Most of the Salt Lake County restaurants specializing in nearly two dozen international cuisines said they were not doing anything exceptional to prepare for the Olympic Winter Games besides stocking up their freezers and pantries.
"There's going to be lots of people and they're going to need to eat so . . . we're not doing anything unusual," said Anna Tren, president of Cafe Trang, a downtown eatery that specializes in Vietnamese, Chinese and vegetarian dishes. She said the employees at the 818 S. Main restaurant learned what they can expect through the bustling business that results from the Outdoor Retailers Summer Market held at the Salt Palace each year.
But there are a select number of restaurants and caterers handpicked by overseas organizations who want to make sure their athletes and supporters feel at home.
That includes Siegfried's Delicatessen in downtown Salt Lake City. The restaurant and its workers are the culinary caretakers for the Thueringen House, rented by the Olympic organization in Germany. The 400-seat "German House" at 430 W. 300 North is being stocked with "thousands upon thousands" of bottles of both white and dark beer flown in from Germany as well as hundreds of links of bratwurst, pounds upon pounds of pork steaks, smoked duck and roulanden ? a thin beef steak seasoned with strips of bacon ? German pickles and mustard, gravy and sour cream sauce.
"We've also stocked potato dumplings and sauerkraut and red cabbage so we're ready to roll, we're doing a lot," said Siegfried Meyer, the deli's owner. With a German band, a big-screen TV to broadcast events at the venues for those who don't want to make the trek and an open invitation for all to come, he added, "this building is ready for a party."
The Scandia Kaffe House likely will be baking pastries for Park City parties. The Sugarhouse eatery, at 1693 S. 900 East, is catering truck loads of delectable desserts for Norwegian and Swedish athletes and visitors during their parties throughout this month. "Everybody is asking for help at the last minute," said Erna Neergaard who, along with her son, Steven, owns the business.
Most restaurants in the valley, however, decided to just gear up for the Games and wait to see what business happens.
The only preparation Five Alls Restaurant decided to take was an advertisement in the Welcome 2002 Magazine to showcase its European-style entrees and broadcast its 1458 S. Foothill Drive address. "We didn't know what else we could do," said manager Anne Holladay. "We're all just kind of saying to each other 'What's going to happen?' Nobody knows. It's all up in the air."
Schlotzsky's Deli at 36 S. State decided to remove its usual discount luncheon specials during the Games, figuring Olympic visitors will find them and enter with an Olympic-size appetite. "We're going to be right in center court (of all the downtown happenings), and we're going to be waiting for them," said manager Kathy Daniels.
The owners of Baba Afghan Restaurant, on the other hand, are offering a free salad with dinner and a discount luncheon buffet for $6.99. Additionally, the 55 E. 400 South eatery will remain open Sunday and Monday evenings during the Games.
Tracy Lee, day manager at the Italian eatery Tuscany in Holladay, figures she would try a last-minute approach at garnering patrons by handing out menus at downtown hotels.
"Other than that, we're not doing anything different. It's always a hard market to predict," she said. "There are some nights when we're extremely busy, others that are very light.
"I don't know whether that will change when people are here for the Olympics or not. I guess we'll just have to be prepared and wait and see."
E-mail: nwagner@desnews.com