Best Cult Winery
Best Proof Bacon Isn’t Over Yet Best Add-on
Along with its draft ales and lagers, Avenues Proper offers contemporary American pub fare. The veggie burger is a diamond as far as veg patties go. But there’s one thing that could make it better: bacon. Does it seem sacrilegious to put the house-smoked slab of pork awesomeness on a perfectly excellent veggie burger? Call us heretics, then. 376 8th Ave., Suite C, 385-227-8628, avenuesproper.com
Best Free Fix
When you head to The Republican, the thought of a frothy brew makes your salivary glands sing. And then when you walk through the door, you just can’t help but drool. Ah, the smell of bacon. And it’s free for quaffers on Wednesdays. Bacon as you watch soccer, bacon as you play shuffleboard or darts, and bacon as you drink a Guinness. 917 S. State, 801-595-1916
Evan Lewandowski’s wine list at Pago reflects an intensely felt wine philosophy. But his starry-eyed idealism is best seen in his own Ruth Lewandowski Wines. Named after Evan’s favorite book in the bible, Ruth, the winery in South Salt Lake produces of-the-Earth, organic, totally “hands-off” wine. The product of a creative Spirit (the “S” is upper-case on purpose) Evan’s wines are unique and urban. And somewhat mysterious. 3340 S. 300 West, SLC, 801-230-7331, By appointment only, ruthlewandowskiwines.com
Best Tater Tot
Tater tots are having a moment. The kitsch crispy may be a trademark of Ore-Ida, but Ryan Lowder’s Copper Common makes them in house, from scratch. 111 E. Broadway, SLC, 801-355-0543
Best Use
of Yuzu
This little citrus fruit originated in China and is widely used in Japanese cuisine. Chefs in the U.S. have taken a liking to it and yuzu can be found in everything from beer to pastries. The best use of yuzu locally can be found at Current Fish & Oyster, where pastry chef Alexa Norlin places the perfect amount of the piquant fruit in her posset. 279 E. 300 South, SLC, 801-326-3474
Best Wine Flight
A great example of why we need a wine bar and not just bars that serve wine, the Little Islands Flight at BTG Wine Bar offers tasting portions of three different Madeira wines. It’s an education! It’s a cocktail! It’s delicious, and you won’t find anything like it anywhere else. 53 W. 100 South, SLC, 801-359-2814
Best Disguise
You know our local wurstmeister Frody Volgger is the best, and we hope you’ve discovered his sausage boutique, Salt & Smoke. But you may not have tried his Bacon Wurst, a porklover’s fantasy come true. 155 W. Malvern Ave., SLC, 801-680-8529
Best Strip Mall Sushi
For those who think going out for sushi in landlocked Utah is suspect, trying a place located at a strip mall is probably an even further stretch. The way food supply chains are setup, however, anyone can have great fish flown in. And Kobe Japanese Cuisine, located at the Olympus Hills Shopping Center, is getting the good stuff. 3947 Wasatch Blvd., SLC, 801-277-2928
Best Wasabi
No, it’s not all the same. Here’s a dirty little secret: Wasabi at most Japanese restaurants comes from a tube. But at Naked Fish, chef Sunny Tsogbadrakh will proudly show you how he grates the pungent vegetable to a fine paste that’s unlike any you’ve ever tasted. You thought you knew wasabi? 67 W. 100 South, SLC, 801-595-8888
Best Bao
In Chinese “bao” is sort of a generic term for bread. They can be steamed or baked. They can be savory and stuffed with BBQ pork. They can resemble soft taco shells and be used to hold slabs of pork belly. But the best bao for the buck (at least our latest bao obsession) is the baked liu sa bao, a sweet roll with a crispy, sugary top filled with a salted custard. The best, and possibly the only, place for these baos in Salt Lake is Lucky Star in West Valley during their weekend dim sum service. 3361 S. Redwood Rd., West Valley City, 801-972-2629
Best Reason to Lose Sriracha It’s time to toss your sriracha. Kick it up with Chili Beak, a chili oil made by Utahns Jason and Giselle McClure. It’s good on everything. Even, say the McClures, vanilla ice cream. Find it at Liberty Heights Fresh, Caputo’s and Pirate O’s. chilibeak.com s a lt l a k e m a g a z i n e . c o m j u ly / a u g 2 0 1 5
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