The secret ingredient is storytelling: Inside Herriman’s porch pop-ups
By Robyn Heninger | r.heninger@mycityjournals.com
Meet the local bakers who are trading storefronts for front porches, proving that the secret ingredient to a successful business is a story worth sharing.
Hungry?
The home bakers of Herriman have got you covered. From freshly baked sourdough bread to delicious cookies, these pop-ups offer a variety to satisfy your sweet tooth. Operated right from the baker’s front porch, these aren’t just businesses; these are passions baked into delicacies for all of us to taste.
Alisha Haight-Kunkel opened her sourdough pop-up, Berneda’s Cottage, in April 2025, named after her grandmother Berneda. Haight-Kunkel sells some of the best sourdough in the Herriman area, the bread being light and fluffy, but her story is what makes this business so special. But beyond the light, airy loaves and the popularity of her pop-up, the true secret ingredient behind Berneda’s Cottage is Haight-Kunkel’s deep-rooted connection to her grandmother’s legacy.
“I’ve always loved to bake, and when I first got into sourdough, I named my sourdough starter after her [grandmother, Berneda]. When I was trying to come up with a name for the bakery, I thought it was fitting to name it after her.”
For Haight-Kunkel, honoring her grandmother was a natural choice, as the kitchen was where she first learned to bake under her guidance. “I had two amazing grandmas, and baking with them are my earliest memories.” The setting has since shifted to her own kitchen, where she shares her love for baking with her community.
“I started in April 2025; I had little sourdough bunnies for my soft launch, and everyone kind of showed up for me.” Despite her passion, baking wasn’t something she originally saw herself doing. Haight-Kunkel is a mother to three girls: 22, 6 and 4. “When I was pregnant with my 6-year-old, I was a stay-at-home mom,” Haight-Kunkel said. “And then I became a little stir crazy. So I was baking all the time.”
What had started as a creative outlet began to evolve into something more. “At first it was a little side hobby, and now it’s become a business,” she said.
One of the most unexpected things for Haight-Kunkel was how the community showed support for her business and how it allowed her to make connections she otherwise wouldn’t have.
“My husband and I have always been more introverted, and I didn’t realize the rewards of getting to know
Berneda’s Cottage pop-up located in Herriman City. (Robyn Heninger/City Journals)
DUST MITES POLLEN PET DANDER BACTERIA
COMMON GROUND
Utah’s future belongs to the brave
Common Ground will be a column of rotating viewpoints that highlight specific feelings across the political spectrum, and it will always end with possible ways to come together.
Bravery is a Utah value. It’s right up there with toxic positivity and passive aggression. Many of us have brave ancestors who left their homes and walked hundreds of miles to the Salt Lake Valley, pulling a handcart full of kids who kept asking, “Are we there yet?” That takes courage.
In the face of religious persecution, the pioneers built communities, orchards, temples, schools and arts programs because they were not afraid to do hard things.
It’s time for that type of bravery again. We need to speak our hearts and our truths, and not be led by political partisanship. We need to vote for the people who stand for us, not profit from us.
It’s not just Democrats who believe federal leadership has been catastrophic. It’s not just Democrats who are disappointed in our state’s leadership. Look at the primary election where Republicans voted out three prominent legislators: that took courage. It took people voting their conscience, not just swallowing the party line.
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Bravery means standing for what’s right, even in the face of opposition. It means we choose communities over conflicts and the future over fear. Courage puts people first. It shows we care about people who want healthcare, food, housing, education and inclusion. Those aren’t elite desires. Those are human needs.
The people of Utah want to take back their power. We’re tired of seeing state leaders making shady deals, getting backroom payoffs and pushing legislation that benefits their personal bottom line. How many property developers do we need on Capitol Hill? Good grief!
Bravery means leading differently. Instead of voting along straight party lines (even if your family has been a one-party family for decades), what if we voted for the people we believe have the power to change the status quo?
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Real leaders are courageous; they lead with compassion and understand that empathy isn’t a dirty word. They don’t represent one party; they represent their constituents.
The people who showed up to protest ICE detention facilities or resource-draining data centers weren’t just Democrats. They were Republicans and independent voters who don’t want what these politicians are selling. We have Topaz in our backyard. What bigger reminder do we need that history cannot repeat itself here?
Bravery means we believe in each other. We’re not Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Reformists or Constitutionalists. We are Utahns. Our brand is kindness and optimism. We build communities, we serve the disadvantaged, we teach the uneducated and we offer open hearts to the stranger.
That’s who we are. That’s who we’ve always been.
Common Ground: No matter our political affiliation, we
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need to become bridge builders. We need to reach out to neighbors and family members, even those who don’t agree with our political views.
Lawmakers need to build, not destroy. Create laws and messaging that resonate with people from every political background. This is a red state economically, but a blue state at heart. Just look at our programs built to help people, to assist someone’s journey as they get back on their feet. Utah has a worldwide reputation for service and volunteerism.
We should promote conversations that bring people together with respect and understanding. We should ensure people have the opportunity to express their views without censure or disdain. If our current leaders can’t do that, it’s time to make an abrupt change.
If the primary election taught us anything, it’s that Utahns want a voice. It takes courage to change course. It takes all of us to lead the way.
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Lyf Country Kitchen: The family food truck
Country Kitchen, a Southern-inspired food truck, talks about the importance of family and community in running her business.
By Kristina Walker k.walker@mycityjournals.com
Love your food, love your family, love your friends. That’s the motto written on the side of Lyf Country Kitchen, a Southern homestyle food truck run by Terri Bullard and her oldest son, Christopher Allinder.
The motto, which forms the acronym LYF, is rooted in the deep bond that Bullard, her four kids and grandchildren all share. She, her family and their community are the foundation of their food truck. When starting their business, they wanted to make sure that connection was at the front of it.
“If we are gonna have a new menu item, everybody’s at our house … and they’ll say ‘no, put more pepper,’ ‘change this,’ … that’s how we do everything with this food truck; it’s a family affair,” Bullard said.
Bullard grew up in Axle, Texas, and
although she was surrounded by the tasty aroma of Southern cooking, running a food truck never crossed her mind.
Instead, Bullard got her doctorate from the University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy in 2000. Bullard worked as a pharmacist for 21 years in retail and hospital pharmacy, specializing in cancer treatment.
“I loved it. Most of the time. But after a while it just got to be corporate America, you know, do more with less, do more with less,” Bullard said.
During this time, Bullard struggled with a string of tragic deaths in her family, including her husband.
“Pretty soon I was trying to take care of three estates, and I was an oncology pharmacist, so I was taking care of cancer patients … and I just woke up, and thought, I just can’t do this anymore, this is too much for one person.”
Starting the food truck was a new beginning for Bullard and her family.
The idea emerged when Bullard’s friend came to her and suggested they retire and buy a food truck. Her friend had always loved food, and Bullard agreed to manage it.
At the beginning, they called the truck Lyf Kitchen. However, Bullard and her friend soon realized they had two different visions.
Eventually, they parted ways, and Bullard contacted Allinder, who had been wanting to open a restaurant for years. Together they changed the name to Lyf Country Kitchen, an homage to the southern cooking of Bullard’s childhood and the traditions their family still holds today.
“Being raised in Texas, chicken fried steak is probably the most popular item in the state. So I knew what it was supposed to taste like, and it’s nothing like what you find in Utah,” Bullard said.
Their family’s connection and tradition are what make them different from other food trucks. Not only does every family member help out on the truck, but the majority of the items on the menu are foods you would find at Bullard’s family holidays.
Foods like the chicken fried steak, garlic green beans and beef bourguignon have been modified from Bullard’s family traditions but are still as delicious to serve.
“Everything in our truck comes from
someone. Some experience that we’ve had, and we just pull it all together.”
At the start, Bullard knew little about running a food truck. They had no idea it would be so hard to find places to sell their food or even get the word out.
Marketing and branding were big challenges. At the beginning, Bullard wasn’t aware of how important building a brand and getting followers would be.
“Social media, and just staying true to our roots and trying every single day to bring fresh high-quality food, I think people really recognize that, and our business has been growing ever since,” Bullard said.
Lyf Country Kitchen has been serving southern favorites to Utah for three and a half years and is continuing to expand. According to Bullard, they are in talks about potentially opening a restaurant along with the food truck.
“I don’t like to use the word blessed, but I’m very thankful for everything that I have in my life, considering all the pain, and all the stress and everything that happened … I really think I’m living my best life right now,” Bullard said. l
Terri Bullard, the co-owner of Lyf
Terri Bullard and two of her kids, Zackery and Christopher Allinder in front of Lyf Country Kitchen Food Truck at the Sandy Food Truck night on June 29. (Kristina Walker/City Journals)
Christopher Allinder, “Zackery and Terri Bullard take and prepare orders. (Kristina Walker/ City Journals)
my community,” Haight-Kunkel said. “I have friends that I’ve met through this sourdough.”
Running a porch pickup model requires a lot of trust, but the people of Herriman have proven reliable. “Getting to know our community, it puts my faith back in the honor system,” Haight-Kunkel said. “I’ve done this for a year now. I’ve only had one theft.”
She has actually been overwhelmed by the generosity of her neighbors. “People are so honest,” she said. “I had a donation drive back in November, and the turnout was just amazing.”
What started as a simple skill learned from her grandmother has blossomed from quiet moments in her own kitchen into a vibrant community endeavor. When reflecting on how much her life has changed since opening Berneda’s Cottage, she admits that this journey has taken her by surprise. “I never thought that this was my path,” she said. “It’s not the path I would have imagined for myself, but I’m so glad I’m on it.”
Haight-Kunkel isn’t the only one bringing fresh, handmade goods to the neighborhood. Just a few blocks away, another baker is finding success by offering professional-grade treats right from their own front porch.
Ridic Wells has been cooking for over a decade now and runs a pop-up bakery called Ridiculously Delicious. “I started, not really expecting anything, and then I kind of gained a cult following over the course of a month,” Wells said.
Wells didn’t see himself pursuing a culinary career, and his path to culinary school was unconventional. After serving in the National Guard for six years, his life took a sudden, cinematic turn during a road trip. He had fallen asleep in the back of a truck leaving Illinois, only to wake up at a college in Louisiana. At that moment, he decided this was where he needed
to be; three months later, he packed his bags and moved down south to attend culinary school.
Wells already held an associate degree in nutrition and dietetics. It’s a funny twist of fate: he ended up in the food industry despite—or perhaps because of—a childhood steeped in food philosophy. “My mom was a dietitian, so everything was always, ‘make it fresh, make it healthy,’” Wells laughs. “So now, I’m doing the exact opposite.”
The pop-up’s success was unexpected, as Wells originally launched it only to advertise his professional cooking services. However, thanks to positive word of mouth and public demand, it quickly evolved into a destination of its own.
To keep the community involved, Wells has set up a suggestion box where customers can request fun and unique treats. “Sometimes as a chef, you get stuck making the same things that you’re good at.” Each week he draws two to three cards from the box and makes them for his next pop-up. “It keeps it fun.” This suggestion box has led to creative creations such as a playful Funfetti sourdough he made recently.
“Food’s one of the few things we have left that brings us together,” Wells said.
Rather than sticking to a fixed menu, Wells lets the neighborhood’s cravings dictate what he bakes next. He is already hard at work on his next round of projects to satisfy local demands, including developing a specialized gluten-free sourdough bread. Because of the community engagement, his pop-up has evolved from a simple advertising stunt into a true community destination.
Food will always be a constant in our lives. Food tells stories, whether that story is a grandmother teaching her granddaughter to bake or a man falling asleep in a truck just to wake up to his next steps in life; these stories are what bring people together. People like Haight-Kunkel and Wells and their businesses are what make up the heart of our community. l
Learning by Letting Go
By Ashley Price, Language Arts Teacher
When I began my career in education more than a decade ago, I believed I would be the one driving change. I anticipated discovering the perfect strategies to reach every student to make a lasting mark on education. Today, as a teacher at American Academy of Innovation in South Jordan, I have learned a different and far more meaningful lesson.
The greatest impact I can have is not by standing at the front of the room with all the answers. I need to create opportunities for students to discover their own strengths, make meaningful connections, and develop skills that extend far beyond the classroom.
One of the most effective ways I have found to accomplish this is through project-based learning. At American Academy of Innovation, project-based learning is more than a teaching strategy. It is a priority and considered best practice. Students explore real-world problems and challenges, then use their talents, interests, and experiences to create solutions, products, or presentations. Rather than directing every step, I invite students to help shape the learning process. Together, we become collaborators, and I often find myself learning right alongside them.
One of my favorite examples emerged during a unit on Lord of the Flies by William Golding. After a student asked whether the character Jack Merridew would be tried as an adult for his actions on the island, the class began discussing what a criminal trial might look like. Before long, the students were proposing a full mock trial.
I was hesitant at first. Many of the students involved struggled with engagement and often seemed disconnected from other assignments I created. Still, I decided to trust the process and give the project a chance.
The results exceeded every expectation. Students eagerly volunteered to serve as attorneys and witnesses. They took the initiative to study cases that addressed questions they had about law and organized strategies as teams to prosecute or defend Jack. Those who had rarely participated became leaders. Students who often submitted incomplete assignments arrived fully prepared and excited to contribute. Talents I had never seen before emerged as students crafted arguments, analyzed evidence, and worked together to create an authentic courtroom experience. The invited jury members from our admin team were impressed at how well the students conducted themselves. Even
with some minor obstacles, everything came together beautifully.
It was a breath of fresh air to realize how little direct instruction was needed once the project began. My role shifted from lecturer to mentor. I helped students brainstorm, offered guidance when needed, and encouraged their ideas, but they took ownership of the learning. The classroom became a place of collaboration, creativity, and genuine enthusiasm.
That experience changed the way I teach. Now, every unit includes elements of project-based learning. Students still engage with great literature and important content, but they also have opportunities to explore topics in ways that reflect their interests and strengths. Whether through debates, creative projects, presentations, or problem-solving activities, students are encouraged to take an active role in their own learning.
What I have learned is simple: when students are given the freedom to think, create, and contribute, remarkable things happen. Engagement grows. Confidence develops. Learning becomes meaningful.
As a teacher, I often feel pressured to have all the answers and a solution to every challenge on my own. My most valuable
lesson has been learning to step back and make room for students to shine and make the calls. Their ideas, creativity, and perspectives continue to surprise me, and I am excited to see where they lead us in the coming school year.
Ridiculously Delicious pop-up located in Herriman City. (Photo courtesy Ridic Wells)
Back to School Tips
Back-to-School Health Boost: A Parent’s Guide to a Thriving School Year
AS SUMMER ENDS, the return of backpacks, homework, and early mornings signals a critical time for parents. Prioritizing health now can lay a strong foundation for a child’s successful, healthy, and happy school year.
“The back-to-school transition can be a shock to a child’s system,” explains Dr. Jared Lambert, a CommonSpirit family medicine physician in West Jordan. “They face new schedules, germs, and academic pressures. Proactive health measures are crucial to ease this adjustment and prevent illness or burnout.”
Here are key areas parents should focus on:
1. Reclaim Sleep Schedules, One Bedtime at a Time
Summer often brings later bedtimes. However, adequate sleep is vital for a child’s health and academic performance. “Lack of sleep affects concentration, mood, and immunity,” warns Dr. Natividad Rodriguez, a CommonSpirit family physician in Layton. “Start gradually adjusting bedtimes now, even by 15 minutes each night.” Aim for 9-12 hours of sleep for elementary students, fostering a calming routine with baths or reading.
2. Power Up with Nutritious Fuel
A well-balanced diet fuels both body and mind. “Focus on lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables,” advises Dr. Trystan Blake, a CommonSpirit family physician in Salt Lake City. “A protein- and fiber-rich breakfast sustains them through morning lessons.” Involve children in packing healthy lunches and encourage consistent hydration with a reusable water bottle.
3. Build a Strong Immune Shield
Schools are germ hotbeds. Beyond regular handwashing, ensure your child’s vaccinations are current. “A pre-school physical is ideal for reviewing vaccination schedules and addressing health concerns,” notes Dr. Lambert. “Also, remind them about covering coughs and sneezes, and not sharing water bottles or food.” Sleep and nutrition also boost immunity.
4. Tend to Their Emotional Well-being
The start of school can bring excitement and anxiety. New teachers, classmates, and routines can be overwhelming. “It’s vi-
tal to check in about how they’re feeling,” emphasizes Dr. Rodriguez. “Create a safe space to discuss worries about friends or schoolwork. Reassure them that these feelings are normal and you’re there to support them.” Encourage open communication, validate emotions, and teach coping strategies like deep breathing.
5. Move Their Bodies, Boost Their Minds
Ensure children get at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily. “Physical activity impacts cognitive function and stress reduction,” Dr. Blake observes. “Active children are often more focused and resilient.” The back-to-school season doesn’t have to be a scramble. By addressing these health aspects proactively, you can equip your child for a year of learning, growth, and vibrant health. A little planning now leads to great success.
For more information or to find a provider visit mountain.commonspirit.org
Learn more about the services, care providers and mission-driven work of the Holy Cross hospitals and CommonSpirit Health at www. holycrossutah.org.
At CommonSpirit Health, we make the healing presence of God known in our world by improving the health of the people we serve, especially those who are vulnerable, while we advance social justice for all.
Get to know us before you need us.
When you need emergency care fast, the closest emergency room is a smart thing to know. You never know the level of care you’ll need when an emergency happens and choosing the right ER can make all the difference. And a hospital ER comes with the confidence of additional services right on-site.
Congratulations to CommonSpirit Holy Cross Hospital – Jordan Valley for receiving the Leapfrog Top Hospital Award for 2025. Leapfrog Top Hospital Awards are determined based on a rigorous assessment of various quality and safety measures.
Find emergency care close to you at mountain.commonspirit.org.
Herriman pizza tycoon is Papa Murphy’s largest owner in Utah
The new location is the McPhee family’s 17th in Utah and Wyoming.
By Peri Kinder peri.k@thecityjournals.com
From an 18-year-old prep worker to the largest owner of Papa Murphy’s locations in Utah, Herriman resident Kyle McPhee’s entire life has been shaped by the popular pizza chain. It’s where he met his wife, and where all five of their children have worked at one time or another.
In July, McPhee opened his 15th Papa Murphy’s Utah location in Eagle Mountain, but this time with a business partner, his 20-year-old son, Aydon. “He’s a mini-me, so we get along really well,” McPhee said.
Along with the 15 Utah locations, the West Jordan High grad also owns two Papa Murphy’s shops in Wyoming. His 25-year journey with the company has made him the eighth-largest brand owner in the country. He manages 140 employees, mostly teens working their first jobs, with a low turnover rate.
“I just manage the way I would want to be treated,” he said. “I’ve had jobs in the past and hated my bosses. I decided to manage the way I would want my boss to be. Most of my employees stay with me for three or four years until they go away to college.”
McPhee has faced many challenges over the years, including the COVID months when his high school employees at the Heber location were quarantined for two weeks. But employees’ families stepped up to cover shifts and eventually things went back to normal.
He said that’s an example of what happens when a
business integrates into a community: there’s an ownership and dedication to helping the business succeed. It’s important to McPhee to have Papa Murphy’s involved with community organizations.
“We do a lot of fundraisers with elementary schools, doing spirit nights, and a couple of our stores provide pizzas for charter schools in the area. We do the Oakley Rodeo every year,” he said. “We’re trying to support our actual employees, so if they’re involved in sports or cheerleading, we generally contribute to their fundraisers as well.”
McPhee feels a responsibility to his employees. For many of them, it’s their first job, and while he knows a starting position with Papa Murphy’s might not be a career path, he wants to set an example of a boss they should look for and be in the future.
Now, a second generation of employees is walking through his doors as the kids of former workers are asking to be hired. McPhee enjoys engaging with teenagers, often working alongside them during the day.
“I always joke that they keep me young, because I try to keep up with them,” he said. “I have teenagers myself, so it’s easy for me to get along with them. It’s a lot of fun to work with them.”
Aydon McPhee is excited for the Eagle Mountain location opening, ready to bring his experience into a new chapter while building something special and shaping a future he can be proud of.
His dad told him to never limit his goals, to aim much higher than the original target. Aydon McPhee said even if he falls short of that higher goal, the results will still surpass original expectations.
“It’s such a motivating mindset, and it’s really stuck
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with me,” he said. “Over the next five years, my goal is to become the best at ownership and really master that side of things…I want to be a familiar face, helping out around town, contributing at City Hall and really supporting growth. That way, as I help the community, the community can thrive and grow stronger together.” l
Aydon McPhee partnered with his dad, Kyle McPhee, to open the family’s 15th Papa Murphy’s Utah location at Eagle Mountain. (Photo courtesy Kyle McPhee)
‘Bout Time’s location in Bluffdale has expanded its downstairs to include families, while keeping the sports bar theme alive.
By Tyler McFadden t.mcfadden@mycityjournals.com
‘Bout Time is widely known as a sports bar where adults can come have a drink, cheer for their favorite team and have a good time. Bluffdale’s location has kept the sports bar, but has also expanded it to something more that the whole family can enjoy. The upstairs is 21+, while the downstairs is open for all.
“A lot of people don’t believe it,” Manager Jerri Robertson said. Even though the downstairs is meant for families, the vibe is still very much the same. There are TVs playing games and sports teams’ flags hanging above the bar, which makes the place feel very alive.
This location has worked hard to fuse their themes. They have root beer on tap, which is a perfect example of how they have combined a sports bar and a family restaurant. With this, kids can sort of cosplay as an adult for the day.
Kids are also allowed to sit at the bar in the family area because the alcohol isn’t nearby. A child can sit at the bar beside their parents, making an atmosphere that welcomes everyone. There’s a sign at the front door clarifying that they’ll only ID people if they go upstairs, and that families are encouraged to dine downstairs.
The general atmosphere is the same
throughout the whole restaurant, but there isn’t a lot that shows that kids are allowed downstairs. “We want to put in a claw machine so people can see that this place is family friendly,” Robertson said. The idea is still new and the location has just gotten the ball rolling, so the restaurant is still adapting to this whole thing and more additions can be expected.
The upstairs is still a classic adults only area for those who want to enjoy a typical sports bar. This way, the bar can fully use the space that they have. “Now we use our patio upstairs, and we have the downstairs for more variety,” Robertson said.
The new family area also has the same menu, which helps hammer home the idea that this is still ‘Bout Time. Same old bar food, same old drink menu. “I have favorites from each category,” Robertson said. Each page of the menu has what you expect from a bar: pizza, wings and burgers.
Parents can now cheer for their favorite team alongside their kids and share some good food with them, too. This location’s brand new ideas make it so that parents can give their kids an experience that not many other places offer; they can share an environment that they like with their whole family. If a parent is in the mood to get away from their kids for the night, there’s still the upstairs.
If this location wasn’t unique enough, Bluffdale’s ‘Bout Time is on the location of Utah’s first brewery. “I didn’t know that!” Robertson said. A simple sports bar in Bluffdale is apparently full of surprises. It had a lot of history before, and it continues to do so with its new family space. l
Larkin Mortuary’s dedication to the Utah community is deeply rooted in its history and family values. For over 140 years, spanning seven generations, the Larkin family has proudly served Utah families in their time of need. This commitment extends beyond providing funeral services; Larkin Mortuary actively engages with the community by hosting events and giving back through various service initiatives such as the annual Memorial Day Program, golf tournament, Trunk or Treat and Live Nativity.
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The kid-friendly bar. (Tyler McFadden/City Journals)
Take me out to the Bees ballgame—for food!
The Salt Lake Bees offer one of the widest and most creative food options in all of baseball, with Chef Leonard Love overseeing the creations.
By Tom Haraldsen t.haraldsen@mycityjournals.com
As the Salt Lake Bees settled into their new home at The Ballpark at America First Square last season, team ownership wanted fans to have visits they’d remember. And that involved more than just the play of the Pacific Coast League team that’s been delighting baseball fans in Utah for decades.
It involved ballpark cuisine.
So the call went out to Chef Leonard Love and Dominic Darboghossian, who now serves as vice president of food and beverage. And the creativity began.
“It came about with a vision, a longer term vision in play with Major League Baseball and the state of Utah,” Darboghossian said, fully aware of the efforts being made by the Larry H. Miller Companies to attract an MLB expansion team to the state in the next four or five years. “We wanted to showcase what we are able to do here on a smaller scale, putting more focus on the premium experience for fans coming to baseball games. We coined the phrase, ‘Minor League in a Major Way.’ We’re providing an elevated experience to the fan base and giving MLB a little taste of what’s to come.”
“The literal question was, ‘what is something that you normally can’t find in a ballpark,’” Chef Love said. “Then we started to develop different things, making sure they were the highest level of quality — the food is hot, always fresh, looks good and tastes and smells great. Those are our main focuses.”
Consider some of these dining options: On the top level of the stadium concourse for premium priced tickets, fans can
enjoy a carving station on weekends with meats and proteins, hand-breaded fried chicken, and fanfare bacon-wrapped hot dogs. Downstairs on the first level, an elevated grab and go type format for season ticket holders includes hot dogs, chili, cheese and chips, chicken tenders and fries, plus cookies. The menus started with visions set by LHM and refined by Chef Love.
That’s just part of the story. On game days, all fans can also find a Hibachi Cart — with fried rice, vegetables, beef and chicken options, teriyaki sauce and yum yum sauce. The Loaded Mac cart offers macaroni and cheese with different flavors, and the Mac Pack, a huge serving of Mac and Cheese with three different toppings and different flavors.
The Grand Slam Smashburger offers carmelized onions and American Cheese on a flat topping of a 1.5 pound burger (four patties) and Chef Love’s special secret sauce. It comes with fries if you have room.
Speaking of fries, you can get the “Loaded Fries” that come in a box — literally three feet long — with five pounds of fries and three flavors on top: Philly cheese, a steak taco and a buffalo chicken. It’s clearly meant to be split with friends and family at the ballpark.
The Grand Slam Smashburger will fill you up before three innings have been played. (Tom Haraldsen/City Journals)
Then there’s the Dinger–something exclusive to the Bees, and the largest hotdog in Minor League Baseball. It’s an 18-inch-long dog served in a 20-inch long bun topped with sauerkraut or sauteed peppers and onions. In all, The Bees introduced 22 different food items this season.
One other fan favorite is the Pretzel Bat — which is exactly what it sounds like — an 18-inch pretzel shaped like a bat and especially created for the Bees.
Of course you can also find traditional favorites like regular hotdogs and burgers, pizza, Mexican food items and lots to drink options, including a Swig dirty soda stand. The team plays as the Utah Dirty Sodas for Wednesday night home games this season.
Chef Love said there are family meal deals as well, and his staff of between 100-120 cooks and concession workers, many of whom start preparation work on gamedays at 10 a.m., share a common motto: “Go big or go home.”
The Bees’ home schedule runs through Sept. 11, and the Ballpark hosts a number of other events throughout the year, many of them offering the wide variety of food options Chef Love and his crew put together.
“We just want to take the quality of our food to the next level,” he said.
Mission accomplished. l
The heart of Mountain View Village is a culinary oasis
With a burger place recently opening and a Benihanas on the way, the shopping center’s food options continue to grow.
By Travis Barton travis.b@thecityjournals.com
Mountain
View Village is young, relatively speaking.
In the eight years since its arrival at the edge of Riverton, Cinemark movie theatre, Harmons grocery store and retail from Michaels and HomeGoods to TJ Maxx and Five Below have set up space. Toss in beauty shops like Ulta Beauty and Sephora to go along with PetSmart or Visionworks, and you have just about everything you need for a Saturday shopping fest.
But food is at the heart of the area.
Ted Lambert lives in Saratoga Springs but finds himself at Mountain View Village with his 9-year-old son more often than he expected, having moved there seven years ago.
“I’ve really tried moving (my son) away from the major fast-food chains and this place has so many not common restaurants that we come here all the time,” Lambert said having just left Via 313. They watched Toy Story 5 (he didn’t know there was a Taylor Swift song in it), and then walked to eat some pizza.
“The smaller slices are perfect for him,” he said gesturing to his son.
Via 313 is one of 32 eateries found at Mountain View Village. With two more coming soon in Benihana and Bonnie and Clyde’s. They range from sit-down locations to counter-top orders to dessert delicacies.
Three of the newest culinary offerings came in the last 16 months: MOOYAH, Flower Child and North Italia.
North Italia, an Italian restaurant with hand-tossed pizza and craft cocktails, came to Riverton in spring 2025, its first location in Utah.
July marked the return of its annual Summer Sips menu that runs through Sept. 7. The cocktail lineup is for the summer season with an exclusive Riverton cocktail called Peach Tea Party.
Flower Child, a fast-casual restaurant featuring healthy menu options, opened its second Utah location (the other being on Foothill Drive in Salt Lake City) in January of this year.
“We’re excited to officially become part of the Mountain View Village community,” said Dave Luz, vice president of operations for Flower Child said at the time. “Whether guests are swinging by for a quick lunch, refueling after a workout, or gathering with family for dinner, our team is ready to welcome them with delicious food and genuine hospitality.”
Burger joint MOOYAH is one of its most recent additions holding its grand opening in July, marking its third location in Utah.
The restaurant is the largest MOOYAH nationwide and is operated by twin brothers and experienced restaurant owners Art and Nick Depole.
“Riverton was a natural next step for us in Salt Lake County. Our other two locations in Sandy and South Jordan regularly fill up on Friday and Saturday evenings, and we’ve seen firsthand how strong the demand is for more space and more access to our restaurants,” said Art Depole when the Riverton location was announced.
“This new location will be the largest MOOYAH restaurant to-date, designed to comfortably welcome the growing number of guests who choose us for their family dinners, celebrations and weekend outings,” he said. “Riverton allows us to be in the center of a vibrant, rapidly
expanding community, and we look forward to giving both longtime fans and new guests a spacious, welcoming restaurant that truly reflects what MOOYAH is all about.”
Its expansion has been quick, having opened their Sandy location in 2024, then its spot in South Jordan in 2025.
Other food offerings at Mountain View Village include: Amarza, Aubergine Kitchen, Burgers & Barley, Zupas, Capriotti’s, Caracas Grill, Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, Devil & Angel Desserts, Handel’s, Hero Hotpot, Houston Hot Chicken, Ichi Japan Express, MOD Pizza, Panera, Peace on Earth Coffee, R&R BBQ, Rita’s, Saffron Circle, Santorini’s, Seoul Meat, Shake Shack, Stack 571, Super Chix, Sweet Rolled Tacos, Tuk Tuks and Zao.
“We’ll be back,” Lambert said. l
The pretzel bat, one of the crowd favorites at the Salt Lake Bees games. (Tom Haraldsen/City Journals)
North Italia is back with its Summer Sips menu. (Photo credit North Italia)
Best post-hike food spots in Salt Lake and Davis County
Enjoy a great hike, then stop by one of these places for fantastic bites.
By Peri Kinder peri.k@thecityjournals.com
What pairs with mountain views and waterfalls? A hearty breakfast or scrumptious lunch. There’s nothing like a good meal after hiking trails in the Wasatch Range or Oquirrh Mountains and local restaurants offer everything from juicy ribs to savory crepes. Here are a few options to try after your next hiking adventure.
Eggs In the City, 2795 S. 2300 East, Millcreek
With its outdoor seating and diverse menu, Eggs in the City is the perfect spot to enjoy brunch after exploring Millcreek Canyon. The restaurant offers several versions of eggs Benedict and breakfast burritos, and a fried
chicken-n-waffle dish topped with a hot honey sauce. See the full menu at eggsinthecityslc.square.site.
Porcupine Pub & Grille, 3698 Fort Union Blvd., Cottonwood Heights
For nearly 30 years, Porcupine Pub & Grille has been a favorite place to eat for hikers visiting the Cottonwood Canyons. This local eatery has an extensive breakfast, brunch and lunch menu that includes huge portions of everything from pancakes to pizza. Visit porcupinepub.com for more info.
Smokin’ Bones BBQ, 364 S. 200 West, Bountiful
A morning spent on the Mueller Park Trail in Bountiful can leave you with a big appetite. Luckily, Smokin’ Bones BBQ will whet your whistle with some of the best slowsmoked meats in the county. Brisket burgers, meat platters or the BBQ Navajo taco are local favorites at this family-owned restaurant. Learn more at smokinbonesbbqut.com.
The Cotton Bottom, 2820 E. 6200 South, Holladay
Come hungry to this post-hiking staple, located near Big Cottonwood Canyon. With its dive-bar vibes and hearty servings, The Cotton Bottom is a local’s choice for garlic burgers, fresh-cut fries, Greek salads and loaded hot dogs. Go to thecottonbottom.com to see the menu.
Garage Grill, 12547 Herriman Autorow, Herriman and 1122 Draper Parkway, Draper
Whether you’re hiking Ghost Falls in Draper or exploring Butterfield Canyon in the Oquirrhs, Garage Grill’s two locations have you covered. Along with its
famous Sunday brunch and delicious lunch specials, the auto-themed restaurant features a rotating display of fast cars and a full selection of Salt Flats beer and spirits. Check out thegaragegrill.com.
Weller’s Bistro, 197 N. Main Street, Layton
Hike the Adams Canyon Trail, then find this Layton favorite where homemade German cuisine and beer top the menu. Its bratwurst plate, warm German potato salad, goulash and schnitzel are delicious tributes to the restaurant’s heritage. It’s also the place to go for German pilsner, Hefeweizen and the German-imported beer of the month. Learn more at wellersbistro.com.
Lone Star Taqueria, 2265 Fort Union Blvd., Cottonwood Heights
A hike to Donut Falls isn’t complete until you’ve stopped by Lone Star Taqueria for fresh fish tacos. Open for lunch and dinner, the Mexican food hotspot uses homemade tortillas and chips, hosts a spicy salsa bar and offers fresh guacamole. Parking can be a bit tight, but the wait is worth it.
Annie’s Cafe, 74 W. 500 South, Bountiful
The Bonneville Shoreline Trail offers iconic views of Davis County and Annie’s Cafe provides meals that feel iconic in their own way. With a variety of crepes, from Philly cheese steak to peaches and cream, every member of your hiking party will find a favorite. It also provides gluten-free options. If burgers or sandwiches are more your thing, Annie’s has those, too. View the menu at anniescafeut.com. l
Finish off your hike to Lake Blanche with breakfast, brunch or lunch at local eateries along the Wasatch Range. (Adobe Stock)
2026 SPJ winners for the City Journals/Business Journal
(Society of Professional Journalists)
The City Journals and the Salt Lake Business Journal, sister publications under Loyal Perch Media, captured multiple awards at the prestigious state and regional excellence in journalism competitions for the Society of Professional Journalists. Below is a list of those winners.
Utah Society of Professional Journalists Awards
Travis Barton, Stacey LaMont, Cassie Goff
2026’s Public Service Award (Voters Guide)
Tom Haraldsen
2026’s Roy B. Gibson Freedom of Information Award
Peri Kinder
Writing and Reporting - Division B: Humor / lifestyle column (1st Place)
“Time to face the music”
Judges comments: “Time to face the music” is a well crafted and enjoyable read that made this judge laugh out loud while sympathizing with the writer’s music teacher, dog and husband, who have to endure her music lessons. This entry, along with others presented by her in this competition, clearly show that Peri Kinder is a talented writer.
Cassie Goff
Writing and Reporting - Division B: Best newspaper reporter (1st Place)
Cassie Goff writes to celebrate, inform and build community
“Recapping 20 years of Cottonwood Heights history”
“No more bribing the pet to go the the vet: Mobile Veterinary Options brings the vet to the pet”
“Plans for future growth within Cottonwood Heights are in the works”
“Updates from the 2025 Legislative Session”
Judges comments: “When Cassie Goff is having fun writing, her community is having fun reading. She’s a journalistic gift to her community, infusing her coverage with a bit of her own pizazz and personality without outshining or dimming her town’s sparkle. She finds the meaningful tales/details amid the seemingly mundane minutiae of daily life, whether she’s handling breadand-butter news coverage or feature stories.”
Jet Burnham
Writing and Reporting - Division B:
Continuing coverage (2nd Place)
“The issue of cellphones in schools”
“Parents call on community to create phone-free schools”
“High school students call for cellphone education”
“Read all about it! Books are making a comeback”
Giovanni Radtke
Writing and Reporting - Division B:
Health and Science (2nd Place)
“University of Utah Student Media
“How the U’s Long COVID Clinic ‘Streamlines’ Patient Care”
Mimi Darley Dutton
Writing and Reporting - Division B:
Homelessness and Housing (3rd Place)
“Pros and cons of Draper’s $1 million median home price”
Shaun Delliskave
Shaun Delliskave Headlines
Design and Graphics: Headline writing (3rd Place)
“A lot to lose: Murray trades City Hall parking for development”
“Murray benches tax hike, sends in the reserves”
“From $300 dreams to $1,000 realities—barbecue ain’t for the faint of heartburn”
Salt Lake Business Journal
Design and Graphics: Best newspaper - Division B (3rd Place)
Shaun Delliskave
Writing and Reporting - Division B: Criminal justice (Honorable Mention)
“Investigators still seek clues in 1978 disappearance of pregnant Murray nurse”
Julie Slama
Writing and Reporting - Division B: Health and Science (Honorable Mention)
“Out of this world: Hillcrest High’s eco-friendly pesticide experiment reaches ISS”
Tom Haraldsen
Writing and Reporting - Division B: Sports deadline reporting (Honorable Mention)
“Major leaguers score cash for homers at South Jordan event”
Top of the Rockies Excellence in Journalism Awards
Becky Ginos
Education News – (3rd place)
“75 years of history — Bountiful Elementary to be replaced by new building”
Rebecca Olds
Sports News – (3rd place)
“Building a stronger future for female high school athletes in Utah”
Rebecca Olds
Feature: Short form – (3rd place)
“A fighter, a writer, an avid skier and an optimist — nothing stops Harriet”
Cassie Goff
Special Topic/Section – (3rd place)
“SLC’s Tattoo Convention draws worldwide talent”
Julie Slama
Sports Feature – (1st place)
“Utah Sports Hall of Fame coach hits home run for equality”
Judge’s comment: “Excellent feature reporting that dives into the coach’s background and motivation for coaching as well as challenges she faced in her life and career. Helped round out her story and makes for a great feature.”
Peri Kinder
Personal/Humor Column – (1st place) “Life and Laughter”
Judge’s comment: “An engaging voice, humor and small things we all have encountered. As a respite from a too heavy world, Life and Laughter is the kind of break we all deserve.”
Cassie Goff and Tom Haraldsen. (Emma Leishman/Utah Alumni Relations)
Rebecca Olds, Peri Kinder, Stacey LaMont, Cassie Goff and Tom Haraldsen. (City Journals)
Readers share their family favorites.
By Peri Kinder peri.k@thecityjournals.com
Written on yellowed 3x5 cards, typed on a Smith Corona or posted into a shared doc, family recipes have a way of enduring. It could be a grandmother’s meatloaf, a dad’s barbecue sauce or a great-aunt’s potato salad, but these dishes are handed down through generations, creating a feeling of legacy and connection.
Murray resident Paula Sageser has a recipe for dinner rolls, passed down from her grandmother and mother, that is a frequent request for family holiday gatherings. Her sister taught her how to make the rolls and she’s passed the knowledge on to her niece.
“Some of the steps require making judgment calls, like using enough flour to make a cake batter consistency before letting it rise, or adding enough flour for a biscuit dough texture,” she said. “Over the years, I’ve experimented with making the rolls a little bit healthier by substituting applesauce or bananas for the Crisco. They are a big hit, and I always make a double batch so people have leftovers to take home.”
For Lynda Smart Brown, her family favorite is a hot-batter, chocolate fudge cake recipe made in a pan that’s more than 75 years old. The cake is a birthday tradition that is now shared with a fourth generation of Brown’s family.
Brown’s mom started making the cake decades ago, from a recipe she got from a woman in Louisiana. The aluminum pan she
Well-loved recipes last for generations
baked the cake in has also been handed down and Brown said the pan will be the only thing her kids will fight over when she dies.
“I have never used a boxed cake mix. I only make cakes from scratch and it is usually this one,” Brown said. “I just make it from memory at this point, as we’ve been doing this for almost 65 years.”
Jennafer Martin’s parents both worked out of the home when she was growing up. Her mother loved to cook and bake but didn’t always have time to make things from scratch.
For special occasions, Martin’s mom made what she called “Goo Bars.”
“They were brownies with chocolate chips, nuts, mini marshmallows and raisins mixed in them,” Martin said. “They were aptly named because they were gooey deliciousness. We liked them even more than cake because they were unique and made
Readers’ Favorite Recipes
Paula Sageser’s Dinner Rolls
1 qt. sweet milk
1 c. Crisco (or 1/2 c. Crisco and substitute 1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce)
1 c. sugar
Bring milk, Crisco and sugar to a boil, stirring frequently to keep from scorching. Cool to lukewarm (about 30 minutes). When using applesauce, add it while the mixture is cooling.
Add two packets of dry active yeast
Add enough all-purpose flour to create a dough with cake-batter consistency. Cover with a cloth and let sit for two hours to rise.
Add 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 TBSP. salt
Add flour until it has the consistency of biscuit dough. Generously flour a flat surface and knead in more flour until the dough is not too sticky to roll out and handle. Roll out what you want to bake at a time and refrigerate the rest until needed. Cut with a 3-inch biscuit cutter and place on a greased baking sheet or no-stick baking mat.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown on top. Watch the first batch and adjust time and temperature as needed. When doing a double batch, lower the temperature of later batches to 385 degrees.
with love.”
Elif Ekin, owner of Salt Lake’s Khave Cafe, never had junk food in the house while she was growing up, but she could trade two of her mom’s chocolate chip cookies for pretzel sticks or Doritos.
The recipe originated from Ekin’s great-grandmother and was originally sugar cookies. Ekin’s grandmother added chocolate chips to the recipe, using big chunks of chocolate. Ekin’s mom, Janice Ekin, added her own variations as the favorite cookie continued to evolve.
The dough was so good, Ekin would often sneak bites when her mom wasn’t looking. Eventually, her mom started scooping a dollop of dough into a coffee cup for Ekin, to keep enough dough for cookies.
“I have kept up that tradition with all the
kids and give them a big spoonful of batter in a coffee mug every time I make chocolate chip cookies,” she said. “Over the years, I’ve viewed the recipe as being flexible. [I’ll] use different yogurt flavors, such as lemon coconut yogurt, and add some dry coconut; use apple yogurt with added cinnamon and raisins instead of chocolate chips…I still have friends from elementary school who tell me they remember Mom’s chocolate chip cookies.”
Click on this QR code to find all of the Readers’ Favorite Recipes.l
Jennafer’s Goo Bars
1 box brownie mix
½ c. each: chocolate chips, raisins and mini marshmallows
½ c. nuts, optional
Prepare brownie mix as directed. Stir in additional ingredients and bake as directed. Enjoy!
Ekin’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 c. butter or margarine
2 c. sugar (all white or a mixture of white and brown)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda stirred into 1 c. plain yogurt and set aside
4 c. flour
1 12-oz. bag of chocolate chips
Cream butter and sugar; add eggs and vanilla. Add chocolate chips to the flour. Add flour and chips alternately with the yogurt mixture. Mix well. Drop on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. Variations: Use raisins instead of chocolate chips. Use lemon yogurt instead of plain.
For Chocolate Chip Cookie cake: add 1/4 cup more yogurt and spread dough in a 9x12 inch pan, instead of dropping for cookies. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 25 minutes.
½ c. buttermilk
1/2 tsp. baking soda (will be added to buttermilk)
Blend 2 c. flour and 2 c. sugar
2 eggs, whipped
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cubes of butter
4 TBSP. cocoa
1 c. hot water
Mix the soda into the buttermilk. In a saucepan, melt butter and stir in cocoa. Add hot water and blend until smooth. Lower the heat and slowly mix in the flour and sugar mixture, using a beater to get it smooth.
Add two eggs, mix well. Add the buttermilk and soda mixture. Blend in smoothly. Beat with a beater for a short time, only until folded in.
Pour into a cake pan that has been buttered and floured. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until done.
Chocolate Frosting
4 TBSP. cocoa
1 stick butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. powdered sugar
¼ cup milk or buttermilk
Melt butter and cocoa together in the saucepan. Add the milk and vanilla. Slowly add the powdered sugar until well blended and beat with a beater until the batter is glossy.
Quickly frost the cake, which can still be warm. The fudge-like frosting will set up fast.
Sprinkle with walnuts, if desired.
Lynda Smart Brown’s daughter, Laura, and granddaughter, Lucy, enjoy the family’s favorite chocolate cake, baked in an aluminum pan that’s become an heirloom. (Photo courtesy of Lynda Brown)
Paula Sageser’s family roll recipe has been passed down through generations. (Photo courtesy of Paula Sageser)
Elif Ekin’s mom would give her a big scoop of cookie dough so she could use the rest of the batter for cookies. (Photo courtesy of Elif Ekin)
Lynda Brown’s Chocolate Cake
What do you want to know about the Great Salt Lake?
Newsrooms across
Utah, including the
City Journals, will use the survey results to bolster their reporting about water in Utah
Utah leaders have set a goal to raise the Great Salt Lake by seven feet to 4,198 feet above sea level by the time Utah hosts the 2034 Winter Olympics.
It will be a monumental task to save and dedicate the additional 800,000 acre feet of water needed
each year — that’s twice the amount of water used in homes and on yards in the Great Salt Lake Basin — especially with this year’s record-low snowpack and extreme drought.
Utah newsrooms who have banded together to cover the lake as the Great Salt Lake Collaborative will
cover all of the developments by politicians, philanthropists, residents, businesses, farmers and industries.
Take this quick eight-question survey so we can report on what matters to you. We want to know what questions you have, your hopes and fears and how the lake affects you.
Questions? Contact me at info@ greatsaltlakenews.org.
This article is published through the Great Salt Lake Collaborative with funding from Love the Lake, an initiative of the nonprofit Great Salt Lake Alliance. Editorial decisions are made independently by the Collaborative and partner newsrooms.
Story by Heather May | Great Salt Lake Collaborative
Photos courtesy The Salt Lake Tribune
SLCC’s food community cooks, serves and educates
Culinary Arts education has been specifically curated by prestigious chefs, not only for future bakers, but for community members looking to heat up their skills.
By Cassie Goff c.goff@mycityjournals.com
“The Culinary Arts Program is truly a hidden gem,” said Basil Chelemes, Professor and Interim Dean of SLCC’s program.
This is where people from around Salt Lake Valley come to learn about all-things food. Typically designed as a two-year program, students learn food industry essentials; everything from food preparation, cost-control, and hospitality service principles to cooking meat and the chemistry behind making a great bread loaf.
“Our greatest focus is to train students to be prepared to enter the workforce as competent employees while learning how to serve their guests with exemplary levels of hospitality,” said chef Jeffrey Coker, who is the Associate Dean.
SLCC’s Culinary Arts Program offers two dedicated programs which culminate in the Associate of Applied Science degree: Culinary (savory) and Baking (patisserie).
“I rarely consider this work. I get to party with food nearly every day with people I absolutely enjoy. It doesn’t get much better than that,” said Jeffrey Coker. (Photo courtesy Tori Hunter, SLCC Administrative Assistant)
“And the best part, they never go hungry,” Coker said. “There is plenty of prepared food for them to take home and share with their families.”
Chelemes and Coker have watched a
“Our program not only serves degree seeking students intending to make a career in the hospitality and foodservice industries, but also consumers who may be interested in taking one or two classes,” Jeffrey Coker said. (Photo courtesy Tori Hunter, SLCC Administrative Assistant)
number of alumni continue on to open bakeries, food trucks and restaurants. For example, Evan Shannon has recently stepped into his new role as sous chef at the Twisted Fern in Park City.
“The most relevant lesson I’ve learned through the program…is solutions,” Shannon said. “If something goes wrong, or if a recipe isn’t working, find a solution and make it work.”
On the flip side, many students audit courses in the program to begin making a change in their career, advance their certifications, broaden their horizons, or to simply brush up on their skills.
“We have an 81-year-old student in the program,” Chelemes said. “She likes coming to keep active and loves taking the different classes. She loves to be with people and cook.”
Seeing so many students come to the Culinary Arts Program to brush up on and further develop their home cooking skills, Coker, Chelemes, and their fellow faculty decided to develop a course specifically designed for nondegree-seeking students.
“When I say they party with food each week, I mean it. They have a great time with the chef and take away some incredible recipes and techniques to incorporate at home,” Coker said.
Students of the program learn from and work alongside highly trained faculty who have worked as professional and executive chefs. Chelemes has been teaching and working within the food industry for 36 years. Coker himself used to work as the chef of a prestigious county club in Southern California before moving to Utah nearly 10 years ago.
“I learned so much from chef Keri Karabats,” said alumni Jessie Smith, now Pastry Chef Tournant at St. Regis Resort (Deer
Valley). “I have a lot of recipes from her... Every once in a while, when I get a craving for sourdough bread, I get to pull out my sourdough starter… while remembering the amazing memories I have from that class.”
Coker has been emphasizing getting their program on the radar of local high school students.
“We invite the high schools, as well as the family and friends of the students in the course, to the capstone Catering Management course,” he said. “Every week brings a custom theme and menu concept crafted by each student.”
Coker encourages anyone interested in the program to schedule a time to meet to discuss goals, meet some of the faculty and current students, and take a tour of the building.
“It simply begins with a phone call, text message, or email to learn about the program,” he said.
SLCC’s Culinary Arts Program is taught at the Miller Campus in Sandy (9750 S. 300 West). Their social media can be found on Instagram @SLCC Culinary Institute and Facebook @Jeffrey Coker (slcc culinary institute).
To learn more about the program, visit their SLCC’s Culinary Arts websites at either: www.slcc.edu/culinaryarts or www.slcc.edu/ hospitality-management.
Shannon’s favorite dish “would have to be gochujang pork buns. Gochujang marinated pork with a sweet and savory gochujang garlic aioli.”
Chelemes’ restaurant recommendations include Oquirrh, Manoli’s Greek Small Plates and Per Noi Trattoria. Coker’s recommendations include The Blind Rabbit, Takahashi, Brabo Pizza, the Hearth & Hill restaurants and Itto Sushi. l
The Pause Project helps women learn about menopause
Two Utah event planners are turning their own perimenopause struggles into The Pause Project, a oneday conference Oct. 10 to replace “suffering in silence” with expert advice and community.
By Rebecca Olds rebecca.o@thecityjournals.com
Sarah Kyle and Brooke Tolman have been friends and business partners in the events industry for a long time, so it was natural for them to talk about anything and everything — even the topics the larger community still regards as “taboo.”
“I hate to say it, but especially in Utah … we are supposed to have the perfect home … our children are perfect … there’s just this sense of like you can’t show any of your flaws,” Kyle said.
Tolman started noticing strange symptoms: brain fog that made it impossible to remember details that once came easily, restless nights where her eyes snapped open around 3 a.m. and refused to shut again — what she and Kyle now jokingly call the “3 a.m. club.” Then came the hot flashes. Worst of all was a growing sense that she simply didn’t feel like herself anymore, and her confidence began to crack.
Talking it through with Kyle, Tolman was stunned to learn she wasn’t crazy — and she wasn’t alone. Perimenopause and menopause affect most women, often starting in their 30s and lasting up to 10-12 years. Yet many say they were never told what to expect. Very little information is passed down within families, and most OB-GYN and primary care training includes only minimal menopause education — lining up with what Tolman and Kyle heard about doctors getting “15-20 minutes of training” on hormones.
“For a long time… women were supposed to hold it all together, right?” Tolman said. “The ‘suffering in silence’ is, I think, passed down from generations … you’re a woman, you just have to deal with it.” But Kyle and Tolman decided they weren’t going to “just deal with it.”
“You’re just trying to feel normal,” Tolman said. “I think that is the one sign most doctors agree with: you don’t really know what is happening to you, you just know you don’t feel like yourself, and you may not know that any of this other stuff is all related.”
On Oct. 10 at The Grand America Hotel, Tolman and Kyle are hosting The Pause Project, a one-day conference designed to give women both information and community around perimenopause and
menopause. The event will feature local women physicians and specialists from major health systems, along with Utahbased companies focused on women’s health, supplements and wellness. “We’re not the experts, so we are leaning on experts,” Kyle said. “We do events, we’re suffering from this and we know a lot of women are. So we want to bring this to the public space.”
They hope women will come with friends, adult daughters or sisters, take
A DELICIOUS DESTINATION
advantage of group pricing and, most importantly, bring their questions. Instead of 15 rushed minutes in an exam room, attendees will have a full day to hear from specialists, compare experiences with other women and leave knowing they’re not the only ones awake at 3 a.m. wondering what’s happening to their bodies. l
Brooke Tolman (left) and Sarah Kyle created
The Pause Project to build a community of support for women. (Photo courtesy Frederick W. Hayes/Still Photographer)
A food tour of Utah’s dedicated gluten-free establishments
By Anna Nielsen a.nielsen@mycityjournals.com
There’s no need to make a pilgrimage to Denver, Portland or Europe to find gluten-free (gf) eateries these days. Utah’s gf scene is growing. Whether you have celiac disease, gluten sensitivity or are just interested in trying some good food that happens to be gf, options abound.
Omar’s, formerly Rawtopia, sits near the mouth of Millcreek Canyon at 3961 Wasatch Blvd. The establishment boasts a unique drink selection, including spicy hemp-milk chai, and incredibly creamy dishes (despite being dairyfree), like a sunflower and almond hummus. The made-from-scratch menu caught the attention of Martha Stewart a few years back.
Everything offered is fully gf, dairyfree (df), seed-oil-free, organic and locally sourced where possible, with plenty of raw and vegan options, but the variety goes far beyond the typical salads and bowls. An extensive menu features flavor-packed chili cheese fries; coconut curry rice; berry cheesecake (coconut cashew cheese, that is); mango key lime pie and more. Portions of the high-fiber foods are filling and you’ll leave satiated, but not overstuffed.
If you seek out the sugary stuff, though, the bakeries on the list are your best bet.
Mrs. Hewitt’s Bakery often sells out of their more popular items (especially eclairs). Go early to get your hands on some! Founded by husband-and-wife duo Kimberly and Doug Hewitt in 2016 after his celiac diagnosis, the gf baking company has products (of which many are also vegan) in over 500 stores in Utah and ships to the East Coast, too.
Inside the Paris-inspired café, musettedriven melodies play, transporting you out of industrial surroundings in West Valley (3703 Parkway Blvd.). A fantastically French menu ranges from various crepes to tarts, eclairs and artisan breads. American indulgences aplenty appear on the menu, as well: giant cookies; hoagies, French dip, and grilled cheese sandwiches;
cupcakes; brownies; and dinner rolls.
Good Food Gluten Free Bakery also sells out early and is tucked away in an industrial area, the Granary District, at 423 W. 800 South, Suite A113. Entering, you are faced with impossible decisions filling the displays. A revolving selection always includes yummy loaves of sweet bread in flavors like lemon, zucchini, poppyseed and pumpkin; and various scones; sometimes featuring doughnuts, frosted animal cookies or cinnamon rolls. There is no seating, so perhaps plan to enjoy your purchases on a walk around town or a picnic.
Across Salt Lake, Avenue Bakery on Fourth (376 E. 4th Ave.) has a range of gf breads, muffin tops, gourmet cupcakes and cinnamon rolls, along with rotating daily fresh pastries, hoagies, grab and go meals and local kombucha. There’s a satellite location of the original Avenue Bakery in American Fork (which is not a dedicated gf facility, but offers some gf items), and their goods are all prepared at the original American Fork bakery, “in a separate kitchen using separate tools and equipment to prevent cross-contamination,” says staff. The SLC shop opened in 2024, combining the gf versions of sweets that the first Avenue Bakery became known for with an existing gift shop called Avenues on Fourth.
At 432 S. 900 East, Raw Eddy’s headquarters, a.k.a. the Dopamine Space, has a vibrantly pink and orange interior and smells
like fresh cookies. In addition to being vegan, gf, plant-based and soy-free (and supposedly made by the light of a disco ball), these snack cookies are distinguished by their atypical shape, like big gumdrops, and by being stuffed with superfood ingredients like ashwagandha.
Raw Eddy’s high-protein snacks are available at their storefront, markets, online, and in 40-plus stores around Utah.
Contento Café on 2280 S. West Temple has been hard to get a seat at this year, so make a reservation before you build any weekend brunch plans around it. A modern gf, seed-oil free Mexican restaurant with authentic classics like chilaquiles, tacos, nachos, tostadas, mole, churros, flan and large gf breakfast burritos served all day, this trendy spot is usually bustling.
Ten minutes down the street on 47 W. Fireclay Ave. in Murray, Fueled Coffee is an unexpected, newly-opened find. The specialty coffee roasters started as a coffee cart and grew over the last decade until finding its brick-andmortar home this year. Now with a second location coming to Syracuse, husband-and-wife co-owners Moriah and Austin Best share their journey online, including Moriah’s diagnoses of celiac and lupus, which inspired her to “create a space dedicated to those with allergies.” The rotating variety of baked goods might include lemon cake, banana chip muffins, mini-doughnuts, ultra-chocolatey brownies and sweet and savory toasts on any given day.
with light streaming through the revamped interior of Church and State, stained glass windows towering above while you wait. Other toasts, desserts like alfajores (South American sandwich cookies), and sometimes a gooey cosmic brownie are available, too.
Topping off the list are shops like Good Grains Gluten Free Bakery, which may be located in Heber, but graces the Downtown Farmers Market as a booth sometimes. Fellow vendor, Sauced Up Salsa, is also fully gf. At different markets/events around the state, Sweet Crumbs and other cottage bakeries can be found, many fulfilling weekly orders and finding customers through the Gluten Free Utah Facebook group.
Zest Kitchen & Bar, both vegan and gf, is a true downtown option at 275 S. 200 West. Breakfast choices like fluffy French toast and pancakes stand out here. The organic menu spans global cultural cuisines with smash burgers, grilled “cheeses,” Philly “cheese” tofu, breakfast pizza, shakshuka, Reuben sandwiches and pastas.
Also downtown, coffee shop and café Hallowed Grounds, 370 S. 300 East, has a more limited menu for dining. Still, their sandwiches shine. Stop in for a “brekky sandy,” which is toast topped with avocado, feta, fried egg, balsamic drizzle and red onion; or one covered in Norwegian smoked salmon, capers and cream cheese. Enjoy a dog-friendly third space
Outside of the Salt Lake Valley, dedicated gf places appear everywhere: Sweet Cake in Ogden; The Breakfast Truck in Logan; cottage bakery The Vanilla Bird in Brigham City; Mountain Wellness Kitchen in Heber; Luna’s Kitchen in Park City; The Happy Chick (food truck) in Northern Utah: Hearty Beet café, HB Beverage Co., Go Go GF Farm Stand, and Find Your Fit Bakery in St. George; Locals, Chicken Boy, Ambrosial Bakery and Konala in Provo; and Bismarck Donut in Orem. Events like Gluten Free Food Truck Nights and gf markets also serve the gf community. You can order online directly from further fully gf local bakeries like Good Hope in Springville, or pick up their cookies and df brownies at Quench It! locations throughout Utah. Mom’s Place, based in Spanish Fork, carries gluten-free mixes for breads, desserts, and meals online, and distributes to stores in-state and across the country. There are plenty more local gf companies to uncover each year at the Gluten Free World Expo in Sandy, like Grandpa’s Kitchen, Hugz Snacks, Lakanto, Clean Monday Meals, Nasty Snax, Keto Chow, Gusto Brazil and others.
Honorable mentions (restaurants that are not entirely dedicated, but have a majority gf menu): Arempas, SpudToddos and Dairy Keen. To find even more gf spots worldwide, apps like Find Me GF, Atly and Gluten Advisor come in handy. l
A thick stack of French toast topped with berries at Zest downtown. (Anna Nielsen/City Journals)
Plates of Contento’s chilaquiles and chicken taquitos in SSL. (Anna Nielsen/City Journals)
WasteLess Solutions works to reduce food waste and expand access
By Shaun Delliskave s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com
Asconcerns about food waste and food insecurity continue to grow nationwide, a nonprofit is working to address both issues at once. WasteLess Solutions, led by CEO Alexx Goeller, operates at the intersection of surplus recovery, community partnerships and public education, with a mission focused on reducing waste while improving access to usable food.
“At our core, WasteLess Solutions is tackling a culture of overproduction and overconsumption which leads to an enormous amount of food waste,” Goeller said. “Roughly 30-40% of the U.S. food supply is thrown away each year.”
The organization works directly with food donors—such as restaurants, grocers and event providers—to recover surplus food that would otherwise be discarded. That food is then redistributed, often within hours, to nonprofit partners and community organizations serving populations experiencing food insecurity.
“We are focusing on both ends of the issue, preventing food waste at the source through education, and redirecting surplus edible food to communities experiencing food insecurity,” Goeller said.
While the concept of food rescue may appear simple, Goeller emphasized that the day-to-day operations are complex and time-sensitive. “The biggest challenge that
we face with food rescue is logistically moving large quantities of highly perishable food quickly and safely,” she said. “Timing is crucial and it requires consistent and frequent coordination between donors, volunteers and receiving agencies.”
WasteLess Solutions relies on a network of volunteers—many based in and around Murray—to carry out these rescues. Volunteers pick up food donations and transport them directly to partner organizations, often during narrow time windows to ensure
freshness and safety.
“Reliance on volunteers does come with some unpredictability,” Goeller said. “To manage that, we maintain a large volunteer base and are working on building stronger backup systems for last-minute changes.”
Despite those challenges, she said engagement has remained strong. “Many volunteers feel a passionate connection to our mission and stick with specific routes longterm,” she said.
A key part of the organization’s approach
is its partnership model. Rather than distributing food independently in all cases, WasteLess Solutions works with established nonprofits that already serve specific populations, allowing for more targeted and appropriate distribution.
“A lot of that balance comes down to effective partnerships and relationship management,” Goeller said. “We work closely with other nonprofit organizations that already serve specific communities and understand their needs.”
She pointed to one example where a juice donation was directed to a partner serving individuals without teeth, illustrating how coordination can align food supply with specific needs.
In addition to these partnerships, the organization has begun operating its own mobile markets in the area. These markets allow individuals to select food items directly, rather than receiving pre-packaged distributions.
“When they arrive, there is a large selection of food which allows people to select exactly what they need,” Goeller said. “That program is new for us and has been extremely successful.”
WasteLess Solutions measures its impact through a combination of data and community feedback. While pounds of food rescued and people served remain important benchmarks, Goeller said the organization also evaluates partnership strength, volunteer engagement and program quality.
“Quality of programming is just as important as quantity,” she said, noting that ensuring the food is both usable and valuable to recipients is a central focus.
The organization also works to address misconceptions about rescued food. “A common misconception is that rescued food comes from the garbage or is unsafe in some way,” Goeller said. “In reality, the food is high-quality and perfectly edible.”
Beyond redistribution, WasteLess Solutions incorporates education into its mission, working with businesses and community members to reduce waste before it occurs. This includes guidance on event planning, waste reduction strategies and reporting tools that help organizations track their impact.
“We don’t just redistribute food, we are actively helping businesses and consumers reduce surplus in the first place,” Goeller said.
Looking ahead, Goeller said broader systemic changes could further support efforts like those underway in Murray. “Standardizing date labeling and strengthening food donation policies would make a significant difference,” she said, pointing to confusion around “best by” and “use by” labels as a major contributor to unnecessary waste.
While systemic change may take time, WasteLess Solutions continues to operate at the intersection of environmental sustainability and community need—working to ensure that food that might otherwise be discarded finds its way to those who can use it. l
WasteLess Solutions volunteers prepare meals from surplus recovered food. (Photo courtesy of Alexx Goeller)
From one breakfast cafe to a Utah restaurant empire
What started as an East Coast-style cafe has become a 10-restaurant operation serving thousands.
By Peri Kinder peri.k@thecityjournals.com
Paul Willey has become something of a restaurant magnate in Utah. He and his siblings are celebrating the 15th anniversary of Penny Ann’s Cafe, but he owns 10 restaurants across three brands in Salt Lake and Davis County, employing more than 300 people.
The original Penny Ann’s opened its downtown Salt Lake City cafe in 2011 and the family has added four additional locations since then. Willey is CEO; his brother Warren Willey serves as head chef; his sister Cindy Pulley is the service manager and Penny Ann (the restaurant’s namesake) is in charge of customer relations, which includes greeting guests and chatting with regulars.
Penny Ann’s started after the family migrated from Upstate New York. They wanted to bring an East Coast diner to Utah, complete with burrito-style omelets, a breakfast counter and a welcoming atmosphere.
Cindy
Pulley, holding the strawberry chocolate Dubai hot cakes, is Penny Ann’s service manager and the face of the restaurant on social media. (Photo courtesy of Paul Willey)
“You just come in, have a seat whether it’s at the counter, in a booth, or at a table, and enjoy some homemade comfort food,” Willey said. “People in Utah appreciate the value.”
Along with their flagship hot cakes, Penny Ann’s menu includes items like banana bread French toast and strawberry chocolate Dubai hot cakes. The diner has earned Best of Utah
and Best of State awards, including Best Breakfast in Utah for 11 years in a row.
“We’re a Utah chain. We’re proud to be this Utah story, coming in as transplants and being embraced by the Utah community,” he said. “It’s kind of amazing.”
In the summer of 2019, Willey participated in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program. As part of the curriculum, he developed a growth plan for Penny Ann’s, but it got him thinking about other opportunities to branch out.
He soon became a partner in Mr. Charlie’s Chicken restaurants and in October 2022, he learned the owners of Moochie’s Cheesesteaks, Don MacDonald and Joanna Rendi, were looking to retire. They wanted to sell their business to another East Coast family. Willey was all in, calling it “a natural fit.”
“The regional manager with Moochie’s stayed on with us. He’s been with the company now for almost 15 years. That’s a testament to the culture that Joanna and Don built at Moochie’s. We wanted to keep that same culture,” Willey said.
He’s kept most things the same, but updated some menu items, including the addition of fresh mozzarella to the roast beef or Italian deli sandwiches. He also added the Utah Philly, a local take on a classic burger that stays true to the Moochie’s brand.
The family created a management
company called PAC Foods to oversee the 10 restaurant locations: Five Penny Anne Cafes, three Moochie’s Cheesesteaks and two Mr. Charlie’s Chicken restaurants. Willey will add to those numbers when Moochie’s and Mr. Charlie’s open at the Salt Lake International Airport this fall.
“We’re always a work in progress. We’re always striving to improve. I always take reviews personally,” he said. “I always scour our Google reviews, but I always appreciate it when guests reach out directly to give us feedback.”
Willey said although the business has grown to include new restaurants, the company’s values are the same across all brands. Service, teamwork, respect, integrity and passion are what keep him and his family serving thousands of customers each year, working to create the best service and food options for people in Utah.
“My philosophy with managing restaurants is that it’s about the people,” Willey said. “If you take care of your core management team, they will take care of your guests. We want to make sure that we’re listening to our team and getting feedback from them on how we can improve and how we can be better. We are never resting on our laurels.”
For location and menu information, visit pennyannscafe.com, mrcharlies.com and moochiescheesesteak.com. l
The Most Important Meeting of the Week Happens at Your Kitchen Table
Not long ago, I sat near a family at a local restaurant and noticed something that has stuck with me. Four people shared one table, but nobody shared a word. Every face was lit by a phone. I don’t share this to judge them — I suspect every one of us has been that family at some point. Between work, school, practices, and the constant hum of notifications, it’s entirely possible to spend a whole evening in the same room with the people we love and never actually connect with them.
As a member of the Salt Lake County Council, I spend a lot of time thinking about what makes our communities strong — safe neighborhoods, good parks, responsible budgets. But the truth is that the strength of Salt Lake County doesn’t begin in a council chamber. It begins in living rooms, around dinner tables, and in the front seats of cars driving home from school.
And right now, our kids need that strength more than ever. Young people across our county and state are reporting
Sheer
Aimee Winder Newton
Salt Lake County
Councilmember District 3
rising levels of anxiety, loneliness, and depression. Parents feel the weight of it, too. Many are working hard just to keep up, quietly wondering whether they’re doing enough for their children.
Here’s the encouraging part: what children need most isn’t complicated, and it isn’t expensive. It doesn’t require a perfect home or a perfect parent. It requires presence.
Strong families aren’t built in grand gestures. They’re built in small, ordinary moments — a real conversation on the drive home, a teenager flopping onto the
couch to unload about their day, a dinner where the phones stay in another room long enough for everyone to laugh or vent or tell a story. Individually, these moments seem almost too small to matter. Stacked together over years, they become the foundation a child stands on.
The research backs this up in striking ways. Utah youth who share at least one meal a week with their family are 45% less likely to feel depressed, 70% less likely to vape, and 54% less likely to consider suicide. Read those numbers again. No county program, however well designed, can compete with the protective power of a family that regularly sits down and eats together. And the effect compounds — the more meals shared each week, the more protection our kids carry with them. Data shows kids do better in school and they engage in less risky behaviors. Family dinners, with phones put away, have so much power.
If there’s one practical step I’d encourage every household in Salt Lake County to try, it’s carving out screen-free time
together. Technology brings real benefits, but it also competes for our attention in ways we don’t always notice. When every meal, car ride, and quiet evening is interrupted by a device, the openings for conversation slowly close.
Connection rarely arrives on schedule. When my own kids were teenagers, their moment to open up was almost always late at night, just as I was ready to collapse into bed. They’d knock on the door and settle at the foot of the bed to talk. I was exhausted — but I learned that those unplanned moments were the ones that mattered most. Our job as parents and grandparents is simply to be available when they come.
Families looking for practical ideas can find free resources at strongfamilies. utah.gov. But honestly, you don’t need a website to start. Tonight, put the phones in a drawer, sit down together, and ask a real question. Then listen. Kids don’t need us to be perfect. They need us to be present. In Salt Lake County, that may be the best investment any of us can make.
Ambrosia blends Greek tradition with Southern sweetness
Rita Magalde’s Sheer Ambrosia bakery is built on family memories and connection.
By Peri Kinder
peri.k@thecityjournals.com
In Greek mythology, ambrosia is the food of the gods. For Rita Magalde, owner of Sheer Ambrosia bakery, the name was the perfect choice for her Greek-inspired baklava.
While the pastry traces its roots to the Mediterranean, her recipes are infused with the flavors of her Southern upbringing, blending tradition with memories of her mother’s blackberry pie and peach cobbler.
“Baklava is an amazingly elaborate dessert,” Magalde said. “Mine is Greek and Southern-inspired, but it is a world dessert. It is not just Greek; it is Eastern European, it is Middle Eastern, it is Northern African. There’s baklava in Egypt, in Lebanon, in Morocco, in Bosnia, in Armenia, in Turkey, in Iraq and Iran; in all of those countries.”
Born in New York City, but raised in a small town in North Carolina, Magalde attended Appalachian State University near the Blue Ridge Mountains, studying history and Spanish. She moved to Spain to immerse herself in the language and culture and married a man from Santander, a city on the country’s northern coast. They moved to Utah for the skiing.
Following a divorce, Magalde wanted to offer the world something no one else could. She thought back to her first job in North Carolina, where she did babysitting
for a Greek family who owned a seafood restaurant.
“I was in their house a lot and I learned how to make lots of Greek foods. Baklava was just one of them, but it was the one that really stood out to me because, for me, baklava is art,” she said. “It was really beautiful, and so over the years I just played around with recipes.”
The Draper resident has refined her process, creating 15 varieties of baklava, from
traditional honey walnut to more exotic flavors like pistachio orange cardamom, butterscotch rum walnut and caramel cashew crunch.
With 45 layers of phyllo dough in every batch, Magalde’s baklava is a rich, dense, luxurious dessert that customers order from around the world. It was recently named Salt Lake City’s Best Dessert by Best of Salt Lake.
Magalde has built a strong following over the years. Following the George Floyd riots in 2020, she learned Sheer Ambrosia had been added to a list of Black-owned businesses that people could support. Orders started rolling in from all over the Salt Lake Valley.
She began filling orders but didn’t want to ship them, feeling it was too impersonal. She wanted to see the people who supported her and tell them thank you.
“I just couldn’t believe that all of those people wanted to support me in Utah,” she said. “So after I made all those orders, I hand-delivered every single one of them. I drove up and down the Wasatch Front and I knocked on doors and said, ‘I have your order. I’m here to look you in the eye and tell you, thank you. Thank you for supporting my business.’”
That extra effort created devoted customers and coverage from news sources, including National Public Radio.
Magalde believes people are missing that human connection. She recently started The Hearth Letter, where subscribers receive a package in the mail with a letter, a recipe, a bookmark and inspirational thoughts.
“I learned that there is a resurgence of
people who like snail mail,” she said. “We grew up receiving real letters in the mail. There’s a whole connection there, with people who want to go back to that.”
Magalde continues to provide exquisite baklava for weddings, corporate gifts and community events, while selling her products online and in her cozy Sheer Ambrosia storefront located at 1749 S. State Street. For more information, visit sheerambrosiabakery.com.
“Baklava is connection,” she said. “I have so many amazing friendships that I have built through my business, and I’ve learned so many lessons from my customers and through running this business.” l
With more than a dozen varieties, Rita Magalde’s baklava is a nod to tradition and her roots. (Tom Haraldsen/City Journals)
Rita Magalde’s baklava at Sheer Ambrosia is a “love letter” to her family and community. The baklava was recently named Salt Lake City’s Best Dessert by Best of Salt Lake. (Tom Haraldsen/City Journals)
The Magic Starts When the Kids Stay Home
Every couple should take a child-free Disneyland vacation. Without kids, you can focus on what really matters: blaming each other for choosing the wrong line. You can also notice how many adults willingly wear matching T-shirts and mouse ears.
When my husband and I celebrated his birthday at the Happiest Place on Earth, it was chaotic, exhilarating and crowded, but at least it was expensive.
Our plan was to hit both Disney parks in one day. We had a detailed itinerary, a portable phone charger and high expectations that lasted until we got to the parking lot. It was our first hour-long wait, but not the last. Luckily, we didn’t have kids whining in the backseat. That was my department.
Once we got into Disneyland, we used the park’s app to jump into the first line with a less-than-45-minute wait. It was the Jungle Cruise, where the jokes are as old as Disney itself.
Tom talks to anyone, so as we snaked through the line, he’d connect with people based on their ballcaps.
“Hey, you’re a Dodgers fan!” he’d say.
“Yep.”
“That’s great. We’re Giants fans, but we love Ohtani.”
The Dodgers fan would nod and we’d wind through the maze until we met up with
Peri Kinder Life and Laughter
him again for another short, baseball-themed conversation. By the fifth pass, Tom had exhausted every baseball topic he knew and the stranger pretended he didn’t see us.
Avoiding eye contact is my starting point, so it didn’t affect me, but my extroverted husband spent an inordinate amount of time trying to understand why his new best friend was ghosting him.
“We met him 40 minutes ago,” I reminded him.
“Was it something I said?” he asked.
“Probably.”
Being without kids, we didn’t have to set foot in Fantasyland, which is basically a 10-acre stroller park filled with exhausted parents and overstimulated toddlers begging for $45 Cinderella bubble wands.
Instead, we got drenched on Tiana’s Bayou (which will always be Splash Mountain) and endured a 75-minute wait at Guardians of the Galaxy, along with 15,000 high school graduates. Apparently,
teenagers like to celebrate graduation by standing in long lines.
After paying an extra $30 for the Star Wars Experience, we headed to the Incredicoaster at California Adventure. Looking around, we realized we were the oldest people in line, right before we were shot into the sky and bounced around like a tennis shoe in the washing machine.
We couldn’t ride Space Mountain, which closed every 20 minutes (I’m assuming to hose down the seats), but we survived other high-speed rides without severe whiplash or needing EMS assistance.
We agreed there were too many kids roaming the area. Maybe Disneyland could create an adults-only park featuring Mickey’s Pub Crawl where you can pay $20 to get into a bar fight with Pluto.
Donald Duck’s Anger Management Arena or Minnie’s Marriage Counseling could hit the spot after spending the day with your significant other arguing about whether the Disneyland Railroad is worth the time. It’s not.
Disneyland is built on storytelling, which I love, but after hours in line, no one cares why the mansion is haunted, no one cares who stole the treasure. No one is paying attention to the elaborate backstory. We just want to ride, scream for 90 seconds and move on.
I suggest you never take your kids to Disneyland. For one thing, it’s cheaper. For another, you don’t have to negotiate with the child who wants a smoked turkey leg while everyone else wants pizza.
Child-free Disneyland allows you to hold hands with your partner as you zip, tumble and catapult through the air. That’s the real magic.
Peri Kinder is an award-winning columnist and journalist who has written for The City Journals since 2004. She also hosts the Life & Laughter podcast. Peri can be reached at peri.k@thecityjournals.com.
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