City Weekly November 17, 2022

SITUATION NORMAL

Let’s not pretend that “back to normal” is a thing we should ever talk about again. Nearly three years into the COVID era, we’ve all had to re-define “normal,” and take it for granted that today’s definition might change tomorrow.

In a sense, City Weekly’s 2022 Best of Utah issue is a perfect example of the “new normal.” There’s a lot that will seem familiar, of course, in our celebration of the most exceptional places, things and (occasionally not in a good way) people that can be found in our fair state. But whereas in years past, more of this content included items from the brains of our staff and freelance contributors, this year’s BOU handed much more of the power to you

From food specialties to unique places to find a gift, we more than doubled the number of voting categories, letting our readers take the reins and guide this issue to Utah’s wonderfulness. And readers responded in huge numbers, with more than 163,000 individual votes cast in less than five weeks. While we supplemented those choices with

a few "staff picks" of our own, make no mistake: This is your Best of Utah.

One thing that definitely hasn’t changed, though, is that Best of Utah is all about keeping it local. These are the restaurateurs, club proprietors, artists, media people and small-business owners who give Utah its own distinctive flavor, something that feels increasingly precious in an era of monolithic chains and online retailers. We’ve also created a new section, “This Is the Place,” for Utah-centric picks. We hope you discover new gathering spots where you can eat, drink, shop, play and discover—and that such support becomes part of your new normal.

—Scott Renshaw

Scott Renshaw is City Weekly’s longest-tenured editorial staffer, serving as film critic and arts and entertainment editor since the early aughts. He’s also written the book Happy Place: Living the Disney Parks Life.

BEST OF UTAH AUTHORS

Publisher PETE SALTAS

Founder and Executive Editor

JOHN SALTAS

Cover illustration by Derek Carlisle

Listings Desk KARA RHODES

Contributors ROB BREZSNY, BRYANT HEATH

Senior Account Executive DOUG KRUITHOF Account Executives KELLY BOYCE, KAYLA DREHER

Art Director DEREK CARLISLE Graphic Artists SOFIA CIFUENTES, CHELSEA NEIDER

Circulation Manager ERIC GRANATO Associate Business Manager PAULA SALTAS

Technical Director BRYAN MANNOS Developer BRYAN BALE

Ogden native Emilee Atkinson has spent her life obsessing over music and enjoying writing. Eventually, she decided to combine the two. She’s the current music editor of City Weekly.

Meet Utah’s first weed journalist. Cole Fullmer is the publisher and managing editor of Salt Baked City—Utah’s first cannabis news and culture magazine.

Mike Riedel is the scribe behind the Utah Beer Blog. He’s reported on Utah’s craft beer scene for the past 15 years and writes the Beer Nerd column for City Weekly

A City Weekly contributor since 1992, Katharine Biele is the informed voice behind the paper’s Hits & Misses column. You can catch her working to empower voters and defend democracy alongside the League of Women Voters.

Lance Gudmundsen joined City Weekly as proofreader after a long career at The Salt Lake Tribune. When he’s not catching typos or attending to bad grammar, he can be found writing a tall tale or two.

Michael Saltas has worn about every hat there is at City Weekly. Annually, he helps to stage the Utah Beer Festival and is a longtime Best of Utah writer.

Carolyn Campbell has written for Copperfield Media since the 1980s, where she’s published numerous cover stories for City Weekly, several of which earned top awards from the Society of Professional Journalists. She is the author of three nationally published books and 800 magazine articles.

Erin Moore is a freelance writer and former City Weekly music editor who’s written about local arts, culture, dining and nightlife. These days, she’s most passionate about local food and food justice, and helps write a guide to them for the Utah Food Coalition.

Alex Springer has been writing about local food and entertainment for the past nine years. His work has appeared in Devour Utah and City Weekly, where he is currently the publication’s resident food dude.

Freelance writer Aimee L. Cook has won acclaim for her features appearing in numerous Utah publications, including Devour Utah. Follow her mouthwatering Instagram posts at @gathernoshandsavor

Salt Lake native Wes Long has been contributing to City Weekly since 2021. An aspiring historian, Long's writing focuses on the architectural and cultural connections between past and present.

SLC native Megan Wagstaff has over 16 years’ experience in Utah’s food and beverage industry and loves to write about it.

Thomas Crone, a contributing writer to City Weekly, served as the paper’s music editor in early 2022.

Cat Palmer is a local photographer and mixed-media artist with a studio in The Bogue Foundry. She is a local artist, mom, serious foodie and lover of street art.

Lifelong Utahn Benjamin Wood has worn the mantle of City Weekly’s news editor since 2021. He studied journalism at Utah State University and previously wrote for The Salt Lake Tribune, the Deseret News and Entertainment Weekly

Babs De Lay is a full-time broker/ owner of Urban Utah Homes and Estates who serves on Salt Lake City’s Historic Landmarks Commission and Utah Girl Scout Council. Look for De Lay at Burning Man each year where they work as a staff Guardian at the Temple.

Aspen Perry is a Salt Lake City-based aspiring author and self-proclaimed “philosophical genius.”

Jerre Wroble is a contributing editor for City Weekly. She’s also edited Devour Utah and Vamoose Utah magazines, which she hopes may one day rise from the pandemic’s ashes.

PREVIOUS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

BLACK DIAMOND CLINT BETTS, SILICON SLOPES EGYPTIAN THEATRE GROVE MKT & DELI KEN SANDERS UTAH ARTS FESTIVAL WASATCH BREWING WE REMEMBER - DEAD GOAT SALOON PUBLISHER’S CHOICEHOG WALLOW PUB

Who (or what) puts the bomp in Utah’s bomp bah bomp bah bomp? Is it the green Jell-O? Dirty soda? Colossal cookies? Mammoth sundaes? Yes, indeedy, these are a few of our favorite things. But coffee and booze? Maybe not so much. However, nothing wrong with an iced frappe, right? As long as the caffeine’s cold. Oh, and please refrain from taking the Lord’s name in vain, dagnabbit. Life in Utah is nothing but a swirl of ludicrous contradictions. Stick around here long enough, and you’ll grow to love our collective foibles. In this section we're calling “This Is the Place,” we salute our uniquely Utahn cravings and inexplicable habits. You may have a few of your own to add to this list.

Best Donut Duo Banbury Cross Donuts

Don’t come between a Utahn and his or her donut. And in a hard-fought match, the team at Banbury Cross proved their donut dominance as they netted both reader picks for best cake and raised donuts. The perfect marriage of consistent quality, variety and a handy drive-thru window have made Banbury Cross a tough donut to beat. If you’re in downtown Salt Lake before 10 a.m. and your car doesn’t smell like Banbury Cross maple bars, you’re doing something wrong.

Multiple locations, banburycrossdonut.com

Cake Doughnut Runners Up 2. The Big O Doughnuts 3. Fresh Donuts & Deli

Raised/Glazed Doughnut Runners Up 2. Fresh Donuts & Deli 3. The Big O Doughnuts

Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Crumbl Cookies

There’s nothing quite like that feeling of anticipation when a box of Crumbl cookies is delivered to your door. They’re always warm and gooey as if they’re coming to you right out of the oven, and each bite makes you remember when a simple chocolate-chip cookie made all of life’s problems just disappear. Polish off a few of these cookies with a tall glass of milk, and there isn’t much that can ruin your day.

Multiple locations, crumblcookies.com

Best Meat Pie

Fillings & Emulsions

Some people will tell you the secret to a good savory pie is in the filling, but they've been misled. Just like sweet pies, savory pies are all about the crust. You know who makes a good damned crust? The team at Fillings and Emulsions, that’s who. Buttery, flaky golden perfection abounds in everything they do, and their meat pies are no exception. Pastry chef and owner Adalberto Diaz is, in fact, famous for his Cuban meat pies after he made them and won the Bake You Rich show on national TV. Multiple locations, fillingsandemulsions.com 2. The Dough Miner 3. Flake Pie Co.

Sometimes, a plateful of Chuck-ARama scones is all you need.

Best All-You-Can-Eat Buffet Chuck-ARama Buffet

Though the local dining scene has evolved considerably, the all-you-can-eat buffet at Chuck-A-Rama is hardwired into Utah’s food culture. The pioneer motif, the buttered scones and the overabundance of gravy are Utah staples through and through. There’s something comforting about knowing exactly what you’re getting at a local spot, and there are some days when you just know you want to take several trips to the hot bar for some freshly sliced ham. Multiple locations, chuck-a-rama.com 2. King Buffet 3. Paradise Buffet

Best Fruit Pie Flake Pie Co.

There’s nothing wrong with a good 8-inch pie that you can slice up for dessert, but the idea of snagging a personal-size fruit pie from Flake— sharing optional—is gaining popularity. All the traditional flavors are wellrepresented, but don’t overlook their seasonal fruit pies—peach season is a particularly good time to swing by. If you’re after something you can eat while you drive, their fruit-filled Flakies are worth a couple of sticky fingers. Multiple locations, flakepie.com

Best Funeral Potatoes Garage on Beck

Funeral potatoes are one of Utah’s most significant contributions to the culinary zeitgeist, and The Garage on Beck honors this dish while keeping it modern. Fried Mormon Funeral Potatoes—made from Idaho spuds, not actual fried Mormons—takes this local staple and packs it into crispy, golden balls of cheesy, potato-y goodness. To really drive the Utah flavor home, it comes with a big cup of ranch dressing for dipping. 1199 Beck St., SLC, 801-521-3904, garageonbeck.com

Best White Bread Sandwich Grove Market & Deli

Grove Market and Deli was tailor-made to cater to the generation who grew up eating sandwiches on soft white Wonder Bread. Their white bread of choice is called the Ambassador Roll, and it’s the canvas upon which they work their sandwich wizardry. For a prime example, check out the Big John, which is piled high with a dizzying array of deli meat—just make sure you haven’t eaten for a few days beforehand. 1906 S. Main, SLC, 801-4678860, grovemarketdeli.com

Best Hot Chocolate Hatch Family Chocolates

If all you know about hot chocolate is the powdery mix you get from downtown street vendors in December, a cup from Hatch Family Chocolates is nothing short of a miracle. With heavy cream, whole milk and melted pieces of chocolate, it’s a rich, satisfying shot of pure joy. There’s nothing finer than a cup of this tasty treat now that snow is in the forecast. 376 E. Eighth Ave., Ste. A, SLC, 801-532-4912, hatchfamilychocolates.com

Best Snow Cone Icy Mountain

This Millcreek snow cone shop has been making waves among dessert-lovers since its food truck days, and demand has spiked with the opening of its brick-and-mortar store. With its regular and “boujee” menu, Icy Mountain offers the nostalgic flavors snow cone fans love along with some special creations of their own. It’s altered our perspective on what “the greatest snow on Earth” really means. 2272 E. 3300 South, Millcreek, 801-707-5763, icymountainshavedice.wixsite.com/foodtruck

2. Hokulia Shave Ice 3. Bahama Buck’s

Best Ice Cream Sundae

Leatherby’s Family Creamery

The hardest thing about going to Leatherby’s is deciding which of their monumental ice cream sundaes you want to get, followed closely by whether you want to share it or not. Hulking banana splits, half-baked cookies, fudgy brownies and churros are just a few of the foundational elements of Leatherby’s sundaes. For those nights when you must have ice cream for dinner, Leatherby’s has you covered. Multiple locations, leatherbys.com

2. Farr Better Ice Cream 3. Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream

Best Dinner Roll Lion House Rolls

Folks in Utah take their dinner rolls seriously—some might say too seriously. Based on our strong opinions, it makes historic sense that our favorite rolls are found at a restaurant inspired by Brigham Young’s downtown home. Available for purchase at Nauvoo Café, they’re soft, buttery and are perfect complements to whatever your meal may be. Nauvoo Cafe, 15 E. South Temple, Main Floor, SLC, 801-539-3346, thenauvoo.com

2. Maddox Ranch House 3. Little America

All the ladies at RubySnap are firecrackers, but it’s the peanut buttery "Penelope" that takes the cake, er, cookie in this particular rumble. (RubySnap gives female names to its creations.) While it’s common for a peanut butter cookie to dry out, "Penelope" keeps things gooey and flavorful, especially when it's dipped in milk chocolate. You’ll often find a little mound of peanut butter in the dead center of this cookie, which is surprisingly effective at turning your frown upside down. 770 S. 300 West, SLC, 801-834-6111, rubysnap.com 2. Crumbl Cookies 3. Nigh-Time Donuts

COURTESY PHOTO

The RubySnap "Penelope"

Best Dirty Soda Shop Thirst Drinks

It’s tough to come out on top of Utah’s cutthroat dirty soda industry, but Thirst Drinks does with true panache—and free popcorn. Presentation is everything for a good dirty soda shop, and Thirst’s pop culture-inspired drink menu along with plenty of sweet and savory snacks have helped this place become Utah’s most beloved beverage broker. Multiple locations, thirstdrinks.com

2. Fiiz Drinks 3. Swig

Best Cream Pie Pie Fight

Before Pie Fight came to town, the hand pie was largely a novelty. With their perfectly laminated and buttery crust along with a wide range of sweet and savory fillings, Pie Fight has engineered a dessert powerhouse. It’s their cream pie that netted them the win for this category, largely since one of their hand pies is roughly the equivalent of eating an entire round Boston cream pie—not that anyone is complaining. 937 E. 900 South, SLC, 385-222-5373, thepiefight.com

2. Flake Pie Co.

3. Monkeywrench

Best Fried Scones

Sill’s Café

Where sodas get dirty: Thirst Drinks

This quaint Layton café has had fried scones on the menu since it first arrived on the scene some 50 years ago, so they’ve had plenty of time to hone their recipe. They have everything you’d want in a scone—fried to a dark brown with the scent of hot oil still wafting to your nose and then served with thick scoops of honey butter. No one will judge you for just getting scones for dinner. 335 E. Gentile St., Layton, 801-544-7438 2. Navajo Hogan 3. Penny Ann’s Café

Best Social-Media Follow for Kid-Friendly Activities

@hoglezoo

Not only does Hogle Zoo’s Instagram page feature updates and live video about all of our favorite zoo buddies, but it’s also a great place for parents to line up something fun and educational for the whole family. From their seasonal activities to their everyday classes and enrichment opportunities, it’s an excellent resource to help kids and parents get in touch with their wild side. Hogle Zoo, 2600 S. Sunnyside Ave., SLC, 801-584-1700, hoglezoo.org 2. @saltproject.co 3. @utahwithkids

Best Wedding DJ DJ Erockalypze

If the term “wedding DJ” evokes images of lanky dudes in pastel suits spinning Burt Bacharach, then let Eric Cabrera, aka DJ Erockalypze, shatter the stereotype. Cabrera is a stone-cold professional who conjures up smooth soundscapes that are guaranteed to get your guests up and moving. If the goal of your wedding reception is to get asses shaking and heads bobbing, look no farther. instagram.com/erockalypze

Best Parenting Podcast Family Looking Up

Perhaps the greatest reason why the Family Looking Up podcast snagged first place was the fact that it offers a balanced perspective on parenthood. It’s a podcast that recognizes the realities of parenthood while helping listeners become more educated on everything from healthy eating to becoming financially savvy. Regardless of the parenting phase you’re currently in, the team at Family Looking Up offers great advice. familylookingup.com/podcast 2. The Mom Show With Lindsay Aerts 3. Healthy Kids Zone

Best Hobby Shop/ Gaming Store

Game Night Games

Some hobby and game shops are less than welcoming toward geek acolytes, but Game Night Games has created a warm environment for game fans regardless of their particular nerd poison. On top of that, it has one of the largest selections of board games in town. To add something to your game collection or start one, they’ve got you covered. 2148 S. 900 East, Ste. 2, SLC, 801-467-2400, gamenightgames.com 2. Hastur Games 3. The Nerd Store

COURTESY

Best Family Fun Hogle Zoo

No two trips to Hogle Zoo are ever really the same, which is one of the reasons it’s a top go-to destination for all-ages fun. It’s always been a good time to see what our favorite members of the animal kingdom are up to, but it’s the seasonal events that keep people coming back. Halloween and Christmas are just cooler when you’re sharing oxygen with rhinos and polar bears. 2600 S. Sunnyside Ave., SLC, 801-584-1700, hoglezoo.org

2. Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre

3. Loveland Living Planet Aquarium

Best Missionary Suit Store

Mr. Mac

There’s no better place to get that LDS missionary of yours suited up—the team at Mr. Mac is stellar. They’ve been helping missionaries look good for decades, and they often feature discount packages that can help send your pride and joy off in style with enough money left over for all those care packages you’re going to send. Multiple locations, mrmac.com

2. Men’s Wearhouse

3. The Missionary Store

Best Summer Camp Natural History Museum of Utah

Any visit to the Natural History Museum of Utah is a great opportunity to learn a bit more about the world around us, but their summer camps are an ideal way to nurture the future scientists of our state. Campers learn how to conduct experiments, connect with other STEMminded kiddos and get exclusive access to the museum’s research facilities. Who doesn’t love digging in the dirt for dino bones?

301 Wakara Way, SLC, 801-581-6927, nhmu.utah.edu

2. Jewish Community Center Bernie Camp

3. University of Utah Youth Theatre

Best Utah Swear Word

Oh, My Heck

Utah’s list of colloquialisms is as wide-ranging and diverse as the Wasatch Front itself, but a shocked, unironic “Oh, my heck!” is the combination of words that truly lets you know you’re in the Beehive State. You could make a solid argument that “heck” itself was a word born in Utah. Though it’s often thrown together with a “flip” or a “flippin,” the foundational elements of “Oh, my heck!” will never change. 2. Balls 3. Frickin'

Best Remote Workspace Salt Lake City Main Library

With the rise of remote work, the whole downtown metro area has become our office. For those who need a quiet spot to work while taking in a lovely view of the city center, the Salt Lake City Main Library branch has become a professional haunt. It makes sense, of course—pre-2020, people would have killed for a corner office. Now it’s right there in front of you—as long as you arrive early enough. 210 E. 400 South, SLC, 801-524-8200, slcpl.org 2. Old Cuss Cafe

Best Emergency Preparedness Store Smith & Edwards

In the 70-plus years it’s been in business, Smith & Edwards has accumulated a staggering amount of inventory. Not only can you find pretty much anything within its walls, but over the years, it’s become a haven for anyone working on emergency preparedness. Everything from freeze-dried Eggplant Parmesan to water purification tablets can be found here, along with plenty of stuff you didn’t even know you needed. Multiple locations, smithandedwards.com 2. Family Freeze Dry

Best Social-Media Momstagram Tried and True Moms

Utah momstagram can be hit and miss, but the team of Sissy Wilkinson and Heidi Hachtman have turned their social media prowess into a one-stop shop for advice on fashion, recipes, activities and beauty products. Their website offers info on a wide range of products that have earned their seal of approval along with plenty of info on smokin’ deals and local events. triedandtruemoms.com

2. Aspyn Ovard, @aspynovard 3. Post Mormon Parenting, @post_mormonparenting

COURTESY

PHOTO

Smith & Edwards tech Eric demonstrates gun maintenance.

READERS’ PICKS

Best Local Podcast

CityCast Salt Lake

Best Weathercaster

Allison Croghan, Fox 13 Studio

It’s hard to believe it already has been 10 years since Allison Croghan joined the Fox 13 Good Day Utah morning team. But thanks to her effervescent presence, it seems like she’s always been part of the Utah media landscape. Since moving on to the prime evening news spots for Fox 13 in 2020, she’s continued to lay out the forecasts with energy and professionalism. This honor isn’t even her biggest occasion of 2022, as she got married in September.

Double congratulations!

facebook.com/AllisonCroghanTV

2. Kevin Eubank, KSL 5

3. Sterling Poulsen, KUTV 2

Best Sports Reporter

Andy Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune

It was certainly an eventful summer to be a Utah Jazz beat writer, as the Tribune’s Andy Larsen was kept busy chronicling the team’s trades of starters Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and

Bojan Bogdanovic, in addition to the departure of head coach Quin Snyder. As an online presence, Larsen enjoys engaging readers with questions and answers—and keeps Jazz fans informed of everything that will be important during a transitional year, including the prospects of likely No. 1 draft pick Victor Wembanyama. alarsen@sltrib.com

2. Sarah Todd, Deseret News

3. Andrea Urban, Fox 13 Studio

Best TV Reporter Ben Winslow, Fox 13

Salt Lake City is popping, and increasingly drawing the attention of national brands and business ventures. That can result in some ham-fisted attempts to appear “local,” but the CityCast podcast network did it right in choosing bona fide Salt Lakers to run the show, who then leaned hard into hyperlocal programming. Each weekday morning, for about the time it takes to get from Sugar House to Downtown—or another, comparable in-city commute—the team at CityCast delivers an audio newsletter on Salt Lake City and the people, places and things that make it great. saltlake.citycast.fm 2. Brigham Young Money 3. Mormon Stories

Best Nonprofit Organization Best Friends Sanctuary

The research says people who love animals are better for it. But the people who save animals are the true heroes. And standing out among the champions is Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, a “healing home” since 1984 for homeless animals. You can visit and help in a stunning southern Utah setting that’s the largest such sanctuary in the nation. Best Friends has an adoption center in Salt Lake City, too. So “Save them All,” as they say. 5001 Angel Canyon Road, Kanab, 435-644-2001; 2005 S. 1100 East, SLC, 801-574-2454, bestfriends.org

60-minute newscast. But those programming moves would mean little if not for the stellar roster of reporters and anchors who greet Utah viewers every night. Hip and hard-hitting, entertaining and enlightening, the team at Fox 13 isn’t your father’s news, it’s yours. fox13now.com

Best Political Controversy Gerrymandered Redistricting

From Ben Winslow’s thorough and objective coverage of Utah's Capitol Hill, politics, courts, polygamy and assorted vices to his play-by-play Twitter threads of government meetings, it’s no wonder Winslow’s fan base continues to grow. The man doesn’t half-ass anything. On top of delivering the news with in-depth analytical insights, his fashion game is always on point.

@BenWinslow, twitter.com/BenWinslow 2. Jeremy Harris, KUTV 2News 3. Kelly Vaughen, KUTV 2News

Best TV News Station Fox 13

Salt Lake’s local evening news market is notoriously competitive for a city—and state—of our size. And within that battle, Fox 13 is notable for drawing first blood at 9 p.m.—a full hour before the others— and for doubling the typical running time with a

Utah lawmakers went out of their way to gerrymander the state last year, flatly rejecting the recommendations of a voter-approved redistricting commission and dialing the partisan shenanigans up to 11 with the state’s new slice-and-dice maps. Utah will now have to defend itself in court, thanks to litigation from the League of Women Voters and Mormon Women for Ethical Government, and while it’s undoubtedly an uphill battle, it’s a fighting chance that our elections may not be a foregone conclusion for the next decade.

2. @BasedMikeLee 3. Mike Lee’s Election Fraud Texts

The CityCast Salt Lake team (L-R): Emily Means, Ali Vallarta, Ivana Martinez and Terina Ria

READERS’

It’s been 20 years since Elizabeth Smart was abducted from her bed by a man with a knife. That the then-14-year-old survived a year of captivity and abuse and lived to tell her tale, that she healed and resumed her life, that she took to the national stage to stand with other sexual assault survivors and form the Elizabeth Smart Foundation is the unbelievably triumphant side of that tragedy. Today, Smart’s foundation has teamed up with the Malouf Foundation in Cache Valley, and together, they’re implementing programs such as Smart Defense (self-defense training for women and girls) and the We Believe You campaign to support victims of sexual violence. Her “Smart Talks” podcast is a place where victims can tell their stories and be heard. Turning tragedies into triumphs is what the best Utahns do, as Smart so capably demonstrates. elizabethsmartfoundation.org

2. Shireen Ghorbani, health care advocate

3.

Best Piece of Legislation

HB33: Great Salt Lake Instream

Flow

For the bulk of Utah history, state law has treated any water that reaches the Great Salt Lake as wasted and penalized rights holders for not using every drop of their liquid allotment. But the so-called “Use It or Lose It” paradigm received a much-needed shift in 2022, when lawmakers nearunanimously created a pathway for the lake, itself, to possess a water right and for current rights holders to lease their unused water back to the state. Utah has a long way to go before declaring the lake “saved,” but HB33—and other major water bills this year—represents a meaningful first step.

2. HB175: Include Pets in Protective Orders

3. HB410: $40 Million for Great Salt Lake Restoration

Best Rally Abortion Rights Rallies After Roe v. Wade Reversal

Were you there? While the Dobbs decision was expected, the reality of it came as a jolt. That was enough to bring thousands of people—men and women—to the Utah State Capitol to protest the reversal of Roe v. Wade. Ogden’s Municipal Building was flooded with protesters, as the country raised their voices and fists in anger and despair. “Abortion is Health Care.” The rallies were just the beginning. Check out Planned Parenthood of Utah for more action: plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-utah 2. Pro Life Utah 3. March for Our Lives

Best Radio Station KRCL 90.9 FM

There’s an ineffable quality to KRCL that is best—but not wholly— expressed by the term “community radio.” Utah is blessed with many great radio stations that take care to inform, entertain and report on its people. But KRCL feels inextricably linked to the community, showcasing the local market’s most diverse range of musical and public affairs programming, in a way that both reflects Salt Lake City and nudges it along. krcl.org

2. X96

3. KUER 90.1

Best Advocate/Advocacy Organization Planned Parenthood of Utah

For many Utahns, the fight for reproductive autonomy has never been more pressing than it is right now. At the front lines of that fight is Planned Parenthood, whose medical professionals work tirelessly to provide critical care under a relentless onslaught of political opposition and increasingly burdensome—and medically unnecessary—regulations. It will take years before the courts untangle the mess left by the overturning of Roe v. Wade but wherever the law takes us, expect Planned Parenthood to be there pushing for patients’ rights. 659 S. 900 East, SLC, 801-532-1586, plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-utah

2. Equality Utah

3. Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Best Elected Official Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall

It should be noted that “None” won this category by a landslide. However, coming in a strong second was Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, who is quite literally a “breath of fresh air.” In the nearly two years since her election, the city’s third woman chief executive has planted 2,000 trees—pumping out a halfmillion pounds of oxygen every year. Besides air quality, Mendenhall’s top priorities are stabilizing rental rates, affordable housing, reducing crime and opposing the state’s co-opting of the inland port, which she calls a threat to public health and the city’s legal rights. Perhaps most important, the 42-year-old has struck a tone of calm resolve in the sometimes-frenetic city hall. slc.gov/mayor, @slcmayor

2. State Sen. Derek Kitchen

3. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox

Best Political Social-Media Influencer

Pat Bagley

Editorial cartoonist Pat Bagley has long demonstrated the superiority of the pen—and drawing pencil—over the sword with his work in The Salt Lake Tribune that so effectively reduces Utah politics and many of its ethically questionable practitioners to a punchline. But Bagley is just as insightful and provocative on his Twitter feed, where he suffers no fools and refuses to call a spade by any other name, finding the archive cartoons—his own and often those of peer cartoonists—that perfectly fit the current moment and lending the eyeballs of his discerning followers to worthwhile stories from diverse media outlets. bagley@sltrib.com, @patbagley

2. Health care advocate Shireen Ghorbani

3. Fox 13 reporter Ben Winslow

Mary Nickles is a ray of sunshine, even on SLC’s worst inversion days. Brightening the mornings of Utahns for over 30 years, Nickles’ reporting is always great TV, but she also seems to be truly nice. This isn’t to say she's cloying or fluffy; she is real and can cast shade and concern as well as generate a chuckle when needed. During the early hours when the majority of us can barely form a sentence, Nickles’ kind disposition and fun banter with co-anchors makes KUTV 2News This Morning the best way to start a day. @KUTVMary, twitter.com/KUTVMary

2. Kerri Cronk, Fox 13

3. Emily Florez, ABC4 Utah

Pamela Atkinson, homeless advocate BILL MILES

Smart hopes her supporters will pledge to stand with victims of sexual violence.

READERS’

PICKS

Best Newspaper Reporter

Robert Gehrke, The Salt Lake Tribune

Like the Utah Jazz roster, it’s getting hard to find a Tribune writer who’s been around for a few seasons. But the revolving door on the house that Paul Huntsman built only makes the steady hand of a local news veteran like Robert Gehrke more critical. As the current patriarch of the Utah Capitol press corps, Gehrke’s insight into Beehive State politics is simply unparalleled. And with his quick wit and approachable writing style, Gehrke cuts through the posturing to give readers an insider’s peek at the smoke-filled rooms of Utah government. gehrke@sltrib.com, @robertgehrke 2. Courtney Tanner, The Salt Lake Tribune 3. Benjamin Wood, Salt Lake City Weekly

Best FM Radio Show Radio From Hell, X96

The trio of Kerry Jackson, Gina Barberi and Bill Allred remain a longtime linchpin of the rock powerhouse X96, which is, itself, fresh off a 30-year-anniversary. The group’s wit, chemistry, side players and recurring bits are keeping listeners coming back for more, be it through terrestrial means or on podcasts pulling the best segments from their daily show. x96.com/radio-from-hell

2. KRCL 90.9’s RadioACTive with Lara Jones 3. KUER 90.1’s RadioWest with Doug Fabrizio

Worst Utahn Sen. Mike Lee

If you haven’t heard, we’re blessed to have a “constitutional scholar” in the Senate.

Says who? Well, wily Sen. Mike Lee himself. After facing an unexpectedly tough fight for reelection to a third term, Lee proved himself to be just another self-aggrandizing politician with the dubious reputation for voting “no.”

After savaging the Green New Deal, he famously declared: “The solution to climate change … is to fall in love, get married and have some kids.”

Huh? The For the People Act to expand voter rights, “was written in Hell by the devil himself.” Compensating disabled 9/11 responders? Forget it. Paraphrasing Churchill: “An empty taxi pulled up to the Capitol—and Mike Lee got out.”

2. Rep. Burgess Owens

3. Sen. Mitt Romney

Best Community Event Utah Pride Festival

It was a three-year wait to get the Utah Pride Festival back in its full, fabulous glory, but the wait was worth it. The 2022 parade was a joyous event for the local LGBTQ+ community and allies, and the festival grounds welcomed an estimated 60,000 visitors for music, food, drink and exhibitor booths. At a time of growing social and political attacks on the rights and identities of queer Americans, it’s special to gather as a community to celebrate an unapologetic presence. Utah Pride Center, 1380 S. Main, SLC, 801-539-8800, utahpridecenter.org

2. Downtown Farmers Market

3. Utah Arts Festival

Best Social Cause Planned Parenthood of Utah

Do we have to say it? Planned Parenthood is about so much more than abortion. They stand for sexual and reproductive rights, equitable access to health care and the opportunity to choose your own path to a healthy and meaningful life. Lawmakers who demand defunding PP don’t understand that research and education are crucial to women’s health care, and that women and girls seek help because neither the state nor the schools provide it.

659 S. 900 East, SLC, 801-532-1586, plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-utah

2. Utah Pride Center

3. Black Lives Matter

COURTESY SALT LAKE TRIBUNE

Best Train Station 600 South Trax

Setting aside the lovely albeit isolated S-Line Streetcar, Salt Lake City’s Trax lines haven’t really changed since the 2002 Olympics. The dormant network got a much-needed boost this year with a new train stop on south Main Street, making it that much easier for more people to take transit to more places. Here’s hoping we don’t have to wait until 2042 for the next one. rideuta.com

Best City Street Makeover 900 South

You’ve probably heard about Brigham Young demanding city streets be wide enough to turn a team of oxen around. But have you heard the one about Salt Lake City cutting a street in half to make it better for people? The ongoing construction on 900 South is certainly no picnic—hat tip to patient Central 9th businesses—but it’s high time Utah trimmed the fat on its overbuilt streets and with each new piece of the 9-Line trail (plus like-minded projects on 200 South and 300 West), Salt Lake City is showing how it can be done.

Best Way to Scandalize Mike Lee Air a Gay TV Show

Sen. Mike Lee was bumfuzzled when he heard about a new TV series with the innocuous title of Tom Swift. The show—which The CW Network has canceled for lack of viewership—is about a good-looking Black billionaire inventor who’s gay and proud of it. The concept so offended the senator that he and four Republican colleagues dashed off a letter to the Orwellian-sounding TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board questioning “the motivations of hypersexualized entertainment producers [which are] suspect at best and predatory at worst.” LGBTQ+ characters on TV don’t turn viewers gay any more than straight characters turn gay viewers straight. It’s all nonsense, of course, but anything to appeal to the base, right?

Best Bridge Builders Archie and Lois Archuleta

Lois Archuleta and her late husband, Robert “Archie” Archuleta, are pillars in the community, known for their long years of advocacy around civil rights, education, homelessness and so many other important causes. That legacy was appropriately solemnized this year with the naming of the Archuleta Bridge, which spans a gap in the Jordan River Parkway between 200 South and North Temple. The bridge was the final piece of the 40-milelong Jordan River Trail, connecting all of Salt Lake County’s west-side communities. It will be bringing Utahns together—much like the Archuletas did—for many years to come.

Worst Political Hack Attorney General Sean Reyes

An all-too-familiar odor is arising from Room 230 at the Capitol. That’s the office of the Utah Attorney General, where Sean Reyes seems hell-bent on pursuing egregiously embarrassing behavior. Elections aren’t his bailiwick, but he loves to travel to other states to perpetuate the Big Lie. When Donald Trump appeared at a rally in Wyoming, he paid homage to the twiceimpeached former president, warning “the federal government is coming for your lands” and that educators are poisoning kids’ minds. He’s joined in several frivolous lawsuits challenging the long-ago-decided 2020 election. An AG is supposed to be the “people’s mouthpiece,” Sean … not a Trump mouthpiece.

Best NIMBYs

Avenues Bus Opponents

Don’t threaten The Avenues with a good time. A vocal minority of the vaunted downtown-adjacent neighborhood have dug in for battle over new trails, new housing and now, a new high-frequency bus route. They say it’s about “safety” but it’s not worth explaining why they’re wrong, as it’s all window dressing around their real complaint—put simply, “change is bad.” Must be nice to have everything just the way you like it, right? If only the rest of us could ignore them, except we have to go through The Avenues to get to our amazing cityside mountain range and some people—even some Avenues residents!—actually rely on buses to get around.

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Best Glass-Ceiling Breakage

Jill Pohlman’s Appointment to the Utah Supreme Court

Best ‘Please

Just

Go Away’ BYU Jettisoning LGBTQ+ Resources From Welcome Bags

So, what does the Office of Belonging at LDS Church-owned Brigham Young University really oversee? The question was raised this fall when six-page pamphlets detailing LGBTQ+ resources in Provo were pulled from gift bags of freebies given to 5,000 incoming freshmen. The Raynbow Collective, a nonprofit off-campus consortium to assist queer students, paid the Y’s student newspaper $200 to include the booklets in the welcome bags. A university spokesperson says the school wants to instead “provide support through the Office of Belonging and our counseling services … BYU’s focus is on creating unity and belonging …’’ In an apparent “no-harm, no-foul” move, the administrationoverseen newspaper—The Daily Universe—refunded the nonprofit its $200.

Best Excuse to Stop Driving Free Fare February

Utah’s air is legendarily bad, and our cars aren’t helping. But lo and behold, when the city teamed up with UTA to offer free fares systemwide ... people rode transit! State leaders on Capitol Hill were quick to tamp down the enthusiasm, lest we get too used to a good thing, but there are reasons to believe the free-fare bell can’t be unrung. Gov. Cox Likes it as an economic relief tool. SLC schoolchildren are now Free Fare Forever. It also costs the state the equivalent of pocket change.

Best Local Lifestyle Show Good Things Utah

For those still working from home, it’s a soothing balm to let the morning news shows morph into local lifestyle shows, especially in the aftermath of COVID. Good Things Utah, which airs on ABC4 on weekdays from 9 to 10 a.m., seems the perfect place to land. Cheerfully hosted by Nicea DeGering, Surae Chinn, Janeen Golightly, Deena Manzanares and Brianne Johnson, GTU exudes a vibe of normalcy in this crazy mixed-up world. Here you’ll garner home and beauty tips, snag a recipe for dinner, hear from health-care professionals about erectile dysfunction and learn about local trends and community events. They buoy us up when all around us is a hot mess. abc4.com/gtu

Utah Supreme Court Justice Jill Pohlman

MEDIA

Oyez! Oyez! Move Over, Brethren! There’s a new lineup on the five-member Utah Supreme Court. With the state Senate’s unanimous confirmation of Court of Appeals Judge Jill Pohlman, women will outnumber men for the first time. Pohlman was appointed by Gov. Spencer Cox to replace retiring Justice Thomas Lee (older brother of “Senator Mike”). She’s just the fifth woman to sit on the high court since Utah statehood. Pohlman’s arrival comes when the court is poised to hear high-profile cases on abortion, transgender rights and voter redistricting.

Best Knock ’Em Dead DJ Helmut von Schmidt, KBER

For a profession in which tenures can last months, rather than years, the self-dubbed “media darling and national treasure” known as Helmut von Schmidt is a true legend. He’s been at KBER since 1992 and rules the roost on the rock station during the evening hours, featuring a regular rotation of the station’s tracks, as well as his own specialty programming. 101 FM, Kber.com

Best at Putting Voters First Utah’s Redistricting Lawsuit Moves Forward

Some four years ago, Utahns voted to place congressional maps in the hands of an independent redistricting commission. “Not so fast!” responded GOP legislators, who rewrote the proposal and cast the commission in only an advisory role. Thus, the current map is gerrymandered—drawn in a way that divides Salt Lake County (a Democratic stronghold) among the state’s four congressional districts. Two voter-advocacy groups filed a lawsuit against the state in 3rd District Court. In August, Judge Dianna Gibson ruled that it should move forward now—rather than wait until a similar suit in North Carolina is resolved. What’s the old saying? “Justice delayed is justice denied.”

Best Step Backward

Lawmakers Trying to Overturn the Ban on Conversion Therapy

When Associate Justice Clarence Thomas suggested that SCOTUS “reconsider” certain constitutional rights, state Rep. Brady Brammer, R-Pleasant Grove, must have been listening. The Utah County Republican wants the Legislature to revisit a state regulation prohibiting therapists from using conversion therapy—electroshocks and the like—on minors to reverse same-sex attraction. Brammer believes former Gov. Gary Herbert overstepped his authority in 2020 by pushing an administrative rule banning the widely discredited zap-away-the-gay practice. Brammer and other GOP lawmakers are singing the old “Leave It Up to Us” refrain. Gov. Spencer Cox, who supported the ban when he was Herbert’s lieutenant governor, is “monitoring” the hotbutton issue.

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PICKS

Best Faux Outrage

Jason Chaffetz Spouting the MAGA Line

Say what you want about former Rep. Jason Chaffetz, the now-Fox-News pundit has pretty good instincts. Back in 2017, Chaffetz was chairman of the House Oversight Committee looking into Hillary Clinton’s lapses in handling State Department emails. And when photos surfaced of President Donald Trump holding an informal “briefing” for Mar-a-Lago guests (including the Japanese prime minister) on the resort patio, Chaffetz fired off a letter to the White House, asking it to clarify administration security protocols. Nothing much came of the inquiry, but it was an eerie prequel to the pandemonium after the FBI’s search of Trump’s Florida citadel. Today, Chaffetz is back toeing the MAGA line, calling the raid “absolutely unprecedented … They didn’t have a single thing on [Trump], and they tried every trick in the book.”

DEREK CARLISLE

Best Tough Talk Rep. Karianne Lisonbee

The U.S. Supreme Court overturning the decadeslong right to an elective abortion was made all the more jarring by socalled “trigger laws” that criminalized the procedure overnight. In Utah, the courts are still untangling the mess left by SCOTUS. Meanwhile, anti-choice lawmakers, who show a minimal grasp of the nuances of abortion, continue to muddy the waters. Clearfield Republican Karianne Lisonbee—who has sponsored her share of anti-abortion bills over the years—had a helpful suggestion for women: “I do trust women enough to control when they allow a man to ejaculate inside of them and to control that intake of semen,” she told reporters. Why yes, with that level of control, who would ever need an abortion?

Best Kicking Against the Pricks (tie) Romney’s Support of Gun Reform/ House Delegation’s Vote for Marriage Equality

Call it bipartisanship; call it pragmatism; call it the bare minimum of small-d democratic representation; call it whatever you want but give a nod to five-sixths of Utah’s federal delegation for doing what the public wanted, even if their party stalwarts didn’t. Sen. Mitt Romney’s vote for the most significant federal gun legislation in decades helped break through the Senate’s omnipresent Republican filibuster, while all four of Utah’s GOP congressmen said “aye” to codifying marriage equality after the U.S. Supreme Court showed that no right can be taken for granted any more. Utah’s other senator was reportedly too busy being “Based” on Twitter to represent his constituents.

Superintendent Hangout Temple Square Renovations

Has the LDS Church borrowed a page from the Episcopal playbook? God forbid. But when it comes to the current Temple Square renovation project, it seems that way. You see, NYC’s St. John the Divine is nicknamed “St. John the Unfinished.” Begun 133 years ago, it’s still only two-thirds complete. The Temple Square project began in January 2020 with a four-year completion date. Now it’s been moved to 2025. Crews dug beneath the sixspire granite temple—the faith’s largest—as part of a seismic retrofit. (A 5.7 quake in 2020 ignominiously sent Angel Moroni’s trumpet tumbling.) Meanwhile, the interior is being revamped and the surrounding 35 acres are a beehive of hard-hat activity. Like everything related to finances, the church is mum about the project price tag.

Best Made-Up Controversy Transgender Athlete Ban

There are few clearer examples of pointless red-meat politics than Utah’s transgender athletics ban, which started out as a snipe hunt and resulted in a law so sloppily thrown together that no one was surprised when a judge hit the brakes on its implementation. No really, they built a backup plan into the law! But the delegates ate it up, so Republican politicians are patting themselves on the back—while standing on the necks of Utah’s transgender community— despite having achieved less than nothing.

Best Use of the Utah Constitution to Justify Bigotry

Utah County Clerk

Candidate Jake Oaks

Just when you think something’s settled, someone comes along to spoil the illusion. Case-in-point: SCOTUS Justice Alito and pals who overturned Roe v. Wade. And Jake Oaks. Jake who? The Utah County man ran for county clerk this year on the American Independent Party ticket, garnering 20% of the vote. He vowed, if elected, not to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. His reasoning: Marriage isn’t mentioned in the Constitution, and the state’s socalled Amendment 3 prohibiting such unions (but struck down by the courts) still is on the books. But a number of basic rights aren’t enshrined, either, like the right to vote, to travel and to privacy. It all is academic, because Oaks’ sole opponent, Aaron Davidson, was a Republican, and as we’re all aware, Utah County is more crimson than the College of Cardinals. Davidson easily defeated Oaks.

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Best Accessible Food The Free Community Fridges by Salt Lake Mutual Aid

As inflation and the cost of living rise in SLC, Salt Lake Mutual Aid is fighting back against food insecurity with its free community fridges—anyone is free to drop off or take perishable and shelf-stable foods. The “freedges” are located in Rose Park, Sugar House and South Salt Lake. Rose Park: 1151 N. 1500 West, SLC; Sugar House: 720 E. Loveland Ave., SLC; Green Urban Lunch Box, 3188 S. 1100 West, South Salt Lake; instagram.com/slc.community.fridges

Best Reality Check Utah Democrats Shelving Their Senate Candidate

Defeat is hard to accept, but things can be even worse if you don’t. If Sen. Mike Lee were a traditional, reasonable Republican—like the broadly respected man he replaced—then there’d be little harm in Utah’s minority party offering up its ritual sacrifice to influence the election debate. Instead, Lee is a unique, demonstrable threat to the health of American democracy, and the decision of the Utah Democratic Party to forgo a Senate nominee and join the coalition backing independent Evan McMullin reflected the seriousness of Lee’s candidacy. Still, Lee was reelected on Nov. 8, this time with only 55% of the vote compared to the 68% he mustered in 2016. And, at least Utah Democrats gave democracy a fighting chance.

Worst Criminal Balance Sheet

Utah State Prison’s Cost Overrun

“I’m just amazed at where we’re at,” said a beaming Gov. Spencer Cox at the June ribbon-cutting for the new Utah State Prison, five miles west of Salt Lake City International Airport. Obviously, he wasn’t looking at the final financial spreadsheets. Six years ago, taxpayers were told they’d have to shell out $550 million. They ended up with a $1.05 billion (with a “B”) bill. No matter, said the governor. “We’re actually less in debt than expected … We were able to pay cash for much of the prison.” Money’s still money, your Excellency, which ultimately comes from the pocketbooks and purses of your average Utah taxpayer. The old 600-acre prison site in Draper will become a mixed-use office-commercial-residential mecca known as “The Point.”

READERS’ PICKS

Best Public Art

“Out of the Blue” Breaching Whale

Who knew that a 40-footwide/23-foot-tall colorful whale sculpture breaching on the 900 South 1100 East roundabout would have people up in arms? Yet, here we are. Stephen Kesler, the artist, certainly got people talking. “‘Out of the Blue’ was designed to complement and augment the unique identity of the 9th & 9th neighborhood, celebrating a community that’s welcoming and stands for respect,” says the Salt Lake City Arts Council.

Whale “resisters” placed a colony of gnomes in the roundabout, which disappeared and later returned—whether left by trolls, community members or the artist himself; it made us smile. Love or hate the whale—it’s here to stay.

900 S. 1100 East, SLC, IG @stephenkesler_tusk

2. Granary District Murals

3. Protest Portraits

There's much blubbering about the new 9th & 9th public artwork.

Best Escape Room Alcatraz Escape Games

Whether spending time as a family, or heading out with a group of friends, an escape room provides a fun and unique challenge—more unique than a typical night out. Alcatraz Escape Games provides patrons a great escape, thanks to their friendly employees, challenging experiences and variety of rooms. 12674 Pony Express Road, Ste. 1, Draper, 801-708-0198, alcatrazescapegames.com

2. Escape on 13th

3. Mystery Escape Room

Best Dance Company Ballet West

As dancer Lucas Horns said, “Ballet West is a result of the commitment Salt Lakers have to uplifting quality art—nowhere else do you find such a world-class ballet company in a relatively small city.” Since 2007, artistic director Adam Sklute, former dancer, former ballet master and associate director of the Joffrey Ballet, has further energized and expanded Ballet West’s remarkable repertoire with works by the most renowned choreographers of today. 50 W. 200 South, SLC, 801-869-6900, balletwest.org

2. Odyssey Dance Theatre

3. Ririe-Woodbury Dance Co.

Best Movie Theater Brewvies

Cinema Pub

The idea of a movie theater serving drinks isn’t a revolutionary one, as the national success of Alama Drafthouse proves. But it’s a pleasure to see local and regional movie houses employ the formula to lasting success. With food, drink, multiple screens, new releases and repertory faves, Brewvies brings the best things in life together under a single roof. 677 S. 200 West, SLC, 801-355-5500, 801-322-3891; 2293 Grant Ave., Ogden, 801-392-2012, brewvies.com

2. Broadway Centre Cinemas

3. Megaplex Theatres at Jordan Commons

Best Music Festival

Das Energi

Going strong since 2012, Das Energi continues to be a top choice for EDM lovers. Held at the historic Saltair on the shores of the Great Salt Lake, ravers flock to the famous venue for days of music, lights, fireworks and dancing. Attendees have been dancing the night away at this festival for a decade now, with no signs of the event going anywhere anytime soon.

dasenergifestival.com

2. Kilby Block Party

3. Utah Blues Festival

Best

Friend

of the Arts Utah Arts Alliance

All artists know exposure is key to success: Many offer it, but few actually deliver it. UAA Connect is a free event expanding all over Utah. Artists can participate in a monthly event with up to two pieces of art hanging in a gallery. It culminates in a year-end gala awarding grant money to participating artists. More details are on their website listed under “programs.” Multiple locations, 801-888-9638, utaharts.org

2. Salt Lake County ZAP

3. Ogden City Arts

Best Outdoor Concert Venue Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre

Where else can you pack in your own homemade picnic and wine? No matter where you sit, it’s a great spot in a delightful space. Even when we miss the warm-up performers, we seem to find a decent spot to watch our favorite bands. We all know why we love this place and why the musicians love playing here … there is something magical about Red Butte. We all anticipate the release of the lineup every year. We love this allages venue and the good memories made here. Red Butte, you have our hearts. 300 Wakara Way, SLC, 801-585-0556, redbuttegarden.org/concerts

2. Usana Amphitheatre

3. Sandy Amphitheater

Best Indoor Concert Venue The Depot

How to rate a music club’s “it factors?” Sightlines? Friendly staff? Convenient location? All of the above and more? The Depot satisfies music fans of all stripes, with a broad booking policy and a room that delivers good sound, a bit of food, a solid beverage program and all kinds of angles to experience a show. With concerts back in business, The Depot’s once again doing what it does best. 13 N. 400 West, SLC, 801-456-2800, IG @depotslc

2. Metro Music Hall 3. The State Room

Best Local Stage Actor Deena Marie Manzanares

If you have been in the Salt Lake acting scene, you have likely witnessed the brilliant Deena Marie Manzanares. She played Sycorax in The Sting & Honey Co.’s Sleeping Beauty’s Dream, this past summer. She once shaved her head for a part—she’s that dedicated (and not just another pretty face)! She was once named the Lady Gaga of Salt Lake City, and we can see why! Is there anything she can’t do? We’re lucky that New York City did not keep her. You can catch her weekday mornings on Good Things Utah on ABC4. She's multifaceted as a superhero mom, a Nintendo warrior and a burrito slayer. IG @deena_marie

2. Sarah Huff

3. April Fossen

DEREK CARLISLE

Location, location, location. Salt Lake City (and Utah more broadly) has many grade-A haunted attractions during spooky season. But where others must first mimic dilapidated spaces, Fear Factor benefits from hostile industrial surroundings that have a ghostly quality of their own, priming the scare pumps before guests even make it inside. That’s the trick, but the treat is how well the Fear Factory team converts their unique space into a kaleidoscope of horrors that feels fresh and frightening every year. 666 W. 800 South, SLC, 801-692-3327, fearfactoryslc.com

2. Nightmare on 13th 3. Castle of Chaos Escape Rooms & Haunted House

Best Concert Garth Brooks

After performing at Rice-Eccles Stadium in 2021, country music legend Garth Brooks promised to return to Salt Lake. True to his word, Brooks returned to sold-out audiences on June 17 and 18, 2022. Country listeners packed into Rice-Eccles for two nights to see the beloved performer deliver a powerhouse show. And he even brought a surprise: an encore with his wife, Trisha Yearwood, and the pair sang “Shallow” from the 2018 film A Star Is Born

2. Alanis Morissette

3. Das Energi

Best Theater Company Hale Centre Theatre

Thirty-five years and going strong: Founded by Nathan and Ruth Hale, Hale Centre Theatre has been packing in family audiences since 1985 to see its roster of Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. After outgrowing its home in West Valley City, the company built a new theater in Sandy that opened in 2017. The two stages, the Centre Stage (Hale’s “theater in the round”) and the smaller jewel box, are truly unparalleled in Utah. With parking often being a struggle downtown, you’ll find none of that at HCT—in fact, there is plenty of free parking! Catch A Christmas Carol this holiday season at HCT, Nov. 30 to Dec. 27. 9900 S. Monroe St., Sandy, 801-984-9000, hct.org

2. Salt Lake Acting Co. 3. Pioneer Theatre Co.

For chills and thrills, it's the Fear Factory

Best Glass Blower Mike Hurst

For 30 years, Ogden-based Mike Hurst has been crafting fantastical creations out of glass, many of them inspired by his love of holidays—like pumpkins for the Halloween season, and heirloom Christmas ornaments. In addition to the beautiful work he’s inspired to create on his own, including seashells, bottle stoppers and glass drinking straws, Hurst also accepts special commissions for “memorial glass” receptacles to contain the ashes of loved ones. hurstglass.com

2. Tom Holdman

3. Jodie McDougal

Best Museum Natural History Museum of Utah

The copper-clad building is an architectural wonder seated high on the east bench overlooking Salt Lake. It features exhibits and artifacts, including Utah’s paleontology discoveries. One of the most striking dinosaurs to appear in Jurassic World Dominion is the horned dinosaur Nasutoceratopstitusi—you’ll find the only fossil specimen of it here. On the first and third Saturday of each month you see animals native to Utah. They also offer craft workshops with local artists, and educational programs galore for families. So much to do at this beloved spot! 301 Wakara Way, SLC, 801-581-6927, nhmu.utah.edu

2. The Leonardo

3. Utah Black History Museum

COURTESY PHOTO

Best Local Band Pixie & the Partygrass Boys

Like most modern bands, this group doesn’t find themselves fitting narrowly into one genre. They playfully incorporate bluegrass, newgrass, pop, punk and rock 'n' roll in their unique and fun sound. Seeing this group live is an absolute treat, and an experience listeners won’t easily forget. They play around the state regularly, so keep an eye out for their shows. pixieandthepartygrassboys.com

Best Music Series

Red Butte Garden Outdoor Concert Series

There’s a certain alchemy to a great concert series, combining the right lineup of performers with the right venue and benefitting from intangible variables that create something far greater than the sum of its parts. That magic regularly unfolds on summer nights in Salt Lake City, when the sun dips low in the west, the air turns cool and concertgoers at the Red Butte Garden Amphitheater sink low into their (appropriately sized) chairs, snacking on a picnic spread, sipping a glass (or three) of wine and singing along with their neighbors as the band plays on. 2188 Red Butte Canyon Road, SLC, 801585-0556, redbuttegarden.org/concerts

2. Ogden Twilight 3. SLC Twilight Series

READERS’ PICKS

Best Drag Entertainer Tamara Knight

A relative newcomer to the SLC drag scene, Tamara Knight has exploded onto the scene with a unique voice and perspective. The Las Vegas transplant somehow found time in the middle of pursuing a biology degree at the University of Utah to make it a priority to celebrate artists of color in lip-sync performances showcasing stars like Beyoncé, Janet Jackson and Nicki Minaj. Welcome to the throne, queen, and long may you reign. IG @thetamaraknight 2. Jason CoZmo 3. Gia Bianca

Best Muralist Shae

Petersen (SRIL)

SRIL cut his teeth making street art and has since created the biggest murals in Salt Lake City. He’s arguably one of the most recognized and sought-after muralists in the Western United States. He continues to bless the city skyline with his work, like the 60-by-60 foot “Atlas” at the Hardware Apartments. He’s spent over 100 hours using 100 cans of spray paint to create the impressive image of an astronaut this past summer. 160 S. 300 West, SLC, srilart.com

2. Trent Call 3. Josh Scheuerman

Best Art Gallery Urban Arts Gallery

A shout-out to the donated time and spaces that keep this gallery going. Volunteer artists and curators (artist Jimmi Toro and guest curator/artist Essie Shaw, just for starters) have worked tirelessly with executive director Derek Dyer toward a shared artistic community vision, making this gallery and space what it is. For more of the innovative visual imagination from the folks at Utah Arts Alliance, you should also check out the immersive Dreamscapes experience, now at Sandy's The Shops at South Town. Multiple locations, 801-230-0820, urbanartsgallery.org

2. Phillips Gallery 3. The Local Artisan Collective

Best All-Ages Concert Venue

Kilby Court

What is there to say about Kilby Court that hasn’t been already? This legendary venue has witnessed the start of so many great bands and has continued to host fan favorites since 1999. Kilby has always been a venue that prides itself on fostering a safe space for live music. It has hosted acts like Doja Cat, Phoebe Bridgers, Diplo, Foster the People, Death Cab for Cutie, and many more. Hopefully we get another 20 years from this iconic venue. 741 Kilby Court, SLC, kilbycourt.com

Best Views With Music

Sandy Amphitheater

This is a hidden gem and there’s not a bad view in the house! To the west, you can watch the sun set as you watch the show. To the east is a view of our captivating Wasatch Mountains. Whether you have actual seats or general admission, you have a sweet spot. They killed it with the lineup this past summer with bands like Lord Huron and Regina Spektor. And they offer open mic and free community nights. Make sure to pack a sweater because once that sun goes down, the chill is in the air. 1245 E. 9400 South, Sandy, 801-568-6097 sandyamp.com

Best Really Big Outdoor Shows

Usana

Amphitheater

The Wasatch Front doesn’t lack for quality outdoor music venues, from sports stadia to city-based amphitheaters. Of course, the biggest can also be the best, certainly in terms of bringing a wide selection of summer’s biggest shows to life. And USANA does that, across all genres, with solid staging and sound pros on the job. 5150 S. 6055 West, West Valley City, saltlakeamphitheater.com.

Best Backyard Vibes Backyard Events on Reed

If you have been to Eddy’s, you know. This guy somehow gets the best local (and sometimes not local) bands to play in his very epic backyard. He always has a smile, a hug and the grill going. He welcomes all. We checked it out, and it passes the vibe check. You bring a side dish and chair. Everyone from Timmy the Teeth to Michelle Moonshine to Branson Anderson to Morgan Snow has played in that backyard. It is donation based and that all goes to the musician playing that night. 353 W. Reed Ave., SLC, follow “Backyard Events on Reed” on Facebook

Best Use of an Organ Not Attached to Your Body Free

Tabernacle

Concerts

Above the cacophony and crush of the 21st century, a slice of serenity beckons every day right in the very heart of downtown SLC—the free, half-hour recitals on the monumental Tabernacle organ on Temple Square. From noon to 12:30 p.m. and from 2 to 2:30 p.m., top-flight artists lift your spirits as their fingers dance over the five keyboards of the 11,623-pipe instrument. And remember to take a long look at your surroundings. You’re sitting in a building that Frank Lloyd Wright called “one of the architectural masterpieces in the country … and perhaps the world.” tabernaclechoir.org/events/organ-recitals

Best Literary Support Group League of Utah Writers

Every budding artist needs a helping hand now and then—and not even necessarily financially. From novices to established professionals, writers often want to emerge from the solitary nature of their work to find feedback and support from fellow writers. From one end of the state to the other, the League of Utah Writers provides regional groups, often with a specific genre focus, that allows writers to network and improve their craft; the annual Quills conference offers even more workshops, in addition to recognizing great local work. leagueofutahwriters.com

Best Pandemic Pivot, Continued SB Dance Curbside Theater

Lots of creative people developed new ways to connect with audiences during the COVID pandemic, but not all of those connections became the new normal. SB Dance impresario Stephen Brown took his dance work directly to the people for “Curbside Theater” performances beginning in 2020, and subsequently fell in love with the ability to connect with all-new audiences, and to perfect works that could be performed many more times. Whether you find a performance near you, or schedule one for your own neighborhood, it’s exciting seasonal performance with an up-close-and-personal feel. sbdance.com

Best New Arts and Culture District

Creative

Industries Zone

South Salt Lake

in

South Salt Lake is changing a lot, and most apparently with the arts. It’s Creative Industries Zone—between 2100 South and 3000 South along West Temple between State Street and Trax—is home to some of the valley’s coolest murals, a new arts co-op at the Columbus Center, and a hopping brewery scene that fuses with the arts scene for events like this past summer’s Grid City Music Fest and its annual fall Craftoberfest. sslarts.org

Best New Theater Hub The Box and the Box Too at The Gateway

In the clash between “high culture” and “low culture,” the idea of a “mall” has long been connected with the latter. So as The Gateway has evolved in recent years, it has been fascinating to watch it turn into a terrific place to experience theater performances. In addition to the many venues employed by the Salt Lake Fringe Festival, we now have not one but two year-round theater spaces—The Box, and The Box Too—allowing audiences to check out daring work by small and emerging companies. theboxgateway.org

JOSH SCHEUERMAN NIIS at Kilby Court

Best Groovy Gray-ish Gathering The Get Up Kids 25th Anniversary Show

Picture it, wall to wall Gen Xers…a lot of gray beards and gray hair…rocking out like they were 15-year-olds again, at The Urban Lounge. Sparta (former members of At the Drive In) joined The Get Up Kids on tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their 1997 album Four Minute Mile. They played the entire album cover to cover and then surprised the audience with some oldies from 1995 and 1999. There was no moshing that night because the audience knew they’d have to load up on ibuprofen and ice packs the next day. Either way, fun was had by all, and we’re thankful they added Salt Lake City to their tour. thegetupkids.com

Best Literary Start to Your Tuesday Weller Book Works Breakfast Club

Not all of us are morning people; sometimes it takes a little something extra to get that brain into a galloping gear. So why not kick off your day with a little stimulating book-based chatting. After a COVID hiatus, Weller Book Works once again invited guests to join co-owner Catherine Weller for coffee and snacks across from the store’s Trolley Square location at My Amour Café, every Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. No homework required, just a fondness for books, good company and conversation. 607 Trolley Square, SLC, 801-328-2586, wellerbookworks.com

Best New Comedian Introduction

Wiseguys Lake City Showcase

In the liminal space between “open-mic tryouts” and “headliner gig,” there’s a long road for stand-up comedians to get better, and get known by the local community. Wiseguys’ long history of supporting local comedy talent currently includes recurring “Lake City Showcase” performances, with several local performers taking center-stage. If you want to get a glimpse of where the next generation of Utah funny folks are coming from, keep your eye on the Wiseguys calendar and drop in. The Gateway, 194 S. 400 West, SLC, 801-532-5233, wiseguyscomedy.com

COURTESY PHOTO

Stand and deliver (the laughs, that is): Wiseguys Lake City Showcase

A quick scroll through Ashley Love’s Insta feed and it’s easy to see why she dominated the BOU polls this year—there’s a lot to love. Specializing in traditional tats, Ashley’s current passion is planning flash tattoo events to support victims of sexual violence. Recently, her flash events raised funds to support the Rape Recovery Center and Planned Parenthood of Utah with “No Means No” and Roe v. Wade-inspired designs. 285 W. 800 South, Ste. 201, SLC, 801-493-5956, onlyforevertattoo.com, IG: ohashleylove

2. Mitch Anderson, Dark Arts

3. Bambi Nelson, Black Honey Tattoo

Best Animal Hospital Advanced Veterinary Care

Having a trusted and reliable vet for your four-legged family members is essential and often overlooked. Knowing there’s a safe place to take a beloved pet is important, especially during an emergency. They offer 24/7 emergency services for cats and dogs, and they specialize in other fields like cardiology and small animal surgery services.

Advanced Veterinary Care offers caring techs, knowledgeable vets and an easy experience for pet owners. 1021 E. 3300 South, SLC, 801-942-3951, thrivepetcare.com/locations/ utah/salt-lake-city/advanced-veterinary-care

2. VCA Cottonwood Animal Hospital

3. University Veterinary Hospital & Diagnostic Center

Best Pet Groomer All About Dogs

All About Dogs prides themselves on caring for your pets the same way you do; with plenty of love and affection. They offer a multitude of services from kind, professional and experienced staff. Finding a trusted groomer for your beloved pet can be difficult, but All About Dogs makes it easy. Multiple locations, allaboutdogssalon.com

2. The Paw Wash

3. Dirty Johnson Self Services Dog Wash

Best Bank for Small Businesses America First Credit Union

Most people don’t realize the difference between a credit unit and a bank, but they certainly can feel it at AFCU. Credit unions like AFCU are nonprofit whereas banks exist to make a profit for their owners and stockholders—not their customers. Credit unions are more community based and can offer more customized service to members. They’re able to offer lower fees, with better interest rates on savings and loans. AFCU has been around since 1939 and has branches in Nevada, Idaho, Arizona and Utah. Multiple locations, americafirst.com 2. Mountain America Credit Union 3. Utah First Credit Union

Best Brewery Can Art Bewilder Brewing Co.

When Bewilder Brewing Co. opened weeks before the beginning of the COVID pandemic, brewery owners Cody McKendrick and Ross Metzger were more worried about people accessing their beer versus what’s on the cans. Since weathering the storm, customers have been treated to a wide array of jackalope-themed can art that is as vivid as it is inviting. And they’re all designed in-house. 445 S. 400 West, SLC, 385-528-3840, bewilderbrewing.com 2. Salt Flats Brewery 3. Proper Brewing Co.

Best Bike Shop Bingham Cyclery

Bingham Cyclery isn’t just a great bike shop, it’s five great bike shops, serving cyclists in Salt Lake, Davis, Weber and (as of this month) Summit counties for more than 60 years. With more Utahns embracing cycling for transportation, leisure and sport, Bingham is serving and advancing those trends with a full range of road, mountain and city bikes in both electric and traditional models with full-service on-site maintenance. Ready for a ride? Go see Bingham. Multiple locations, binghamcyclery.com

READERS’ PICKS

Best Tattoo Artist

Ashley Love, Only Forever Tattoo

Best Comic Book Store

Black Cat Comics

Long before superheroes took over the popculture landscape, they existed primarily in the realm of print comic books—many of them exclusively in specialty stores like Black Cat Comics. Owner Greg Gage’s Sugar House store celebrated 18 years of operations in 2022, and you can tell from walking in the place that the old-school print comic book remains their focus. Whether you want the latest new releases or are looking to complete your collection with something from the many rows of back-issue boxes filling the floor space, Black Cat has you covered. 2261 S. Highland Drive, SLC, 801-461-4228, blackcat-comics.com 2. Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection

Best European Food Imports

Market Caputo’s Market &

Deli

Utah lost an icon with the passing of Tony Caputo in March of 2021. He believed in building a business in downtown Salt Lake at a time when few did. Today, Caputo’s Market & Deli is operated by Tony’s son, Matt, and Matt's wife, Yelena, who have taken Tony’s passion and made it their own. The market has the best cured meats and specialty cheeses around, including the delectable Prosciutto di Praga, excellent in a pairing or snack on its own. Multiple locations, caputos.com 2. Pirate O’s 3. Black Cherry Mediterranean Market

Best International Market Chinatown Plaza

You can’t miss the towering decorative Chinese Gate on State Street in South Salt Lake. It opens a portal to an amazing experience of shopping at the largest Asian grocery store in the state and a chance to eat at 11 highly specialized restaurants like the Korean Moon Bakery, K-Recipe Korean takeout, Chick Queen Korean fried chicken, Sakura Hibachi Steakhouse for sushi and hibachi, Hero Hotpot and Pho Salt Lake. You can spend hours strolling through the huge grocery store and then try to decide what and where to eat in the 5-acre mall. 3390 S. State, South Salt Lake, 801-906-8788, chinatown-supermarket.com

2. Caputo’s Market & Deli 3. Rancho Markets

Ashley Love, center, with the crew from Only Forever Tattoo

If someone says they’re going to give you a new hole, just hope that someone is professional piercer and owner of Enso, Dustin Robbins. There are several reasons his shop consistently gets 5-star reviews, including cleanliness, client education, customer service and a variety of very cool, very unique jewelry. He’s also great with kids, so if yours is begging for pierced ears— holes for the whole fam! 336 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-953-0201, ensopiercing.com

Jade Ross, Koi Piercing Studio

Courtney Marriott, Abyss Body Piercing

Best Company That Gives Back Cotopaxi

When your company slogan is Gear for Good, you’d better put your money where your proverbial mouth is. And for those wondering how Cotopaxi gives back, the better question is how aren’t they giving back? A percentage of annual revenues goes toward eradicating extreme poverty, they’re a member of 1% for the Planet and they work with numerous partners to support global health and education initiatives, all while working toward impressive sustainability goals with every piece they make. Multiple locations, cotopaxi.com 2. Mark Miller Subaru 3. Black Cat Comics

Best Local Gear Brand

Cotopaxi

In theory, we all love supporting brands that give back. But in reality, we also want damn good products. When you shop Cotopaxi, you get both—especially if you’re in the market for a pack. Daypacks, backpacks, duffel bags… you name it, they make an eco-friendly version of it. Plus, shop insulated jackets, fleece and activewear that will have you saying “Patago-who?” Multiple locations, cotopaxi.com 2.

Fillings & Emulsions

Not only is founder, co-owner and executive pastry chef Adalberto Diaz’s macaron Mecca minority-owned, its management and chefs are largely minority and female. Since 2013, they’ve been laminating, frosting, filling, kneading and glazing mouth-watering combinations of Latin and French flavors into pastries and desserts like must-try popcorn panna cotta, bestselling key lime cheesecake, French baguettes and dazzling, rainbow-colored macarons. Multiple locations, fillingsandemulsions.com

Best Tree and Shrub Nursery Glover Nursery

Imagine walking 10 acres of trees, shrubs and other plants all perfectly suited for growing in Utah and being able to take your pick of the bunch. At family-owned Glover Nursery, that dream is a reality. Throughout the year, roughly 500 varieties of trees and shrubs can be found at this pastoral paradise, and its expert staff knows all the secrets to keep your spruce and sumac in top shape. 9275 S. 1300 West, West Jordan, 801-562-5496, glovernursery.com 2. J&J Nursery and Garden Center

JOHN TAYLOR

Enso's Dustin Robbins

Best Local Company to Work For Harmons Grocery

The Harmon family is approaching 100 years of serving Utahns’ grocery needs. Their mixture of commitment and experience can be seen in their inviting, locally minded stores throughout the state that function as community gathering spaces as much as they are a pit stop to buy milk and eggs. Their entrances have hosted scouting and school fundraisers, citizen initiatives and donation drives; their shelves give priority spacing to Utah-made goods; their cooking classes inspire customers to venture out of their comfort zones; and their helpful employees brim with contagious positivity. Multiple locations, harmonsgrocery.com

2. University of Utah Hospital

3. WholesomeCo Cannabis

Best Grocery Store Bakery Harmons Grocery

Harmons’ pastry chefs make everything fresh, including an ever-changing selection of divine and decadent desserts ranging from fancy cakes to mini-fruit tarts to chocolate croissants to crème brulee and macarons. At Harmons, every season is cookie season with made-from-scratch gingersnaps, brownies and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies that are cinnamon and nutmeg-scented pillows of perfected deliciousness. From sourdough baguettes to croissants to country French loaves to ciabatta, their artisan breads are the best in the state. Multiple locations, harmonsgrocery.com

2. Central 9th Market

3. Bowman’s Market

Best Looking Utah Liquor Bottle Holystone Distilling

The slender and statue-esque looking bottles from Holystone Distilling hark back to the obelisk inspired art deco of the 1920s. The polished edges blend with the angular chassis below the neck to allow the various Holystone liquors inside to shine like jewels. Every bottle is an ornament showcasing Holystone’s angel inspired logo. These are the centerpiece of any given bar’s collection. 207 W. 4860 South, Murray, 805-490-7202, holystonedistilling.com

Best Thrift/Consignment Store iconoCLAD

Consigning your clothes is a great way to get a few bucks back for your secondhand wardrobe—one man’s trash is another man’s thrift, after all. Bring your clothes to iconoCLAD and they’ll stock the shelves and cut you a check when someone decides they want to rock your old style. Their Instagram @ iconoCLAD is a fun follow as well, where they aren’t afraid to put shoplifters on blast. 414 E. 300 South, SLC; 855 S. State, SLC, 801-833-2272, iconoclad.com

READERS’ PICKS

Best Barbershop

Jed’s Barber Shop

Best Veggie/Flower Nursery Millcreek Gardens

With our new climate realities, you want expertise behind the plant choices you make for your landscaping. And you’ve got more than 60 years of experience behind the Salt Lake City fixture that is Millcreek Gardens, which boasts more than three acres of nurseries and displays for every possible kind of garden need. Hosting various family-friendly holiday themed events, it’s as much a community space as it is a retail space. 3500 S. 900 East, Millcreek, 801-487-4131, millcreekgardens.com

2. Cactus & Tropicals

3. Glover

Nursery

Best Local Credit Union Mountain America Credit Union

Best Tattoo Shop Only Forever Tattoo

First off, can we all agree that this is the best name for a tattoo shop?! This new darling of the Granary District is jam-packed with talent and is quickly becoming the neighborhood go-to for traditional and neo-traditional tats. But why stop there? Sit in Lily or Carlos’s chair for Japaneseinspired ink or book a session with Angel if realism is more your aesthetic. It’s also where you’ll find this year’s Best Tattoo Artist, Ashley Love. 285 W. 800 South, Ste. 201, SLC, 801-493-5956, onlyforevertattoo.com

2. Everybody Tattoo Studio 3. Black Honey Tattoo

Best Vinyl Record Shop Randy’s Records

Hey fellas, in the market for a trim or a straight razor shave? Head to Jed’s, where a standard cut only sets you back $35 and includes a hot lather neck shave, shoulder massage and an oldfashioned soda. Open seven days a week, it’s easy to walk in or use their online booking tool to reserve a window with your preferred barber. Don’t forget to pick up a quality beard oil or styling product to keep your ‘do looking dapper. 212 S. 700 East, SLC, 801-532-5337; 167 E. 900 South, SLC, 385-528-3808, jedsbarbershop.com

2. Salt Lake Barber Co.

3. City Barbers

Best Smoke/Vape Shop

IVape SLC One Stop

Vape Shop

Peep the Google reviews, and it’s easy to see why IVape was voted this year’s reader’s favorite. Their customer service can’t be beat, and they have arguably the largest selection of all things vape in the state. As one customer put it, “If you can’t find it here, you won’t find it anywhere.” And if you’re not sure what you want, belly up to the outdoor juice bar where you can sample the latest, tastiest flavors. 4523 S. Redwood Road, SLC, 801-268-8273; 6657 S. State, Ste. 5, Murray, 801-290-2605; ivapeslc.net

2. Blackhouse Vapor Co.

3. Murray Vapes

Best Bookstore

The King’s

English Bookshop

For over 40 years, The King’s English Bookshop has filled the heads of generations of Salt Lakers with information and imagination. The King’s English has been matching books to readers since 1977 and has even opened a shop in the newly built Salt Lake City International Airport. It’s the ideal spot to get lost in a new read, join a club, or offer your newly minted novel on consignment. 1511 S. 1500 East, SLC, 801-484-9100, kingsenglish.com 2.

Best Piercing Studio Koi Piercing Studio

For 25 years, Koi Piercing Studio has built a following thanks to the high-quality tools they use; their friendly, professional and well-trained staff; and the stunning jewelry they sell. It’s a well-played strategy that continues to make them SLC's preferred piercing studio. Be sure to check out the studio's selection of unique jewelry. 1301 S. 900 East, SLC, 801-463-7070, koipiercingslc.com 2. Iris Piercing Studio and Jewelry Gallery

3. Abyss Body Piercing

Best Hair Salon Landis

Lifestyle Salon

There are no bad hair days at Landis, a full-service salon and spa with two hip Salt Lake locations and a who’s-who roster of some of the best stylists in the state. Whether you’re looking for a blowout for your bachelorette or a regular root touchup, the end result is certain to be a cut above the rest. Their lineup of plant-based Aveda hair products are as good for your hair as they are for the planet. 1298 S. 900 East, SLC, 801-485-5506; 569 N. 300 West, Ste. A, SLC, 801-364-3354, landissalon.com

2. Planted Salon

This friendly institution opened its doors in the 1930s and has grown to have over 95 branches across six states, and more than 50,000 surcharge-free ATMs. It’s headquartered in Sandy and is the second largest credit union in Utah, is the 12th largest nationally by membership and the 24th largest in total assets ($14 billion). In the early 2000s, banks lobbied Utah legislators to charge a 5% tax on local credit unions that were in competition with them, so MACU converted from a state-chartered to a federally chartered credit union in 2003. Multiple locations, americafirst.com 2. America First Credit Union 3. UFirst Credit Union

This local gem was started in 1978 by Randy Stinson, a guy who had collected 45s and LPs for decades before opening the store. The store has around 20,000 new and used records in all popular genres and has a reputation for selling high-quality products—especially the used inventory famous for few scratches and sweet jacket covers protected in plastic. Many thought the shop might go out of business when the music world changed from vinyl to CDs, but Randy hung in there and collectors saw the value of sometimes priceless music history. 157 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-532-4413, randysrecords.com

READERS’ PICKS

Best Camping Gear Recreation Outlet

Best Recreation Sports Store Recreation Outlet

Want to shop for outdoor rec gear like a local? Recreation Outlet is the place, because when you burn through camping equipment and outdoor sports gear as quickly as we do, you need it to be affordable. You may not find any North Face or Patagonia, but you will get the whole family dialed without dipping to anyone’s college fund. Multiple locations, recreationoutlet.com

2. The Gear Room

3. General Army Navy

Best Trax Route Red Line

Best Library Branch Salt Lake City Main Library

The first fancy library building in Salt Lake is now the downtown home of O.C. Tanner. Many remember the downtown library when it was in the building where the Leonardo is located today. But walk north, and you’ll find our architecturally unique main branch at the 400 South Trax station. The wedge-shaped building is home to active beehives on the roof, retail stores on the main level, a sweet children’s library and more than 500,000 books, newspapers and magazines. You can read many items like The New York Times online for free and learn languages via Babel, also for free. 210 E. 400 South, SLC, 801-524-8200,services.slcpl.org

2. Marmalade Branch

3. Glendale Branch

Recreation Outlet all started when a guy shopping at R.E.I. asked, “Why is it so expensive to sleep outside?” OK, we made that up. But it may as well be true! The great outdoors should be accessible to everyone, and when you shop for camping gear at Recreation Outlet you can get all the essentials at an unbeatable price, with friendly service to boot. Multiple locations, recreationoutlet.com

2. The Gear Room

3. Klymit

Best Runners Store Salt Lake Running Co.

Being a “serious” runner is not a prerequisite to shop at Salt Lake Running Co. In fact, what many nonrunners and runners alike love about shopping at SL Running Co. is the friendly knowledgeable staff— plus the array and quality of the shoe selection. Sense of community is another feature, including the SL Running Co. workshops and running groups. After all, working out is better with a buddy. Multiple locations, saltlakerunning.com

Best Family-Owned Business Sauced Up Salsa

The Bush family knows good salsa. Maybe you’ve met creator and owner George Bush at the Ogden Farmers Market or maybe you’ve ordered a batch from their Salt Lake pick-up location. But if you have yet to taste their mango habanero salsa, add it to your bucket list. Sauced Up Salsa also serves to-die-for homemade tortilla chips and freeze-dried salsa (trust us, it’s life changing) that will take your camping snack game to a new level. 3678 W. 2100 South, SLC, 385-419-6263, saucedupsalsa.com 2. Pirate O’s 3. Grove Market & Deli

Best Middle Eastern Market Shahrazad Market and Restaurant

From Halal meats to Armenian cheeses, exotic spices to hookah supplies, Shahrazad is your one stop shop for all the flavors of the Middle East, Turkey, Pakistan, India, Somalia and Persia. Scents of shawarma waft through the air as you shop, enticing you to the back of the market where you’ll find a small restaurant. Grab a kebab if you’re feeling peckish or ask about catering for your next event. 1615 W. 2100 South, SLC, 801-975-9977, shahrazadslc.com

2. Black Cherry Mediterranean Market 3. Zeitoon Market & Cafe

Best Pet Supply Store

The Dog’s Meow

This year marks the sixth time The Dog’s Meow has won a Best of Utah award, and if that isn’t proof enough it’s the only place you should be shopping for your cats and canines, every brand the store carries has your pet’s holistic health in mind. In other words, read the labels if you want to, but you can’t go wrong with their impressive selection of clean-label food, treats and supplements. 2047 E. 3300 South, Millcreek, 801-468-0700; 866 E. 12300 South, Draper, 801-501-0818, dogsmeow.com

2. Healthy Pets Salt Lake City and the Avenues

3. Pets & Such

Some people ride the train to work; some people ride the train to school; some people ride the train to dinner and a movie or to get in some shopping downtown. On the Trax Red Line, you can do all of that, multiple times over, and much, much more! With terminal points in Daybreak and at the University of Utah, the Red Line is a critical east-west transportation connection in a north-south-oriented state and one that offers a legitimate alternative to driving for many residents both in and around Utah’s capital city. rideuta.com

Best Culinary School Salt Lake Culinary Education

You watch the Food Network every night, you’ve read Mastering the Art of French Cooking and now you’re ready to go full Ratatouille by becoming a professional chef. Salt Lake Culinary Education offers the most affordable American Culinary Federation certificate program in Utah, and courses are just 12 weeks. Still want to keep your day job? Try one of several cooking classes offered throughout the month. 2233 S. 300 East, SLC, 801-4640113, sliceutah.com

2. Granite Technical Institute

3. Salt Lake Community College Culinary Arts Miller Campus

6360 S. Highland Drive, Murray, 801-278-0505, vcahospitals.com

Best ATV/ORV Store Young Powersports

Utah may have been settled by pioneers, but the days of wagons and handcarts have been replaced by driveways full of RVs, ATVs and ORVs, and on any given weekend we jump at the chance to take out our toys. Shop for your all-terrain and off-road vehicles at one of several Young Powersports locations along the Wasatch Front, where you’ll find new and used inventory, parts, accessories and more. Multiple locations, youngpowersports.com 2. Steadman’s Recreation Inc 3. Rocky Mountain ATV/MC

Best Golf Store

Uinta Golf

If there are golfers in the Salt Lake Valley who are yet to shop at Uinta Golf, we've yet to meet them. Serving the local golfer since 1971, Uinta is a wonderland of golf equipment, clothing and accessories with every major golf brand represented. It’s the rare golfer who can lower his score just by changing balls or clubs, but all golfers like to look good, and here’s the place to make it happen. Multiple locations, worldwidegolfshops.com/uinta-golf 2. Golf Galaxy

Best Medical-Cannabis Card Provider

Empathetix

Since the program began in the spring of 2020, Utah now has nearly 60,000 registered medical-cannabis patients in Utah. The credit for those big numbers goes to the state's nearly 800 qualified medical providers (QMPs). Although there are many worthy candidates who provide medicalcannabis cards, our readers have voted Empathetix as the best. With seven offices and a medical-cannabis bus reaching rural Utah, it's estimated more than 25% of the state’s patients have used Empathetix for their medicalcannabis card. If you think cannabis can elevate your health and wellness, make sure to give them a call today.(CF) Multiple locations, empathetix.com

Tim Pickett, Utah Therapeutic Health Center

Get Canna Card, GetCannaCard.com

Best Pet CBD Healthy Pets Salt Lake City/Avenues

Your cats and dogs have an endocannabinoid system, too— so don’t forget to saturate it with the best pet CBD found in the state. Healthy Pets SLC and in the Avenues offer the local brand Healthy Hemp Pets, with a variety of products with your pets’ health and wellness in mind. By using fullspectrum hemp oil, their CBD is not psychotropic, but the cannabinoids present will help calm your pets, help with aches and pains and generally make them feel better. 1790 S. 1100 East, SLC, 801-467-2822; 702 E. Third Ave., SLC, 801-499-7195, healthypetsslc.com

Best CBD Products HempLucid

You can find CBD products almost anywhere these days. Grocery stores, smoke shops, gas stations, restaurants—you name it. So, how do you know which kind to buy to experience the best effects? Our readers chose locally operated HempLucid as their go-to CBD brand. HempLucid products are crafted with love and care by using only the finest naturally grown ingredients. Their CBD is extracted from certified organic hemp grown in Colorado—and not China, like those gas station brands made from hemp seed. 4844 N. 300 West, Provo, 385-203-8556, hemplucid.com

2. Beehive Buds CBD Wellness Center

3. Koodegras CBD Oil

Best Cannabis Edibles Hygge Chews

Hygge (pronounced hue-guh) cannabis edibles from Riverside Farm are the top pick among readers this year because of their effectiveness in promoting relaxation, reducing stress, relieving pain and lowering anxiety. Their popularity might also be fueled by the 1,000 mg THC gummies that are available at outlets across the state, including from Bloc Pharmacy in South Jordan and St. George. These are the highestdosed edible you can find in Utah, and 10 times stronger than the largest dose you can buy in Colorado or Nevada (those states only allow 100 mg limits on their edible products). So, before you thumb your nose at Utah’s medical-cannabis scene, make sure you try these tasty, and strong, treats first. You can’t pass up a product that was named after the Danish concept of a cozy lifestyle, right?

2. Dragon Bites, Dragonfly Wellness

3. Torch, The Flower Shop, Ogden

Best CBD Retailer Koodegras CBD Oil

Those looking for the benefits of cannabis without the high should stop by Koodegras— in Midvale, Sandy and Millcreek. The company has been helping Utahns find balance since 2015 with their in-house CBD formulations. That means you don’t need a medical cannabis card to purchase their small-batch artisan CBD. Go visit them today to find a wide range of products you won’t find anywhere else. Multiple locations, koodegras.com

2. Beehive Buds CBD Wellness Center

3. Blackhouse Botanicals

Best Cannabis Topical Pure Plan

Pain Cream

Are you trying to get rid of those aches and pains without getting lit? Skip the pain pills and find a natural solution—one that’s made in Utah. Readers voted Pure Plan Medical as the best pain cream available to Utah medical-cannabis patients. With only a small amount, this full-spectrum cannabis salve fights inflammation and pain at the source. It only takes a few minutes to start providing relief. 1914 E. 9400 South, Ste. 409, Sandy, 801-205-2673, pureplan.com

2. Dragon Balm, Dragonfly Wellness

3. Cypress Sage Balm, Zion Medicinal

Dennis Magana, WholesomeCo Cannabis

2.

Best Cannabis Budtender

Utah’s medical cannabis pharmacies would be much more difficult to navigate without the many budtenders who work to help patients. Their role is to offer suggestions, answer questions, handle products and keep up with cannabis education. Essentially, they are a sommelier of the cannabis industry. According to the Center for Medical Cannabis, more than 400 budtenders work in Utah’s 14 dispensaries. Thanks to you readers, we now know that Dennis Magana and the runners-up listed below are among the best in the state. 580 W. 100 North, Bountiful, wholesome.co

Michael Johnson, Bloc Pharmacy South Jordan

Darcy Gonzalez, Deseret Wellness

Budtender Dennis Magana

Best Ski/Snowboard Shop Milosport

Best Cannabis Flower Larry Cake By Dragonfly

You spoke, and we listened. Larry Cake from Dragonfly Wellness was the obvious winner of this year’s cannabisflower category, so we visited Utah’s first dispensary downtown to grab some for ourselves. It was clear as soon as we opened the jar why patients voted for this strain crossed by Gelato and Wedding Cake. The sweet and gassy aromas, mixed with a hint of vanilla instantly filled the air. Once consumed, the frosty buds provided a satisfying and sedating high, followed by a euphoric cerebral buzz. This is a regular strain at Dragonfly, so make sure you grab some next time you’re there. 711 S. State, SLC, 801-413-6945, dragonflywellness.com 2. Ice Cream, Beehive Farmacy 3. Gelato Cake, Pure Plan Medical

801-497-8600, milosport.com

DEREK CARLISLE

Flower power: Larry Cake from Dragonfly Wellness

Best Accessory Dragonfly Wellness Novaa Vape Battery

Nothing signals that you’re a particular type of Utahn like the sleek, packof-gum-shaped vape battery from Dragonfly Wellness. Sure, it only works with Dragonfly cartridges—like an early-iPod of Utah medical marijuana. But cartridges made for universal batteries tend to clog up fast, whereas the magnetized Novaa gives a smooth pull every time. Plus, the convenience of Dragonfly’s downtown dispensary means city patients are probably shopping there anyway. 711 S. State, SLC, 801-413-6945, dragonflywellness.com

Best Made-in-Utah Impulse Buys Alpha Coffee

Anyone who’s had a small, local business understands how hard it is to have a small, local business—which makes it a great act of solidarity to support other such merchants. Alpha Coffee locations are always buzzing with activity, and those who drop in for their morning (or afternoon) joe can grab offerings from Utah businesses like Park City-based Ritual Chocolate or Cache Valley’s Bee Brothers honey and treats. Add all the Utah-based nonprofits that Alpha supports through their Grounds for Good efforts, and you have lots of reasons to visit. Multiple locations, alpha.coffee

Best Specialty Nursery Cactus & Tropicals

Looking for a stunning array of succulents? A bonsai tree to complete your meditation room? Perhaps a show-stopping orchid to gift a green thumb? Local nursery Cactus & Tropicals is a botanical oasis for plant lovers (or any lovers—they host weddings, too) and boasts over 40 years in the business of helping beautify your indoor and outdoor spaces with exceptional plants. For those of us who can’t even keep a weed alive, they also offer weekly classes. 2735 S. 2000 East, SLC, 801-485-2542; 12252 Draper Gate Drive, Draper, 801-676-0935, cactusandtropicals.com

Best Cannabis Concentrates Moxie

Even if you’re not a concentrate’s person, the name Moxie might still ring a bell. That’s because they are the first cannabis company awarded a license to operate business in California when adult use began. So, it's no surprise that our readers selected them as Utah's first and best concentrate brand. Instead of waiting for federal cannabis laws to fall or making the painful drive to Wendover or Mesquite, you can get your medical-cannabis card and head to a local medicalcannabis pharmacy to get the sticky-icky you’ve been dreaming about since your last cannabis vacay. As of July 2022, Moxie is officially in town. enjoymoxie.com

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Moxie products are now officially available in Utah.

The tools of the pickleball trade: the wiffle ball and the paddle (don't dare call it a racket!)

Best Public Golf Course Bonneville Golf Course

Looking for a neighborhood course that’s as challenging as it is beautiful? Nestled against the foothills, Bonneville boasts incredible views of the city and an early morning/evening breeze from Emigration Canyon that feels downright delicious. Most players rate it as an intermediate or expert course due its deep ravine, heavily wooded areas and hilly terrain. You’ll want to rent a cart for this one! 954 Conner St., SLC, 801-583-9513, slc-golf.com/bonneville

Best Hike Path Bonneville Shoreline Trail

Utah’s Bonneville Shoreline Trail is to hiking what Interstate 15 is to driving, bridging the communities of the Wasatch Mountain range and serving as a backbone connection to both favorite attractions and parts unknown. While the BST may lack the backcountry seclusion of more advanced trails, it makes up for it with endless panoramic views of Salt Lake County and the sweet-spot convenience of a quick but meaningful escape out of the hustle and bustle and into nature, without getting too far from home. bonnevilleshorelinetrail.org 2. Moab 3. Lake Blanche

Best Bowling Alley Bonwood Bowl

Knock down pins and throw back a cold one at Salt Lake’s favorite bowling alley, familyowned for more than 60 years. Boasting 42 lanes, affordable games and shoe rental, a snack bar that checks all the cheesy, greasy boxes and the Bonwood Trophy Room Lounge with over 30 brews, there’s nary a better place to channel your inner Lebowski when the mood strikes. 2500 S. Main, SLC, 801-487-7758, bonwoodbowl.com

2. Pins & Ales 3. Olympus Hills Bowling Lanes

Best Snowboarding Brighton Resort

Honestly, we’re bummed Brighton was voted Best Snowboarding in our reader poll. Not because it isn’t great (it is!), but because we’d like to keep it under wraps and not tell anyone about Brighton's locals-only, family friendly vibe. We’d prefer you didn’t explore Hidden Canyon, or jib alongside us in the park. And we definitely don’t want you sitting on our bar stool at Molly Green’s. But if you should find out about snowboarding at Brighton and why it's the best, at least buy us a round first. 8302 S. Brighton Loop Road, Brighton, 801-532-4731, brightonresort.com 2. Snowbird 3. Powder Mountain

Best Paddleboard Lake Causey Reservoir

Causey Reservoir prohibits motorized boats, making it the ideal playground for kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards. The 142acre reservoir east of Ogden is located on the South Fork of the Ogden River above Huntsville. It makes swimming a bit chilly, but on hot summer days, it’s refreshing to take a dive off a paddleboard into the brisk water. There’s also a ridge suitable for 10x10 tents, perfect for hanging out with friends when not recreating on the reservoir. Skull Crack Canyon Road, Huntsville, 801-999-2103, visitogden.com 2. Bear Lake 3. Jordanelle Reservoir

Best Scenic Vista Ensign Peak

In 1847, Brigham Young and other Latter-day Saints climbed Ensign Peak to survey the Salt Lake Valley. Today, it’s where hikers begin their season to gauge their stamina after a winter off from exercise. The mile-long out and back trek is around 400 feet in elevation—it’s no Mount Olympus hike, but it's still challenging if you aren’t used to elevation gains. From the apex, you can look west to (what’s left of) the Great Salt Lake, south to the Point of the Mountain, and east to the entire East Bench. 1002 N. Ensign Vista Drive, SLC, slc.gov/parks

READERS’ PICKS

Best Pickleball Courts

11th Avenue Park

Pickleball with a view. That’s exactly what you’ll find at 11th Ave. Park in the upper Avenues, where six new-ish courts (added just five years ago) overlook the Salt Lake Valley and foothills. There’s a small parking lot and ample street parking, as well as tennis courts, basketball courts, picnic tables and a playground. Courts aren’t lit, so be sure to start your match well before sundown. 581 Terrace Hills Dr., SLC, 801-972-7800

2. Murray Park, Murray

3. Highland Park, South Jordan

Best State Park Goblin Valley State Park

Utahn’s love our state parks but none better than the home of the hoodoos: Goblin Valley. Established in 1964, this other-worldly landscape of eroded sandstone provides visitors the unique opportunity to wander through its maze-like expanse, exploring by day and stargazing by night. (The park is designated an International Dark Sky Park). Camp within its borders or seek out nearby primitive camping if you prefer the less-beaten path. Goblin Valley Road, Green River, stateparks.utah.gov/parks/goblin-valley 2. Antelope Island State Park 3. Snow Canyon State Park

Best Running Trail Jordan River Parkway

If you’re looking for room to run, how does 40 miles sound? Completed in 2017, the Jordan River Parkway cuts a blissfully car-free string of green space through Salt Lake County on its winding path between Utah Lake and the Great Salt Lake. Whether they stay close to home or get lost for hours, joggers and other parkway visitors are likely to find themselves transported into pockets of nature that might otherwise go unnoticed. slco.org/parks/trails

2. Dog Lake via Big Water Trail in Millcreek Canyon 3. Dimple Dell Trail in Sandy

Best Bike-Friendly Neighborhood Liberty Wells

Anchored

Best Utah Road Trip Mirror Lake—Uintas

From

Best Bike Path Jordan River Parkway

It may come as a surprise that the Jordan River Parkway is the longest paved urban trail in the United States with more than 40 miles of pavement. The mixeduse trail is great for joggers and walkers, but it's a cyclist's paradise, safeguarded as it is from motor vehicles. It offers views over those many miles that can’t be beat. slc.gov/parks

2. Parleys Trail

3. Ogden River Parkway

in the state. Better known as Mirror Lake Scenic Byway, this drive follows the Provo River and passes several alpine lakes before meeting up with the Bear River as you head into Wyoming. Drive it in a day or spend the weekend. Designated campgrounds and primitive camping abound—don’t forget your fishing pole. https://bit.ly/3Sh1Hra 2.

Best Ski Resort Snowbird

As a local, there are two questions you’re often asked (OK, three, if we’re counting the Mormon one). No. 1: Do you ski? No. 2: Do you ski the Bird? To put it another way: If you don’t ski the Bird, do you even ski, bro? Snowbird is in a class all its own, an aprés bragging right, the epitome of Greatest Snow on Earth, a legend. 9385 S. Snowbird Center Drive, Snowbird, 801-933-2222, snowbird.com

2. Brighton Resort

3. Snowbasin Resort

Best New Indoor Alternative Spot

All Together Skate Park

What parent wants their kid in front of a screen all day? Who doesn’t love an air-conditioned ride? At only $10 a pop (or you can buy a punch pass making it only $7.50), it’s an affordable spot for anyone who has a love of skateboarding. This new skate park—with its flat banks, quarter pipes, a half pipe, ledges, flat bar and more— is in the Granary District and features a mural by Trent Call inside the space. The staff is friendly and helpful, and they even have a pretty rad retail store inside. Open seven days a week. 660 S. 400 West, Ste. 300, SLC, 385-379-3173, alltogetherskatepark.com

Best Long-Forgotten Optical Illusion Gravity Hill

Time was when most every SLC teenage boy drove to “Gravity Hill,” a stretch of East Capitol Boulevard near the State Capitol. He’d turn off the engine, put the car in neutral and—lo and behold—the vehicle seemed to roll uphill. It was a fabulous optical illusion due to the surrounding terrain. After the floods of 1983, the city made East Capitol Boulevard one-way—going north —and the trick doesn’t work in this direction. The illusion seems to be lost on hikers, bikers and joggers who take the southbound route. Legends abound about “Gravity Hill,” including one that magnets were implanted in the Capitol’s foundation attract vehicles there. Today, let’s hope the lodestones scramble the signals received by the tin-foil-hatwearing members of the Legislature. 585 to 1099 N. East Capitol Boulevard.

Best Saturday Hobnobbing Downtown Farmers Market

Aside from your high school reunion, where else can you find a regular crowd filled with familiar faces? The Downtown Farmers Market is one of those places where you cannot hide yourself away, even if you tried. From patrons to vendors, the friendly vibes are free flowing, and you’re bound to go home with a large gourd you have no use for and some re-connections (or new connections) with food lovers in the community. Overall, the experience makes for a great Saturday. Pioneer Park, 300 S. 300 West, SLC, slcfarmersmarket.org

Spice up your brunch plans with the chilaquiles from Lucky’s Iron Door Roadhouse.

This restaurant is the best-kept secret on the southwest side of the valley (well, no longer—because we are shouting it from the roof top). As the all-ages South Valley offshoot of Lucky 13, burgers are king here, but their brunch menu is the chef’s kiss! Maybe it's the chilaquiles' fresh-made salsa and chips that set this place apart. Whatever it is, Lucky’s Iron Door Roadhouse’s portions are huge, and this dish is a must-try on their brunch menu. 3754 W. Center View Way, West Jordan, 801-878-9439, luckysirondoor.com

2. Red Iguana

3. Penny Ann’s Cafe

Best Photogenic Dishes

Table X

Bust out your phone; take those photos— these dishes are Instagram worthy! Chef Mike Blocher outdoes himself every course. The pottery itself consists of art pieces (done by local artist Clark Marshall with CM Ceramics). The presentation of each dish is as beautiful as it tastes. It seems almost a pity to eat it. 1457 E. 3350 South, SLC, 385-528-3712, tablexrestaurant.com

2. Sapa Sushi Bar & Asian Grill

3. Tona Sushi Bar & Grill

Best Breakfast Burrito Beto’ s

Mexican Food

Whether it’s a pre-work trip for something that will keep you satisfied until dinner or a late-night trip that will keep you satisfied until breakfast, Beto’s breakfast burritos are the stuff of legend. The sheer amount of burrito you get for the price is staggering, and once that piping hot heap of eggs, cheese and your preferred breakfast meat hits your mouth, it’s impossible to be in a bad mood. Multiple locations, betosmexicanfood.com

2. Alberto’s Mexican Restaurant 3. Rancheritos Mexican Food

Best Breakfast Sandwich Central 9th Market

In the scant year-and-change since it opened its doors, Central 9th Market has impressively shaken up the local sandwich scene and emerged as an important retail anchor in the burgeoning mixed-use neighborhood south of downtown. Its signature breakfast sandwich—a waltz of gooey cheese, crisp pork and runny egg yolk held by two thick slices of wood-fired focaccia—is a triumph, and one that more than rewards those patient enough to navigate the ongoing construction on 900 South (pro tip: take the train). 161 W. 900 South, SLC, 385-332-3240, central9th.com

Best Quiche Eva’ s Bakery

Eva’s is known for many things, but their crown jewel is the quiche. The texture and taste are what make it award-winning! It’s so rich and appealing, you'll want to order a second slice to go. And we promise, we will not judge you. It may seem impossible, but they somehow make it light and creamy while simultaneously making it thick and filling. It’s hard not to order it every time you are at Eva’s. 155 S. Main, SLC, 801-355-3942, evasbakery.slc.com 2.

Best Eggs Benedict Finn’s Café

Legend has it that a hungover Wall Street broker brought us eggs Benedict. In 1894, at New York City’s Waldorf Hotel, Lemuel Benedict ordered himself two poached eggs on top of buttered toast, with bacon and hollandaise sauce. The head chef loved the idea and immediately added it to his menu. It later morphed into what we now know as a breakfast staple with Canadian bacon on an English muffin. Finn’s serves it with their own tasty hollandaise sauce and a side of hash browns. 1624 S. 1100 East, SLC, 801-467-4000, finnscafe.net

JOHN TAYLOR

Best French Toast Kneaders Bakery &

Cafe

Kneaders’ bakers slice two thick pieces of their chunky cinnamon bread and dip it into an egg wash with seasonings to create their awesome French toast. Their homemade caramel syrup, side of whipped cream and fresh strawberry on top make it unbelievably delicious. Or order the French Toast Feast Family Kit to take home and create a family breakfast for five with 10 slices of Chunky Cinnamon French toast, 10 strips of bacon, whipped topping, sliced strawberries and caramel syrup. Bonjour to that! Multiple locations, kneaders.com

2. The Park Café 3. Gourmandise

Best Crêpes

Monsieur Crêpes à

La Maison

Nestled in Sugar House is a charming branch of European cooking that’s been delighting locals with its tasty and authentic offerings. A labor of love from French chef Maxime Ambeza and his wife, Raysha Carrasco, their crispy crêpes make superb vessels for a variety of fillings, from the sweet (such as the Nutella, strawberry, banana and chocolatefilled “Champs-Elysees”) to the savory (the brie, prosciutto, tomato and spinach-filled “Versailles,” for example) to the hummusand-spinach-filled vegan variety. It’s hard to

DISHES

READERS’ PICKS

Best Pancakes

Penny Ann’s Cafe

Penny Ann’s Cafe is no stranger to the breakfast categories in Best of Utah polling—their “Heavenly Hot Cakes” are a light and airy sour cream pancake that are larger than the plate it’s served on, it seems, and are a favorite for a sweet lover’s breakfast. Penny Ann’s is a cozy and inviting breakfast and lunch spot that keeps patrons rolling through the door time and time again. Multiple locations, pennyannscafe.com

2. Lazy Day Cafe

3. Eggs in the City

find one that isn’t positively délicieux 1617 S. 900 East, SLC, 787-358-9930, monsieurcrepesut.us 2. Dali Crepes Catering & Café 3. Annie’s Cafe

Best Bacon and Eggs

Penny Ann’s Cafe

Simple pleasures are the building blocks of good living, like the smell of hot coffee in the too-early morning, butter melting on hot toast or hotcakes and a few strips of perfectly crisp bacon on a plate with eggs cooked just the way you like them. For a decade, the unassuming Penny Ann’s Cafe, at 1810 S. Main, just south of downtown SLC—and its sister locations in Draper and Taylorsville—have been slinging classic breakfast fare to a faithfully hungry clientele, building a repudiation for hearty down-to-earth cooking that’s the perfect way to start the day, seven days a week. Multiple locations, pennyannscafe.com

Best Chicken and Waffles

Pig & a Jelly Jar

There are two types of breakfasters: those who are careful to maintain separation between the wet and dry items on their plate; and those who prefer to mash everything together and cover the whole pile in a blanket of maple syrup. For the latter crowd, make your way to Pig & a Jelly Jar for an intoxicating tower of waffle, chicken, egg and maple that sticks to the ribs and leaves you smacking your lips all day. Multiple locations, pigandajellyjar.com

COURTESY

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Penny Ann’s Cafe: home of “heavenly hot cakes”

Best Breakfast in the Canyon

Ruth’s Diner

The early bird gets the worm, and that’s especially true making a trip up Emigration Canyon for a table at Ruth’s Diner. Get there early as locals flock to the converted trolley-carturned-diner hub year-round, but especially in the fall for a breathtaking view of the turning leaves. The patio is a peaceful place to enjoy the fluffy biscuits and housemade raspberry jam, or any number of their delicious breakfast options. 4160 E. Emigration Canyon Road, SLC, 801-582-5807, ruthsdiner.com

Best Special-Occasion Brunch

Sunday’s Best

Not only does Sunday’s Best offer something for every indecisive soul in your party, they do everything to the max. Eggs benny meets a BLT, biscuits come with chorizo gravy, fried chicken comes on caviar buns and even their “truck stop breakfast” features house sausage. Chase it with an espresso martini, customizable mimosas, a beignet … even an oyster. At Sunday’s Best, you can have it all. 10672 S. State, Sandy, 801-441-3331, brunchmehard.com

Best Biscuits and Gravy

biscuits is when they’re paired and smothered in Sweet Lake’s divine house gravy. The generous portions are likely to fill you up before you finish, and whether or not you keep eating anyway is between you and your taste buds. Multiple locations, sweetlakefresh.com

Hub & Spoke Diner

Over the Counter Café

Best Huevos Rancheros The Park Café

Locals will tell you that The Park Cafe’s huevos rancheros (served as a Saturday special) are just as good as any Southern California Mexican restaurant, if not better. You can add roasted pork for just a few dollars (do it!). They offer a housemade tomatillo salsa if you don’t want the red. Even big eaters leave satisfied with the portions given. The Park Cafe is worth any wait there might be, and you know you will want to come back for more. 604 E. 1300 South, SLC, 801-487-1670, theparkcafeslc.com

2. Tres Hombres Mexican Grill and Cantina

3. Eggs in the City

Best Muffin Little America Coffee Shop

Little America’s award-winning executive chef Bernhard Götz and his staff are famous for creating made-from-scratch comfort foods. Their moist, flavorful and sumptuous muffins are available in blueberry, banana nut, cranberry, fruit and bran varieties (with bran being famous

and frequently asked for). Muffins can be ordered with breakfast until noon and some are available on a limited basis later in the day. Within the grandeur of the historic Little America Hotel, The Coffee Shop is the perfect casual setting for delicious eating. 500 S. Main, SLC, 801-596-5708, saltlake.littleamerica.com/dining/the-coffee-shop

2. Picnic Cafe

3. Coffee Garden

Best Beignet Thirst Drinks

What 20-year-old do you know who could open a business while attending college full-time? There’s not many who could, and not many who could succeed as successfully as Thirst Drinks’ Ethan Cisneros, who co-founded the soda shop in 2016 while a sophomore at the University of Utah. The dirty soda business is a good one in Utah— Thirst now has five locations where they offer treats such as their ever-popular beignets. These can be sprinkled with powdered or cinnamon sugar, but on Wednesdays, they dip them in the flavor of the week.

Multiple locations, thirstdrinks.com

2. Pig & a Jelly Jar

3. Mama Africa

READERS’ PICKS

Casual Brunch

Weller’s Bistro

Sweet

Lake Biscuits & Limeade

Sweet Lake’s menu includes a lot of great ways to enjoy their namesake biscuits—as French toast, as sandwich bread, as dessert. But the finest expression of these mammoth, fromscratch (like everything else on the menu)

Best

Bagel The Bagel Project

Ever hear someone from New York or New Jersey say they can’t have a bagel outside of the East Coast? They’ll tell you water is the secret ingredient, and everywhere else just isn’t the same. But according to The Bagel Project, transplants of the Garden State themselves, that’s all phony—it’s all about fresh ingredients and attention to detail. To order like a true East Coaster, order a “caw-fee” and say “baconeggandcheese” as fast as you can. 779 S. 500 East, SLC, 801-906-0698, bagelproject.com

2. Rich’s Bagels

3. Feldman’s Deli

Want to feel transported to Europe? Thirty-five minutes north of Salt Lake City—blink—and you’re there! Specializing in German food, Weller’s never disappoints. Their brunch specials are typically amazing—from the Monte Cristo sandwich to a Mediterranean brunch tart to a fully stuffed breakfast strudel. The Bee Sting cake is extra special. And they know how to make the perfect eggs Benedict. Pair it with one of their outstanding wines or a flavorful bloody mary, and your brunch is complete. 197 N. Main St., Layton, 385-888-9531, wellersbistro.com

2. Eggs in the City

3. Piper Down Pub

Best

Weller’s Bistro in Layton serves up tempting brunch offerings.

When your freshly baked bread is among the best made in Utah and your multitude of cookies and cakes—even pizza pies—have already put you on the map, it’s hard to choose just one good item. But when you do, choose the giant, slathered with cream-cheese icing, made-from-scratch (and raisinfree for those who care) cinnamon roll. Just perfect. And as perfect: Ask about Village Baker’s cinnamon roll wreath for Christmas! Multiple locations, villagebakerfood.com

2. Sill’s Cafe

3. City Cakes & Cafe

Best Sliders Beehive Distilling

Not only is Beehive Distilling making some of the best gin in Utah, but their chic, casual bar is a great place to grab a beer or cocktail. Now, they’ve even cracked the code on the perfect bar bites to add to their already near-perfect space—jumbo sliders, at an affordable price. The three options include al pastor with grilled pineapple, carne asada with all the fixings and vegan Korean BBQ-glazed tofu. 2245 S. West Temple, SLC, 385-259-0252, beehivedistilling.com

2. Poplar Street Pub 3. Post Office Place

READERS’

PICKS

Best Cinnamon Rolls Village Baker

READERS’ PICKS

Best Fried Egg Rolls

La-Cai Noodle House

This restaurant opened in 1996, and foodies immediately raved about La-Cai’s pho. The slurping experience can be made even more delicious (if that’s possible) by ordering the crispy Vietnamese egg rolls as an appetizer or side. At La-Cai Noodle House, they have a secret way to cook them so that the dough is slightly bubbly when you take a bite, making them crispy and tender at the same time. They’re the perfect addition to any soup or salad offering. 961 S. State, SLC, 801-322-3590, lacainoodlehouse.com

Best Pretzel Bohemian Brewery

The servers at Bohemian Brewery have an amazing sales tool when it comes to the house pretzels—and that's the pretzel itself. When the giant piping hot pretzel goes out to a table, dangling in mid-air on a stand, every head in the room turns a bit, eyes opened wide, brains talking to bellies, saying something like: “Maybe we could split one at our table.” They’re delicious, Bohemian pretzels are. And with all due respect to the other food items and craft beer made here, the pretzels are the stars of this show. 94 E. Fort Union Blvd., Midvale, 801-566-5474, bohemianbrewery.com

2. Weller’s Bistro 3. Bewilder Brewing Co.

Best Momo Cafe Shambala

Tibetan Buddhism speaks of a kingdom called Shambala wherein the worthy traveler may find beauty and enlightenment. After you make the sojourn up the Avenues to the tables of Café Shambala and order their momos, you may just find a new world opens up to you. Steamed or fried and filled with beef or their signature vegetable stuffing, Shambala’s dumplings are a feast for the peripatetic palate. 382 E. Fourth Ave., SLC, 801-364-8558, cafe-shambala.business.site 2. Himalayan Kitchen 3. Kathmandu Grill

Best Poutine Ice Haus

The origins of the Canadian delicacy known as poutine are hotly debated. One restaurant owner, the late Jean-Paul Roy, insisted his restaurant, Le Roy Jucep, in Drummondville, Quebec, invented poutine—hot french fries dotted with fresh cheese curds and brown gravy—and it was the first to add it to their menu. There’s no argument in Utah, where this neighborhood bar in Murray carries on the tradition. Stop in for a bloody mary and weekend brunch or just supplement your dart game with a tasty snack of baconwrapped brat bites and hot poutine for a great hangover cure. 7 E. 4800 South, Murray, 801-266-2127, icehausbar.com 2. Diversion Social Eatery 3. Prohibition

Best Nachos Porcupine

Pub & Grille

Nachos, like pizza, are hard to screw up completely—but with a little extra effort, they can become a work of culinary art.

The venerable après-ski venue at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon serves up their tortilla chips with a mountain of tomato, olives, scallions, cilantro, guacamole, sour cream and jalapeño under a blanket of melted cheddar jack. Even if you pass on the optional black beans or chicken, this architectural marvel pushes the definition of “appetizer” to the limit. 3698 Fort Union Blvd., 801-942-5555, Cottonwood Heights, porcupinepub.com

2. Gracie’s 3. Lake Effect

DEREK CARLISLE

Village

Best Charcuterie Board Sicilia Mia

You get what you pay for with Sicilia Mia—top quality and authenticity. This dish is meant to be an experience, not just an appetizer. Aside from a gorgeous charcuterie board, the ambiance is something special and will have you wanting to savor every bite. The pride in their food shows and has you wanting to come back to try everything on the menu. Multiple locations, siciliamiautah.com

2. The Ruin

3. Bodega and the Rest

Best Tapas

Eva

The brilliance of the “small plates” concept is that you can try many different things in a single meal—but then you encounter a place like Eva where you can still end up with FOMO even if you sample half the menu. You can revel in the piggy delights of the “Oink Oink Oink” trio of pork belly, pork loin and bacon-wrapped garlic, but does that mean you skip the amazing tri-tip bruschetta? The sauteed Brussels sprouts with hazelnuts and cider vinegar are a revelation, but what about charred beets with goat cheese? Choices, choices—and not a one of them is a bad one. 317 S. Main, SLC, 801-359-8447, evaslc.com

2. Café Madrid

3. Mint Tapas and Sushi

Best Burger

Lucky 13 Bar & Grill

For the umpteenth year in a row, Lucky 13 hits it out of the park with Utah’s undisputed best burger in town. Their location across from Smith’s Ballpark make it the perfect pregame stop before a Salt Lake Bees game. Up for a food challenge? Polish off in one hour the Big Benny—a foot-tall burger built with 28-ounces of ground chuck, topped with house-smoked bacon, ham, cheddar, Swiss and caramelized onions—and they’ll pay you $200. 135 W. 1300 South, SLC, 801-487-4418, lucky13slc.com

2. Crown Burgers

3. Proper Burger Co.

Best French Fries

Lucky 13 Bar & Grill

Long dominant in the Best Burger category, Lucky 13 displays equivalent proficiency in its preparation of french fries, crafting the perfect complement to its signature entrees. Choose your intensity level with the Cajun and rosemary-garlic options, or stick to the classic, traditional recipe for a savory treat, fried to crisp perfection. 135 W. 1300 South, SLC, 801-487-4418, lucky13slc.com

2. Bruges Belgian Bistro

3. Crown Burgers

Best Meatloaf Ruth’s Diner

Served in thick, rich slices, Ruth’s signature meatloaf has a sumptuous, buttery tenderness that is enhanced when accompanied by mashed potatoes, gravy and veggies. If you crave meatloaf for lunch, it’s also available in burger form on a bun with provolone cheese and barbecue sauce. Ruth’s large courtyard patio offers a variety of seating choices and plenty of shade with a canopy of leafy trees. “People come here to find comfort,” says co-owner Tracy Nelson. 4160 Emigration Canyon Road, Emigration Canyon, 801-582-5807, ruthsdiner.com

2. Whiskey Street Cocktails & Dining

3. Franck’s Restaurant

There’s no law saying that a brewpub has to have a good brat on the menu, but that food item just seems to go hand-in-hand with a great, housemade craft beer. At Bewilder, there’s not just one brat, there’re three, with English, German and Italian variations, along with seasonal chorizo. Why select a single option when the house sausage platter’s an option? Maybe even get a little crazy and add some quail eggs to the mix for maximum barroom snackage?

445 S. 400 West, Salt Lake City, 385-528-3840, bewilerbrewing.com

2. Beer Bar

3. Ice Haus

Best Comfort Food The Bayou

Pull up a barstool, friend, or grab a table in the back. The crawfish is frying, the potatoes are mashing, the band is tuning up and whatever kind of beer you like, they’ve got it. That’s the implicit promise of The Bayou, the State Street staple just south of downtown where the hot food, cold beer and good vibes are guaranteed to fill your belly, feed your soul and get you through your worst days and best nights. 645 S. State, SLC, 801-961-8400, utahbayou.com 2. Moochie’s Meatballs & More

Best Cuban Sandwich Beltex Meats

One customer says they drive three hours to buy a Cubano at Beltex— it’s that good! Most people think Beltex is just a butcher shop, but carnivores are secretly spreading the word about the classic island sandwich served on a freshly baked crusty roll, home-style pickles, their own fermented meats and made-in-store condiments. You can opt for them to make the sandwich (until they run out of bread) or bring home any one of their great meat offerings for a charcuterie board later. 511 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-532-2641, beltexmeats.com

2. Even Stevens

3. Red Rock Brewery

READERS’ PICKS

Best Brats Bewilder Brewing Co.

Best Deli Sandwich Caputo’s Market & Deli

It’s not easy to make a splash with a seemingly simple dish. By virtue of its ubiquity—who hasn’t made a sandwich at some point?—many can honestly say that they make a pretty good sandwich, but only a few have a claim to true greatness. At the top of that vaulted class is Caputo’s Market & Deli, the stalwart pioneers of Pioneer Park (and 15th and 15th). From its namesake “Caputo”—a sensory ballet of fine meats, oil and vinegar—to its takes on classics like the muffuletta, meatball and hot pastrami, the simple sandwich has never been more sumptuous. Multiple locations, 801-531-8669, caputos.com 2. Feldman’s Deli 3. Grove Market & Deli

Best French Dip Sandwich Even Stevens

Although not served in the classic French dip-style and indeed known as the Pot Roast Dip on the Even Stevens' menu, this sandwich pleases no matter what. Perhaps it’s the bite of the jalapeno jelly or that the turkey pot roast is as juicy as it gets. One dip into the au jus, however, and you’re escorted to Avenue Victor Hugo on your first bite. Multiple locations, evenstevens.com

2. The Copper Onion 3. Piper Down Pub

COURTESY PHOTO

Bewilder Brewing's Italian sausage and brats are made fresh in house.

The Reuben is one of those items that any deli worth its salt needs to be able to hang its hat on, so it’s no surprise that Feldman’s Deli offers up a paradigm of the form. Whether your preference is traditional corned beef, pastrami or a combo of the two (or even turkey for those laying off on the beef), it combines with melty Swiss cheese, tangy sauerkraut and creamy thousand island dressing on grilled rye for a sandwich that’s comfort-food bliss from the first bite to the last. 2005 E. 2700 South, SLC, 801-906-0369, feldmansdeli.com

READERS’ PICKS

Best Reuben Sandwich Feldman’s Deli

Best Seafood Sandwich Freshies

Lobster Co.

Even in landlocked Utah, it’s possible to enjoy a delicious Maine lobster roll. Freshies Lobster Co. uses chunks of lobster lightly tossed in mayonnaise and served on a split-top bun. The lobster meat and accompanying bun are shipped fresh to Utah from the Maine shore. Lobster can be added to any menu item for $4.50 an ounce. Among the side choices are coleslaw, caprese salad and brown butter organic corn. 356 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-829-1032; 1915 Prospector Ave., Park City, 435-631-9861, freshieslobsterco.com 2. Colossal Lobster at HallPass

Best BLT

Lucky 13 Bar & Grill

Located just down the road from the ballpark featuring America’s game is this tavern and restaurant, with a menu that plays to an American palate. Burgers, salads, apps, wraps … all are represented on Lucky 13’s expansive food menu, along with classic barroom sandwiches like the house-smoked BLT. While the burgers here are no stranger to good press, this spot’s BLT is deserving of attention, as well. 135 W. 1300 South, SLC, 801-487-4418, lucky13slc.com 2.

Best Meatball Sandwich

Moochie’s Meatballs and More

Moochie’s famous sandwich originates from handmade meatballs bathed in flavorful housemade marinara sauce and layered under provolone cheese. The sandwich bun is freshly baked onsite. Fresh grilled mushrooms, roasted bell peppers, cheeses, lettuce, and tomato make great add-ons, along with jalapeno fry sauce. The seasoned french fries are a must, but don’t miss the sweet potato fries, onion rings, potato salad, mac ‘n’ cheese, and cheese curds. Multiple locations, moochiesmeatballs.com

Best Fried Chicken Sandwich

Pretty Bird Chicken

If there’s one way to get the millennials on board with your new concept, it’s best to make your signature dish Instagrammable. Pretty Bird accomplishes that to perfection with their chicken sandwich, served with eye-popping slaw and housemade sauce piled high on a buttered bun. They’ve been slinging so many chicken sandwiches that new stores have popped up in Sugar House, Park City and Midvale. Multiple locations, prettybirdchicken.com 2. Cluck Truck 3.

It’s right there in the name! Duly certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN), Sugar House’s Flatbread Neapolitan Pizzeria is Utah’s premier proprietor of authentic Neapolitan-style flatbread pizza. Built for folding or fork-and-knife dining, these crispy, delicate pies (gluten free and keto substitutions available) are expertly topped with fresh, exciting ingredients that jump off the bread and dazzle the tongue. The menu is attraction enough, but add in the breezy, garage-style patio that opens onto Monument Plaza, lit at night by Flatbread’s historic, spinning marquee—a holdover from its Granite Furniture past—and you get a dining experience second to none in Salt Lake City. 2121 S. McClelland, SLC, 801-467-2180, flatbreadpizza.com/salt-lake-city

2. Slackwater Pub & Pizzeria 3. Level Crossing Brewing Co.

READERS’ PICKS

Moochie’s Meatballs and More

For two decades, Moochie’s Meatballs and More has dominated the Philly cheesesteak scene in the Beehive State. There’s no wrong choice on their signature sub line, but Moochie’s Classic is what keeps patrons coming back time and again. Don’t forget to lather up your sub with their addicting Jumpin’ Jalapeno Sauce. Multiple locations, moochiesmeatballs.com

Best Banh Mi Sandwich

Oh Mai Sandwich Kitchen

A banh mi is a delicious blend of Vietnamese ingredients and spices stuffed in a French baguette. And it seems that no one in the state does it better than Oh Mai Sandwich Kitchen, which offers 12 varieties at every location. Starting from humble beginnings, Oh Mai has stretched its reach to seven locations across the Salt Lake Valley. There’s also gluten-, nut- and MSG-free options. Multiple locations, ohmaisandwichkitchen.com

Best Deep-Dish Pizza Bricks Corner

Talk about coming onto the pizza scene with a bang. Bricks Corner was the 2021 Best Pizza selection after just a year in the market. They’re known for their Detroit-style pizza, which is a thick layer of crust topped with layer upon layer of pizza toppings. We recommend the “Sausage King of Chicago,” which is lathered in red sauce and stacked with Italian sausage and pepperoni. 1465 S. 700 East, SLC, 801-953-0636, brickscornerslc.com

Best Margherita Pizza Settebello

Pizzeria Napoletana

Forget “deluxe,” “meat lovers” and any of the overly busy pizza flavors that opt for quantity over quality. True aficionados know that less is more, and none demonstrate this axiom better than the Margherita at Settebello. Among the oldest, traditional pizza styles, this pared-down combination of tomato, cheese, basil and oil is all you need when it’s done right and doing pizza right is exactly what Settebello does. 260 S. 200 West, SLC, 801-322-3556, settebello.net

2. Lucky Slice Pizza 3. Pizza Nono

Best Cheesesteak Sandwich

Best Dumpling/Gyoza Yoko Ramen SLC

Yoko’s gyoza comes with a crunch.

The gyoza at Yoko are not only the most perfectly delicious bite, but they’ve got a special something, too. The most memorable thing about them is the lace-like webbing of batter connecting each of the lovely, glistening dumplings on the plate. The lace provides a delicate crunch that embellishes the experience of eating them. 473 E. 300 South, SLC, 801-876-5267, yokoslc.com 2. David’s Kitchen 3. Little World

Best Gluten-Free Pizza Slackwater Pub & Pizzeria

Most gluten-free substitutions have all the taste and half the charm of a piece of cardboard, despite many eateries’ good-faith efforts at culinary inclusion. But at Slackwater, those on a wheat-free diet need not lower their expectations, as a great deal of care—and presumably a little dark magic?—go into producing a pie that everyone at the table will want a second slice of. Multiple locations, slackwaterpizzeria.com 2. Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana 3. Bricks Corner

Best Thai Curry Chanon Thai Café

It’s undeniable that Chanon Thai has some of the best Thai food in the city. And no matter what your favorite dish is, you can’t go wrong with their curries. Even if you’re stuck on red, yellow or green curry dishes, every now and then, check out their rich massaman, or their kaffir limestudded panang. You can thank us later. 278 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-532-1177, chanonthaislc.com 2. Sawadee Thai Restaurant 3. Chabaar Beyond Thai

Best Custom/Gourmet Pizza The Pie Pizzeria

Since its debut in 1980 in the basement of a pharmacy at the University of Utah, The Pie continues to fire up tasty Italian flatbread for the hungry masses all along the Wasatch. Still

providing a convivial campus “underground” atmosphere for their handmade pizzas, it remains a magnet for students, families, friends and dates to savor a specialty pie or build their own with any combination of meats, seafood, veggies and fruit. Multiple locations, thepie.com 2. Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana

Best Hot Pot Hero Hotpot

The true spectacle of a hotpot restaurant is alive and well at Hero Hotpot. If it can be boiled, grilled, sauteed or fried, you can bet you can find it during a visit to this Salt Lake Chinatown mainstay. On top of the delicious food, Hero Hotpot’s staff is great at showing newbies how to hotpot, so there’s really no excuse not to try this place. 3390 S. State, Ste. 33, SLC, 801-906-8573

Best Bibimbap Korea House

As one of Utah’s longest-operating Korean restaurants, Korea House has introduced scores of local diners to the wonders of bibimbap. It comes with your choice of protein—don’t overlook the stir-fried kimchi, however—and perfectly captures the flavorful magic of this traditional dish. Of course, no Korean meal is complete without the side dishes known as banchan , so come hungry. 145 E. 1300 South, Ste. 207, SLC, 801-487-3900, koreahousesaltlake.com

READERS’ PICKS

Best Dragon Roll Kyoto Japanese Restaurant

DISHES

Best Spider Roll Takashi

Spider rolls are some of the most popular on any sushi menu. It’s usually breaded or battered soft-shell crab, rolled with the chef’s choice of vegetables like cucumber, avocado, daikon sprouts and spicy mayonnaise. The name comes from the legs of the crab’s molted shell, which stick out from the sides of the roll, making it look like a spider. Chef-owner Takashi Gibo consistently presents a beautiful plate and terrifically precise, mouthwatering roll every time. But it's not surprising as he and his restaurant have been named the “best” for years! 18 W. Market St., SLC, 801-519-9595, takashisushi.com

2. Itto Sushi

3. Kyoto Japanese Restaurant

Best Pad Thai Tea Rose Diner

Best Bento Boxes Tsunami Restaurant & Sushi Bar

There’s nary a wrong choice to be made when ordering at one of Tsunami’s eateries, be it something from the wide-ranging a la carte sushi menu or selecting a house teriyaki burger. Tsunami’s bento boxes are a solid choice, and a nice play on the traditional style of Japanese bento boxes, with rice, proteins and vegetables offered in proper, tasty proportions. Multiple locations, tsunamiutah.com

2. Fat Fish

3. YellowFinn Sushi Bar & Grill

Best Hawaiian Barbecue Mo’ Bettahs Hawaiian Style Food

Best Katsu Kyoto Japanese Restaurant

Peggi Ince-Whiting—one of very few female sushi chefs in the industry—brings vast knowledge and experience (more than 30 years) and exquisite attention to detail. So, you know the katsu is going to be top notch—the perfect ratio of protein to breading made crispy without it drying out. 1080 E. 1300 South, SLC, 801-487-3525, kyotoslc.com

2. Itto Sushi

3. Mo’ Bettahs Hawaiian Style Food

Best Bulgogi Ombu Grill

Bulgogi, a type of Korean barbecue, can include a variety of meats, but they all share the commonality that the name bulgogi derives from—literally, fire meat. Most often however, it’s beef that's the centerpiece and, in these parts, the best beef bulgogi is found at Ombu Grill. Thinly sliced, marinated beef glistens in the juicy serving dish and just begs to be savored slowly. But who can do that?

Multiple locations, utahombugrill.com

2. Bumblebees BBQ & Grill

Accolades must be given to sushi chef Peggi Ince-Whiting. Trained by a sushi master in Tokyo, Ince-Whiting knows her sushi. Try the two dragon rolls on the menu—the original and the red dragon roll—as they are as different as rice and nori. 1080 E. 1300 South, SLC, 801-487-3525, kyotoslc.com

Best Dim Sum Red Maple Chinese Restaurant

Served any day of the week, not just the traditional weekend service, the dim sum offerings at Red Maple enhance Taylorsville’s ethnic food map creds. Enjoy tasty little servings of pork bun, shrimp dumpling, turnip cake, sticky rice plus many more nuggets, and don’t be afraid to try the beef tripe or chicken feet. Or abstain if you must—leaving more for us! 2882 W. 4700 South, Taylorsville, 801-747-2888, redmaplechinese.com

Best Chicken Satay Sawadee Thai Restaurant

Any meat eater who likes their protein on a stick would love this dish. It’s a traditional offering throughout Southeast Asia that can come in pork, beef, goat, tofu or chicken.

Sawadee (their name means “hello” in Thai) grills and chars the meat on a skewer, only after it’s been marinated with spices. Then it’s dipped in a tasty peanut sauce at your table. To quote one social-media post: “The chicken satay was the best I ever had—big juicy pieces of chicken in a not-sosweet peanut sauce.” 754 E. South Temple, SLC, 801-328-8424, sawadeethaiutah.com

2. Aroon Thai Kitchen 3. Chanon Thai Café

Located in an unassuming, but welcoming storefront location in Murray, Tea Rose Diner lives up to its website’s billing as the best Thai food in Utah. And there’s no way that it could claim such without an excellent pad thai, which is found here every day but Sunday. The ingredients are simple(ish): stir-fried thin rice noodles, egg, carrot, bean sprouts, green onion, cilantro, ground peanuts. But when combined by the talented kitchen staff at Tea Rose, the house pad thai becomes a sublime treat indeed. 65 E. Fifth Ave., Murray, 801-685-6111, bestthaifoodinutah.com

2. Sawadee Thai Restaurant

3. Skewered Thai

For the uninitiated, it’s been too easy for too long to think the only barbecue is that which comes from Texas. Or Memphis. Or South Carolina. Or Kansas. But … Hawaii? You Bettah believe it! It didn’t take long for the vision of Kimo and Kalani Mack, Mo’ Bettah founders, to cement itself as a Utah barbecue powerhouse, behind such flavorful ‘cue as kalua pig and pulehu chicken. Mo’ Bettah is love, family, life. Multiple locations, mobettahs.com

2. The Salty Pineapple

3. Moki’s Hawaiian Grill

Pho

Tay Ho

Pho Tay Ho's exceptional pho

Dear Friends:

22 years ago we opened Mazza with few resources and great dreams. We went through many ups and downs, the last of which was COVID-19 epidemic. Throughout all of those years, you have been steadfast supporters. You have been gracious when we have struggled and been encouraging when we needed it most. For that, we offer you our sincerest thanks. We are happy to see so many of you come in for a meal or a takeout at our original location. Each of you inspires us to seek excellence and we are always grateful. Thank you!

With Love, The Mazza Family www.mazzacafe.com

READERS’ PICKS

Best Brisket Pat’s Barbecue

Those in the know understand that smoked brisket requires patience and artistry, but the 12 hours of cooking time are worth it. The brisket at Pat’s boasts the telltale red “smoke ring” that tells you folks know what they’re doing, as the seasoned beef stays wonderfully moist beneath the snap of the seasoned crust. You can get it as part of a meal, but then again, you might not want to fill up stomach space with anything else. 155 W. Commonwealth Ave., South Salt Lake, 801-484-5963; 2929 S. State, South Salt Lake, 385-528-0548; patsbbq.com

2. R&R Barbeque

3. SugarHouse Barbeque Co.

Best Ribs Pat’s Barbecue

As perhaps nature’s most perfect meat, it’s almost impossible to completely screw up ribs, especially slathered in barbecue sauce. You know the ribs at Pat’s Barbecue are an apex example of the form because you don’t want any condiments getting in the way—just a perfectly dry-rubbed exterior with a bit of crunch, a bang of smokiness and a succulently juicy interior. When you’re finished, you can bet those bones will be bare. 155 W. Commonwealth Ave., South Salt Lake, 801-484-5963; 2929 S. State, South Salt Lake, 385-528-0548; patsbbq.com

2. R&R Barbeque

3. Salt City Barbecue

Best BBQ Pulled Pork

R& R Barbeque

Utah is blessed with fantastic barbecue around town—Pat’s, Kaiser’s and SugarHouse are all top notch and worthy of this award—but it’s R&R Barbeque that’s thrived lately. In the last decade, they’ve grown from their downtown hub to 11 locations spread across Utah and Idaho. You can even watch the #TankNote Utah Jazz with a R&R pulled pork sandwich in hand at their Vivint Arena location. Multiple locations, randrbbq.com 2. Bam Bam's BBQ

Best Indian Curry Himalayan Kitchen

Whatever your go-to Indian (or Nepalese) curry is, you will find it in its finest form at Himalayan Kitchen. Whether you’re reaching for the steaming copper bowl of classics like coconut curry, aloo mattar or chana masala, or naan heaped with nutty navratna korma or creamy malai kofta, Himalayan Kitchen will deliver the goods. The daily lunch specials also feature three curries. Get your spice on here. 360 S. State, SLC, 801-328-2077, himalayankitchen.com 2. Curry in a Hurry 3. Saffron Valley Indian Restaurants

Best Biryani Mumbai House

(formerly Bombay House)

What’s more comforting than a mound of warm, toasty rice? A mound of warm, toasty basmati rice rich with spices, aromatic herbs, ginger and garlic, one studded with the sweetness and surprising texture of golden raisins and cashews. At Salt Lake City’s Mumbai House, you can either go all veggies, or include lamb or chicken. 2731 E. Parleys Way, SLC, 801-581-0222, mumbaihousecuisine.com 2. Saffron Valley Indian Restaurants 3. Himalayan Kitchen

DEREK CARLISLE

Pat’s brisket is smoked for 12 hours.

Best Chicken Tikka Masala Saffron Valley

Regardless of whether you visit any of Saffron Valley's locations (Sugar House, South Jordan, Riverton and in the SLC Avenues), the chicken tikka masala s always a delicious experience. With a perfectly balanced range of flavor, this tikka masala is a prime example of Indian comfort food, and the consistency of deliciousness no matter where or when you order it speaks to an extreme level of talent. Saffron Valley has long had the market cornered on this dish. Multiple locations, saffronvalley.com 2. Himalayan Kitchen 3. Kathmandu Grill

Best Ravioli Caffé Molise

Decades of taste-bud damage wrought by mothers serving their families ravioli from a can— and way too many did (or do) —is quickly undone when one delves into a serving of the best ravioli in town at Caffe Molise. The ravioli ai funghi is egg pasta filled with wild mushroom and mozzarella, and it not only resets the taste buds but opens the door to Caffe Molise's more expansive and delicious pasta offerings. 404 S. West Temple, SLC, 801-364-8833, caffemolise.com

2. Michelangelo’s on Main

3. Valter’s Osteria

Best Gnocchi Per Noi Trattoria

Fluffy clouds of potato dumplings coated in the sauce of choice is the Per Noi Trattoria’s gnocchi experience. The question is which amazing sauce will you choose? The creamy Gorgonzola is about as decadent as a dish can get—but worth every calorie. But the pesto, Bolognese and tomato basil sauces (or a blending of them) also saturate the fresh housemade gnocchi quite nicely at this family-owned SLC restaurant. 3005 S. Highland Drive, SLC, 801-486-3333, pernoitrattoria.com

2. Caffé Molise

3. Veneto Ristorante Italiano

Best Eggplant Parmesan Per Noi Trattoria

When a restaurant is praised for a food item from its appetizer menu that every other restaurant serves as a main course, you know two things: 1. that the rest of the menu is awesome and 2. that the appetizer itself—eggplant Parmesan in this case—is even more awesome. Get your eggplant awesome on at Per Noi. 3005 S. Highland Drive, Millcreek, 801-486-3333, pernoitrattoria.com

2. Valter’s Osteria

3. Siragusa’s Taste of Italy

To the non-Italian, a calzone is just a folded and stuffed piece of pizza, a hand-held pie of sorts. To the Italian Village crowd, it’s a bender. Since 1968, this old school diner has been pleasing patrons with affordable fare reminiscent of childhood. There are 21 kinds of pizza (or pick your own toppings) or just the simple pizza bender—stuffed with ham, pepperoni, sausage and cheese (or any three-item combo) for $7.99. It takes up half a dinner plate and ordered with the simple iceberg dinner salad (lettuce, a carrot slice, two tomato slices and thick dressing), you’ll be ready for a nap. 5370 S. 900 East, Millcreek, 801-266-4182, italianvilliageslc.com 2. The Pie Pizzeria 3. Slackwater Pub & Pizzeria

READERS’ PICKS

Best Calzone Italian Village

Italian Village calzone

Best Steakhouse Prime Rib Maddox Ranch House

The legendary Maddox Ranch House is Utah’s original steakhouse. Their premium beef is handselected by skilled staff and aged in the Maddox meat locker. Prime rib is slow-roasted all day long and served in homemade au jus. Other popular entrees include shrimp steak and bison. Located in Perry (near Brigham City), Maddox’s small-town charm includes its pine-paneled décor and evergracious service. Each meal begins with a basket of to-die-for rolls, corn pones and raspberry butter. 1900 S. Highway 89, Perry, 435-723-8545, maddoxfinefood.com

2. Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

3. Ruby River Steakhouse

Best Lamb Chops Manoli’s

Chef Manoli Katsanevas and partner Katrina Cutrubis run with lamb riblets rather than the sometimes unpredictable and cumbersome full-size lamb chops at what is now regarded as one of Salt Lake’s very best restaurants. Wise choice, especially since the caper chimichurri that covers those riblets at this modern Greek eatery is ideally suited to meld with the soft lamb, making each bite a memorable gastronomic pleasure. 402 E. 900 South, Ste. 2, SLC, 801-532-3760, manolison9th.com

2. The Other Place

3. Mint Tapas and Sushi

Best Steakhouse Rib-eye Timbermine Steakhouse

A rib-eye cut comes from the best center portion of the rib portion of the cow. A great rib-eye has a great deal of marbling (fat in between the muscle fibers) to give it that taste. This family-friendly Ogden gem throws down sizzling hot flesh along with a green salad, fresh French bread and a choice of baked potato, steamed veggies, french fries or baby lima beans. It’s an old school menu that aims to please with not just juicy rib-eyes, but New York cuts, prime rib, filets and combo plates with options like lobster tail, shrimp or crab. 1701 Park Blvd., Ogden, 801-393-2155, Timbermine.com

2. Spencer’s for Steaks and Chops

3. Christopher’s Prime + Sonoma Wine Bar and Grill

Best Empanada

Arempa’s

Every culture has some kind of yummy fried dough with a filling of meat, cheese and/or veg. This Venezuelan restaurant offers gluten-free and vegan options of arepas—corn patties or pockets with divine fillings. You can build your own and have it grilled or fried and then pick from a dozen or more fresh ingredients. For those unfamiliar with the cuisine, an arepa is more like a taco with a thicker, soft shell. They also serve (the best!) empanadas—made from corn flour and fried instead of baked—as well as cachapas and appetizers like fried plantains and yuca. Multiple locations,arempas.com

2. Argentina’s Best Empanadas

3. Papito Moe’s

DISHES

Located next door to

Centre

Salt Lake City, this brasserie-style restaurant is owned

Ryan and Colleen Lowder. Their menu—featuring American fare with an extensive wine list—provides simple descriptions for items that will bowl you over in taste. Take carbonara, simply made with pasta, eggs, hard cheese, cured pork and black pepper. What’s different with the Lowder version? A bit of garlic, and love. The pasta is perfectly cooked al dente, the pancetta is just salty enough and the sauce pulls it all together with enough pepper to please the discerning foodie. 111 E. 300 South, SLC, 801-355-3282, thecopperonion.com 2.

3.

Best Quesadilla Cafe Rio

Mexican Grill

It’s hard to go wrong with a quesadilla, and Cafe Rio does it so, so right. The Mexican restaurant has been a favorite of Utahns since it opened back in ‘97 in the southern part of the state. Whether you choose the chicken, signature sweet pork or fire-grilled steak, you won’t be disappointed. Multiple locations, caferio.com

2. Taqueria 27

3. Tres Hombres Mexican Grill and Cantina

Best Molcajete Chile-Tepin

Of all the dishes Chile-Tepin could win a Best of Utah award for (and there are many), one must start with the dish that put this downtown Mexican eatery on the map—its molcajete. Picture melt-in-your-mouth carne asada, pollo asado and perfectly cooked shrimp simmered in zippy tomatillo sauce alongside nopales and slices of queso fresco. It’s plenty for two and even better when washed down with a couple Chile-Tepin margaritas. 307 W. 200 South, SLC, 801-883-9255, chile-tepin.com

2. Maria’s Mexican Grill

3. Mi Ranchito Grill

Best Tacos al Pastor Chunga’s

Despite operating out of two of the least business-friendly locations imaginable—on Redwood Road just north of 2100 South and adjacent to Interstate 80 in Poplar Grove— Chunga’s has established a strong reputation as SLC’s premier location for al pastor, a tangy, mouthwatering variety of spit-grilled pork marinated in pineapple and spices. Served with little embellishment on a crisp corn tortilla—with a hearty side of rice and beans that perfectly complements the citrus-forward pork—Chunga’s tacos al pastor let the meat do the talking, and it has plenty to say. Multiple locations, chungasslc.com

2. Santo Taco

3. Real Taqueria

READERS’

PICKS

Best Carbonara

The Copper Onion

Best Tacos

Fácil Taqueria

Fácil is the go-to for damned good gourmet-style tacos with unique locally sourced combinations. The almond and ancho chile salsa gives the local squash and poblano taco a nice kick, while the local mushroom taco with house queso fresco feels like a cheat meal. They also offer fun plays on Nashville hot chicken or smoked brisket tacos, as well as punched up classics, like their Baja style beer-battered fish tacos with refreshing lime crema. 4429 S. 2950 E., SLC, 801-878-9969, faciltaqueria.com

2. Roctaco

3. Lone Star Taqueria

the Broadway

Cinemas in downtown

by

Cucina Toscano

Michelangelo’s on Main

DEREK CARLISLE

Garlic (and love) make all the difference in Copper Onion’s carbonara.

Best Tamales

La Casa Del Tamal

Comfort food at its finest, with four savory and two dessert fillings to choose from. LCDT’s tamales are made from scratch daily, which is evident with the first bite into the light and airy corn dough. The friendly service at LCDT is also worthy of honorable mention, as they make you feel part of the family even on the busiest of lunch or dinner rushes. 2843 S. 5600 West, Ste. 140, West Valley City, 385-266-8729, lacasadeltamalutah.com

2. Red Iguana

3. Victor’s Restaurant

Best Mexican Bakery Rancho Markets

Most grocery store chains have an obligatory bakery, where often, the baked goods were created elsewhere. The beauty of Rancho Markets is that everything is made in-house, and there’s a huge variety of Mexican offerings such as churros, conchas in several colors, polvorones (Spanish shortbread), empanadas and tres leches cakes. If you haven’t ever shopped in a Mexican bakery, the protocol is to grab a sheet pan and tongs and fill up your plate to check out at the bakery. They also make fresh corn and flour tortillas daily, without preservatives. All Rancho Market locations have bakeries. Multiple locations, ranchomarkets.com

2. Yumz Vegan Bakery & Café

3. Panaderia Flores

Best Enchilada Red Iguana

The most famous restaurant in Utah, the Red Iguana is owned by Lucy Cardenas and her husband, Bill Coker. Lucy’s mom and dad, Maria and Ramon Cardenas, opened it in 1965, and since then, it’s built an international following. What’s the secret? Quality and variety! The menu

has seven different enchiladas daily, all made from scratch, some with moles—like carnitas enchiladas smothered in mole Amarillo or mango mole; sour-cream chicken versions with mole verde; weekly specials such as New Mexicanstyle flat enchiladas; and seafood enchiladas drenched in tomatillo sauce. They use the same family recipes that Maria and Ramon introduced to Utah when the family started with their first (now bygone) restaurant downtown, the Casa Grande. Multiple locations, rediguana.com

2. Blue Iguana

3. Chile-Tepin

Best Gyro Greek Souvlaki

Since 1972, Greek Souvlaki has been a mainstay among the local Greek drive-thru craze in Utah. Numerous local Greek chains feature the signature staple. But the gyro at Greek Souvlaki is just … classic. They’ve got the white sauce (yogurt, cucumber and garlic) and red sauce (marinated tomatoes and ground beef) down to a science, perfectly complementing the generous proportions of gyro meat and veggies on pita. Multiple locations, greeksouvlaki.com

2. Yanni’s Greek Express

3. Crown Burgers

Salsa Queen

Best Birria Tacos La Casa Del Tamal

Any lucky enough to have tasted the authentic eats of La Casa Del Tamal will not be at all surprised to see they snagged Best of Utah Readers’ Pick awards. LCDT’s consommé is the revelation that takes their birria tacos to the next level. Packed with flavor without being overly greasy, we often have to stop ourselves from drinking it straight from the bowl. 2843 S. 5600 West, West Valley City, Ste. 140, 385-2668729, lacasadeltamalutah.com 2.

Best Menudo La Puente Restaurant

Salt Lake

What’s not to love about a spicy tomato and chili pepper stew with tripe (cow stomach) serving as the centerpiece protein? Nothing, we say. Formerly served mostly on weekends

as a legendary hangover cure, menudo now appears on daily menus locally and even at the occasional area Mexican food drive-thrus. For the best in town, go to the place that’s been notably serving it the longest—La Puente. Que bueno! 3205 S. State, South Salt Lake, 801-2813272, facebook.com/lapuenteonstatestreet 2. La Casa Del Tamal

Best

Burrito Lone Star Taqueria

The winner of multiple food awards and chalking up a visit from Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives , Lone Star remains a stopping point for smart taste buds and empty stomachs. Fish tacos put Lone Star on the map (well, that, and their funky exterior), but not far behind have been their popular burritos. Fish, shrimp, steak or pork—you can’t choose wrong here. 2265 E. Fort Union Blvd., Cottonwood Heights, 801-944-2300, lstaq.com 2. Alberto’s

3. Red Iguana

While we give an address for Salsa Queen, please note that this is the place where the brand does business. Where it’s sold, well, that’s all over the region. If you’ve ever been to Harmons, Smith’s or Fresh Market, you’ve been to a place that sells Salsa Queen’s wares. Salsa Queen is already offering several flavor options and more will likely arrive as time passes. The business has grown from a farmers’ market staple to near omnipresence around the region. National media attention’s arrived, as well, suggesting that this Utah product will be a known entity throughout regions of America soon enough. 2550 Decker Lake Blvd., Ste. 12, West Valley City, salsaqueen.com

2. Laziz Kitchen

3. Beehive Cheese Co.

Hot tamales at La Casa Del Tamal

The gourmet, authentic, bold flavors of Salsa Queen

DISHES

READERS’ PICKS

Best Shawarma

Mazza Cafe

Years ago, after first trying Mazza’s shawarma, we dreamed about the savory lamb and beef dressed in tahini and turnip pickles for weeks afterwards. It is a sentiment that holds true to this day, and while our layman taste buds can’t quite capture the specific herb, there is something in Mazza’s spice blend that sets it apart. Crafting together so many complementary flavors into a single pita pocket is a true work of art. 1515 S. 1500 East, SLC, 801-484-9259, mazzacafe.com

2. Curry Fried Chicken

3. Beirut Cafe

Best Souvlaki Greek Souvlaki

Greek Souvlaki, also the Best of Utah 2022 winner for Best Gyro, brings home their second gold as Utah’s Best Souvlaki. Their souvlaki sticks are skewered with either grilled chicken or pork, grilled onions and zucchini with some lemon. Each souvlaki platter is served with crispy fries and pita bread. A pro tip is spreading tzatziki on the pita and folding it over a piece of meat and fries for a delicious bite. Multiple locations, greeksouvlaki.com

2. Crown Burgers

3. Yanni’s Greek Express

Best Falafel Mazza Cafe

While there are many tempting options on Mazza’s menu, especially on the vegetarian side of things, their falafel is hard to resist. Crisp and brown on the outside, the falafel is tender with herbs, chickpeas and fava on the inside. Order them wrapped in a pita for a filling meal, or on rice or a salad so the fried delights can really take the stage. 1515 S. 1500 East, SLC, 801-484-9259, mazzacafe.com

2. O’Falafel Middle Eastern Cuisine

3. Laziz Kitchen

Best Coleslaw Feldman’s

Deli

There are different philosophies about what makes for a great coleslaw, but Feldman’s offers up a version that feels so distinctive you could know it by sight, let alone by taste. The generous scoop that accompanies their signature sandwiches is a chunky blend of cabbage and carrot with an extra-creamy dressing, and a generous dose of black pepper that gives it a great zing, no matter which of Feldman’s other favorites you’re pairing it with. 2005 E. 2700 South, SLC, 801-906-0369, feldmansdeli.com

2. Pretty Bird Chicken

3. Pat’s Barbecue

Best Cobb Salad The Dodo Restaurant

This staple of the SLC dining scene—alive and kicking since 1981—brings a classic combination of flavors to life in the Chef’s Cobb salad, with mixed greens tossed with Gorgonzola buttermilk dressing, topped with smoked turkey, smoked ham, bacon, tomatoes, boiled eggs and Gorgonzola crumbles. This simple salad has given the world all kinds of variants—not all of them successful. The Dodo’s straightforward approach is a winner. Always has been, always will be. 1355 E. 2100 South, SLC, 801-486-2473, thedodorestaurant.com

2. Café Trio

3. Gracie’s

Best Shrimp Scampi Caffé Molise

Operating within what was once the home of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, Caffé Molise now serves Italian cuisine upon the premises with a stylish flair for the modern as well as the historic. Whether enjoyed indoors or out on their attractive patio, Molise’s shrimp scampi should be sought out and savored. Large, luscious shrimp encircle a generous portion of thick noodles in a juicy, tomato-based sauce. You will not leave hungry! 404 S. West Temple, SLC, 801-364-8833, caffemolise.com

2. Citris Grill

3. Timbermine Steakhouse

Best Oysters

Current

Fish & Oyster

Whether you prefer your oysters straight-up or grilled, Current is the ultimate destination to enjoy them. Sustainably sourced, each order of east and west coast offerings is mindfully shucked to avoid grit and sea-debris, giving us mountain-life folk the best of coastal living— minus the airfare. If raw seafood makes you a bit squeamish, the shishito rogue creamery blue cheese grilled oysters will set a craving that will keep you coming back. 279 E. 300 South, SLC, 801-326-3474, currentfishandoyster.com

2. Market Street Grill & Oyster Bar

3. Kimi’s Chop & Oyster House

Best Fish Platter El Meño’s

When the Paz family opened El Meño’s in 2005, their 1700 South location was a bit of a jaunt from the downtown dining scene. No longer, since more and more dynamite eateries are expanding farther south—bringing in traffic and new customers to this notable Mexican eatery. Here you’ll find multiple fish platter dishes from whole fish to fillet, from grilled to fried—all in the style. Best bet? The classic Mojarra a la Veracruzana (spicy tilapia). 73 W. 1700 South, SLC, 801-486-0873, elmenosslc.com

2. The Bayou

3. Fish Market Park City

Best Fish and Chips Summerhays Halibut N Chips

Summerhays’ fish and chips are known for their light, crispy batter with the perfect amount of breading. They’re also famous for being hot and delicious. The steak fries are also crisp, and the coleslaw dressing is the perfect mix of tart and sweet. Other popular choices include shrimp and lobster tacos, clam chowder, hush puppies and piccadilly chips. Murals depicting palm trees and beach settings add a coastal authenticity that complements the seafood fare. 4870 S. Highland Drive, SLC, 801-424-9000, summerhayshalibut.com

2. Codspeed at HallPass

3. Grid City Beer Works

READERS’ PICKS

Best

Poke

HANAya Poke

A close cousin to the better-known sushi and sashimi offerings, Hawaiian poke has been surging in Utah in recent years and for good reason. Flavorful dishes, bowls and “burritos” are filled with layers of fresh flavors, herbs, toppings and sauces that are added to a protein base, usually salmon or tuna. Much of the fun of a poke meal is the mixing and matching of sides and condiments to personalize your dish. 675 E. 2100 South, Ste. B, SLC, 385-528-0592, hanayapokeslc.com 2. Laid Back Poke Shack

Hawaiian poke is like sushi— but easier to eat.

READERS’ PICKS

Best Chili

Whiskey Street Cocktails & Dining

This bowl of deliciousness is on the menu year-round for good reason: It slaps! No matter the weather, a hearty bowl of the bourbon blackbean buffalo chili is a great way to add some spice to your life, rejuvenate your soul and just eat right. Pro tip: Chili has been known to be very effective in treating hangovers. 323 S. Main, SLC, 801-433-1371, whiskeystreet.com 2. The Park Café 3.

Best Seafood Cocktail

Tres Hombres

Mexican Grill and Cantina

Boasting one of Utah’s more colorful restaurant interiors, Tres Hombres has been dishing Mexican fare for so long now that most people have forgotten who the three hombres (Phil, Dan and Andy) were. We haven’t. And we remember so many of their simple but great items—like margarita and chips. It’s hardly a surprise, then, that City Weekly readers also love one of the very basics: the Tres Hombres seafood cocktail appetizer, a memorable blend of Gulf shrimp, avocado, cilantro and the perfect cocktail sauce. 3298 S. Highland Drive, Millcreek, 801-486-0054, treshombrescantina.com

2. Mariscos Ensenada

3. La Cocina de Mama Hila

Best French Onion Soup Desert Edge Pub & Brewery

Tempus fugit. Time flies, indeed. It’s been a half century since Desert Edge Pub & Brewery opened its doors in Trolley Square, pouring Coors for parched college students. They later added food to the equation—including classics that remain on the menu to this day, such as the French onion soup. It’s perfection in a bowl. While the airy-yet-intimate Desert Edge makes its home in a converted streetcar barn in the American West, take one sip of this soup, and you’ll be instantly transported to the banks of the Seine. As the French say: “Mmmmmm!” 273 Trolley Square, SLC, 801-521-8917, desertedgebrewery.com

2. Stella Grill

3. White Horse Spirits & Kitchen

Best Clam Chowder

Market Street Grill & Oyster Bar

For decades, Market Street Grill & Oyster Bar has been the premier spot for locals to shuck and shoot some oysters. It comes as little surprise that they’re also pretty good at filling a hot, steamy bowl of clam chowder, too. Pro tip?

Sprinkle in some pepper and a few dabs of Tabasco sauce, then mix it all together, then slurp it down with some fresh baked bread. Multiple locations, marketstreetgrill.com

2. Freshies Lobster Co.

3. Current Fish & Oyster

Best Pozole Santo Taco

This flavorful pozole hits your soul. For the uninitiated, pozole (or posole) is a traditional Mexican stew or soup that’s made with hominy, pork and chiles. If you are looking to try a very rich and authentic red pozole, this is the best place. Not that you will have any leftovers, but if you did, they’d be the best! We love that there is an extensive menu and that you can watch your food being made! There’s also an impressive salsa bar where you can dress up your soup. Multiple locations, 801-893-4000, santotacos.com

2. Red Iguana

3. Barrio

Best Vegan Date-Night Dish Zest’s Spicy Jackfruit Tacos

Spice up your love life with Zest’s habaneromarinated jackfruit tacos made with mushrooms, pineapple, jicama slaw and cilantro. You will not even miss the meat. Zest supports the Downtown Farmers Market and designs its menu around what’s in season. We don’t know how they are able to offer gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free and 85% organic dishes—all without losing any

flavor—but they somehow do it. Their Brussels sprouts with that addictive masala almond sauce is a must have! Plus, they create some of the most gorgeous and delicious cocktails in town, including healthier offerings like beet sangria and organic red wine. If that menu doesn’t sufficiently woo your date, then they’re probably not for you. Zest Kitchen & Bar, 275 S. 200 West, SLC, 801-4330589, zestslc.com

2. Vertical Diner

3. Monkeywrench

Best Specialty/Custom Cakes City Cakes

Bakery & Cafe

Whether you need a cake for a birthday, your wedding day, or for, well, anything, City Cakes can go elegant, playful or classic. Notable cakes have included one blooming with sweet succulents, a tribute to Where the Wild Things Are and even an Arches tribute. These handmade cakes can be made vegan, gluten-free, soy-free or a mix of all three! 1860 S. 300 West, SLC, 801-359-2239; 192 E. 12300 South, Ste. A, Draper, 801-572-5500, citycakescafe.com

2. Fillings & Emulsions

3. Mrs. Backer’s Pastry Shop

READERS’

PICKS

Best Vegan Burger Proper Burger Co.

This winner doesn’t have just one vegan burger on offer, but many. Most of their options can be veganized to a delicious extent with Daiya cheese, aioli and, of course, their crispy fried seedsn-grains patty. Dedicated options include the Indian-inspired Bollywood burger, the vegan chili cheeseburger and, the newbie on the menu, the Italian-ish da Vinci. 865 S. Main, SLC, 801-906-8604, properburgerslc.com

Whiskey Street’s bourbon black-bean buffalo chili

Proper’s vegan Da Vinci burger with roasted red peppers and Daiya cheddar

READERS’ PICKS

Best Decadent Dessert

Gourmandise

Of the countless downtown memories made by residents of and guests to Salt Lake City, a significant number surely included a stop at Gourmandise to sample the mouthwatering, expertly crafted dessert menu. One step through its doors and customers are helplessly lured in by the siren song of the Gourmandise dessert display: flaky pastries; creamy tarts and custards; irresistible cakes. You can’t go wrong—the challenge is stopping yourself from eating them all. Multiple locations, 801-328-3330, gourmandise.com

Best Cookies RubySnap

With 20 cookie varieties baked fresh daily, free samples and a cookie-of-the-month subscription service, RubySnap is pure cookie heaven. Among bestsellers are the “Mia,” a vanilla-bean sugar cookie with buttercream beet frosting, and a traditional chocolate chip cookie from a family recipe. There are also two “monthly special” cookies. RubySnap cookies are even available to buy as dough from the freezer section at Harmons, Whole Foods and Lee’s Marketplace and bake at home. 770 S. 300 West, SLC, 801-834-6111, rubysnap.com

2. Crumbl Cookies

3. Chip Cookies

Best Gelato

Dolcetti Gelato

Every week seems to bring new changes to the 9th & 9th neighborhood (seen the breaching whale yet?!), but at least one thing has stayed the same: The delicious gelato and just-right vibe of Dolcetti. Perfect for older neighbors with a sweet tooth or teenagers on a first date (and serving everyone in between on any given night), the veteran confectioners reliably soar above their competitors with a product and place that nails the sweetness of Salt Lake City. 902 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-485-3254, dolcettigelato.com

2. Sweetaly Gelato

3. Capo Gelateria

Best Macaron Fillings & Emulsions

Friendly atmosphere at all locations and fun flavor combinations makes Fillings & Emulsions tough to beat. The preserves and gelees hidden in the buttercream filling add a delicious surprise for first-time tasters of these colorful macarons. When stopping in for pastries, we highly recommend grabbing some take-home fare, like a jar of their hot roasted pepper jelly or lemon curd. Multiple locations, fillingsandemulsions.com 2. Gourmandise 3.

Best Ice Cream Normal Ice Cream

Soft-serve ice cream tends to play second fiddle to the more posh hand-scooped varieties, so be prepared for something of a paradigm shift at Normal, where bold, deep flavors elevate the ice cream cone to a whole new level. This ain’t your mama’s vanilla-chocolate swirl—this is a “composed” cone, where layer after layer of decadent toppings are added on top of rich, atypical base flavors like brownie batter, Thai tea, horchata, Butterfinger milk, and more, for a taste bud- and eye-popping dessert that borders on a fourth meal. 169 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-244-1991, normal.club

2. Leatherby’s Family Creamery

3. Monkeywrench

Best Locally Made Chocolate Bar Ritual Chocolate

Chocolate is a luxury and, in its best form, it comes from Ritual Chocolate. Made from organically grown and genetically diverse cacao sourced from farm cooperatives. Ritual brings New World sustainability awareness to Old World chocolate-making. Even unwrapping the magical, origami-like wrapping on a bar is its own little luxury. Factory & Café, 2175 W. 3000 South, Ste. 100, Heber, 435-657-6920; 1105 Iron Horse Drive, Park City, 435-200-8475, ritualchocolate.com

Best Churros San Diablo Artisan Churros

San Diablo Artisan Churros takes the churro game to a whole new level. In 2016, Scott Porter, an avid traveler to Mexico City, opened shop to bring a new twist on the heavenly cinnamon-stick treat, fresh-filling them with mouthwatering flavors. Along with their brick-and-mortar location, San Diablo offers take-home churro-making kits and catering. Plus, they ship about anywhere in the country. 231 W. 4500 South, Murray, 801-432-0880, sandiablochurros.com 2. Franco’s Churros & Crepes 3. Barrio

Best Cannoli Sapori Italian Bakery and Cafe

The offerings at Sapori look, smell and taste just like you’d find throughout Palermo or Siracusa. Until husband-and-wife team of Sicilian natives Luca and Azzurra opened shop in 2017, Utah simply never had an Italian eatery and bakery like this one. Ever heard of sfincione, sfogliatella or cartoccio? Right. You’ll find sweet and savory dishes, casserole favorites, pasta, pies and pizza, but be sure to save room for the cannoli. Unbeatable! 325 24th St., Ogden, 385-244-1695, saporibakery.com

2. Carlucci’s Bakery

3. Osteria Amore

Best Éclair Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage

For decades, Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage has crafted a pleasing array of pastries from cookies and layer cake to brownies and napoleons. Their éclairs deserve special mention, however, as these custard-filled puff pastries pack a pleasing punch in the flavor department. Adorned with a simple flower of frosting on top (or holly berries during the holidays), these little goodies finish particularly well. Multiple locations, schmidtspastry.net

2. Carol’s Pastry Shop

3. Les Madeleines

Just to be clear about this: The category is “Best Cupcakes,” not “Best Vegan Cupcakes.” There is absolutely no asterisk required when it comes to City Cakes’ amazing lineup of vegan and vegan/ gluten-free cupcakes, which are so moist and tender, and so packed with flavor, that there’s no need for qualifiers like “ … considering they’re vegan baked goods.” Try the chocolate, and you’ll never go back. It’s the kind of dessert you save room for. 1860 S. 300 West, SLC, 801-359-2239; 192 E. 12300 South, Ste. A, Draper, 801-572-5500; citycakescafe.com

2. Mrs. Backer’s Pastry Shop

3. Sweet Tooth Fairy

READERS’ PICKS

Best Cupcakes City Cakes Bakery & Café

READERS’ PICKS

Best Frozen Yogurt

Ugurt

When your late-night fro-yo craving hits, nothing tops Ugurt near the U of U campus. With a wide selection of Dole Whip flavors and toppings ranging from a DIY cereal bar to fruity boba, candy, stroopwafels, Biscoff cookies, nuts and fresh fruit, there are endless ways to spin your swirl. Dessert trends may come and go, but frozen yogurt at Ugurt is here to stay (and is the perfect encore after a slice at the legendary Pie Pizzeria). 1330 E. 200 South, SLC, 385-232-3752, frozenugurt.square.site

2. North Ogden Yogurt Co.

3. Top It Frozen Yogurt Plus

COURTESY PHOTO

Best Cheesecake The Dodo Restaurant

Desserts at the Dodo are the stuff of legend, and their cheesecake is no exception. For years, we’ve come to adore these enormous slabs of traditional cheesecake, whose flavors are known to embrace everything from peanut butter to banana cream. The Dodo has long been Utah’s answer to The Cheesecake Factory, so anytime you’re craving a dairy-centric dessert without having to sift through a menu full of advertisements, take a trip to the Dodo. 1355 E. 2100 South, SLC, 801-486-2473, thedodorestaurant.com

2. Gourmandise

3. Momo’s Gourmet Cheesecake

Best Bread Pudding The Grand America Hotel

The Grand America’s classic feel and relaxed elegance provides the proper vibe for a post-anything celebration. No meal at the hotel’s Laurel Brasserie & Bar (or Little America Coffee Shop across the street) is complete, though, without at least a split portion of Grand America’s flagship dessert, the bread pudding, made with croissants and topped with rum sauce. It’s more than plenty for a single diner and plenty enough for a pair. Count calories another time. 555 S. Main, SLC; 801-258-6000, grandamerica.com

2. Les Madeleines

3. The Bayou

Boba on your frozen yogurt? Yes, please.

Warmest Wishes for a Healthy and Happy Holiday Season!

FOOD • JAPANESE WHISKEY • COCKTAILS

LUNCH • DINNER • COCKTAILS

DISHES

Best Fried Cauliflower Dish HSL

While battered, fried and sauced-up cauliflower indeed first got popular in the vegan culinary world as an alternative to fried chicken dishes, it’s since been embraced by omnivore chefs. Many places now offer their takes, but HSL has the best one in the city—prepared General Tso’s style, complete with sriracha vinaigrette and tangy pickled fresnos, it’s a stunner. 418 E. 200 South, SLC, 801-539-9999, hslrestaurant.com

Best Hot Dog J.Dawgs

With a simple menu of Polish and beef “dawgs” and their accompanying condiments, J.Dawgs has carved its own special niche into the gastronomic field. Serving in-person diners as well as providing DIY kits for home consumption, they have quietly crafted a Utah original. Even those who may not consider themselves hot-dog hounds may just pine for their provender once they learn the dawgs are made with all-natural meat, the buns are baked fresh daily and the special sauce is a family recipe. Multiple locations, jdawgs.com

Best Buttered Buns

Rich’s Burgers-N-Grub

What makes a burger stand out from the rest? 100% angus beef? Crave-worthy combinations of toppings? Sides, like huge baskets of steak fries, sweet potato waffle fries and golden onion rings? We’re making an argument for the bun. Buttery and golden, toasty on one side and pillowy soft on the other—trust when we say that once you bite into a bun at Rich’s, no other burger can compare. 30 E. 300 South, SLC, 801-355-0667, richsburgersngrub.com

Best Taco Inspirations

Taqueria 27

Taqueria 27 isn’t your “authentic” Mexican restaurant, nor is it trying to be. T27 is globally inspired with specials that change daily, making each visit as unique as their menu. The mainstay on the taco board are the duck confit tacos, which are prepped with chipotle seasoned duck, roasted corn, squash and peppers. Multiple locations, taqueria27.com

Best Brownies

Brownies!

Brownies! Brownies!

Brownies! Brownies! Brownies! (or BrowniesX3) offers a rotating selection of brownies and blondies in flavors such as cookies and cream, salted caramel, peppermint, churro and Butterbeer. Made with high-quality European chocolate, farm-fresh eggs and real butter, they’re enhanced with toppings such as luscious caramel or chocolaty ganache, nuts, candies and sprinkles. There are also plain jane brownies without toppings. Corner and edge pieces, ice cream, hot chocolate and gluten-free options are also available. 1751 S. 1100 East, SLC, 801-738-5997, browniesx3.com

Best Tres Leches

Buono Bakery

This Sandy bakery occupies an unassuming spot in the Union Square shopping center, but Buono Bakery packs a considerable punch. Perhaps best known for cake decoration and catering events, Buono Bakery also happens to make a tres leches cake that will keep you coming back for more. Its cool, creamy texture just melts in your mouth. 662 E. Union Square, Sandy, 801-835-4023, @buonobakeryutah

Apollo covers all the fast-food bases with their wellknown array of burgers, sandwiches and salads, plus seasonal specialties like chile verde offered during the cooler months of the year. For on-the-go workers, the Apollo breakfasts are a welcome start to the day with wallet-friendly choices ranging from bowls to burritos and plates to platters, even steak and French toast. Hardly fast-food fare, but yes, it is. Your McMuffin-scarfing co-workers will wonder where all those authentic breakfast aromas are coming from. Multiple locations, apolloburgers.com

Best Tiramisu Conte de Fee

Like everything this Midvale bakery creates, the tiramisu is a fluffy-textured dream. All the familiar notes are there—espresso flavors meld with layers of sweet cream and cocoa powder— but you’d be hard-pressed to find something as luxurious to eat anywhere else. After a few bites, you’ll think you were snacking in a secluded café overlooking the Arno River. 7695 S. 700 East, Midvale, 801-987-8112, contedefeebakery.com

Best Kouign Amann Les Madeleines

Pastry Chef Romina Rasmussen is often credited with bringing the Breton duchess of dessert known as the kouign amann to Utah. Since its arrival, you can find it pretty much everywhere—not saying that’s a bad thing—but Rasmussen’s team at Les Madeleines remain the undisputed rulers of the kouign amann court. It’s an absolute pleasure to eat—all that buttery, crispy outside texture giving way to the soft, flaky interior. If you’ve never treated yourself to a kouign amann, Les Madeleines is the place to get started. 216 E. 500 South, SLC, 801-673-8340, lesmadeleines.com

Best Vegan Confections

Sweet Hazel & Co.

At local candyland Sweet Hazel & Co., miracles come true for vegans and even gluten-free folks missing their favorite sweet treats. Sweet Hazel veganizes peanut butter cups, “snix” (which can be bought in packs), Crunchies (a riff on Twix) and basics like vegan caramel and edible cookie dough. While most cookie dough shouldn’t be eaten raw, that’s not the case at Sweet Hazel! How sweet it is. 282 W. 7200 South, Midvale, 801-889-1466, sweethazelandco.com

CW STAFF PICKS

Best Breakfasts to Go

Apollo Burger

Best Boozy Desserts Sweet Vinyl Bakeshop

Over the last few years, Melissa Diaz’s Sweet Vinyl Bakeshop has been infusing local craft beer into her gourmet cupcakes. What was a simple delight for her and her friends has quickly exploded into brisk business with most craft breweries, cideries and distilleries offering Diaz’s cupcakes for sale. Look for flavors like lime margarita, monkeys dunkel and even “spent grain” dog treats made with your favorite spent beer grains! @sweetvinylbakesop

DEREK CARLISLE

Apollo Burger’s French toast breakfast platter

CW STAFF PICKS

Best ‘80s Throwback

Snowmobile

Pizza

Pizza has never really lost its cool, but pizza parlors have needed some reinvention as of late. Enter Snowmobile Pizza, a pop culturesavvy slice of 1980s nostalgia with gourmet pizza to boot. Whether you’re popping in for some pizza by the slice or hosting a gathering with one of their 18inch pies, this Central Ninth pizzeria is a totally rad mix of style and substance. 877 S. 200 West, C-103, SLC, 801-317-8877, snowmobilepizza.com

Best Restaurant Mantra

Lucky Slice’s ‘Pizza ‘til Death’

Lucky Slice is to Ogden as The Pie is to Salt Lake—both got their starts as holes-in-the-wall serving by the slice that since have grown into community staples. They keep things simple on the menu, offering classic New York style-pizza by the slice, but mix things up with appetizers as well as seasonal and specialty pies, too. Lucky Slice now has four locations in northern Utah, plus a roaming food truck that makes its way down south from time to time. They believe pizza is their life calling: Pizza ‘til death! Multiple locations, TheLuckySlice.com

Best Bacon Sammies

Ogden River Brewing

If everything tastes better with bacon, then double the bacon, and the meal is twice as tasty, right? Sure, you can dabble with baconinfused Jack Mormon funeral potatoes, add bacon to your cheeseburger or savor the Don’t Go Bacon My Heart burger. But for the big wheel, opt for ORB’s BLTXXL—with eight slices of bacon. Eight!! 358 Park Blvd., Ogden, 801-884-6939, odgenriverbrewing.com

Best Seafood Gumbo Neutral

Ground Lounge

Flavor for days is the first thought that comes to mind when recalling my first bite of Neutral Ground Lounge’s seafood gumbo. Considering it takes days to make, the sentiment feels appropriate. Packed with just the right amount of creole spice this seafood gumbo gets into the depths of your soul the way only NOLA food can. The lovely staff and posh décor are well suited accompaniments to the high level of the cuisine. 2110 W. North Temple, SLC, 801-953-0443, nglounge.com

Best Ramen Tonkotsu Ramen Bar

Ramen is not the first dish that comes to mind when you think of excess. That’s why the WTF Ramen at Tonkotsu is so special. It’s a Japanese take on a Hawaiian noodle soup called saimin , and it’s loaded with a trinity of Spam, sausage and bacon that gets topped with a fried egg. All of it's swimming in Tonkotsu’s signature pork broth, so you really get a full spectrum of porcine flavor. This is party ramen at its finest. 1898 W. 3500 South, Ste. 10, SLC, 385-202-5241, tonkotsuramenbar.com

Best Tandoori Grill Gurkhas

Though Gurkhas specializes in all things Indian and Nepali, its tandoori grill section is where the restaurant really shines. The mixed grill special arrives with a delectable sizzling fanfare that makes everyone stop what they are doing to watch as it hisses its way to the table. Its bright red hues come from the yogurt marinade and assortment of spices that douses each item, and it’s the best way to dive headfirst into the wonders of tandoori grilling. 3025 E. 3300 South, SLC, 801-755-3499, gurkhas.net

Best Grilled Meal

Catrachos’ Parrillada de Mariscos Y Mas

You’ll find most everything you’re craving in this mouthwatering grill: shrimp, prawns, crab legs, beef, chorizo, chicken, shrimp, onions, jalapenos, fried beans, rice, quesadilla, plantain slices and cheese. It feeds 4 or 6 people. Even after feasting on multiple platters of food, you’ll still be taking boxes of it home. Breakfast, lunch or dinner, check out the best (and most affordable) of Honduran and San Salvadorean fare at this friendly cafe. 3584 S. Redwood Road, West Valley City, 801-906-0911, catrachosrestaurantutah.com

Best Ant-idote to Dull Dining Cucina Wine Bar

Chef Joey Ferran has a knack for creating dishes that surprise and delight, so while you’re savoring his delicious fare, you may not notice the fire ant on your amuse bouche or the crostini on your salad that’s made from ground crickets (Don’t worry, they’ll let you know first!). But why not? Bugs provide a great source of protein, so eat up! 1026 E. Second Ave., SLC, 801-322-3055, cucinawinebar.com

Best Steak Chain That Locals Love Ruth’s Chris Steak House

Vegetarians better skip to the next paragraph, because this pick is for the carnivores out there. Ruth’s Chris delivers sizzling steaks fresh out the broiler at 500 degrees. Each cut is USDA Primecertified and served to perfection with butter and spices. They’re most known for the Cowboy Ribeye, a bone-in 22-ounce monster—it’s perfect for a couple to share. Ruth’s Chris is a la carte, so make sure you save room for delicious appetizers such as the sweet potato casserole. Multiple locations, ruthschris.com

Best Peacekeeper Spitz Mediterranean Street Food

For too long—it’s been mitigating lately—those who eat meat and those who choose a vegan life were not only at odds with each other, but often avoided any eatery occupied by the other. At Spitz, you get the best of all worlds from keto to gluten free to vegan. You may think meat is first at Spitz, but for the sake of world peace, don’t shy from the vegan menu. Multiple locations, spitz-restaurant.com

Snowmobile’s “rad za”

Best Chef Matt Crandall

Executive chef Matt Crandall continues to slay the culinary scene in Salt Lake City. With four successful Bourbon Group downtown restaurants on his resume, Crandall knows what it takes to please palates. Crandall joined Bourbon House in 2013 shortly after it opened. His next step was to launch Whiskey Street, followed by White Horse Spirits & Kitchen and, this summer, Franklin Ave. Cocktails & Kitchen. His attention to detail, eagerness to elevate each dish (have you tried the deviled eggs with duck cracklins?) and his commitment to quality make dining in his restaurants a sublime experience. bourbongroup.com

2. Ali Sabbah, Mazza Cafe

3. Viet Pham, Pretty Bird Chicken

Best Vegetarian Restaurant

All Chay

This small restaurant is just minutes from downtown or the airport and offers the wonderfully robust and fragrant flavors of Vietnam without the meat. You don’t really need meat in an eggroll to enjoy fresh veggies in a light, tasty fried tube, and spring rolls with “chicken” or bean curd are simply divine with their dipping sauce. Vegan shrimp will fool your pallet if you’re new to a meatless cuisine and the ginger tofu banh mi will having you coming back to try other Vietnamese sandwiches and stir fry. 1264 W. 500 North, SLC, 801-521-4789, slcmenu.com/2015/07/09/all-chay-menu

2. Zest Kitchen & Bar

3. Vessel Kitchen

Best Vietnamese Restaurant

All Chay

This Fairpark eatery is a culinary treasure, one serving vegan Vietnamese fare including pho, banh mi, bun, spring rolls and other classics. Surprise your dining companions who haven’t been before with an order of golden vegan shrimp or vegan chicken drumsticks and watch them smile and raise their eyebrows in awe. The vegan pho is especially good. How do they create such rich savory flavor, one that would fool most pho fanatics, without bone broth and meats? Known for their fair prices and big portions, All Chay's goal is to provide healthy Vietnamese cuisine for carnivores, vegans and vegetarians alike.

1264 W. 500 North, SLC, 801-521-4789, slcmenu.com/2015/07/09/all-chay-menu

2. La-Cai Noodle House

3. SOMI Vietnamese

Best Latin/ South American Restaurant Arempa’s

It’s only in recent decades that you could find a late-night place to eat that wasn’t some unhealthy fast-food chain restaurant. Thank goodness for Arempa’s! For night owls, the downtown SLC location offers fresh fare until long after midnight (til 3 a.m.!) on Fridays and Saturdays (Midvale stays open til 1 a.m.). Even better, vegans can get food options like Life Bowls with avocados, sliced arepas and stewed garbanzos, tropical salads and a tasty treat called a Donald Watson with seasoned lentils and vegan meat, plantains, rice and eggs. Multiple locations, arempas.com 2. Papito Moe’s 3. Sabor Latino

This may be new, but it’s fast becoming a Salt Lake City favorite. The vibe is happening, and the food holds up. We heard the table next to us say they’d been here three times in the past week! Must tries: the Utah Old Fashioned, housemade kimchi pickles, cauliflower steak with pistachio butter and their gorgeous over-the-top raspado sour-cream ice cream for dessert! We also love the gender-neutral bathrooms for added inclusivity! 231 S. Edison St., SLC, 385-831-7560, franklinaveslc.com 2. Facil Taqueria 3. Salt & Olive

RESTAURANTS

Best Coffee Drive-Thru Beans & Brews

Since opening in 1993, “Beans” has mastered high-altitude coffee roasting and curated a menu of drinks (including those seasonal favorites) that has even the most bougie of coffee drinkers slinging high marks. Whether you are a hot, iced or blended drink connoisseur, “Beans” is the place to enjoy your favorites or try something entirely new. With a team working on your order, it’s also the place to enjoy quick and efficient drivethru service, served up with a smile. Multiple locations, beansandbrew.com 2. Bjorn’s Brew 3. Caffe Expresso

Best Vegan Bakery City Cakes & Cafe

Vegan cuisine has taken off in recent years, and you can find vegan delights in numerous restaurants and shops. Even with all the new contenders, it’s hard to beat the OG in vegan baked goods. City Cakes has been veganizing cookies, cakes, donuts and more since 2010. Their gluten-free and vegan baked goods are made from scratch and have become so wellknown as a brand that they are appearing at grocery stores and restaurants around the valley. 1860 S. 300 West, SLC, 801-359-2239; 192 E. 12300 South, Ste. A, Draper, 801-572-5500, citycakescafe.com

Best Food Truck Cluck Truck

Brined for 24 hours, Cluck Truck’s chicken is also “breaded daily in a corn flake dredge with sesame seeds and a mix of secret spices.” From there, the namesake protein choice is mixed-and-matched into some awesome wraps, best enjoyed with a side of fries. Some daily specials will also appear on the truck’s menu. Though not stationed at one place too often, the Cluck Truck’s a regular at local, kitchenfree microbreweries throughout the city, as well as fests and food-truck meetups. The truck’s Instagram is the best way to find its daily location. 801-750-6508, clucktruckutah.com 2. Cupbop 3. Jamaica’s Kitchen

COURTESY

Best Local

Fast-Food Franchise

Crown Burgers

The first Crown Burgers restaurant was opened in 1978 by John and Rula Katzourakis and Nick Katsanevas, serving a simple menu of fast-casual items. The franchise has since blossomed to eight locations across the Wasatch Front, in large part due to the signature Crown Burger, a monster serving of a quarter-pound hamburger, hot pastrami, veggies and Thousand Island dressing. Multiple locations, crown-burgers.com

READERS’ PICKS

Best Restaurant in Utah County Communal

READERS’ PICKS

Best Seafood Restaurant Current Fish & Oyster

Communal not only has a decent selection of beers and an impressive menu, one that supports sustainable agriculture, local businesses and local artists. The menu changes with the seasons, and it’s challenging not to want to try everything on the menu. Popovers with apricot butter? Roasted root veggie hash? Steak chilaquiles? Yes, please! The chocolate mousse cup is something to write home about—the salt flakes are a nice touch. The portions are gigantic, so be prepared for leftovers. 102 N. University Ave., Provo, 801-3738000, communalrestaurant.com 2. Strap Tank Brewery 3. Chubby’s Cafe

Best Pizza in Utah County Fat Daddy’s

Pizzeria

The ambiance is charming with this locally owned pizzeria’s comic-book tabletops and arcade games. This New York-style pizza is a hit, and you can order one up to a 24-inches! Local favorites are the Tuscan Gentleman, Phat Daddy and Buffalo Bill. Glutenfree, vegetarian and vegan options also are offered. And for an epic dessert experience, order one of their shakes (but you may need three people to help you eat it). 223 W. Center St., Provo, 801-377-4992, fatdaddyspizzeria.com 2. Mozz Artisan Pizza

Best Pastry Shop Gourmandise

We would hope any bona fide Utahn has visited Gourmandise by now. It’s a staple of the city. The only problem here is the overwhelming choices— we’ll take one of everything, please! You really cannot go wrong with their almond pear tarts pastries and their flourless chocolate cake. Stopping in for a slice of cake or dessert is a fun way to end a night on the town or to celebrate something special. 250 S. 300 West, SLC, 801-328-3330, gourmandise.com 2. Fillings & Emulsions 3. Tulie Bakery

This place makes you forget we live in a desert here in Utah. With its modern, sleek ambiance and delectable menu of fresh seafood dishes to choose from, it’s no wonder that the locals keep coming back for more. Fish stew is on both the lunch and dinner menu, billowing with scallop, prawns, mussels and market fish of the day. East and West Coast oysters as well as West Coast Kumamotos are always on the menu in half-dozen doses. 279 E. 300 South, SLC 801-326-3474, currentfishandoyster.com 2. Market Street Grill 3. Takashi

Best Candymaker Hatch Family Chocolates

Making hand-dipped chocolates is a lost art, but Stephen Hatch has been mixing up magic since 2003 with recipes passed down from his grandmother, Hazel Hatch Kaiser, a chocolate “dipper” who lived in the 1800s. The shop is a go-to for Valentine’s Day gifts with fresh caramels in light and dark chocolate, the traditional “turtles” of pecans, caramel and chocolate and divine dipped apples. And yes, this shop is where the television show, The Little Chocolatiers , was filmed with Hatch and his ex-wife, Katie Masterson, dipping candy for the masses. 376 Eighth Ave., SLC, 801-532-4912, hatchfamilychocolates.com

2. Chocolate Covered Wagon 3. Kimmie’s Kandies

Best Old-School

Drive-In Hires Big H

Hires Big H was founded in 1959 by Don “Big H” Hale, and it became an instant classic with its sensational fresh-cut fries, housemade onion rings and frosted mugs for root beer floats. If you’re a Ute, you know Hires Big H—the 700 East location is a local hangout for University of Utah students and has been for generations. Hires has since expanded to Midvale and West Valley locations. Multiple locations, hiresbigh.com

DEREK CARLISLE

NIKI CHAN

READERS’ PICKS

Best Indian Lunch Buffet

Kathmandu Grill

When ordering at an Indian restaurant, it’s so hard to choose. Good thing that Kathmandu offers a delicious spread of Indian and Nepalese dishes you can fill your plate with. So you can get as many crispy appetizers, different curries and savory rice and fried noodles as you desire. No hard choices for you!

The lunch buffet is served Monday, Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (they’re closed on Wednesdays, and no buffet is offered on Sundays). 212 S. 700 East, Ste. D, SLC, 801-355-0454, kathmandugrillslc.com

2. Saffron Valley

3. Gurkhas Indian and Nepali Cuisine

Best Chinese Cantonese Cuisine

Hong Kong Tea House

What’s your definition of Cantonese cuisine? If you’re uncertain, Utah’s Hong Kong Tea House lets you experience all the fresh flavors, mild sauces and tasty comfort food, lovingly prepared by Cantonese cooks. Don’t miss the plates of dim sum served until 3 p.m. each day, with steamed dumplings, rolls, balls, buns and cakes—and yes, chicken claws and steamed beef tripe. Weekdays, you can choose from an affordable lunch menu featuring stir-fried entrees and noodle dishes. The dinner menu includes 100 appetizers, soups, chef’s specials and much more. You’ll soon discover you’ve been eating Cantonese all along, just not enough of it! 565 W. 200 South, SLC, 801-531-7010, HongKongTeaHouse.com

2. Mom’s Kitchen 3. Dragon Diner

Best French Restaurant La Caille

French food lovers have to travel the distance in Utah, but when they do, their tastebuds are rewarded at the beautiful La Caille restaurant at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon. Diners will find the classic croque monsieur for Sunday brunch, escargots à la Bourguignonne as a dinner appetizer and a plethora of seasonal farm-to-table items, all of which are only made better with La Caille’s pleasing wine offerings. It remains one of the best places to impress outof-town guests, dates and business clients. 9565 Wasatch Blvd., Sandy, 801-942-1751, lacaille.com

2. Eva’s Bakery

3. Franck’s Restaurant

Best

Restaurant Atmosphere

Log Haven Restaurant

With magnificent mountain views, the atmosphere at Log Haven gives you all the feels as you dine in, or out, in this historic log mansion. Take in the splendor of all the seasons from this mountainside restaurant where you can host your dream wedding or get extra points on your next romantic night out as it will woo the hardest-to-please guest. 6451 Mill Creek Canyon Road, SLC, 801-272-8255, log-haven.com 2. Manoli’s 3. Takashi

READERS’ PICKS

Best Greek Restaurant Manoli’s

Great for sharing plates or hoarding all to yourself, Manoli’s cuisine never disappoints. Year-round staples like the yemista (stuffed piquillo peppers and tomatoes), garides (Greek coffee barbecue-soaked shrimp), and keftedes (cinnamon tomato sauce meatballs) keep us coming back. While the seasonal dishes and cocktails keep locals on their toes. Manoli’s is the epitome of a great gathering atmosphere, with phenomenal food, friendly and attentive service, minus any pretension. 402 E. 900 South, No.2, SLC, 801-532-3760, manolison9th.com

2. The Other Place Restaurant 3. Greek Souvlaki

Best Steakhouse Maddox Ranch House

Up north near the top of the Wasatch Mountain Range, the small town of Perry is home to one of Utah’s oldest and best restaurants. Here, curated selections of the choicest beef— and bison!—are aged and cut on site, cooked to perfection and paired with a menu that includes impeccable chicken and seafood dishes, house-brewed root sodas and some of the best bread and butter that money can buy. 1900 S. Highway 89, Perry, 435-723-8545, maddoxfinefood.com

Best Middle Eastern Restaurant Mazza Cafe

Given the loyal following Mazza has built over its two decades of serving Middle Eastern cuisine in SLC, it’s no surprise to see them back as a Best of Utah readers’ pick. While the food stands on its own, owner Ali Sabbah is the reason for Mazza’s magic. A SLC treasure, Sabbah’s greetings and inquiries into the life happenings of customers makes Mazza a great spot for dining and a sense of community. 1515 S. 1500 East, SLC, 801-484-9259, mazzacafe.com

Indian Restaurant Mumbai House

Established in 1993, Bombay House was the gathering spot in Provo, Salt Lake City, and later West Jordan for Indian dining. The locations recently split: Bombay House remains in Provo while the Salt Lake location is now known as Mumbai House. The menu remains the same, so you won’t miss any of your favorite Bombay dishes. Patrons love the authentic tandoori oven-roasted naan; the sumptuous curries; arrays of masalas and kormas, all cooked to perfection. Plus, there’s a pleasing wine and beer list as well as those refreshing mango and strawberry lassis. Too long of a line to dinein? The restaurant has take-out service down to a science. 2731 E. Parleys Way, SLC, 801-581-0222, mumbaihousecuisine.com 2.

DEREK CARLISLE

JOHN TAYLOR

Manoli’s stuffed piquillo peppers

Best

Best Coffee Shop Old Cuss Cafe

With roots as a hand-crafted “mobile coffee camper,” Old Cuss Coffee is now rooted in place, in a location that offers a little of everything. You can buy a second-hand Western shirt, while eating vegan food and listening to top-flight, local acoustic music. Or you can forgo all the extras, preferring to spend an hour on the patio with a book and a stiff cup of coffee (via Marcel Coffee Roasters). At this community-minded cafe, that choice is yours. 2285 S. Main, South Salt Lake, oldcuss.com

2. Tres Gatos Coffee

3. Sugar House Coffee

Best Korean Barbecue Ombu Grill

With the opening of their first location in 2017 in Salt Lake City, it didn’t take long for Ombu to ride the popularity crest of Korean food into two more locations in Midvale and Orem. At Ombu, you’ll find the ever-popular “grill all you can mix and match”—with over 50 items, including prime beef brisket, pork belly, shrimp, mackerel, soups and vegetables. Try the takoyaki or kimchi rice for a new twist. Multiple locations, utahombugrill.com

2. Kou BBQ of Utah

3. Yummy’s Korean BBQ

Best Breakfast

Penny Ann’s Café

What kind of meal do you enjoy for your breakfast? Biscuits and gravy? Waffles or omelets? Burritos, parfait or old-fashioned oats? Whatever your preference, Penny Ann’s has got you covered. Generous helpings of eggs and home-fried potatoes all are quite filling, but make sure you save some room for their signature item, the Heavenly Hot Cake. These sour cream pancakes are available as a side with most dishes and should not be missed. Multiple locations, pennyannscafe.com

2. Roots Cafe

3. Eggs in the City

Best Place for Late-Night Grub Pie Hole

The line be damned, nothing beats a hot, thin, dripping slice of pizza in the noisy din of Pie Hole at two in the morning after a night out at the good, the bad and the ugly bars of downtown SLC on the weekend. That slice, or two, or three, will remedy all the ill you may have done your body and prepare you for the journey home. 344 S. State, SLC, 801-359-4653, pieholeutah.com

2. Beto’s Mexican Food

3. Arempa’s

RESTAURANTS READERS’ PICKS

Ah, the restorative properties of the mouth-numbing Szechuan peppercorn. When you pop them in a soup, throw in some braised beef, a mess of homemade noodles and more chili spices the way they do at One More Noodle House, you’ve got yourself a winner. Between their staggering variety of soups and their welcoming atmosphere, this place is always a pleasure. 3 370 S. State, Ste. N5, South Salt Lake, 801-906-8992, onemorenoodlehouse.com

2. Chinese Taste 3. Szechuan Garden

Best Salt Lake Pizza Pie Pizzeria

The Pie takes no shortcuts in preparing the best pizza in town: their pizza dough is made from scratch, doubleproofed for 24 hours, then hand-rolled and tossed, and the ingredients are never frozen. The famous graffitiladen brick walls are a travel log of the history of patrons who have been getting their gooey-pizza fix for over 40 years. They have a plethora of interesting specialty pies, such as the bacon-berry, stromboli and holy shiitake pizzas. Multiple locations, thepie.com 2. Bricks Corner 3. Slackwater Pub & Pizzeria SLC

Best Barbecue

R&R Barbeque

Ever since entering the Utah barbecue scene in 2013, and now grown to 11 locations, R&R has cemented itself as a local force. Winners of too many awards to count, R&R began as an outgrowth of a backyard and barbecue competition hobby. Good food begat demand which begat a tremendous customer base. Brisket, pulled pork, ribs, chicken, sausage— you get them all slow-smoked to perfection at R&R. Multiple locations, randrbbq.com

2. Pat’s Barbecue

Barbeque Co.

Best Mexican Restaurant Red Iguana

The perennial Best of Utah winner in this category, Red Iguana’s reputation as the premiere Mexican restaurant in the state holds true again in 2022. The many moles and enchiladas have been featured plentifully on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives , being one of Guy Fieri’s favorite stops in Utah. For a first-timer, the mole poblano is a nice introduction to the sauce-y national dish of Mexico. Multiple locations, rediguana.com 2. Chile-Tepin 3. La Casa Del Tamal

COURTESY

Bowls of spicy broth and noodles at One More Noodle House

Best Soul Food Sauce Boss Southern Kitchen

RESTAURANTS

from any sea, the chef’s specialty is tiger prawns garlic noodle. Whether you crave mild or intense spices, options abound for everyone’s palate. Sawadee serves up all that Thai cuisine in a beautiful setting at what one diner calls “friendishly low prices.” 754 E. South Temple, SLC, 801-328-8424, sawadeethaiutah.com 2. Chanon Thai Café 3. Skewered Thai

Best American Diner Ruth’s Diner

As they say, “tastes so good, makes you wanna slap yo’ mama,” and it sums up the food coming out of the kitchen at Sauce Boss Southern Kitchen. Even if your mama can cook, to earn the title of “sauce boss,” you must know how to make outstanding soul food, and Chef Julius has it dialed. Serving recipes passed down by his grandmother, Chef Julius enjoys making people happy through food. Try the catfish or the shrimp and grits, and enjoy the authenticity of real soul food. 877 E. 12300 South, Ste. 203, Draper, 385-434-2433, saucebosssouthernkitchen.com

2. Queen of SLC

3. The Bayou

Best Restaurant in Park City Riverhorse on Main

As the first restaurant in Utah to receive the DiRoNA award, Riverhorse on Main continues to impress both patrons and critics alike. With a rotating seasonal menu, guests can partake in a new menu offering or enjoy a fan-favorite, the Trio of Wild Game, which has found a permanent spot on the menu. The sleek, stunning ambiance and live music on weekends make it a great dining spot for any occasion. 540 Main St., Park City, 435-649-3536, riverhorseparkcity.com 2. Hearth and Hill 3. Chop Shop

Best Brazilian Restaurant Rodizio Grill

Rodizio Grill offers traditional, savory Brazilian dishes and flavors. The rotisserie-grilled meats, glazed pineapple, salad bar and sides are all unlimited—each patron has a knob where they can switch green or red for on and off, so the servers stop to offer you a fresh skewer of meat from the grill. Make sure you have it on “green” when the picanha, their signature sirloin, is passing by. They’ll slice you off a juicy piece from their sword. Multiple locations, rodiziogrill.com 2. Braza Grill 3. Tucanos Brazilian Grill

Best Vegan-Friendly Food Truck Sade’s Burritos

While vegan options are ever more present at many of the city’s roving food trucks, it’s rare to see one that’s devoted to such offerings. At Sade’s Burritos, the little truck window offers classics like breakfast burritos stuffed with tofu, veggies, salsa and chickpea sausage, plus hash bowls, loaded everything bagels and English muffin sandwiches. facebook.com/sadesburritos

Best Thai Restaurant Sawadee Thai Restaurant

There was a time a few decades back when Utah didn’t have a single Thai restaurant. Now, foodies around the state rejoice at the options, and the best one this year is Sawadee. It is beloved, since 2007, not just for the quality but the consistency and the convenient location. Although we live in a high desert far

Best

Rural

Tavern Shooting Star Saloon

Shooting Star Saloon is one of the best kept secrets in Utah. It’s the oldest continuously operating saloon west of the Mississippi River, established in 1879. Located in Huntsville, it’s the perfect reprieve from a day of recreating at Pineview Reservoir. Make sure you order the famous Star Burger, made with two ground beef patties, two slices of cheese and a grilled knockwurst sausage in between. 7350 E. 200 South, Huntsville, 801-745-2002, shooting-star-saloon.business.site 2. Ray’s Tavern

Best Italian Restaurant Sicilia Mia

Owner Giuseppe Mirenda’s family came directly from their native Sicily to Utah before opening Sicilia Mia restaurant. Mirenda explains that Sicilian cooking often incorporates more flavoring and spices than traditional Italian fare. For example, Sicilia Mia’s trademark carbonara is served in a large Parmesan wheel and finished table-side. “We light the cheese on fire, mixing the pasta and the melted cheese, “ says Mirenda. Carbonara’s rich taste is a showstopper equal to its elegant presentation. 4536 Highland Drive, Holladay, 801-274-0223, siciliamiautah.com 2. Caffé Molise 3. Valter’s Osteria

German delicatessens are a rare find in Salt Lake, which is why Siegfried’s has such a loyal following. The eatery cuts no corners producing high-quality meals. The chefs create everything fresh, and it shows in their delicious bratwurst, Wiener schnitzel and other German delights. Want to try your hand making an authentic home-cooked German meal? You can shop for imported German treats and food products here, too. 20 W. 200 South, SLC, 385-355-1912, siegfriedsdelicatessen.com

2. Bohemian Brewery

3. Weller’s Bistro

The word “diner” evokes something spare and purely functional—seats, forks and food. For more than 90 years, Ruth’s Diner in Emigration Canyon has taken the tradition of comfort food like meatloaf and chicken fried steak and given it a little extra love. And it doesn’t hurt if you’re enjoying it on the wonderful Ruth’s outdoor patio, where a cool canyon breeze and occasional live music elevate the art of the diner to delicious, delightful heights. 4160 Emigration Canyon Road, Emigration Canyon, 801-582-5807, ruthsdiner.com

2. Hub and Spoke Diner

3. Left Fork Grill

Best Old-Timey Cafe Sill’s Cafe

It’s a dang shame that many of our traditional cafes and diners are long gone. Not to worry, though, as one of the grandest remains: family-owned Sill’s Café in Layton. Want your heaping breakfast, piping hot cup of coffee and Utah’s best honey-butter scone served with a side of memory-lane enticements like “What can I get you, hon”? Look no further. Quality and friendly service never get old. 335 E. Gentile Lane, Layton, 801-544-7438, facebook.com/sillscafe

2. Left Fork Grill

3. The Other Place

The Sauce Boss Sticky Chicky Po’boy

Best Sushi Restaurant Takashi

RESTAURANTS

Best Restaurant Patio The Cliff Dining Pub

Sometimes all you need is to sit around The Cliff Dining Pub’s fire rings on its patio overlooking the west side of the valley while sipping a beverage. Relax and take it all in. Occasionally, you’ll hear live entertainment. Add great atmosphere, an extensive drink menu and an overall yummy menu, and you have yourself a perfect gastropub staple at the south end of the Salt Lake Valley.

really need to dine here at sunset—the view

spectacular—and the creme brulee is a must.

Draper Gate Drive, Draper, 801-523-2053,

Best Restaurant in Downtown SLC

The Copper Onion

The Copper Onion is not only surviving but thriving after a decade or more in the biz. Whether you’re dining solo, with friends, or out for a cute date night, this is a favorite spot among locals. This is a shining gem in Salt Lake City, and you really cannot go wrong with anything on this menu, especially the Wagyu stroganoff, which is beyond dreamy. The cocktail menu is inspired, and we love their Old Fashioned. The bartenders are true geniuses. 111 E. 300 South, SLC, 801-355-3282, thecopperonion.com

Best Ogden Restaurant Tona Sushi Bar and Grill

Tona Sushi—named after the owners Tina and Tony— serves some of the best sushi in the state, bar none. Tona Sushi prides itself on using seasonal ingredients, sustainable fishing practices and creativity in presentation and style. The uniqueness of its dishes is well exemplified with the “bacon bubble gum” which is served with Tokyo mochi rice cake, pork belly, grapefruit and sweet soy sauce. 210 25th St., Ogden, 801-622-8662, tonarestaurant.com

2. Table Twenty Five 3. Roosters Brewing Co. & Restaurant

Best Fine Dining Valter’s Osteria

Italian born Valter Nassi stunned Utah diners with his authentic Tuscan-Italian cuisine when he opened his restaurant in 2012. He liked to call it “a modern twist on a Tuscan granary” and brought to Utahns his mother’s recipes that he refined over the years. Those lucky enough to discover his menu offerings raved over every bite, but the real treasure was interacting with Nassi himself. His larger-than-life personality made you feel like you’re a favorite customer the moment you walked in the door. Sadly, Nassi passed in September at age 76. High-end dining is still available in Utah, but no one can replace Nassi, his menu and his overall vibe. He’ll be dearly missed. 173 W. 300 South, SLC, 801-521-4563, valtersosteria.com

2. Table X

3. Log Haven Restaurant

You might as well etch this award in stone, because year after year, Best Sushi Restaurant will go to Takashi if Takashi-san is behind the counter. His meticulous attention to detail, preparation and innovation make this restaurant one of the finest in the state, let alone a single category. A must-try on the menu is the Pounamu Roll, made with New Zealand salmon and a delicious kiwi-yuzu-mango sauce. 18 W. Market St., SLC, 801-519-9595, takashisushi.com

2. Sapa Sushi Bar and Asian Grill

3. Tona Sushi Bar and Grill

Best Ogden Pizza Slackwater Pub & Pizzeria

It was a close race, but Slackwater grabbed first place this year in a hotly contested category. Slackwater serves up artisan pizzas and craft beers—offering a great place for intimate dinners as well as well as larger gatherings at which to watch a game and have a bite. They also have locations in downtown Salt Lake and Sandy. 209 24th St., Ogden, 801-399-0637, slackwaterpizzeria.com

2. The Lucky Slice

3. Ogden Pizzeria

Best Farm-to-Table Restaurant Table X

Named recent regional semifinalists for the James Beard Best Chef award, Table X chefs Mike Blocher and Nick Fahs make each visit to their Millcreek eatery oh-so-memorable, where gardenfresh ingredients, much of it grown onsite, are celebrated. The single-tasting dinners (subject to change based on seasonality of produce) are worth the deposit, the price, the wait. Reserve a garden table and enjoy the view of the French potager garden with 13 raised beds. Then, next time, sit at the chef’s table—both settings are magical. Nothing we say here will do this restaurant justice. Have the seven-course meal! 1457 E. 3350 South, Millcreek, 385-528-3712, tablexrestaurant.com

2. SLC Eatery

3. Arlo Restaurant

Best Japanese Restaurant Takashi

Service, ambiance and out-of-this-world Japanese cuisine: Takashi has it dialed in. Utah’s most famous Japanese restaurant has been compared to Nobu in Las Vegas. Chef Gibo continues to please fans who stand in line to get a table. He will create dishes for you off the menu if you give him a price range for the ingredients which he will then turn into heaven in your mouth. Reservations are not accepted—it’s that good. 18 W. Market St., SLC, 801-519-9595, takashisushi.com

2. Sapa Sushi Bar and Asian Grill

3. Kyoto Japanese Restaurant

Best Chinese Restaurant

Takashi serves up unrivaled sushi and sashimi.

on vegan cuisine,

stepped up their vegan game. Vertical Diner’s a true believer’s haven, with a host of possibilities, from full entrees to sharable plates. The “wings,” in particular, are a hit with patrons both here in SLC and in the diner’s sister location in Portland. Friendly service rounds out the experience at this SLC vegan flagship, which has been hanging tough during nearby road construction. Fans don’t mind stepping across a few rocks for vegan food this solid. 234 W. 900 South, SLC, 801-484-8378, verticaldiner.com

Best Health-Conscious Cuisine Vessel Kitchen

Who knew it was possible to create an elevated dining experience through the fast-casual model? The founders of Vessel Kitchen did, and they do it well. Serving up scratch-made, seasonal and healthy food options for those on about any diet plan, the restaurant offers a wide variety served in the fastcasual model. Pick your protein and a tasty side or enjoy a perfectly composed bowl with all the goods. Various locations, vesselkitchen.com 2.

Best Bread Bakery Vosen’s

Bread Paradise

Billed as a European bread paradise, Vosen’s is an authentic German bakery founded in 1997 by Markus Vosen and his wife, Silvia. The bread and dessert recipes were brought from Germany or developed by Markus using techniques that German master bakers have used for centuries. He also shipped the machines and equipment from Germany that were used to produce their breads sold at the Downtown Farmers Market and at their store across from Gateway. None of the products have artificial flavors, colors or preservatives or have added sugars or fats. In 2004, the Vosens sold their business to David and Michelle Porter, who have expanded the operation. 328 W. 200 South, SLC, 801-322-2424, vosen.com 2. Stoneground Bakery

Best Restaurant Beyond Downtown SLC Weller’s Bistro

The namesake of German owner and chef Jan Weller, Weller’s Bistro is arguably the best restaurant in the state to enjoy authentic German cuisine like hühnerfrikassee, beef rouladen and schnitzel alongside not-so authentic fare like a Reuben modernized with jalapeno sauerkraut. Whatever you choose, your tastebuds will say “Danke!” And keep an eye out for Weller’s food truck, the Döner Wagon, for crave-worthy kebabs and brats. 197 N. Main St., Layton, 385-888-9531, wellersbistro.com 2.

Best Appetizer Menu White Horse

Spirits & Kitchen

Delicious little snacks that can serve as a starter to your meal—or your meal itself, depending on your appetite—can be found at White Horse. Think beyond charcuterie (although you’ll find one of those on the menu). Open your mind instead to confit duck wings, BBQ carrots or the soothing Hamachi Crudo. 325 S. Main, SLC, 801-363-0137, whitehorse.com

Best Successful Track Record The Proper Restaurant and Brewing Group

With a stellar brewery, a few classy but casual neighborhood eateries (Avenues Proper, Stratford Proper and Proper Burger Co.—serving some of the best burgers in town), the team at Proper has a proven track record of success. Each concept sticks to its respective guns for some of the most consistently delicious food and drink around. How do they do it? I suppose owning a brewery doesn’t hurt. properbrewingco.com

Best Donut Bakery Donut Star

Donuts themselves are easy to rate by their individual merits, but donut bakeries are a different beast altogether. Few donut shops embody the heart and soul of a bakery—a place warm, inviting and bursting with creativity, but this is where Donut Star really shines. In the past few years, it’s stepped up its game, becoming an unlikely gem in the Draper shopping district. You can come for the donuts, but be prepared to leave with breakfast sandwiches and fresh sourdough bread. 213 E. 12300 South, Ste. H1, Draper, 801-790-2615, donutstarcafe.com

Best Cuisine and

Clubbing

Ivy & Varley

A club often has great drinks but lesser meals. A restaurant may provide great food but miss a social experience. Ivy & Varley offers a twofer under one roof. At Ivy, you get a restaurant meal that may start with the best Brussels sprouts dish in town, then move right next door to Varley and catch the club vibe that lasts till the wee hours. A real one-stop shop. 55 W. 100 South, SLC, 801-895-2846, ivyandvarley.com

Best African Restaurant Mahider Ethiopian

One of the joys of dining out is gathering around a huge slab injera flatbread and scooping up piles of stewed lentils or grilled chicken. Mahider Ethiopian is Salt Lake’s go-to destination for traditional Ethiopian cuisine where diners can get a wide variety of classic dishes without any utensils to get in the way. Anyone who has a group of foodie friends that don’t mind getting their fingers dirty need to check this place out. 1465 S. State, Ste. 7, SLC, 801-975-1111, mahiderethiopian.com

Best Seductive Dinners Christopher’s

Prime Steak House

Icebreaker—me, Branding Iron Cabernet; her, Kung Fu Girl Riesling. Opening nicety: lobster corn dogs. Flirts—me, creamed spinach; her, roasted asparagus. First disagreement—me, French onion soup; her, wedge salad. OK, Whatcha got?—me, The Kings Crown filet mignon with bearnaise sauce; her, Duroc pork chop with apple brandy sauce. Closer—Dom Perignon Brut. Next stop? A room upstairs in the Peery Hotel. 110 W. 300 South, SLC, 801-890-6616, christophersut.com

Best Food Industry News Restaurateur

Inner Circle Utah

With over 10,000 members, this local Facebook group’s not a small one and the conversations range from best deals on fryers to new menu additions to the hottest tips on coming restaurants, bars, coffeeshops and the like. Though conversations can be freewheeling, there’s generally a helpful vibe to this priceless (and free) resource. facebook.com/groups/ RestaurateurInnerCircleUtah

Best Wi-Fi-Free Zone Coffee Garden

When the coffee shop culture began, Coffee Garden in the heart of 9th & 9th was regarded not only as a place to awaken and start the day, but also a place to informally socialize (remember the couches at Central Perk in the sit-com Friends ?). These days, though, a coffee shop seems more

Best New Takeaway Barbecue Blatch’s Backyard BBQ

This backyard barbecue is just that—made in Christopher Blatchford’s backyard in the Avenues with sides made from his own garden vegetables. This takeaway-only, text-to-order barbecue is not only delicious, but the best place to get vegan barbecue that’s treated with as much care as the meat—to unbelievable effect. 186 I St., SLC, 385-210-5029, blatchsbackyardbbq.com

like a shared workspace with many folks not only sipping, but streaming—too often in isolation. Not at Coffee Garden! It doesn’t even offer Wi-Fi, and that’s soooo refreshing! Have your coffee (roasted by Caffe Ibis Roasters in Logan), have your fresh-baked muffin, croissant, tart or cookies. Then sit back and talk about it like you’re supposed to. 878 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-355-3425, coffeegardenslc.com

Best at Winging It Trolley Wing Co.

From their humble but clever opening over 20 years ago in an actual trolley car in Trolley Square, TWC is the clear pioneer in the category of wingfocused eateries. Three things stand them apart from the others: Their wings are not deep fried, they’re twice baked; they offer great side dishes; and they really, honestly, know the meaning of “hot”—ranging from “mild” to “atomic.” Their hotwing challenge comes with—hold the phone— their aptly named “enema sauce.” That says it all. Multiple locations, trolleywingco.com

COURTESY PHOTO

Christopher Blatchford

Grid City Bubble Works

Hard Seltzers come in a can to-go or at the brew pub on tap.

If you’re going to get into the hard seltzer beverage game, you’d better bring your A-game and provide a selection of flavors that are above the ordinary. With flavors that include elderflower, rosè, aperitif, cucumber lime and hop hard, it’s no wonder that these GMO-free flavors resonate with readers. These hard seltzers also shine as a canned-cocktail alternative with some flavors hitting above the 11 percent ABV mark. Brilliant! 333 W. 2100 South, South Salt Lake, 801-906-8390, gridcitybeerworks.com

2. Shades Brewing 3. Wasatch & Squatters Brewery

Best Sour

Beer

Kiitos Brewing Blackberry

Sour

Finding a beer that can quell your innerpucker demon is no easy task. The right fruit combined with the most even-handed amount of sour beer is bliss on the good ol’ refresh-o-meter. Kiitos has managed to capture this in a way few others have; with sweet blackberries contrasting against a tart lemony base beer. Sublime any time of the year. 608 W. 700 South, SLC, 801-215-9165, kiitosbrewing.com

2. T.F. Brewing Coco Guava Sour 3. Shades Brewing Tom Kah

Best

Ale Bewilder Brewing Co. ESB

When City Weekly readers look for an ale that covers all the bases, the Extra Special Bitter (ESB) seems to be their go-to brew. The Bewilder ale’s red appearance, caramel malt profile and hop bitterness that can please all beer lovers has found that rare intermediate space where all the flavors jive and are in complete harmony. 445 S. 400 West, SLC, 385-528-3840, bewilderbrewing.com

2. Grid City Beer Works Honey Cream Ale 3. Kiitos Brewing Big Gay Ale

Best Wine Selection BTG Wine Bar

BTG Wine Bar and longtime neighbor Cafe Molise joined together in occupying the 105-year-old Eagle building on West Temple, and both are thriving in their new home. BTG occupies the lower level of the building, perfect for cozy and intimate interactions. Worried your wine game isn’t up to par? BTG gained popularity as a local hangout to enjoy excellent wines and cocktails for wine-oes and novices alike. 404 S. West Temple, SLC, 801-359-2814, btgwinebar.com

Best

Locally Brewed Beer Fisher Brewing Co. Fisher Beer

It’s ironic that the overall best beer in the state is also one of Utah’s oldest beers. Even though Fisher Beer took a long hiatus between 1963 and 2017, this German-inspired pilsner still endears itself to beer drinkers young and old. This simple lager hits all the right notes with toasty biscuit-like malts and classic European hops and is always available on draft at Fisher Brewing Co. 320 W. 800 South, SLC, 801-487-2337, fisherbeer.com

2. Bewilder Brewing Co. Dos Hazy Boi 3. Hopkins Brewing Co. Back to Basics Pale Ale

Owned and operated by husband-and-wife duo Jennifer and Jeff Carleton, Mountain West Cider prides itself on being a locally owned and locally sourced business. They are the perennial winners in this category, despite other great cider houses joining the fold over the last few years. Come for the popular Ruby Hard Cider and stay for the delicious 7 Mile Session and Desolation Prickly Pear. 425 N. 400 West, SLC, 801-935-4147, mountainwestcider.com

2. Etta Place

3. Scion Cider Bar

Best

Michelada

Purgatory Bar

For fans of a bloody without the vodka spike, the michelada hits the spot. At Purgatory, you can expect the same kind of flavor kick from a michelada as you can from a bloody, but with beer forming the more tame alcohol base. It is, however, well accompanied by a sipper of tequila on the side. And, of course, a snack ordered from Purgatory’s scrumptious menu. 62 E. 700 South, SLC, 801-596-2294, purgatorybar.com

2. Red Iguana 3. Facil Taqueria

Best Brewpub Squatters Pub Brewery

There’ve been many brewpubs that have popped up since Squatters first opened in 1989, but they all have a long way to go to catch up to the reputation and history of this brewpub pioneer. Business partners Jeff Polychronis and Peter Cole envisioned Salt Lake as having a thriving beer scene, and they took the plunge in a dry pool to make one of the most classic establishments in town. Cheers to many more years, Squatters! Multiple locations, saltlakebrewingco.com

2. Bewilder Brewing Co.

3. Grid City Beer Works

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Best Hard Cider Mountain West Cider

Best Lager Uinta

Brewing

Co. Our Lady of the Desert

There’s no wonder this first-time beer from Uinta became the favorite lager of 2022. This special beer was designed with input from every brewery in the state and is the brainchild of Utah’s Pink Boots Society, a fermented beverage advocacy group that promotes the advancement of women in the industry. This beer’s citrus and herbal flavor profile made this an instant hit around the state. 1722 S. Fremont Drive, SLC, 801-467-0909, uintabrewing.com

2. Wasatch & Squatters Brewery 1st Amendment 3. Bohemian Brewery Vienna Lager

Best Cocktail Bitters Bitters Lab

Leave it to a lady cake designer to renovate the way we experience flavors and extracts. After experimenting and testing bitters she created in her home, (hence ‘the bitters lab’) owner Andrea Latimer has changed the way we create a cocktail. Each bitter is handcrafted in small batches and made with the best local ingredients. Try your hand (or shaker) at adding Hibiscus & Yuzu to Mezcal or a dash of Habanero Lime in your next margarita. ¡Olé! Sold in multiple locations or by subscription, bitterslab.com

2. Honest John Bitters

3. Grandeur View Bitters

Best Tiki Drink Ducky Deathstar at El Chihuahua Restaurant

El Chihuahua Restaurant sells great Mexican food, sure, but they are also known for daring to ask: What if a fish bowl-shaped glass wasn’t a home for a fish, but instead a … Deathstar? And the Deathstar was not a Deathstar but a tiki drink? And the tiki drink was not a tiki drink in any traditional fashion, but a mixture of vodka, Everclear and 151 rum, topped with Bud Rita, Mike’s Harder or Smirnoff Smash … and a rubber ducky? If this beverage is a tiki drink, it’s because it’s outrageously garnished. And because—like many a tiki drink—it’s a one-anddone. 3926 Highland Drive, Millcreek, 801-272-8091, elchihuahuaslc.com

2. Wray Daq at Water Witch

3. Hurricane at The Bayou

Best Mixologist Flanker Kitchen

+ Sporting Club’s Tucker Castle

Tucker Castle is fun, creative and clearly loves his job. His drinks are innovative and tasty (Strawberry Fields is a local favorite). Tucked in a building at The Gateway, you will be pleasantly surprised. You can make an entire night at Flanker—karaoke, sports simulator games, mini bowling, DJ with a dance floor. Make sure to say hi to Castle and congratulate him! 6 N. Rio Grande St., SLC, 801-683-7070, flankerslc.com

2. Sam Miller, Water Witch

3. Alexi Fisher, Cocktail Collective

Best Brewery T.F. Brewing

Established in October 2018, T.F. Brewing quickly rose to prominence in the Utah beer scene like a head of foam rises to the top. Raise that glass and give a toast to the Beehive’s best brewery, Templin Family. Their pristine bar and friendly bartenders make the experience one of a kind among breweries around town. Oh, and the beer? Yeah, we have a pretty good idea you’ll be a fan of that, too—Ferda DIPA is a City Weekly favorite. 936 S. 300 West, SLC, 385-270-5972, tfbrewing.com

2. Fisher Brewing Co.

3. Shades Brewing

Best IPA T.F. Brewing Ferda

On the craft beer scene, IPAs reign supreme. Every brewery has a dozen in their lineup, but readers chose Ferda from T.F. Brewing above all others. This Double IPA’s creamy caramelized maltiness combined with its massive grapefruit peel and pine bitterness is the best mood enhancer in and outside of pubs. It’s perfect “ferda” IPA lovers of all stripes. 936 S. 300 West, SLC, 385-270-5972, tfbrewing.com

2. Squatters Pub Juicy IPA

3. Red Rock Brewing Co. Elephino

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Best Beer Selection

The Bayou

If for no other reason, you should patronize The Bayou for its 2020- 2021 battle with the anti-mask crowd. The Bayou stuck to CDC-recommendations (facemasks, social distancing, vaccinations), outraging those who left threatening messages and wrote negative reviews (most had likely never set foot in The Bayou anyway). But now, The Bayou is back in full force and ready to serve you one of their 500-something beers from across the world. 645 S. State, SLC, 801-474-6435, utahbayou.com 2. Beer Bar 3. Beerhive Pub

The Bayou's Pink Guava Funk is from Prairie Artisan Ales.

Mountain West Hard Cider

READERS’ PICKS

Best Local Spirit

Ogden’s Own Five Wives Vodka

Best Brunch Cocktails Purgatory Bar

Whether a salty, zippy bloody mary is what you need for Sunday brunch or an extensive list of mimosa options, including flavors like grapefruit, cherry, pineapple or mango, Purgatory has whatever is needed to revive your weekend vibes. Get there early, because the brunch line gets long. 62 E. 700 South, SLC, 801-596-2294, purgatorybar.com

2. Prohibition

3. Piper Down Pub

Best Craft Cocktails Water Witch Bar

The principle of craft cocktails is combining unique flavors that seem like they wouldn’t make sense together but inexplicably belong. That’s the essence of Water Witch Bar, a cozy establishment (and we mean cozy, with just a handful of seats) that’s a favorite watering hole for those willing to color outside the lines a bit. Water Witch is funky and impressive, serving local spirits in innovating creations. 163 W. 900 South, SLC, 801-462-0967, loveinutah.com

2. Prohibition

3. Whiskey Street Cocktails & Dining

The spirit that built the small Ogden distillery and turned it into a regional powerhouse keeps on delivering in terms of versatility and drinkability. Well known in Utah as a consumer and bartenders’ favorite, Five Wives amplifies the tastes of its cocktail pairings better than other vodkas do for a spirit that is neutral in flavor but big in creating social vibes. You may also recognize this brilliant vodka under its seasonal label, Five Husbands. 615 W. Stockman Way, Ogden, 801-458-1995, ogdensown.com

2. Beehive Distilling Jack Rabbit Gin

3. High West Distillery Rendezvous Rye

Best Distillery Tour High West Distillery

For the whiskey novice or expert, get an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the phases of distilling. Get up close and personal with the barrel-aging process and learn how each product is created from blending to bottling. Tours start on the hour and last 45 minutes on WednesdaySunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 27649 Old Lincoln Highway, Wanship, 435-649-8300, highwest.com

2. Beehive Distillery

3. Holystone Distillery

Best Distillery High West Distillery & Saloon

High West Distillery founders, biochemist David Perkins and his wife Jane, began distilling in 2007 in a historic stable turned garage (and now the High West Saloon) in downtown Park City. Growing from a small passion project to a juggernaut in the industry, in 2015, High West built its distillery in Wanship. Sample their aged whiskeys and barrel-finished cocktails to see what all the fuss is about. Saloon, 703 Park Ave., Park City; Distillery, 27649 Old Lincoln Highway, Wanship, 435-649-8300, highwest.com

2. Beehive Distilling 3. Ogden’s Own

win Best Barista, Aubry Childs took to Instagram, posting, “If you know me, you know I L-O-V-E my job!!! Especially those who’ve shown me the ropes to get where I am today. Being a barista is extremely RAD.” The love goes both ways it seems. Her boss posted this note earlier in the summer: “We aren’t your typical shop. These aren’t your typical baristas. … what makes us different is THEM … We love each other like family. … We aren’t normal. Thank God. We are rowdy. We tease. We are pros but also know we are all dorks who are humanly imperfect. Almost daily we hear customers comment on the fun we have.” And somehow, all this mutual admiration gets infused into their beautiful drinks and tasty treats to make us all feel a bit better.

7567 S. Main, Midvale, 801-403-8351, Instagram @ tresgatoscoffee; Instagram @aubry.childs

2. Sam, Old Cuss Cafe

3. Jadey Crofts, Sugar House Coffee

Best Frappe Bjorn’s Brew

Best Barista Aubry Childs, Tres Gatos Coffee

There’s a whole “latte” love going into the cups at Midvale’s Tres Gatos Coffee. Campaigning to

“Drink Coffee. Save Animals.” That’s the slogan of Bjorn’s Brew, which donates $1 per filled punch card redeemed at one of its drive-ins. In 2021 alone, they donated a little over $30,000 to local charities and animal rescues. Supporting the pups is the perfect reason to stop in for their blended frappes, including latte frappes, mocha or caramel frappes or chai or green tea frappes. If you bring your furry friend along for the ride, they’ll provide you with a “pup cup” of a milk bone and whipped cream on the house. Multiple locations, bjornsbrew.com

2. Beans & Brews Coffeehouse

3. Java Jo’s

Best Liquor

Selection Lake Effect

A deep pantry is essential in any chef’s arsenal. The same goes for a mixologist’s backbar. No matter if you’re looking for the perfect classic cocktail, a unique house drink or a sip from a rare bottle, Lake Effect’s ceiling-high library of spirits takes its customers on an imbibing adventure. Despite Lake Effect’s comprehensive drink menu and the largest liquor inventory in the state, sometimes you simply need a true classic delivered straight up, chilled or warmed. 155 W. 200 South, SLC, 801-532-2068, lakeeffectslc.com

2. Whiskey Street Cocktails & Dining 3. Prohibition

Best Canned Cocktail

Ogden’s Own Moscow

Mule

When Ogden’s Own Distillery built a massive 32,000-square-foot facility in 2020, they had visions on a grand scale in mind. They now have capacity for a 10-fold increase in production, plus the capacity to pump out their new line of canned cocktails. The new line is headed by the Five Wives Moscow Mule, quickly becoming one of the most popular items to leave the shelves at Ogden’s Own. 615 W. Stockman Way, Ogden, 801-458-1995, ogdensown.com

2. Sugar House Distillery’s Sugar House Raspberry Lemonade 3. Simplicity Cocktails’ Gin & Tonic

Best

Bloody Mary

St. Regis Deer Valley

Much can be said about dining at St. Regis, but the bloody mary has been known to steal the spotlight on many occasions. You may not think creating a tomato juice-based concoction can be varied much, but you’d be wrong. The mixologists here replicate the St. Regis New York’s Original Red Snapper bloody mary and have created their own version using local spirits, called 7452 Mary (named for the bar’s elevation)—it’s a fan favorite. The secret? It’s the addition of the wasabi-celery foam. 2300 Deer Valley Drive East, Park City, 435-940-5760, marriott.com/en-us/hotels/ slcxr-the-st-regis-deer-valley/ dining

DRINKS

Best Oat Milk Latte Old Cuss Cafe

It figures that one of the valley’s newest plant-based cafes on the scene would end up doing a great oat milk latte. You can order the basic version, or one of their rotating riffs—past versions include the strawberry rhubarb, blueberry pie, locally sourced peach cobbler and smashed pumpkin. 2285 S. Main, South Salt Lake, oldcuss.com 2. Tres Gatos Café 3. Sugar House Coffee

Best Horchata Alberto’s

Nothing cuts the heat of a spicy Mexican dish like horchata, a rice beverage with its splash of milky cinnamon that cools the tongue and tickles the taste buds. The fine folks at Alberto’s have seemingly perfected both sides of that coin, with its entrees that add a casual modern riff to traditional Mexican favorites and its superb horchata, the perfect complement to a meal or a delightful treat all by itself. Multiple locations, albertosmex.com

Best

Boba

Tea Tea Bar

Tea Bar serves delicious boba (tapioca pearls made from brown sugar and potato starch with a gummy texture) in delectable teas and smoothies. Offering many flavors, with several jelly/boba options, Tea Bar is also well known for authentic, housemade Taiwanese fare, such as popcorn chicken, green onion pancakes and fried squid balls. The environment is clean and organized, with outside seating options. Drinks are served in plastic glasses adorned with a cute Boston terrier. 1201 E. Wilmington Ave., No. 109, SLC, 385-322-2120 2. Space Tea 3. Tiger Sugar

Best Kombucha Han’s Kombucha

Kombucha is everywhere these days, but nobody is changing the game like Han’s. Their flavors go beyond the garden variety of familiar herbs and berries, experimenting with flavors like pineapple cactus nectar, white peach Champagne and beet lemonade. The woman-owned business is opening a taproom soon, too, so keep an eye out for your next favorite barstool. 370 Aspen Ave., SLC, 385-227-8240, hanskombucha.com 2.

Best Tea Service The Grand America Hotel

Few things are more civilized than a freshly steeped cup of tea, and the Grand America Hotel brings its “A Game” to each tea service. From indulging in finger sandwiches (crust removed, of course!) to munching on English scones with cream, it’s a delight to get dressed up and sip away an afternoon with family or friends. 555 S. Main, SLC, 801-258-6000, grandamerica.com/dining/afternoon-tea

2. Red Iguana 3. Facil Taqueria

Best Mango Lassi Cafe Shambala

If you’ve even got room after stuffing yourself from Cafe Shambala’s large plates of delicately savory dishes, you’ll want to order the mango lassi as dessert. Smoothie-like with some tang from yogurt and spice from cardamom, lassi can come in a variety of flavors, but mango is the best, and it’s the best at Cafe Shambala. 382 E. Fourth Ave., SLC, 801-364-8558, cafe-shambala.business.site

Best Milkshake

Iceberg Drive Inn

Iceberg’s fame from creating thick, over-the-top shakes began in 1960 and continues now in its 62nd year. A group of regular customers initially requested extra thick shakes that included less milk. Today, the over-the-top shakes continue to be popular in more than 30 flavors ranging from cake batter to fresh strawberry to root beer to Almond Joy, all super thick and huge. In addition, burgers, fish and chips, fries and onion rings round out the menu. Multiple locations, icebergdriveinn.com 2. Jake’s Over the Top

Best Fresh-Pressed Juices Vive Juicery

Fresh-pressed juice has many draws—all those condensed veggies pack a health punch, but also a flavor punch. At Vive Juicery, you can indulge in a vibrant array of cold-pressed

CW STAFF

Best Divinely Inspired Beer False Prophet, RoHa Brewing Project

This Hazy IPA made its promotional debut on or very near to July 24, 2022—a date better known as Utah’s Pioneer Day (also affectionately known as Pie & Beer Day among imbibers).

It’s also a date when many Utahns were celebrating the arrival to Utah of an entirely different prophetic message. False Prophet is said to pair perfectly with beef sticks, making it a prophecy we fully understand. And that can! Who wouldn’t worship that fellow?

30 E. Kensington Ave., SLC, 385-227-8982, rohabrewing.com

Best Ogden Beer Shop Salt & Hops

Grocery and convenience stores are fine and have an adequate selection. But if you want the full spectrum of “low point” craft beer, Ogden’s Salt & Hops has the most brilliant selection of local craft beers and beers from outside our borders. Gluten-free, alcohol-free or even beer-free options pepper the wall-to-wall cold cases with an unrivaled selection that includes not only beer but uncommon snacks, produce and mixers. 443 27th St., Ste. B, Ogden, 801-689-2936, saltandhops.com

’Food’

Shades Brewing

Co.

Gifted with the ability to concoct beers that mimic other convections, entrees and comfort foods, South Salt Lake’s Shades Brewing Co. has endeared itself to the hearts of Utah’s craft beer lovers with their signature Kveik sours, barrel-aged beers and IPAs. In a world where you can get Peach Cobbler, Indian Masala and even Spaghetti Dinner designed beers, the heavier things in life don’t seem to weigh as much when this kind of beer artistry is in our area code. 154 W. Utopia Ave., South Salt Lake, 435-200-3009, shadesbrewing.beer

Best Mug of Foam Grid City Milk Shots

Adopted from breweries in the Czech Republic, this creamy beer pour looks like milk and tastes sweet and smooth. It’s meant to be drunk all at once, like a shot. That way you can enjoy the hoppy aroma of the foam before it settles into beer. The Mlík Pour is a special treat. It’s not the kind of beer you’d order again and again while you’re at Grid City. It’s something fun to change the mood, and it’s a different way to enjoy their traditional pilsner or the hoppy pilsner. 333 W. 2100 South, South Salt Lake, 801-906-8390, gridcitybeerworks.com

Best End to a Beer Drought Prodigy Brewing

The beer-loving residents of the Cache Valley are a patient lot. These long-suffering and easygoing Utahns have been without a local brewery since Cache Valley Brewing Co. closed its doors in 1912. Prodigy Brewing Co. has finally ended the 110-year drought and established itself smack dab in the middle of downtown Logan, making an array of suds that range from lagers to juicy IPAs. 25 W. Center St., Logan, 435-375-3313, prodigy-brewing.com

Best New Soberwave Bar Curiosity

At Curiosity, get all the glam of a night out with no hangover. Enjoy gem-like glasses filled with innovative cocktails that nod to alcoholic predecessors while wandering a new path of flavor, form and sensation. Ask the folks behind the bar about adaptogens, and indulge in their fine espresso, thoughtful charcuterie, the dazzling bottle shop, actually tasty NA wines and beers, and flavors any craft bartender in the city would recognize as inspiring. 145 E. 900 South, SLC, 385-259-0193, curiosityslc.com

Best Ski-Town Rivalry Park City Sunrise Shot Ski

A “shot ski” is a traditional snow ski that has shot glasses glued to the plank and is imbibed in tandem with others. In January 2014, the town of Breckenridge, Colorado, set a world’s record for the longest shot-ski at 219 skis and 666 people at 973 feet long. A year later, Park City broke that record as 1,191 people lined up in the middle of the town’s Main Street with a similarly designed, street-long shot ski. This friendly competition continues to this day with proceeds going to various charities. Main Street, Park City, 800-453-1360, parkcityshotski.wixsite.com/2022

THE BEST OF STATE SALE

BLACKHOUSE BOTANICALS

GUMMIES

BLACKHOUSE BOTANICALS

CBG/D8 GUMMIES

BLACKHOUSE BOTANICALS

CBD/CBG GUMMIES

A little something for everyone at A Bar Named Sue

READERS’ PICKS

If you’re craving an easy-going sports bar that’s filled with faces you know and a menu of hand-crafted, affordable bar grub to accompany your pint, A Bar Named Sue is the place for you. And there’s not just A Bar Named Sue, but two Bars Named Sue (Millcreek and Midvale). They host UFC fights and have free billiards, darts and shuffleboard. Plus, there’s live music two nights a week. 3928 S. Highland Drive, Millcreek, 801-274-5578; 8136 S. State, Midvale, 801-566-3222, abarnamedsue.com

2. Cotton Bottom Inn

3. The Hog Wallow Pub

Best DJ Bangarang, Sky SLC

It’s fitting that one of SLC’s best DJs can often be found at one of SLC’s biggest clubs, Sky SLC. You don’t even have to be acquainted with the club scene to know the sound of Bangarang’s bangers. You don’t even have to be from SLC—Bangarang’s such a hit that he spends a fair amount of time jetsetting to clubs around the nation. Instagram @bangarangthedj, djbangarang.com 2. DJ Dirty Dave, The Exchange 3. DJ Justin Hollister, M I L K +

Best Dive Bar Cheers 2 U

A beloved watering hole, Cheers 2 U is that place for fostering good times and drunken revelries when you let your hair down and hang with friends. Mind erasers and karaoke await you inside the long, narrow, neon-lit bar. This alwaysbustling Main Street dive is just the place for people who can handle their drink and have a good time while doing it. 315 S. Main, SLC, 801-575-6400

Best Bar TVs Flanker Kitchen + Sporting Club

Barely even a year old, Flanker at The Gateway is flexing. There’s no bar or club in town that offers the variety of Flanker: great food, cocktails, karaoke, private specialevent rooms, golf simulation, parties and games. They all beckon sports fans and concertgoers for any pre-Vivint Arena event. And when you can’t catch the game (or any game) live, tune into any of Flanker’s 400 square feet of LED-viewing monitors. Not a bad seat to be had. Go Jazz! 6 N. Rio Grande St., SLC, 801-683-7070, flankerslc.com 2. The Green Pig Pub

A Bar Named Sue

Best Bar in Downtown Salt Lake City Gracie’s

It’s a bar, it’s a gastropub, it’s a meeting place, it’s a calm spot to watch dusk settle on downtown from the spacious upstairs deck or get your groove going listening to local musicians on the patio. Their nachos are the local preference, but we think Gracie’s many plant-based options are impressive, such as the vegan cauliflower ceviche. A bonus? Brunch and delectable bloody marys served out on the sun-bedazzled deck! 326 S. West Temple, SLC, 801-819-7565, gracieslc.com 2.

JOHN TAYLOR

Gracie’s

When a bar has two distinct patios, and when the upstairs patio seems like a twofer by itself depending on where you’re seated, it’s no real mystery why Salt Lakers flock to this downtown watering hole to sit outside yearround (uhh, yes, space heaters).

Catch some shade and live music on the downstairs patio whilst picking at those famous Gracie’s nachos. 326 S. West Temple, SLC, 801-819-7565, graciesslc.com

2. T.F. Brewing

3. Hog Wallow Pub

NIGHTLIFE

Best Bathroom Lake Effect

Bathrooms are not always a go-to place to feel glam when out in public, but at Lake Effect, the elegant and slightly surreal aura of the craft cocktail bar extends into the gilded and gleaming bathroom. If you’re one for the weekendnight-out mirror selfie, this is the perfect spot to show off your fancy self. 155 W. 200 South, SLC, 801-532-2068, lakeeffectslc.com

2. The Grand America Hotel 3. Alibi Bar & Place

Best Nightclub for Live Music Metro Music

Hall

Finding an enjoyable show in SLC isn’t difficult, especially at Metro Music Hall. Their schedule is always packed with a range of musical acts, as well as live drag shows, dance parties and comedy acts. Paired with a great atmosphere and fully stocked bar, there’s no way you can have a bad time at this venue. 615 W. 100 South, SLC, 385-528-0952, metromusichall.com

2. Urban Lounge 3. Keys on Main

Best Dance Club Milk+

Walking into Milk+ is like stepping onto the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. It’s cavernous. But at the same time, there’s a welcoming, almost intimate, vibe. “We have the best crowds with the best energy,” enthuses server Michael P. “It’s all so vibrant!” The brand-new dance club and bar, of course, is named for Harvey Milk, the gay San Francisco city supervisor gunned down in 1978. Check out the ergonomic stools at tables that pepper the place, while enjoying music from a top-flight sound system and munching on beefy sliders and avocado fries. For those who’ve got game, there’s a pool table and darts. 49 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-935-4424, milkslc.com

2. Area 51

3. The Exchange by Twist

Best Park City Bar No Name Saloon

No Name Saloon is, as its motto says, “the bar that made Park City famous.” It’s been dishing out local spirits and hefty buffalo burgers since 2000 and is a bucket-list stop for every Park City voyage—the patio seating offers a great view of Main Street and all the passersby. They also just added the aptly named Annex Burger right next door, an all-ages restaurant to get the No Name dining experience if you’re traveling with young’uns. 447 Main St., Park City, 435-649-6667, nonamesaloon.com

2. O’Shucks Bar & Grill

3. The Cabin

Best Bar Patio

Best Bar Brunch Piper Down Pub

Heaping servings of classic, no-frills breakfast fare and some of the city’s best bloody marys await at Piper Down every weekend. Besides an Irish twist on the menu with dishes like their Corned Beef Hash, Piper Down also offers an equally satisfying array of vegan dishes. 1492 S. State, SLC, 801-468-1492, piperdownpub.com 2. Gracie’s 3. Whiskey Street Cocktails & Dining

Best Bar Theme Night Prohibition

The roaring ‘20s are alive and well at Prohibition. Roll through for some vintage entertainment in the form of their themed nights, often carried forth by SLC’s sauciest burlesque sirens. Past themes have included Hollywood Noir, muses of ancient mythology, circus sideshows and Halloween “Boo-Lesque.” Check their calendar for a full list of theme nights. 151 E. 6100 South, Murray, 801-281-4852, prohibitionutah.com 2. Gays of ‘47 @ Twist Bistro 3. Metro Music Hall

Quarters great: quirky cocktails and pours, vintage games with cupholders nearby, and endless incentive to press the “play” button.

1045 E. 2100 South, SLC; downtown: 5 E. 400 South, SLC, quartersslc.com

2. Scion Cider Bar

3. Franklin Ave. Cocktails & Kitchen

Best Ogden Bar Side Bar

The nightlife scene in Ogden never ceases to be exciting and full of energy. Located in Ogden’s Own Distillery, Side Bar is one of the hottest locations in the area. They have a premier craft cocktail bar that utilizes local ingredients and in-house made syrups, offering a unique and one-of-a-kind experience for a night on the town. 615 W Stockman Way, Ogden, 801-458-1995, ogdensown.com

2. Harp and Hound

3. Brewski’s

Best Utah County Bar Strap Tank Brewery

Best

New

Bar Quarters Arcade Bar in Sugar

House

Despite being literally underground, Quarters Arcade Bar downtown didn’t stay underground for long, and now they’ve expanded with a second location in Sugar House, which opened just a few months ago. This one is above ground, but with all the same qualities that makes

What’s a city without a brewery? Strap Tank founder Rick Salisbury may not have known his brew pubs would become fixtures in Springville and Lehi, but they have. In a sea of chain restaurants, Strap Tank is a refreshing breath of fresh, “hoppy” air. With a dozen rotating taps at both locations, plus a menu of pub staples like burgers and pizza, there’s no better place to tuck in for a pint. 596 S. 1750 West, Springville, 385-325-0262; 3661 N. Outlet Parkway, Lehi, 385-352-8194, straptankbrewery.com

2. ABG’s Bar

3. Callie’s Cafe & Sports Bar

READERS’ PICKS

Best DogFriendly Patio

Handle Bar

Dogs are the best but finding places in a city to take them can be the worst. Even ostensibly “dog-friendly” spaces are often suited only to the smallest breeds on their most well-tempered days, a high bar of societal expectation that many humans aren’t able to achieve. At Handle Bar, the spacious patio offers our furry friends room to rest their paws, with the added option of a gated kennel so that humans can have a bathroom break or just some time alone.

751 N. 300 West, SLC, 801-953-0588, handlebarslc.com

2. T.F. Brewing

3. Fisher Brewing Co.

Handle Bar: serving up the hair of the dog

Legends is a home away from home where we create our food with love and welcome everyone as family.

Best Bar Menu

The Bayou

Since 2001, Mark and Kileen Alston have been front and center, calling all the shots at Salt Lake City’s The Bayou. In those two decades, dishes like sweet potato fries, Hoppin John, crawfish etouffee and gumbolaya have become part of the Utah lexicon as patrons continue to clamor for The Bayou’s special take on Cajun and creole comfort food. 645 S. State, SLC, 801-961-8400, utahbayou.com

2. White Horse Spirits & Kitchen

3. Prohibition

Best Bar Beyond Downtown SLC

The Hog Wallow Pub

Once a Civilian Conservation Corps bunkhouse, Hog Wallow Pub has brandished many a moniker over its 70+ years as a neighborhood watering hole, but some things have remained the same. By summer, there’s no better bar patio in the state, and by winter, the cozy fireplace inside the cabin-esque Hog Wallow Pub is the most inviting you’ll find anywhere. Check out live music most nights alongside a mouthwatering smokehouse menu. 3200 E. Big Cottonwood Canyon Road, Cottonwood Heights, 801-733-5567, thehogwallow.com

2. Prohibition

3. Ice Haus

Best LGBTQ+ Bar

Why KiKi

If only there were more places like Why Kiki bar. This magical place is one where anyone can come and be themselves, escape for an evening and see top notch entertainment from some of the best LGBTQ+ performers in town. The tropical themed bar has drag brunch shows every Saturday and Sunday and there are other unique variety shows nearly every week. A perfect place to let loose. 69 W. 100 South, SLC, 801-641-6115, whykikibar.com

2. The Sun Trapp

3. M I L K+

When you find out The Green Pig has 14 flatscreen TVs airing all the games (and we mean all the games), you’d think it must be a massive bar. But it isn’t. And that’s why it’s the Best Sports Bar in Utah. You’re a San Fran fan and your BFF backs Baltimore? Sit side by side and watch two different games at the same time while sharing an order of Southwest egg rolls. Plus, it has the best rooftop patio in all downtown. 31 E. 400 South, SLC, 801-5327441, thegreenpigpub.com

2. Fiddler’s Elbow

3. A Bar Named Sue

The Green Pig’s Southwest egg rolls are the bomb.

CW STAFF PICKS

Best Port in the Storm

Johnny’s SLC

As one of the friendlier bars in town, it’s not surprising to learn that Johnny’s SLC (formerly Johnny’s on Second) is often as not, one of the first places visited by newcomers or by visitors to the city looking for a low-key place to meet Salt Lakers. Known as a place where everyone is welcome, Johnny’s SLC is not pretentious. It’s a feel-good bar where locals and visitors mix it up shooting pool and whiling away the time. And they won’t go broke in the process thanks to Johnny’s SLC fair drink prices. 165 E. 200 South, SLC, 801-746-3334, johnnysslc.com

Best Bar Bros Willie’s

Lounge

and Big Willies

Willie’s Lounge proudly wears its reputation as one of Utah’s finest (and oldest) dive bars, validated by multiple City Weekly Best of Utah wins. Right across the street, Big Willies is regarded as one of Utah’s finest neighborhood bars and carries its own batch of BOU accolades. Both are throwbacks to the era when friendly, fun service is married with pool, music, games and sports to carry the day. Their bona fides are real, and their scads of loyal customers know the only difference between Willie’s whiskey and that sold downtown is a $5 bill. Rack ‘em! Willie’s Lounge, 1716 S. Main, SLC, 760-828-7351, willieslounge.com; Big Willies, 1717 S. Main, SLC, 801-463-4996, bigwillieslounge.com

Best Sports Bar Fans Legends Pub & Grill

Sports are a 24/7/365 affair at Legends. True sport nuts get their fill here of a gamut of sports on multiple screens (even in separate rooms at the downtown location). It’s the place to mingle with fellow displaced college fans who cheer for Ohio State or Nebraska. Supporters of pro teams like the Browns or Patriots also meet here on NFL Sundays. For our Canadian friends, don’t forget the poutine. 677 S. 200 West, SLC, 801-355-3598; 10631 S. Holiday Park Drive, Sandy, 801-679-1749, whylegends.com

Best Park City Dive Bar O’ Shucks Bar & Grill

Can there be such a thing as a dive bar in opulent Park City? There were several dives back in time, but today? Sure, and it’s O’

Shucks where all the hallmarks of a dive bar—save the banned cigarette smoke— still fulfill the “divey“ mission. Soon to be 30 years on, O’ Shucks is where it's at for munching truly fine eats, sipping affordable drinks and partaking of the classic tossing of peanut shells to where they belong—on the floor. 427 Main St., Park City, 435-645-3999, oshucks-ahhsushi.com

Best Apartment Complex Pub Paxton Pub

“Jeeze, I gotta go home!” you think with dread after that last drink at your neighborhood watering hole. No sweat. You’re only an elevator ride away … if you happen to live at Paxton 365, a just-opened apartment south of downtown SLC. You see, Paxton Pub is tucked into a ground-floor niche of the brand-new complex. It offers a comprehensive drinks’ menu, plus designer pizza and other fare. Their garlic cheese bread is a customer fave “hands down,” says co-proprietor “Mo” O’Donnell. Adjourn to the spacious patio with a panoramic view of the downtown skyline and sip on $3 mimosa specials during weekend brunch presided over by popular (and irreverent) bartender Andrew Burt. 365 W. Paxton Ave., Unit C, SLC, 801-441-2208, facebook.com/paxtonpub

Best Ballpark Brewery UTOG

When your back porch space occupies the same space as your local professional baseball team, you’re smart to make the best of it—and UTOG does. No less so than the fans who watch the Chicago Cubs from atop the private apartment buildings on Waveland Avenue. Ogden baseball fans can sit on the UTOG patio during an Ogden Raptors baseball game with a Mandarina Kolsch in one hand, a pickle spear in the other. Take us out to the ballgame. 2331 Grant Ave., Ogden, 801-689-3476, utogbrewing.com

NIKI CHAN

Johnny’s SLC: A friendly, feel-good bar

By Emilee Atkinson

Night Tales @ Soundwell 11/17

“‘Patient’ is about having the patience to see all points of view from every perspective in a relationship. The longer you sit with an idea, the more you can realize just how valid it is even if the idea didn’t come from you,” Night Tales told Forbes in August. Their new album, Proof, explores emotional and relatable top ics that reach and resonate with millions of listeners. The duo describes their music in three words in the same article: alternative, electronic and emotional. “A lot of what we write about is this human emotion and, whether someone’s going through a heart break breakup or falling in love with someone or being a little bit lost or the excitement, I think they resonate with that because we are writing about that experience, which is quite universal. It’s insular, intimate experiences that are put over the format of dance music,” they said. A large focus for the duo is to pio neer soul in a white-male-dominated genre. “There are not many acts that are doing what we do. So both [of us] write all our music from top to bottom,” they said. “We also perform live. We sing, we deejay, and I think a lot of the time, because of our… I guess the color of our skin, and the perception, especially when we were doing our first tours over here, people used to want to assume that we were urban hip hop rappers or something like that.”

This duo will be in SLC on Thursday, Nov. 17 at 8:30 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $15 and can be found at soundwellslc.com.

(Emilee Atkinson)

Theater 11/18

Nothing melts hearts more than a guy singing a sweet and earnest song about his partner. Singer Jake Scott made his TV debut back in March on The Kelly Clarkson Show performing his instantly memorable song about his wife, “Texas Girl.” Scott continuously proves himself a pop maverick with a dynamic style by putting out exciting and impactful tracks, as well as collaborating with other artists and delivering stellar live performances. “I would say that, at my core, I’m a singer-songwriter that loves telling sto ries with my music,” Scott told Ninertimes in October. “I also love really catchy melodies and infectious, anthemic kind of songs that stick with you and are fun to sing along to. I hope that my music is the kind of music that makes you feel nostalgic in a way that, if it’s a sad song, you can find your own story in this breakup or heartbreak, and if it’s a happy song, falling in love or feeling good or happy. I hope that my songs invoke some nostalgia in people where they can connect to it and kind of picture themselves in it.” 21-year-old singer/songwriter Rosie joins Scott after becoming viral on TikTok. She went from dropping out of college in the middle of the pandemic to touring with big artists and releasing a debut EP. Catch this show on Friday, Nov. 18 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $60 and can be found at theunioneventcenter.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

Jake Scott, Rosie, Brynn Cartelli @ Union Event

Jake Scott

MUSIC PICKS

By Emilee Atkinson

TITUS, Arrows in Action @ The Beehive 11/19

Musical artists often bend genres so they don’t fit into one narrow category. Singer/songwriter TITUS draws influence from bands like Blink-182, Taking Back Sunday, Dipset and Lil Wayne, becoming a true repre sentation of culture clash. His latest album exemplifies his ability to weave a new wave of music expression using opposite ends of a spectrum that fuses the heydays of pop punk with the lyricism & swagger of hip-hop. While creating a unique sound of his own, the singer also dives deep into sorrow and heartbreak with the track “Until Next Time,” a tribute to his late mother. He posted a photo of her with this caption on his Instagram earlier this year: “Some of u know how much my mom meant to me and losing her a few months ago really fucking destroyed me. The only way I know how to deal with my emotions is pour them into songs and even that hurts because I used to share them with her. If you’re going through something just know somebody else out there is too. I love you mom and i miss you every fucking day. 4/10/2022… until next time.” TITUS opens for rock trio Arrows in Action, whose sound teems with new-age nostalgia. This group is another who found success on TikTok and are now on their first American tour. This exciting show is rolling through The Beehive on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $20 and can be found at 24tix.com. (EA)

Local lovelies The Backseat Lovers play two nights at the Capitol Theatre in celebration of their new album Waiting to Spill. It’s exciting to see small bands from town gaining popularity and getting signed to major labels; The Backseat Lovers have recently been signed to Capitol Records, so this work is their first under the label. Waiting to Spill is a strong album from the quartet, the band’s chemistry being a palpable energy throughout, and particularly shining through on the opening track “Silhouette.” “So many elements of it lived in our heads for years before being able to bring them to life through the speak ers,” lead vocalist and guitarist Joshua Harmon told Consequence Sound. “Running emotionally significant voice memos through pedal boards, re-writing a piano part to be played in reverse, using elemen tary toys as percussion, and eventually blaring a droney ‘E note’ out the side of a moving vehicle toward a pair of microphones to capture the Doppler effect creating a natural key change to D.” The group also infuses a bit of humor and fun into their music with their track “Snowbank Blues.” Harmon and guitarist/vocalist Jonas Swanson started the song as a parody, and realized it would be a great song. “Jonas and I made a garage band demo in about two hours using a rice-filled Altoid case for a shaker and improvising song structure,” Harmon said. “We fell in love with the DIY nature of the demo and tried to capture that same feeling in the studio recording. We ended up keeping this ‘dog howl’ sound from the first demo that was actu ally a fire truck driving by during a vocal take.” The Backseat Lovers play at Capitol Theatre Tuesday, Nov. 22 and Wednesday Nov. 23.

Tickets for the all-ages show are $33-$53 and can be found at salt lakecountyarts.org. (EA)

The Garden @ The Depot 11/23

Identical twin brothers Wyatt and Fletcher Shears make up this rock duo, defined by their clear-cut penchant for angular chaos, a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor and complete disregard for genre. They’re touring on their latest album Horseshit on Route 66 , which shows off their more experimental side. The record pulls from Southern California hardcore and UK punk, but con tinues to experiment with dissonant electronics and the drum & bass sound the duo are known for. Horseshit on Route 66 is also the duo’s first album released independently since their depar ture from Epitaph Records, and it revisits some of their earliest interests. As an added bonus, the duo are getting to tour with bands that they enjoyed listening to growing up such as Flipper, Saccharine Trust and T.S.O.L. “It’s kind of like a novelty thing for us because we grew up with these bands so heavily, like on repeat all the time,” Wyatt told Bandcamp Daily in September.

“So to be able to have them not only say yes but be willing to go on tour and willing to do shows with us and stuff is a lot of fun.”

Their latest album draws from memories as kids, including from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Anyone who remembers seeing these illustrations as kids probably still remembers the fear they felt seeing those eerie drawings. The Garden’s track “Haunted House on Zillow” is heavily inspired by the books. “They were in every book fair—every kid has some memory of it,” said Wyatt.

“It’s always been an influence on The Garden but it’s the most prominent on this album, without a doubt.” Catch this unique duo on Wednesday, Nov. 23 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $57 and can be found at livenation.com. (EA)

The Backseat Lovers @ Capitol Theatre 11/22 - 11/23

CASSIE ANDERSON

TITUS Backseat Lovers

theESSENTIALS

Repertory Dance Theatre: Sojourn

Dance, like all art forms, is a way of con necting people through better understand ing of the human experience. Some of those experiences are challenging, and such societal issues form some of the connec tive thread for the four pieces that make up Repertory Dance Theatre’s Sojourn program.

Among those pieces is choreographer Natosha Washington’s 2018 creation Say Their Names (pictured), inspired by the injus tice of shootings related to police violence and “Stand Your Ground” laws. “When I took on the idea, I didn’t want it to be combative,” Washington said in a video interview ahead of the 2018 premiere. “I wanted us to come around the idea of … standing your ground as a community who has said ‘enough is enough.’ So we stand together against this idea of injustice.”

Washington’s piece is joined on the pro gram by Cherylyn Lavagnino’s 2012 Triptych, exploring spiritual expression and Christian iconography. The final two pieces are both show cases by winners of RDT’s annual Regalia com petition: 2021 winner Kaley Pruitt’s Hold, inspired by personal experiences during the outset of the COVID pandemic; and 2022 winner Tyler Schnese’s winning piece Nicole.

Sojourn performances take place at the Rose Wagner Center (210 E. 300

Gregg Deal: Punk Pan-Indian Romantic Comedy

For more than 20 years, Gregg Deal has explored a wide range of topics—often connected to his Indigenous heritage—in every possible artistic medium from paint ing to installations to per formance. Still, he acknowl edges that there’s a differ ent feeling connected with getting as personal as he does with his performanceart piece Punk Pan-Indian Romantic Comedy. “This one is really about how I grew up, and about my family,” Deal says. “As art does, it’s about coming to grips with some things. I make some jokes at my mom’s expense, and she’s going to be there, so that stresses me out a little bit.”

Among other topics, Punk Pan-Indian Romantic Comedy addresses his contentious relationship with his late father, who threw him out of the house when Deal was just 17 years old. It also addresses the power of music in Deal’s life, including his connec tion to the punk and Straight Edge scene of 1990s Utah, and was born out of a visual-art project titled The Others

South) Thursday, Nov. 17 – Saturday, Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m. nightly. In order to accommodate patrons at all comfort levels, the Nov. 17 per formance will require masks of all audience members, while the Nov. 18 and Nov. 19 perfor mances will be masks recommended. Tickets are $30 general admission; visit arttix.org for tickets and additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)

in which Deal took vintage 1940s and 1950s comic book panels, and replaced the captions with punk-rock lyrics. Over the course of the work’s development, Deal has even incor porated music that he himself has created, which he describes as part of “accidentally forming a band,” Dead Pioneers.

Deal performs Punk Pan-Indian Romantic Comedy at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (20 S. West Temple) on Thursday, Nov. 17 at 6:30 p.m. General admission is free to the public, but reserva tion is required. Visit utahmoca.org for regis tration and additional event information. (SR)

SHARON KAIN

FREDERIK MARMSATER

theESSENTIALS

Utah Symphony w/ Bernadette Peters

The word “legend” gets thrown around a lot nowadays, but it’s hard to come up with something that feels more appropriate when it comes to describ ing Bernadette Peters in terms of the American musical theater canon. After all, we’re talking about someone whose career as a professional entertainer goes back more than 70 years, who first appeared on a New York stage at the age of 9, has earned three Tony Awards as part of her seven nominations, and origi nated iconic roles in some of the most beloved musicals of all time.

It’s her connection with the work of the late, great Stephen Sondheim, however, that likely cemented her status among the all-time greats. In 1984, she created the role of Dot/Marie opposite Mandy Patinkin in Sondheim and James Lapine’s Sunday in the Park with George, featuring beloved numbers like “We Do Not Belong Together” and “Children and Art.” Just three years later, the same creative team cast Peters as the Witch in Into the Woods. With a range of amazing roles including the musical version of the Oscar-winning The Goodbye Girl and Mama Rose in the 2003 Broadway revival of Gypsy, Peters has a lifetime’s

An Evening with Nigella Lawson

As our own Alex Springer would certainly agree, writing about food—in a way that conveys to readers sensory experiences like aroma and flavor—presents a unique challenge. That’s why it helps to have a unique background like that of Nigella Lawson, whose career as a professional writer going back nearly 40 years includ ed not just serving as restaurant critic for The Spectator in her native London, but also as that paper’s literary editor. When you’ve got a way with words and a way with a recipe, the world is your oyster (on the half-shell with mignonette).

That killer combo skill set eventually led to Lawson writing her own cook books, beginning with 1998’s best-selling How to Eat. Over the ensuing decades, her work has continually provided culinary tips combined with a conversational sense of the way cooking and eating affect our lives. It’s a sensibility that stands out in her latest book—Cook, Eat, Repeat: Ingredients, Recipes and Stories—which combines recipes with food-themed essays, touching on subjects like the modern-day interaction between home cooks and online recipes, and eliminating the notion of any food as a “guilty pleasure.”

It’s a sensibility that she brings to her

worth of singing amazing songs on the stage to draw from—which is just what you can expect her to do joining the Utah Symphony this week.

Bernadette Peters appears with the Utah Symphony at Abravanel Hall (123 W. South Temple) on Friday, Nov. 18 and Saturday, Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 - $95; visit utahsymphony.org for tickets and additional event information, including current health and safety protocols. (SR)

live appearances, bringing the world of food to very personal life.

Nigella Lawson takes to the stage of the Eccles Theater (131 S. Main St.) on Friday, Nov. 18 at 8 p.m., in conversation with KUER’s Doug Fabrizio. Tickets remaining available at press time are $25 - $55; visit arttix.org to purchase tickets and for additional event infor mation, including current health and safety protocols. (SR)

ANJDREW ECCLES

MATT HOLYOAK

onTAPonTAP

2 Row Brewing 6856 S. 300 West, Midvale 2RowBrewing.com

Avenues Proper 376 8th Ave, SLC

avenuesproper.com

On Tap: Less- West Coast IPA

Bewilder Brewing 445 S. 400 West, SLC BewilderBrewing.com

On Tap: Gluten Reduced Kolsch

Bohemian Brewery 94 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale BohemianBrewery.com

Bonneville Brewery 1641 N. Main, Tooele BonnevilleBrewery.com

On Tap: Peaches and Cream Ale

Craft by Proper 1053 E. 2100 So., SLC craftbyproper.com

On Tap: Do Less - West Coast IPA

Desert Edge Brewery 273 Trolley Square, SLC DesertEdgeBrewery.com On Tap: Pomegranate Sour

Epic Brewing Co. 825 S. State, SLC EpicBrewing.com

On Tap: Gingerbread Baptist Imperial Stout

Fisher Brewing Co. 320 W. 800 South, SLC FisherBeer.com

On Tap: Fisher Beer

Grid City Beer Works 333 W. 2100 South, SLC GridCityBeerWorks.com

On Tap: Extra Pale Ale

Hopkins Brewing Co. 1048 E. 2100 South, SLC HopkinsBrewingCompany.com

On Tap: Stonewall Sour Saison

Kiitos Brewing 608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

Level Crossing Brewing Co. 2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake LevelCrossingBrewing.com On Tap: Wet El Do-Rye-Do Pale Ale Ales & Allies Game Night Tues at 6pm!

Moab Brewing

686 S. Main, Moab TheMoabBrewery.com

On Tap: Squeaky Bike Nut Brown

Mountain West Cider 425 N. 400 West, SLC MountainWestCider.com On Tap: Wet Hopped Cider

Offset Bier Co 1755 Bonanza Dr Unit C, Park City offsetbier.com/ On Tap: DOPO IPA

Ogden River Brewing 358 Park Blvd, Ogden OgdenRiverBrewing.com On Tap: Injector Hazy IPA

Policy Kings Brewery 223 N. 100 West, Cedar City PolicyKingsBrewery.com

Prodigy Brewing 25 W Center St. Logan prodigy-brewing.com/

Proper Brewing 857 S. Main, SLC ProperBrewingCo.com On Tap: East Side Paradise - Rice Lager

Red Rock Brewing 254 So. 200 West RedRockBrewing.com On Tap: Gypsy Scratch

Red Rock Fashion Place 6227 So. State Redrockbrewing.com On Tap: Munich Dunkel

Red Rock Kimball Junction Redrockbrewing.com 1640 Redstone Center

On Tap: Bamberg Rauch Bier

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC

RoHaBrewing.com

On Tap: Bramble Brown

Roosters Brewing

Multiple Locations

RoostersBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Cosmic Autumn Rebellion

SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake

SaltFireBrewing.com

On Tap: Summer Sessions NEIPA

Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com

On Tap: 2 Hop 2 Furious- Double Hopped Belgian Pale

Scion Cider Bar 916 Jefferson St W, SLC

Scionciderbar.com

On Tap: Colorado Cider Orchard Run 8.35% ABV

Shades Brewing

154 W. Utopia Ave, S. Salt Lake ShadesBrewing.beer

On Tap: Prickly Pear Sour Ale

Silver Reef 4391 S. Enterprise Drive, St. George StGeorgeBev.com

Squatters

147 W. Broadway, SLC Squatters.com

Strap Tank Brewery

Multiple Locations StrapTankBrewery.com Springville On Tap: PB Rider, Peanut Butter Stout

Lehi On Tap: 2-Stroke, Vanilla Mocha Porter

Stratford Proper 1588 Stratford Ave., SLC stratfordproper.com

On Tap: Lake Effect Gose

TF Brewing 936 S. 300 West, SLC TFBrewing.com

On Tap: Edel Pils

Talisman Brewing Co. 1258 Gibson Ave, Ogden TalismanBrewingCo.com

On Tap: The Patriot

Uinta Brewing 1722 S. Fremont Drive, SLC UintaBrewing.com

On Tap: Was Angeles Craft Beer

UTOG 2331 Grant Ave, Ogden UTOGBrewing.com

On Tap: Trail Rye’d - Amber Rye Ale 5% abv

Vernal Brewing 55 S. 500 East, Vernal VernalBrewing.com

Wasatch 2110 S. Highland Drive, SLC WasatchBeers.com

Zion Brewery 95 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale ZionBrewery.com

Zolupez 205 W. 29th Street #2, Ogden Zolupez.com

OPENING SOON!

Helper Beer 159 N Main Street Helper, UT 84526

Apex Brewing 2285 S Main Street Salt Lake City, UT 84115

‘You Inta’ Holiday Beers?

Uinta Brewing starts-off 2022’s holiday season boldly

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

Many of you may find this review on holiday beers a bit premature. I get it; it seems early for me too. But the optimal window for beers like these is quite short, plus it’s better to get them in early rather than mere weeks before D-Day. I came across these new beers from Uinta the other day that are some of the first local brews of the season.

Uinta - Christmas Cheer : The beer pours a deep copper color bordering on a light brown/mahogany, with a small offwhite head. The aroma of the beer is rather odd, with a spruce/pine smell mixed with a decently strong aroma of cocoa, as well as some brown bread. A little bit of caramel and a light herbal smell are there as well, rounding out the aroma.

The taste begins with a cocoa and brownbread flavor with some hints of a piney nature present. The flavor is lightly sweet up front, with caramel fading a bit as the taste advances to the end. Some very light caramel and darker fruit flavors of fig and plum come to the tongue, but these fruit and caramel flavors are very light overall, and don’t make up for the loss of the malt sweetness. Juniper flavors really come on more toward the end, and with the slight loss of sweetness and a slight increase in the roast tastes, one is left with a rather odd pine/herbal, brown bread and moderately sugary taste to linger on the tongue.

The body of the beer is average in terms

of thickness and creaminess for a brew of 5.0 percent ABV, with a carbonation level that is on the lower side. The body was good for the odd mix of flavors, but a slightly higher carbonation level may have enhanced the drinkability and sweeter fla vors of the brew a bit better (which were, in my opinion, the most pleasant).

Verdict : This definitely gave off a holiday vibe without hitting me over the head with it. Even if you think it’s too soon to enjoy a holiday beer, this may still work for you. And if you’re primed and ready to go for holiday cheer, this will be an excellent starter.

Uinta - Cinnamon Wheatwine: This is number six of six in Uinta’s Pro Line of beers.

It poured an unfiltered dark apricot shade, with the head remaining solid after a vigorous pour. Earthy grains and a big, sweet tropical fruit scent were immedi ately discernible. Initially it was all about the fruit smell, like some sort of boozy panty-peeler made with pineapple juice. Fortunately, as it warmed up, the wheat malt began to provide some much-needed balance.

Flavor starts off with a big, fruity sweet taste, with earthy grain playing second banana. The 9.5 percent alcohol is present, but not overwhelming. This is definitely one you need to let warm up, as it was very one-dimensional at first, but became more interesting (and balanced) as it got up to room temperature. At that point, the wheat malt was far more noticeable, and matched up much better to the tobacco and fruit flavors from the wheat malt and yeast. The cinnamon and nutmeg are subtle and in balance with each other. It’s very full-bod ied, with such a brilliant, silky mouthfeel.

Verdict : This a different take on the Wheatwine style, and one that I appreci ate more and more as the beer warms; the tobacco leaf character from the malt really makes this beer a treat. This a beer that you could lay down to age, but I’d enjoy this one fresh, as it’s quite brilliant now.

Christmas Cheer is available on draft now at the brewery, and will be widely available in cans anytime now. Cinnamon Wheatwine is available at Uinta now, and soon to DABS. As always, cheers! CW

Utah Cheese Awards Winners Announced

Another year of celebratory cheese appreciation has come and gone thanks to the Utah Cheese Awards. This local organization held its award ceremony and reception to announce this year’s most talented dairy queens—and kings. The Best in Show Award for cheese went to the lovely Mesa Tome cheese from Caputo’s Market, which is a goat cheese that imparts the herby, acidic flavors of the Southern Utah desert to its devourers. Heber Valley Artisan Cheese also cleaned up in several award categories, and the team at Four Country Gals dazzled the competition with their Fired Up! Mexican Goat Milk Caramel Sauce. All in all, a good year for local cheeses, sauces and charcuterie.

Flake Pie Co. Nabs Prize at Fast Casual Executive Summit

The team at Flake Pie Co. (flakepie.com) recently made a splash at the Fast Casual Executive Summit, a kind of mini-Shark Tank for up-and-coming fast-casual restau rants. After making their presentation, the team behind the local bakery beat out four other global finalists to receive the Perfect Pitch award, which will ensure Flake has some greater visibility to investors and customers. Currently, Flake Pie Co. has a location in South Jordan and one in St. George, so we’ll see if their performance at this summit will lead them to bold new heights in their bakery conquest. Anyone else craving pie all of the sudden?

City Creek to Welcome AQUA TERRA Steak + Sushi

This fall should see the grand opening of AQUA TERRA Steak + Sushi (50 S. Main Street, Ste. 168, aquaterrasteak. com), a high-concept restaurant that specializes in, well, steak and sushi. At first glance, the idea of pairing top-tier steak and sushi together doesn’t quite make sense, but when you think about how each dish holds court in the realm of lux ury food, it starts to coalesce. The restaurant is operated by Ascend Hospitality Group, a Black and female led organiza tion based in Bellevue, Wash., who manage restaurants all over the Western U.S. The restaurant is scheduled to open in the City Creek shopping center in the very near future.

Quote of the Week: “In order to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.” –Carl Sagan

Got No Strings

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio finds brand-new ideas in a familiar tale.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

Fun fact about the original 1883 book Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi: The first time the unnamed talking cricket ap pears to the living puppet and lectures him about good behavior, Pinocchio straightup murders him with a hammer. It’s under standable that this particular detail didn’t make it into Walt Disney’s 1940 animated feature, or most other subsequent versions of the story, but it also points out how ripe the text could be for a variety of other in terpretations. So the fact that Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is appearing in a year that has already seen another crack at the Dis ney-familiar tale shouldn’t inspire a kneejerk response of, “Really? Another one?”

Instead, the only important questions are, “What does this one do that carves out (pun intended) a unique space, and are those things interesting?”

It’s already a perfect creative choice that co-writer/co-director Del Toro, in collabo ration with Jim Henson Productions, made it a piece of stop-motion animation, tell ing the story of a puppet with puppets. But that’s just the beginning of the uniquely dark roads this Pinocchio opts to journey down. It becomes a tale of (among other things) death, grief, loss of faith and re jection of fascism. And as it spins its way through a mix of dark corners and musical production numbers, it turns a lot of famil iar components into something utterly dis tinctive.

Take, just for instance, the origin story

of Pinocchio (voiced

at the hands of woodcarver Geppetto

Much like this year’s

Pinocchio, del Toro, his co-writers and co-director Mark Gustafson (animation director for Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox) tie the puppet’s creation to the death of a biological son. This, how ever, is no whimsical act of love; a drunken, heartbroken Geppetto practically hatebuilds Pinocchio as an expression of his despair. Connect this with a Geppetto who says grace over his meals with his human son and lovingly crafts the crucifix for the town church before the boy’s tragic death, then leaves the damaged figure of Christ unrepaired after that death, and you’ve got the story of someone creating a life as a re bellion against God.

Or consider how del Toro handles the character of the talking cricket, here named Sebastian (Ewan McGregor). The role he plays is essentially the same as the one that we associate with Jiminy—at tempting to serve as Pinocchio’s moral in structor—but he also endures much more slapstick buffeting about, very much more in keeping with the fate of his original lit erary counterpart. There’s an attempt to

set Sebastian up as somewhat puffed-up character interested in being a writer, but it’s one of the less successful components that this story tries to give him a little bit of an arc of his own of learning selflessness, when that seems to be his personality al most from the outset.

The most intriguing original twist comes with setting this version of the story in 1930s Italy, during the regime of Benito Mussolini. Il Duce himself actually makes an appearance, to scatological comedic ef fect, but his physical presence matters less than what he represents as part of Pinoc chio’s moral development. He’s surrounded by adults who are either self-serving ap peasers like carnival entrepreneur Volpe (Christoph Waltz) and the parish priest (Burn Gorman) or true believers like the father (Ron Perlman) of Pinocchio’s friend Candlewick (Finn Wolfhard). There’s a par ticularly unsettling sequence in which Pi nocchio, Candlewick and other young boys are trained to be soldiers for the Italian army, essentially replacing the more fa miliar Pleasure Island sequence. In this in stance, however, the action becomes even more disturbing, because it’s less about what children devolve into when left with

out adult supervision, but what children can be shaped into by adults steeped in cruelty and hate.

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio includes enough recognizable elements—like a blue fairy (Tilda Swinton) and time spent in the belly of a sea monster—that viewers are hardly starting from scratch in grasping the source material. And there are times when trying to fold a lot of different materi al into this story, including original songs, gives it a slightly over-stuffed feeling. Con necting it all, however, is a remarkable vi sual design unafraid of darker overtones, and a determination to give this Pinocchio its own singular vision. That only requires killing an attachment to previous interpre tations, and not even necessarily killing a cricket. CW

GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO

by Gregory Mann)

(Da vid Bradley).

Robert Zemeckis/Disney

BBB½

McGregor Gregory Mann David Bradley Rated PG

Life Exaggerated

During the lead up to the 2022 midterm elections, many Utahns indulged them selves with the conceit that if the state sent a second independent-minded sena tor to Washington, D.C., the two would be powerbrokers ruling the American politi cal scene. This idea of Utah having a spe cial destiny is not new.

It is a sad fact that Utah’s pioneer found ers were drummed out of New York, Ohio, Illinois and Missouri, before finally re sorting to the last remaining, un-surveyed piece of desert dirt. Utahns have been playing self-esteem catch-up ever since, mostly by overstating their accomplish ments and the state’s value as an example to the world.

To build upon its college football quar terback fame, its momentary professional basketball ascendency and the state’s suc cessful Winter Olympics gig in 2002, Utah bestowed upon itself the “Life Elevated” brand in 2005, bragging about its peerless business climate, the safety of its streets

and neighborhoods and the morality of its people. In the process, it deftly down played its low salary and minimum wage scales, its household opioid and street fentanyl epidemics and porn addiction/ sexual abuse among church-going elders.

One wonders when Utah’s civic leaders will ever adopt a humbler tone and admit faults instead of covering up or doubling down on them—to try and earn respect on a more realistic footing. A good place to start? Cool the jets on the idea that “It’s all good, but we are better.”

KIMBALL SHINKOSKEY Woods Cross

“Home Away From Home,” Nov. 10 News Feature

So, a $3,200 commitment in the first year alone, just for the “privilege” of membership in [Edison House]? I suppose if you’re a tech exec who can charge it on your com pany card or an entrepreneur who can af ford to take the tax writeoff, this might be

a good investment in time and money. Too bad the hoi polloi won’t be allowed past the door, though.

ANNOUNCERGUY

Via Instagram

I know some people who are working two jobs in order to barely get by right now, and a place like this is opening? I have a feeling that within one and a half years, it will be closing.

JESSACA MARIE NEBEKER

Via Facebook

Edison House makes perfect sense for a city with extreme homelessness and out rageous housing costs.

JUJUHERNANDEZ

Via Instagram

Let’s gather some folks in need and crowd fund their $3,200 commitment and see how fast they get denied.

BURRITOSANDSNOW

Via Instagram

How’s the view of people freezing in tents, forced out of their homes to make way for all the luxury being built here?

RAMENBANKS

Via Instagram

Roll back 50 years and you have the Salt Lake Athletic Club. When do we get the Terrace and Zephyr back?

JOE STEWART

Via Facebook

A diverse membership … of people who can afford to buy in at $500 and pay $200 a month.

JAMES CURNEAL

Via Facebook

It’s a glitzy hetero bathhouse.

LISIATE WOLFGRAMM

Via Facebook

Care to sound off on a feature in our pages or about a local concern? Write to comments@ cityweekly.net or post your thoughts on our social media.

THE BOX

Where or what is your best-kept Utah secret?

Kelly Boyce

Goblin Valley State Park. I had driven past the entrance more than double-digit times before I finally went in. Absolutely amaz ing. I’ve heard it’s a great place to consume mushrooms. Unsure why or what type of mushrooms, but it’s just what I hear.

Cody Winget

Capitol Reef National Park. Zion and Arches get all the attention but Capitol Reef is absolutely incredible and Torrey/ Bicknell are sweet little towns.

Larry Carter

I really like Diamond Fork Hot Springs. It is beautiful there year round and great for photographers. I’ve taken some great shots up there.

Scott Renshaw

I genuinely think most people don’t ap preciate how good the local live theater scene is in Utah. We have amazing writers, actors and technicians creating great new work and fascinating new in terpretations of existing work. Every per formance should be filled, all the time.

Benjamin Wood

The Hive Pass! Since ditching my car last winter, I’m down 10 pounds, I have more money in my wallet each month, and I actually look forward to my commutes.

Bill Frost

VFW Post 3586 on Highland Drive. Cheap drinks, good peeps and the only live music bar in Sugar House.

Best Memories

This issue of City Weekly is our latest iteration of the Best of Utah, which for over three decades has been a reliable catalog and curator of Utah life. But there was Utah life before we came along, so I figure this is as good a time as any to fill in the gaps—well, the drinking and partying gaps anyway—with some of the bests that I encountered before City Weekly began chronicling them.

An easy place for me to start is at the Moonlight Gardens and those nights when Annie and the rest—the Best Bar tenders to Ever Serve a Minor —traded their schooners of Coors beer for my newly minted 1972 dimes as I did high school homework.

The following year, and still a minor, I could afford a “Mooner” 50-cent quart of beer thanks to the Best Job Ever when I was hired out on the track gang in the Bing ham Canyon Kennecott Copper Mine. Hard work, cold beer and pool balls clacking in the background. Nothing better.

When I turned 21, I took a bartending job at the bar where I was already hanging out. Club 39 was the mirror opposite of anything I’d ever known, and I’ll always regard it as the Best Fancy Pants Bar Ever in Utah . It adjoined the Restaurant Minoa on the corner of 3900 South and 1100 East, which is now a parking lot for St. Mark’s Hospital. Later iterations of it that people might remember include Oscar’s, The Psychiatrist or One More Time Club.

When it reigned as Club 39, it was at its most eye-open ing, gotta-be-seen-there, awesome best. Who couldn’t fall in love with the mostly Vegas-like show bands that played there nightly? It was Oz to a hick like me. It’s also the first place I saw a guy light a cigarette—that cost less than a

nickel—with a $100 bill (about $550 in today’s dollars).

At nearly the same time, on Highland Drive—where now sits A Bar Named Sue—the Widow McCoy’s began writing its own legendary history. When Judy Foote opened up her club, she became—as far as I’ve ever known—Utah’s first female club owner. It was a private club, of course, as that was the mode back then, and Judy ran a spectacular opera tion with lines out the door most nights.

I was one of her first bartenders, and I’m still stunned that you had to reserve a table not just for dinner, but for Friday lunch as well. So, Best Mentor to Help a Dumb Guy Start a Newspaper —and she did help me launch this newspaper—goes to Judy Foote.

While Widow McCoy’s was the place where stars of the day like Neil Diamond, Joe Namath or Gary Busey could be spotted, out on Redwood Road, at the Westerner Club, a whole different kind of fun was going on. I still pop into the Westerner on occasion, since it’s one of the last cowboys standing. It’s where I became a pretty nifty country swing and two-step dancer, which served me well when I could no longer impress a woman by showing off a newly earned black eye. So, Best Legendary Utah Dance Club goes to The Westerner.

On the subject of best country music anything, the Best Band to Play Back in the Day, Any Genre was CowJazz— bar none. CowJazz set the bar for what a local band could become, with members later making careers in Nashville, Branson and as the backup band Western Underground for the late Chris LeDoux. They’re still playing too, almost 50 years later—spot them every blue moon at A Bar Named Sue’s Midvale location.

Speaking of, that BNS location was originally founded as The Sage Supper Club, yet another of my bartending checkmarks. The Sage is where I met my wife—on my one

and only blind date—and was operated by the Best Club Owner Duo of George Boutsis and Reed James. If a guy couldn’t find something to laugh about at the Sage, some thing was wrong with him. I’m leaving the laugh stories out since they implicate others.

It doesn’t seem like the giant, multi-floor Club 90 on 90th South opened in the 1970s, but it did as a tiny shell of a place that soon became the Best Thing That Ever Hap pened to the Horny Women of Utah County, where they could escape for a night or boozy weekend. I poured drinks there—of course—and I miss my great buddies, founder and owner Mike Kampros and manager Randy Snyder, both now passed away. Club 90 advertised in every issue of this newspaper for over 25 years. That’s a best, too.

State Street once boasted scores of taverns like Reggie’s Rockin’ R, The Crow’s Nest and the Best Bar to Almost Certainly See a Fight In : The City Dump. Who remem bers Utah’s Best Club Frontman , George “Aggie”? That guy was something, dancing his pants off—literally at his annual birthday party—well into his 60s.

Thinking back, most of the action back then was not in Salt Lake City. Some places stood out though: Utah’s Best This Isn’t Utah Club —The Club Manhattan (now Quar ters) operated by the Hatsis brothers, with its heavy Rat Pack vibe. Also, all those massive clubs owned by Ross Fe raco and family—Utah’s Best Music Clubs That Became Discos included Feraco’s, The Watergate, The Iron Horse, Castile and the Black Bull.

If anyone can tell me where they were (one location is still pouring), I’ll send them a $50 gift certificate. I’ll double it if anyone can also name which one I schlepped drinks in. CW

Send answers (and comments) to the Best Slow and Messy Bartender at john@cityweekly.net.

Winter Healing Retreat

HITS&MISSES

BY KATHARINE BIELE @kathybiele

HIT: Slice and Dice

It was funny to hear State Auditor John Dougall and former Salt Lake County Councilwoman Shireen Ghorbani duke out the terminology between redistrict ing and gerrymandering. If you don’t listen to Both Sides of the Aisle on KCPW 88.3 FM, you really should. Yes, Utah is a red state, but even Republicans will no tice the tortured attempts to make the unreasonable seem reasonable. Only some 47% of registered voters came out in the midterms. Ghorbani said the lack of interest came from “disgust and ger rymandering.” Dougall talked about the GOP picking up two more legisla tive seats because it’s “just the nature of population growth.” Ghorbani inter jects: Say gerrymandering. They went on to talk about Suzanne Harrison’s strong bid for a county council seat. Dougall noted that her previous legislative dis trict had been “combined because of redistricting.” What did Ghorbani say? “Yeah, gerrymandering!”

MISS: Cause for Concern

Despite a misleading headline in The Salt Lake Tribune, it’s true that clerk candidates in four counties “espoused conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.” Let’s hand it to the mainly Republican voters that only one was a winner, although the headline made it sound like more. Maybe it was because there was no other credible candidate in Utah County that Aaron Davidson coasted to victory. The other guy was an Independent American, whose web site pictures and quotes include, not coincidentally, former Latter-day Saint Church President Ezra Taft Benson. Davidson has been on a panel discuss ing 2000 Mules, the widely discredited “documentary” about alleged voter fraud in 2020, and he doesn’t like—or trust—mailed ballots, either. So it is with despair and sorrow that we tell Utah County voters to pay better atten tion to their Republican candidates—if Davidson doesn’t disenfranchise them.

MISS: Anywhere But Here

The Salt Lake Tribune makes it sound like a controversy over development in the high Avenues is a simple spat between east and west. You know the talk—it’s NIMBYism or outright dis crimination that is sending “a coordi nated and all-but-unrelenting barrage of public criticism” to the Salt Lake City Council to oppose a proposed 19-dwell ing development by Ivory Homes on F Street and 13th Avenue. The Trib made sure to mention that doctors, lawyers and a retired judge were among the op position. It was a story about the elite vs. the inferior, wasn’t it? A first-time councilman whined that all the heavy density is happening on the west side, and it’s just not fair. Maybe not “all,” but it’s true that developers look for easy targets—like the inland port area. But whether it’s east or west, the city should be considering traffic issues and whether the call for affordable housing is truthful. It might even consider the character of older neighborhoods be fore destroying it.

Best Little Libraries

Strolling around pretty much any Salt Lake neighborhood nowadays, you are guaranteed to find one of those “Little Free Libraries” with a random col lection of books and magazines stashed in them. Most of their locations can be found through an extensive online database maintained by the nonprofit that started the craze (see: littlefreelibrary.org/map); however, a lot of the entries don’t include photos of what the libraries look like which, in my opinion, is just as interesting as the reading material you might find inside.

The creativity of some of our fellow Salt Lake neighbors is really quite remarkable. I’ve come across intricately hand-carved boxes, a replica Union Pacific train cart and even one that looked like a British tele phone box shrunk down to scale—a sly nod to the popular sci-fi TV series Doctor Who. But the Little Free Libraries I like most are the ones that are miniature duplicates of the houses where they are located at. Two of these doppelgängers can be found in the Wasatch Hollow district of Sugar House and the University Gardens area of the East Central neighborhood (left to right in the above photos).

Although the vast majority of these small repositories are filled with books, there are a few that have other offerings. It’s be coming more common to see Free Little Pantries pop up around town—perhaps the most well-known ones being located across from Liberty Park on 500 East and a cluster in Rose Park. To me, these are a sad reminder of the food insecurity needs of some households but an equally encour aging example of neighbors helping other neighbors.

Out of everything I’ve seen so far, my fa vorite “Little Free …” box is the one located in Highland Park off of Parkway Bou levard . It serves as a small-scale gallery of painted rocks, figurines and artwork by both children and adults.

If you can’t make it out there in real life to see it, you can still check out the rotating collection through the owner’s Instagram account @freelittleartgalleryslc. CW

BY ROB BREZSNY

Gotorealastrology.comforRobBrezsny’sexpandedweeklyaudiohoroscopesanddailytext-messagehoroscopes.

Audiohoroscopesalsoavailablebyphoneat877-873-4888or900-950-7700.

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Virginia Woolf wrote a passage that I suspect will apply to you in the coming weeks. She said, “There is no denying the wild horse in us. To gallop intemperately; fall on the sand tired out; to feel the earth spin; to have—positively—a rush of friendship for stones and grasses—there is no getting over the fact that this desire seizes us.” Here’s my question for you, Aries: How will you harness your wild horse energy? I’m hoping that the self-possessed human in you will take command of the horse and direct it to serve you and yours with constructive actions. It’s fine to indulge in some intemperate galloping, too. But I’ll be rooting for a lot of temperate and disciplined galloping.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

“The failure of love might account for most of the suffering in the world,” writes poet Marie Howe. I agree with that state ment. Many of us have had painful episodes revolving around people who no longer love us and people whose lack of love for us makes us feel hurt. That’s the bad news, Taurus. The good news is that you now have more power than usual to heal the failures of love you have endured in the past. You also have an expanded capacity to heal others who have suffered from the failures of love. I hope you will be generous in your ministrations!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

Many Geminis tell me they are often partly awake as they sleep. In their dreams, they might work overtime trying to solve wak ing-life problems. Or they may lie in bed in the dark contemplat ing intricate ideas that fascinate them, or perhaps ruminating on the plot developments unfolding in a book they’ve been reading or a TV show they’ve been bingeing. If you are prone to such behavior, I will ask you to minimize it for a while. In my view, you need to relax your mind extra deeply and allow it to play luxuriously with non-utilitarian fantasies and dreams. You have a sacred duty to yourself to explore mysterious and stirring feelings that bypass rational thought.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

Here are my two key messages for you: 1. Remember where you hide important stuff; 2. Remember that you have indeed hidden some important stuff. Got that? Please note that I am not questioning your urge to lock away a secret or two. I am not criticizing you for wanting to store a treasure that you are not yet ready to use or reveal. It’s completely understandable if you want to keep a part of your inner world off-limits to certain people for the time being. But as you engage in any or all of these actions, make sure you don’t lose touch with your valuables. And don’t forget why you are stashing them.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

I don’t have to give you lessons in expressing your sensuality. Nor do you need prods and encouragement to do so. As a Leo, you most likely have abundant talent in the epicurean arts. But as you prepare to glide into the lush heart of the Sensuality Season, it can’t hurt to offer you a pep talk from your fellow Leo bon vivant, James Baldwin. “To be sensual is to respect and rejoice in the force of life, of life itself, and to be present in all that one does, from the effort of loving to the breaking of bread.”

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Many Virgos are on a lifelong quest to cultivate a knack described by Sigmund Freud: “In the small matters, trust the mind. In the large ones, the heart.” I suspect you are now at a pivotal point in your efforts to master that wisdom. Important decisions are looming in regards to both small and large matters. I believe you will do the right things as long as you empower your mind to do what it does best and your heart to do what it does best.

LIBRA

(Sept. 23 - Oct. 22)

Social media like Facebook and Twitter feed on our outrage. Their algorithms are designed to stir up our disgust and indig

nation. I confess that I get semi-caught in their trap. I am sometimes seduced by the temptation to feel lots of umbrage and wrath, even though those feelings comprise a small minority of my total emotional range. As an antidote, I proactively seek experiences that rouse my wonder and sublimity and holiness. In the next two weeks, Libra, I invite you to cultivate a focus like mine. It’s high time for a phase of minimal anger and loath ing—and maximum reverence and awe.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Scorpio author Sylvia Plath had a disturbing, melodramatic relationship with romance. In one of her short stories, for exam ple, she has a woman character say, “His love is the 20-story leap, the rope at the throat, the knife at the heart.” I urge you to avoid contact with people who think and feel like that—as glamorous as they might seem. In my view, your romantic des tiny in the coming months can and should be uplifting, exciting in healthy ways, and conducive to your well-being. There’s no need to link yourself with shadowy renegades when there will be plenty of radiant helpers available.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

I like Sagittarian healer and author Caroline Myss because she’s both spiritual and practical, compassionate and fierce. Here’s a passage from her work that I think will be helpful for you in the coming weeks: “Get bored with your past. It’s over! Forgive yourself for what you think you did or didn’t do, and focus on what you will do, starting now.” To ensure you make the most of her counsel, I’ll add a further insight from author Augusten Burroughs: “You cannot be a prisoner of your past against your will—because you can only live in the past inside your mind.”

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

How would you respond if you learned that the $55 T-shirt you’re wearing was made by a Haitian kid who earned 10 cents for her work? Would you stop wearing the shirt? Donate it to a thrift store? Send money to the U.N. agency UNICEF, which works to protect Haitian child laborers? I recommend the latter option. I also suggest you use this as a prompt to engage in lei surely meditations on what you might do to reduce the world’s suffering. It’s an excellent time to stretch your imagination to understand how your personal life is interwoven with the lives of countless others, many of whom you don’t even know. And I hope you will think about how to offer extra healings and bless ings not just to your allies, but also to strangers. What’s in it for you? Would this bring any selfish benefits your way? You may be amazed at how it leads you to interesting connections that expand your world.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Aquarian philosopher Alfred North Whitehead wrote, “The silly question is the first intimation of some totally new develop ment.” He also said, “Every really new idea looks crazy at first.” With these thoughts in mind, Aquarius, I will tell you that you are now in the Season of the Silly Question. I invite you to enjoy dreaming up such queries. And as you indulge in that fertile pleasure, include another: Celebrate the Season of Crazy Ideas.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

We all love to follow stories: the stories we live, the stories that unfold for people we know and the stories told in movies, TV shows and books. A high percentage of the entertainment industry’s stories are sad or tormented or horrendously painful. They influence us to think such stories are the norm. They tend to darken our view of life. While I would never try to coax you to avoid all those stories, Pisces, I will encourage you to question whether maybe it’s wise to limit how many you absorb. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to explore this possibility. Be willing to say, “These sad, tormented, painful stories are not ones I want to invite into my imagination.” Try this experiment: For the next three weeks, seek out mostly uplifting tales.

Complete the grid so that each row, column, diagonal and 3x3 square contain all of the numbers 1 to 9. No math is involved. The grid has numbers, but nothing has to add up to anything else. Solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic. Solving time is typically 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your skill and experience.

Sunshine MWs

With the cost of utilities rising, more homeowners are considering con verting to solar to get free energy from the sun and even store some for emergencies. There are any number of companies out there looking to get your hard-earned dollars to in stall their brand of solar products—some bet ter than others.

Solar energy collection isn’t new to Utah. With a 3 megawatt (MW) capacity, the Buck horn Solar Plant in Paragonah is one of the newest solar installations in Utah. It has the capacity to power more than 589 homes. The Utah Red Hills Renewable Energy Park was completed in 2016. This photovoltaic project has the capacity to generate enough power to feed over 20,419 homes.

Best of all, several large retailers have gone solar, including Ikea, Patagonia and Uinta Brewing Co. The state of California has in stalled the greatest capacity by far of solar photovoltaic power in the U.S.

The big news for our state is that a Utah company is partnering with PacifiCorp smack dab in the middle of coal country to build the state’s biggest solar “farm” with a battery storage facility. The farm will sit on about 3,200 acres near the small town of Moore in Emery County—just south of Castle Dale and Huntington. The project—known as the Green River Energy Center—will generate 400 MW from the farm and 200 MW from a bat tery storage facility. The location was chosen because of the amount of sunshine the area receives and also because of its proximity to major transmission lines from nearby coal/ power plants.

Unfortunately, Emery County’s Lila Can yon coal mine caught fire on Sept. 20, and experts say the flames could smolder indefi nitely, which would close the mine forever. The owners will try to drill and flood the mine with water and foam, because the feds won’t let anyone go down into the mine while it’s on fire. This sucks for Rocky Mountain Power, as the two largest power plants in Emery County have now lost access to one of their biggest coal suppliers.

The quality of Utah’s coal is highly desir able, and not just in Utah. Our coal is shipped around the world. But the best quality coal is found in Wyoming—the nation’s leading coal producer since 1986. Our neighbors provide roughly 40% of the country’s coal through the top 10 mines in the cowboy country of Powder River Basin. They, too, are developing solar al ternatives, as Green River, Wyoming, now has its first solar project, called Sweetwater. It’s expected to generate enough clean energy to power 12,000 homes per year.

The website energysage.com/local-data/ solar-companies/ut is a wealth of informa tion, with the history of solar policies in Utah as well as info on state government en ergy programs, energy-saving strategies, the state’s solar policy, solar installers and solar companies, energy statistics, solar incentives and rebates and up-to-date pricing data.

You can actually search other states on the same website.

But do be careful in researching solar op tions—there are, unfortunately, many scam mer’s greedy for your money! n

University of Utah Health and the Moran Eye Center will be destroying medical records created prior to 01/01/2001 for all patients. UUH and Moran will also be destroying medical records created prior to 01/01/2013 for deceased patients who passed away prior to 01/01/2013 and who were over the age of 18 at the time of death. If you would like to request a copy of your records prior to destruction, or if you have a legal right to access a deceased relatives medical information and would like a copy of their records, you must contact the facility at 801-581-2704 before 01/01/2023. After that date, records will no longer be available.

Entrepreneurial Spirit

Michael Sherwood and his son, Kyle, of Cleveland come from a long line of morticians. So a few years back, when a friend wondered how he might have his tattoos preserved after he passes away, the two came up with an idea, Oddity Central reported. They figured out a method for removing and preserving tattoos, then started a business called Save My Ink Forever. “Some of these things really are pieces of art,” Kyle said. “Instead of having just the remains or the burial ... (families) have actually a piece of their loved one.” The Sherwoods say their technique is proprietary, but it takes roughly three or four months. Families are left with a parchmentlike piece of art. “We are trying to do this in the most dignified manner possible,” Kyle added.

Dastardly Deed

Jerome Ellis, a Dollar General employee in DeLand, Florida, allegedly got into an argument with a co-worker on Oct. 24, which prompted him to a retaliatory move that could have been deadly, Fox35-TV reported. On Oct. 25, the victim set down a can of Pepsi and went to the restroom. When he returned, he took a drink of the soda and noticed it tasted like cleaning supplies. Sure enough, video surveillance cameras revealed that Ellis had poured bleach into the Pepsi can, wiped it off, then spit in it. Cameras also caught Ellis trying to unplug the surveillance system. He told investigators that he put cleaning solution in the drink to get back at the co-worker, who he said was difficult to work with.

News You Can Use

Miller Lite wants to light up your Christmas tree in more ways than one! The company is offering the Christmas Tree Keg Stand for the low, low price of $49.99, CNN Business reported. The tree stand is basically a keg with a small table on top, and when beer is dispensed, the design “makes it seem as if beer is being poured from the tree,” said Sarah Showak, associate marketing manager. According to Miller Lite, the stand will support up to a 5-foot-tall tree with ornaments and lights.

Up a Tree

Tyler County (Texas) Deputy Cory LeBlanc and other first responders undertook an unusual assignment on Oct. 31, KFDM-TV reported. An unnamed man who was bow hunting for deer called 911 around 4:25 p.m. to report that he had fallen from his tree stand and was stuck upside down, 18 feet above the ground. The man’s ankle had become lodged in the framework of the stand. “We had the Spurger Volunteer Fire Department, DPS, Texas Parks and Wildlife on the way, all trying to help,” LeBlanc said. After an hour and a half of being heels-over-head, the man was lowered to the ground and was unhurt. His advice: “Use a harness. It was in my truck. I just got complacent.”

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Inexplicable

A female lion at the Topeka Zoo in Kansas has grown a mane, The Topeka Capitol-Journal reported on Oct. 23. Zuri, 18, who lost her mate, Avus, in 2020, started producing more testosterone after his death, which has resulted in the butch look. “It’s nothing like the mane you would see on a fully sexually mature male lion,” said Zuri’s curator, Shanna Simpson. “She looks like a teenaged male lion.” Zookeepers said along with the mane, Zuri has become more feisty—growling, snarling and roaring more than before. “She feels like she needs to protect her pride, so her testosterone increases,” Simpson said.

Great Art

A 1941 artwork by Dutch abstract artist Piet Mondrian has been found to have been hanging upside down in various museums for 75 years, The Guardian reported. One could be forgiven for the mistake; the piece features interlaced red, yellow, black and blue adhesive tape strips that subtly thicken at the bottom. But a photograph of Mondrian’s studio shows the same piece on an easel—with the “bottom” at the top. However, Susanne MeyerBuser, curator of the North Rhine-Westphalia’s art collection, said it will continue to be displayed upside down. “The adhesive tapes are already extremely loose and hanging by a thread,” she said. “And it’s now part of the work’s story.”

Wait, What?

Designer Amanda Booth, 33, of Toronto, Canada, has a busi ness making jewelry, aptly named Trinkets by Amanda, Oddee reported on Oct. 31. Her first pieces were of clay, but then a friend contacted her and asked if she could make a jewelry set from her son’s ashes. Booth has “never said no” to a friend, and the set inspired other customers—one who asked if she could use breast milk to make jewelry. She posted about the jewelry on TikTok and business took off, including orders for items made with umbilical cords, placenta and hair. But the real creme de la creme came when people started requesting jewelry made from semen. Booth transforms the liquids to powder and mixes them with clay, then sculpts the jewelry piece. “I am an open-minded artist,” Booth said.

Spooky

Linda Hill, owner of a rental home in Gainesville, Texas, has ghosts, Fox News reported. Many ghosts. “We’ve got kids, and we’ve got old people, old guys, and we’ve got hookers,” she said. The hookers are the most common visitors, known to stroke a male renter’s face or their arm. “They try to stir up business, but they can’t figure out a way to conclude the transaction, so noth ing ever happens,” she said.

Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com

PAM Engineer (PAME-DP) in Midvale, UT. Engr & manage Privileged Access Mgmt (PAM) tool using built-in monitors, ServiceNow alerts & sys logs. ID & resolve issues within PAM tool. Telecommuting permitted from anywhere in U.S.. BS followed by 5 yrs prog rltd exp. Send resumes to Zions Bancorporation at ZionsCareers@zionsbancorp. com. Must reference job title & code in subject line.