Three years running, the Epicuriosity: Where Food Meets Art experiment continues to provide solid empirical evidence that Utah Arts Festival visitors looking for different fare other than what usually is found at summer outdoor events are enjoying the small plates of scallops, shrimp, beef tenderloin, and ahi tuna along with some elegant desserts as coordinated by Robert “Sully” Sullivan, chef and co-owner of Utah Food Services.

Last year, an average of 250 customers each of the four festival days tried the approachable yet elegant menu. With daily operations scheduled to run from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. when festival entrances close, the Epicuriosity staff anticipates serving as many as 1,200 people throughout the event.

The estimate is not an idle assertion. Sully (his preferred nickname) and student chef assistants provided by The Art Institute of Salt Lake City’s culinary arts program in Draper have, once again crafted a appealing menu that will become one of the festival’s big culinary hits — with entree plates ranging in price from $5 to $9 – a fantastic bargain.

In the third year, Sully – inspired by a camping trip – has added some new items including a couple of Foiled Again entrees featuring aluminum pockets of food cooked to order on site, which he successfully tested at some local convention gatherings. “We tried them out at some events and all 2,000 went quickly,” he adds.

One contains Utah trout, asparagus, sweet onion, fingerling potatoes, fresh herbs, lemon, white wine and capers while the other is a vegetarian-friendly assortment of rainbow carrots, yellow beets, asparagus, tree oyster and button mushrooms, fingerling potatoes, and fresh herbs.

And, as opposed to trying to handle, often awkwardly, a full plate of food and a drink to boot while standing among crowds, visitors will likely appreciate the small plates graced with the following items:

* Seared and herb crusted beef tenderloin served with fingerling potatoes, rainbow carrot (glazed with raspberry and honey) and a Cabernet demi-glace

* Asia peppercorn, seared rare Ahi tuna served over peppery arugula with a wasabi aioli and fresh ginger

* Cyclades shrimp scampi: large prawns pan seared with shallots, tomatoes, herbs, capers, Kalamata olives and olive oil

* Jerked Chicken Caesar Salad, freshly tossed and dressed

* Scallops wrapped with proscuitto: served over creamed spinach and Swiss chard

* Dessert: A new item is strawberry and peach shortcake along with the popular white chocolate mousse with strawberries Romanoff.

The portions are just right and, for the price, a good deal for a festival venue. More importantly, the quality is top notch: perfectly done scallops, ahi tuna just seared to the right texture with a well-balanced wasabi aioli, and desserts that were a major hit with media personalities at the festival preview. The Utah trout packet was a pleasant miniature feast alone.

Always good humored and incredibly self-effacing, Sully looks forward to giving the student chefs their own time to shine and gain valuable front-line experience in cooking for a major venue. As a mentor and teacher, this transplanted Vermont resident who co-owns the company, consistently ensures that Utah Food Services, which employs 300 who participate in a profit-sharing program, is a local model for rigorous standards of exceptional food quality, community outreach and workplace flexibility. The company regularly wins honors for best and ideal workplace environments.

Utah Food Services is well known as a top-quality full-service catering company that includes the Salt Palace Convention Center and the South Towne Exposition Center as its clients. It is an anomaly for cities of Salt Lake’s size with a large convention center to rely on a local catering business as opposed to one of the large national chains in providing food services.

Most recently, it won an ACE award – Achievement of Catering Excellence – during the Catersource Conference and Tradeshow in Las Vegas. The award recognizes companies that have shown achievement in culinary, business, community and professional development. Each year five winners are chosen in five geographic regions. In 2008, Sully received a lifetime achievement award by the Beehive Chef’s Chapter of the American Culinary Federation.

Scott Beck, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau, offered the perfect description of the man behind Epicuriosity: “As for Sully himself, his contagious and fun-loving attitude truly adds to Salt Lake’s meeting and convention appeal, so much so that he is often part of our bid presentation during site visits. He and Utah Food Services are real assets to our product mix.”

Ditto for his presence and work, helped tremendously by a talented young team of student chefs, at the Utah Arts Festival.