time, it didn’t change anything because we want to keep the family essence. This is a family restaurant; we want to keep humble. We want to keep it little, and we don’t want to grow too fast. We want to enjoy this moment right now. We don’t think too much of the future. … We want to keep the same standard, the same service. We are the same people, the same restaurant. The only change is that we are a little more busy. That’s it.
“We want to stay the same: low profile. This is why I don’t work with the jacket. My employees tell me, ‘Why don’t you work with the jacket with the star?’ Because it’s not me. The star is not just mine. It’s a team effort.”
Photo by Carlos Arevalo, SLC Photo and AY Creative
Dining and Cooking