Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Blocher.
Hi Mike, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Myself and my business partner / friend Nick Tramp moved to Utah in 2014 after feeling burnt out on certain parts of the industry. We came to Salt Lake to find a way to cook our own style of food and “play by our own rules” so to speak. We started as a pop up dining group and over a two year period found a space and opened Table X in 2016.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been a lot of ups and downs. The first few years were certainly challenging just finding our identity as a business, then trying to keep up financially and be sure we can support our team. Around year 4/5 we opened our bakery Table X Bread and really started to click more with what is most important to us. We have the restaurant offering a refined tasting menu experience for dinner, the bakery which is a more causal outlet that people can just walk-in during the day but offers some of the best bread and pastries in the state, and then our onsite garden that props everything up and sort of binds the restaurant and bakery together. Those 3 elements really have brought constancy to our whole operation.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I founded Table X, opened the restaurant and bakery and have worked every position in the building over nearly 9 years. Mainly I acted as head chef / owner from 2016-2023 having extensive involvement overseeing all kitchen and front of house operations as well as heading our wine and beverage program. For the last 2 years I have stepped back from some of my day to day duties and expanded other roles for key team members to take on some of my responsibilities and grow their own careers here at Table X. Today I am more of the “owner / operator” than ever, a lot of that has to due with the fact that we have such a great team of people working here. I still get involved in all facets of Table X and Table X Bread and am here daily, but I’ve handed off a lot of creative control to my team over the past couple of years.
For Table X we’re unique in the fact that we are the only (or one of the only) restaurants in Utah serving just a tasting menu experience. People come to us for a different style of dining that other restaurants don’t always offer. When you come to Table X you are not just coming in for dinner, it really is a dining experience with our 7 course tasting menu, wine or non-alcoholic beverage pairing, and a incredibly professional and educated staff that will lead you through your meal. We interact with you at the table explaining the dishes and where we source certain items from in order to build the value of your overall experience with us. These things really are the roots of what we are trying to accomplish at Table X and what make us different.
What matters most to you? Why?
Quality of Ingredients- We have never sacrificed the quality of ingredients we use here. I take an extraordinary amount of time communicating with farmers, going to markets, and sourcing ingredients outside of our own on site garden. We work strictly within the seasons here, preserving items when they are at their peak and utilizing these things in the colder months.
Taking care of my Team- Its really simple but when you take care of the people around you the return is ten-fold. I’ve seen many people come and go over the years and it took some time for things to click as a manager/owner but I genuinely believe creating an environment where people want to work, feel excited to come in and work with like-minded people creates a super positive chain reaction of success for the individual and business.
Pricing:
- 7 course tasting menu $115 per person
- Wine pairing for the tasting menu $50 per person
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tablexrestaurant.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tablexrestaurant/
