2020 FABBY AWARDS

What an interesting year for our readers’ choice issue. So many businesses were basically silenced this year, especially in the arts and events space.

We celebrate the most fabulous of the most fabulous with this abbreviated Fabby Awards issue.

These businesses, services and people are our friends and allies and our fellow LGBTQ community members. If you haven’t tried some of these places, give them a shot!

RESTAURANTS

Most Fabulous Inexpensive Restaurant

THE OTHER PLACE

A unique comfort-food restaurant that is family-oriented from bone-to-bone, You’ll never feel the same … it’s a privilege and an honor to enjoy their hospitality, and amazing food. Please wear a mask.

Most Fabulous After- Hours Restaurant

ALBERTO’S

From SLC to PC and WVC, the burritos and much more yumminess are within your fetished needs and empty gut. An over-easy egg on any dish will melt your Chupacabra. Go in like the she sexy masked avenger you are.

Most Fabulous Restaurant for Breakfast

PARK CAFE

Liberty, liberty, liberty. Where everybody knows your name, you hope, and where friends meet for a fabulous breakfast. Get there early or stand outside waiting to get in.

Most Fabulous Vegetarian/ Vegan Restaurant

VERTICAL DINER

While most guys and dolls enjoy a morning rush horizontally, they have no qualms going vertical for a fabulous, healthy meal. The primo staff at this diner provide the the guilty-pleasure dessert of eye-candy. But social distancing is a given.

Most Fabulous Contemporary Restaurant

CURRENT

This charming and exotic fish and oyster restaurant makes any mermen’s and mermaid’s fin curl. From an astonishing cocktail/ wine menu to unique plates such as Spanish Octopus and Mary’s Organic Chicken, Current may always stay current. Glitter masks encouraged!

Most Fabulous Ogden Restaurant

NO FRILLS DINER

While there are no frills driving to and from Salt Lake City to beautiful and friendly Ogden, the No Frills Diner is a 1960’s style comfort-food hangout worth the commute: Poodle skirts are recommended. Masks are required.

Most Fabulous Asian Restaurant

TAKASHI

This amazing LGBTQ-friendly establishment has been taking home Fabby awards for years, and thankfully so. From Q and all your homo followers: we bow in gratitude. Please wear a mask.

Most Fabulous Mexican Restaurant

CHILE TEPIN

Located in downtown SLC, this contemporary Mexican restaurant has fabulized the gay community. Well, anything for Chi-Chi Rodriquez: am I right gurls?!!??! Unfortunately, please cover up that beautiful smile of yours.

Most Fabulous Greek/ Mediterranean Restaurant

MAZZA

Mazza, Mazza, Mazza: back in the Q chariot this year. And yet, the hot wait staff still won’t wear short-short togas. But, the dining experience wins. Masks, please.

Most Fabulous Italian Restaurant

CAFFÉ MOLISE

Is it ciao or chow? I guess it depends if you can stick a noodle to the wall or up your nostril. I’m assuming either will do for this multi Fabby winner. We love you. Mask it!

Most Fabulous Wine Selection

BTG

By The Glass is no cheapskate. If memory corrects, I believe they have a wine bubbler. LOL. This downtown hotspot provides a unique experience to your palette, and so forth it. An Uber recommended and mask a must!

Most Fabulous Steakhouse

RUBY RIVER

Peanut shells and movie stars at this local “rustic” favorite. Ye haw! Everything from Steak & Avocado Egg Rolls to Gorgonzola New York Steak, how can you go wrong? Bandannas necessary!

Most Fabulous Beer Selection

SQUATTERS

This longtime Fabby winner and local brewery has been successfully squatting in the entertainment district of Downtown Salt Lake since before the introduction of the vinyl record. Congrats! Please wear a mask, but just know vinyl is out!

Most Fabulous Burger Joint

PROPER BURGER

Call me bent over for a fresh, unique burger between a couple of warm buns named Top and Bottom. With atmospheric dining: rather it be in the quaint fast-food dining area, or in the larger gaming/booze hall, Proper Burger is tinted with the colorful gay rainbow. There’s an amazing, good-looking staff (chefs, bartenders, cashiers, and more). Wear a mask, Luvs!!

Most Fabulous Pizza

PIE PIZZERIA

Thankfully, no self-respecting homo is scared of a dungeon, especially when it involves 16-inches of yumminess, a talented and friendly staff, and where everybody should know your name, or at least your alias. Dungeon folk must wear a mask.

Most Fabulous NEW Brunch Place

DIVERSION SOCIAL EATERY

A new take on food as a social event was starting to build up some steam when a certain anti-social virus came to town. But this Marmalade Neighborhood restaurant has some great grub and a very different idea of brunch. Bring it on because they have $3 mimosas as $6 outlaw coffee. Get the steak and egg poutine at this now-social distancing eatery.

Most Fabulous Bakery/Pastries

GOURMANDISE

Well-known among the dessert industry, and because of the brilliance of Jacob Sanderholm, this bakery burns it up. And the LGBTQ says so. Buns, nuts, foam, and Skittles (possibly), this is the place you want to satisfy your sweet tooth, and/or check out Jacob in an apron. BAM! Masks on, please.

TIE: Most Fabulous Barbecue

PAT’S

A pat on the back for this charming red farmhouse setup with lawn sculptures for purchase. Seriously, they grill the food outdoors with a shining grin (behind a mask).

SUGAR HOUSE BBQ

From Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese to Bourbon Street Jambalaya, and more scrumptiousness, this fabulous eatery in the heart of Sugar House (duh!) is super quaint, and the staff is really kind of hot, just sayin!

Most Fabulous Seafood

MARKET STREET GRILL

Shrimp on a skewer. Whiskers on a catfish. Mussels on the hot date across from you. Enjoy those options more so than trying to clean a crawfish. An awesome Pina Colada will drown your fears. Wear a mask.

Most Fabulous Local Coffeehouse

COFFEE GARDEN

Don’t forget to bring your laptop and backpack to this one-stop bean counter that’s been bedazzled for decades. It’s a beautiful garden. Bee bonnets please!

Most Fabulous Soups

SOUP KITCHEN

No soup Nazis here. With three locations, they know how to get the soup on during a rainy or snowy day, or just for the heck of it. Fabulous choices daily. Mask On!

Most Fabulous Sandwiches

SOUP KITCHEN

Here, a staple doesn’t hurt at all. With a few locations around the valley, this long-engaged, comfort-food space reminds you of being wrapped in a blanket on your futon chair. Don’t miss out on their specialty sandwich: the S.k.s. Soup Kitchen Special. Be wise, wear a guise!

Most Fabulous Brew Pub

SQUATTERS

Whether your squatting at the airport, or downtown SLC, or in the Park City area, the Squatters Mug Club is a must. The best part is that the members show you the shape of their buttocks after midnight. Please wear a mask and underwear.

Most Fabulous New Restaurant

STEYK CENTER

A new, elongated swelling of the Tavernacle Club, is the Q readers Fabby winner. A grub hub of the finest and holiest. Piano playing is not an option, Michael Aaron, and with you specifically, a mask is necessary.

Most Fabulous Food Truck

FRY ME TO THE MOON

This mobile eatery is not fearful of space travel: you can find it in the remote areas of Daybreak, Roy, Spanish Fork, West Valley City, and most importantly, at the Utah LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce Gala on Oct. 22. They offer a kids menu, and vegetarian, vegan and keto options. Fabulous. Social distancing a must.

BARS

Most Fabulous All-Gay All-Day Every Day Bar

SUN TRAPP

Bad-ass patrons will take down any anti-gay hooligans at this decades-long staple of queerness in SLC. Not to say it’s unsafe; quite the contrary. The Trapp is a kick-your-feet-up kind of place, with an incredible staff and a lot of enjoyment.

Most Fabulous Irish Pub

PIPER DOWN

The Irish sure know how to party with style and flair. This super gay-friendly establishment boasts that we all are “cut from the same cloth”. With an incredible staff, a quaint fire-pit porch, live music, trivia nights, and $1.50 mimosa Sundays, this is the best place to free-ball it.

Most Fabulous Sports Bar

GREEN PIG

This establishment makes your tail curl (just go with it!). Great food, great mingling, and great community watching: LGBTQ and all other walks of life. From Sunday and Monday football to karaoke to trivia. Or just sit back with a cocktail on the rooftop bar.

Most Fabulous Lounge

RED DOOR

A sleek and sassy martini bar in the arts district of Salt Lake. Posh, without being snooty, this is a fun and charming establishment before-and-after an evening at the theatre. Esquire Magazine also said it was a best bar in America. So there you go.

Most Fabulous Bar for the Buck

CLUB TRY-ANGLES

Social distancing is a must at Gene Nate’s watering-hole (he has one in his pants, too), but I digress. An “everybody knows your name” hangout for years at low prices, this Fabby winner is definitely no square.

Most Fabulous Beer Bar

BEER BAR

The iconic-named Beer Bar, (no homo could come up with a more unique name), is a multi-annual FABBY winner, and we can’t be more thrilled.

Most Fabulous Wine Bar

BTG

Here at the Q, when it first was honored with a FABBY award, we thought the acronym stood for Birthing The Gays or Bathing the Gays. Lo-and-behold, it stands for By The Glass. Posh, and pretty; just remember to hold your wine glass by the stem, or else your gay card will be revoked.

Most Fabulous Cocktails

TWYST

A newcomer to the Wasatch Front, this club gets you all twisted in unusual positions at its will. Food, events, and libations on the Exchange Place patio or downstairs in the newly renovated boiler room. Congratulations to their first, and likely not their last, FABBY award.

Most Fabulous Bar that Gives Back to the Community

CLUB TRY-ANGLES

Love is always in the air at Try-Angles, and Gene, the owner, is not only driven to support the community in very special ways, but he will also take the Cookie Monster T-shirt off his back for you.

Most Fabulous Park City Bar

NO NAME SALOON

A popular biker bar on historic Main Street in Park City is also a welcoming establishment to the LGBTQ community: staff and patrons, alike. Good times!

Most Fabulous Ogden Bar

SAND TRAP

One patron of the FABBY award-winning bar in Ogden said: “As someone who likes to occasionally drink a few brews and embarrass himself in public by singing karaoke terribly, the Sand Trap is my place.” Don’t we all?

Most Fabulous Dive Bar

CHEERS 2 U

Peanut shells and porn movie stars. LOL, that’s not true! Just kick back and relax with a good pint or stein, and a whole lot of winks and smiles.

SHOPPING

Most Fabulous Local Shop for Clothing

SPARK

Shop sustainably and locally at this gay-owned, FABBY-winning clothing boutique. From undies to ties, shoes, cuff links, and more, Spark has everything you need to dress for success, and/ or a hot date. Club-wear to boardroom chic, there is nothing more sparkling than Spark.

Most Fabulous Book Store

KING’S ENGLISH

During this pandemic, we at QSaltLake sat back and watched the adorable Rob Eckman read stories on Facebook live. That’s just who they are — ready to be part of our lives no matter what. They have so many readings from authors Utah would like never see otherwise that they make our hamlet a nicer place to live.

Most Fabulous Furniture

GREEN ANT

This vintage furniture store specializing in rare and collectible mid-century modern and pop-art pieces is not for the birds. Buyand sell, babies!

Most Fabulous Consignment/Gently Used Clothing

ICONOCLAD

Do you love cast-off fashion? Well, then check out Iconclad, where you will find old-school fashionwear; plus locally made art and accessories.

Most Fabulous Place to Buy Drag Attire

PIB’S EXCHANGE

Swimming in all types of wigs, knee-high boots, naughty nurse costumes, and, occasionally, used clothing with a 20-dollar bill in a pocket, Pib’s is posh!!

Most Fabulous Antiques

HAIGHT & ASHBURY HOME

Currently open Fridays and Saturdays, H&A has furniture, home decor, clothing, and accessories. Where old meets new.

Most Fabulous Nursery/ Garden Center

MILLCREEK GARDENS

For 65 years, Millcreek has been your favorite garden center. The sprawling nursery has everything that a Utah garden can grow, and then some. They also have extremely knowledgeable people wandering about to help.

Most Fabulous Gift Store

CAHOOTS

You know something’s a little off when you walk into Cahoots and blush. And that’s before you get to the adult section. From risque calendars to cards and games you’d probably not show your mother... unless you have THAT mother.

Most Fabulous Jeweler

9TH & 9TH JEWELERS

9th & 9th Jewelers offers free overnight digital CAD renderings, price quotes, and any changes you want to your design within 24 hours. Now that deserves a Fabby!

Most Fabulous Adult Toy Store

CAHOOTS

While cozy, the adult section at Cahoots is a place you wouldn’t be embarrassed to walk into, especially because the staff is so helpful and, well, adult about it all.

Most Fabulous Florist

THE ART FLORAL

The people are what make The Art Floral so Fabby. Did you see them handing out flowers at the Utah Pride 2.0 Road Rally? They gave out 2,000 carnations with QSaltLake last year. Fabby.

SERVICES

Most Fabulous Barber

FRIAR TUCK / KYLEE HOWELL

As “Utah’s queerest barbershop,” Kylee gives back to the community in a huge way; both volunteering in local LGBTQ organizations and providing free services to homeless youth. That deserves a FABBY.

Most Fabulous Hair Stylist

MATTHEW LANDIS

Probably the most famous name in hairstyle, but you’ll need to go to Matthew Landis Atelier in the 9th & 9th neighborhood to find him. Watch for him on Good 4 Utah and see his work on the anchors’ coifs.

Most Fabulous Insurance Agent

SENTRY WEST / JON JEPSEN

Jon Jepsen is a doer in this community. He volunteers on boards, was on the first Salt Lake City Human Rights Commission, and is just a nice guy. He has partnerships with so many insurance companies that he will surely find one that fits your needs.

Most Fabulous Real Estate Agent

BABS DE LAY

Babs was selling homes in Salt Lake before the Mormon pioneers climbed through Emigration Canyon. She’s on every city commission there is. She basically runs this town. And she knows her shit when it comes to buying and selling in Salt Lake.

Most Fabulous Veterinarian

ANIMAL CARE CENTER

The first time Michael walked into Animal Care Center it happened to be the week after Pride. There was a huge standard poodle with rainbow fur greeting everyone at the door. It’s true what they say, in his experience — They care about your pets as much as you do.

Most Fabulous Kennel/ Pet Boarding

CAMP BOW WOW

Drop off your dogs for the day, overnight, or for a week. Your pups will love their time at “summer camp.” You can even check in on your loved one by cellphone.

Most Fabulous Church

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH

The host of the Salt Lake Men’s Choir and the Matrons of Mayhem, as well as many other LGBT events, is also a great place to visit on Sundays. Pastor Curtis, when the Rona wasn’t around, loved to head down to the Utah Pride Center just to chat with the people there. Same-sex marriage became legal? Pastor Curtis was their marrying people. Beware of his dad jokes though.

Most Fabulous Attorney

CHRIS WHARTON

The Wharton in Wharton and O’Brien donates much of his time to helping the community and those in it. He’s also my city councilperson and had the pothole on my street fixed. Okay, that last part wasn’t true. But I’m sure he’d try!

Most Fabulous Car Dealership

MARK MILLER SUBARU

Mark Miller has been a proud Pride sponsor for many years. They know love is love and love makes a Subaru. They have the national awards to prove it. They also save homeless dogs in a big way, which is huge in my book.

Most Fabulous Caterer

LUX CATERING AND EVENTS

Lux has donated thousands of dollars worth of food and services to Utah’s LGBTQ community over its many years. They are the most environmentally-aware caterer in the state. Check out what a Certified B Corporation is and you’ll understand their way of business. They are also a certified LGBT Business Enterprise.

Most Fabulous Photographer

DAVID DANIELS

David Daniels’ photos have graced our pages since we had pages. He volunteers his services for many LGBT events and can take some kick-ass photos for your wedding, boudoir, or special event.

Most Fabulous Landscape Designer

DEAN ANESI

Anesi has been supporting Utah’s LGBTQ community since, well, I promised I wouldn’t tell. Check for his YouTube video touting his French Kitchen Urban Farm behind his offices or attend one of the many Alternative Garden Club events he offers his wisdom at no cost.

Most Fabulous Wedding Officiant

CHRISTOPHER SCUDERI

Christopher may be the hardest working minister in the valley. He even gets up for an Easter service in Park City at the crack of dawn. He’s been doing samesex weddings since before it was legal. He also takes care of funerals and healing blessings.

Most Fabulous TV News

FOX 13

Don’t let the word “Fox” in “Fox 13 News” scare you. This group of professionals is the hardest-working news team in the state and regularly reports on Utah’s LGBTQ community … in a good way.

Most Fabulous Radio Station

KRCL FM 90.9

KRCL is northern Utah’s only non-profit, member-supported community radio station dedicated to broadcasting a well-curated contemporary eclectic mix of music and community information 24 hours a day. Listen to Sue Robbins for an LGBTQ take on the world.

Most Fabulous Place to Get Pierced

KOI PIERCING

Koi has been punching holes in human bodies since 1997 and would have been winning FABBY Awards back then if our prestigious had existed then.

ORGANIZATIONS

Most Fabulous Political Group

EQUALITY UTAH

The sharp minds at Equality Utah keep our issues upfront and center in the eyes of Utah citizens and legislators. The nation looks to how EU does things to model their own campaigns.

Most Fabulous Group for Youth

UTAH PRIDE CENTER

The Utah Pride Center dedicates an entire floor for youth to hang out, not to mention several services for them to build and grow. Many of those services include their families to make their home life a safe space as well.

Most Fabulous Group to Donate Money To

UTAH PRIDE CENTER

From youth to elders, from counseling to event facilities, our Utah Pride Center has something for everyone, and our readers know it. This is where to put your tithing every week.

Best Annual LGBT Event

DAMN THESE HEELS

This year Damn These Heels had to put on an event in the midst of a pandemic and it shined. With a full slate of films still shown, though virtually, it gave our community something to enrich our lives, even if it was without the hugs and crowd noise.

PEOPLE

Most Fabulous Leader of an LGBT Group

DEB HALL / SAGE

Deb Hall is, by far, the most popular leader among our readers this year. Her work on helping LGBT seniors is making a difference in their lives.

Most Fabulous Politician for the LGBT Community

JIM DABAKIS

While no longer in office at the Capitol Building, Dabakis is still moving and shaking things in the state with his Utah Progressives group. If you're not subscribed, look it up and get learning.

Most Fabulous TV News Reporter

BEN WINSLOW

We've decided to name this category after Ben and retire it until he decides to retire in Palm Springs with the rest of them. His ever-present reeds of information both on the tube and the intertubes are engaging with just enough snark to still be uber-professional. Always look for his socks if they are onscreen.

Most Fabulous Television News Anchor/ Personality – Male

MARK KOELBEL

With his every-changing hair color, great looks, and professional delivery, Mark Koelbel once again snags a FABBY.

Most Fabulous Television News Anchor/ Personality – Female

MARY NICKLES

With our community’s two favorites now off the air, Mary Nickles, who was always a bridesmaid and never a bride in the past FABBY Awards rose to the top. Mary was the very first news anchor to do an interview with us the day our first issue went to press, and she was awesome. She even showed up at our launch party that night.