Eight Settlers Distillery

She said:

We went to Eight Settlers Distillery on a warm, pleasant day. We could see the crimson and amber leaves just starting to appear up in the foothills, heralding in the commencement of Autumn.

So, one of the first questions that popped into my mind was: What’s the difference between a distillery and a brewery? Well, it turns out that brewing is the process of making beer from wheat, barley, etc., while distilling is the process of taking fermented beverages, such as beer and wine, and separating out the alcohol from them. As it turns out, they’re both complex processes that are very different from one another. However, I’m nowhere near qualified to explain them in depth. I was mostly satisfying my piqued curiosity, since we’ve recently visited restaurants that have billed themselves as either breweries or distilleries.

Anyway . . .

Upon entering the restaurant, I was impressed by the sleek, chic vibe emanating from the burgundy and gold brocade wallpaper, red brick walls, maroon-painted concrete floors, the eclectic mix of tables and chairs, caramel-colored leather seats on barstools, espresso-colored wooden tables, butcher block-style tabletops, etc. There were sepia-inspired paintings and black and white photos on the walls that hearkened to the wild west and the advent of industrialism—as depicted in the black and white photo of a grizzled man standing in front of an antique Ford tractor. Symbols of a bygone era.

Breaking away from the dimness of our dining room was the dining area at the very back of the premises, made bright by the long bay of windows that brought in a lot of natural light, and afforded diners a view of the beautiful trees. Both rooms created their own type of sophistication.

In a nod to humor and levity, there were a couple of “jail cells” for patrons to dine in. For the experience, Brian and I opted to eat in jail. Surrounded by beautiful red brick walls and with a single bulb dangling over our heads, we slid the jail-bars door closed to enjoy seclusion and privacy. I got a kick out of the kitschiness of it all.

Now, about the food:

Poutine was on the menu, so how could I possibly pass that up? The waitress assured me that other Canadian patrons had told her that the restaurant’s poutine was pretty authentic. After tasting it, I’d say that the chef nailed it. The fries were crispy, the gravy was thick and savory, and the curds were creamy and delicious. In all honesty, it was the best part of my meal.

For my entrée, I ordered the Ahi tuna sandwich special with truffle fries. The sandwich wasn’t what I expected. Rather than an Ahi tuna filet, the filling was ordinary tuna salad. You know, the usual mashed up tuna with mayo and diced celery. It was served on a golden brioche bun that was slathered with aioli. That part of my sandwich tasted pretty good, but I couldn’t eat the tuna because it was too spicy for me. In fact, most of the menu featured spicy foods, and that was disappointing to me.

He said:

The Eight Settlers Distillery presented an old-timey moonshiner theme, which I enjoyed. I picked up on their humor the moment I stepped in the door and saw the “Soup of the Day” sign promoting the “Ragtown American Whiskey w/ H₂O Croutons.”

Various artifacts supporting their theme appeared throughout the restaurant, though always tasteful and never overdone. A shiny copper still sat on a shelf behind the bar. A portrait of a ZZ Top beard-wearing moonshiner standing next to his condenser coils presided over our charming jail cell.

Our cell looked out over the bar area and “The Flats,” one of five themed dining rooms at the restaurant. The other two on the main floor included “The Danish Room” with the wallpaper that Kathy adored so much, and “The Library” with its large bank of windows looking out toward the foothills. Upstairs were “The Settlers Lounge” and “The Sun Room.”

When I saw poutine on the menu, I knew we would order it. My experience is that in the United States, restaurants that serve poutine usually try to improve it with fancy additions like duck confit or a fried egg. Or both. I saw it with Kimchi, once. Sometimes they replace the usual brown gravy with a cheese sauce. I don’t mind these modern twists, but Kathy hates them. She wants the traditional, homestyle poutine that she remembers from her French-Canadian childhood. Fortunately for her, Eight Settler’s version was very traditional. They stuck to the original vision and executed it perfectly. They used good ingredients, like the quality cheese curds, and somehow captured the quintessential poutine flavor in their gravy. I enjoyed it, and I think even Kathy was impressed.

Following the poutine, I ordered the Banh Mi sandwich. I’m afraid this didn’t live up to the quality of the appetizer. It came with more fries, so fortunately they were good. The sandwich consisted of short rib atop a lightly toasted baguette, with pickled vegetables and chili mayonnaise. The short rib failed to impress me. I would have preferred a better cut of beef. The sliced peppers added some nice flavor, probably helped by their pickling. Unfortunately, it was the only tanginess I detected in the sandwich—and not very much, at that—and it failed to adequately balance the overabundance of mayonnaise in the sauce.

Conclusion:

Visit Eight Settlers Distillery and pay tribute to the history of Cottonwood Heights—or Butlerville, as it was once known. Enjoy their setting, an homage to a vintage old-west look merging with the second industrial revolution.