by the HP / Sundance team
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By booking our table somewhere around the Jurassic period, we were able to reserve a huge table for 25 HP folks at Jean Louis‘ Restaurant in Park City. My part of the HP team is here running our internet presence, networking technologies, digital photo sites and Web 2.0 experimentation at the Sundance Film Festival.
You’ll find a good review of this pleasant restaurant here.
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Although we were a big group, the eponymous owner and famous chef Jean Louis Montecot assured me he could do mega-sized groups in much bigger venues. And he didn’t disappoint: We had an absolutely stellar dining experience. We had a set menu to keep costs down, but our Butternut Squash Soup was so out of this world that folks were joking about licking their plates … but kind of not joking, if you know what I mean. We followed this up with crisp light crab cakes – nothing like the ones weI make at home. Then we chose between salmon and steak for the main course, which was served elegantly with robust portions of potato and salad. This we washed down with champagne, chunky red wine and a light white.Jean Louis is French, charming and a great host. So we punished him for that by speaking Franglais (despite one of us being a Brit’ that left France 7 years ago who struggles under the illusion that he is still fluent). He was engaged when our own Brit noted that they had both grown up and spent time in the same areas of Normandy. IHe then recounted my years working for HP in Paris and Grenoble where HP has Research and Development facilities. So we then got to meet other members of Jean Louis’ team (that were from my favorite city in the Alps – Grenoble), and we recounted tales of St. Egreve, Meylan and our favorite bars in town. They were full of praise for the Sundance Film Festival and HP’s role in the various cities we had lived in.We then joked that our leader's current city of residence (Boise, Idaho) was not evidence of some terrible wrong-doing that had led him into the witness protection program, but instead is a sign he had joined HP’s Imaging and Printing business -- part of which finds its home there. We did attempt to gain some sympathy by pointing out that the city has a French name meaning “wooded” and is one of the fastest growing cities in the West with several top notch French restaurants … like Andrae’s.
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Lest, we digress: Back to Jean Louis‘ Restaurant. This place is so service-oriented that when one of our HP colleagues found the need for A1 Steak Sauce, there was no sign of a sneer or a curled lip that you sometimes get. This was despite the fact that the lovely piece of prime rib was sitting in a sterling burgundy reduction. What we got was quick and pleasant service that brought a previously unopened bottle of aforesaid A1 sauce to the table. |
Jean Louis, the restaurant, is buzzing, has a great feel and is the real deal if you want upbeat French cuisine without the stuffiness. Everyone in our group loved it. And when you’re working 18 to 20 hours a day, the temptation is to fall asleep in the soup bowl……but we had a rare old time laughing, telling stories and trying to persuade Jean Louis to go online to find out about buying a new notebook and printer … there are even HP Outlet specials…..or pop down to any of our retailers like Staples, Best Buy or CompUSA if he felt so inclined.
We’d go back tonight but we're pretty sure you’d beat us to the phone for a reservation … (435) 200-0260.
(Editor's note: Copy edited in 2008 for clarification.)
Technorati Tags: sundance, sundance film festival, sundance film 2007, hp, hewlett packard, robert redford, jean louis restaurant, Grenoble, A1 Steak sauce, staples, best buy, comp usa
Posted
05-11-2007 2:21 AM
by
amy brock