HOOKED ON GRILLED FISH: Expert Tips from Chef Zach Wojdula from Current Fish and Oyster

CHEF ZACH IS THE NEW CHEF de Cuisine at Current Fish and Oyster in Downtown Salt Lake City. He is passionate about grilling fish and shellfish.

WHOLE FISH:

• Pick a fish that isn’t too big—sea bass, branzino and whole trout are the perfect size. If they are too big, the skin will burn before the fish cooks on the inside.

• Oil, salt and pepper are all you need on the exterior of the fish. Be sure to oil both sides of the fish, or it will stick when you flip it.

• Add slices of lemon, fresh herbs or a compound butter into the cleaned cavity. It will flavor the fish from the inside out.

• Get your grill lines on the skin, and then finish the whole fish on indirect heat to keep the skin from burning and the fish from falling apart.

FILLETS OF FISH:

• Pick firm fish—like salmon, tuna or swordfish for direct heat. They won’t just fall apart on the grill. Most white, flaky fish won’t hold their structure.

• For more delicate fish, grill it on a cedar plank or indirect heat on a cooler part of the grill. You can also put it in a tinfoil packet.

Shellfish

• All shellfish cooks fast—don’t walk away or get distracted, or they will be rubbery and overdone.

• Oysters on the half shell are delicious grilled. Shuck them, but leave them in the shell; add a garlic-y herby compound butter to the shell and put them on a medium grill. Close the lid, leave it for a minute or two, and serve them hot.

• For smaller shellfish, like shrimp or scallops, it can be helpful to skewer them so they don’t fall between the grates.

• Lobster can be sliced in half, cleaned and grilled whole. Just use lots and lots of butter.

Current Fish & Oyster, 279 E. 300 South, SLC, 801-326-3474, currentfishandoyster.com

Finn’s Cafe –1624 S. 1100 East, SLC, 801467-4000. 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 verde-smothered breakfast wrap and the pancakes offer serious sustenance.

Burgers, Sandwiches & Delis

Diversion – 535 N. 300 West, SLC, 801-6577326. 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, 801-9068604. 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 freshground 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.

Old Cuss Cafe – 2285 S. Main St., South Salt Lake. oldcuss.com. More than a coffee shop, this warm, mountain-man-style cafe serves plantbased food, craft coffee and a rotating menu of seasonal fare.

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 oldschool 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, 385-3018905. 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, 801506-7788. brazagrillutah.com. Meat, meat and more meat is the order of the day at this Brazilianstyle churrascaria buffet.

Rodizio Grill – 600 S. 700 East, SLC, 801220-0500. 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.”