New off-grid restaurant Gather offers new twists using old techniques

Combined image: Chef Jeff Crosland against a mountain image, location and date not specified | Crosland photo by Noah Burt, mountain image by khephera/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

KOLOB — Gather is a new off-grid restaurant on top of Kolob Terrace near Cedar City. Recently, guests in Southern Utah University’s most popular community education class, So. Utah Chef, got to taste a unique spin on a familiar seafood dish prepared by the owner using local ingredients such as prickly pear cactus.

Chef Jeff Crosland gives a demonstration at SUU’s community education class So. Utah Chef, Cedar City, Utah, date not specified | Photo by Noah Burt, St. George News

Chef Jeff Crosland presented two variations of the popular Latin American dish ceviche. The dish is common in the Pacific and coastal regions of South America and is considered the national dish of Peru. Ceviche is made with fresh vegetables and seafood and prepared with no heat.

“The seafood is basically cooked, or cured, using the acids from citrus juices such as lemons or limes,” Crosland said. “Since most versions are prepared using raw fish, the dish must be prepared and consumed fresh to get the best flavor. I like to use as much fresh produce as possible from local growers in my restaurant.”

Although Crosland has been in the culinary industry more than 25 years, his latest venture is something he has dreamed about for quite some time. Gather is an off-the-grid eatery surrounded by some of the most breathtaking scenery in Southern Utah.

Crosland cooks the food he serves using wood-fired smokers and coal-fired Dutch ovens, preparing all of his dishes much like a chef would before modern-day ovens and grills.

“We are trying something different that you will not see in most restaurants in the country,” Crosland said. “We serve up fresh salsa fresca and pico de gallo, steelhead salmon, and our grass-fed Angus ribeye steaks are roasted on peach wood giving them a flavor that is hard to find elsewhere.”

Since graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in Portland, Oregon, Crosland has worked with some of the best chefs in the business at places like Le Meridian in Chicago, James Beard House in New York and Red Mountain Spa in Ivins.

Crosland also earned several honors while operating Springdale restaurants Spotted Dog and Parallel 88, including “Best Restaurant in Southern Utah” and “Best in the State,” before taking a five-year excursion to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and cooking off-the-grid.

Gather is located at the Kolob General Store, 148 N. Kolob Road on Kolob Terrace. It is open Sunday-Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

A photo from the Kolob General Store and Gather restaurant showcases seafood linguine, Kolob Terrace, Utah, July 7, 2018 | Photo courtesy of the Kolob General Store Facebook page, St. George News

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1 Comment

  • mshaw July 13, 2018 at 8:15 am

    Too bad he drinks his earnings and don’t pay his bills!! A waste of talent if you ask me

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