SLM Jan/Feb 2023

Skier: Dash Longe / Photo: Rocko Menzyk

Since the first flights departed The New Salt Lake International Airport, millions of travelers have experienced its stunning architecture, tech-friendly amenities, and thoughtfully curated dining and shopping options.

But we’re just getting started.

As Phase 2 is finished in 2023, you can expect 22 additional gates and 19 new shops and restaurants, including more local favorites. And in 2024, Phase 3 will bring even more places to eat, drink, shop, and relax—plus a new central tunnel that significantly shortens the walk to Concourse B gates.

See what’s next for your new SLC at slcairport.com

Photo courtesy: HOK Architects

ON THE COVER

PHOTO ADAM FINKLE

For Lucy Cardenas of Red Iguana, comfort is her father’s chile verde. Often, comfort food is food that reminds us of home.

FEATURES

56 WASATCH

IN THE WINTER

BY JEREMY PUGH, HEATHER HAYES & MELISSA FIELDS

e Wasatch Range is more than the backdrop to Northern Utah, it’s the heart and soul. Here’s the best our mountains have to o er in the winter and how some of our favorite peaks, runs and trails got their (sometimes strange) names.

64 LEGENDS NEVER DIE

BY JEREMY SMITH

30 years ago, a little movie called e Sandlot was lmed in Utah. e coming-of-age story explores the magic of baseball and persists as a beloved family classic. Learn how the movie came to be and the secret of its staying power.

70

COMFORT FOODS

BY JEREMY PUGH & CHRISTIE PORTER

What do you think of when you think of comfort food? We asked six local chefs and restaurateurs this question and to make us their quintessential comfort meal. e results are unexpected, varied and delicious.

13 the hive

BY SALT LAKE STAFF

New year, new Utah! A new Utah State flag, that is. For fitness New Year’s resolutions (if you’re into that kind of thing), we have an alternative to joining a traditional gym. And what’s old is new again when it comes to fashion this ski season. Groovy.

47 park city

BY TONY GILL

It seems Park City is always midtransformation. How the Sundance Film Festival has had to remake itself to survive and what the future holds for a new resort in the Wasatch Back.

81 on the table

BY LYDIA MARTINEZ

The guys at Old Cuss Cafe have unlocked the secret of making vegan food for non-vegans. We also get on board a new food trend perfect for entertaining.

107 bar fly

BY AVREY EVANS

BY JEREMY PUGH

Alumni, friends, and Utah fans—book the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House now for your next event.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BRIAN SMYER

ONE OF THE REASONS I LOVE LIVING in Utah is the changing seasons. (Ever spent a Christmas in Hawaii? It’s nice but weird.) But honestly, out of the list, winter ranks last. It just takes more fortitude, I guess. So each year when it finally descends, I have to relearn how to love it. The best way I’ve found to do that is to get out in it. We live at the base of the Wastach Range after all and access to its terrain tops the list of why we live here. (It isn’t the bad air, that’s for sure, see page 22.) So I have, over the years, collected a varied group of friends who I can count on to get me out the door—the Sunday ski bunch (Powder-day Saints), the Saturday hiking crew or the Salt Lake concert team. I enlist them to deliberately make me feel bad if all I want to do is hunker inside and grumble. Random mid-week shows at the State Room, midday hikes and ski days are the only way to survive folks. You gotta have a support network. And that’s why we wrote this issue’s feature “Winter in the Wasatch” (page 56), our guide to helping you find ways to give winter a big ol’ hug.

But we can’t always be go-getters, so we also wanted to share another tip: eat your way through it. Our cover story (“Six Spots for Comfort Foods,” page 71) takes a look at the delicious and comforting dishes on the menus at some of Utah’s best restaurants.

And, while we cover a range of cuisines, all have common elements. In order to be comforting, a meal needs to be familiar, approachable and, above all, nostalgic. (Oh yeah, and warm. That probably should have been first.) Comfort, it turns out, is not relative, at least when it comes to food. What we loosely label comfort food is actually comforting because it triggers happy memories that warm more than our bellies.

So. Are you ready to embrace winter now?

Jeremy Pugh

PHOTO CHRIS PEARSON/SKI UTAH

HERE WAS NOTHING WRONG with Utah’s old state flag. We’d call it “serviceable,” but lawmakers thought it was time for a glow-up. The Utah State Flag Task Force received 7,000 flag designs and 44,000 public comments before selecting the final design (top). The flag features a mountain landscape, beehive and star to represent Utah’s eight Tribal Nations. The Utah State Legislature will vote on whether to adopt the final flag design during the 2023 General Session.

We’re Just Getting Warmed Up

Find warmth in the winter at these cozy restaurants (with fireplaces)

BY CHRISTIE PORTER

IT IS A WINTER TIME IDEAL. Picture snow on the ground outside, glistening in the fading light of day, while you and yours are bundled up inside by the fire, watching the flakes fall, sipping on a hot drink. Whether you’re fresh off the hill or just don’t have a fireplace at home (with all those air quality burn restrictions, anyway), these fine local establishments can help make the ideal warm winter evening into a reality.

FOUNDRY GRILL Sundance Mountain Resort

After a chilly day on the slopes, warm up with a meal by the fireplace in the Foundry Grill’s dining room. There are four tables near the hearth, which you can request when you make your reservation, as well as a fireplace in the back room that can be reserved for large groups. There is another fireplace in the main dining room as well.

What to order: Incline Marionberry Cider or hot apple cider to drink and Baked Mac ‘n’ Cheese and braised short ribs to eat. sundanceresort.com

PHOTOS: COURTESY FOUNDRY GRILL

ALTA’S RUSTLER

Alta Ski Area

LODGE

The floor-to-ceiling windows of Rustler Lodge allow diners to enjoy the beauty of the mountains, with views of High Rustler, Eagle’s Nest and spectacular sunsets, while remaining warm. A large wood-stove-style fireplace heats the dining room. Enjoy a drink by the fire in the bar as well.

What to order: Rustler Game Burger for lunch, made from a blend of elk, bison and wagyu. Dinner is a four-course meal from a daily rotating pre-fixed menu. rustlerlodge.com

THE BLUE BOAR INN Midway

Inspired by an old-world European chateau, Blue Boar’s dining area is candlelit, cozy, elegant and filled with European charm. There are classic fireplaces in the dining room and in the on-site Truffle Hollow Pub as well as in many of the guest rooms at the Blue Boar Inn, if you want to make a reservation for an allnight affair

What to order: Rosemary Lamb T-bone and some Porter and Smoked Gouda Fondue to share. theblueboarinn.com

THE HOG WALLOW PUB Big Cottonwood Canyon

Stop in at Hog Wallow for a mellow evening with a warm fire, a drink and (most-often) a show. The fireplace is a classic stone hearth and a welcoming place to relax while watching one of the regular live-music acts. Hog Wallow does not accept reservations, so get there early in the evening to secure your table.

What to order: Anything from the smokehouse, but for a drink, get the musttry Hog Buttered Bourbon, Hog Wallow’s spin on the classic hot buttered rum. thehogwallow.com

BOHEMIAN BREWERY Midvale

This European-inspired microbrewery is in the heart of the Salt Lake Valley but has the feel of an alpine lodge, with the roaring central fireplace to match. The stonefacade mantel complements the log-beam walls, antler chandeliers and old-world European pub fare. Bohemian seats on a first-come-firstserved with four, five spots adjacent to the fireplace that can be requested.

What to order: A hearty plate of Schweinshaxen (Bavarian Roast Pork Shank) paired with a warming glass of the

FRANCK’S Holladay

While not a fireplace, diners can stay warm in the winter while dining inside Franck’s cozy alpenglobes. The globes are heated and have their own sound systems and variable mood lighting for up to six. The globes are available for dinner Tuesday through Saturday at 5:15 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.. Reservations start at $100 for 2 hours.

What to order: Franck’s Meatloaf is to die for and ask your server for wine pairing recommendations. francksfood.com

Czechulator DoppelBock. bohemianbrewery.com

LOG HAVEN Millcreek Canyon

Log Haven has some dazzling canyon views in the wintertime. The dining room offers morethan ample mountain charm and multiple traditional fireplaces with nearby comfortable seating and intimate tables. For the best chance of getting that coveted spot by the fire, make an early reservation and request a table by the fireplace.

What to order: Some spicy jalapeño crab cakes to split, then the hearty bison steak or cast-iron filet mignon, paired with

a glass of wine from the excellent list. log-haven.com

CAMPFIRE LOUNGE Sugar House

Campfire Lounge’s patio is the place to drink and eat up, stay warm and still enjoy being outside. Two gas fire pits and multiple heavy duty heaters warm the patio space, which is enclosed and pet-friendly as well.

What to order: Go for a Mountain West Ruby Red Cider and one of the Campfire Favorites, like the Campfire Trash Plate. campfirelounge.com

Log Haven

Alta’s Rustler Lodge

PHOTOS: COURTESY LOG HAVEN; ALTA’S

RUSTLER LODGE (KYLE JENKINS) ; COURTESY FRANCK’S

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HAVE YOU EVER seen someone sprawled out at the gym? A trainer stretching them like a pretzel after a workout? Or maybe you’ve noticed massive football players on the sidelines getting an aggressive stretch before the game? It turns out this service isn’t just available to elite athletes or those who can afford personal training sessions. I recently discovered that there are places where mere mortals (like me) can get stretched out just like the pros. See, I somehow got talked into attempting to summit Kilimanjaro. As a mere mortal in preparation for this feat, I’m on an active search for anything that will improve my resilience, flexibility and endurance. Basically, I want to suffer less and actually enjoy the journey. It’s always a challenge to make time to work out and train but in my quest, I discovered StretchLab, a new business that extols the benefits of taking time (like actually making an appointment) to be deliberate about stretching, something that most of us do in a rush after a workout, if at all.

Knowing I could use some help, I visited the Sugar House studio (there are multiple locations) and had a

session with Amber Alizondo, a “flexologist.” After a tour of the modern space, I was led to “the machine” (AKA a TRX MAPS). The device analyzed my movement while I performed three body-weight squats. There’s no judgment here. It’s just a benchmark of your strength and flexibility that will help you see progress (hopefully). The machine identified areas where I could improve in mobility, activation, posture and symmetry. I like measuring things and appreciated a way to see progress other than just checking for how I feel afterward.

Score in hand, Amber and I talked about my future fitness goals. With Kilimanjaro looming in my brain, we went to one of the stretch tables and got to work. I had a head-to-toe deep stretch. I can most definitely say she found the areas that need attention! “It’s all in the hips,” she chided as pulled me around like taffy. After one session, I was able to tell that assisted stretching has benefits. Like most runners and cyclists, I’m generally tight in the hips and she shared ways for me to alleviate that between sessions.

The StretchLab has a variety of stretching services to accommodate all ages and fitness levels. There are one-on-one and group-assisted sessions and a variety of membership options. StretchLab also trains its ‘flexologists’ with extensive classroom work. What I liked most about the experience was the focus it gave me on this often overlooked (or ignored) part of my fitness routine. Actually, going to the studio, and taking the time to concentrate on mobility and flexibility along with Amber’s expert advice and guidance was hugely appealing. I’ll be back.

IF YOU GO: StretchLab Sugar House (additional locations in Park City, Midvale, Bountiful, Farmington and St. George) 675 E. 2100 South, SLC 385-722-4656, stretchlab.com

Amber Alizondo

Dear Utah,

It’s me again—the smog. You know, that brownish-gray haze that shows up every winter and hangs around under the inversion layer, obscuring your view of the mountains? That’s me. I know what you’re thinking, “we have to stop meeting like this,” but I know you’re just playing hard to get. If you really wanted to get rid of me, you would have. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is…thank you. Thank you, Utah, for your commitment to continuing our relationship.

Where to start? We have so much in common—like driving. We both love driving! We all know that vehicle emissions cause pollution, but I love how you just keep driving anyway. That’s just so you.

Sure, you’re always saying you will drive less, but if you really wanted to drive less, you would invest more in frequent and convenient bus and rail service and building walkable communities with affordable housing near transit and employment opportunities. Instead, you develop in ways that seem, to me, to show how much you love your cars (and me). You’re making me blush!

Oh! And, the inland port. What a treat! It is so sweet of you to bring me more heavy duty trucks and rail with all those delicious emissions. It’s like a box of chocolates. It proves that, despite some of the troubles we’ve had in the past—like that time I made you lose Outdoor Retailers for a bit (oops!)—you’re not ready to give up on us.

There’s just so much to be grateful for. I cherish how you look to the free market to keep the environment clean, praising polluters for participating in drop-in-the-bucket clean air programs but never holding them accountable. We both know that’s the EPA’s job, not yours. That reminds me. Thank you for electing representatives who want to defund or outright shutter the EPA.

Utah, it’s been such a joy to watch you grow over the years. Thank you so much for dragging your feet on energy-efficient and sustainable growth. In fact, please keep up the unchecked growth. That means there’s just more of you to love. Keep building those large, inefficient houses and sprawl. Keep having babies. I’m not the jealous type. Get married. Have so many babies. Your underweight, asthmatic kids will keep me company after you die from heart disease, lung cancer or some other horrible malady caused by… You guessed it, ME!

Forever Yours,

Smog

P.S. That’s the great irony of our relationship, isn’t it? Either you will get rid of me or I’ll take you out. We’re star-crossed like that.

P.P.S. And If I don’t get you, in the end, the Great Salt Lake’s dried lakebed will.

A Guide To Getting Active In Politics

Water, housing and mental health are among topics to watch during the 2023 Utah Legislative Session

BY CHRISTIE PORTER

DURING A LEGISLATIVE SESSION there might be more than 1,000 bills introduced, and they’re constantly changing as they get amended,” says Deborah Case with the League of Women Voters of Utah’s Legislative Action Corps, which tracks bills during the Utah Legislative Session. “It can be really overwhelming to follow all of these bills and different topics.”

It can feel overwhelming for Utah voters as well, who might not know where to find information on legislation that impacts them. That’s where groups like The League of Women Voters of Utah (LWVU) come in. The league provides voters with tools to track bills that concern the league’s primary issues. Issues such as ensuring voting rights and equal rights—especially with recent pushes for election reforms and limiting access to reproductive health care. From there, “We choose whether to support, oppose or watch each bill item in that tracker,” explains Case. “The league is not a reactionary group. We’re not partisan. These are our positions, and we have stuck with them for years.” For 103 years, to be exact.

LWVU also believes informed individuals can make a difference in local politics. “We let people know that a bill is being considered and encourage them to call up their legislators,” says Case. “As a local lawmaker, when your constituents call and tell you what they want, you listen.” After all, often the biggest threat to a functioning democracy is not, generally, one bill or another, it’s voter apathy. “There’s a lot of disillusionment. That is a major issue that we have to fight,” says Case, “But people’s votes and voices matter. If they take the time to get active, it goes much further than they think. We have changed things, even at the 11th hour.” Case recalls a controverisal 2022 school voucher bill that looked sure to pass before their Legislative Action Corps got the word out and helped change the vote. “Those are the moments that make us proud and keep us going.”

In the spirit of being informed and getting active (but not getting overwhelmed), here are some of the issues Utahns could see come up in the 2023 Utah General Legislative Session.

THE ISSUES THAT AREN’T GOING AWAY

Utah is short on two very important things—affordable housing and water. Researchers with the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute presented data to lawmakers that shows 76% of Utahns have been priced out of the housing market, unable to afford a median-priced home. The research also concluded that the affordability crisis is worsening. This raises quite a few red flags and could mean the legislature decides to invest more money in affordable housing projects this session.

As far as water is concerned, Governor Spencer Cox issued a proclamation, putting in place a moratorium on any new water appropriations in the Bear, Jordan and Weber river basins in an effort to help get more water into the Great Salt Lake. The lake has reached record-low water levels and poses an existential threat to our way of life. The Legislature’s Water Development Commission supported that proclamation after seeing a presentation from Utah’s State Engineer on the precarious situation of Utah’s groundwater. As such, the Legislature will likely take on water resource management this session. There’s a proposed bill that would end the practice of paying for water projects with property taxes. That means Utah residents and industries would pay higher water rates in hopes they will use less of it. Currently, Utah has some of the nation’s lowest-cost water rates but some of the highest per capita water use. At the very least, expect some money appropriated for more groundwater studies.

Senate leadership has also named more tax cuts and increasing teacher salaries as two of their top legislative priorities. The tax cut might look similar to last year’s income tax cut from 4.95% to 4.85%. Education funding is always a hot-button issue, partially thanks to

Find your local representatives and how to contact them at le.utah.gov

Utah’s comparatively low per-pupil spending. The Utah Education Association is asking the Legislature for a 6.5% increase (an estimated $292 million) on the Weighted Pupil Unit (how Utah measures education funding) as well as $24.5 million to expand optional full-day kindergarten, which was only partially funded the last session.

IT’S NOT ALL IN YOUR HEAD

Utah has one of the highest reporting rates of mental illness among adults in the country, and many Utahns with mental illness are not getting treatment, at least in part, because Utah has a shortage of mental health professionals. There are a few ways the Legislature could address Utah’s mental health crisis, if it chooses to do so, from the increasing availability of online resources to mental health licensing reform. They could also expand Medicaid mental health coverage, and one bill is already trying to

do so. The bill extends the duration of postpartum coverage to address pregnancyrelated deaths (the majority of which happen postpartum) and pregnancy-related deaths from overdose or suicide.

Mental health is not just an adult problem. Suicide is the leading cause of death for Utahns ages 15-24. Student wellness is a top legislative priority for groups like the Utah System of Higher Education, which is asking for $2,025,000 in funding for student mental health services. Governor Cox is making youth mental health issues a priority as well—particularly as it relates to social media—and says he is working with legislators on developing policy recommendations.

Some lawmakers are once again trying to restrict medical treatment of gender dysphoria in minors. One bill addresses hormone-based treatments, and, under another, minors could not receive any

surgical treatments for gender dysphoria. However, those same procedures would still be available to minors who do not have gender dysphoria.

BACK FROM THE DEAD?

Bills that were dead on arrival during the last session could reappear. Both Utah’s air quality and lack of convenient mass transit could be addressed should a 2022 bill make a comeback. It proposes free fares for mass transit year-round. A resolution to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment tends to pop up every few years only to be summarily killed. On the other hand, ranked-choice voting (RCV) seemed popular in the 23 Utah cities that are part of a pilot program using RCV in municipal elections. A bill to expand the RCV program statewide never even got a hearing last session, but it could come back from the dead and have a longer life this session.

TIPS AND TRICKS TO ENJOY THE GREATEST SNOW ON EARTH

You’ve anticipated the ski season for months, watching the forecast and snow totals carefully, and now it’s time to enjoy winter in the Wasatch. Your out-of-office reply is clear: “I’ll NOT be checking emails.” No more work time, meeting time, client-call time or screen time. Here are some tips and tricks for making your on-mountain time the escape it is meant to be.

TRANSPORTATION

The popularity of Utah’s resorts above Salt Lake, Park City and Ogden mean that you won’t be the only one on the road. But idling in a line of canyon traffic or circling a crowded parking lot is not a great way to start a ski day. Wouldn’t you rather be sitting on a chairlift?

Tip 1: Carpool. This will save you on parking fees and help reduce traffic and improve air quality. Resorts like Solitude reduce fees when a vehicle has two or more occupants. If you are flying solo, try out carpool apps like Waze Carpool and connect with like-minded powder hounds eager to get to the slopes.

Tip 2: Ride the UTA Ski Bus. The ski bus picks up at locations around the valley and at the well-situated park-and-ride lots below the resorts. The UTA Ski Bus will take you directly to Alta, Snowbird, Solitude, Brighton, Sundance Mountain Resort, Park City Mountain, Powder Mountain or Snowbasin and it allows you time to study trail maps to plot your first tracks. Some resort season passes come with complimentary ski bus access.

Tip 3: Reserve a spot. Resorts vary on paid parking, but some require parking reservations on weekends and holidays. Others, like Brighton, offer free parking (but it fills up fast) as well as a small reserved parking lot. Check resort websites for the latest parking information and reservation options.

SKI AND RIDE SMART

Skiing and snowboarding are lifelong sports, relatively easy to learn but difficult to master. It is important to ski within your own range of ability, heed trail signs and consider the terrain you are venturing into. And it’s important to know that the commonly known and understood Green, Blue and Black indicators are not universal—they are individual to each resort. That’s right. Each resort bases the black-to-green range of difficulty on its most difficult run. That means a blue run (intermediate) at Snowbird—known for some of the steepest and most challenging runs in Utah—may not equate to a blue run at another resort.

Tip 1: Take a lesson. Sure, your best buddies are great skiers but are they great teachers? Utah resorts offer deals on lessons for beginners and a menu of workshops and clinics for intermediate and advanced skiers who want to eliminate bad habits, learn new skills and up their ski and riding games. Working on technique and practicing under the watch of an experienced teacher can make skiing less difficult, help you avoid injury and just plain make your time on the mountain more fun. BONUS TIP: Never try to teach your significant other how to ski. It’s relationship suicide.

Tip 2: Up your gear game. You might be skiing on a set of Rossignols from 1995 and in boots you bought at a garage sale. Skis and boards have gotten much better. Consider renting a demo package at a resort for a day or from one of the local rental shops. Rentals also offer an affordable way to try before you buy and many shops offer deals on season-long rentals. (This is especially helpful for parents whose kids are quickly growing out of their gear from season to season.)

One of the great things about the Wasatch Range is its easily accessible backcountry and sidecountry terrain. But easy access does not translate to “easy.” Backcountry skiing is a risky endeavor that requires special equipment, training and an extensive understanding of terrain and snow conditions. Before you attempt any backcountry experience, educate yourself or consider going with a guide. The Utah Avalanche Center offers low-cost Utah Snow and Avalanche Workshops for beginners and experts to understand the finer points of terrain and avalanche danger. Visit utahavalanchecenter.org for dates and times.

BY JEREMY PUGH

IT IS THE BEST TYPE of disorientation. The sudden realization that the many layers you wore to make the wintry trek to SLC International need to come off, right now(!) as you wait for a cab on the curb outside at the Puerto Vallarta airport. Hastily, stuffing your winter coat into your bag you climb into the car and say, “Velas Vallarta, por favor.” Soon enough, you’re on the hotel balcony, suitably attired in shorts, flip-flops, and a Cabana shirt dotted with tiny margaritas (and a lifesized margarita in hand). What winter?

Puerto Vallarta is a short, less-thanfour-hour flight from SLC and January and February boast the destinations’ most temperate and amenable climate.

Unlike other green-zoned destinations like Cabo or Cancún, where it can often feel like you have just gone to a gated community in anywhere U.S.A. (with an accent), Puerto Vallarta offers a sense of place and history. Its proximity to shipping, mining and agriculture made Puerto Vallarta a thriving Mexican city long before it became a tourist destination. Simply put, there is more there, there.

THE NIGHT OF THE IGUANA

During the 19th century Puerto Vallarta, in the Mexican state of Jalisco, then called El Carrizal or Las Peñas, was an alternative (and at

PHOTO COURTESY VISIT PUERTO VALLARTA

The Bay of Banderas

times illegal) port for the agricultural and mining towns of San Sebastián del Oeste, Talpa de Allende and Mascota. Puerto Vallarta transformed itself from a small fishing and pearl-diving village serving small shipping concerns (including smugglers who wished to evade taxes at Jalisco’s larger port, San Blas).

In the 1950s, it became a destination for Americans. Many of whom were countercultural writers and artists fleeing the strictures of the McCarthy Era to an expatriate community that was eventually

called “Gringo Gulch.” The scene drew director John Huston in 1964 to make the film adaptation of Tenessee Williams’ play The Night of the Iguana Filmed in the small coastal town of Mismaloya, the production was fodder for international gossip, fueled by infighting between Huston and his cast and the salacious extramarital affair between its star Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, who joined Burton on set as his not-sosecret mistress. Burton had bought an elegant home in Puerto Vallarta for his then-wife and also purchased the adjacent

casita for Taylor. He connected the two homes with a sky bridge to facilitate midnight liaisons and avoid the paparazzi below on the street. The drama, covered extensively in the U.S. press, put Puerto Vallarta on the map for American travelers (who can dine at Burton and Taylor’s love nest, which is now a hotel and restaurant called Casa Kimberly, see below).

With that romantic background, Puerto Vallarta grew and has become known in travel brochures as “The Friendliest City in the World” and it lives up to that reputation.

LOCATION, LOCATION

Where you stay in Puerto Vallarta will have a lot to do with your experience there. While there is a newer collection of resorts in an area called Nueva Vallarta, do not be lured away. Nueva Vallarta is a planned community and far away from the charm and bustle of the town center. In Puerto Vallarta, there are two more central areas to consider. The first is the Marina area with larger more expansive properties, often with exclusive beach clubs and private beach access. The second is in the heart of the city itself near the Malecón and Zona Romántica (or Old Town).

In the Marina District, one of the oldest and Mexican-family-owned properties is Velas Vallarta (velasvallarta.com) situated with stunning views of Banderas Bay (and very close to the airport). An all-inclusive resort with all the usual trimmings—pools, multiple restaurants, private beach cabanas an adjacent golf course—the resort attracts a loyal collection of American travelers (mainly from the south) who return year after year for longer stays. The resort is owned by Eduardo Vela Ruiz and his brother Juan Vela, who maintain a friendly atmosphere and loyal staff, many of whom have worked there for decades and take personal pride in the property.

Velas Vallarta is farther out of the town center, offering a bit more of that get-away-from-it-all vibe but taxis in Puerto Vallarta are safe, inexpensive and plentiful, and you’re just a short 10- or 15-minute cab ride away from the town.

Closer in and within walking distance (or a cheap cab) from the Malecón and Old Town, you’ll find the Buenaventura Grand Hotel & Great Moments (hotelbuenaventura.com.mx) a smaller (also all-inclusive) resort

LEFT, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: “The Boy on the Seahorse” is one of the many public artworks along the Malecón, Our Lady of Guadalupe church, Old Town Square.

that attracts more Mexicans traveling from inland for their own beach vacations (which we took as a good sign, based on the quality of the daily breakfast buffet). Either offer a balance of resort relaxation and access to the atmosphere of Puerto Vallarta’s bustling cobblestone streets, food and nightlife.

EXPLORE

Now that you’re ensconced in your hotel and have the lay of the land, it’s time to venture out. The best place to start is with a walk along the Malecón into Zona Romántica. The seaside esplanade is lined with shops, galleries, restaurants and bars and dotted with unique and interesting sculptures, including the famed “In Search of Reason” (En Busca de la Razón) by Mexican artist Sergio Bustamante. The bronze sculpture features pillow-headed

figures climbing a ladder, which you too can climb (carefully) in search of an Instagram moment. It’s populated by street performers, notably the Voladores de Papantla (Birdmen of Papantla), who enact an indigenous tradition that involves spinning on ropes from atop a high pole. (But don’t just stand there and gawk, put some money in the hat.)

Further into Zona Romántica, the streets narrow into the a labyrinth of shops and restaurants. Stop into the always-hopping Margarita Grill (facebook.com/margaritagrill. vallarta) for a huge menu of giant margaritas served in equally huge chalice-like vessels. For a delicious (but not necessarily quick) lunch, brave the never diminishing line at Pancho’s Takos (pachostakos. restaurantwebexperts.com)

famous for its al pastor tacos. The Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe is the heart of the town and a destination that will take you through the heart of Old Town after lunch.

ADVENTURE

An excursion that involves both food and adventure can be found by booking one of the two seatings a day at the Ocean Grill (oceangrill.mx). You will first journey to Mismaloya (where The Night of the Iguana was filmed) and board a water taxi that will take you on a short cruise to a small cove with a thatched-roof restaurant that seems like it is growing out of the jungle. Ocean Grill serves serving an amazing menu of oh-so-fresh seafood and guests are encouraged to stay and swim and enjoy the adjacent small beach and excellent off-shore snorkeling.

DINE

Perhaps the most sublime dining experience in Puerto Vallarta can be found on the rooftop of Casa Kimberly (casakimberly.com), the scene of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s torrid romance. A full-service affair (get it) complete with a famous 24-piece mariachi band you’ll enjoy views of the city below and a sumptuous meal. On the Malecón, the lively La Bodeguita del Medio (labodeguitadelmedio.com.mx) features Cuban food, music and dance with waterfront views from the top deck. Another taco spot, equally as delicious as Pancho’s (above), but less crowded is Pepe’s Taco (facebook.com/ PepesTacoVallarta) and it is open all night in case you find yourself, well, out all night.

PHOTOS: (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) COURTESY VISIT PUERTO VALLARTA, COURTESY VELAS VALLARTA, COURTESY VELAS VALLARTA, COURTESY CASA KIMBERLY

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The pier at Los Muertos Beach, Velas Vallarta pool, Velas Vallarta’s ocean front terrace, Casa Kimberly’s rooftop menu dazzles.

N H A Y TH RO IL

THE 2023 GUIDE

For this issue’s special section, we asked philanthropic organizations from around our state to share their missions, success stories and plans for the coming year. We know our readers are generous and community-minded individuals. By sharing good works, we hope you’ll learn about a wide range of opportunities to get involved and help fulfill our partners’ missions.

WRITTEN BY MEGAN HULSE BARTHOLOMEW | DESIGNED BY ARIANNA JIMENEZ

Inside you’ll read inspiring stories and learn more about individuals and organizations.

• Dr. Hamid Adib supports a variety of causes around the world and here at home.

• Dr. Daniel Ward helps people return to normal life after tragic circumstances.

• Jenn Kikel-Lynn builds charitable contributions into every aspect of her business

• Mandi Schill is an advocate for postpartum Medicaid Coverage.

• The Haven helps people recovering from addiction restore their independence and lives.

• Ronald McDonald House offers support for parents caring for a child in the hospital.

• Make-A-Wish Utah gives the gift of life-changing experiences to children with critical illnesses.

• Mark Miller Subaru’s ‘Love Promise Program’ amplifies the work of other local charitable organizations through events, donations and other support.

• Shriners Children’s Salt Lake City locally represents Shriners Children’s mission to help millions of children with special healthcare needs.

Asoft place to land. A home-away-fromhome. A much-needed support system in the face of unimaginable stress. All are ways that employees and beneficiaries alike have described Salt Lake City’s 75-room Ronald McDonald House where the mission is to surround families with the support they need to be near and care for their seriously ill or injured children.

Serving families with patients at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital, the University of Utah Hospital, and Shriners Children’s Salt Lake City, Ronald McDonald House Charities Intermountain Area (RMHC) strives to be more than just a no-cost hotel.

“We provide practical support with free lodging, food, and transportation, but we also try to invite joyful distractions to make the House somewhere kids and families are excited to be,” says Carrie Romano, CEO of RMHC.

Alongside their lodgings in downtown Salt Lake City, RMHC also runs Family Rooms at area hospitals, providing places for families to shower, run a load of laundry, or simply unwind while still remaining close to their child, whether they are receiving day-of treatment or admitted to the hospital for long term care.

“All of our programming is family-centered and aims to support caregivers,” says Katie Smith, Chief Development and Marketing Officer. “We believe that if parents have their needs met, they will be in a better position to help their child heal.”

Sara and Kelton Crittenden of Rexburg, Idaho are one of many families who have benefited from RMHC’s facilities and have utilized both the Family Rooms and the lodging and transportation services available at the House as they support their infant daughter, Sierra, through her journey awaiting a heart transplant.

“We have gotten to know the staff really well and are so grateful for their support. Sometimes it’s nice just to have someone to talk to outside of doctors,” Sara says. “Everyone is so supportive and it makes us feel good to be able to show off how strong Sierra is despite everything she is going through.”

While the RMHC team receives much generative support from local McDonald’s owners/ operators and private funds, the mission is truly fueled by community support, in many forms. RMHC encourages local volunteers to get involved, whether by hosting magic shows and movie nights, helping make meals for families, or collecting toiletry items to donate, in addition to monetary donations.

The face is a manifestation of each individual person’s identity, and at Ward M.D., their doctors treat patients with facial injuries and defects caused by anything from skin cancer and motor vehicle accidents to domestic violence and genetic conditions. They strive to help each patient reconnect their identity after these traumatic events, and with his highly trained staff, Dr. P. Daniel Ward is able to restore that dream for countless patients each year.

“Our philosophy is that when it comes to the face, we are here to help,” Dr. Ward says. “As a facial plastic surgery practice and as a chain of Derm Spas, we are very concerned about facial appearance. We are even more concerned when there is a deformity that arises from cancer or trauma.”

Over the years of treating these cases, Ward M.D.’s team has discovered that some families take on significant financial hardship in order to pay for these life-changing procedures. Not wanting people to choose between livelihood and identity, Dr.

Ward began dreaming of ways to ease the financial burden. His efforts began with waiving fees associated with the Ward clinic, but the costs of laboratory testing, anesthesia, X-ray and radiology services were still overwhelming for many.

In the face of these hurdles, Dr. Ward established the Face Hope Foundation, designed to help families in need offset the costs of restorative plastic surgery treatments.

Most frequently, the program works with referrals from hospitals and clinics around the state, seeking help for patients with defects from cancer, facial paralysis or facial trauma who need the level of specialized care that Ward M.D. can offer.

“We do not want the ability to pay for the service to inhibit a patient from seeking the care they need,” Dr. Ward says. “This program gives us the ability to see any patient in need, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay.”

GET INVOLVED

“We are proud to have been able to donate over $550,000 in treatments last year alone,” says Dr. Ward.

“In 2023, we would love to be able to expand our offerings to more patients.”

With skin cancer rates rising each year, more and more patients are in need of facial care as a result of skin cancer removal. Ward M.D. wants to be available to all potential patients in need, and donations allow them to get one step closer to that goal. Contact the Ward M.D. team at wardmd.com to find out how to contribute.

PHOTO BY OLIVER WINEGAR SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

THE LASTING IMPACT OF A WISH MAKE-A-WISH UTAH WISH.ORG/UTAH | IG @MAKEAWISHUTAH

Make-A-Wish Utah creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.

“A wish is a tool; a mechanism to help children be more resilient as they battle their life-threatening medical condition,” says Daniel Dudley, Chief Development Officer. “Medical professionals frequently call on Make-A-Wish to be an important component of a child’s treatment plan.”

Wishes can take many forms, from dream vacations to elaborate playhouses and everything in between. The one trait shared by any wish is that its impact lasts longer than just one day. A prime example is a wish recently granted for wish teen Julia, who chose the rarest wish type of all, a wish to give.

“Julia went through a special education program in her school and found a lot of success through specific tools,” says Jenny Heffner, Wish Coordinator. “She wished to recreate that successful environment for schools that may not have the resources to provide it.”

For her wish, Julia compiled 22 special education classroom kits made up of specific items that helped her feel comfortable in school. With the help of Make-A-Wish Utah, Julia was able to donate these kits to low-income classrooms around the state, to help teachers enrich the lives of their students.

THE PLAYERS

Julia’s kits included writing supplies, recordable buttons, noise canceling headphones and more. Long-standing partners of Make-A-Wish Utah, Skullcandy and 3M, were quick to donate applicable supplies for the kits, as well as funds to help grant other wishes.

“Skullcandy’s give back program was honored that Julia wanted to include our Noise Canceling Hesh ANC product in her kits,” said Ben Williams, Program Manager at Skullcandy. “[Our team is] stoked knowing that our products can and are making a difference in peoples’ lives.”

“It has been a treat to work with Julia and the Make-A-Wish organization,” said Brooks Tingey, Global Marketing Director at 3M. “Julia is an inspiration to all!”

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Wishes are an important and necessary component of a child’s healing process. More children are waiting for a wish than ever before and wishes only come true through the generosity of our community.

Make-A-Wish Utah needs the engagement of individuals, local companies, and community organizations to provide the financial resources to create life-changing experiences for children with critical illnesses. Find out more at wish.org/utah, or contact Make-A-Wish Utah at info@ utah.wish.org.

JULIA PICTURED WITH HER CLASSROOM KITS

DR. HAMID ADIB

From an early age, Dr. Hamid Adib of Adib’s Rug Gallery has understood that the best way to find himself was to lose himself in the service of others, a lesson he was taught by his altruistic parents in Iran. Since coming to Utah as Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical Engineering, Adib has firmly ingrained himself and his business as a positive force in the local community. He is on the boards of numerous academic, cultural, medical and artistic organizations around the state, offering both his time and his gallery space at the historic Villa Theater for events and fundraisers. Local partnerships include work with Image Reborn, the Natural History Museum, Utah Film Center, Westminster College, Hope Clinic and more.

A favorite of Adib is his work with Heal Child Skin Disease Foundation, sponsoring hundreds of children suffering from painful severe skin diseases such as Epidermolysis Bullosa. Many of these children live in Adib’s home country, which brings the cause even closer to his heart.

Adib participates with Heal CSD both on humanitarian visits, as well as by raising money in creative ways. When he isn’t running Adib’s Rug Gallery or attending board meetings, Adib enjoys creating what he refers to as “modern-contemporary crazy paintings” in his Salt Lake City home. Every dollar of his painting projects, from supply budget to profits, goes to Heal CSD. He has been able to build a clinic for the desperate patients and he is on his way to add many more.

“We intentionally give back to that part of the world, largely because of the benefit we get in our business from the rich handwoven rug industry,” Adib says. “We take and gain from those communities, so we want to participate in kind to better their lives.”

Though a few causes are particularly special to Adib’s family, they never give up the chance to give back. “Anybody who reaches out to us wanting sponsorships, support, or to use our facility, we are always open to it,” Adib says. “If we feel confident about the cause of an organization, our team is available to help make their vision become reality.”

Dr. Adib frequently quotes a favorite ancient poet, Saadi Shirazi: “IF YOU HAVE NO SYMPATHY WITH HUMAN PAIN. THE NAME OF HUMAN YOU CAN NOT RETAIN.”

“I just want to be a human,” Adib says. “And the purpose of our lives as humans is to uplift and serve others.”

THE HAVEN

THE MISSION

Restoring independence—that is the true goal at the heart of The Haven, one of Utah’s premier residential addiction recovery programs since 1969.

Treatment plans at The Haven generally focus on low-income individuals, or those with a high risk of fatality, and don’t stop at treating chemical dependencies: they work to develop independence in mental health, life skills, and stabilization.

“Many parts of our program, whether it be outdoor recreation or building a resume, sound basic to the general public,” says Heather Chase, executive director. “But the reality is that many of our clients have never experienced anything outside of extreme poverty, oppression, and lack of opportunity.”

THE COMMUNITY

In their various residential facilities and sober living communities around the state, The Haven treats a variety of people, from the justice-involved to the unhoused, and is developing ways to be more inclusive of the LGBTQ+ population with identified gender programming.

Many team members at The Haven have a unique understanding of how to help individuals struggling with addiction. One of their team members, Danielle Davidson, went through the program several times, finally succeeding in

sobriety before becoming a full-time supporter at The Haven. “We see her as a great source of knowledge and depth in treating fellow patients,” Chase says. “She is now on naloxone billboards all around the state. If she can do this, anyone can.”

Another of The Haven’s biggest missions is education, both for their teams and for the community at large. Within The Haven, a wave of trauma-informed counseling is now creating space for healing and personal growth within addiction recovery.

“Previously, there was a big focus on militancy in recovery. I got sober that way, but I really enjoy the trauma-informed model because it helps humanize people,” Chase shares. “It helps providers and the public realize that a lot of these behaviors are trauma responses and not the result of being a bad person.”

GETTING INVOLVED

While volunteering opportunities are rare, The Haven is always in need of donations for their care packages, designed to help transition community members into fully independent sober living. Items such as new clothing, personal hygiene, and cleaning supplies often aren’t covered in funding requests and can add up quickly. Donations of this nature truly go toward caring for someone long-term and are always welcome.

HEATHER CHASE SECOND FROM THE LEFT PICTURED WITH HER TEAM

THE MISSION

The Subaru Love Promise Program is alive and well at Mark Miller Subaru. The retailer has two locations in the valley, but their impact extends far further. Through an open application process, Mark Miller Subaru annually selects from Utah’s litany of charitable organizations to find a lucky number of partners to support through events, donations, marketing, and other support.

Together, Mark Miller Subaru and these organizations form quality collaborations with the unified goal of bettering Utah’s communities.

“The idea behind Love Promise is that Subaru is more than just a car company,” says Jeff Miller, CEO. “We are part of the community and have a responsibility to make it better.”

LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS

Among some $3.2 million in donations since 2010, one of Mark Miller Subaru’s most fortunate partnerships is with Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum. As part of their shared quest for promoting education, Mark Miller Subaru installed an interactive auto shop exhibit within the museum to teach youth the promising career path that can be found in the field of auto technicians. In turn, the museum’s teams revamped the kid’s rooms at Mark Miller’s locations for Subaru’s first-ever “in-store” miniature museums.

“Rather than throwing a bunch of toys in a room and calling it a play area, we now have curated educational experiences,” Miller says. “We call them ‘satellite museums.’”

It is prudent projects like this that have gained Mark Miller Subaru recognition on a national level: they have been granted the Love Promise Customer & Community Commitment Award several times in recent years and were named the National Love Promise Retailer of the Year in 2018.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

When making your end-of-year vehicle purchases, consider making a difference by purchasing from Mark Miller as part of the Subaru Share the Love Event, during which Mark Miller Subaru and Subaru of America will donate $500 for every new Subaru purchased or leased. The customer gets to select from participating charities, dictating where their contributed donation is allocated. And of course, Mark Miller Subaru encourages donations to their two hometown charity partners this year, Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum and Volunteers of America, Utah, during the Subaru Share the Love Event. Both organizations will be at the stores every Saturday during the campaign to interact with customers and share their goals.

“Ultimately, we participate in Subaru Love Promise because it’s the right thing to do,” says Miller. “We want to encourage other businesses to do the same, to show that you can be successful while also being a great community member.”

Jenn Kikel-Lynn has embedded philanthropy in nearly every facet of her life. She has been in the philanthropy space for over a decade, and before establishing her philanthropy based real estate brokerage, K Real Estate, she worked as Executive Director for three different organizations and has a unique understanding of both the business and nonprofit sectors. Alongside her boutique real estate firm, also known as “The Give Back Brokerage,” where agents and home buyers have the opportunity to give back every time a home is sold, Kikel-Lynn also has two active nonprofits of her own.

The FMK Foundation was created after losing both of her parents to suicide. The mission is to share their story and promote suicide awareness, as well as to raise money for mental health support via a variety of art-based fundraisers. The foundation also trains individuals in QPR emergency response, designed to prevent suicide by educating the public on ways to help people in mental health emergencies.

“I personally went through the QPR program,” Kikel-Lynn says. “It helped me to understand my childhood trauma from losing both of my parents, as well as, understanding their own stories of why they ultimately took their own lives. This cause is very important to me.”

MAKING CONNECTIONS

Across all of her roles, Kikel-Lynn is connected to 70+ charitable organizations, and her goal is to use her balanced experience to provide resources to groups working to give back.

One method of fulfilling that goal is her “Give Back and Connect” group on LinkedIn, where organizations worldwide can connect to advertise their events and programming. Kikel-Lynn also organizes monthly networking calls via zoom, and quarterly lunch-and-learns to benefit the group’s 8,000+ members.

“Nonprofits often don’t have a way to advertise, network, and connect with potential partners because they are so limited in funding,” Kikel-Lynn says. “My goal is to take that burden off of their shoulders through offering free methods for advertising, meeting space, and opportunities to meet other like minded individuals.”

GET INVOLVED

Anyone interested in giving back around the state is sure to find a worthy cause through Kikel-Lynn’s networks. If you are shopping the real estate market, complete two goals at once by using K Real Estate as your Broker. Kikel-Lynn encourages all who want to give back to connect with her if they aren’t sure where to begin.

“There’s always going to be a cause that I’m personally attached to that I could direct volunteers to,” Kikel-Lynn says. “Reach out, and I can help you find a cause that resonates with you personally, and learn how to give back your way.”

MANDI SCHILL

ADVOCATE FOR POSTPARTUM MEDICAID COVERAGE

AMERICAN

HEART ASSOCIATION

YOURETHECURE.ORG IG @AHAUTAH

Mandi Schill’s pregnancy was healthy and uneventful, until she gave birth to her son and was diagnosed with preeclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy. After receiving treatment, Mandi returned home to care for her newborn son and manage her blood pressure.

“I was diligent about taking my medication and checking my blood pressure day and night,” says Schill.

One day, Mandi was preparing a bottle for her son when she suddenly felt as if she was going to faint. The feeling subsided but later that afternoon it returned and continued to magnify. She also became nauseous. Mandi’s sister Gina, who happens to be a nurse, called to check in with her and noticed something was wrong. She told Mandi to get to the Emergency Room (ER) immediately. Once in the ER, Mandi underwent testing that revealed she had suffered a stroke.

“I never expected the first night I spent away from my baby he would only be three weeks old, and that it was because I was in the hospital recovering from a stroke,” says Schill.

For the next year, Mandi had 20 different visits to her obstetrician, neurologist and family physician to monitor her risks for another stroke, as

well as other postpartum complications. Today, she follows a healthy diet, exercises regularly and continues to monitor her blood pressure.

Other mothers aren’t as lucky as Mandi. Pregnancy-related deaths have been on the rise in Utah for the last decade. In 2017, Utah experienced 17.3 deaths for every 100,000 live births in the state. Currently postpartum Medicaid coverage is only 60 days but according to the Utah Perinatal Maternal Mortality Review, 65% of Utah’s pregnancy-related deaths happen between 43 and 365 days after birth. Data collection also indicates that 92% of deaths were preventable. The American Heart Association believes all mothers deserve quality care and coverage before, during and after pregnancy. We must improve our systems of care to reduce these preventable deaths and protect families. Mandi agrees.

“I WILL ALWAYS FIERCELY ADVOCATE FOR PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY WOMEN, TO PAY ATTENTION WHEN SOMETHING ISN’T RIGHT AND TAKE ACTION,” SHE SAYS.

MANDI

You’d be hard-pressed to find another healthcare system as mission-minded as Shriners Children’s. The 100-year-old organization has helped 1.5 million children worldwide with special healthcare needs, regardless of ability to pay or insurance status. At the Salt Lake City location, caregivers are leaders in orthopedics, treating everything from simple fractures to complex and rare orthopedic conditions.

Shriners Children’s delivers a comprehensive range of treatments and services that help improve the quality of children’s lives and allow them to reach their full potential.

For example, a condition called arthrogryposis prevented Utah patient Claira from crawling, but the hospital’s Wheelchair, Seating & Mobility Department invented a baby wheelchair to help her move independently. Today, at age 2, she zooms full speed ahead in her toddler-sized power wheelchair. Claira’s mother, Shelby, reflects on her care: “You don’t have to walk to have a good quality of life. It makes my heart so happy to see her be able to play and get around.”

The facility’s new Clinic Director, Natalie Raleigh MSN, RN, CCM, who has served the organization as Chief Nurse for the past two years, is poised and ready to help the organization grow.

“I look forward to continuing to be a part of a team that provides the utmost exceptional care to our patients and their families for years to come. Shriners

Children’s is a highly respected organization. I am committed to continuing this legacy as we work to enlarge our footprint here in Utah, reaching more kids in more places closer to home.”

U.S. News & World Report ranked Shriners Children’s among its 2022-23 “Best Children’s Hospitals for Orthopedics,” and that goal is achieved through gifts of all kinds. Donations in any capacity help Shriners Children’s Salt Lake City deliver on its promise to provide “the Most Amazing Care Anywhere.” Every gift has an impact. Donations to the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization are tax deductible. To give, visit lovetotherescue.org or, for more information, contact Director of Development Nathan Clark at 801-536-3567.

“Our charity policy is deep and generous,” Raleigh says. “We’re driven to make lives richer, easier and less complex for children and families in Utah and beyond.”

PARK CITY

LIFE ON THE OTHER SIDE

UPSTREAM FARE

BY TONY GILL

JOHN COURTNEY HAS lived many lives when it comes to cuisine. He’s a revered chef, having overseen numerous cuisine concepts simultaneously at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas and worked alongside legendary figures like Rick Moonen and Mario Batali. His latest venture, The Fish Market Park City, is bringing a new level of seafood quality to Park City, providing both unique, fresh ingredients for home chefs and a dine-in restaurant in Kimball Junction. It mirrors his other local business, Park City Chop Shop, which is located just across the street. If you’re looking for fresh, fine food in Park City, you’ve found your spot. 1154 Center Dr., Park City, 435-776-6984, thefishmarketparkcity.com

PHOTO ADAM FINKLE

FISH OUT OF WATER

With The Fish Market Park City, John Courtney doubles down on high-end (and educational) edibles

BY TONY GILL

THE SHRIMP IS POACHED in white wine with star anise and cloves to give flavor back to the shrimp. The cocktail sauce is house made with simple ingredients, but we burn off some gin so the juniper flavor matches the character of the poaching liquid. It’s just a shrimp cocktail, you know? But it’s not.” Talking with John Courtney is frequently like this, animated and tinged with education. He combines a philosophical simplicity about cuisine with a technical complexity earned through years of experience. Frankly, it makes me hungry to listen.

Courtney opened The Fish Market Park City in the summer 2022, a combination fresh seafood market and dine-in restaurant. It’s not his first foray into the Park City food scene. He and his wife, Paige, started a business with a similar business model, Chop Shop Park City, directly across the street. Both businesses shared an impetus: to provide high quality ingredients to the community that weren’t readily available.

“We’re the unique fish monger. We know exactly where our proteins came out of the ocean, who took them out and who shipped them directly to us,” Courtney explains. “It’s a different process that costs a little more, but part of what we do is provide education to our customers about why we do things differently.”

It’s hardly a secret that all this wonderful fish doesn’t come out of the Great Salt Lake. Despite the distance from the coast, The Fish Market Park City serves the freshest fish you can find. “We bring Park City as close to the beach as possible. We get fresh fish delivered every single day, not just two days a week like is common in a lot of places. We import some fish directly from the Toyosu Market in Japan. The fish goes straight from the deck to a cargo box, to a plane to SLC and we pick it up at the airport. It’s straight from the water to you,” Courtney says.

The comprehensive import process also allows Courtney to provide truly unique offerings. From high grade belly portions of bluefin tuna, to ocean trout to calamansi (a type of citrus), the fridges and shelves in The Fish Market house all sorts of things you won’t find anywhere else.

If any of those sound intimidating to the home chef, don’t worry. Courtney is happy to provide some direction to help you get the most out of your meal. Of course, there are also in-house dining offerings, including the aforementioned shrimp cocktail, a raw bar, a lobster grilled cheese, a churashi bowl and more. You would be hard pressed to find better fish in the Mountain West, or anywhere else for that matter.

IF YOU GO: 1154 Center Dr., Park City, 435-776-6984, thefishmarketparkcity.com

DAWN RISES OVER A NEW SUNDANCE

After two years of pandemic tumult, the festival has to rediscover its identity

BY TONY GILL

IT’S ACTUALLY HAPPENING this time. Seriously. The Sundance Film Festival is returning for 2023 as an in-person event after two years of entirely virtual screenings. From January 19-29, the annual spectacle will retake its historic place in Park City, inundating the community with a reflected, star-studded glow that has been notably absent since January 2020. Even with audiences returning to theaters this year, Sundance is hybridizing the festival and making programming available virtually to ticket holders. It’s a new world for event logistics and expectations, and the cultural winds are shifting as swiftly as ever over the independent entertainment landscape. The Sundance Film Festival needs to find its place in the new era.

The resurgent pandemic scuttled plans for Sundance’s return the past couple of years, but the lessons learned may have forever altered the way we fest. Sundance reported during the pandemic three times as many people viewed films online during the 2021 virtual edition—600,000 audience views—as saw them during the 2020 physical edition. The figure represents a welcome democratization of the independent film viewing experience, as in recent years the festival had become ever-more exclusive. The fame-adjacent, stargazing, an influencer-obsessed culture that has sullied so many cultural pillars—we see you Coachella and Burning Man—lent the purportedly inclusive values of independent film a distinctly insular feel. Needless to say, enjoying the art on its own terms away from the spectacle had its merits.

So, the festival can be experienced in whatever context one prefers, amid the live spectacle or from home, refocusing an emphasis on the programming. Here too, Sundance must chart a new direction as to what stories they are trying to tell and which voices they want to amplify. Part of that direction includes the pausing of this year’s New Frontier programming, which has typically served as an incubator for more experimental

forms of art and has recently incorporated virtual reality projects. Further at stake is Sundance’s reputation as a tastemaker, following a debacle in 2022 surrounding the film, Jihadi Rehab

The documentary made by a white woman, Meg Smaker, about four Muslim men—accused terrorists and former Guantanamo detainees who were never charged—incarcerated in a Saudi Arabian rehabilitation facility, was the source of intense debate regarding representation, consent and who has a license to tell which stories. After intense criticism—some very

valid, some not in good faith—Sundance issued an apology that was viewed by some as too late and by others as reactionary. South by Southwest subsequently rescinded its own invitation to the film, showing just how much influence Sundance wields in the zeitgeist.

2023 is a year of reinvention for Sundance. The crowds are back and with renewed scrutiny of what the festival aims to be. How this year’s festival plays out will set the tone for how the institution will impact the culture surrounding independent film for years to come.

› HOW TO ATTEND THE 2023 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

In-person and online ticket packages can be purchased on the Sundance website. Numerous In-person festival packages are available with prices ranging from $200-$750, and single film tickets will be on sale starting January 12 for $25 each. Online festival tickets, $20 per film or $300 for the Festival Package are also available. festival.sundance.org

Experience Life Elevated

Will This Mayflower Float?

A massive undertaking, with a still uncertain future, begins to take shape

BY TONY GILL

EVEN IN FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE, the worn all-season tires on my truck struggled for traction. A wet, heavy snowstorm, the first of the season, had plagued the drive for 230 miles since heading up Douglas Pass along Colorado State Highway 139. Finally, approaching Park City on US-40, the sun shone through a fleeting break in the clouds. Out the driver’s side window, was the future site of Mayflower Mountain Resort, and also the first place bare ground without a fresh blanket of snow was visible in roughly four hours.

The cruel bit of ironic coincidence was difficult to ignore. We’d awoken in a tent to a desert snowstorm and had been treated to Ullr’s early gifts right up to the moment we were passing a place that requires snow for its very existence. The dearth of snow, a trivial occurrence with a sample size of one, nevertheless echoed the degree of public skepticism about the resort’s location and future viability. The past couple of seasons, at least, lackluster snowfall had left the east-facing, lower-elevation terrain across from the Jordanelle Reservoir with nary a trace of snow cover, sowing a hint of doubt.

Turns out ski resorts don’t open or close based on ill-informed opinions, so Mayflower is slated to spin its lifts starting in 2024/25, and stakeholders feel they’re on track despite alarming recent snow trends and the lack of a confirmed operator. “We were very successful this past construction season, with mostly dry conditions to work on a variety of projects, underground infrastructure, and also obvious vertical projects and numerous ski runs,” says Brooke Hontz, Vice President of Development at Extell Development Company, which is developing Mayflower Mountain Resort. “We’re in continued conversations with Alterra, Deer Valley’s parent company, to be the resort’s operator, and we look forward to finalizing those conversations in a positive way.”

If no deal is struck with Alterra, Mayflower Mountain Resort will be able to operate independently with 4,300 skiable acres of terrain, 3,200 feet of vertical drop and ultimately 15 ski lifts.

Freshly cut ski runs at the site of the future Mayflower Mountain Resort covered in a blanket of snow. Resort stakeholders plan to use ample snowmaking to supplement comparatively limited natural snowfall on the Wasatch Back.

There’s money to be made from ski resorts, so the inertia of capitalism will likely sort out the operator status. The more pressing and less solvable issue is whether there’s going to be adequate snow, especially at the base elevation of 6,575 feet.

“Certainly, snowfall is a concern, as it should be for everyone in the ski industry. But we can’t have a kneejerk reaction to what we hope are outlier years the past couple of seasons,” Hontz says. “We have 900-acre feet of water currently set aside for a state-of-the-art, automated snowmaking system. We’re looking at having an exceptional operator who can forecast and help us make snow that’s wonderful quality, just as Deer Valley has been able to do during the past couple of challenging winters.”

Snowmaking serving as the backbone of future ski resort viability isn’t unique to Mayflower, but without certain weather conditions, even that becomes challenging. “The Wasatch Back as a whole experiences some shadowing, which results in less precipitation, and the orographic effects tend to be less favorable as you move south from Deer Valley,” says Mike Wessler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City. Mayflower indeed sits south of Deer Valley, but Wessler is quick to point out how such general rules

make snow?

Ideal snowmaking conditions are between 15 and 28 degrees Fahrenheit. Any warmer than that, and you need to use a nucleating agent, a small grain of biodegradable bacteria, to help facilitate snow crystal growth. This adds significant cost to the process. As temperatures warm, the number of days suitable for snowmaking, even with the assistance of nucleating agents, lessens.

are difficult to apply.

“Mountain meteorology is a fickle beast, and unique terrain orientation can have a significant effect on snow totals. We can only get reliable data from stations with long-term established data sets, and along the Wasatch Back that’s from Thaynes Canyon, downtown Park City and the Snake Creek Hydroelectric Power Plant,” he says. “Without that, historical snow conditions are difficult to pinpoint and future conditions are difficult to forecast.”

We may not be able to glean a lot about how much natural snowfall will grace Mayflower Mountain Resort, but we can gain some insight into snowmaking potential. “The Wasatch Back is particularly cold. It features these narrow valleys with poor drainage that traps air into cold pools. The minimum temperatures typically recorded at Snake Creek at 6,010 feet are comparable to what you see in Thaynes Canyon at 9,230 feet,” Wessler explains.

Those cold temperatures are what Mayflower Mountain Resort is banking on to make snow. Wessler noted across the west we’re seeing rising snow lines during storms while pointing out broad regional trends can’t be applied to something so specific as snowfall in a particular location. Even amid climate uncertainty, one thing’s for certain. Mayflower development doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

How cold does it have to be to

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Snowbird

Twin Peaks

11,330 ft.

Park City Mtn.

Deer Valley

By JEREMY PUGH, HEATHER HAYES AND MELISSA FIELDS Illustrations by JENNIFER TERRY

Mt. Timpanogos 11,752 ft.

Sundance

he Wasatch is the heart and soul and backbone of Northern Utah. This rugged range forms the backdrop for our cities. We look up every day and watch with anticipation as the first snow falls and covers the peaks in what we proudly proclaim the “Greatest Snow on Earth.” Exploring the Wasatch in winter is a multi-billion dollar industry with visitors arriving from around the world to ski and board (mainly) and more importantly the proximity and grandeur of the Wasatch. It’s something we locals get to do every day, and at times, sigh, at times we take it for granted. We bemoan storms, canyon traffic and, well, just the general hassle of winter (apart from the moisture, which we eagerly celebrate). This winter, let’s stop all the bellyaching and get up there and enjoy the adventures waiting to be had.

Provo Canyon

Park City

BASECAMP: SALT LAKE CITY

SOLITUDE

SNOWFALL 500” • ACREAGE 1,200 • VERTICAL 2,047’

TERRAIN: Solitude is divided into two distinct areas from which to launch your mountain adventures, the Moonbeam and Village bases. Moonbeam generally services day skiers while the Village area is home to most of the resort’s lodging. From the Moonbeam base, you’ll have easy access to the Moonbeam and Eagle Express lifts. From the Village base, the big show is the Apex Express that connects to the Summit Lift and accesses Solitude’s most daunting and rugged terrain, the famed Honeycomb Canyon.

PROVISIONS: On-mountain, you’ll find the Roundhouse, a circular (naturally) day lodge that serves Himalayan mountain food (the butter chicken is lovely) as well as mountain comfort food. For a real dining adventure, book a space at the Solitude Yurt, where, after a nice snowshoe into the woods, you’ll dine at communal tables for this one-seating-a-night gastronomic experience.

ONE COOL THING: The bartenders at the Thirsty Squirrel are Solitude pros. They can give you good advice for finding powder stashes and venturing off-piste while mixing your drinks.

BRIGHTON

SNOWFALL 500” • ACREAGE 1,050 • VERTICAL 1,875’

TERRAIN: Unpretentious and friendly, Brighton’s sprawling runs attract a young crowd, a large contingent of brash snowboarders. It has the well-deserved distinction of being the resort where most Salt Lakers learn to ski or board. Brighton is also home to Salt Lake’s most prolific night skiing with more than 200 acres of lighted runs. PROVISIONS: Brighton keeps it simple—burger, beer, nachos on a sunny patio for your midday reprieve and a full menu at Molly Green’s afterward, which includes the best resort nachos in Utah. The Silver Fork Lodge, below the resort, has great grub, notably a breakfast that includes sourdough pancakes made with a 100-yearold starter. ONE COOL THING: The views from the top of Snake Creek pass, accessed by the Great Western and Snake Creek Express lifts, make it the perfect spot for your rub-it-in selfie.

ALTA: ‘HOME OF THE AVALANCHE’

The two largest canyons within the mountains that tower above Salt Lake City City, Big and Little Cottonwood, are your access to four of Utah’s most famed ski resorts—Brighton/Solitude in Big Cottonwood and Alta/Snowbird in Little Cottonwood. Each canyon has its own vibe that derives from the landscape itself, which, in turn, influences how the resorts make use of the terrain. Big Cottonwood is a wider canyon with more gradual walls, meaning Brighton and Solitude feature wider runs and, for the most part, more gradual inclines. Little Cottonwood, on the other hand, is much more narrow and steep which informs Alta’s and Snowbird’s reputations for steep and, for the most part, narrow runs. By 1872, the population of the mining town of Alta Town had grown to several thousand miners and camp followers, and that winter 10 died in a December avalanche. In 1885, 16 were killed in a deadly slide that destroyed the town and left 50 feet of snow on its ruined Main Street. The frequency and deadly nature of the slides prompted The Deseret News to dub Alta the “Home of the Avalanche.” Today, avalanches in Little Cottonwood Canyon are still a threat but are mitigated by aggressive avalanche control by the Utah Department of Transportation and the Alta and Snowbird ski patrols.

PHOTO AUSTEN DIAMOND / VISIT SALT LAKE

The stories behind your favorite ski trails

Miners and philanthropists, businessmen and sex workers, hobnobbers and knuckleheads, heroes and explorers—the origins of Utah ski trails are often as bizarre as their names. While many runs are named sites and claims from the mining boom of the 1800s, there are plenty of others born from tall tales, glorious adventures, mishaps and misdeeds.

TRAIL NAME: HOT FOOT GULLY

WHERE: SNOWBIRD

John Stratton, a ski patroller doing avalanche control work in 1975, nearly got himself blown to high heaven in Little Cottonwood Canyon’s Peruvian Gulch. One morning after a storm, Stratton and some fellow patrollers were dropping explosives on high-risk slopes to mitigate avalanches. After throwing charges in a gully and waiting for them to clear, he skied directly over one they hadn’t accounted for, which detonated, literally blowing him out of his skis.

Somehow unhurt, the gully was dubbed ”Hot Foot” in honor of Stratton’s close call.

TRAIL NAME: PATSEY MARLEY

WHERE:

ALTA SKI RESORT

Let’s set the record straight: yes, the mining town of Alta really did have brothels known as “sporting clubs.” But the long-running tale that Patsey was a favorite

call girl among the miners is taller than the mountain named in Patsey’s honor. The real “Patsey” was Patrick Marley, an Irishborn prospector who discovered silver ore in Little Cottonwood Canyon and staked his claim. That said, more than a few Wasatch features may have been named for infamous ladies. Snowbird’s Big Emma, Madam Annie and Solitude’s Black Bess Chutes are said to be named after miners’ favorite madames, and the Snowbird run “West 2nd South” is named for the red light district, according to Ski Utah.

TRAIL NAME: BASSACKWARDS WHERE: SNOWBIRD

It’s a clever play on words, however, also nods to Snowbird’s founding owner, Dick Bass. If you found yourself in Bass’ inner circle before opening day in 1971, there’s a good chance you have a gorge, chute, pass, ridge or valley named in your honor. There’s Alice Avenue, named for Dick’s wife, Alice, Silver Fox, named for Ted Johnson, Bass’ silver-coiffed business partner, and Wilbere a nickname Ted’s wife Wilma adopted jokingly after training with a European chef who had trouble pronouncing her name.

—Heather Hayes

SNOWBIRD RESORT

SNOWFALL 500” • ACREAGE 2,500 • VERTICAL 3,240’

TERRAIN: Snowbird is known around the world for its steep terrain and long continuous runs. The resort is made up of three drainages (Mineral, Peruvian Gulch and Gad Valley) all served by its iconic Tram atop Hidden Peak at 11,000 feet above sea level. PROVISIONS: We love The Steak Pit, serving dry-aged, prime beef alongside a stellar wine list. Next on our list is SeventyOne, an airy bistro with throwback decor that pays homage to the year Snowbird opened (1971). ONE COOL THING: The patio outside of The Steak Pit is home to a family of porcupines who make regular appearances to get a snack from the kitchen staff.

ALTA

SNOWFALL 551” • ACREAGE 2,200 • VERTICAL 2,020’

TERRAIN: Alta’s skiers-only terrain is among the steepest and most scenic in Utah. The famous resort, known for inspiring hikes to chutes and bowls well off the piste, is one of the oldest resorts in America and a key progenitor of the sport of skiing, period. PROVISIONS: Rustler Lodge is famous for its community tables—single diners and couples can request to be paired with other guests and make new friends over a sumptuous fully coursed dinner. Goldminers Daughter’s beautiful views of the mountain make for the perfect start to your day with its breakfast buffet, and you’ll find the rowdy après ski at the Peruvian (as well as the best nachos on the mountain). And don’t miss the wine list at Alta Lodge. ONE COOL THING: You can ski both Alta and Snowbird on one ticket. You access the ’Bird via a high mountain gate atop the Sugarloaf lift. However, snowboarders can’t come into Alta.

PHOTO ADAM BARKER COURTESY SNOWBIRD RESORT

Seventy-One

Ski-in/Ski-out at High West Distillery

BASECAMP: PARK CITY

Park City is a world-renowned ski destination and the home of Park City Mountain (the resort) and Deer Valley, both situated near the actual town of Park City and its lively Historic Main Street and iconic town lift (serving Park City Mountain). Lodging and nightlife abound, drawing visitors from around the world in every season.

SUNDANCE MOUNTAIN RESORT

SNOWFALL 300” • ACREAGE 450 • VERTICAL 2,150’

THE TERRAIN: Founded by film legend Robert Redford, who named the resort after his iconic turn in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Sundance is a dose of the Old West. The resort’s upper reaches are home to its advanced terrain, and there is no better place to be on a powder day than Bishop’s Bowl. The right side is where those that like to cruise will find beautifully groomed runs, and the lifts at the base area are home to varied and interesting beginners’ terrain. PROVISIONS: The Tree Room is Sundance’s most elegant and award-winning restaurant. Locals from Provo often drive up the canyon just to dine at this restaurant so named for the giant tree it was built around. Up on the resort’s highest peak, you can enjoy the views at Bear Claw Cabin while taking a break in this fast-casual lodge.

ONE COOL THING: Robert Redford had the wooden 1890s bar in the Owl Bar packed up and moved from Thermopolis, Wyo. to Sundance. It was once frequented by Butch Cassidy’s Hole in the Wall Gang.

DEER VALLEY RESORT

SNOWFALL 300” • ACREAGE 2,026 • VERTICAL 3,000

TERRAIN: Deer Valley is known for its perfectly groomed runs and stellar service. With 21 lifts, including 12 high-speed quads, lines are the exception rather than the rule. Head to Flagstaff Mountain for a selection of blue cruisers. Sorry snowboarders, Deer Valley is a ski-only resort. PROVISIONS: Dining is a significant part of the Deer Valley experience. The Alps-inspired Fireside Dining at the Empire Canyon Lodge is a guest favorite. Don’t miss Deer Valley’s famous turkey chili available at the Silver Lake and Snow Park lodges. ONE COOL THING: Kids receive special attention at Deer Valley. Ski school is available for ages three and up, while state-licensed childcare options are available from two months of age.

PARK CITY MOUNTAIN

SNOWFALL 360” • ACREAGE 7,300 • VERTICAL 3,200’

TERRAIN: Variety and size set Park City apart from other ski areas. It sits on 7,300 acres, including 300+ trails, 41 lifts, terrain parks and eight half-pipes. The mountain is divided into two base areas, Park City and Canyons Village. For blue runs, there are a lot of great choices off King Kong lift. Powderhounds will find the goods off Thaynes and Motherload Express.

PROVISIONS: Try The Farm for elegant dining, including regionally sourced ingredients. On the mountain, you can’t beat the views over fondue from Lookout Cabin. ONE COOL THING: Visit the ski-in/ski-out High West Distillery at the base of Park City’s Quittin’ Time run.

POWDER MOUNTAIN

SNOWFALL 500” • ACREAGE 8,464+ • VERTICAL 2,205’ LIFT-SERVED, 2,500’+ INBOUNDS

TERRAIN: Powder Mountain’s massive size and limited crowds mean you’ll find untracked powder days after a storm. The real adventure lies in Powder Country. Snowcat skiing is available and worth spending a few extra dollars. PROVISIONS: We love the views and Mexican cuisine at Hidden Lake Lodge. Sundown Pizzeria is another yummy option. ONE COOL THING: Mountain Hosts offer complimentary tours of the groomed areas of the resort throughout the day. It’s a perfect way to learn about this massive resort and make new friends.

SNOWBASIN RESORT

SNOWFALL 300” • ACREAGE 2,830 • VERTICAL 2,915’

TERRAIN: Long runs, a balanced mix of beginner, intermediate and advanced terrain, plus thin crowds, define Snowbasin. The home of the 2002 Olympic games, Snowbasin was revamped in 1998 to include two gondolas and a high-speed quad. PROVISIONS: We can’t get enough of the 360° views and gigantic fireplace at the John Paul Lodge. ONE COOL THING: The bathrooms, yes, bathrooms at Snowbasin are shockingly luxurious, including sitting rooms, marble tile, bronze chandeliers, wood inlay details and impeccable cleanliness.

BASECAMP: OGDEN

The secret is out about Utah’s second city and its easy-to-access resorts—Snowbasin, Nordic Valley and Powder Mountain. In fact, even though both are farther from Salt Lake, they are often easier to get to than Park City and the Cottonwoods when snarled up with traffic. Ogden is the yin to Salt Lake’s clean-cut yang. Ogden-ites pride themselves on their town’s outsider status. Redneck rebels, tattooed, bearded hipsters and hard-drinking old timers all mingle on 25th street where you can play at night after a day on the slopes.

NORDIC VALLEY RESORT

SNOWFALL 300” • ACREAGE 140 • VERTICAL 965’

200

TERRAIN: Nordic Valley packs a wide variety of terrain into a small, un-crowded, space. About half of the terrain is intermediate. A terrain park packed with features helps keep things interesting. Alpine lift delivers advanced runs, including Chainsaw and Falling Star, while beginners can build confidence on Old Barn Run. PROVISIONS: Relax, warm up and grab a bite at The Grill, which offers BBQ, pizza, grilled items and sandwiches. For more options, head to Ogden or the Shooting Star Saloon in Huntsville (the oldest bar in Utah). ONE COOL THING: There’s more powder to be had after dark at Nordic Valley so skip the après and try night skiing instead. All the runs remain open until 9 p.m.

The story of Solid Muldoon

It was one of the most famous hoaxes of the era. In 1877, using a mixture of ground bones, blood, meat, mortar and plaster, a Colorado trickster named George Hullmolded molded a missing-link man, kiln-fired his creation, then half-buried him in a hillside. Hull’s paid associate, William Conant “discovered”

him, and the whole nation wanted a peek at the “petrified man.” The oversized figure was touring the country when someone likened him to a famous wrestler, William Muldoon, nicknamed “The Solid Muldoon.” The name stuck. It’s rumored that P.T. Barnum was in on the hoax, ginning up hype by “offering” $20,000 for the creation. Finally, The New York Times dug up the truth and now all that’s left of the Solid Muldoon is a popular groomer near Deer Valley’s Carpenter Express lift.

— Heather Hayes

PHOTO BRIAN SMYER / COURESY SNOWBASIN

Bathrooms at Snowbasin Resort Day Lodges

GOING OFF PISTE

Bringing accessibility and affordability to Utah’s snowy slopes

Expensive, male-dominated and very white. However, that tide is turning. Multiple organizations, clubs and events are breaking winter sport’s worn-out mold, making skiing and riding more affordable and inclusive.

Ranked among the best gay ski weeks in the world, Elevation Utah will make its loud and proud return to Park City, February 22-26, 2023. Events held as part of this 13th annual mountain par-tay include themed après-ski meet-ups, dance parties and, of course, skiing and snowboarding. utahgayskiweek.com

Ski Utah’s Discover Winter program was designed to introduce communities of color to skiing. But how it guides participants through each step of the process—from proper gear use and fitting to transportation and even a post-program après ski party—checks a box many other learn-to programs miss: welcoming newcomers into the winter tribe. skiutah.com

Gals-only skiing and riding opportunities abound at the Utah resorts, ranging from midweek meetups at Brighton, Deer Valley, Park City Mountain, Powder

Mountain, Snowbasin, Snowbird, Solitude and Sundance to multi-day camps and clinics through Alta, the Alta Lodge, Rippin’ Chix, Deer Valley and Snowbird. For sisters who shred in the backcountry, Utah Mountain Adventures runs a weekly, seven-session women’s skills series called Wasatch Mavens. Or there’s the DPS Backcountry Riders Wasatch Women’s Camp, a two-day sojourn into the Wasatch backcountry hosted by The Mountain Guides.

Skiers and riders of all abilities and ages— including veterans suffering from PTSD—can realize the unique healing and empowerment that only snow sports can offer through the National Ability Center (NAC) and Wasatch Adaptive Sports (WAS). What’s more, many participants in these decades-old nonprofits’ transformative programming receive scholarships, allowing them to get out there without worrying about how they will pay for it. The NAC offers on-snow instruction at Deer Valley and Park City Mountain. WAS operates primarily at Snowbird, Alta and

Wasatch peak origin stories

BEN LOMOND 9,716 feet

NAMED: BEN LOMOND, north of Ogden, was named after the mountain Ben Lomond in the Scottish Highlands because early settler Mary Wilson Montgomery thought the mountain range resembled the Scottish “mountains,” which are a, meh, 3,000 feet above sea level. Our Ben Lomond is 9,716 feet high. ABOUT: They say the Paramount Pictures logo was modeled after Ben Lomond. Supposedly William W. Hodkinson, the founder of Paramount and a native of the Ogden area, drew the peak on a napkin during a meeting in 1914.

MT. OLYMPUS

9,026 feet

NAMED: MOUNT OLYMPUS, because every range has an Mt. Olympus, right? ABOUT: Mt. Olympus’ elevation is only 9,026 feet above sea level, but its profile dominates the SLC skyline and captured early settlers’ imagination, who, perhaps lacking actual imagination, named it Olympus after the mythical home of the ancient Greek gods. Because of its imposing presence on the Wasatch and its easy-to-access trailhead along Wasatch Boulevard, it is perhaps the most-climbed peak in the range (even in winter), and, we think, a litmus test for new Salt Lakers. Think of it as hazing.

LONE PEAK 11,253 feet

NAMED: LONE PEAK AND PFEIFFERHORN and recorded as “Little Matterhorn” on USGS maps. Pfeifferhorn’s name comes from Chuck Pfeiffer, a local climber who was a leader of the Wasatch Club. ABOUT: East of Salt Lake City and visible from North Salt Lake to Provo. It rises sharply from the valley floor to its peak over 11,000 feet, making it a hard climb to the summit, but easily accessible.

Sundance and offers instruction at Solitude and Brighton by request.

Programs making skiing affordable for kids are plentiful in Utah, but likely the most enduring is Ski Utah’s 4th, 5th and 6th Grade Passport, which, for just $59, allows three days of skiing or riding at each of Utah’s 15 resorts. Other organizations offering kiddos cheap—or even free—access to the slopes include SOS Outreach, Youth Sports Alliance and Burton’s Chill Foundation.

Speaking of affordability, the price of a night skiing or riding (typically after 4 p.m.) lift ticket is, across the board, much less than what you’ll pay during the day. Night ski and ride options include: Brian Head, $25-$30; Brighton, $70-ish; Cherry Peak, $18-$22; Nordic Valley, $17-$25; Powder Mountain, $35-$40; Sundance, $49-$69; and Woodward, $23-$65 for a three-hour session. Tickets for Alta’s Sunnyside at 3 program (access on its beginner lifts from 3 to 4:30 p.m.) are $19-$24 or $59 for four.

—Melissa Fields

MT. TIMPANOGOS 11,753 feet

NAMED: MOUNT TIMPANOGOS, a word supposedly from the Timpanogots tribe which translates as “rock” (tumpi-) and “water mouth” or “canyon” (pano.) Locals just call her “Timp.” Because the mountain’s profile looks (vaguely) like a reclining woman, legends abound about the tragic death of an Indian maiden and a starcrossed brave, yadda, yadda, yadda. ABOUT: Timp is the second highest in the Wasatch, peaking at 11,753 feet. The north end of the mountain is home to Timpanogos Cave National Monument.

MT. NEBO 11,933 feet

NAMED: MOUNT NEBO, after a Bible story which says that, at the end of his life, Moses stood on Mt. Nebo in Jordan and looked into the Promised Land that the Lord said he would never enter. Some early Utah settlers thought this peak of the Wasatch looked like the namesake mountain in Jordan. (Had they ever been to Jordan?) ABOUT: The southernmost and highest mountain in the Wasatch Range of Utah and way taller than its Biblical counterpart, Mt. Nebo is 11,933 feet high.

(The peak where the Bible says Moses died is only 2,330 feet above sea level.)

BY JEREMY SMITH

Three decades after 1993, The Sandlot, is the Utah-made movie that is still killing us, Smalls

followed them to the sandlot once after school. I’d never seen any place like it. It was like their own little baseball kingdom or something. It was the greatest place I’d ever seen anyway.”

With those words, David Mickey Evans, the writer, director and narrator introduced us to The Sandlot, the iconic childhood baseball nostalgia film released in 1993. When Evans wrote those words in his screenplay for The Sandlot he was dreaming of a very real vacant lot in Southern California’s San Fernando Valley circa 1968. It had been transformed by local kids into a ramshackle baseball sanctuary where, throughout the summer, the crack of bats echoed from dawn to dusk. Back then, Evans and his little brother Scott were new arrivals to the community, and yearned to get in on the fun. But, this is where reality departs sharply from fiction.

“We got beat up a lot,” says Evans. His Pacoima neighborhood, one of many United States suburbs created to accommodate the White Flight of the 1950s and ’60s, had

become home to lower-income Chicanos. The Evans boys didn’t look like the other kids, so they were persona non grata on the makeshift ballfield—even after Scott, desperate to court the bullies’ favor, bravely hopped a fence to retrieve their only baseball. His sole reward was a gnarled leg courtesy of the homeowner’s vicious dog.

Two decades later, in 1989, Evans now one of the hottest screenwriters in Hollywood thanks to his semi-autobiographical Radio Flyer (a dark fantasy wherein he reckons with the physical and emotional scars inflicted by his abusive step-father), mined these unhappy memories for a script called The Boys of Summer. It was to be his how-you-like-me-now revenge on the kids who denied him access to their baseball kingdom. This sounded wonderfully cathartic in theory, but there was just one problem: Evans didn’t want to see it, and couldn’t imagine anyone else buying a ticket for a downer movie about the bullies of his childhood. So on the day he was fired as director of Radio Flyer (early enough in production that the producers were able to scrap his footage and start from scratch with a completely different cast), he went in the opposite direction, crafting a deeply nostalgic mash note to the unifying spirit of baseball. It would be a film about unconditional friendship. It would be not about the way things were, but the way they should have been. And while the film would still be set in the San Fernando Valley, Evans would find his field of dreams a couple of states over after he visited a vacant lot in the Glendale neighborhood of Salt Lake City.

The Sandlot turns 30 this year and remains a timeless account of the best summer a ragtag group of adolescents ever had. Set in 1962, the film kicks off with young, timid Scotty Smalls (Tom Guiry) moving to Southern California with his mother (Karen Allen) and stepfather (Denis Leary). While exploring his strange new environs, Smalls stumbles upon a makeshift baseball diamond

composed of dirt, dead grass and a flung-together backstop. This is the sandlot where eight rambunctious boys bat the ball around until the sun dips below the horizon. Eight players means they’re short one for a full team, so when baseball-mad Smalls appears out of nowhere to set up in left field sporting the cheap plastic glove gifted to him by his grandmother, the squad’s leader, Benny (Mike Vitar), spies an opportunity for a ninth. Smalls is a disaster at first, but he ultimately overcomes his unsightly deficiencies in the throwing and catching department to win over the gang, leading to a magical three months full of highs and lows and plenty of mischief (most notably a Babe Ruth-signed baseball landing in the jaws of a backyard menace known as The Beast).

Given his devastating experience on Radio Flyer, Evans couldn’t afford another behind-the-camera misstep with his second feature. He hedged his risk by writing an all-ages comedy that could be made for under $10 million (a pittance for a studio production when Fox greenlit the film in 1991). The slashed cost, however, knocked Southern California out as a potential filming location. Evans, who’d lived most of his life in the area, was flummoxed. “I couldn’t imagine there being another Southern California basin,” says Evans. “It’s basically a desert surrounded by big purpley-blue mountains.”

Desert, big purpley-blue mountains…where might one find such a setting in the continental U.S.?

Producer Mark Berg thought this sounded an awful lot like Salt Lake City and the Wasatch Mountains. Evans flew out to the valley for a location scout

WHERE TO FIND THE SANDLOT IN SALT LAKE CITY

For superfans hyped about taking the SLC Sandlot tour, here’s your map of the essential stops.

›› Smalls and Benny’s houses are located on the 2000 East block in Salt Lake City.

›› Squints stole his kiss at the Lorin Hall Community Pool in Ogden.

››

The carnival and the Founder’s Day picnic were filmed at Liberty Park.

››

Our scrappy heroes routed the rich kids’ team at Riverside Park’s Rose Park Field.

››

The Sandlot itself is located behind 1388 Glenrose Drive, in Salt Lake City

NOTE: If you opt to visit when the field hasn’t been refurbished for its anniversary, prepare to be disappointed.

It’s just a bland vacant lot. Also, it’s impossible to access the field without committing some light trespassing. So, you know, don’t do it.

I COULDN’T IMAGINE THERE BEING ANOTHER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BASIN.”

—DAVID MICKEY EVANS

and was immediately convinced. Location managers David B. Smith and Dennis Williams knew the area well, and, armed with photos of Evans’ old San Fernando stomping grounds, locked down one perfect approximation after another. The film suddenly flickered to life in Evans’ imagination: The Beast’s chaotic pursuit of Benny through the Founder’s Day picnic; Squints’ shrewdly calculated kiss with lifeguard Wendy Peffercorn at the local pool; the ill-fated carnival ride fueled to vomitous effect by Big Chief tobacco; the boys’ drubbing of the rich kids’ team at their meticulously maintained ballpark; and, of course, that little baseball kingdom nestled in the heart of a tight-knit neighborhood.

Heart was at the top of the docket for Evans, and he found an abundance of it in Salt Lake City, starting with his crew. “This was the first time I’d ever worked in Utah, and the people there have a work ethic that’s unrivaled,” he says. “They care about what they do. They want to do a good job and they do a great job.” As Evans and his cast of troublemakers grew accustomed to the city, he realized the themes of his movie were reflected in the people he met. “The underlying values of the characters in the movie, I think, fit pretty perfectly with Salt Lake as I know it. I love it. The people there have just a magnificent take on family. It seems to me it’s a bit of a meritocracy. It’s a goodthings-happen-to-those-who-do-good-things kind of vibe.”

The populace of Salt Lake City has returned this affection a dozen fold. In 2013, Marshall Moore, then the Director of the

Utah Film Commission, teamed up with Brian Prutch, the Director of Corporate Sales for the Salt Lake Bees at the time, to host the 20th anniversary at the restored sandlot. Moore’s love affair with the film began when he took his 4- and 3-year-old children to see the movie during its theatrical release. He had relocated to the area in 1993 to work on the ABC miniseries production of Stephen King’s The Stand and fell hard for its gentle nature and inclusive spirit. Having missed the chance to work on The Sandlot by just a year, he leaped at the opportunity to help orchestrate the film’s birthday celebration in a city that, despite its on-screen setting in California, has embraced it as the quintessential Salt Lake City movie.

Moore believes the city’s love affair with The Sandlot is rooted in its nostalgia for a childhood innocence that is disappearing. “There aren’t a lot of kids out running around playing sandlot baseball anymore,” he says. “Maybe [kids] all get together and ride their bikes, or get together to shoot some hoops at the playground, but [youth] baseball is very organized.” Still, Moore is encouraged that the film has not only endured, but expanded its appeal. Every year, parents show The Sandlot to their children, and, judging from the turnout at the anniversary events, which occur every five years, the movie exudes a timelessness akin to cherished classics like The Wizard of Oz, The Goonies and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial None of this has gotten old for Evans or the cast. They eagerly show up for each anniversary celebration, sign loads of autographs on whatever’s handy (Evans claims he’s signed more than one baby with a Sharpie) and relive what wound up being the best summer of their lives. In exchange, attendees huddle together with their spouses and children under a starry sky and dream anew about the way things should be.

PHOTO EVERETT COLLECTION/

CENTURY FOX FILM CORP.

WHAT’S LINED UP FOR THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF THE SANDLOT ?

According to Marshall Moore and Brian Prutch, this will be the grandest anniversary shindig yet. The event is scheduled for two days Aug. 4 and 5, 2023. Moore is currently confirming availability with Evans and the cast while exploring the possibility of adding some special guests. The Salt Lake Bees will host a Sandlot night during their home game against the El Paso Chihuahuas on Aug. 4 (for tickets visit milb.com/salt-lake). Prutch, meanwhile, has arranged for a VIP package that will allow fans to have a catch with the stars of the movie. Throwing the ball around with Benny, Ham and Yeah-Yeah? You’re killing me, Smalls!

Left to right: Chauncey Leopardi, Patrick Renna, Marty York, Victor DiMattia, Shane Obedzinski

Where are they Now?

TOM GUIRY (Scott Smalls) went on to star in major films like Ride with the Devil, Black Hawk Down and Mystic River. He will play himself as a kidnap victim in the forthcoming mob comedy Killin’ Smallz

MIKE VITAR (Benny Rodriguez) went from The Sandlot to the ice hockey rink as Luis in D2: The Mighty Ducks and D3: The Mighty Ducks. He quit acting in 1997 and later joined the Los Angeles Fire Department.

PATRICK RENNA (Hamilton “Ham” Porter) had memorable roles in 1990s comedies like Son in Law and The Big Green and the lamentably canceled Netflix series Glow

CHAUNCEY LEOPARDI (Michael “Squints” Palledorous) joined Renna in The Big Green before the criminally short-lived NBC series Freaks and Geeks. He recently appeared in the music video for Logic’s “Homicide.”

BRANDON ADAMS (Kenny DeNunez) laced up the skates alongside Vitar for D2: The Mighty Ducks. He

also appeared on ’90s beloved series like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Roc and Moesha

MARTY YORK (Alan “Yeah-Yeah” McLennan) has appeared on TV series as varied as Boy Meets World, Wings and The Eric Andre Show

GRANT GELT (Bertram Grover Weeks) quit acting in the late 1990s and went on to co-found the brand studio Masscult.

SHANE OBEDZINSKI (Tommy “Repeat” Timmons) left acting behind in 1993. He is now the owner of Times Square Pizza in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

VICTOR DIMATTIA (Timmy Timmons) has returned to film, mostly behind the scenes, with billing as an actor and director.

DAVID MICKEY EVANS followed up The Sandlot by writing the 1996 baseball comedy Ed about a baseballplaying chimpanzee. He wrote and directed 2005’s The Sandlot 2 and is currently developing a prequel

Comfort, it turns out, is not relative, at least with food. No matter the cuisine or the culture that any given dish springs from, it will contain one neurological common denominator, buried in the primal place in our brains: Nostalgia.

By Christie Porter and Jeremy Pugh / Photos by Adam Finkle

Amy and Vivi Wanderley-Britt from Pig & A Jelly Jar

Southern Comfort

The People: Amy and Vivi Wanderley-Britt

The Restaurant: Pig & A Jelly Jar

The Meal: Chicken and Waffles, Biscuits and Gravy

AMY WANDERLEY-BRITT will tell you that she’s from the South but that she’s genuinely from, well, everywhere and the menu at Pig & A Jelly Jar reflects both mindsets.

“I call our food ‘southern-inspired,’ but it’s really a reflection of everywhere I’ve been,” she says. And, most importantly, the food her team serves “is fundamentally inspired by everyone I’ve ever met.”

As her name implies, Wanderley-Britt is a true wanderer and, as she runs down items on The Pig’s menu, she’s telling stories about people—friends around a table, the guides who cooked for her on the Colorado River, a transgendered Navajo she met on a lonely desert highway.

“I may not even have a person’s name in my memory,” she says. “But I can easily recall the food and the moment we shared. It’s all experiences with individuals adding up to a menu.”

So while, yes, the food she enjoyed around Meema and Pap-pap’s table growing up in Florida, is the foundation for the Pig’s menu—chicken and waffles, biscuits and gravy, beer for breakfast (yes, it’s a thing)—she knows that comfort comes in many guises and encourages her cooks and staff to bring dashes and flourishes from their own family tables to the plate.

“I don’t ever claim to be a chef,” she says. “I love how thinking about food together creates a community based on commonality. We all have an idea of comfort and essentially it is about love.”

And salt. And pepper. “Salt and pepper are her best friends,” Amy’s wife Vivi adds.

“Shut up,” Wanderly-Britt rolls her eyes. “Everything we make only has three or four ingredients and has to be made with love. And, yes, salt and pepper.”

Modesty and simplicity, she says, are essential to creating a blank canvas for what she truly loves about food and interactions around a table.

“The food is just the backdrop,” she says. “It’s the moments, the conversations we share around that food that we remember and that matter. If we can give someone a hot simple meal that makes their day special, we put a smile on their face. It’s as simple as that.”

If You Go…

Pig & A Jelly Jar Salt Lake City

401 E. 900 South, SLC, (385) 202-7366, Pig & A Jelly Jar Ogden

227 S. 25th St., Ogden, (801) 605-8400, Pig & A Jelly Jar Holladay

1968 E. Murray Holladay Rd, Holladay, (385) 695-5148, pigandajellyjar.com

Open every day from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Comfort Food Fusion

The Person: Jordan Wong

The Restaurant: J. Wong’s Thai & Chinese Bistro

The Meal: Potstickers, Kao Soi (egg noodles, chicken in red curry coconut broth), Wonton Noodle Soup

“COMFORT FOOD TO ME is the go-to food that you can eat all of the time and not get sick of it,” says Jordan Wong, owner of J. Wong’s Thai & Chinese Bistro. “For me, it’s simple dishes.” He knows every restaurant industry professional might not feel the same, but having been around restaurants his entire life, the more he appreciates the simple things. Be believes that comfort food doesn’t have to be the most expensive or the most exotic or complex. “My mom had a restaurant before I was born, so I was born inside the business,” he explains. “I grew up around dishes like walnut shrimp or General Tso’s chicken. They may be simple, but I love them.”

After running his own restaurant for 15 years, Wong says he’s noticed the same trend in his customers. “I feel like I have a bit more understanding about food in that sense than when we first opened,” he says. Before he opened J. wong’s, he talked it over with his mother and brothers, and he planned to have the best, most technical dish on every single table. But, after being open for a while, he found even VIP customers preferred the simple, more familiar dishes. The roots of which, he says, go back to when Chinese immigrants came to America en masse to build the railroads, developing what we think of as Chinese American

cuisine. “They’re the things I ate growing up every day for the first part of my life,” says Wong. While Wong’s father grew up in China, his mother grew up in Thailand, so in addition to Chinese American classics like Lo Mein and General Tso, he also found comfort in Pad Thai and Thai curries. It’s a fusion of cultures and classic dishes that he and his family wanted to share at large with J. Wong’s menu.

Of course, the menu still includes more complicated classics like the to-die-for Peking duck, but when Wong put together the items from his menu he found the most comforting, it’s no surprise that the focus was on the simple, homey dishes. He loves the Walnut Shrimp, a lightly breaded shrimp in a rich creamy sauce topped with honey-glazed walnuts, paired with traditional vegetable fried rice and spicy chicken dishes like Black Pepper or Thai Basil stir-fry. Add a side of dumplings and you’re set. It might not be the same for everyone, but when it comes to comfort, Wong’s advice is, “Try to find happiness in the simplest things and what you actually enjoy.”

If You Go…

J. Wong’s Thai & Chinese Bistro 163 W. 200 South, SLC, (801) 350-0888, jwongs.com, Monday-Friday open for lunch 11 a.m.-3 p.m., dinner 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Saturday open for lunch noon-3. p.m, dinner 5 p.m.-10 p.m.

Sunday open 4 p.m.-9 p.m.

Vegan Cuisine Gets Comfortable

IAN BRANDT WAS NOT ALWAYS a vegan. He grew up eating the quintessential American meat and potatoes fare and classic family dishes. “Growing up, lasagna—that was always a great comfort food item,” Brandt remembers. “I always wanted to be Italian. Growing up in Philadelphia, surrounded by Italians, it always seemed like the Italians had the most food.”

“Anything that you grew up eating with your family that takes you back to your roots—that is how I define comfort,” says Brandt. The foods that become the most comforting to us as adults are often attached to warm memories of childhood. These are the foods that help us feel safe. But, after going vegan at 22 years old, Brandt discovered many of his go-to comfort foods were no longer available to him. “I eventually found ways to still eat them by making them vegan,” he says. “And over the years, I came up with other vegan items that I enjoyed.“

Now, as the owner of Vertical Diner, an all-plant-based restaurant, he faces a similar quandary. How do you deliver the homey experience of diner cuisine to people who might not be familiar with vegan dishes? “That’s the biggest challenge we have—making guests comfortable,” Brandt says. “So we train our servers to curate the meal that way.” They recommend dishes that are familiar diner favorites with a vegan spin: vegan buffalo chicken wings, nachos, mashed potatoes and vegan gravy, and vegan macaroni and cheese. Other comforting options require no such spin as they can easily be vegan on their own: fried

Brussels sprouts, hand-cut french fries, and blueberry pancakes. The resulting message, “We’re an American diner that just happens to be plant-based and vegan,” says Brandt.

Vertical Diner’s American Diner Plate is a vegan version of good old-fashioned, simply delicious, straightforward diner food. It’s your choice of hand-cut french fries or mashed potatoes with Tender Tigers (plantbased chicken tenders), all smothered in gravy. Wash it down with a damn fine cup of coffee or, better yet, a strong chai. “We make our own house chai,” says Brandt. “That warming spice is comforting, and you can get it hot in the wintertime or iced in the

summer.” And, if you’re really peckish, try the carrot cake for dessert.

Brandt not only strives to make diners comfortable with the food but with the atmosphere of Vertical Diner as well. “I think the nature of the diner encompasses the comfort of eating out. Nowadays, it’s hard to find mid-range priced restaurants that also have table service,” says Brandt, but they’re not going to hurry anyone out the door. “An American diner is a place to hang out with family and friends, drink coffee and linger for an hour or two. We try not to rush people. We give them space to enjoy the company. The nature of the diner is comfort in and of itself.”

Vertical Diner owner Ian Brandt with general manager Taylor Duffus and chef Carmen Ruiz

The Person: Ian Brandt

The Restaurant: Vertical Diner

The Meal: The American Diner Plate (fries, Tender Tigers, gravy), Fried Brussel Sprouts in garlic aioli, Mac & Cheeze, Housemade Chai

If You Go…

Vertical Diner

234 W. 900 South, SLC, (801) 484-8378, verticaldiner.com Open every day, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. (breakfast served all day)

A Utah Tradition

The Person: Irvin Maddox

The Restaurant: Maddox Ranch House

The Meal: Maddox Chicken Fried Steak with all the fixins’

DURING WWII, Irvin Maddox opened a seven-stool lunch counter on Main Street in Brigham City. As a welder, he fashioned a stove plate from an old coal oil burner, secured a used refrigerator and asked Wilma Kotter, who would eventually become Mrs. Maddox, to work as a hostess. A few years later, Maddox opened the Double “J” in Ogden. But he lived in Brigham and spied a bit of land in neighboring Perry, much closer to home, in what most folks thought of as “the middle of nowhere.” In 1949, he bought the land and built a log cabin on skids so it could be towed away if it didn’t pan out. It never moved, and three generations later, another Irvin Maddox (named after his grandfather) is at the helm of what has become a landmark Utah restaurant and Irvin the younger’s whole life.

“After my father died (Steve, who ran the business after the original Maddox passed), I

realized I was never going to find a better place to affect people in a positive way,” Maddox says. He threw himself into the family business he had inherited.

And Maddox does indeed affect a lot of people. Each week the restaurant serves more than 15,000(!) customers. That’s right, 15 thousand. Some come to sit in the classic log cabin’s dining room or lunch counter, others pull up to the drive-in, still served by carhops, and others pick up a family meal to go on the way home. That loyalty speaks to the comfort the restaurant offers.

“We offer familiarity,” he says. “You know you’re going to have a great experience and that’s why we’ve been around for so long.”

That familiarity is exactly what you think. Steaks and potatoes with all the fixin’s,

famous fried chicken, housemade rolls served with honey butter and jelly. There’s even a seafood cocktail featuring crab with a “K.” (“That was my dad, he didn’t realize how kitschy fake seafood is but our customers won’t let me get rid of it,” Maddox says.) Don’t forget the pie and be sure to try the youngest Maddox’s own contribution to the third-generation menu, house-brewed birch root beer.

If You Go…

Maddox Ranch House

1900 S. Highway 89, Perry, (435) 723-8545, maddoxfinefood.com

Open 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. (Closed Sundays and Mondays)

From Lebanon with Love

The Person: Ali Sabbah

The Restaurant: Mazza

The Meal: Maghmoor (upper left), a stew of eggplants, garbanzo beans, tomatoes and onions braised in olive oil, aromatics and spices. served over our turmeric-infused Basmati rice. Green lentil and spinach soup (below) alongside a chutney a pot of Turkish coffee.

MAZZA WAS THE FIRST PLACE many native Utahns tried middle eastern food and we loved it. Now a whole host of falafel and shawarma spots dot the restaurant landscape but what continues to separate Mazza from the rest is its owner, Ali Sabbah.

Although, forced to close his other Salt Lake locations, the cozy spot on 15th and 15th that started it all maintains the standard Sabbah holds himself to.

“We are not here to cut corners,” he says explaining that many other restaurants use pre-made shortcuts and frozen supplies. “We make our food, every day from scratch. I slice the lamb myself. In doing so we show respect for the dishes the tradition.”

That tradition is a complex, layered cuisine that respects manual methods and originally comes from the boyhood tables of his childhood in Lebanon but ranges even father incorporating the diverse notes and nuances from around the middle eastern region. For example, one of the most comforting items on the Mazza menu: Chicken and Potatoes Mutabbak. “It is a simple dish in its presentation but it is quite complex,” Sabbah says. “The chicken is braised in our magic spice which contains more Lebanese flavors but we add tamarind to create the sauce. Tamarind is not commonly used in Lebanon. It’s more common in Iraq and the gulf. We create a dish that has a more complex middle eastern flavor.”

And then there’s the soup. Mazza’s red and green lentil soups scream comfort.

“I can’t get rid of either,” he says laughing. “I had the red lentil off the menu for a short period and a mother came in with her 8-yearold son and he started crying because he’d been craving ‘the red soup.’ I’d like to get in touch with her and let her know we have both soups!”

Sabbah built both soups himself and their simple presentation belies many steps of layering spices and flavor.

“Lentil soups are quite tricky,” he says. “They’re not meat-based so you can’t throw too many spices in there. Vegetarian soups require complexity to give them depth. You don’t just throw things together and hope for the best.”

The best, Sabbah says, is often merely reliable and, yes, comforting. Thus you’ll find Ali in his comforting, simple cafe, behind the stove fussing over each dish, the same as it ever was.

If You Go…

Mazza

1515 S. 1500 East, SLC, (801) 484-9259, mazzacafe.com

Open 4:30 to 9 p.m. (closed Sunday)

Killer Comfort Food

The People: Lucy Cardenas and Bill Coker

The Restaurant: Red Iguana and Red Iguana 2

The Meal: Beans and Rice, Mole Amarillo, Sunrise Burrito (Pork Chile Verde with a fried egg)

LUCY CARDENAS GREW UP in her family’s restaurants, eating some of the same dishes she still serves today at Red Iguana and Red Iguana 2. “Comfort food always reminds me of something in your childhood. My father's chile verde was the best,” she says. “My family has been serving my father’s chile verde since 1965 along with my mother’s rice.” Still, her take on the potential of comfort food is nuanced, “Comfort food isn’t any one thing. I think it’s very individual. Some people grow up having beans all of the time, and now they never want to eat beans. I could eat a plate of beans every day.” If you’ve had their beans, you probably would too.

When it came to putting together the perfect comfort meal, Cardenas and her partner Bill Coker were hard-pressed not to name their entire menu. “We have as many as nine moles,” says Coker. Mole is a thick, spicy sauce that can stand on its own or top enchiladas and other dishes, typically made from fruits, nuts and chili peppers. “We also make pozole a few times a week.” Pozole is a warm bowl of fragrant goodness—a stew made from pork, hominy and chili peppers. Coker also finds comfort in their hongos al ajillo, “It’s mushrooms sauteed in garlic and butter and a good-looking side dish.” And for dessert? “Sopapillas…or our flan,” he says.

Cardenas’ comfort food focus is more dialed in. “Huevos,” she says. “Anything with an egg.” Her description of their Sunrise Burrito is enough to put most people in a pleasant food coma: pork chile verde burritos that are also smothered in chile verde and melted jack cheese and topped with two eggs. Of course, it comes back to that chile verde, the recipe perfected by her father. “The chile verde is one of our most popular dishes. We have chef friends who have tried to emulate it and haven’t been successful.”

The chile verde, a family legacy, has been on the menu since Cardenas’ parents Ramon and Maria opened their first restaurant in the Salt Lake Valley, Casa Grande, and the tradition continued when Red Iguana opened in 1985 with

the motto “killer Mexican food.” Red Iguana 2 is the sequel to Red Iguana, just a few blocks away from its predecessor with the exact same menu. Cardenas and Coker, ignoring conventional wisdom, opened up the second location to help meet the staggering demand for the first, where people line up down the street to get a table. The second location offers diners a just-asgood-if-not-better alternative, when the wait at Red Iguana gets long, to get a comfortable seat rather than queuing up outside. Now,

more than ten years later, the gamble seems to have paid off, and the Cardenas’ legacy killer comfort food lives on. “We’re excited to still be going after 37 years,” she says. “We’re just happy to be here.”

If You Go…

Red Iguana 2 Sunday–Thursday open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday–Saturday open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. 866 W. South Temple, SLC, (801) 214-6050, rediguana.com

www.urban-hill.com urbanhill@hearth-hill.com 510 S 300 West, Salt Lake City

ON THE TABLE

FOOD | TRENDS | DINING

PHOTO

Old Cuss Cafe’s “Mom’s Jam n’ Biscuit” with seasonal, house-made jam. See page 82 for more.

Old Cuss: ‘Vegan Food for Non-Vegan People’

Is your New Year’s resolution to eat more plants? Get some inspiration from Brent’lee Williams and Christian Fyffe from Old Cuss Cafe

BY LYDIA MARTINEZ

Wander into Old Cuss Cafe, and you’ll feel as though you stepped into a mix of your favorite quirky uncle’s log cabin and a vintage consignment shop run by his eclectic wife. It is warm, welcoming, and the scent of roasted coffee permeates everything— it’s the perfect place to cozy up on a cold morning. The owners, Brent’lee Williams, AKA the “Old Cuss” and Christain Fyffe, who goes by Fyffe, set about to create an entirely plant-based restaurant and coffee shop. Their motto, “vegan food for non-vegan people,” is inspiring for those of us making a transition to more plant-based eating in 2023.

“Most people think, ‘hey, vegetables are a side dish,’” Fyffe says “But [vegetables are] something to be celebrated. The majority of the world has been finding ways to make them the star of the show.”

“Plants are so unbelievably diverse,” adds Brent’lee. “What you can do with tomato is much more than an out-of-season tomato slice on a sandwich. There are so many ways to cook a tomato. We think tomato sauce. We think pizza sauce. We think a BLT. But you can take a tomato, peel it, then take that tomato peel and dehydrate it for flavor. Rehydrate it. Sun-dry it. Turn it into a powder. Turn it into a whipped cream. The things that you can do with these vegetables are unbelievable.”

GET CURIOUS ABOUT PLANTS

One thing Brent’lee and Fyffe agree on is to approach plant-based eating with a side of curiosity. “We're both very curious people with our food,” says Brent’lee. “There are vegetables I've never even picked up. I don't know the

texture when I feel it, let alone the texture when I eat it.” This is where a healthy dose of curiosity comes in. “If I stew this, what happens? If I bake this, what happens?”

Where to start your own plant-based eating? Fyffe chims in with some advice, “Let's say ‘plant-based curious’

The food rebels and owners of Old Cuss Cafe believe vegetables are more than just a side dish.

HUNGRY FOR MORE?

Check out some of our local plant-based favorites.

Hello! Bulk Markets Perfect for picking up bulk grains, beans, nuts and produce. Bring your own bags and jars—this market is consumer packaging-free. hellobulkmarkets.com

Mahider Ethiopian Restaurant An authentic Ethiopian restaurant in Salt Lake City, they serve traditional dishes using recipes passed down generations. Grab a friend, get the vegetarian combo plate, and be prepared to eat with your hands off a communal plate. Yum! mahiderethiopian.com

Zest Kitchen & Bar Global fusion vegan fare with fresh ingredients and solid glutenfree options. And great cocktails. 21+ only. zestslc.com

Vertical Diner One of the OG vegan spots in Salt Lake City. You’ll find vegan diner food with breakfast served all day. Get the tender tigers (AKA vegan wings), one of many burgers, or “The Mountain”—a big pile of hash browns, tofu scramble, grilled peppers and onions, cheese sauce and guacamole. verticaldiner.com

Big O Doughnuts Vegan donuts? Yes, please. No need to say more. @thebigodoughnuts

City Cakes Vegan cakes, pastries, and treats, oh my! Get a cinnamon roll and prepare to enter sugarcoma bliss. citycakescafe.com

Rawtopia Not just vegan, but raw. Get their miso soup or the raw taco salad. rawtopia.com

since we've been using the term curiosity. Somebody that's looking to make a change or, you know, convert to another way of eating, Honestly, that spark of curiosity goes far.”

EAT DISHES THAT ARE A PART OF YOUR ROOTS

Most food cultures have elements that are vibrantly plant-centric. Brent’lee and Fyffe recommend exploring them when you are considering a transition to plant-based eating. Lean into your cultural roots, and find something familiar that you love to make the transition that much easier.

Fyffe’s mom is East Indian, and he explains that “meat isn't a huge part of my backstory. It's just a part of my upbringing. And so if I wanted to go back to my backstory it makes sense for me to be more on a plant-based diet because of where I come from.”

Brent’lee laughs and adds, “Fyffe has very deep roots. I'm a blonde, blue-eyed dude from Missouri. But even in Missouri, corn-fed is what we talk about. A corn-fed, Missouri boy.”

Start with plants that are a part of your culinary traditions and foodways. Then branch out from there to other traditions.

‘LET YOUR TASTE BUDS TRAVEL’

“You hear from all these different chefs who started travel shows, that travel will make you a better human,” says Brent’lee. “Let your taste buds travel. We're so fortunate. Salt Lake is a refugee city, and every day, the food culture here becomes more and more diverse.”

Here’s your chance to get curious again. Try new foods, new preparations and get inspired by other food cultures.

LEFT: Gravy with local mushrooms, khumbi mushroom bits and house-grown microgreens served on the house biscuit. Old Cuss Cafe has a changing menu of seasonal chia bowls (below). In January the cafe will serve a citrus-spiced chia with house-made granola, candied fruit, berries and edible flowers with maple syrup.

BE A REBEL. EAT PLANTS.

To younger readers, Brent’lee advises “you want to be a rebel? Eat some plants.If there's a 60-year-old reading this, it's not too late to rebel against your dad. Eat plants. Rebelling is how progress happens. Progress comes from rebellion. I think the most Mr. Rogers human on this planet can find one punk rock song to connect to. And if that punk rock song happens to be on a [plantbased] menu at a restaurant, lean into it, be curious.”

VISIT OLD CUSS CAFE

At Old Cuss, you’ll find plantbased milks. House-made syrups. A rotating cast of seasonal drinks. And comfort food that sticks to the (plant-based) ribs. Do yourself a favor and get the Breakfast Dagwood with Brent’lee’s famous house-made biscuit, “cheese” sauce, tofu egg and parsnip bacon. Don’t forget to add some hot sauce. Or go classic with a “Big Ass” Burrito—packed with smoked jackfruit, baked potato fries, tofu eggs, all smothered in house-made enchilada sauce. If you just want a little something to go with your latte, pick up Mom’s Jam n’ Biscuit. And yes, it is served with jam that is literally made by Brent’lee’s mom.

Old Cuss Cafe

2285 S. Main St., South Salt Lake, oldcuss.com, @oldcussslc

Little Cuss Coffee Shop at Neighborhood Hive 2065 E. 2100 South, SLC theneighborhoodhive.org

Share Some Love With Beautiful Grazing Boards

If you want to skip the crowds out and about on Valentine’s Day, opt for a stunning night in, complete with a bottle of wine and a grazing board. With a quick stop at the store, some cheese, cured meat and fruit create a beautiful board to share with that special someone. To make it easy for you, we talked with a pro—Nicole Simper from Maven Oak Creative, on how to build the perfectly romantic board.

did soul searching after a long trip she realized she could combine both loves: food and art.

It’s food. It’s art.

When building the perfect board for sharing, Nicole has a few tips—starting with planning the perfect bite. “Variety is probably the biggest thing. Building your little bites is the whole beauty and fun of eating off a platter.” She also recommends mixing cheeses—one soft, one hard, and one that is a “surprise” so that your board isn’t monotonous. Think of blue cheese or a flavored cheese. Next, consider seasonality. What fresh fruits are in season? For example, in February, pomegranates are in season.

BY LYDIA MARTINEZ

Nicole, the founder of Maven Oak Creative and self-styled “Platter Maven,” went to art school at the University of Utah and studied photography. “Right out the gate at 16, when I got a job, it was in the food industry. I’ve had every job under the sun,” she says. But it wasn’t until she

Finally, consider how everything on the board looks and tastes together. For Valentine’s Day, “I feel like chocolate is brilliant, and probably strawberries,” says Nicole. “Got to bring those berries back out for sure. This is probably going to be a very red platter.”

PHOTOS ADAM FINKLE

Nicole Simper from Maven Oak Creative shares tips for sharing some love this Valentine’s Day

LOCAL INGREDIENTS

We’re lucky to have some fantastic local purveyors here in Utah. Here are a few of the local products Nicole recommends for a board:

Caputos for anything from olives, meats, crackers, local jams and cheeses

Creminelli for salamis and cured meats

Local Cheeses: Beehive Cheese, Park City Creamery, Heber Valley Cheese Cache Canning & Ferments for pickles & chutney

Ritual Chocolate

‘The cheese will tell you what to do.’

Getting into the technical details of presenting the cheese on a board, Nicole assures, “the cheese will tell you.” On how to showcase it, she advises “If you try to slice a brie, it will be a hot mess. So I would just put a knife in it and call it a day. Harder cheeses, like manchego or anything aged, will slice easier. Cheddar can be more versatile. It can be cut and crumbled because the moisture content is not dry and it's not soft. It's somewhere in the middle.” But ultimately, “You don't have to slice the cheese. It can just be the cheese with a knife, and that's enough. So ask the cheese.”

GRAZING BOARD GUIDANCE

CHEESE PAIRINGS

• Double Cream Brie + Beehive Cheddar + Feta

• Manchego + Drunken Goat + Mahon

• Burrata + Parmigiano Reggiano + Gorgonzola

SWEET

• Jams

• Honey

THINGS

• Chutney

• Dried Fruit

• Membrillo

• Chocolate

• Fresh Berries or Fruit

TART THINGS

• Pickles

• Pickled Vegetables

• Olives or Tapenade

• Mustards

• Capers

GARNISHES

• Edible Flowers

• Nuts

• Fresh Herbs

• Honeycomb

• Jam or Chutney Jars

THE BOARD

Up the romance with a good wine pairing to accompany your board. “A nice juicy red would be fun, but I would go with a sparkling. Keep it effervescent and light because sparkling pairs well with chocolate,” says Nicole. “Let's say a sparkling wine of your choice. Prosecco. Or sparkling rosé.”

Not ready to build your own board? Nicole and Maven Oak Creative can do that for you with 48 hours notice. Platters are available for pick up or delivery.

Boards start at $111 and include the board and food staging.

MORE INFO: Maven Oak Creative (Located inside Bitters Lab) 850 S. 400 West, SLC, mavenoakcreative.com, @mavenoakcreative

Custom made personalized board, deercreekwoodworking.com

Founder of Maven Oak Creative Nicole Simper

FEEL YOUR OATS

Oatmeal is one of winter’s simplest and coziest breakfast foods. It can also be one of the most exciting.

Utah’s Hell’s Backbone Grill describes its oatmeal as a dreamy, creamy, steamy bowl that can make the rest of your day dreamy as well. Can you say the same about yours? If not, let’s talk toppings. Whether you cook rolled or steel-cut oats (or instant oats as a last resort or if you’re camping), adventurous add-ons can make all the difference. Part of the delight of oatmeal is its versatility, so experiment with fun and flavorful toppings. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

CRUNCH

Properly cooked oatmeal should have a gentle chew, like well-cooked pasta. What it doesn't have is crunch, so add some texture.

• Toast some nuts (any nuts, or a mixture) in a skillet until they just brown. Toss them in a mixture of cinnamon sugar and sprinkle them over your hot oats.

• Toast coconut and sprinkle over the oatmeal with some chopped, dried pineapple.

• Top with toasted peanuts and add a few dollops of your favorite jelly.

SWEET

Sometimes, you gotta have sweet in the morning. Of course, there's maple syrup or brown sugar. You know that. But how about these?

• Maple sugar. It has a more intense flavor than the syrup.

• Chocolate chips. Yes, chocolate chips—milk, dark or even white.

Drop them into hot oatmeal and let them melt as you eat.

• Sweetened fruit. Slice strawberries the night before, sprinkle them with sugar so they get juicy, and top your bowl of oats. Any berry is good with oatmeal, but you don't need to pre-sweeten raspberries, blackberries or blueberries. Just sprinkle them with sugar as you fix your bowl.

UMAMI

Maybe you want heftier protein in the morning? No problem.

• Top your oatmeal with cooked, crumbled bacon.

• Slide a poached or fried egg on top and garnish it with sliced avocado.

• Add some slivered smoked salmon and dollops of softened cream cheese.

LIQUID ASSETS

Experiment with the cooking liquid. For example, add a dash of vanilla if you’re planning on sweet. Or pour in some vegetable stock if you’re planning on savory. If you cook with water, add a dash of salt. In any case, add a pat of butter as soon as the oatmeal is done to enrich its texture.

WHERE TO EAT

A select list of the best restaurants in Utah, curated and edited by Salt Lake magazine

SALT LAKE CITY & THE WASATCH FRONT

American Fine Dining

ARLO

271 N. Center St., SLC, 385-266-8845. arlorestaurant.com

Chef Milo Carrier has created a destination in a small, charming house at the top of the Marmalade neighborhood. A fresh approach and locally sourced ingredients are the root of a menu that bridges fine and casual dining, at once sophisticated and homey.

BAMBARA

202 S. Main St., SLC, 801-363-5454. bambara-slc.com

The menu reflects food based on sustainability and the belief that good food should be available to everybody. Prizing seasonally driven dishes sourced from local farmers, he turns out dishes with a communityminded sensibility.

THE CHARLESTON

1229 E. Pioneer Rd., Draper, 801-550-9348. thecharlestondraper.com

Offering gracious dining in Draper, Chef Marco Silva draws from many culinary traditions to compose his classic and exciting menu—artichoke souffle, braised halibut, ratatouille. The setting, in a historic home surrounded by gardens, is lovely and we love his high standards: No kids under 11 Friday and Saturday evenings and an indoor dress code.

GRAND AMERICA

555 S. Main St., SLC, 801-258-6708. grandamerica.com, laurelslc.com

Grand America Hotel’s Laurel Brasserie & Bar is one of the dinner/nightlife stars of the city, and the

kitchen makes sure other meals here are up to the same standard. The setting here is traditionally elegant but don’t be intimidated. The food shows sophisticated invention, but you can also get a great sandwich or burger.

HSL

418 E. 200 South, SLC, 801-539-9999. hslrestaurant.com

The initials stand for “Handle Salt Lake”—Chef Briar Handly made his name with his Park city restaurant, Handle, and now he’s opened a second restaurant down the hill. The place splits the difference between “fine” and “casual” dining; the innovative food is excellent and the atmosphere is casually convivial. The menu is unique—just trust this chef. It’s all excellent.

LA CAILLE

9565 Wasatch Blvd., Sandy, 801-942-1751. lacaille.com

Utah’s original glamour girl has regained her luster. The grounds are as beautiful as ever; additions are functional, like a greenhouse, grapevines and vegetable gardens, all supplying the kitchen and cellar. The interior has been refreshed and the menu by Chef Billy Sotelo has today’s tastes in mind. Treat yourself.

of FAME HALL LOG HAVEN

6451 E. Mill Creek Canyon Road, SLC, 801-2728255. log-haven.com

Certainly Salt Lake’s most picturesque restaurant, the old log cabin is pretty in every season. Chef Dave Jones has a sure hand with American vernacular and is not afraid of frying although he also has a way with healthy, low-calorie, high-energy food. And he’s an expert with local and foraged foods.

PAGO

878 S. 900 East, SLC, 801-532-0777. pagoslc.com 341 S. Main St., SLC, 801-441-2955. pagoslc.com Tiny, dynamic and food-driven, Pago’s ingredients are locally sourced and reimagined regularly. That’s

This

Listings

why it’s often so crowded and that’s what makes it one of the best restaurants in the state. The list of wines by the glass is great, but the artisanal cocktails are also a treat.

PROVISIONS

3364 S. 2300 East, SLC, 801-410-4046. slcprovisions.com

With Chef Tyler Stokes’ bright, fresh approach to American craft cuisine (and a bright, fresh atmosphere to eat it in), Provision strives for handmade and local ideals executed with style and a little humor.

SLC EATERY

1017 S. Main St., SLC, 801-355-7952. slceatery.com

The SLC Eatery offers culinary adventure. Expect equally mysterious and delightful entrees and exciting takes on traditional dishes.

TABLE X

1457 E. 3350 South, SLC, 385-528-3712. tablexrestaurant.com

A trio of chefs collaborate on a forward-thinking thoroughly artisanal menu—vegetables are treated as creatively as proteins (smoked sunchoke, chile-cured pumpkin, barbecued cannelini beans) bread and butter are made in-house and ingredients are the best (Solstice chocolate cake.) Expect surprises.

American Casual

BLUE LEMON

55 W. South Temple, SLC, 801-328-2583. bluelemon.com

Blue Lemon’s sleek interior and high-concept food have city style. Informal but chic, many-flavored but healthy, Blue Lemon’s unique take on food is a happy change from downtown’s food-as-usual.

Quintessential Utah

selective guide has no relationship to any advertising in the magazine. Review visits are anonymous, and all expenses are paid by Salt Lake magazine. of FAME HALL Dining Award Hall Of Fame Winner

BRICK & MORTAR

228 S. Edison Street, SLC, 801-419-0871. brickmortarslc.com

Brick & Mortar is a bar and restaurant in the heart of downtown (where Campos Coffee used to be). It’s a gastro pub with a mean brunch game, but the lunch and dinner (and after-dinner drinks) won’t disappoint.

CAFE NICHE

779 E. 300 South, SLC, 801-433-3380. caffeniche.com

The food comes from farms all over northern Utah, and the patio is a local favorite when the weather is fine.

CITRIS GRILL

3977 S. Wasatch Blvd., SLC, 801-466-1202. citrisgrill.com

Most dishes come in either “hearty” or “petite” portion sizes. This means you can enjoy a smoked salmon pizzetta or fried rock shrimp appetizer and then a petite order of fire-roasted pork chops with adobo rub and black bean-corn salsa. Expect crowds.

COPPER KITCHEN

4640 S. 2300 East, Holladay, 385-237-3159. copperkitchenslc.com

A welcome addition to Holladay, Ryan Lowder’s Copper Kitchen reprises his downtown Copper Onion and Copper Common success with variations. The menu is different, but the heartiness is the same; the interior is different but the easy, hip atmosphere is the same, and the decibel levels are very similar.

COPPER ONION

111 E. Broadway, Ste. 170, SLC, 801-355-3282. thecopperonion.com

An instant hit when it opened, constant crowds attest to the continuing popularity of Ryan Lowder’s Copper Onion. Though the hearty, flavorful menu changes regularly, some favorites never leave: the mussels, the burger, the ricotta dumplings. Bank on the specials.

CUCINA

1026 E. 2nd Ave., SLC, 801-322-3055. cucinawinebar.com

Cucina has added fine restaurant to its list of descriptors—good for lunch or a leisurely dinner. The menu has recently expanded to include small plates and substantial beer and wine-by-the-glass lists.

THE DODO

1355 E. 2100 South, SLC, 801-486-2473. thedodorestaurant.com

It’s hard even to update the review of this venerable bistro. So much stays the same. But, like I always say, it’s nice to know where to get quiche. And our raspberry crepes were great. Yes, I said crepes.

EPICURE

707 E. Fort Union Blvd., Midvale, 801-748-1300. epicureslc.com

American food here borrows from other cuisines. Save room for pineapple sorbet with stewed fresh pineapple.

HUB & SPOKE DINER

1291 S. 1100 East, SLC, 801-487-0698. hubandspokediner.com

This contemporary diner serves the traditional three a day with an untraditional inventiveness applied to traditional recipes. Like, artisanal grilled cheese with spiked milkshakes. And mac and cheese made with spaetzle. Breakfast is king here—expect a line.

LEFT FORK GRILL

68 W. 3900 South, SLC, 801-266-4322. leftforkgrill.ipower.com

Every booth comes with its own dedicated pie shelf. Because no matter what you’re eating—liver and onions, raspberry pancakes, meatloaf or a reuben— you’ll want to save room for pie. Tip: Order your favorite pie first, in case they run out. Now serving beer and wine.

LITTLE AMERICA COFFEE SHOP

500 S. Main St., SLC, 801-596-5708. saltlake.littleamerica.com

Little America has been the favorite gathering place for generations of native Salt Lakers. Weekdays, you’ll find the city power players breakfasting in the coffee shop.

LONDON BELLE SUPPER CLUB

321 S. Main St., SLC, 801-363-8888. londonbelleslc.com

It’s a combo deal—restaurant and bar. That means you have to be over 21 to enter but it also means that you can stay in one place all evening. Their kitchen serves up everything from duck confit nachos to their signature 12-ounce Niman Ranch ribeye.

MOOCHIE’S MEATBALLS

232 E. 800 South, SLC, 801-596-1350; 2121 S. State St., South Salt Lake, 801-487-2121; 7725 S. State St., Midvale, 801-5621500. moochiesmeatballs.com

This itty-bitty eatery/take-out joint is the place to go for authentic cheese steaks made with thinly sliced steak and griddled onions glued together with good ol’ American cheese and wrapped in a big, soft socalled French roll.

NOMAD EAST

1675 E. 1300 South, SLC, 801-883-9791. nomad-east.com

Nomad East is cousin to the original, now-closed Nomad Eatery. It’s in the charmed location on 1300 South where Eggs in the City used to be. Everything here is cooked in a pizza oven, even the roasted chicken (a must-have.) Chef Justin is a salad wizard. Fun and excellence combined.

OASIS CAFE

151 S. 500 East, SLC, 801-322-0404. oasiscafeslc.com

Oasis has a New Age vibe, but the food’s only agenda is taste. Lots of veg options, but meat, too. The German pancakes are wonderful, but its evening menu suits the space —being both imaginative and refreshing.

OQUIRRH

368 E. 100 South, SLC 801-359-0426. oquirrhslc.com

Little and original chef-owned bistro offers a menu of inventive and delicious dishes—whole curried lamb leg, chicken confit pot pie, milk-braised potatoes— it’s all excellent.

THE PARK CAFE

604 E. 1300 South, SLC, 801-487-1670. theparkcafeslc.com

The Park Cafe has been serving up breakfast to the Liberty Wells neighborhood since 1982. Right next to Liberty Park, the cafe’s location is hard to beat.

PIG & A JELLY JAR

401 E. 900 South, SLC, 385-202-7366; 227 25th St., Ogden, 801605-8400; 1968 E. Murray Holladay Rd., Holladay, 385-695-5148. pigandajellyjar.com

Great chicken and waffles, local eggs, and other breakfasts are served all day, with homestyle additions at lunch Sunday-Thursday and supper on Friday and Saturday.

PORCH

11274 S. Kestrel Rise Rd., Bldg. G, South Jordan, 801-679-1066. porchutah.com

A chef-owned restaurant in the new urban community of Daybreak, this sleek little cafe was conceived by Meditrina owner Jen Gilroy and focuses on locallysourced cuisine with southern touches.

PORCUPINE PUB AND GRILLE

3698 E. Fort Union Blvd., Cottonwood Heights, 801-942-5555. porcupinepub.com

With 24 beers on tap available for only $2 every Tuesday, Porcupine has practically created its own holiday. Chicken noodle soup has homemade noodles and lots of chicken. Burgers and chile verde burritos are good, too.

ROOTS CAFÉ

3474 S. 2300 East, Millcreek, 801-277-6499. rootscafeslc.com

A charming little daytime cafe in Millcreek with a wholesome, granola vibe.

RUTH’S DINER

4160 Emigration Canyon Rd., SLC, 801-582-5807. ruthsdiner.com

The original funky trolley car is almost buried by the beer garden in fine weather, but Ruth’s still serves up diner food in a low-key setting, and the patio is

one of the best. Collegiate fare like burgers, BLTs and enchiladas rule here. The giant biscuits come with every meal, and the chocolate pudding should.

SILVER FORK LODGE

11332 E. Big Cottonwood Canyon Rd., Brighton, 801-533-9977. silverforklodge.com

Silver Fork’s kitchen handles three daily meals beautifully. Try pancakes made with a 50-year-old sourdough starter. Don’t miss the smoked trout and brie appetizer.

STELLA GRILL

4291 S. 900 East, SLC, 801-288-0051. stellagrill.com

A cool little arts-and-crafts-style café, Stella is balanced between trendy and tried-and-true. The careful cooking comes with moderate prices. Great for lunch.

TIBURON

8256 S. 700 East, Sandy, 801-255-1200. tiburonfinedining.com

Servings at Tiburon are large and rich: elk tenderloin was enriched with mushrooms and demi-glace; a big, creamy wedge of St. Andre came with pork belly. In summer, tomatoes come from the garden.

TRADITION

501 E. 900 South, SLC, 385-202-7167. traditionslc.com

Plan your meal knowing there will be pie at the end of it. Then snack on pigs-in-blankets (sausage from artisan butcher Beltex) and funeral potatoes. Fried chicken, braised pork, chicken and dumplings are equally homey. Then, pie.

VESSEL KITCHEN

905 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-810-1950; 1146 E. Fort Union Blvd., Midvale, 801-337-5055; 11052 S. State St., Sandy, 801-349-2544; 1784 Uinta Way, #E1, Park City, 435-200-8864. vesselkitchen. com

Each of Vessel’s four locations is in an area of Utah they feel they can engage with the local populace through straight-forward, fast, casual cuisine that’s also healthy. Online ordering and curbside takeout are available at every Vessel restaurant.

Bakeries

THE BAKING HIVE

3362 S. 2300 East, SLC, 801-419-0187. bakinghive.com

Tucked behind Provisions restaurant, this homespun bakery uses real butter and cream. Classes allow kids to ice and decorate their own cakes and they offer gluten-free options, too.

THE BAGEL PROJECT

779 S. 500 East, SLC, 801-906-0698, bagelproject.com

“Real” bagels are the whole story here, made by a homesick East Coaster. Of course, there’s no New York water to make them with, but other than that, these are as authentic as SLC can get.

THE BIG O DOUGHNUTS

248 W. 900 South, SLC, 385-770-7024. bigodoughnuts.square.site Vegan. Doughnuts. Need we say more? Blueberrylavender, tofutti cream cheese, etc.

BISCOTTS BAKERY & CAFE

1098 W. Jordan Pkwy. #10, South Jordan, 801-890-0659; 6172 W. Lake Ave., South Jordan, 801-295-7930. biscotts.com

An Anglo-Indian teahouse, Lavanya Mahate’s (Saffron Valley) latest eatery draws from intertwined cultures, serving tea and chai, English treats and French pastries with a hint of subcontinental spice.

CARLUCCI’S BAKERY

314 W. 300 South, SLC, 801-366-4484. carluccisbakery.com Plus a few hot dishes make this a fave morning stop. For lunch, try the herbed goat cheese on a chewy baguette.

CITY CAKES & CAFE

1860 S. 300 West, D, SLC, 801-359-2239. 192 E. 12300 South, Ste. A, Draper, 801-572-5500. citycakescafe.com Gluten-free that is so good you’ll never miss it. Or the dairy—City Cakes has vegan goodies, too. And epic vegan mac ‘n’ chezah.

EVA’S BAKERY

155 S. Main St., SLC, 801-355-3942. evasbakeryslc.com

A smart French-style cafe and bakery in the heart of downtown. Different bakers are behind the patisserie and the boulangerie, meaning sweet and daily breads get the attention they deserve. Go for classics like onion soup and croque monsieur, but don’t ignore other specials and always leave with at least one loaf of bread.

FILLINGS & EMULSIONS

1475 S. Main St., SLC, 385-229-4228. fillingsandemulsions.com

This little West-side bakery is worth finding—its unusual pastries find their way into many of Salt Lake’s fine restaurants. Pastry Chef Adalberto Diaz combines his classical French training with the tropical flavors of his homeland. The results are startlingly good and different.

GOURMANDISE

250 S. 300 East, SLC, 801-328-3330, 725 E. 12300 South, Draper, 801-571-1500. gourmandise.com

This downtown mainstay has cheesecakes, cannoli, napoleons, pies, cookies, muffins and flaky croissants. And don’t forget breads and rolls to take home.

LA BONNE VIE

555 S. Main St., SLC, 801-258-6708. grandamerica.com

Cuter than a cupcake, Grand America’s pastry shop has all the charm of Paris. The pretty windows alone are worth a visit.

MRS. BACKER’S PASTRY SHOP

434 E. South Temple, SLC, 801-532-2022. mrsbackers.com

A Salt Lake tradition, Mrs. Backer’s is a butter cream fantasy. Fantastic colors, explosions of flowers, most keyed to the current holiday created from Americanstyle butter cream icing, fill this old-fashioned shop.

PASSION FLOUR PATISSERIE

165 E. 900 South, SLC, 385-242-7040. passionflourslc.com

A vegan-friendly cafe located in an up-and-coming neighborhood. They offer coffee and tea lattes and a variety of croissants: the crust is flaky and buttery (despite the lack of butter). They also bake up some deliciously moist custom vegan cakes for any occasion.

RUBY SNAP FRESH COOKIES

770 S. 300 West, SLC, 801-834-6111. rubysnap.com

The Trudy, Ruby Snap’s classic chocolate-chip cookie. But it’s just a gateway into the menu of delicious fresh cookies behind the counter at Ruby Snap’s retro-chic shop on Salt Lake’s west side.

SO CUPCAKE

4002 S. Highland Dr., SLC, 801-274-8300. socupcake.com

Choose a mini or a full cake, mix and match cakes and icings, or try a house creation, like Hanky Panky Red Velvet.

TULIE BAKERY

863 E. 700 South, SLC, 801-883-9741; 1510 S. 1500 East, SLC, 801-410-4217. tuilebakery.com

You can get a little spiritual about pastries this good on a Sunday morning, but at Tulie you can be just as uplifted by a Wednesday lunch.

VOSEN’S BREAD PARADISE

328 W. 200 South, SLC, 801-322-2424. vosen.com

This German-style bakery’s cases are full of Eifelbrot, Schwarzbrot, Krustenbrot and lots of other Brots as well as sweet pastries and fantastic Berliners.

Barbecue & Southern Food

PAT’S BARBECUE

155 W. Commonwealth Ave., SLC, 801-484-5963; 2929 S. State St., SLC, 385-528-0548. patsbbq.com

One of Salt Lake City’s best, Pat’s brisket, pork and ribs deserve the spotlight but sides are notable here, too. Don’t miss “Burnt End Fridays.”

R&R BBQ

307 W. 600 South, SLC, 801-364-0443. Other locations. randrbbq.com

Owned by brothers Rod and Roger Livingston, winners on the competitive barbecue circuit. Ribs and brisket star, but fried okra steals the show.

THE SUGARHOUSE BARBECUE COMPANY

880 E. 2100 South, SLC, 801-463-4800. sugarhousebbq.com

This place is a winner for pulled pork, Texas brisket or Memphis ribs. Plus killer sides, like Greek potatoes.

Bar Grub & Brewpubs

(Also check bar listings, page 121)

AVENUES PROPER PUBLICK HOUSE

376 8th Ave., SLC, 385-227-8628. avenuesproper.com

It’s a restaurant and brewpub, with the emphasis on small plates and late hours. The food is inventive, the beer is good and—big plus—they serve cocktails as well as brew at this neighborhood hot spot.

BOHEMIAN BREWERY

94 E. 7200 South., Midvale, 801-566-5474. bohemianbrewery.com

Bohemian keeps a firm connection to its cultural history—so to go with the wonderful Czech beer, you can nosh on potato pancakes, pork chops and goulash. There’s also plenty of American beer fare.

DESERT EDGE BREWERY

273 S. Trolley Square, SLC, 801-521-8917. desertedgebrewery.com

Good pub fare and freshly brewed beer make this a hot spot for shoppers, the business crowd and ski bums.

RED ROCK BREWING

254 S. 200 West, SLC, 801-521-7446; 6227 State St., Murray, 801-262-2337; 1640 Redstone Center Dr., Park City, 435-5750295. redrockbrewing.com

Red Rock proves the pleasure of beer on its own and as a complement to pizzas, rotisserie chicken and chile polenta. Not to mention brunch. Also in the Fashion Place Mall.

SQUATTERS PUB BREWERY

147 W. Broadway, SLC, 801-363-2739; 1763 S. saltlakebrewingco.com

One of the “greenest” restaurants in town, Squatters brews award-winning beers and pairs them with everything from wings to ahi tacos.

WASATCH BREWPUB

2110 S. Highland Dr., SLC, 801-783-1127. saltlakebrewingco.com

Part of the same mega “boutique” group that produces Squatters and Wasatch beers and runs the pubs in Salt Lake City and Park City with those names, this extension is everything you expect a brewpub to be—hearty food, convivial atmosphere, lots of beer and a great late-ish option.

Breakfast/Lunch Only

THE DAILY

222 S. Main St., Ste. 140, SLC, 801-297-1660. thedailyslc.com

Chef Ryan Lowder’s only non-Copper restaurant (Onion, Commons, Kitchen) is open all day for breakfast, lunch and noshing. Call in and pick up lunch, stop in and linger over Stumptown coffee, take some pastries to go and don’t miss the biscuits.

EGGS IN THE CITY

2795 S. 2300 East, SLC, 801-581-0809. eggsinthecityslc.com

A familiar face in a whole new space—the favored breakfast joint has moved to Millcreek. Hip and homey, all at once.

FINN’S CAFE

1624 S. 1100 East, SLC, 801-467-4000. finnscafe.net

The Scandinavian vibe comes from the heritage of owner Finn Gurholt. At lunch, try the Nordic sandwiches, but Finn’s is most famous for breakfast (best pancakes in town), served until the doors close at 2:30 p.m.

MILLCREEK CAFÉ & EGGWORKS

3084 E. 3300 South, SLC, 801-485-1134. millcreekcafeandeggworks.com

This spiffy neighborhood place is open for lunch, but breakfast is the game. Items like a chile verdesmothered breakfast wrap and the pancakes offer serious sustenance.

Burgers, Sandwiches & Delis DIVERSION

535 N. 300 West, SLC, 801-657-7326. diversioneatery.com

Much-needed neighborhood eatery serving burgers, dogs, chili and fries. Try the “burger bowl”— just what it sounds like and twice as messy.

FELDMAN’S DELI

2005 E. 2700 South, SLC, 801-906-0369. feldmansdeli.com

Finally, SLC has a Jewish deli worthy of the name. Stop by for your hot pastrami fix or to satisfy your latke craving or your yen for knishes.

PRETTY BIRD CHICKEN

146 S. Regent St., SLC; 675 E. 2100 South, SLC; prettybirdchicken.com.

Chances are you’ll still have to wait in line for Chef Viet Pham’s Nashville hot chicken. There is really only one thing on the menu—spicy fried chicken on a bun or on a plate. Go early—Pretty Bird closes when the kitchen runs out of chicken.

PROPER BURGER AND PROPER BREWING

865 S. Main St., SLC, 801-906-8604. properburgerslc.com

Sibling to Avenues Proper, the new place has expanded brewing and burger capacity, two big shared patios. And ski-ball.

SHAKE SHACK

11020 State St., Ste. B, Sandy, 385-276-3910; 6123 S. State St., Murray, 801-448-9707; shakeshack.com

The national favorite has landed in Utah and surely there will be more to come. Danny Meyer’s all-American favorite serves burgers, mediocre fries and milkshakes, along with other fast food faves. Play board games and try one of their super cool shake flavors.

SIEGFRIED’S DELICATESSEN

20 W. 200 South, SLC, 801-355-3891. siegfriedsdelicatessen.com

The only German deli in town is packed with customers ordering bratwurst, wiener schnitzel, sauerkraut and spaetzle.

TONYBURGERS

613 E. 400 South, SLC, 801-419-0531; Other Utah locations. tonyburgers.com

This home-grown burger house serves fresh-ground beef, toasted buns, twice-fried potatoes and milkshakes made with real scoops of ice cream.

Coffee

3 CUPS COFFEE

4670 S. Holladay Village Plaza #104, Holladay, 385-237-3091. 3cups.coffee

With a slick, modern interior, 3 Cups transitions seamlessly from a neighborhood coffee shop by day to a wine and cheese bar by night. This family establishment boasts of roasting their own beans and baking their own goods.

CAFFE D’BOLLA

249 E. 400 South, #100, SLC, 801-355-1398. caffedbolla.com

John Piquet is a coffee wizard—a cup of his specially roasted siphon brews is like no other cup of coffee in the state. His wife, Yiching, is an excellent baker.

CUPLA COFFEE

175 W. 200 South, SLC, 385-207-8362; 1476 Newpark Blvd., Park City, 801-462-9475. cuplacoffee.com

The menu at Cupla reflects the owners’ lifestyle of a low-carb and low-sugar diet, without sacrificing taste for health. They roast their own coffee beans, rotated seasonally.

LA BARBA

155 E. 900 South, SLC; 9 S. Rio Grande, SLC, 385-429-2401; 13811 Sprague Ln., Draper, 801-901-8252. labarbacoffee.com

Owned by locally owned coffee roasters—a favorite with many local restaurants—this little cafe off of George serves coffee, tea, chocolate and pastries.

LOGOS COFFEE

1709 E. 1300 South, SLC, 801-657-1383. logos.coffee

Logos is a small batch specialty coffee roaster that operates a mobile espresso cart (check social media for location) and a coffee bar that’s open 7 a.m.–2 p.m. everyday.

KING’S PEAK COFFEE

412 S. 700 West, Suite 140, SLC, 385-267-1890. kingspeakcoffee.com

All of King’s Peak’s coffee is sourced directly from farmers or reputable importers. In the end, the result is a better quality coffee.

PUBLIK

502 E. 3rd Ave., SLC, 385-229-4836; 975 S. West Temple, SLC, 801-355-3161; 210 S. University St., SLC, 385-549-1928. publikcoffee.com

Serving the latest in great coffee; the old-school java joint made for long conversations; a neo-cafe where you can park with your laptop and get some solo work done.

URBAN SAILOR COFFEE

1327 E. 2100 South, SLC, 385-227-8978. urbansailorcoffee.com

Urban Sailor Coffee opened its first sit-down coffee shop in Sugar House after originally serving Anchorhead specialty coffee from a mobile coffee cart and Steve Smith tea from a URAL sidecar motor.

SALT LAKE ROASTING COMPANY

820 E. 400 South, SLC, 801-363-7572. roasting.com

SLC’s original coffee shop owner John Bolton buys and roasts the better-than-fair-trade beans.

Central & South American AREMPA’S

350 S. State St., SLC, 385-301-8905. arempas.com

Happy, casual Venezuelan food—arepas, tequenos, cachapas—basically everything is cornmeal filled with pulled beef, chicken or pork and fried. But—also the same fillings between slices of plantains. And a chocolate filled tequena.

BRAZA GRILL

5927 S. State St., Murray, 801-506-7788. brazagrillutah.com

Meat, meat and more meat is the order of the day at this Brazilian-style churrascaria buffet.

RODIZIO GRILL

600 S. 700 East, SLC, 801-220-0500. rodiziogrill.com

The salad bar offers plenty to eat, but the best bang for the buck is the Full Rodizio, a selection of meats— turkey, chicken, beef, pork, seafood and more—plus vegetables and pineapple, brought to your table until you cry “uncle.”

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.

Fren ch & 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 port-sauced lamb shank. Service is courteous and friendly at this family-owned spot.

FRANCK’S

6263 S. Holladay Blvd., SLC, 801-274-6264. 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.

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

Indian-Nepalese 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, 801-466-3504; 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, 801-572-6123; 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 G RILL

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 wood-fired 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, 801-533-8746. triodiningslc.com

Pizzas from the wood-fired 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.

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, 801-2720821. 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, 801-948-4468. 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, 801-485-3699; 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.

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, yourhands-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.

PIZZA NONO

925 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-702-3580. 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, 801-797-1167. 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.

The holidays are coming!

This year, reserve your space early for the best table in the house. Whether you're hosting a company holiday party or treating your family to a night out, we have something for everyone.

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 family-run 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, 801-746-4441. 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, 801-277-9919. 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

Valter Nassi’s restaurant overflows with his effervescent personality. The dining room is set up so Valter can be everywhere at once. Old favorites include a number of tableside dishes.

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 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, 801-487-3525. 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. Chef-owner 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.”

FAME HALL TAKASHI

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18 W. Market St., SLC, 801-519-9595. takashisushi.com

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, 385-900-0288; 7628 S. Union Park Ave., Midvale, 801-676-6466; 10722 River Front Pkwy., South Jordan, 801-748-1178; 1616 W. Traverse Pkwy., Lehi, 801-770-0088. tsunamiutah.com

Besides sushi, the menu offers crispy-light tempura and numerous house cocktails and sake.

YOKO RAMEN

473 E. 400 South, SLC, 801-876-5267. 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 CAFÉ MED

420 E. 3300 South, SLC, 801-493-0100. 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.

LAYLA

4751 S. Holladay Blvd., Holladay, 801-272-9111. laylagrill.com

Layla relies on family recipes. The resulting standards, like hummus and kebabs, are great, but explore some of the more unusual dishes, too.

LAZIZ KITCHEN

912 S. Jefferson St., SLC, 801-441-1228. lazizkitchen.com

There are so many reasons to love Laziz Kitchen. Some are obvious—their top-notch Lebanese-style hummus, muhammara and toum.

of FAME HALL MAZZA

1515 S. 1500 East, SLC, 801-484-9259. mazzacafe.com

Excellent. With the bright flavor that is the hallmark of Middle Eastern food and a great range of dishes, Mazza has been a go-to for fine Lebanese food in SLC before there was much fine food at all.

MANOLI’S

402 E. 900 South, Ste. 2, SLC, 801-532-3760. manolison9th.com

Manoli and Katrina Katsanevas have created a fresh modern approach to Greek food. Stylish small plates full of Greek flavors include Butternut-squash-filled tyropita, smoked feta in piquillo peppers and a stellar roast chicken.

PADELI’S

30 E. Broadway, SLC, 801-322-1111. padelisstreetgreek.com

One of Salt Lake’s original Greek restaurants, Greek Souvlaki, has opened a contemporary version of itself. Padeli’s also serves the classic street fare, but these excellent souvlaki come in a streamlined space modeled after Chipotle, Zao and other fast-but-notfast-food stops. The perfect downtown lunch.

SPITZ DONER KEBAB

35 E. Broadway, SLC, 801-364-0286. spitz-restaurant.com

This California transplant specializes in what Utahns mostly know by their Greek name “gyros.” But that’s not the only attraction. Besides the food, Spitz has an energetic hipster vibe and a liquor license that make it an after-dark destination.

Mexican BARRIO

282 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-613-2251. barrioslc.com

A slick new taco bar with a slightly punk Mexican theme, Barrio offers the usual selection of tacos—everyone’s favorite food, outdoor seating on nice days, margaritas, beer and a selection of serve yourself salsas.

BLUE IGUANA

165 S. West Temple, SLC, 801-533-8900. blueiguanarestaurant.net

This colorful downtown restaurant has a charming downstairs location and patio, and has been a Salt Lake staple for decades. Enchiladas, tacos, and “jengo” nachos—piled high on a platter—are all good, as are the margaritas. A nifty addition: phone chargers on every table.

CHILE TEPIN

307 W. 200 South, SLC, 801-883-9255. chile-tepin.com

Popular for its generous servings of Mexican food, this place usually has a line on Friday nights. Heavy on the protein—the molcajete holds beef, pork and chicken—but cheese enchiladas and margaritas and other staples are good, too.

CHUNGA’S

180 S. 900 West, SLC, 801-953-1840; 1895 S. Redwood Rd., SLC, 801-973-6904. chungasmexican.com

These tacos al pastor are the real deal. Carved from a big pineapple-marinated hunk, the meat is folded in delicate masa tortillas with chopped pineapple, onion and cilantro.

LONE STAR TAQUERIA

2265 E. Fort Union Blvd., SLC, 801-944-2300. lstaq.com

Lone Star serves a burrito that’s a meal in itself, whether you choose basic bean and cheese or a special.

a creative cocktail menu and a vine-covered patio make for a hospitable atmosphere.

KIMI’S

CHOP & OYSTER HOUSE

2155 S. Highland Dr., SLC, 801-946-2079. kimishouse.com

Kimi Eklund and Chef Matt Anderson are bringing a touch of glam to Sugar House with their high-style, multi-purpose restaurant: It’s an oyster bar, it’s a steakhouse, it’s a lounge. However you use it, Kimi’s makes for a fun change from the surrounding pizza and beerscapes, with dramatic lighting, purple velvet and live music.

MARKET STREET GRILL

48 W. Market St., SLC, 801-322-4668; 2985 E. Cottonwood Pkwy., SLC, 801-942-8860; 10702 River Front Pkwy., South Jordan, 801-302-2262. marketstreetgrill.com

SLC’s fave fish restaurants: Fish is flown in daily and the breakfast is an institution.

THE OYSTER BAR

FAME HALL RED IGUANA AND RED

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IGUANA 2

736 W. North Temple, SLC, 801-322-1489; 866 W. South Temple, SLC, 801-214-6050. rediguana.com

All locations are a blessing in this City of Salt, which still has mysteriously few good Mexican restaurants. Mole is what you want.

RIO GRANDE CAFÉ

258 S. 1300 East, SLC, 801-364-3302. riograndecafeslc.com

As bustling now as it was when it was still a train station, this is a pre-Jazz favorite and great for kids, too. Dishes overflow the plate and fill the belly.

TAQUERIA 27

149 E. 200 South, SLC, 385-259-0940; 4670 S. Holladay Village Plaza, Holladay, 801-676-9706; 6154 S. Fashion Blvd. Ste. 2, Murray, 801-266-2487; 1688 W. Traverse Pkwy., Lehi, 801-331-8033. taqueria27.com

Salt Lake needs more Mexican food, and Todd Gardiner is here to provide it. Artisan tacos (try the duck confit), inventive guacamole and lots of tequila.

Seafood

CURRENT FISH & OYSTER HOUSE

279 E. 300 South, SLC, 801-326-3474. currentfishandoyster.com

An all-star team made this cool downtown restaurant an instant hit. Excellent and inventive seafood dishes plenty of non-fishy options.

HARBOR SEAFOOD & STEAK CO.

2302 E. Parleys Way, SLC, 801-466-9827. harborslc.com

A much-needed breath of sea air refreshes this restaurant, which updates their menu frequently according to the availability of wild fish. A snappy interior,

48 W. Market St., SLC, 801-531-6044; 2985 E. Cottonwood Parkway (6590 South), SLC, 801-942-8870. marketstreetgrill.com

This is one of the best selection of fresh oysters in town: Belon, Olympia, Malpeque and Snow Creek, plus Bluepoints. Crab and shrimp are conscientiously procured.

Southeast Asian

CHABAAR BEYOND THAI

87 W. 7200 South, Midvale, 801-566-5100. chabaarbeyondthai.com

One of Annie Sooksri’s parade of restaurants, this one features what the name implies: a solid menu of Thai favorites plus some inventions based on Thai flavors.

CHANON THAI CAFÉ

278 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-532-1177. chanonthaislc.com

A meal here is like a casual dinner at your best Thai friend’s place. Try curried fish cakes and red-curry prawns with coconut milk and pineapple.

FAV BISTRO

1984 E. Murray Holladay Rd., Holladay, 801-676-9300. bestthaifoodinutah.com

Cross-cultural food with a menu of fusion dishes based on Thai flavors.

INDOCHINE

230 S. 1300 East, 801-582-0896. indochinesaltlake.com

Vietnamese cuisine is under-represented in Salt Lake’s Thai-ed up dining scene, so a restaurant that offers more than noodles is welcome. Try broken rice dishes, clay pots and pho.

MI LA-CAI NOODLE HOUSE

961 S. State St., SLC, 801-322-3590. lacainoodlehouse.com

Mi La-cai’s noodles rise above the rest, and their pho is fantastic—each bowl a work of art. The beautiful setting is a pleasure. It’s even a pleasure to get the bill.

MY THAI

1425 S. 300 West, SLC, 801-505-4999. mythaiasiancuisine.com

My Thai is an unpretentious mom-and-pop operation—she’s mainly in the kitchen, and he mainly waits tables, but in a lull, she darts out from her stove to ask diners if they like the food. Yes, we do.

OH MAI

850 S. State St.,SLC, 801-575-8888; 3425 State St., SLC, 801-467-6882, Other Utah locations.

ohmaisandwichkitchen.com

Fast, friendly and hugely flavorful—that sums up this little banh mi shop that’s taken SLC by storm. Pho is also good and so are full plates, but the banh mi are heaven.

PHO TAY HO

1766 S. Main St., SLC, 385-240-0309. photayho.com

One of the best Pho joints around is an unassuming house on the southside of Salt Lake City. The family-owned-and-operated noodle house keeps their menu small but full of flavor.

PHO THIN

2121 S. McClelland St., SLC, 801-485-2323. phothinslc.com

From its Sugar House location, Pho Thin serves up pho made in the Hanoi style, and it’s a family recipe. Their menu also offers other Vietnamese comfort and street foods.

PLEIKU

264 S. Main St., SLC, 801-359-4544. pleikuslc.com

This stylish downtown spot serves a selection of Vietnamese dishes made from family recipes and served tapas-style. Note the pho, which is brewed for 36 hours and served in a full-bowl meal or a preprandial cup.

SAPA SUSHI BAR & ASIAN GRILL

722 S. State St., SLC, 801-363-7272. sapabarandgrill.com

Charming Vietnamese stilt houses surround the courtyard. Sapa’s menu ranges from Thai curries to fusion and hot pots, but the sushi is the best bet.

SAWADEE THAI

754 E. South Temple, SLC, 801-328-8424. sawadeethaiutah.com

The menu goes far outside the usual pad thai and curry. Thai food’s appeal lies in the subtleties of difference achieved with a limited list of ingredients.

SKEWERED THAI

575 S. 700 East, SLC, 801-364-1144. skeweredthai.com

A serene setting for some of the best Thai in town—perfectly balanced curries, pristine spring rolls, intoxicating drunk noodles and a wellcurated wine list.

TEA ROSE DINER

65 E. 5th Ave., Murray, 801-685-6111. bestthaifoodinutah.com

Annie Sooksri has a mini-empire of Thai and Asian restaurants across the valley—Tea Rose has been a favorite since 2007 and offers a menu of Thai staples and American breakfast dishes.

SOMI VIETNAMESE BISTRO

1215 E. Wilmington Ave., SLC, 385-322-1158. somislc.com

But there’s also Chinese food and a cocktail menu at this stylish Sugarhouse restaurant. Crispy branzino, pork belly sliders on bai and braised oxtail are some of the highlights to the menu, which also includes the standard spring rolls and pho.

THAI GARDEN

868 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-355-8899. thaigardenbistroslc.com

Paprika-infused pad thai, deep-fried duck and fragrant gang gra ree are all excellent choices—but there are 50-plus items on the menu. Be tempted by batterfried bananas with coconut ice cream.

KRUA THAI

212 E. 500 South, SLC, 801-328-4401. kruathaiut.com

Curries and noodle dishes hit a precise procession on the palate—sweet, then sour, savory and hot—plus there are dishes you’ve never tried before and should: bacon and collard greens, red curry with duck, salmon with chili and coconut sauce.

ZAO ASIAN CAFE

400 S. 639 East, SLC, 801-595-1234; 2227 S. Highland Dr., SLC, 801-467-4113; Other Utah locations. zaoasiancafe.com

It’s hard to categorize this pan-Asian semi-fast food concept. It draws from Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese traditions, all combined with the American need for speed. Just file it under fast, fresh, flavorful food.

Steak

CHRISTOPHER’S PRIME

110 W. Broadway, SLC, 801-890-6616. christophersut.com

The menu is straightforward, chilled shellfish and rare steaks, with a few seafood and poultry entrees thrown in for the non-beefeaters.

FLEMING’S PRIME STEAKHOUSE

20 S. 400 West Ste. 2020, The Gateway, SLC, 801-355-3704. flemingssteakhouse.com

This local branch of a national chain has a famously impressive wine list. With more than 100 available by the glass, it has selections that pair well with anything you order.

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAKHOUSE

275 S. West Temple, SLC, 801-363-2000. ruthschris.com

This former bank building has inner beauty. Stick with classics like crab cocktail, order the wedge, and ask for your butter-sizzled steak no more than medium, please. Service is excellent. Eat dessert, then linger in the cool bar.

SPENCER’S

255 S. West Temple, SLC, 801-238-4748. spencersslc.com

The quality of the meat and the accuracy of the cooking are what make it great. Beef is aged on the bone, and many cuts are served on the bone—a luxurious change from the usual cuts.

Vegetarian & Vegan

RAWTOPIA

3961 S. Wasatch Blvd., SLC, 801-486-0332. rawtopia.com

Owner Omar Abou-Ismail’s Rawtopia is a destination for those seeking clean, healthy food in Salt Lake— whether you’re a vegan, vegetarian or omnivore. Desserts are amazingly indulgent—like chocolate caramel pie and berry cheesecake.

VERTICAL DINER

234 W. 900 South, SLC, 801- 484-8378. verticaldiner.com

Vertical Diner boasts an animal-free menu of burgers, sandwiches and breakfasts. Plus organic wines and coffees.

ZEST KITCHEN & BAR

275 S. 200 West, SLC, 801-433-0589. zestslc.com

Zest has sophisticated vegan cooking plus a cheerful attitude and ambience fueled by creative cocktails. Pulling flavors from many culinary traditions, the menu offers Cuban tacos, Thai curry with forbidden rice, stuffed poblano peppers as well as bar noshes and an amazing chocolate-beet torte—all vegan. The menu changes frequently. This is a 21+ establishment.

PARK CITY & THE WASATCH BACK

American Fine Dining

APEX

9100 Marsac Ave., Park City, 435-604-1402. montagehotels.com/deervalley

Apex at Montage exudes luxury in an understated and comfortable way. No need to tux up for pampered service; the classy lack of pretension extends to the menu—no unpronounceables, nothing scary or even too daring—just top-of-the-line everything. Quality speaks for itself.

350 MAIN

350 Main St., Park City, 435-649-3140. 350main.com Now run by Cortney Johanson who has worked at the restaurant for 20 years, this mainstay cafe on Main Street is seeing another high point. With Chef Matthew Safranek in the kitchen, the menu is a balanced mix of old favorites and soon-to-be favorites like Five Spice Venison Loin in Pho. Amazing.

FIREWOOD

306 Main St., Park City, 435-252-9900. firewoodonmain.com

Chef John Murcko’s place on Main Street is all about cooking with fire—his massive Inferno kitchen grill by Grillworks runs on oak, cherry and applewood, depending on what’s cooking. But each dish is layered and nuanced, with global influences. Definitely a star on Main Street.

GLITRETIND

7700 Stein Way, Deer Valley, Park City, 435-645-6455. steinlodge.com

The service is polished, and the menu is as fun or as refined or as inventive as Chef Zane Holmquist’s mood. The appeal resonates with the jet set and local diners. The wine list is exceptional. But so is the burger.

GOLDENER HIRSCH

7520 Royal St., Park City, 435-655-2563. aubergeresorts.com/goldenerhirsch

A jazzed up Alpine theme—elk carpaccio with pickled shallots, foie gras with cherry-prune compote and wiener schnitzel with caraway-spiked carrot strings.

MARIPOSA AT DEER VALLEY

7600 Royal St., Park City, 435-645-6632. deervalley.com

(Open seasonally) Try the tasting menu for an overview of the kitchen’s talent. It’s white tablecloth, but nothing is formal.

MUSTANG

890 Main St., Park City, 435-658-3975. mustangparkcity.com

A duck chile relleno arrives in a maelstrom of queso and ranchero sauce. Braised lamb shank and lobster with cheese enchiladas share the menu with seasonal entrees.

RIME SEAFOOD & STEAK

2300 Deer Valley Dr. East, Park City, St. Regis, Deer Valley, 435-9405760. srdvdining.com.

Acclaimed Chef Matthew Harris heads the kitchen at this simply brilliant restaurant at the St. Regis—meticulously sourced meat and seafood from his trusted vendors, perfectly cooked.

ROYAL STREET CAFÉ

7600 Royal St., Silver Lake Village, Deer Valley Resort, Park City, 435-615-6240. deervalley.com

(Open seasonally) Don’t miss the lobster chowder, but note the novelties, too. In a new take on the classic lettuce wedge salad, Royal Street’s version adds baby beets, glazed walnuts and pear tomatoes.

VIKING YURT

1345 Lowell Ave., Park City, Park City Mountain Resort, 435-615-9878. thevikingyurt.com

Arrive by sleigh and settle in for a luxurious five-course meal, featuring a healthy introduction to the nordic beverage aquavit. Reservations and punctuality a must.

American Casual

BLIND DOG GRILL

1251 Kearns Blvd., Park City, 435-655-0800. blinddogpc.com

The kitchen offers imaginative selections even though the dark wood and cozy ambience look like an old gentlemen’s club. Don’t miss the Dreamloaf, served with Yukon gold mashed potatoes.

THE BLUE BOAR INN

1235 Warm Springs Rd., Midway, 435-654-1400. theblueboarinn.com

The restaurant is reminiscent of the Alps, but serves fine American cuisine. Don’t miss the award-winning brunch.

THE BRASS TAG

2900 Deer Valley Dr. East, Park City, 435-615-2410. deervalley.com

In the Lodges at Deer Valley, the focal point here is a wood oven which turns out everything from pizza to fish and chops, all of the superior quality one expects from Deer Valley. Open seasonally.

EATING ESTABLISHMENT

317 Main St., Park City, 435-649-8284. theeatingestablishment.net

Claiming to be the oldest, this restaurant is one of Park City’s most versatile. On weekend mornings, locals line up for breakfasts.

FLETCHER’S ON MAIN STREET

562 Main St., Park City, 435-649-1111. fletcherspc.com

Fletcher’s has a casual approach designed to suit any appetite, almost any time. Talented Chef Scott Boborek’s carefully sourced dishes range from burgers to Beef Wellington—with lobster mac and Utah trout.

HANDLE

136 Heber Ave., Park City, 435-602-1155. handleparkcity.com

Chef-owner Briar Handly offers a menu, mostly of small plates, with the emphasis on excellent sourcing—trout sausage and Beltex Meats prosciutto, for example. There are also full-meal plates, including the chef’s famous fried chicken.

HEARTH AND HILL

1153 Center Dr., (Newpark), Park City, 435-200-8840. hearth-hill.com

This all-purposse cafe serves lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, focusing on bright, approachable American dishes with a kick.

HIGH WEST DISTILLERY

703 Park Ave., Park City, 435-649-8300. highwest.com

Order a flight of whiskey and taste the difference aging makes, but be sure to order plenty of food to see how magically the whiskey matches the fare. The chef takes the amber current theme throughout the food.

LUSH’S BBQ

7182 Silver Creek Rd., Park City, 435-333-2831. lushsbbq.com

Tennesee-inspired BBQ you won’t soon forget.Think sharp vinegar with a hint of citrus and just a touch of sweetness. When the meat’s just coming off the smoker, you’d be hard pressed to find better ribs, brisket or pulled pork anywhere.

SAMMY’S BISTRO

1890 Bonanza Dr., Park City, 435-214-7570. sammysbistro.com

Down-to-earth food in a comfortable setting. Sounds simple, but if so, why aren’t there more Sammy’s in our world? Try the bacon-grilled shrimp or a chicken bowl with your brew.

SILVER STAR CAFE

1825 Three Kings Dr., Park City, 435-655-3456. thesilverstarcafe.com

Comfort food with an upscale sensibility and original touches, like shrimp and grits with chipotle or Niman Ranch pork cutlets with spaetzle. The location is spectacular.

SIMON’S AT HOMESTEAD RESORT

700 N. Homestead Dr., Midway, 800-327-7220. homesteadresort.com

Simon’s boasts a robust menu of smoked meats,

wood-fired pizza and local craft beer, while the Milk House offers both classic and unexpected flavors of ice cream, coffee and treats.

SPIN CAFÉ

220 N. Main St., Heber City, 435-654-0251. spincafe.net

Housemade gelato is the big star at this family-owned café, but the food is worth your time. Try the pulled pork, the salmon BLT or the sirloin.

ZERMATT RESORT

784 W. Resort Dr., Midway, 435-657-0180. zermattresort.com

The charming, Swiss-inspired resort hosts both the high-end, but straight-forward, Z’s Steak & Chop Haus and the less formal Wildfire Smokehaus, home to smoked meats and draft beer.

Bakeries & Cafés

PARK CITY COFFEE ROASTERS

1764 Uinta Way, Park City, 435-647-9097. pcroaster.com

The town’s fave house-roasted coffee and housemade pastries make this one of the best energy stops in town.

WASATCH BAGEL CAFÉ

1300 Snow Creek Dr., Park City, 435-645-7778. wasatchbagelandgrill.com

Not just bagels, but bagels as buns, enfolding a sustaining layering of sandwich fillings like egg and bacon.

WINDY RIDGE BAKERY & CAFÉ

1750 Iron Horse Dr., Park City, 435-647-2906. windyridgebakery.com

One of Park City’s most popular noshing spots—especially on Taco Tuesdays. The bakery behind turns out desserts and pastries for Bill White’s restaurants as well as take-home entrees.

Bar Grub & Brewpubs

BURGERS & BOURBON

9100 Marsac Ave., Park City, 435-604-1402. montagehotels.com/deervalley

Housed in the luxurious Montage, this casual restaurant presents the most deluxe versions of America’s favorite foods. The burgers are stupendous, there’s a great list of bourbons to back them, and the milkshakes are majorly good.

RED ROCK JUNCTION

1640 W. Redstone Center Dr., Ste. 105, Park City, 435-575-0295. redrockbrewing.com

The house-brewed beers—honey wheat, amber ale or oatmeal stout, to name a few—complement a menu of burgers, brick-oven pizzas and rotisserie chicken.

SQUATTERS ROADHOUSE

1900 Park Ave., Park City, 435-649-9868. squatters.com

Everyone loves the bourbon burger, and Utah Brewers Co-op brews are available by the bottle and on the state-of-the-art tap system. Open for breakfast daily.

WASATCH BREWERY

250 Main St., Park City, 435-649-0900. saltlakebrewingco.com

This was the first brewpub in Utah, and it serves handcrafted beer and family-friendly fare without a hefty price tag. Everyone loves Polygamy Porter, and the weekend brunch is great, too.

Breakfast

DEER

VALLEY GROCERY & CAFE

1375 Deer Valley Dr., Park City, 435-615-2400. deervalley.com

The small lakeside spot serves sandwiches and lunch specials, plus it’s a great place to stock up on deer Valley classics to take home—think classic Deer Valley turkey chili.

WOODLAND BISCUIT COMPANY

2734 E. State Hwy. 35, Woodland, 435- 783-4202. woodlandbiscuitcompany.com

Breakfast is the real deal here so pile on the bacon and eggs but if you sleep late, not to worry—burgers, sandwiches and tacos are good too.

Continental & European

CAFÉ TERIGO

424 Main St., Park City, 435-645-9555. cafeterigo.com

This charming café is the spot for a leisurely meal. Chicken and bacon tossed with mixed greens and grilled veggies on focaccia are café-goers’ favorites.

COURCHEVEL BISTRO

201 Heber Ave., Park City, 435-572-4398. courchevelbistro.com

Named after Park City’s sister city in the Savoie region of France, which happens to be the home turf of Chef Clement Gelas and is he having some fun with his mother cuisine. Be guided by him or your server and try some French food like you haven’t had before.

Italian & Pizza

FUEGO

2001 Sidewinder Dr., Park City, 435- 645-8646. fuegopizzeria.com

Off the beaten Main Street track, this pizzeria is a family-friendly solution to a ski-hungry evening. Pastas, paninis and wood-fired pizzas are edgy, but they’re good.

GHIDOTTI’S

6030 N. Market St., Park City, 435-658-0669. ghidottis.com

Ghidotti’s evokes Little Italy more than Italy, and the food follows suit—think spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna and rigatoni Bolognese. Try the chicken soup.

GRAPPA

151 Main St., Park City, 435-645-0636. grapparestaurant.com

Dishes like osso buco and grape salad with gorgonzola, roasted walnuts and Champagne vinaigrette are sensational, and the wine list features hardto-find Italian wines as well as flights, including sparkling.

Japanese/Pan-Asian

SUSHI

BLUE

1571 W. Redstone Center Dr. Ste. 140, Park City, 435-575-4272. sushiblueparkcity.com

Find the yin and yang of Asian-American flavors in Bill White’s sushi, excellent Korean tacos, crab sliders and other Amer-Asian food fusions, including the best hot dog in the state, topped with bacon and house-made kimchi.

YUKI YAMA SUSHI

586 Main St., Park City, 435-649-6293. yukiyamasushi.com

Located in the heart of Old Town Park City, Yuki Yama offers both traditional japanese dishes and more modern plates. It’s all guided by the steady hands of Executive Chef Kirk Terashima.

Mediterranean REEF’S

7720 Royal St. East, Park City, 435-658-0323. reefsrestaurant.com

Lamb chops are tender, falafel is crunchy, and the prices fall between fast food and fine dining. It’s a den of home cooking, if your home is east of the Mediterranean. Open seasonally.

Mexican & Southwestern

BAJA

CANTINA

1355 Lowell Ave., Park City, 435-649-2252. bajaparkcity.com

The T.J. Taxi is a flour tortilla stuffed with chicken, sour cream, tomatoes, onions, cheddar-jack cheese and guacamole.

BILLY BLANCO’S

8208 Gorgoza Pines Rd., Park City, 435-575-0846. billyblancos.com

Motor City Mexican. The subtitle is “burger and taco garage,” but garage is the notable word. This is a theme restaurant with lots of cars and motorcycles on display, oil cans to hold the flatware, and

At La Stellina, simplicity is exquisite in its own right. Join us for timeless Italian cuisine that shines.

Italian nostalgia meets American inspiration at La Stellina, a new restaurant at the St. Regis Deer Valley in Park City, Utah-adjacent to the slopes of Deer Valley Resort.

The St. Regis Deer Valley, Park City, UT 84060 t. + 435 940 5700 or srdvdining.com

a 50-seat bar made out of toolboxes. If you’ve ever dreamed of eating in a garage, you’ll be thrilled.

CHIMAYO

368 Main St., Park City, 435-649-6222. chimayorestaurant.com

Bill White’s prettiest place, this restaurant is reminiscent of Santa Fe, but the food is pure Park City. Margaritas are good, and the avocado-shrimp appetizer combines guacamole and ceviche flavors in a genius dish.

EL CHUBASCO

1890 Bonanza Dr., Park City, 435-645-9114. elchubascoparkcity.com Regulars storm this restaurant for south-of-the-border eats. Burritos fly through the kitchen like chiles too hot to handle—proving consistency matters.

TARAHUMARA

1300 Snow Creek Dr., Ste. P, Park City, 435-645-6005. tarahumararestaurant.com

Some of the best Mexican food in the state can be found in this Park City cafe. Don’t be fooled by the bland exterior; inside you’ll find a full-fledged cantina and an adjoining family restaurant with a soulful salsa bar.

Seafood

FRESHIE’S LOBSTER CO.

1915 Prospector Ave., Park City, 435-631-9861. freshieslobsterco.com

After years as everyone’s favorite summer food stop at Park Silly Market, Freshie’s has settled into a permanent location selling their shore-to-door lobster rolls all year round.

RIME SEAFOOD & RAW BAR

9850 Summit View Dr., Park City. rimerawbar.com

Such a hit on the slopes that Chef Matt Harris took the concept inside and Rime is an anchor restaurant inside the St. Regis, Open Thurs-Sun.

Southeast Asian

SHABU

442 Main St., Park City, 435-645-7253. shabuparkcity.com

Cool new digs, friendly service and fun food make Shabu one of PC’s most popular spots. Make reservations. A stylish bar with prize-winning mixologists adds to the freestyle feel.

KUCHU SHABU HOUSE

3270 N. Sundial Ct., Park City, 435-649-0088. kuchushabu.com

The second shabu-style eatery in PC is less grand than the first but offers max flavor from quality ingredients.

Steak

BUTCHER’S CHOP HOUSE & BAR

751 Lower Main St., Park City, 435-647-0040. butcherschophouse.com

The draws are prime rib, New York strip and pork chops—and the ladies’ night specials in the popular bar downstairs.

GRUB STEAK

2093 Sidewinder Dr., Prospector Square, Park City, 435-6498060. grubsteakparkcity.com

Live country music, fresh salmon, lamb and chicken, and a mammoth salad bar. Order bread pudding whether you think you want it or not. You will.

EDGE STEAKHOUSE

3000 Canyon Resort Dr., Park City, 435-655-2260. westgateresorts.com

This beautifully fills the beef bill at the huge resort, and the tasting menus take you through salad, steak and dessert for $45 to $60, depending on options.

NORTH SALT LAKE & BEYOND

American Fine Dining

THE HUNTINGTON ROOM AT EARL’S LODGE

3925 E. Snowbasin Rd., Huntsville, 888-437-5488. snowbasin.com

Ski-day sustenance and fireside dinner for the aprèsski set. In summer, dine at the top of the mountain.

American Casual

HEARTH ON 25

195 Historic 25th St. Ste. 6 (2nd Floor), Ogden, 801-399-0088. hearth25.com

The charming upstairs dining room is a great setting for some of the best and most imaginative food in Ogden. Handmade hearth bread, espresso-rubbed yak, killer stroganoff—too many options to mention here—this is really a destination restaurant.

PIG & A JELLY JAR

227 25th St., Ogden, 801-605-8400. pigandajellyjar.com

The same great made-from-scratch Southern comfort food as the original, now in Ogden. A popular brunch spot open seven days a week.

PRAIRIE SCHOONER

445 Park Blvd., Ogden, 801-392-2712. prairieschoonerrestaurant.com

Tables are covered wagons around a diorama featuring coyotes, cougars and cowboys—corny, but fun. The menu is standard, but kids love it.

TABLE 25

195 25th St., Ste. 4, Ogden, 385-244-1825. table25ogden.com

A bright, contemporary space in Downtown Ogden has a patio right on Historic 25th Street. The elevated yet approachable menu includes Spanish mussels and frites, ahi tuna and a classic cheeseburger.

UNION GRILL

315 24th St., Ogden, 801-621-2830. uniongrillogden.com

The cross-over cooking offers sandwiches, seafood and pastas with American, Greek, Italian or Mexican spices.

WB’S EATERY

455 25th Street, Ogden, 385-244-1471. wbseatery.com

Part restaurant, part bar, part coffeehouse, WB’s Eatery is located inside The Monarch, a hip maker and market space for artists. A hybrid space as well, the eatery sells CBD oil, as well as serving up cocktails, bites and boards of meat and cheese.

Bar Grub & Brewpubs

THE BEEHIVE PUB & GRILL

255 S. Main St., Logan, 435-753-2600. thebeehivegrill.com

An indirect offshoot of Moab Brewery, the Grill focuses as much on house-brewed root beer as alcoholic suds, but the generally hefty food suits either.

Burgers, Sandwiches & Delis

CAFFE IBIS

52 Federal Ave., Logan, 435-753-4777. caffeibis.com

Exchange news, enjoy sandwiches and salads and linger over a cuppa conscientiously grown coffee.

MADDOX RANCH HOUSE

1900 S. Highway 89, Perry, 435-723-8545. maddoxfinefood.com

Angus beef steaks, bison chicken-fried steak and burgers have made this an institution for more than 50 years. Eat in, drive up or take home.

Chinese MANDARIN

348 E. 900 North, Bountiful, 801-298-2406. mandarinutah.com

The rooms are filled with red and gold dragons. Chefs recruited from San Francisco crank out a huge menu. Desserts are noteworthy. Call ahead.

Italian & Pizza

SLACKWATER PIZZA

209 24th St., Ogden, 801-399-0637. slackwaterpizzeria.com

The pies here are as good as any food in Ogden. Selection ranges from traditional to Thai (try it), and there’s a good selection of wine and beer.

ROVALI’S RISTORANTE

174 E. 25th St., Ogden, 801-394-1070. rovalis.com

This friendly family-owned place on Ogden’s main drag serves hearty Italian fare and housemade pastry, plus a creative bar menu and live music.

Japanese RAMEN HAUS

2550 Washington Blvd., Ogden, 801-393-0000. ramenhausogden.com

Sergei Oveson’s experience with ramen master Tosh and Shani Oveson’s at Naked Fish shows all over their restaurant in Ogden. Simple but stylish sums the space and terrific is the only word for the ramen. Do not leave without ordering the honey toast even if you think you don’t want dessert.

TONA SUSHI

210 25th St., Ogden, 801-622-8662. tonarestaurant.com

The charming old space on Ogden’s main drag houses a meticulously top-notch sushi restaurant. Owner Tony Chen grows herbs and sprouts in the basement and the plates he presents show an artist’s touch. Ask about the secret menu.

Mexican SONORA GRILL

2310 Kiesel Ave., Ogden, 801-393-1999. thesonoragrill.com

A big, beautiful Mexican restaurant, the kind you see in Texas or New Mexico, Sonora serves great chips and salsa, a famous margarita, several kinds of ceviche and all the dishes you love as well as vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options.

FALL IN LOVE

Is to ee your love language? Treat yourself to Cache To ee Collection’s limited edition to ee ‘Love.’ This indulgent to ee is created with delicious local artisan bean-to-bar dark and white chocolate, almonds, locally grown tart cherries, and tantalizing spices.

Individual boxes are available at Harmons, Whole Foods, Kamas Food Town, The Store, The Market at Park City, and online.

Southeast Asian

THAI CURRY KITCHEN

582 25th St., Ogden, 385-333-7100. thaicurrykitchen.com

Chic and sleek counter service offering bright from-scratch curries and salads plus locally made kombucha.

PROVO & CENTRAL UTAH

Indian BOMBAY HOUSE

463 N. University Ave., Provo, 801-373-6677; 7726 Campus View Dr., West Jordan, 801-282-0777; 2731 E. Parley’s Way, SLC, 801581-0222. bombayhouse.com

Salt Lake’s biryani mainstay has several sister restaurants worthy to call family.

Italian

MÀSTRA ITALIAN BAKERY AND BISTRO

476 N. 900 West, Ste. D, American Fork, 385-221-9786.mastraorders.com

Mediterranean

IL POSTO ROSSO AT THE RADCLIFFE MOAB

477 S. Main St., Moab, 435-355-1085. radcliffemoab.com/dining

Il Posto Rosso has a modern, Mediterranean-inspired menu with protein and other ingredients sourced from a variety of local farms, gardens and ranches.

Bar Grub & Brewpubs

MOAB BREWERY

686 Main St., Moab, 435-259-6333. themoabbrewery.com

American Fine Dining

COMMUNAL

102 N. University Ave., Provo, 801-373-8000. communalrestaurant.com

Food is focused on the familiar with chef’s flair—like braised pork shoulder crusted in panko. Attention to detail makes this one of Utah’s best.

THE TREE ROOM

8841 Alpine Loop Scenic Byway, Sundance Resort, Sundance, 866-627-8313. sundanceresort.com

Sundance Resort’s flagship is known for its seasonal, straightforward menu and memorable decor, including Robert Redford’s kachina collection. Try the wild game—spice-rubbed quail and buffalo tenderloin.

American Casual

CHOM BURGER

45 W. 300 North, Provo, 385-241-7499. chomburger.com

Colton Soelberg’s (Communal, etc.) low-key high-end burger place has an eye towards infusing high-quality ingredients into America’s favorite sandwich. Inexpensive, innovative and delicious burgers and shakes, as we have come to expect from Soelberg who has a knack for elevating comfort food.

THE FOUNDRY GRILL

8841 Alpine Loop Scenic Byway, Sundance Resort, Sundance, 866-932-2295. sundanceresort.com

The café in Sundance Resort serves comfort food with western style—sandwiches, spit-roasted chickens and steaks. Sunday brunch is a mammoth buffet.

STATION 22

22 W. Center St., Provo, 801-607-1803. station22cafe.com

Ever-hipper Provo is home to some cutting-edge food now that the cutting edge has a folksy, musical saw kind of style. Station 22 is a perfect example of the Utah roots trend—a charming, funky interior, a great soundtrack and a menu with a slight Southern twang. Try the fried chicken sandwich with red cabbage on ciabatta.

Màstra is owned by a born-and-raised Italian who serves up authentic, but not snobbish, Italian food. The carbonara is the crowd favorite.

PIZZERIA 712

320 S. State St., Ste. 185, Orem, 801-623-6712. pizzeria712.com

The pizza menu reaches heights of quality that fancier restaurants only fantasize about. Not only are the blister-crusted pizzas the epitome of their genre, but braised short ribs, local mushrooms and arugula on ciabatta are equally stellar.

Vegetarian

GINGER’S GARDEN CAFE

188. S. Main St., Springville, 801-489-1863. gingersgardencafe.com

Tucked inside Dr. Christopher’s Herb Shop, Ginger’s serves truly garden-fresh, bright-flavored, mostly vegetarian dishes.

MOAB & SOUTHEAST UTAH

American Dining

HELL’S BACKBONE GRILL

20 N. Highway 12, Boulder, 435-335-7464. hellsbackbonegrill.com

Owners Blake Spalding and Jen Castle set the bar for local, organic food in Utah. Now the cafe has gained national fame. They garden, forage, raise chickens and bees, and offer breakfasts, dinners and even picnic lunches.

SUNGLOW FAMILY RESTAURANT

91 E. Main St., Bicknell, 435-425-3821. This pit stop is famous for its pinto bean and pickle pies. Yes, we said pickle.

A beloved watering hole for river-runners, slick-rock bikers, red-rock hikers and everyone who needs a bite and a beer, which is nearly everyone in Moab. All beer is brewed on site.

ST. GEORGE & SOUTHWEST UTAH

American Fine Dining

KING’S LANDING

1515 Zion Park Blvd., Ste. 50-A, Springdale, 435-772-7422. klbzion.com

In the Driftwood Inn, some of the finest food and the finest view in Utah. The kitchen is ambitious—seasonal, vegan, gluten-free are all covered. Mushroom tart involves mushrooms, caramelized onions, butternut squash and grapes with burrata and basil, but the flavors meld into harmony.

PAINTED PONY

2 W. St. George Blvd., Ste. 22, St. George, 435-634-1700. painted-pony.com

The kitchen blends culinary trends with standards like sage-smoked quail on mushroom risotto. Even “surf and turf” has a twist—tenderloin tataki with chile-dusted scallops.

SPOTTED DOG CAFÉ

428 Zion Park Blvd., Springdale, 435-772-0700. flanigans.com/dining

Relax, have some vino and enjoy your achiote-braised lamb shank with mint mashed potatoes on top of rosemary spaghetti squash.

VERMILLION 45

210 S. 100 East, Kanab, 435-644-3300. vermillion45.com

Who would expect a fine restaurant with a French chef in Kanab. But here it is, and it’s excellent.

American Casual

MOM’S CAFÉ

10 E. Main St., Salina, 435-529-3921. famousmomscafe.business.site

Mom’s has fed travelers on blue plate standards since 1928. This is the place to try a Utah “scone” with “honey butter.”

OSCAR’S CAFÉ

948 Zion Park Blvd., Springdale, 435-772-3232. oscarscafe.com

Blueberry pancakes, fresh eggs, crisp potatoes and thick bacon. We love breakfast, though Oscar’s serves equally satisfying meals at other times of day.

PEEKABOO CANYON WOOD FIRED KITCHEN

233 W. Center St., Kanab, 435- 689-1959. peekabookitchen.com

Complementing Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, this casual eatery serves vegetarian cuisine—artisanal pizza, local beer, craft cocktails and a rocking patio.

RED ROCK GRILL AT ZION LODGE

Zion National Park, 435-772-7700. zionlodge.com

Try eating here on the terrace. Enjoy melting-pot American dishes like smoked trout salad with prickly pear vinaigrette. And you can’t beat the red rock ambience.

WHIPTAIL GRILL

445 Zion Park Blvd., Springdale, 435-772-0283. whiptailgrillzion.com

Tucked into an erstwhile gas station, the kitchen is little, but the flavors are big—a goat cheese-stuffed chile relleno crusted in Panko and the chocolatechile creme brulee.

XETAVA GARDENS CAFÉ

815 Coyote Gulch Court, Ivins, 435-656-0165. xetava.com

Blue corn pancakes for breakfast and lunch are good bets. But to truly experience Xetava, dine under the stars in eco-conscious Kayenta.

Mexican

THE BIT AND SPUR

1212 Zion Park Blvd., Springdale, 435-772-3498. bitandspur.com

The menu stars Southwestern cuisine—ribs, beef and chicken—as well as chili verde. A longtime Zion favorite, there’s almost always a wait here, but it’s almost always a pleasant one with a view and a brew in hand.

Contemporary Luxury

Timeless Comforts, Modern Expression.

pendry.com | 435 800 1990 2417 High Mountain Road, Park City

21 & OVER BARS

Forget about navigating the state’s labyrinth of liquor laws—the more than 20 bars and pubs listed here prioritize putting a drink in your hand, although most of them serve good food, too. Restricted to 21 and over. (Be prepared to show your I.D., whatever your age. This is Utah, after all.)

All bars listed in the Salt Lake Bar Fly have been vetted and chosen based on quality of beverage, food, atmosphere and service.

This selective guide has no relationship to any advertising in the magazine. Review visits are anonymous, and all expenses are paid by Salt Lake magazine.

BAR FLY

LIBATIONS | BARS

LOST AND FOUND

BY AVREY EVANS

PHOTO ADAM FINKLE

STEP THROUGH THE DOORS of West Valley’s Waterpocket Distillery and you might think you’ve walked into the lab of a mad scientist. Glass beakers, high-tech evaporators and jars upon jars of herbs, spices and dried flowers line shelves inside the warehouse. This little corner of curiosities is where co-founder and craft distiller Alan Scott spends countless hours refining recipes. But they aren’t just any boozy recipes. Scott combines his passion for flavor and his wife/co-founder’s background in chemical engineering with the art of ancient botanical distillation to create one-of-a-kind products.

In addition to his title as mad scientist, Scott is also a historian of spirits. His quest for unique botanical elixirs led him to the middle ages, where he discovered an overlap between medicinal and aromatic ingredients. “I learned of the Mennonites who sought refuge from religious persecution in the 15th century,” says Scott. “They couldn’t work in traditional guilds so they essentially founded a distillery in the Free City of Danzig.” As one of the earliest examples of aesthetically-driven distillation, the Mennonites formed what’s known as the Danziger tradition. They crafted a pantheon of spirits including Goldwasser, a gold-fleck herbal spirit. Despite their influence, by the 1800s most of the Mennonites’ Danziger recipes were lost to time—until now. “In almost every case, something like this hasn’t been made in hundreds of years.”

So, how does one go about recreating a forgotten spirit made with ancient ingredients and techniques? “Well, it’s a lot of reading,” says Scott. “You’ve got to translate from the original language as it was back in that day and age— terms will change, measurement systems change and the world has changed.” Scott has tracked

Try it at home

Minthe’s Kiss

by Crystal Daniels, Post Office Place

.75 oz blueberry shiso mint syrup .5 oz lemon

.25 oz yuzu

1 oz Waterpocket Minthe 1 oz Waterpocket Gin

Garnish with shiso leaf and blueberries.

down authors in 19th century Milan and 17th century France who reference the same spirit in 10 different interpretations. “When I get into the lab it’s a lot of trial and error to find out what works,” he explains. “In some cases, you have to make a leap of faith.” One such leap of faith led to Waterpocket’s flagship product Oread, a full-strength botanical blend of star anise, orange peel, chamomile and other aromatic roots. Waterpocket’s lineup of Long Lost spirits now includes four distinct products like Minthe—a recreation of 19th-century Milanese dessert liqueur.

Scott’s craft has done more than unearth bygone distilling traditions, he’s also redefining what we’ve come to define as a botanical spirit. Cocktail lounges and dive bars across the country are stocking their shelves with Waterpocket’s unique lineup. Instead of reaching for gin, bartenders are reaching for Oread or Minthe, to reimagine classic cocktails with complex instantaneous flavor. And as consumers try something new, they’re also connecting with a piece of history and a piece of themselves. “I often say to people when they ask about something they believe is exotic like Kummel, ‘this is your heritage.’” Despite being lost to time or neglected by modern American craft distillers, Scott’s reincarnations of the past are reconnecting people with their ancestral drinking traditions.

Look for Waterpocket the next time you’re in the liquor store, or visit their distillery and tasting room to see the mad scientist himself at work. Waterpocket has also opened a new distillery and tasting room in Torrey, Utah. Visit their site and socials for more information.

2084 W. 2200 South, West Valley City 801-385-9921 waterpocket.co, @waterpocketdistillery

AC

225 W. 200 South, SLC, 385-722-9600. ac-hotels.marriott.com

The Euro-styled hotel has a chic lobby bar and a secret menu of drinks inspired by movies filmed in Utah, like Dumb and Dumber and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

THE AERIE

9320 Cliff Lodge Dr. Ste. 88, Snowbird Resort, 801-933-2160. snowbird.com

Floor-to-ceiling windows mean drinkers can marvel at nature’s handiwork while feasting from the sushi bar. The menu is global with live music some nights.

ALIBI BAR & PLACE

369 S. Main St., SLC, 385-259-0616. alibislc.com

Located along SLC’s bar line on Main Street, Alibi has a sleek, hip vibe and is generally filled with happy hipsters, especially when they have theme nights.

BACK DOOR ON EDISON

152 E. 200 South, SLC, 385-267-1161. backdoorslc.com

This watering hole from the owners of Laziz Kitchen serves Lebanese-inspired bar bites and has a promising cocktail menu. Try the Oaxacan Old Fashioned along with the dip sampler.

BAR X

155 E. 200 South, SLC, 801-355-2287. barxslc.com

This was the vanguard of Salt Lake’s new cocktail movement, serving classic drinks and creative inventions behind the best electric sign in the city.

BEER BAR

161 E. 200 South, SLC, 385-259-0905. beerbarslc.com

Ty Burrell, star of ABC’s small-screen hit Modern Family, co-owns Beer Bar, which is right next to Bar X. It’s noisy, there’s no table service, but there are 140+ brews to choose from, plus 13 kinds of wurst.

THE BAYOU

645 S. State St., SLC, 801-961-8400. utahbayou.com

This is Beervana, with 260 bottled beers and 32 on draft. The kitchen turns out artichoke pizza and deep-fried Cornish game hens.

BEERHIVE PUB

128 S. Main St., SLC, 801-364-4268. @beerhive_pub

More than 200 beers—domestic, imported and local—with a long ice rail to keep the brew cold, the way Americans like ’em, are the outstanding features of this cozy downtown pub.

THE BLACK SHEEP BAR & GRILL

1400 S. Foothill Drive #166, SLC, 801-877-9350; 1520 W. 9000 South Ste. C, West Jordan, 801-566-2561. theblacksheepbarandgrills.com

A friendly neighborhood sports bar with a homemade American menu, 14 TVs and events almost nightly. It’s a fun place to hang with friends or cheer on your favorite team.

Alan Scott

BTG WINE BAR

404 S. West Temple, SLC, 801-359-2814. btgwinebar.com

BTG stands for “By the Glass” and though BTG serves craft cocktails, specialty beer and good food, the pièces de résistance are the more than 50 wines by the glass. Order a tasting portion or a full glass.

CAMPFIRE LOUNGE

837 E. 2100 South, 801-467-3325. campfirelounge.com

The laid-back feeling of sitting around a campfire is what the owners were aiming for, with or without flames. Campfire is a relaxed neighborhood joint with affordable drinks. And s’mores.

CASOT WINE + WORK

1508 S. 1500 East, SLC. 801-441-2873. casotwinework.com

In a town with a dearth of neighborhood bars and bars that want to be neighborhood bars but for a lack of location in an actual neighborhood, Casot is the real deal. Located in the established 15th and 15th hood, this small wine bar is a welcome addition featuring a Spainish forward list from Pago’s Scott Evans.

COPPER COMMON

111 E. Broadway #190, SLC, 801-355-0543. coppercommon.com

Copper Common is a real bar—that means you don’t actually have to order food if you don’t want to. But on the other hand, why wouldn’t you want to? This bar has a real chef.

THE COTTON BOTTOM

2820 E. 6200 South, Holladay, 801-849-8847. thecottonbottom.com

Remember when this was a ski bum’s town? The garlic burger and a beer is what you order.

CRAFT BY PROPER

1053 E. 2100 South, SLC, 385-242-7186. craftbyproper.com

Another offering from Proper Brewing, Craft is a beer snob’s dream, serving up local-only beers. You can check their rotating “On Tap” list to see if they’re pouring your favorite, and the glass coolers behind the bar are stocked full of canned and bottled options.

DICK N’ DIXIE’S

479 E. 300 South, SLC, 801-994-6919. @dickndixies

The classic corner beer bar where cronies of all kinds gather regularly to watch sports, talk politics and generally gossip about the city and nothing in particular.

EAST

LIBERTY TAP HOUSE

850 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-441-2845. eastlibertytaphouse.com

Half a dozen beers on draft and 20 or more by the bottle, and the rotation changes constantly. The menu does clever takes on bar food classics.

EIGHT SETTLERS DISTILLERY

7321 Canyon Centre Pkwy., Cottonwood Heights, 385-900-4315. eightsettlersdistillery.com

The distillery is entrenched in and inspired by the history of the Cottonwood Heights area and so are the spirits. Take home a bottle from the store or stay and enjoy a taste of the past at the themed, on-site restaurant.

FLANKER

6 N. Rio Grande, The Gateway, SLC, 801-683-7070. flankerslc.com

A little bit sports bar, a little bit nightclub and a little bit entertainment venue, with a parlor and bowling alley, private karaoke rooms and a golf simulator.

FRANKLIN AVENUE

231 S. Edison Street, SLC, 385-831-7560. franklinaveslc.com

A swanky restaurant and bar by the minds of Bourbon Group. The food is multicultural fusion with roots in modern American. Housemade pasta, seasonal veggies and Asianinspired dishes are served alongside a diverse cocktail menu—and a wall-to-wall selection of whiskies.

GARAGE

1199 N. Beck St., SLC, 801-521-3904. garageonbeck.com

Everyone compares it to an Austin bar. Live music, good food and the rockingest patio in town. Try the Chihuahua, a chile-heated riff on a margarita.

THE GIBSON LOUNGE

555 S. Main St., SLC, 801-258-6000. grandamerica.com

Grand America’s inimitable style is translated into a cushy but unstuffy bar, the antithesis of the current hipster style. You can actually wear a cocktail dress to this cocktail bar.

GOOD GRAMMAR

69 E. Gallivan Ave., SLC, 385-415-5002. goodgrammar.bar

The crowds playing Jenga on the patio, the decor, full of pop celebs and heroes, and a soundtrack of eclectic old- and alt-rock, makes a space that bridges old and young imbibers.

GRACIE’S

326 S. West Temple, SLC, 801-819-7565. graciesslc.com

Play pool, throw darts, listen to live music, kill beer and time on the patio and upstairs deck. Plus, Gracie’s is a gastropub.

GREEN PIG

31 E. 400 South, SLC, 801-532-7441. thegreenpigpub.com

Green Pig is a pub of a different color. The owners use eco-friendly materials and sustainable kitchen practices. The menu star is the chili verde nachos with big pork chunks and cheese.

HIGH WEST SALOON

703 Park Ave., Park City, 435-649-8300. highwest.com

The bartenders at Utah’s award-winning distillery concoct different cocktail menus for

every season focusing on High West’s spirits, although the bar stocks other alcohol.

ICE HAUS

7 E. 4800 South, Murray, 801-266-2127. icehausbar.com

Ice Haus has everything you need from a neighborhood bar and a purveyor of German cuisine: a wide selection of pub fare and plenty of seating in the beer-hall inspired location. The menu has a strong number of vegan options.

LAKE EFFECT

155 W. 200 South, SLC, 801-532-2068. lakeeffectslc.com

An eclectic bar and lounge with a fine wine list and full menu. Live music many nights; open until 1 a.m.

LAUREL BRASSERIE & BAR

555 S. Main St., SLC, 801-258-6708. laurelslc.com

Laurel Brasserie & Bar’s food focuses on classic European cuisine with an American approach. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but the real star is the Happy Hour menu with items like Pumpkin Arancini and The Smokey Paloma cocktail.

OYSTER BAR

48 W. Market St., SLC, 801-322-4668. marketstreetgrill.com

The nightlife side of Market Street seafood restaurant, the Oyster Bar has an is a place to begin or end an evening, with an awardwinning martini and a dozen oysters—half price on Mondays.

THE PEARL

917 S. 200 West, SLC. @thepearlslc

The Pearl is a hip space serving craft cocktails and Vietnamese street food, conceived by the same minds behind Alibi Bar. The menu has items like banh mi sandwiches, caramel pork belly and chicken pho.

THE PINES

837 S. Main St., SLC, 801-906-8418. @thepines.slc

From the owners of Dick N’ Dixie’s, The Pines is an elevated neighborhood bar with a cool interior and even cooler bartenders. Stop by to taste their solid range of brews, or visit the bar on a weekend for a new wave discotheque.

POST OFFICE PLACE

16 W. Market St., SLC, 801-519-9595. popslc.com

Post Office offers craft cocktails, multicultural small plates and the largest selection of Japanese whisky in the state. Ask for a “special delivery” if you’re up for a boozy adventure.

QUARTERS ARCADE BAR

5 E. 400 South, SLC, 801-477-7047; 1045 E. 2100 South, SLC. quartersslc.com

Nostalgic for all those Gen Xers and gamer geeks, Quarters features retro gaming pinball and a game called Killer Queen. Drink a sling—or order a La Croix with a shot poured into the can.

RABBIT HOLE

155 W. 200 South, SLC, 801-532-2068. lakeeffectslc.com Downstairs in Lake Effect, the gaslit Rabbit Hole takes you to a different time, especially on Wednesday nights which are devoted to jazz. The Rabbit is a real listening room—you don’t talk over or under the music. This rare respect and a top notch bar makes this a very unusual hare.

SCION CIDER BAR

916 Jefferson St., SLC. scionciderbar.com

Cider has often taken a back seat to its more prevalent siblings, wine and beer, but not at Scion. It’s another soon-to-be favorite bar in the Central Ninth with a wide variety of 20 hard ciders on tap.

SEABIRD BAR & VINYL ROOM

7 S. Rio Grande, The Gateway, SLC, 801-456-1223. seabirdutah.com

Great little locally owned bar in the Gateway with great views, a fun little patio, friendly bartenders and more style than the place can hold.

THE REST AND BODEGA

331 S. Main St., SLC, 801-532-4452. bodegaslc.com

The neon sign says “Bodega;” drink a beer in the phone booth–sized front or head downstairs to the The Rest. Order a cocktail, settle into the apparently bomb-proof book-lined library, or take a booth and sit at the bar.

THE SHOOTING STAR

7350 E. 200 South, Huntsville, 801-7452002. shooting-star-saloon.business.site

More than a century old, this is gen-you-wine Old West. The walls are adorned with moose heads and a stuffed St. Bernard. Good luck finishing your Star Burger.

VARLEY

63 W. 100 South, SLC, 801-203-4124. varleyslc.com

A craft cocktail bar and lounge situated right next to its companion restaurant The Ivy. The modern aesthetic pairs well with a classic cocktail and conversation.

THE VAULT

202 S. Main St., SLC, 801-363-5454. bambara-slc.com/the-vault

A quintessential hotel bar, with big windows overlooking pedestrian traffic. Special cocktails may be themed to what’s on stage across the street at Capitol Theatre.

WAKARA BAR

480 Wakara Way, SLC, 801-581-1000.

One of the few bars on the west bench, Wakara serves craft cocktails and hosts live music, trivia nights, liquor education and even, occasionally, drag queens.

WATER WITCH

163 W. 900 South, SLC, 801-462-0967. waterwitchbar.com

Three of Utah’s leading bartenders join forces in this charming tiny bar. Whether you want a classic drink, a draft or glass of wine, or a cocktail custom-designed to your taste, this is the place to belly up.

Exploring Mezcal: So Much More Than Smoke

Local libation experts will change your mind about Mezcal

BY AVREY EVANS

EVERY ALCOHOL ENTHUSIAST goes through stages of maturation. First, you reach for something sickly sweet that masks any and all indication that you’re actually consuming booze. Once you’ve had enough hangovers to ward off anything labeled “flavored” (never utter the words ‘“UV Blue” near me), next comes the era of the Big Six: vodka, whiskey, brandy, gin, rum and tequila. Many people might rest comfortably in this phase, but for those who wish to expand their palettes, they push through to explore more complex distillates. One such spirit, offering both sophisticated flavor and diverse application, is Mezcal.

Mezcal is far from the new kid on the block, but it’s only recently been gaining appreciation from the masses. This year, agave spirit sales surpassed that of U.S.-made whiskeys and are expected to overtake vodka by 2023, according to research by the

International Wines and Spirits Record. Despite its growing consumer base, the spirit still struggles to shake its reputation as an “overwhelming, smoky tequila.”

Luckily, local libations experts are working to change that.

Director of the United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG) Utah Chapter Tracey Gomez first tasted Mezcal at a pollinator awareness event in Seattle—it was love at first sip. “I thought ‘what am I tasting? This is crazy!’” Her taste buds alight, she followed the flavor down to Oaxaca to meet local producers and see first-hand how Mezcal is made. Generations of Mezcaleros have passed down techniques steeped in tradition, and only ten states in Mexico comprise the entirety of spirit production. On their palenques, earthen ovens fill the air with roasted aromas, mules pull stone wheels crushing agave and open-air fermentation tanks utilize the climate’s wild yeast in the air. Each aspect anchors Mezcal to place, it’s as much a terroir elixir as wine.

Gomez marvels at Mezcal’s ability to reflect its origins “To this day when I taste Mezcal, it transports me to those days in Oaxaca.” Her passion for the spirit goes beyond sipping, she also views Mezcal in a sociological way and encourages others to do the same. “As you drink it [Mezcal], pick

out flavors like minerality and salinity. What can you deduce from those aromas about where it might come from?” she says. “Then, go further and learn about the people who made it, consider the impacts of your purchase.”

Mezcal’s intrinsic connection to its producers gives consumers a peek into its ancestry, and it also makes tasting the spirit a lot more interesting. Mezcaleros make use of what’s regionally available, so even Mezcals made with the same agave variation might taste vastly different. Chocolate, mangos, hibiscus, apple, pork and lobster can be added to the still, imparting a breadth of complex flavors. Gomez’s personal favorite is a Turkey Pechuga, which she serves during holiday gatherings.

As even Gomez will say, the more you learn about Mezcal, the more you realize you don’t know. But for those starting out, she advises this: “in the spirit of Mexico, don’t get too nerdy about it.” Enjoy Mezcal neat with a cerveza on the side, sip past the smoke and sink into the flavors of Mexico.”

Utah’s Largest Selection of Mezcal at…Lucky 13?

Owner Robert Dutton has curated an impressive selection of Mezcal over the years. Pull up a seat at the bar, order a burger and learn from the aficionado himself.

MEZCAL VOCABULARY

PALENQUE

A Mezcal distillery

MEZCALERO

A person who distills Mezcal

COPITA

A cup used to serve and drink mezcal made from red clay

ESPADIN

The most commonly grown agave species, accounting for nearly 90% of all mezcals

PECHUGA

A kind of mezcal infused with turkey or chicken breast during the distillation process

PHOTO

Tracey Gomez

WHISKEY STREET

323 S. Main St., SLC, 801-433-1371. whiskeystreet.com

This stretch of Main was once dubbed “Whiskey Street” because it was lined with so many pubs and bars. A 42-foot-long cherry wood bar encourages you to bend the elbow.

WHY KIKI

69 W. 100 South, SLC, 801-641-6115. whykikibar.com

A tropical beach-themed club to get away at with a fruity drink in a tiki glass (or bowl!) or shake it on the dance floor. Don’t miss Taco Tuesday or the regular drag shows.

ZEST KITCHEN & BAR

275 S. 200 West, SLC, 801-433-0589. zestslc.com

Zest offers hand-crafted fresh juice cocktails with the same emphasis on local and organic ingredients as the food—try an original concoction like the Straw-bubbly Lavender Martini.

Beers & Brews

BOHEMIAN BREWERY

94 E. 7200 South, Midvale, 801-566-5474. bohemianbrewery.com

Enjoy the lagers beloved by Bohemian’s owners’ Czech forebears, following the ancient Reinheitsgbot or German Purity Law.

BEWILDER BREWING

445 S. 400 West, SLC, 385-528-3840. bewilderbrewing.com

In a building decked out with an awesome Trent Call mural, Bewilder Brewing set up shop next to the bygone nightclub Area 51. Try the house-made sausages and a beer list that skews toward traditional German styles.

DESERT EDGE BREWERY

273 S. Trolley Square, SLC, 801-521-8917. desertedgebrewery.com

The constantly changing variety and Beer School set Desert Edge apart from all the others. This classic Salt Lake bar (and restaurant) continues to innovate its brews.

EPIC BREWING COMPANY

825 S. State St., SLC, 801-906-0123. epicbrewing.com

Epic exclusively brews high-alcohol content beer. The brewing facility moved to Colorado, but you can still buy cold beer to-go at the taproom.

FISHER BREWING COMPANY

320 W. 800 South, SLC, 801-487-2337. fisherbeer.com

Fisher takes its name from a brewery originally founded in 1884, but the brews and low-key atmosphere are strictly right now. One of the few in town that has cask ale occasionally.

HOPKINS BREWING COMPANY

1048 E. 2100 South, SLC, 385-528-3275.

hopkinsbrewingcompany.com

If you like craft beer served with a focus on sustainability, “The Hop” could be your new

favorite watering hole. The overall vibe is a natural fit for the Sugar House scene with live music multiple nights a week.

KIITOS BREWING

608 W. 700 South, 801-215-9165. kiitosbrewing.com

A rising star, Kiitos brews are on several menus around town. But if you stop by the brewery to taste, you can play pinball, too.

LEVEL CROSSING BREWING CO.

2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake, 385-270-5752. levelcrossingbrewing.com

Opened by home brewer and photographer Chris Detrick, Level Crossing is long on games (like darts), good food and of course good beer.

MOUNTAIN WEST CIDER

425 N. 400 West, SLC, 801-935-4147. mountainwestcider.com

With handcrafted ciders ranging from dry to sweet, all named for Utah’s iconic natural features, the people at Mountain West Cider know their craft and their community.

PARK CITY BREWING

764 Uinta Way #C1, Park City, 435-200-8352. parkcitybrewing.com

Their core beers are brewed in Park City and are named for the community. The brewpub is kid-friendly, making Park City Brewing the perfect family après spot.

PRODIGY BREWING

25 W. Center Street, Logan, 435-375-3313. prodigybrewing.com

A family-friendly brewpub, Prodigy serves an upscale twist on classic brewpub fare and beers with labels tailored to the area, like “Cached Out” Hefeweizen and “Rusty Hoe” Farmhouse Ale.

PROPER BREWING CO.

857 S. Main St., 801-953-1707. properbrewingco.com

From the same proper folks who brought you the Publick House, Proper Brewery and Burgers hugely expands the brewing capacity of the original.

RED ROCK BREWERY

254 S. 200 West, SLC, 801-521-7446. redrockbrewing.com

A longtime favorite for tippling and tasting—the pub draws on 45 recipes for its rotating selection.

ROHA

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

The name comes from the owners two names: Rob Phillips and Chris Haas, former brewer for Red Rock Brewery.

ROOSTERS BREWING CO.

253 25th Street, Ogden, 801-627-6171. roostersbrewingco.com

A local favorite in the heart of everything Historic 25th Street in Ogden, Roosters Brewing Co. offers both a comfortable dining experience in their restaurant and

a 21+ tap room. The owners are deeply involved in the community, and that love shows in their drinkable beers and reliable American pubfare.

SALTFIRE BREWING

2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake, 385-955-0504. saltfirebrewing.com

Located in a distilling and brewery hub of South Salt Lake, SaltFire has grown alongside its contemporaries, bringing a punk/metal edge and the tongue-in-cheek labels of its tasty craft brews, including “crushable” collaborations with the Heavy Metal Shop.

SALT FLATS BREWING CO.

2020 Industrial Circle, SLC, 801-828-3469. saltflatsbeer.com

Born in a garage—the Garage Grill to be exact—Salt Flats’ drinkable beers each takes its name from racing and motorsports culture. This is beer brewed to celebrate the racecar driver in all of us.

SHADES BREWING

154 W. Utopia Ave., South Salt Lake, 435-200-3009. shadesbrewing.beer

A mom-and-pop brewery supplying many local restaurants—check the website—stop by their tap room.

SQUATTERS/WASATCH

147 W. Broadway, SLC, 801-363-2739; 2110 Highland Dr., SLC, 801-783-1127; 1763 S. 300 West, SLC, 801466-8855. saltlakebrewingco.com Salt Lake’s original breweries merged to form Utah Brewers Cooperative and are now in the hands of Salt Lake Brewing Company. Squatters and Wasatch are the most popular watering holes in Salt Lake.

TALISMAN BREWING COMPANY

1258 Gibson Ave., Ogden, 385-389-2945. talismanbrewingco.com

Talisman’s friendly tap room has 18 beers on tap, and you can pick up your own cans and growlers to take home. Patrons are welcome to bring their own food or order from a nearby restaurant. Dog friendly.

TF BREWING

936 S. 300 West, SLC, 385-270-5972. tfbrewing.com

TF stands for Templin Family. Brewmaster Kevin Templin has a long history in Salt Lake’s beer scene. Expect meticulously made German-style beer and don’t miss game night.

UINTA BREWING COMPANY

1722 S. Fremont Dr., SLC, 801-467-0909. uintabrewing.com

Founder Will Hamill says, “We make beer. Period.” Uinta produces certified organic beers and beer in corked bottles.

Distilleries & Tasting Rooms

BEEHIVE DISTILLING

2245 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake, 385-259-0252. beehivedistilling.com

Perhaps best known for their Jack Rabbit Gin, Beehive Distilling also serves up craft cocktails from not just a tasting room, but a full bar.

CLEAR WATER DISTILLING CO.

564 W. 700 South, Ste. 401, Pleasant Grove, 801-9978667. clearwaterdistilling.com

Utah County’s lone distillery is doing the Lord’s work in bringing that part of Utah equally singular spirits. Tours and tastings are available.

DENTED BRICK DISTILLERY

3100 S. Washington St., South Salt Lake, 801-883-9837. dentedbrick.com

Steeped in history, Dented Brick spirit start with water from a local artesian well. The driller of the well is also the distillery’s namesake. Try their handcrafted, signature vodka, rye, gin and rum in a scheduled tasting.

HAMMER SPRING DISTILLERS

3697 W. 1987 South, SLC, 801-599-4704. hammerspring.com

The distillery makes a variety of spirits, including vodka, gin, coffee liqueur and whiskey. Tours and tastings are available.

HOLYSTONE DISTILLING

207 W. 4860 South, Murray, 385-800-2580. holystonedistilling.com

Holystone is a small batch distillery, maker of an 114-proof gin, a grape-based vodka, Utah’s first legal absinthe and first Shochu. Tastings and tours are available by appointment.

OGDEN’S OWN DISTILLERY

615 W. Stockman Way, Ogden, 801-458-1995. ogdensown.com

Ogden’s Own brings fun and passion with its labels, the most well-known of which is their award-winning Five Wives Vodka. Craft cocktails tailored to their spirits are served at their on-site cocktail bar, Side Bar.

OUTLAW DISTILLERY

552 W. 8360 South, Midvale, 801-706-1428. outlawdistillery.com

Outlaw makes rum, spiced rum, white whiskey, whiskey and Outlaw moonshine. Distillery tours available.

SUGAR HOUSE DISTILLERY

2212 S. West Temple, #14, SLC, 801-726-0403. sugarhousedistillery.net

Sugar House’s distillers have a keen eye for detail, and ingredients for their spirits are sourced locally whenever possible. Everything goes down smooth. Open for tours and tastings.

WATERPOCKET DISTILLERY

2084 W. 2200 South, West Valley City, 801-382-9921. waterpocket.co

Waterpocket’s spirits are often fresh takes on old favorites or venturing into entirely new territory. Tours and tastings are available by appointment.

The Sundance Film Festival

BY JEREMY PUGH

THERE ARE FEW THINGS on the cultural calendar in Utah that are as out of sync with the traditional, quaint Beehive lifestyle as the Sundance Film Festival. Each year, thousands of people in black descend upon Park City like a plague of Mormon crickets: Publicists, industry wonks, filmmakers, photographers, celebrities and their handlers, and a host of hangers-on crowd fresh from L.A., be-scarved, be-turtlenecked, be-satcheled and shod in impractical shoes.

Of course, we Utahns love Sundance. It’s a brush with the larger world that all Utahns secretly crave. (See: The Winter Olympic Games, 2002.) Despite the changing landscape of Utah (especially Park City), we maintain our low self-esteem problem—an underdog, outsider stance that hearkens back to the days of Brigham. On one hand, we’re proud of our weird heritage and, on the other, we seek approval like a middle child. We are the Jan Brady of the United States.

Each year, the crowd that arrives from the coast and the local crowd that arrives from the Salt Lake Valley mingle on Main Street to babble in two separate languages. (Park

City residents usually bug out during the January invasion—ironically, the perfect time of year to visit Southern California.) The first language is the disdainful speech of the aloof artist, wherein to actually like something is decidedly uncool. The local language is one of unbridled enthusiasm and charming goofiness. We like things here. We really do. I love us for that.

The Sundancers, however, come with their lists, a hierarchy of A through Z listers. There are clipboards waiting outside of all the private parties, celebrity lounges and concerts. Out there in party land, there are lists upon lists upon lists and rope lines and waiting in the cold to get into someplace only to find that there’s another level of VIP-ness beyond the first gate. There always seems to be another level of even more exclusive and elusive exclusivity beyond— each layered inside the next like a matryoshka doll. I imagine that eventually, you get to one super cool room, containing one super cool VIP. Who could, if there were anyone else there to hear, be heard to exclaim, “I think I won!”

Welcome back to town, Hollywood. Don’t slip on the ice.

Sundance posters from 1985-1987

WE SEEK APPROVAL LIKE A MIDDLE CHILD. WE ARE THE JAN BRADY OF THE UNITED STATES.”