Language and food connect with Sip & Chat series at Tina’s Bakery

Tina's Bakery owners, Valentina Udabe and Agostina Alvarez. Photo: Tina’s Bakery.

PARK CITY, Utah —“Food is meant to be shared” is Tina’s Bakery’s motto. Valentina Udabe and Agostina Alvarez came to Utah several years ago on a work & holiday exchange program from Argentina. They decided to stay after falling in love with both the mountains and their husbands, whom they met here.

Both self-taught bakers enjoy sharing their food and culture with the community. Their specialties are multiple flavors of empanadas and sweet treats, like Alfajores, from Argentina.

They found through chatting with customers, many people would enjoy a refresher in Spanish, so they launched their monthly series, Sip & Chat, as a way to bring people together while also learning, or relearning, the language.

“We had a lot of interest in the first event, it is an opportunity for people who don’t know Spanish at all or for those who know the basics, but they need to practice or have a moment chatting with someone in Spanish,” Alvarez said. “People were super excited and asked for more of these. We serve a special menu and offer wine from Argentina. We want it to be really accessible for people.”

The tasting menu for the event includes the following:

• Choice of Malbec & one traditional beef, chicken, pork, or vegan empanada
• Choice of Corn, Capresse, or Ham & Cheese empanada
• Dulce de Leche assorted desserts, coffee, or tea

“The tradition in our culture is to share food with people,” Alvarez said. “After Valentina and I became friends, and many people told us they loved our food, we decided to open the bakery. We love this country and are so thankful, but we also want to share what Argentina is about; having a bakery is the perfect opportunity for us to do that.”

Participants leave with a certificate of attendance, cute photos, and the ability to speak some Spanish.

The next Sip & Chat will be held on Saturday, February 4, from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. at Tina’s Bakery.

Those interested in joining the February event can purchase their tickets online.