See Inside... Corn chili ice cream flavor?
The road to Utah’s best tamales apparently leads to a parking lot
By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com
While saving for a full-sized food truck, Itzel Erandi has built a devoted fan base from a crimson van parked beside a gas station, one tamale at a time.
It’s not every day that a parking lot becomes a culinary destination. Yet on Sundays, while some Utahns are searching for brunch reservations, others are searching for a crimson van near a grocery store. Why? Because House Tamales is rumored to serve the best tamales in Utah. Whether that’s officially recognized by any governing body of tamale experts remains unclear, but the growing crowds around owner Itzel Erandi’s van suggest the public has already reached a verdict.
On most Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays, customers begin lining up near the Smith’s Marketplace at 845 E. 4500 South, drawn by the aroma of fresh tamales and the promise of a meal worth planning a weekend around. What started as a simple idea has grown into one of the valley’s most beloved mobile food businesses.
Behind House Tamales is Itzel Erandi, a native of Michoacán, Mexico, who has lived in the United States for the past seven years with her husband and three children.
The story behind the tamales begins long before the crimson van.
“I learned how to make tamales from my mother back in Michoacán,” Erandi said. “To this day, I believe that her seasoning is what makes these tamales so special. There is something magical about a mother’s cooking.”
That family tradition remains at the heart of every tamale she sells.
Unlike many food businesses that begin with elaborate business plans and spreadsheets, House Tamales was born from something much simpler.
“The idea of selling tamales from my truck came naturally,” she said. “It wasn’t something I planned, it simply came to me one day. I just knew that I wanted people to experience and enjoy the tamales that mean so much to my family and me.”
Fortunately for Utah tamale lovers, she acted on that impulse.
What customers may not realize is the amount of work hidden inside every tamale. While many people are sleeping, Erandi is already hard at work preparing the next day’s batch.
“My work begins early and requires many hours of preparation,” she explained.
Her day starts at 6 a.m. by boiling meats before preparing both red and green sauces and shredding the meat. Around 7 p.m., she begins assembling tamales and works until approximately 9:30 p.m.
If that sounds like a long day, she’s not finished.
The next morning starts at 4 a.m., when she begins cooking the tamales. While they steam, she prepares what she describes as her special “magical” green sauce before packing everything and heading out to serve customers.
That’s right. While many of us are debating whether we have enough energy to hit the snooze button one more time,
Continued on page 8
Itzel Erandi is hoping to save enough for a full-blown food truck to sell what some say are the best tamales in Utah. (Shaun Delliskave/City Journals)
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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Common Ground
Finish off your hike to Lake Blanche with breakfast, brunch or lunch at local eateries along the Wasatch Range. (Adobe Stock)
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
Ice cream entrepreneur has the competition licked
Hidden Oak Gourmet Creamery takes ice cream to the next level.
By Peri Kinder peri.k@thecityjournals.com
Jeffthe Ice Cream Guy has a particular set of skills. For instance, he can convince you that sweet corn, green chili and ice cream belong in the same sentence, and he’ll have you coming back for more.
As the founder of Hidden Oak Gourmet Creamery, Jeff spent years curating interesting ice cream flavors for a sophisticated take on Utah’s favorite dessert. His signature flavor, strawberry basil, made him a favorite at farmers markets, where his unusual combinations garnered a lot of attention. He attracts the type of person who craves something a little less vanilla.
“Our ice cream definitely stops people in their tracks,” he said.
It all started after a trip to Europe, where Jeff and his kids enjoyed deliciously rich ice cream. When they returned to the States, they found all the ice cream options to be boring. They decided to recreate the experience in their own kitchen.
His artisanal French-style ice cream is made from scratch, steeped with local herbs and other fresh ingredients, and cooked in a sous vide. He sold his first batch of ice cream on Oct. 8, 2022 and built a commercial kitchen seven months later.
Now his ice cream can be found in several local grocery stores, including The Store in Holladay and Salt Lake, and he has a shop at the Salt Lake City co-working space Church & State on 370 S. 300 East.
The journey hasn’t been easy. The Taylorsville resident figures he’s lost $10,000 worth of ice cream over the last four years due to recipe disasters or equipment breakdowns. He said it’s been a whirlwind of experiences to get to the place he is now, with ups and downs, bumps and bruises.
“You just have to keep fighting through the fight, and you know that eventually, if you have faith in the product, and you keep fighting, someone will be like, ‘Wow, that ice cream is amazing,’ and it makes it worth it. But there have been so many times that I needed to walk away for a day. Like, I’m gonna go find a place to cry in the corner.”
His perseverance paid off as Hidden Oak was awarded the 2026 Best of State trophy for Best Artisan Ice Cream. Jeff and his three daughters have all contributed to the company’s success. He said good food should be the center of every celebration and believes ice cream should be unforgettable.
Jeff also creates individualized ice cream flavors for celebrations like weddings or birthdays. He wants Hidden Oak to be part of a family’s big events, creating memorable taste experiences and fun stories.
Never one to rest on his laurels, Jeff is experimenting with new flavors for summer, including a watermelon sorbet with cucumber-coconut cream and a wild berry shortcake with honey caramel. He also partnered with Heat Street to create a papaya pineapple habanero hot sauce caramel that he serves on vanilla ice cream.
“Making the ice cream, I have to be focused, I have to be dialed in. So when things are going wrong, I head down to the kitchen and make some ice cream, and it just brings the joy,” Jeff said. “You just deal with the hard things, take the ones you love, go after your own mountains and the universe is your opportunity.” l
Jeff the Ice Cream Guy turns an ice cream-making hobby into a unique business with Hidden Oak Gourmet Creamery. (Peri Kinder/City Journals)
The local company is more than just a kitchen store.
By Peri Kinder peri.k@thecityjournals.com
If
Orson Gygi walked into his kitchen supply store today, he would be shocked by its size and scope. Gygi started his business in 1945, providing kitchen equipment to local restaurant owners. His kids went door to door, selling knives, squeeze bottles and other products to make cooking a little easier.
Located at 3500 S. 300 West, the Orson Gygi Company has grown into a trusted culinary resource. Although its store now spans 38,000 square feet and offers more than 25,000 products, including the 800,000 pounds of chocolate it sells annually to local and national customers, it has remained a community-based, family-owned business.
Heather Smith is Gygi’s great-granddaughter and vice president of the company. Her father, Brad McDonald, is Gygi’s grandson who operates under the loose title of “president and janitorial services.”
“We’ve been very fortunate to be such a name in the community. I think people think we’re a lot bigger than we are. But we’re a family-owned small business that loves the community,” Smith said. “This is our heart and soul. I hope that when people shop and walk in the doors, that’s what they feel. They feel they’ve got a friend in the kitchen and they have someone they can turn to.”
Orson Gygi Company celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2025, but it almost didn’t make it past the 90s. In 1998, a devastating fire destroyed the building, resulting in a $2.5-million loss. Gygi had passed away more than a decade before the disaster and his children didn’t want to rebuild and start over.
that considered us an institution. I kind of threw a fit.”
After a family discussion, it was decided that McDonald would take over. Even though he had worked as a general contractor for 20 years, he was willing to change careers and lead the business because he had witnessed the dedication his family had put into it, along with the customers’ devotion.
After the fire, Orson Gygi Company shifted its focus. While still providing equipment for restaurants and professional chefs, it also began catering to residential cooks and bakers looking for quality products.
At the time, the Food Network was blowing up and people realized that cooking didn’t have to be a chore but could be something creative and fun. The store became a one-stop shop for specialty cookware, baking pans, cookie sheets, utensils, party supplies, pantry staples, grills, griddles, mixers and hundreds of other products.
Hiring knowledgeable employees has helped the business set itself apart from its competitors. The 30 staff members are experts in the food industry, understanding all elements of baking, cooking, candy making and grilling.
The company, now in its fourth generation of ownership, continues to evolve, offering demonstrations and hands-on cooking classes, hosting a blog with recipes and tips and finding new ways to introduce people to the love of baking. For more information, visit Gygi.com.
That’s when McDonald stepped up. He was determined to reopen the company to reaffirm its dedication to the customers and employees.
“I had just gotten involved in the business less than six months before [the fire],” McDonald said. “Of course, I’d grown up in this environment, and I had seen all the loyal customers
“The best part about this is we get all walks of life that come through here,” Smith said. “Whether it’s a sweet lady who’s been making chocolates for 60 years or someone who is 15 years old and wants to make suckers. We have professionals, we have home chefs, we have beginners, we have pros. It’s fun to see them walk the aisles together because there’s a place for everyone.” l
Orson Gygi’s popular pizza classes teach dough basics and flavor pairing techniques, using the Gozney outdoor pizza oven. (Photo courtesy of Orson Gygi)
New Ladder 81 rolls into service as Murray honors tradition, prepares for the future
Murray’s new $1.72-million Ladder
81 officially entered service on Independence Day, blending a centuries-old fire service tradition with state-of-the-art technology built to protect a growing city.
By Shaun Delliskave s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com
Whileclassic cars gleamed under the summer sun at Murray Park on Independence Day, the most expensive set of polished wheels was drawing admiration a few blocks away. Instead of chrome bumpers and vintage paint, it was 70,000 pounds of cutting-edge firefighting technology taking center stage.
Erandi has already started cooking hundreds of tamales.
The effort appears to be paying off.
“Knowing that so many people love my tamales brings me great satisfaction and happiness,” she said. “I am deeply grateful to every customer who supports my business.”
The business currently operates three days each week, with Sundays proving especially popular.
“Thanks to God, the three days each week that we sell are successful for us, and Sundays are especially busy,” she said.
Ask Erandi about her favorite item on the menu and she doesn’t hesitate.
“Personally, my favorite tamales are the chicken tamales with green sauce,” she said, “and it seems that many of my customers agree.”
Given the growing crowds surrounding the crimson van, those customers appear to know exactly what they’re talking about.
For now, House Tamales continues serving customers from its mobile setup, but Erandi has bigger ambitions.
“Looking toward the future, my dream is to own and operate a larger food truck, one that will allow me to serve more customers while providing a safer and more comfortable experience for everyone,” she said.
Until then, customers can continue finding House Tamales in the parking lot, where a family recipe, a lot of hard work, and a little bit of “magical” green sauce have created one of Utah’s tastiest success stories.
And if you happen to see a line forming beside a crimson van on a Sunday morning, don’t worry—you haven’t stumbled upon a secret society.
You’ve just found the tamales.
For the most up-to-date schedule and locations, customers are encouraged to visit House Tamales’ Facebook page.l
On July 4, the Murray Fire Department celebrated the arrival of its newest ladder truck with a traditional push-in ceremony, a time-honored fire service custom that dates back more than a century.
The ceremony recalls the days of horsedrawn fire apparatus, when firefighters physically pushed their engines back into the station because horses could not back the heavy wagons into place. Today, the ritual symbolizes teamwork, service and officially placing a new apparatus into service for the community.
“This ceremony reminds us that serving our community is a shared responsibility built on dedication, trust and service,” said Fire Chief Joey Mittelman.
The new apparatus, designated Ladder 81, represents one of the largest equipment investments in the department’s history. The truck cost $1.72 million, although city officials note it was ordered nearly four years ago. Had Murray waited until today to place the order, the same apparatus would now cost approximately $2.3 million, highlighting both the lengthy manufacturing timeline and the rapidly increasing cost of specialized emergency vehicles.
For residents, however, the investment is about far more than dollars.
and denser neighborhoods, firefighters needed a ladder truck designed for modern urban environments. Ladder 81 features a 107-foot aerial ladder, a dramatically tighter turning radius—shrinking from roughly 60 feet to just 37 feet—and requires less space to deploy its ladder, making it more effective on narrow streets and crowded parking lots.
The truck also carries 150 additional gallons of water, expanded storage for specialized rescue equipment, and was customized by Murray firefighters to meet the city’s specific needs.
Perhaps one of its most overlooked features is one firefighters appreciate the most.
Although classified as a ladder truck, Ladder 81 is also a fully capable fire engine. It can independently respond to many emergency situations without waiting for additional specialized equipment. It also carries a carefully selected 40-foot ground ladder, allowing crews to reach homes where fences, landscaping or tight courtyards prevent the aerial ladder from being deployed effectively.
computers, Ladder 81 will enter frontline service later this month, responding to emergencies around the clock.
Its arrival also allows the department to relocate its ladder company back to Station 81, where it was originally intended to be housed, while returning an engine company to Station 83 to better serve surrounding residential neighborhoods.
The truck it replaces isn’t disappearing. Murray’s 2009 ladder truck, Tower 83, will transition into reserve service after nearly two decades protecting the community. During its career, it responded to some of Murray’s largest fires, including the Wagon Master Restaurant, Three Fountains East Condominiums, Stillwater Apartments and several major apartment construction fires that required assistance from departments across the Salt Lake Valley.
Chief Mittelman hopes the newest member of Murray’s fleet builds an equally distinguished legacy, while hopefully seeing fewer devastating fires.
“My hope is that this ladder truck spends far more time preventing tragedy than responding to it,” he said. “Every time it leaves the station, we hope it helps bring someone home safely.”
As firefighters, city officials and residents gathered to place their hands on the massive truck during the push-in ceremony, the symbolism was unmistakable. The new ladder wasn’t simply being parked inside a fire station, it was being entrusted with protecting the community for the next generation.
And while classic automobiles may have turned plenty of heads at Murray’s Fourth of July car show, this brand-new ride will always turn heads, but hopefully not too often, but safe to assume everyone will be glad when they do. l
Murray FD gather around to celebrate their new $1.7-million ladder truck put onto services on July 4. (Shaun Delliskave/City Journals)
Tradition going back to the horse-drawn wagon days, requires an new fire truck to have pushin ceremony to bring it into services. (Shaun Delliskave/City Journals)
Tamales are made fresh daily and sell out by the afternoon. (Photo courtesy of House Tamales)
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.
When minutes count, count on our emergency care.
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.
CommonSpirit Holy Cross Hospital – Salt Lake has been awarded Chest Pain Center Accreditation from the American College of Cardiology (ACC). Facilities that achieve accreditation meet or exceed an array of stringent criteria for evaluating, diagnosing and treating patients who may be experiencing a heart attack.
Find emergency care close to you at mountain.commonspirit.org
Fresh out of college with a degree in Spanish and English-as-a-Second language, Horizon Elementary’s new principal thought he knew exactly what he would be teaching when he accepted a fulltime Spanish position in the small town of Parachute, Colorado.
After moving from Utah to Colorado and signing a lease, Todd Barrow got unexpected news.
“They were like, ‘We’re not going to be able to do our Spanish program this year; do you want to teach U.S. history and English?’”
have more impact on students. After earning a master’s degree in educational administration from Western Governors University, he served Box Elder School District for eight years as an assistant principal and as a principal.
At Horizon, a Spanish-dual immersion school, Barrow plans to focus first on listening and building relationships. He expected to meet some of the 550 students and families at the Spanish dual immersion school during “Popsicles with the Principal” in late June.
“I’m getting to know people and will be learning names at the largest of Murray’s elementary schools,” he said. “I’m a kid-first guy, but I’ve learned in my role, I have to take care of the people who are taking care of the students.”
Barrow already is impressed by the Title I school’s strong academic performance.
“Horizon has pretty good state test results,” he said. “I want to know what’s con-
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MAYOR’S MESSAGE
Murray Welcomes Two Incredible Events This Fall
One of the things I love about Murray is that there’s always something bringing people together. This fall is no exception. Over the course of just a few weeks, our city will welcome thousands of visitors for two unique events that celebrate creativity, community, and the things that make Murray such a special place to be.
The first is the Zepstone International Film & Music Festival (ZepFEST), taking place August 31 through September. It’s pretty amazing to think that filmmakers from around the world will be coming to Murray to share more than 150 independent films while artists, musicians, writers, and performers gather throughout our community. Events will take place at the Murray Theater, Murray Armory, Murray Library, Ice Haus, and Murray Park. Along the way you’ll find film movie premieres, live music, workshops, filmmaker Q&As, fashion showcases, and opportunities to meet creative people from all over. You can visit zepfestofficial.org for more details.
Then, just a couple of weeks later, the sky over Murray lls with color as Magic Over Murray returns September 18–20. If you’ve been before,
Visit the Murray Museum to see its newest exhibit featuring a Lego model of the historic Murray City Hall. Guests can also pick up a free mini Lego kit of the building while supplies last. The Murray Museum is located at 4872 Poplar Street. Admission is free.
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Brett A. Hales -Mayor mayor@murray.utah.gov 801-264-2600
you already know why people love it. If you haven’t, this is the year to come. Formerly known as the Utah Hot Air Balloon Palooza, the festival continues to grow with sunrise balloon launches, the Saturday evening Balloon Glow (now at Murray Park), food trucks, an artisan market, STEM activities, a classic car show, kids’ activities, and thirteen beautiful hot air balloons from across the West. This year’s festival is expected to welcome nearly 10,000 visitors, making it one of the Wasatch Front’s premier fall events. You can nd schedules, balloon ride information, and more at magicovermurray.com.
Events like these introduce new people to our restaurants and businesses, create memories for families, and remind us why we’re proud to call Murray home. They also happen because of countless volunteers, community partners, businesses, and organizations that work together to make something special.
I hope you’ll take time to enjoy one, or both, of these events. Invite your family, bring a friend, and help us give visitors a warm Murray welcome. It’s going to be a fun few weeks, and I can’t wait to see our community shine.
MESSAGE FROM THE COUNCIL
Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary
I have always loved Independence Day. Growing up in Michigan, we would watch my dad play clarinet in the Eddy Concert band every 4th of July. You can’t help but feel patriotic listening to the Stars and Stripes Forever. Even at a young age, beautiful renditions of God Bless America and America the Beautiful put a prayer of gratitude in my heart for the freedoms we enjoy. This year, for America’s semi-quincentennial, I was hoping it would feel special. I wasn’t sure how to make that happen, as it was shaping up to be pretty similar to most Independence Days. Don’t get me wrong, the 4th of July is always great, especially in Murray. I just couldn’t see how to set this year apart and feel extra patriotic.
As I planned out my day, I decided that I would swing by Murray’s Sunrise Service at the amphitheater, between helping set up for the Rotary breakfast and walking in the parade. I am a little embarrassed to admit that I had never attended Murray’s Sunrise Service before. I had thought there just wasn’t enough time between the breakfast set-up and getting ready for the parade. This year, I decided to make it work. I am so glad that I did! I was not aware that the Murray Concert Band played so many of the patriot-
ic songs that I grew up with during the service. I was ooded with nostalgia and a deep love for our country and community. There was also a wonderful, short patriotic prayer/devotional by Pastor Nate from Cottonwood Presbyterian and two short, great patriotic speeches about the meaning of America 250 by the youth leaders of the Murray Youth Council. I was particularly touched when the band played the Armed Forces Medley. As they played the anthem for each military branch, veterans who served stood up to be recognized. I was lled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for their sacri ce and service. This patriotic spirit stayed with me during the parade, throughout the day, and into the night as I watched Murray’s wonderful reworks display.
I will de nitely prioritize attending our sunrise service every year, from here on out. I will also spread the word so that others don’t miss out like I did previously. I am so grateful to have had this special experience while celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. As it says so beautifully in the lyrics to America the Beautiful, may we have grace, brotherhood, self-control, liberty, love, mercy, and nobleness from sea to shining sea.
Murray Senior Recreation Center
10 E 6150 S, Murray, Utah 84107
801-264-2635
mcreg.com • seniorrec@murray.utah.gov
Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
8:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. • Closed Sat and Sun
CHEF OMAR LIMON
DAILY LUNCH
Date: Tuesday through Friday
Time: 11:30 a.m. – noon
Cost: Cost is $6; prior reg. not required CLASSES
CERAMICS
Date: Tuesday and Thursday
Time: 9:00 a.m. – noon
Cost: $2 each class plus cost of supplies
FRAUD AWARENESS
Date: Wednesday, Aug. 12
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Cost: Free
GRIEF SUPPORT
Date: Friday, Aug. 21
Time: 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Cost: Free
ASK A NURSE: Are You Feeling Worn Out?
Date: Friday, Aug. 21
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Cost: Free
VITAL AGING: MINDFULNESS
Date: Friday, Aug. 28
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Cost: Free
SCIENCE: THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
Date: Thursday, Sep. 3
Time: 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Cost: Free DANCE
THURSDAY EVENING SOCIAL DANCE
Live Music provided by Tony Summerhays
Date: Thursdays
Time: 7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Cost: $5
DANCE FITNESS CLASSES: NIA
(blend of dance, martial arts, and mindfulness)
Date: Mondays
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Cost: $4 per class or $15 per month
ZUMBA GOLD (designed speci cally for seniors)
Date: Fridays
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Cost: $4 per class or $10 per month
FITNESS: Daily Fitness Classes – check our current newsletter for the schedule and fees PROGRAMS BINGO
Date: Wednesdays and Fridays
Time: 12:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Cost: Free, donations are appreciated
BRIDGE LESSONS
Date: Mondays
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Cost: Free
CHINESE MAHJONG TILE GAME
Date: Tuesdays
Time: 12:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Cost: Free
MEXICAN TRAIN DOMINOS GAME
Date: Thursdays
Time: 12:15 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Cost: Free
MONDAY MOVIES AND MUNCHIES
Date: Mondays
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Cost: Free
CLUBS
BOOK CLUB: The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris by Evie Woods
Date: Tuesday, Sep. 1
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Cost: Free
October Book: The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick November Book: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Please check our website for any changes in programs and to view our newsletter which contains detailed information about these programs and more.
CITY COUNCIL
City Council District #1 Paul Pickett
801-743-0911
ppickett@murray.utah.gov
Council District 2 Pam Cotter
801-541-8364
pcotter@murray.utah.gov
Council District 3 Clark Bullen
801-718-2017
cbullen@murray.utah.gov
Council District 4
Diane Turner
801-635-6382
diane.turner@murray.utah.gov
City Council District #5 Adam Hock
801-557-1346
ahock@murray.utah.gov
Executive Director Jennifer Kennedy Office: 801-264-2622 jkennedy@murray.utah.gov Telephone Agenda Information 801-264-2525
—Clark Bullen, Council District #3
Thursday, September 10th 4:00-6:30 pm
Murray City Park Pavilion #5
Food, balloon animals, demonstrations, PRIZES, and more!
UPCOMING EVENTS
AUGUST 4 - 7PM
NORTH BY NORTHWEST
AUGUST 5 - 7PM THE BIRDS
AUGUST 6 - 7PM VERTIGO
AUGUST 8 - 7:00PM
KISS TRIBUTE BAND
AUGUST 11- 7PM VERTIGO
AUGUST 12 - 7PM
NORTH BY NORTHWEST
AUGUST 13 - 7PM THE BIRDS
AUGUST 18 - 7PM THE BIRDS
AUGUST 19 - 7PM
VERTIGO
AUGUST 20 - 7PM
NORTH BY NORTHWEST
AUGUST 25 - 7:30 PM
SALT LAKE IMPROV - COMEDY
AUGUST 26 - 6:00 PM
PBS VIEWING PARTY
AUGUST 30 - 7:00 PM
Nocturne Film Society
Tues/Thurs & Saturdays - second
Ages 3-6
Mondays starts Sept 7
Ages 6-12
Wednesdays starts Sept 9
BASKETBALL
Ages 6-7 Tuesdays starts Sept 8
Ages 6-12 Tues/Sat starts Sept 12
Ages 8-14 Saturdays starts Sept 12 Ages 5+ Labor Day September 7
Ages 9-14
Fridays starts Sept 11
CROSS COUNTRY
Year Born 2012-19 Tue, Thu, Fri starts Sept 1
Ages 10u-18u Days Vary - Begins August 24
COME DANCE WITH US A THE SILENT DISCO!
If you’ve never been to a silent disco, everyone receives a pair of headphones with programmed music and multiple stations. You can pick your station and dance at your own speed! There will be a local food truck available for dinner. This is a free event and details are the following: August 28, from 6-8 PM, at the Murray Armory. (246 E Myrtle Ave, Murray, UT 84107)
Murray Senior Recreation Center
After years of working side by side, school administrators take the helm of Murray High and Hillcrest Junior High with a focus on supporting students and the upcoming grade configuration.
By Julie Slama j.slama@mycityjournals.com
Thisfall, a familiar face will greet students in the halls of Murray High.
After four years leading Hillcrest Junior High, Claustina Mahon-Reynolds has been named the next principal of Murray High, stepping into the position as current principal Quinn Linde leaves to lead a Saratoga Springs high school in Utah County. At Hillcrest, Assistant Principal Sam Salinas will take the helm, continuing a partnership with Mahon-Reynolds, just in a different format.
Together, they are amongst the leaders guiding a major shift in how Murray students experience school. In 2027, Murray School District will move to a traditional middle school and high school model, bringing sixth-graders to Hillcrest and ninth-graders to Murray High.
Mahon-Reynolds sees the change as beneficial and understands parental concerns for younger students.
“Nine through 12th grade is appropriate developmentally and six through eight also is,” she said. “I understand concerns, but we’ll have a freshman wing that’s being built and sixth-graders will be in a wing at Hillcrest.”
Salinas, who will lead Hillcrest through the transition, agrees the work ahead is significant, but do-able.
“We’re really looking forward to setting up the playing field this coming year for the big change to six, seven, eight,” he said. “It’s a big project, not for the faint of heart.”
Mahon-Reynolds and Salinas are colleagues whose careers have intersected across multiple Utah schools and districts over 12 years.
“The positive of me being named Hillcrest’s principal is there will be a continuation here of what Dr. Reynolds and I have been working on now for four years,” Salinas said.
Mahon-Reynolds plans to use their same shared leadership style and philosophy centered on relationships and teamwork as she transcends to a different building.
“Hillcrest is like a town and Murray High is like a city,” she said. “But it’s still people, relationship building, validating people and loving on people.”
Both principals emphasize while the structure soon will be changing, student success will remain the priority.
Mahon-Reynolds said bringing ninth-graders to Murray High will give them earlier access to critical academic supports.
New chapter for Murray schools
“I think ninth-graders being here will make a world of difference, especially from an academic standpoint,” she said. “There’s an opportunity for them to understand the FLEX program and be able to utilize that resource, seeking additional help, having reteaching instruction or an opportunity to retake a test.”
At Hillcrest, Salinas is focused on making sixth-graders adjust to seven teachers instead of one.
“We’re forming a year zero committee with our teachers,” he said. “There is a lot of work to do to ensure the sixth-graders feel welcomed here with open arms and open hearts; we’re wanting to pave the road so they can be successful under a middle school model.”
As Mahon-Reynolds steps into her first high school principalship, she is clear on her priorities.
“Listening, listening, listening — validating people and getting a lay of the land,” she said. “I’m a big person on looking at data and making decisions around what is best for students.”
Mahon-Reynolds has been blazing a trail of more than two decades in education, starting in Yonkers, New York, where she began her career teaching Spanish, before moving into administration. Her leadership style is known to be genuine and kind.
“I’m a leader, and I lead with my head, my heart, my hands and my habits,” she said. “I want to be present, show compassion and be authentic. I have integrity — what you see is what you get.”
That perspective was deepened by a life-threatening car accident in 2021.
“I had a 30% chance of survival rate,” Mahon-Reynolds said. “I feel blessed to be alive; the message I got is you must walk in purpose in everything you do.”
That sense of purpose is evident in her approach to schools and students’ safety.
“It’s the No. 1 priority; if a child doesn’t feel safe, they’re not going to learn,” she said. “Salinas has the same priority, even in his demeanor. When he’s talking to you, he’s very attentive. He gives you eye contact and a sense of trust.”
Salinas, in his 30th year in education, brings international experience as a former president of a university extension he opened in Mexico. His deep commitment to student access and equity are clear as he said one of his top priorities is continuing support for multilingual learners.
“When we focus on that group and those practices, everybody wins,” he said.
Also continuing is the school’s One Book, One School program and a team is currently selecting a book for the next year. He plans to continue supporting the after-school program and help pave the way for all students to have access and a shot to compete in high school sports.
For both leaders, the transition is more than logistics; it’s about community.
“Being able to serve the community once again, although in a little different capacity, is an honor and a privilege,” Mahon-Reynolds said. “I know the (Hillcrest) Gladiators and I’m looking forward to meeting the Raptors (of Riverview Junior High).”
Salinas said their shared history and aligned vision, with a commitment on relationships, will help going forward.
GRIEF HAS NO TIMELINE
“We’re able to finish each other’s sentences,” he said. “So, we’ll be able to communicate and collaborate and have a smooth transition and a positive impact for Murray students. l
Grief is an individual journey with a path as unique as each one of us. To o er support and hope, we provide various Grief Support Services for those who are mourning a recent or past loss.
After working together at Hillcrest Junior High the past four years, Sam Salinas and Claustina Mahon-Reynolds were named principals at Hillcrest and Murray High, respectively. (Julie Slama/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
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.
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.” l
Lynda Brown’s Chocolate Cake
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)
Salt Lake City Walk
MEET THE EXPERTS BERNIE
With years of handson experience and an ISA Certified Arborist certification, Bernie specializes in power line-clearance—ensuring safety for our crews and your property. He leads with expertise, cares about every detail, and takes pride in doing the job right.
What do you want to know about the
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.
A food tour of Utah’s dedicated gluten-free establishments
In the Salt Lake Valley alone, over a dozen gf businesses can be found.
By Anna Nielsen a.nielsen@mycityjournals.com
There’sno 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 dairy-free), like a sunflower and almond hummus. The made-fromscratch 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
WAITER/WAITRESS
BRAZA GRILL – Full-time
Send resume and cover letter to brazagrill@hotmail.com
5927 SOUTH STATE STREET MURRAY UT – (801) 506-7788 – Salary $19,820.00
Minimum Education: High School Diploma/Ged
Greet and seat customers, present menus, answer questions, make suggestions. Take orders manually or via POS, send to kitchen/bar.
Serve food and beverages, including specialty dishes at tables. Prepare itemized checks and collect payments.
Ensure customer satisfaction and address issues promptly.
Clean tables, reset place settings, stock supplies, ensure tidy customer areas. Perform general cleaning: sweep/mop floors, tidy dining area/restrooms.
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-and-mortar 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.
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 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.
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)
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)
Utah’s most infamous restaurant: ‘The Coon Chicken Inn’
Its fried chicken drew diners, but its branding made history—and contin ues to define its legacy.
By Shaun Delliskave s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com
Few restaurants in Utah history have left behind a legacy as enduring—or as con troversial—as the Coon Chicken Inn.
Ask a food historian about the Salt Lake City restaurant today, and chances are they won’t begin by describing its fried chicken. Instead, they’ll talk about its name, its unforgettable front entrance, and how it has become one of America’s best-known exam ples of racist advertising.
That distinction has earned the former Utah restaurant a place in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution and the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia, where its menus, postcards, advertisements and promo tional items are preserved—not as celebrations of the business, but as artifacts that help explain a troubling chapter of American history.
When the restaurant opened on Highland Drive in 1925, owner Maxon Lester Graham was tapping into two powerful trends: Amer ica’s growing love affair with roadside dining and the era’s widespread acceptance of racial caricatures in advertising.
The restaurant’s marketing left little to the imagination.
Customers entered through the mouth of a giant caricature of a smiling Black man wearing a red railroad porter cap. The same exaggerated image appeared everywhere— from menus and postcards to matchbooks, china and roadside signs. Even the restau rant’s name employed a racial slur that was commonly used during the Jim Crow era.
It was impossible to overlook.
Ironically, while the building became famous across the West, relatively little attention was paid to what was actually being served inside.
By all accounts, the food itself was solid American comfort fare. Fried chicken was the specialty, accompanied by mashed potatoes, biscuits, gravy, chicken pot pie, sandwiches, seafood, steaks and homemade desserts. Families filled the dining room, motorists stopped while traveling through Salt Lake City, and the restaurant became popular enough to inspire additional loca tions in Seattle and Portland.
Yet unlike other regional restaurant chains remembered for recipes or signature dishes, the restaurant became known primarily for its branding.
The Jim Crow Museum at Ferris State University describes the restaurant as one of the most recognizable examples of commercialized racial stereotyping in American business. The museum notes that every aspect of the operation—from the architecture to the advertising—was built around imagery
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 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.
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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