For chef Guillermo Tellez, restaurants are about more than food: “I was always hungry to learn,” he says. Having led kitchens and opened restaurants across North America during his 30-year career, Tellez has now stepped into the role of executive chef at Yuta, the signature restaurant of the luxe 3,500-acre Lodge at Blue Sky, part of the Auberge Resorts Collection.

Originally from Hidalgo in Michoacan, Mexico, Tellez’s pursuit of his passion has taken him throughout the US and Baja California—and now, he’s ready to settle in Utah. “I really like it here,” he says. “There are so many things to do and so many concepts to develop.” 
Tellez started as a dishwasher in restaurants in Chicago, working his way up to learn each of the kitchen brigade’s stations. He attended culinary school and worked for renowned restaurateur Charlie Trotter, including opening one of Trotter’s restaurants at the MGM in Las Vegas. When Trotter first handed him a bigger responsibility, he told Tellez, “You can either run with the ball or you can get crushed with the ball,” to which Tellez replied, “I accept the challenge.” 

Tellez continued accepting challenges, developing corporate and hotel dining programs and opening restaurants in New York and Philadelphia. The people Tellez met along the way often led him to his next gig—Trotter’s mother suggested he go see Charlie about a job; a couple passionate about organic farming led him to “a great opportunity to do a true farm-to-table restaurant,” the beloved Flora Farms (just north of San Jose del Cabo, Mexico), where they raised animals, grew vegetables, and made charcuterie and cheese from scratch. Tellez’s wife, a pastry chef, helmed the pastry and bread programs. 

Tellez is eager to continue sourcing local ingredients at Yuta. “The fact that we can work very closely with farmers makes it a lot easier and more exciting,” he says. Produce like greens and root vegetables are also grown onsite at Blue Sky’s Gracie’s Farm—try the beets with whipped burrata, ruby red grapefruit, and dukkah. 

Yuta is “a great opportunity to expand and explore creating menus based on the [farm’s] production,” he says. “Everything is based on what we have available, and what is in season.” Tellez also aims to include flavors and techniques from a variety of cuisines to represent the mix of cultures in the Beehive State, “and just represent what Utah is all about.” 

Delectable dishes abound on Tellez’s summer menu for Yuta; standouts include citrus-cured hiramasa crudo, osso buco ravioli, and striped sea bass with salt-roasted turnip, calvados beurre blanc, and green apple. “I try not to jump on trends. Just keep it all as real as possible,” Tellez says. “Simplicity is the best.”