Thursday afternoon, the patio at Pendry Park City’s Dos Olas Cantina opened 30 minutes early for the restaurant’s first-ever guacamole contest.

The competition was free to enter, and Dos Olas chefs prepared and provided the classic dip’s fundamental ingredients: avocados, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime, salt and pepper.

“Our culinary team has worked extremely hard to make sure you have only the freshest, best ingredients for your guacamole,” said Brian Bevacqua, recreation manager of Pendry’s Compass Sports who emceed the competition. 

Lending his outgoing personality to the event, Bevacqua directed the seven teams to their tables and equipment. The teams ranged in age and relationship — a family with their young children, young couples and old couples, others coworkers and friends.

The event was planned as a way to expose more people to the family-friendly restaurant located at Canyons, said Pendry’s Food and Beverage Director Thom Henry. The winning team, judged by Henry and a surprise judge, would earn a dinner-for-four certificate to Dos Olas.

“We’re trying to make it that everyday restaurant for anybody in Park City to realize there’s more in the Canyons than just hotels and fine dining,” Henry said.

Participants were given 30 minutes to complete their creations, though many finished early.

“The only rules, really, are that you create a guacamole that speaks to who your traditions are and what you feel deserves to be in that in that guacamole,” said Bevacqua.

Some contestants requested access to “secret ingredients” in their personal recipes, like tomatoes, garlic, lemon, hot sauce, cotija cheese and honey, which the Dos Olas team distributed by request. Strategies ranged: pickling the onions first, using lemon instead of lime, keeping the avocados chunky.

In the end, the winner was unanimous: Jennifer and Adam Bookman. The couple, originally from Toronto, moved to Park City in 2019.

“I’ve never won anything before,” explained Jennifer when handed the prize. She’d been looking forward to the event for a while, she said with a laugh. Her secret? Lemon and hot sauce for a guacamole packed with flavor.

Dos Olas is open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner, 5-9 p.m. Of course, they have their own housemade guacamole on the menu, Henry said, made with avocado, onion, jalapeño, salt, pepper, lime juice and the chef’s own hot sauce.

View their full menu at dosolasparkcity.com/menus.