Ty Burrell, better known as Phil Dunphy on “Modern Family,” will be returning to Salt Lake in May.
Burrell has a long-standing love affair with Utah’s capital since he took the stage at Pioneer Theater in 1999. In 2014, Burrell published a letter in The Huffington Post expressing his love for the area in which he said,“I loved you immediately for your humility and your unassuming nature.”
Burrell’s love and involvement with Salt Lake led him to open Beer Bar in April 2014. The bar serves over 150 different beers and a menu of classic bar favorites. In addition, Burrell co-owns Bar-X, next door to Beer Bar.
On May 22, Burrell and his wife Holly will be joining KUER’s Doug Fabrizio, food expert Vanessa Chang and a panel of judges for the fourth annual Savory Salt Lake. Judges will be asked to give their opinions, support and criticisms of dishes from 20 vendors in the valley, including Mazza Middle Eastern Cuisine, Tin Angel Cafe and Les Madeleines. The event will be held at The Tower at Rice Eccles Stadium, and all proceeds will benefit the programming on KUER 90.1, NPR Utah.
Raven James, a senior in anthropology, said she thinks the event sounds like a perfect combination of her favorite things.
“‘Modern Family’ and good food — how can you go wrong?” James said. “[Burrell] is not only a super funny guy on TV but also a pretty legit person in real life.”
Arissa Barrowes, a sophomore in sociology, said she’s impressed with the Salt Lake food scene that will be participating in the event.
“When I first moved to Salt Lake I remember being impressed with the quality of restaurants,” Barrowes said. “There are so many locally owned restaurants around town, and each one is impressive in its own right.”
Tickets to the fourth annual Savory Salt Lake went on sale April 10 and are $120 per person. Proceeds will go toward supporting KUER and celebrating public radio in Utah.
@mary_royal