The owners of Cafe Terigo in Park City are getting even more requests for their famous bread pudding these days, and it's all thanks to some free advertising by ABC News anchor Charlie Gibson.
Gibson described the popular dish as his favorite dessert ever when he appeared on "Live with Regis and Kelly" last Wednesday.
Co-owner Debbie Axtell says nothing brings people into her restaurant, Cafe Terigo, like the bread pudding. And her loyal patrons include Charlie Gibson, who has been coming there for at least ten years.
The delicacy is made by her husband, chef Ed Axtell.
"We take day-old french bread, break it up in bite-size chunks, and then we make an egg custard, soak the bread in it overnight and bake it in a water bath," Axtell said. "We add some pine nuts and golden raisins or cranberries we were using this winter."
Last week, Gibson's co-workers were planning a big party to honor his first year anniversary as evening anchor -- and to celebrate winning the recent ratings period. They remembered what his favorite weakness was.
Gibson told the story on ABC's "Live with Regis and Kelly."
"We had a conversation months ago about what's your favorite dessert," Gibson said. "And my favorite dessert is bread pudding from a place called Cafe Terigo in Park City, Utah."
Knowing how much he loved it, they decided they had to get some of that bread pudding, and they contacted the Axtells.
"We got an email from ABC news, a woman who worked closely with Charlie Gibson that said he had mentioned that this was his favorite dessert, the bread pudding from Cafe Terigo in Park City and could we ship fifty orders for his party," Debbie Axtell said.
The morning after the party, during Gibson's appearance on "Live with Regis and Kelly," he again raved about the dessert. He even brought a picture to show it off, and mentioned Debbie by name.
She created the bread pudding recipe 19 years ago, when they first opened. Now, waiter Scott Wall sells it to 90 percent of the tables he serves.
"The bread pudding sells itself, you don't have to say anything about it," Wall said. "Tables come into the restaurant, they expect the bread pudding. I actually have my tables requesting the bread pudding before they have any of the rest of their entrees."
The taste itself gave it a reputation. But with a national shout-out from someone as popular as Gibson, look for this dessert to become a legend.
Gibson's family has a house in Park City, so they can look forward to many more servings of the bread pudding.
The Axtells are now also selling the dessert at a restaurant called "Purple Sage" -- two doors down from their cafe -- which is owned by their son.
