Much like a new marriage, the first few years of saying “I do” to a new restaurant can be some of the most challenging. So when a restaurant, like a couple, makes it to the 10th anniversary mark, it’s cause for celebration. The team at Park City hot spot Handle recently celebrated a decade of vowing to serve Parkites inventive food and clever cocktails till death do they part. 
We chatted with chef Briar Handly and Meagan Nash, two of the restaurant’s founders and partners (along with Melissa Gray), about the early years, which popular menu items have stood the taste-test of time, and more.

Park City Magazine: What was the original inspiration for Handle?
MEAGAN: We were all friends, and when we would travel together we loved to try everything on the menu. Sharing was our favorite part of the dining experience, so we opened Handle in August 2014 and encouraged this style of dining.

BRIAR: The inspiration has always been to have a fun and lively neighborhood restaurant where both locals and out-of-town guests feel at home. We wanted it to have a casual vibe but with high-end service and food and drink to match. We wanted to cook around the seasons with food that our guests could relate to in comforting yet surprising ways, all the while supporting the agricultural community surrounding Park City. I guess you could say our aim was to have a spot where families and friends could share stories and laughs; where they could “break bread,” if you will, with good food, drinks, and service.

What were Handle’s early days like?
BRIAR: Melissa Gray, Meagan, and I were all involved in the original opening and are still the sole partners involved today. The three of us had saved some money from our previous event staffing and catering company called, Bash Event Solutions, which allowed us to start this new venture. We still had a very limited budget when we began the process of opening Handle, so we had to call in many favors from friends and family. Meagan called her general contractor, Uncle Russel, to do the demo and remodel (he eats free for life because of the discount he gave us). Ryan Koemans built the original tables, Daniel Bell built our host stand and penny pass, and Libby Petercort did the artwork. Melissa pasted up every illustration one by one on the wall, and everyone chipped in when it came to ripping up four layers of old restaurant flooring. It was a labor of love and we can’t thank all of those involved enough.

Are there items from the first menu that are still on the menu today?
BRIAR: We will probably always have some rendition of our fried chicken, baller steak, and fried cauliflower on the menu, although accoutrements will change with the seasons. Our caramel pudding and kale salad have remained unchanged on the menu and are not going anywhere. 

What local farms or food providers have you worked with regularly over the past decade?
MEAGAN: We have worked with so many amazing local farmers and food providers over the past 10 years. Big thanks to Jess at Weeks Berries of Paradise; Joe at Frog Bench Farms; Bill and Penny at First Frost; Phil at Beltex; Matt, Yelena, and Samantha at Caputo’s; Stan at ABS Seafood; Brent at Red Bicycle; Alexa at Normal Ice Cream; Madisson at Mad Snacks Produce;  Adam at Intermountain Gourmet; Travis at Wasatch Front Fungi; and Kevin at PaMaw’s Farm.

What menu items are you excited about for the upcoming winter season? 
MEAGAN: We are bringing back beef cheek sliders, trout sausage, duck liver mousse, buffalo cauliflower, and other favorites.