Everything changed for Travis Herbert when he met a chef on a ski lift at Alta.
While on the lift, Herbert, who was a semipro ski racer at the time, convinced the chef at the Alta Peruvian Lodge to allow him to come work for him. That chef trained him on everything he needed to know in the kitchen.
“So skiing during the day, that’s where cooking really fell into place because I could ski during the day and I had a job in the evenings where I always got fed,” Herbert said.
Now Herbert is the chef and co-owner behind Felt Bar & Eatery, an upscale bar that serves dishes that are attracting awards.
“There’s something about kitchens, there’s so much chaos, and every single day is different,” Herbert said. “And I was always really good at managing chaos.”
After being open for only two years, Herbert was named a finalist for one of the most prestigious awards in food — the James Beard Awards.
“Even to be a semifinalist is ... Kind of life-changing,” Herbert said. “It’s pretty special to get it that quick.”
The James Beard Awards ceremony will be held June 15 where Herbert will find out whether or not he won the award for best chef in the Mountain Region. A Utah chef has never won before.
“To finally get some recognition in an industry that doesn’t get a lot of recognition, and for all those 30 years of grinding in hot, dirty kitchens and learning and working for other people and doing all this stuff, to get there is pretty cool,” Herbert said.
A journey in the kitchen
Herbert grew up cooking with his grandma. He remembers making breakfast for eight people at only 12 years old and really enjoyed organizing and putting it all together.
He was raised in Montana where he and his family hunted and fished for the food they ate. He even has an elk burger on the menu at Felt as an ode to where he grew up.
His first job in the kitchen was as a dishwasher at age 14. From there, he quickly moved into just working in the kitchen.
“It’s funny, I always kind of fell back to kitchens,” Herbert said. “I always went and did other things and I kind of kept coming back to kitchens.”
He bounced to a couple different kitchens and ended up at Fleming’s Steakhouse in Las Vegas, Nevada. He got promoted from line cook to regional chef where he managed five states with 13 restaurants. He was charged with opening the first international Fleming’s Steakhouse and spent a few weeks in São Paulo, Brazil.
Moving back to Utah
Eventually, he got burned out by the corporate world and moved back to Utah and spent three years as a stay-at-home dad taking a breath while his wife pursued her dream job as a nurse practitioner.
“It was super fun to get back to Utah,” Herbert said. “I’m really glad to be back in Utah.”
During that time in 2020, he started a meal plan company where he cooked meals for his neighbors.
The COVID-19 pandemic hit, and he was soon cooking for 30-plus families.
Herbert was busy with the meal prepping company when he got a call from his business partner with an opportunity, which turned into Felt Bar & Eatery.
A team environment at Felt
Herbert and his partner did all the renovations for the restaurant and bar themselves. Now the place offers one of the only round bars in the city.
At Felt, they have tried to cultivate a collaborative environment for the team. He even tells his staff to make suggestions for the menu if they try something they like when they’re out and about.
“More than half of our menu is created by our associates,” Herbert said. “That’s cool. And we instill in them, look, you have an idea, bring it to us.”
That collaborative environment has led Felt to be the success it is today.
“That’s one thing about Felt that I am proud of is you feel that everyone here loves to be here, wants to be here,” Herbert said. “They work hard. They have a smile on their face. We give a lot of freedoms and flexibilities that some places don’t.”
Herbert is proud to be a part of an on-the-rise culinary scene here in Utah.
“I think in the last six or so years, it’s really stepped up and started to really get better,” Herbert said, referring to how much the food scene has changed in the state.
The impact of travel
One thing that Herbert says has impacted his food is traveling. He said that’s one of the main things he does on a trip — eat. He said the trip usually centers around where and when they will be eating and trying out the food culture wherever he is at in the world.
One of his favorite trips was spending a 10-day trip in Italy visiting different wineries and eating all the delicious and fresh foods that Italy has to offer. He won the trip for being named chef of the year while he worked at Fleming’s
“I think all of my travels and all my experiences, all I know is what’s kind of shaping me,” Herbert said. “I think it’s very worldly. I think if you look at my menus, there’s a little bit of something on there all over the place.”
What I ordered
I’ve eaten at Felt twice now. It really was that good. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, the service is friendly and the food — I’ll say I get why he’s a finalist for the James Beard.
Here’s what I ordered:
Seared Scallops: these were up there for some of the best scallops I’ve ever had. They come on a bed of lemon pesto kosho, charred polenta cake and macha butter sauce.
Hatch Green Chile Ravioli: This is a dish of poached lobster, funaro’s local pasta, thai green curry sauce, coconut creme, pickled fresno and fried basil. The dish is unique — unlike anything I’ve ever tasted before, and the curry adds a lot to the flavor of the dish.
Pub Burger: This is arguably one of the best burgers you can get in Salt Lake City. It comes with candied bacon, aged cheddar, bacon jam, fried onions and butter lettuce. It’s juicy and flavorful and a perfect bite.
Togarashi Chicken: This chicken was unreal. It was my favorite thing I ate there. The tender on the inside while staying crispy on the outside. And whatever seasonings used on this dish need to be studied. It comes with yam gnocchi, farm pea pesto, spinach and parmesan cheese.
Herbert told me he made that dish as an ode to his wife and their time in Las Vegas because they used to eat at a restaurant that served a similar dish at that time.
“I love seeing people’s faces when they eat,” Herbert said. “I love seeing people dance when they eat, you know, when you can see someone take a bite of something and they light up. It’s so rewarding to see that.”
Storefront information
Address: 341 S. Main St. Suite 101, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Hours: Monday-Thursday 4 p.m.-11 p.m., Friday 4 p.m.-1 a.m., Saturday-Sunday 1 p.m.-11 p.m.
Price: $$