Pro Tips from Chef Nick Zocco

CHEF NICK ZOCCO is the Executive Chef at Urban Hill near Downtown Salt Lake City. He loves the ancestral feeling that comes from grilling over a wood-fired flame. And he’s lucky enough to have one such grill in his restaurant kitchen. Chef Nick offered up some sage advice for grilling meat at home.

Grilling With Wood

• Pick clean-burning options like oak or apple wood if you are grilling over a wood-fired grill. They won’t put off a ton of smoke, which can ruin your food’s flavor. Instead, when they burn down, they should end up as very hot, clean-burning coals.

• The wood itself doesn’t add a ton of flavor by itself, surprisingly. If you want to add flavor, add a little mesquite charcoal.

• Heat your grill. The grates must be very hot so the meat doesn’t stick to them when you lay them down. You might need to start your fire an hour or two before to let the wood burn down and allow the grill to heat up and retain that heat.

Preparation Is Key

• You should never put cold meat on a grill. Instead, pull your meat out of the fridge, let it rest and come up to a warmer temperature. Cold meat will stick to the grill.

• Have everything ready that you need by the grill before you start cooking. That includes tongs, seasoning, oil, paper towels and a clean platter (because we don’t put cooked meat on the same platter with raw meat on it, right?). If you have to run inside for something you forgot, your food very well may burn.

• Set up grill “zones”—some areas where your charcoal is built up and hot and areas where the grill is cooler and you can cook with indirect heat. For example, sometimes you want to start your meat off on high heat and then move it to cook slower on a cooler part of the grill.

• If you’re grilling fatty meat or burgers, watch for flare-ups if the fat drips onto hot coals. Move the meat away or off the grill so you don’t have big flames which will ruin your meat. Have baking soda on hand in case you need to put out a grease fire.

• If you are cooking a thick steak, pre-season it in advance with salt and let it sit on the meat for at least an hour. It takes time to get the seasoning into the meat.

Urban Hill, 510 S. 300 West, SLC, 385-295-4200, urban-hill.com

Chinese & Pan-Asian

Asian Star –7588 S. Union Park Ave., Midvale, 801-566-8838. asianstarrestaurant.com. The menu is not frighteningly authentic or disturbingly Americanized. Dishes are chef-driven, and Chef James seems most comfortable in the melting pot.

Boba World – 512 W. 750 South, Woods Cross, 801-298-3626. bobaworld.blogspot.com

This mom-and-pop place is short on chic, but the food on the plate provides all the ambiance you need. Try the scallion pancakes, try the Shanghai Fat Noodles, heck, try the kung pao chicken. It’s all good.

Hong Kong Tea House & Restaurant – 565 W. 200 South, SLC, 801-531-7010. hongkongteahouse.yolasite.com

Authentic, pristine and slightly weird is what we look for in Chinese food. Tea House does honorable renditions of favorites, but it is a rewarding place to go explore.

J. Wong’s Bistro –163 W. 200 South, SLC, 801-350-0888. jwongs.com. Drawing from their Thai and Chinese heritage, J. Wong’s menu allows you to choose either. Lunch—Chinese or Thai— isn’t a good deal. It’s a great deal. Don’t miss the ginger whole fish or the Gunpowder cocktail. Call ahead for authentic Peking duck.

French & European

Bruges Waffle and Frites – 336 W. Broadway, SLC, 801-363-4444; 2314 S. Highland Dr., 801-486-9999. brugeswaffles.com. The original tiny shop turns out waffles made with pearl sugar. Plus frites, Belgian beef stew and a gargantuan sandwich called a mitraillette with merguez. Other locations have bigger menus.

Café Madrid – 5244 S. Highland Dr., Holladay, 801-273-0837. cafemadrid.net. Authentic dishes like garlic soup share the menu with portsauced lamb shank. Service is courteous and friendly at this family-owned spot.

Franck’s – 6263 S. Holladay Blvd., SLC, 801274-6264. francksfood.com. Founding chef Franck Peissel’s influence can still be tasted—personal interpretations of continental classics. Some, like the meatloaf, are perennials, but mostly the menu changes according to season and the current chef’s whim.

Mar | Muntanya –170 S. West Temple, SLC, 385-433-6700. mar-muntanya.com. The rooftop restaurant, atop the downtown Hyatt Regency hotel, has a menu of Spanish-inspired cuisine with an emphasis on shareable tapas, Spanish gin and tonic cocktails and regional specialties with a little Utah twist.

Monsieur Crêpes –1617 S. 900 East, SLC, 787-358-9930. monsieurcrepesut.us. This French-style creperie offering both savory—Brie, prosciutto, tomato—and sweet—whipped cream, fruit, chocolate—fillings. The famous Gallic pancake evolved from a food truck into a charming cafe with a very pretty patio.

Indian

Bombay House – 2731 E. Parley’s Way, SLC, 801-581-0222; 463 N. University Ave., Provo, 801-373-6677; 7726 Campus View Dr., #120, West Jordan, 801-282-0777. bombayhouse.com

This biryani mainstay is sublimely satisfying, from the wise-cracking Sikh host to the friendly server, from the vegetarian entrees to the tandoor-grilled delights. No wonder it’s been Salt Lake’s favorite subcontinental restaurant for 20 years.

Curry in a Hurry

2020 S. State St., SLC, 801-467-4137. ilovecurryinahurry.com. The Nisar family’s restaurant is tiny, but fast service and fair prices make this a great take-out spot. But if you opt to dine in, there’s always a Bollywood film on the telly.

Himalayan Kitchen – 360 S. State St., SLC, 801-328-2077; 11521 S. 4000 West, South Jordan, 801-254-0800. himalayankitchen.com. IndianNepalese restaurant with an ever-expanding menu. Start the meal with momos, fat little dumplings like pot stickers. All the tandoor dishes are good, but Himalayan food is rare, so go for the quanty masala, a stew made of nine different beans.

Kathmandu – 3142 S. Highland Dr., SLC, 801466-3504; 250 W. 2100 South, SLC, 801-935-4258; 863 E. 9400 South, Sandy, 801-981-8943. thekathmandu.net. Try the Nepalese specialties, including spicy pickles to set off the tandoor-roasted meats. Both goat and sami, a kibbeh-like mixture of ground lamb and lentils, are available in several styles.

Royal India

10263 S. 1300 East, Sandy, 801572-6123; 55 N. Main St., Bountiful, 801-292-1835. royalindiautah.com. Northern Indian tikka masalas and Southern Indian dosas allow diners to enjoy the full range of Indian cuisine.

Saffron Valley East India Cafe – 26 E. E St., SLC, 801-203-3325. saffronvalley.com

Lavanya Mahate has imported her style of Indian cooking from South Jordan to SLC. Besides terrific lunch and dinner menus, East Indian Cafe offers regular celebrations of specialties like Indian street food or kebabs. Stay tuned.

Saffron Valley

1098 W. South Jordan Pkwy., South Jordan, 801-438-4823. saffronvalley. com. Highlighting South Indian street food, one of the glories of subcontinental cuisine, Lavanya Mahate’s restaurant is a cultural as well as culinary center, offering cooking classes, specialty groceries and celebration as well as great food.

Saffron Valley– 479 E. 2100 South, SLC, 801-203-3754. saffronvalley.com. Yet another iteration of Lavanya Mahate’s vision of her homeland, this Saffron Valley location combines the best of her other three restaurants: Indian street foods, classic Indian and the Indian-Anglo bakery.

Tandoor Indian Grill

3300 S. 729 East, SLC, 801-486-4542; 4828 S. Highland Dr., Holladay, 801-999-4243. tandoorindiangrill.com. Delicious salmon tandoori, sizzling on a plate with onions and peppers like fajitas, is mysteriously not overcooked. Friendly service.

Italian & Pizza

Arella Pizzeria – 535 W. 400 North, Bountiful, 801-294-8800. arellapizzeria.com. Chic pizza in Bountiful. Arella’s pies appeal to pizza purists, traditionalists and adventurers, with woodfired crusts and toppings that range from pear to jalapeño.

Bricks Corner –1465 S. 700 East, SLC, 801-953-0636. brickscornerslc.com. Bricks is the sole purveyor of Detroit-style pizza in Salt Lake City, baked in a steel pan and smothered in cheese, some might think it resembles a lasagna more than a pizza. You’ll want to come hungry.

Café Trio – 680 S. 900 East, SLC, 801-5338746. triodiningslc.com. Pizzas from the woodfired brick oven are wonderful. One of the city’s premier and perennial lunch spots. Be sure to check out their weekly specials.

Caffé Molise & BTG Wine Bar – 404 S. West Temple, SLC, 801-364-8833. caffemolise. com. The old Eagle building is a gorgeous setting for this city fave, with outdoor dining space and much more. Sibling wine bar BTG is under the same roof. Call for hours.

Per Noi Trattoria – 3005 S. Highland Dr., SLC, 801-486-3333. pernoitrattoria.com. A little chef-owned, red sauce Italian spot catering to its neighborhood. Expect casual, your-hands-on service, hope they have enough glasses to accommodate the wine you bring, and order the spinach ravioli.

The Pie Pizzeria –1320 E. 200 South, SLC, 801-582-5700; 3321 S. 200 East, South Salt Lake, 801-466-5100; 7186 Union Park Ave, Midvale, 801-233-1999; 10627 Redwood Rd., South Jordan, 801-495-4095. thepie.com. Students can live, think and even thrive on a diet of pizza, beer and soft drinks, and The Pie is the quintessential college pizzeria. While the original is a University neighborhood instituion, more locations have popped up around the valley to serve more than just the collegiate crowd.

Pizzeria Limone – 613 E. 400 South, SLC, 801-953-0200; 1380 E. Fort Union Blvd., Cottonwood Heights, 801-733-9305; 11464 S. Parkway Plaza Dr., Ste. 100, South Jordan, 801-495-4467; 42 W. 11400 South, Sandy, 801-666-8707. pizzerialimone.com. The signature pie at this local chain features thinly sliced lemons. Service is cafeteria-style, meaning fast, and the pizza, salads and gelato are remarkably good.

Caputo’s Market & Deli

314 W. 300 South, SLC, 801-531-8669; 1516 S. 1500 East, SLC, 801-486-6615; 4670 Holladay Village Plaza, Holladay, 801-272-0821. caputos.com. A great selection of olive oils, imported pastas, salamis and house-aged cheeses, and the largest selections of fine chocolate in the country. The deli menu doesn’t reflect the market, but is a reliable source for meatball sandwiches and such.

Carmine’s Italian Restaurant – 2477 Fort Union Blvd., SLC, 801-9484468. carmines.restaurant. Carmine’s has a robust menu of Italian classics, including housemade pasta, Neapolitan pizza and a wine list expansive enough for picture-perfect pairings.

Cucina Toscana – 282 S. 300 West., SLC, 801-328-3463. toscanaslc.com. This longtime favorite turns out Italian classics like veal scaloppine, carbonara and a risotto of the day in a chic setting. A tiny cup of complimentary hot chocolate ends the meal.

Este Pizza – 2148 S. 900 East, SLC, 801485-3699; 156 E. 200 South, SLC, 801-363-2366. estepizzaco.com. Try the “pink” pizza, topped with ricotta and marinara. Vegan cheese is available, and there’s microbrew on tap.

Nuch’s Pizzeria – 2819 S. 2300 East, Millcreek, 801-484-0448. nuchspizza.com. A New York-sized eatery (meaning tiny) offers big flavor via specialty pastas and wonderful bubbly crusted pizzas. Ricotta is made in house.

Osteria Amore – 224 S. 1300 East, SLC, 385-270-5606. osteriaamore.com. An offshoot of the ever-growing Sicilia Mia group, the food here is not highly original —expect carpaccio, fried octopus, all kinds of pasta and pizza in the nicely redesigned space.

Pizza Nono – 925 E. 900 South, SLC, 801702-3580. pizzanono-slc.com. Small, kick-started pizzeria in 9th and 9th neighborhood has a limited but carefully sourced menu, a small but good list of wine and beer and an overflowing feeling of hospitality.

Pizza Volta –1080 E. 2100 South, SLC, 801797-1167. pizzavolta.com. Pizza Volta is a casual, family-oriented restaurant that serves pizzas as well as inventive cocktails, an unusual but welcome feature for a nieghborhood pizza joint.

Salt Lake Pizza & Pasta –1063 E. 2100 South, SLC, 801-484-1804. saltlakepizzaandpasta.com. And sandwiches and burgers and steak and fish. The menu here has expanded far beyond its name.

Slackwater Pizza – 684 S. 500 West, SLC, 801-386-9777. slackwaterpizzeria.com. The pies here are as good as any food in SLC. Selection ranges from traditional to Thai (try it), and there’s a excellent selection of wine and beer.

Settebello Pizzeria – 260 S. 200 West, SLC, 801-322-3556. settebello.net. Every Neapolitan-style pie here is hand-shaped by a pizza artisan and baked in a wood-fired oven. And they make great gelato right next door.

Sicilia Mia – 4536 S. Highland Dr., Holladay, 801-274-0223; 895 W. East Promontory, Farmington, 385-988-3727. siciliamiautah.com. A familyrun restaurant with a huge number of fans who love the food’s hearty and approachable style, friendly service and touches of show biz—famous for its pasta carbonara, prepared in a wheel of Parmesan. The third in a trio of family-owned restaurants. They all recall Italian food of yesteryear.

Siragusa’s Taste of Italy

4115 Redwood Rd., Taylorsville, 801-268-1520. siragusas. com. Another strip mall mom-and-pop find, the two dishes to look out for are sweet potato gnocchi and osso buco made with pork.

Stanza

454 E. 300 South, SLC, 801-7464441. stanzaslc.com. Chef Jonathon LeBlanc, brings a happy flair to this Italianesque restaurant. And Amber Billingsley is making the desserts. Va tutto bene!

Stoneground Italian Kitchen – 249 E. 400 South, SLC, 801-364-1368. stonegrounditalian.com. The longtime pizza joint has blossomed into a full-scale Italian restaurant with chef Justin Shifflet in the kitchen making authentic sauces and fresh pasta. An appealing upstairs deck and a full craft bar complete the successful transformation. Oh yeah, they still serve pizza.

Tuscany– 2832 E. 6200 South, SLC, 801-2779919. tuscanyslc.com. This restaurant’s faux-Tuscan kitsch is mellowing into retro charm, though the glass chandelier is a bit nerve-wracking. The double-cut pork chop is classic, and so is the chocolate cake.

Valter’s Osteria –173 W. Broadway, SLC, 801-521-4563. valtersosteria.com. Although the restaurant’s namesake, Valter Nassi, passed away in 2022, the restaurant remains a living monument to his effervescent personality. His legacy of service and quality continues to inspire and delight.

Veneto Ristorante– 370 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-359-0708. venetoslc.com

This small place, owned by Marco and Amy Stevanoni, strives to focus on one of the many regional cuisines we lump under the word “Italian.” Hence the name; and forget what you think you know about Italian food except the word “delizioso.”

Japanese

Aqua Terra Steak + Sushi – 50 S. Main St. #168, Salt Lake City, 385-261-2244. aquaterrasteak.com. Aqua Terra’s menu features premium steak and wild game cuts, a wide range of sushi, omakase and crispy rice, an array of classic and sake cocktails and wine offerings in a chic, art-deco setting.

Kaze – 65. E. Broadway, SLC, 801-800-6768. kazesushiut.com. Small and stylish, Kaze has plenty to offer besides absolutely fresh fish and inventive combinations. Food is beautifully presented and especially for a small place the variety is impressive. A sake menu is taking shape and Kaze is open until midnight.

Kobe Japanese Restaurant – 3947 S. Wasatch Blvd., SLC, 801-277-2928. kobeslc. com. This is Mike’s place—Mike Fukumitsu, once at Kyoto, is the personality behind the sushi bar and the driving spirit in the restaurant. Perfectly fresh fish keeps a horde of regulars returning.

Kyoto

1080 E. 1300 South, SLC, 801-4873525. kyotoslc.com. The service is friendly, the sushi is fresh, the tempura is amazingly light, and the prices are reasonable. Servings are occidentally large, and service is impeccable.

Mint Sushi – 8391 S. 700 East, Sandy, 385-434-8022; 3158 E. 6200 South, Cottonwood Heights, 801-417-9690; 4640 S. Holladay Village Plaza, Holladay, 385-296-1872. mintsushiutah. com. Owner Chef Soy wanted to bring in a new thing to Utah’s sushi landscape, so he started serving tapas. Mint has expanded to three locations in Salt Lake County. At his restaurant in Cottonwood Heights, Chef Soy prepares a weekly 10-course tasting menu of tapas for $70 a person.

Nohm –165 W. 900 South, SLC, 801-917-3812. nohmslc.com. A genius Japanese and Korean restaurant specializing in robata and sushi. Chefowner David Chon is more daring with his menu than most—this is a place for exploring. If you see something you’ve never tasted before, taste it here. Servers are happy to help.

Sake Ramen & Sushi Bar – 8657 Highland Drive, Sandy, 801-938-9195. sakeut. com. Sake has a focus on modern interpretations of classic Japanese Dishes. They promise their Agadashi tofu “will make all of your problems disappear.”

Takashi –18 W. Market St., SLC, 801-519-9595. takashisushi.co m. Takashi

Gibo earned his acclaim by buying the freshest fish and serving it in politely eye-popping style. Check the chalkboard for specials like Thai mackerel, fatty tuna or spot prawns, and expect some of the best sushi in the city.

Tosh’s Ramen –1465 S. State St., SLC, 801-466-7000. 1963 E., Murray Holladay Rd., Holladay. Chef Tosh Sekikawa is our own ramen ranger. His long-simmered noodle-laden broths have a deservedly devoted following—meaning, go early. Now with a second location.

Tsunami –1059 E. 900 South, SLC, 385-9000288; 7628 S. Union Park Ave., Midvale, 801-6766466; 10722 River Front Pkwy., South Jordan, 801-748-1178; 1616 W. Traverse Pkwy., Lehi, 801770-0088. tsunamiutah.com. Besides sushi, the menu offers crispy-light tempura and numerous house cocktails and sake.

Yoko Ramen – 473 E. 400 South, SLC, 801876-5267. yokoslc.com. More ramen! Utahns can’t seem to slurp enough of the big Japanese soup— Yoko serves it up for carnivores and vegans, plus offers some kinkier stuff like a Japanese Cubano sandwich and various pig parts.

Mediterranean & Middle Eastern

420 E. 3300 South, SLC, 801493-0100. medslc.com. Get the mezzes platter for some of the best falafel in town. Entrees range from pita sandwiches to gargantuan dinner platters of braised shortribs, roast chicken and pasta.

Join in its own right.