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Posted: 8:50 PM- Utah lawmakers, their spouses and even their children ate well - very well - when treated to dinner at some of the finest restaurants in Boston by well-connected lobbyists during their recent annual legislative conference.

At separate events, lawmakers dined at Locke-Ober and Clio, a pair of the finest restaurants in the city. The bill for the two meals ran over $10,000 combined, divided up among at 15 lobbyists who attended the National Conference of State Legislators' gathering.

On Aug. 6, a group of lawmakers, including Senate President John Valentine, ate at the posh Clio Restaurant, a contemporary French-inspired locale, where the soup will run you $14.

The next night, some 30 lawmakers and more than a dozen family members gathered at Locke-Ober, with its rich Mahogany and leather décor, ornate brass fixtures and etched glass. It has been operating in Boston for nearly 150 years.

The bill for the spreads ran several thousand dollars each and were split among the lobbyists, who kicked in at least $500 each, according to disclosure reports filed with the Utah lieutenant governor's office Wednesday.

"When in Boston, the fun thing to do would be to go to a quintessentially Boston locale, and that's why we picked Locke-Ober," said Alan Dayton, a lobbyist for Intermountain Health Care. "What happens is everyone who is out there goes and business people and lobbyists just chip into the total cost."

At last year's conference in Nashville, the legislators were treated to a dinner cruise on The General Jackson.

On Aug. 8, Comcast lobbyist Steven Proper threw his own bash, spending $3,445 feeding lawmakers at an event in the Boston suburb of Essex, his report shows.

The rest of the Boston gathering was a smorgasbord for lawmakers, as well, the filings show, with lobbyists purchasing dozens of meals, ranging from $170 sit-downs at a steakhouse, to a slew of lunches or breakfasts for unspecified lawmakers in the neighborhood of $20 each. The recipients of gifts under $50 are not required to be disclosed.

Legislators were also treated to other perks on the trip, including museum tickets, a Boston trolley tour, and numerous golf outing.

Even on home turf, lobbyists tried to get to lawmakers' hearts through their stomachs.

Blaze Wharton, a former lawmaker, reported $1,087 in meals to undisclosed lawmakers; David Stewart spent $1,300, and Lincoln Shurtz of the Utah League of Cities and Towns forked out $1,150 for meals.

It all wasn't about food. Davis Chamber of Commerce President John Pitt spent $4,500 treating lawmakers to the wonders of Davis County during a legislative tour last summer.

Amy Hansen, a lobbyist for Oil Shale Exploration Company and daughter-in-law of former Congressman Jim Hansen, flew House members Aaron Tilton, Julie Fisher and Paul Neuenschwander to Calgary, Canada, at $460 a pop, for an oil shale demonstration.

Salt Lake attorney Phillip Dyer gave Sen. Gene Davis a $1,259.97 break on personal legal fees. Davis said it was a personal matter that he would not discuss.

"I give discounts to a lot of friends," said Dyer, who says he is not currently doing any lobbying work, but is listed as a lobbyist for several clients. "The way I read the statute, I understood I was supposed to report that."

Jay Magure, a lobbyist for 1-800 Contacts, gave Kirk Torgensen, the chief criminal deputy at the Utah Attorney General's office, $132 in tickets to a University of Utah football game. Magure also reported giving Rep. Stephen Sandstrom $139.98 in contact lenses.

"It's a rarity that we do that in lieu of a contribution," said Magure. "That was just what he needed and we were, 'OK, that's fine.'"