SLM Jan/Feb 2024

SALTLAKEMAGAZINE.COM

MAGAZINE OF THE MOUNTAINWEST

GONDOLAS, TRAINS AND RED SNAKES. OH MY!

CONSTRUCTION WOES What is going on in Sugar House? pg. 24

THE MIGHTY 5 IN WINTER Find solitude this winter in Utah’s national parks pg. 46

ANARCHY IN THE SLC After 25 years, a look back at SLC Punk! pg. 60

D. R .

H O RTO N

•

A M ERICA’ S

BU ILDER

•

DRH O RTO N.CO M

N AT I O N A L B U I L D E R - LO CA L FA M I LY

T H E Noah Birkeland Sales Representative

B I R K E L A N D S Greg Birkeland Area Broker/Sales

Lauryn Birkeland Internet Sales Specialist

HOMETOWN: American Fork, Utah D.R. HORTON EXPERIENCE: 19 Years TITLE: Area Broker / Sales (Utah) WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT D.R. HORTON? I love to be a part of a company that is always improving, takes care of customers, and builds quality homes that are affordable, comfortable, and stylish. But not just beautiful homes, this includes (in many cases) exceptional amenities in new communities where people can live, relax, and enjoy these features to enrich their lives.

Greg (pictured center) is excited and proud that two of his family members are working alongside him at D.R. Horton, (Noah, far left, and Lauryn, far right) where family is first! Your Family and Ours!

D.R. Horton, America’s largest homebuilder, is celebrating a milestone! 45 years in business, and an astonishing 1,000,000 homes built! D.R. Horton is also Utah's premier builder of amenity driven communities and spacious floor plans designed for living!

START YOUR NEW HOME JOURNEY HERE — 385-526-4492 D.R. Horton is an Equal Housing Opportunity Builder. Home and community information, including pricing, features, terms, availability and amenities, are subject to change at any time without notice or obligation.

contents

JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 2024

FEATURES

The North Window Arch in Arches National Park.

46 THE MIGHTY 5 IN WINTER

BY JEREMY PUGH

During the spring and summer, crowds flock to Utah’s National Parks.

They’re missing out on what the parks have to offer in the wintertime, and you get to miss out on the crowds.

54 COTTONWOOD GONDOLA

BY TONY GILL

The Little Cottonwood Gondola seems all set to move forward. The plan has detractors and skeptics, but most agree that winter traffic on Highway 210 is unsustainable and untenable. Is a gondola the answer?

PHOTO CREDIT ADOBE STOCK

60 25 YEARS OF SLC PUNK!

BY THOMAS CRONE

ON THE COVER In this issue we take a wide-angle look at the history and future of transportation in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Photo by Adobe Stock.

James Merendino’s ode to Utah’s 1980s punk scene peels back Reaganera Salt Lake’s clean sheen to expose a racuous, anarchistic counterculture.

The fi lm still holds up, but it divides the punks it put on display.

J ANUAR Y /F EB R UAR Y 2024 | SALTLAKEMAGAZINE.COM

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contents 101

15 the hive

BY SALT L AKE STAFF

As the Sundance Film Festival returns for its 40th edition, how a new director hopes to shape the festival’s influence. Local businesses struggle to navigate the construction in Sugar House. And survive the winter sniffles with our alternatives to chicken noodle soup.

31

adventures

BY SALT L AKE STAFF

This ski season, Salt Lake magazine has the ski runs that should be on your bucket list. For those who prefer sledding, the pastime isn’t just fun, it can keep you in shape in the cold months.

67 park city

BY TONY GILL

Park City searches for solutions for the housing shortage for seasonal workers. The couple behind The Chop Shop Park City has a new venture—a Bake Shop with Olympic support.

Owner Ashton Aragon and Elle Aragon from Sayonara Bar

75 on the table

BY LYDIA MARTINE Z

Hog & Tradition’s barbecue is a triple threat, fusing Southern, Tongan and Dominican influences.

101

bar fly

BY AVREY EVANS

The new bar that’s bringing a taste of Tokyo nightlife to downtown SLC.

BY JEREMY PUGH

35

75

Why is Utah’s snow so much better than everyone else’s?

volume 35 number 1 Salt Lake magazine (ISSN# 1524-7538) is published bimonthly (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October and November/December)

by Utah Partners Publishing, Ltd. Editorial, advertising and administrative offices: 515 S. 700 East, Suite 3i, SLC, UT 84102. Telephone 801-485-5100; fax 801-485-5133. Subscriptions: One year ($35.95); for shipping outside the U.S. add $45. Toll-free subscription number: 877-553-5363. Periodicals Postage Paid at Salt Lake City, Utah, and additional mailing offices. Copyright 2024, JES Publishing Corp. No whole or part of the contents may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission of Salt Lake magazine, excepting individually copyrighted articles and photographs. Manuscripts accompanied by SASE are accepted, but no responsibility will be assumed for unsolicited contributions. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to Salt Lake magazine, PO Box 820, Boca Raton, FL 33429.

6 SALTLAKEMAGAZINE.COM | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2 0 2 4

PHOTOS BY ADAM FINKLE, SKI UTAH

112 last page

Make your move with us.

– Decades of experience – Dedicated to our community – Determined to find your perfect home.

A local and independent real estate brokerage – www.thegroupslc.com

THE MAGAZINE OF THE MOUNTAINWEST PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER

PHOTOGRAPHY

Margaret Mary Shuff EXECUTIVE EDITOR

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ON THE TABLE EDITOR

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WRITING CONTRIBUTORS

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Mizner’s Dream

Salt Lake magazine is published six times a year by Utah Partners Publishing, Ltd. The entire contents of Salt Lake magazine are copyrighted and may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the publisher.

Salt Lake magazine accepts no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts and/or photographs and assumes no liability for products or services advertised herein. Salt Lake magazine reserves the right to edit, rewrite or refuse material and is not responsible for products. Please refer to corporate masthead.

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WHERE STYLE LIVES IN UTAH A look inside the winter issue of our sister publication Utah Style & Design magazine. Available on newsstands and online at utahstyleanddesign.com

What’s Hot Now

PHOTO LINDSAY SALAZAR

2024 is all about compelling design. Utah Style & Design’s editorial team compiles a selection of the latest furnishings, fixtures, fabrics and finds for your entire home.

New Year, New Looks

Style takes a fresh direction in 2024, and this issue’s featured homes prove it. We head for the mountains, where natural stone, white oak paneling and rich wallcoverings charm a welcoming Victory Ranch décor. In Park City, vintage and modern finds merge with bright colors in a family’s snowbound abode, while high on a Deer Valley mountain peak, cozy textiles, green-painted cabinets and reclaimed wood enrich a cozy vacation home. And, in SLC, shapely furnishings, exquisite textiles and sculptural lighting deliver luxury and chic style to a view-laden condo.

Before & After Ever wonder how Park City’s Old Town homes manage to merge historic flavor with modern-day livability? P. J. Builders gives us an inside look at a recently renovated home that began by lifting and relocating a century-old miner’s cabin. The results are, dare we say, moving.

From the Editor We ring in the new year by packing the pages of this winter issue with must-see spaces, expert advice and spectacular design. From texture-driven textiles to clever ways of delivering comfort and character to your spaces, our content is a hearth-warming mix of ideas and images to help give you—and your home—inspiring style.

Brad Mee Editor-in-Chief, Utah Style & Design

10 SALTLAKEMAGAZINE.COM | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2 0 2 4

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Everybody Loves a Crowd delving into the place you live and keep finding more. Utah’s national parks are well-trod turf for me.

But I took a seven-day road trip to rediscover them—in winter. The otherworldly landscape of Southern Utah is transformed. Yes. It’s cold.

Yes. It snows. Who thinks of hiking up the Virgin River in Zion National Park when it’s 50 degrees and the water’s edge is rimmed with ice? Well now, hopefully you will. Follow my trail with our detailed guide to winter in the national parks (“Explore the Mighty 5 in Winter” p. 46). With planning, decent gear, plenty of weather-dictated improvisation and a healthy dose of internal fortitude, you too can witness these wonders without the main drawback in warmer times of year, the crowds.

Oh, Right. Crowds. During peak seasons, the line to get into Arches spills out into the highway, and, up north, the highways become a parking lot nicknamed the “Red Snake.” It has become a universal lament. I don’t blame the many, many visitors drawn

12 SALTLAKEMAGAZINE.COM | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2 0 2 4

here from around the globe to experience our mountains and red cliffs—heck, I’m one of the folks spilling the tea. But it does become wearisome and it’s an easy kvetch.

It was with this in mind that we asked writer Tony Gill to tackle the thorny issue of transportation in the Wasatch (“Big Trouble in Little Cottonwood,” p. 54). The gondola in Little Cottonwood Canyon appears to be moving forward, but the plan has plenty of detractors and has generated more than a lot of confusion. We all agree that winter traffic on Utah Highway 210 is untenable but is a Gondola the answer? We don’t know.

But hopefully, our look at the history, the players and the uncertain future will give you some ammo for your next dinner-party debate.

Jeremy Pugh

PHOTO NATALIE SIMPSON - BEEHIVE PHOTOGRAPHY

YOU CAN SPEND DECADE S

FALL IN LOVE Is toffee your love language? Treat yourself to Cache Toffee Collection’s limited edition toffee ‘Love.’ This indulgent toffee 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.

The Hive t r e n d s / p e o p l e / t a lk

Cocktail Contest Winners

p. 15

Fashion: Winter Boots

p. 18

Community: GLOW at the Gallivan

p. 20

History: The Mooremeister Affair

p. 22

Statewatch: Sugarhouse Construction

p. 24

MEET THE WINNERS OF OUR 2023 FARM-TO-GLASS COCKTAIL CONTEST

Food: Chicken Soup Alternatives

p. 26

A&E: Sundance

p. 28

PHOTO NATALIE SIMPSON, BEEHIVE PHOTOGRAPHY

BY SALT L AKE MAGA ZINE

L

A S T FA L L , W E A S K E D 2 0 O F S A LT L A K E ’ S L E A D I N G L I B AT I O N S E X P E R T S to guide us in an

adventure expertly crafted by their hands. The prompt for our 2023 Farm-to-Glass cocktail contest was simple: Take advantage of local ingredients, find inspiration in autumnal musings and include Utah-made spirits. Whether they decide to whip up something stiff to warm our bellies through the incoming chill or transport us to a beachside oasis with a tropical creation, the choice was theirs.

As with every year’s cocktail contest, we rely on our readers to judge their overall favorite. But, we also introduced a new panel of judges and tasked them with determining the best overall judge’s choice cocktail. Our mixology Avengers included: Darby Doyle, Jennifer Burns, Stuart Melling, Lydia Martinez and Francis Fecteau. Each judge took on the heavy burden of bellying up to 20 bars and ordering up some drinks—for research, of course. Three bartenders came out on top after two months of sipping, voting and deliberating.

J ANUAR Y /F EB R UAR Y 2024 | SALTLAKEMAGAZINE.COM

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COCK TA I L CON T E ST

PHOTO NATALIE SIMPSON, BEEHIVE PHOTOGRAPHY

THE HIVE

READER’S CHOICE: ‘LOCAL COLOR’ Emma Roberts, Quarters Arcade Bar Quarter’s Bartender Emma Roberts’ creation took the lead in our Reader’s Choice category, amassing 2,754 votes! Featuring a refreshing blend of local peaches, honey and peppers, “Local Color” paid homage to Emma’s childhood. The cocktail also featured three local spirits from Beehive, High West and Water Pocket to fully embody what it means to be Farm-to-Glass. Judge Darby Doyle appreciated the cocktail’s balance of refreshing and spirit-forward, “The Notom pulls through and hangs on, it is spirit-forward in all the right ways.” Overall, this cocktail won the hearts of our readers and our judges for its ability to balance fruitforward flavors and earthy tones.

JUDGE’S CHOICE: ‘THE SUMMER ENDS’ Morgan Michel, Good Grammar Morgan’s cocktail embraced a beautiful blend of full-body flavors and gentle herbaceous aromas. Her seed-based orgeat combined sunflower, hemp and wildflower, and an infused Thai basil and sage olive oil rounded the whole thing out. Judge Francis Fecteau acknowledged Michel’s use of “clever ingredients,” while Stuart raved “this is something new to taste every time you go in for a sip, it’s very balanced and nuanced. I wish to drink many of these.”

INNOVATOR AWARD: ‘THE INSIDE SCOOP’ JJ Barth, Water Witch In 2023, we introduced a new award dubbed “The Innovator Award,” to recognize those entries that surprised us with their unique approach and execution. Darby expresses her delight at JJ’s use of both gin and mezcal, “You wouldn’t think gin and mezcal would marry well, but the barley-sorrel oleo syrup brings it together. It’s a lovely cocktail evoking end-of-summer flavors.” Lydia concurs, “The nose was citrus all the way, which made it surprisingly refreshing for a mezcal cocktail.”

Honorable Mentions BEST NARRATIVE ‘No Kate! No!’ Leo Parcell Drift Lounge at Woodbine

16 SALTLAKEMAGAZINE.COM | ANUARY/FEBRUARY 2 0 2 4 J

BEST SPIN ON A CLASSIC ‘The Buttered Bees Knees’ Timothy Burt Copper Common

BEST PRESENTATION ‘Turaco Swizzle’

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR ‘Paradise Lost’

Jordan Strang HSL

Bijan Ghiai Urban Hill

THE HIVE

ST Y LE

LIGHTEN UP

1

2

Winter doesn’t have to be drab 3

4

- 1 Women’s Caribou X Boot Chelsea by Sorel, $190

- 2 Notch Collar Wool Blend Coat

by MICHAEL Michael Kors, $380

- 3 Khaki Body Morphing Knit Top

by Jean Paul Gaultier, $550

5

- 4 K-Jonny Tie Dye Cotton Cable Cardigan by DIESEL, $595 6

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5

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Men’s Terrell Jacket Bleach / Wax by Carhartt, $275

- 6 Coachtopia Loop Quilted Puffer Jacket by Coach, $495 7

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7

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Men’s Ski School Premium 6-Inch Waterproof Boot Black Helcor in Leather/White

by Timberland, $198

- 8 ’86 Low-Fi Hi-Tek Waterproof Mountain Jacket

by The North Face, $260

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8

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GLOW, an immersive art installation at the Gallivan Center will run through the end of February.

Emily and Ian Nicolosi (and their baby). Emily is the lead artist and director of In Theory Art Collective and Ian is a contributing artist to the collective

LIGHT IN THE DARK Chase away the wintertime blahs with GLOW

BY MELISSA FIELDS

features an oasis of light so jam-packed with joy and wonder it’s sure to chase off even your most stubborn midwinter doldrums. GLOW, on display now at the Gallivan Center Plaza (239 S. Main St., SLC), encompasses nine different LED-lit sculptures, commissioned by THE BLOCKS and created by In Theory Art Collective.

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PHOTOS BOBBI TOLMAN

T

HOUGH WE’RE WELL INTO THE DARKEST AND C O L D E S T D AY S O F T H E Y E A R , downtown Salt Lake

But calling GLOW’s art pieces sculptures doesn’t do this experience justice. Gallivan Plaza has been transformed with luminescent flowers and animals, multidimensional stars that float overhead from the plaza’s pergolas, and a tunnel of offset-lit cubes and a glowing arch that invites passing through and under.

Iterations of GLOW have appeared at the Gallivan for the past two winters, but never with as many pieces as are displayed for this year’s installation. “THE BLOCKS gave us carte blanche to create what we wanted, and the vision became to not just have one or two pieces but to draw people through the space in a celebratory and inspirational way,” says Emily Nicolosi, In Theory Art Collective director and artist.

A theme central to this year’s GLOW is celebrating Utah’s diverse natural, cultural and social landscapes “in an inherently positive way, full of joy and love,” says Nicolosi. “And we wanted at least one of the installations to be created in collaboration with a Native American artist or group of artists.” And so In Theory invited author Laura Tohe (lauratohe.com), a Navajo Nation Poet Laureate, to write a short poem inspired

by GLOW’s place-specific theme. The result is “You belong to the earth,” a beautifully optimistic and comforting elegy that In Theory republished in scripty neon text as part of GLOW. “The inspiration,” Tohe explained, “was to remind us that we are all a part of this planet we call Nahasdzáán, Mother Earth. She sustains us, human and non-human, animate and non-animate, by providing us with everything we need to exist. We don’t have another place to live. More so during global warming, I hope that we take more seriously our responsibility to care for the earth and in doing so, we take

care of ourselves. I want my children and grandchildren to live in a world that has a healthy heart.”

Other GLOW pieces include Columbine Clusters, illuminated interpretations of one of Utah’s most defining native wildflowers, and Fauna Illuminata, clear acrylic, LED-lit animal sculptures created on a 3-D printer depicting Utah’s endangered species— both of which are interspersed among Gallivan Plaza’s evergreen “forest.” Treehive is a collection of neon hexagons in varying sizes, created originally for THE BLOCKS Open Streets initiative, revived for GLOW to call attention to the threatened Western bumble bee. And those who’ve visited the Gallivan Center in the past will remember Miri the Star, a multidimensional, lit snowflake sculpture, and koro loko, an on-point heart Nicolosi made originally to display at the 2019 Burning Man Festival and that seeded creation of In Theory Art Collective.

Nicolosi invites you to enter GLOW from the Gallivan Plaza’s Main Street entrance when you go. You’ll be greeted by Polychroma, a 16-foot-tall, steel-framed arch lit with LED lighting that graduates from black and white to the colors of the rainbow. “This piece acknowledges Utah’s LGBTQ+ community and is a metaphor for the fact that diversity is a beautiful thing,” Nicolosi says.

GLOW is on display at the Gallivan Center through the end of February. Admission is free and open to the public.

PHOTO CREDIT TK

PHOTOS BOBBI TOLMAN

Even in daylight, GLOW’s dichroic sculptures liven up the winter landscape.

J ANUAR Y /F EB R UAR Y 2024 | SALTLAKEMAGAZINE.COM

21

THE HIVE

U TA H L OR E

The Murder of Dorothy Moormeister Visit the last known location of Utah’s ‘Black Dahlia’

BY JEREMY PUGH

On the night of her murder, Dorothy was seen entering the Hotel Utah at around 6 p.m. She left a short time later with two men and another woman. Dr. Moormeister claimed to have gone out to see a movie alone during this time period. The autopsy revealed traces of absinthe in Dorothy’s stomach. A search of her letters also revealed that Dorothy Dexter, wife of Dr. Moormeister, she had been hiding money in various cir.1930 safety deposit boxes around town and had drafted some recent changes in her will but had not signed them officially.

However, despite all the intrigue HE V IC TIM IS THE YOUNG and a massive effort by county investigators wife of a prominent and wealthy who even brought in a private detective who physician. There are suitors, was popularly considered the “Sherlock insinuated affairs, missing jewels and even Holmes” of his time, the killer was never a Persian prince. It sounds like an Agatha revealed and brought to justice.

Christie novel, but it all happened in Salt Lake City. Just after midnight on February 22, 1930, the brutally disfigured body of Dorothy Dexter Moormeister, 32, was found on the western edge of Salt Lake City. She had been repeatedly run over with her own car. Dorothy’s husband was Dr. Frank Moormeister, a wealthy physician and abortionist for the local brothels. Dr. Moormeister was much older than his wife, who had a wild social life and actively solicited the attention of other men.

One of these men, Charles Peter, was a prime suspect in her death. He had allegedly urged Dorothy to divorce her husband and fleece him in the settlement. Additionally, the doctor had once loaned Peter a large sum of money and, as partial payment, taken from Peter a valuable pendant.

The pendant was among the jewelry missing from Dorothy’s body. Another suitor, Prince Farid XI, who had met the Moormeisters during an excursion to Paris, was rumored to have been in Salt Lake City at the time. There were letters discovered afterwards intimating that Dorothy had designs to run away with him.

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Hotel Utah, 1910

Author Andrew Hunt, a historian and novelist, made the Moormeister Murder the backdrop for the first book in his noir series about rookie Sheriff’s Deputy, Art Overman, a squeaky clean family man and devout Mormon. Hunt’s book, City of Saints, is the first in a series of mystery novels set in the 1930s and won the 2011 Hillerman Prize.

WHAT: THE LAST KNOWN WHEREABOUTS OF DOROTHY MOORMEISTER WHERE: THE HOTEL UTAH (NOW THE JOSEPH SMITH MEMORIAL BUILDING), 15 E. S. TEMPLE, SLC

The Moormeisters’ 1929 Cadillac, found at the crime scene

A map of the murder scene, published by The Salt Lake Tribune, February 23, 1930

PHOTO CREDIT THE SALT L AKE TRIBUNE, UNIVERSIT Y OF UTAH’S MARRIOT LIBRARY

T

Extra!

THE HIVE

STAT EWAT CH

Try to Escape ‘The Maze’ Local businesses in SLC’s Sugar House neighborhood struggle to navigate the labyrinthine construction projects

Pizza Volta opened September 2022 and closed September 2023.

O

N A V I S I T T O the Sugar House neighborhood in late Fall 2023, I barely recognize the place.

Highland Drive is reduced to a tiny sliver of one-way traffic and 2100 South is a maze of narrow lanes to allow for road work. The whole neighborhood has broken out in a rash of orange barrels, and the road construction is choking off the arteries to some of my old haunts—Black Cat Comics, Bruges Waffles & Frites, Pib’s Exchange—even the Utah State Liquor Store on Ashton Avenue.

Months after the construction started in early 2023, the construction has claimed some notable casualties, according to the owners of local businesses who have made the decision to close their doors.

I spoke with one of Pizza Volta’s owners, Martin Brass, who closed the restaurant after just one year in business. “I had to let go of 26 people,” he says.

Brass started out feeling hopeful about their location in Sugar House when they opened in September 2022, having heard nothing but

24 SALTLAKEMAGAZINE.COM | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2 0 2 4

great things about the area. But by October, a nearby under-construction residential building, The Residences at Sugar Alley, caught fire and burned for days. The fire and ultimate demolition of the building closed surrounding roads for weeks. “The fire and demolition basically put a hole in the middle of the Sugar House,” says Brass.

It’s not the first hole to blight Sugar House.

Back in the mid-oughts, the 2100 South and Highland Drive block was a row of funky galleries, a local coffee shop and an erotic bakery. A developer demolished the buildings in 2008, then the block lay bare for years when the construction money dried up in the recession. The eyesore came to be known as the “Sugar House hole.”

Eventually, mixed-use developments filled the hole and life returned to that part of the neighborhood…until the fire.

The foot traffic Pizza Volta had been assured in Sugar House never materialized in the aftermath of the fire. Still, they kept at it. “We finally were almost breaking even in March 2023, recovering from just being a new business, from fire effects, from a number of different things…And then the city rips up Highland Drive.” The April after construction started on 1100 East and Highland Drive, Brass says sales at Pizza Volta dropped 30%, even while the number of delivery orders increased. “So that told me people wanted our pizza. They just didn’t want to go get it,“ says Brass.

Even longtime Sugar House businesses asked for the public’s help to offset some of the construction-induced losses. Kimi’s Chop & Oyster House advertised special deals on their website, saying “Sugar House construction is definitely a maze right now…Here at Kimi’s, we need your support more than ever because the construction is definitely letting us down!”

The construction was so much of a letdown that Kimi’s could be looking for a new location, away from “the maze.”

With multiple construction projects going on at once, businesses near 2100 South and Highland Drive, like Pizza Volta, felt boxed

in. “[The fire] didn’t help. And then that gets exacerbated by Highland Drive’s construction” Brass says. “Twenty-first South had, I think, two lanes closed. And then there was more construction around the corner from us. One of the side accesses was under construction at the same time. We were impacted on two sides. I don’t understand that. I just don’t understand how that’s the best they could do.”

The stated purpose of the construction projects is to support the Sugar House Business District by improving the roads and updating 100-year-old infrastructure. In the meantime, the Sugar House Chamber of Commerce and Salt Lake City leadership have encouraged residents to get out and support small, local businesses during the construction.

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall even made an appearance at Pizza Volta back in July 2023. Salt Lake City also provides a Construction Mitigation Grant that gives up to $3,000 per business, for “small, independent businesses with less than 50 employees who have been adversely affected by construction,” according to the City. I’ve spoken with business owners in Sugar House who have received the grant but say $3,000 is just not enough to cover their losses from months of construction on all sides, impeding access to their locations. Is this the price for progress?

For Brass, the biggest regret in closing Pizza Volta is not so much monetary as the loss of connection to the community they were trying to foster. The restaurant hosted regular “Pizza With A Purpose” events, where a portion of the proceeds from every pizza sold went to a local non-profit. Pizza Volta also commissioned a local artist, Josh Scheuerman, to paint an indoor mural of iconic Utah historical symbols, easter eggs and artifacts for patrons to search through and explore while they dined. “Actually, that’s probably my biggest regret of all,” Brass says. “This is his work, and it’s in this space that’s just now closed and people can’t see it.”

PHOTO CREDIT PIZZA VOLTA

BY CHRISTIE PORTER

SUGAR HOUSE TRANSFORMATION TIMELINE

JANUARY 2008 Developer Craig Mecham demolishes the eclectic row of shops at 2100 South and Highland Drive to make way for a new mixed-use development. Lack of funding, amidst the Great Recession, delays project construction.

DECEMBER 2013

MAY 2008

S-Line opens to the public.

APRIL 2012 Construction begins on the Sugar House Streetcar Line (S-Line).

AUGUST 2012

SEPTEMBER 2014 With construction all but complete, Sugar House Crossing begins leasing residential and commercial units. This project, along with a handful of other planned projects, mark the beginning of a development boom in the Sugar House Business District.

More than four years after demolition, construction begins on the 2100 South and Highland Drive project, called Sugar House Crossing.

DECEMBER 2011 MID 2016 Neighborhood bar, Fat’s Grill, and Hyland Plaza, a small outdoor retail mall on 2100 South, are demolished to make way for future developments, including Sugar Alley. Two Granite Furniture warehouses are also demolished at McClelland Street and Sugarmont Drive to make way for the Sugarmont Apartments project.

The developer reports finally receiving funding for a pared-down version of the mixed-use plan.

SUGAR HOUSE CONSTRUCTION —WHEN WILL IT END?

NOVEMBER 2018 Voters approve an $87 million “Funding Our Future” bond to pay for improvements to major streets, including 2100 South and 1100 East/Highland Drive.

MARCH 2023 As part of the Funding Our Future bond, Salt Lake City begins work on Highland Drive/1100 East.

COMING IN 2024 Construction of 1100 East from 2100 South to Ramona Street.

ILLUSTRATION ARIANNA JIMENEZ

DECEMBER 2020 Work is underway at the Sugar Alley construction site, a planned mixeduse building in between Sugarmont Apartments and Sugar House Crossing, on Highland Drive, as well as on a Park Avenue development on the old Shopko site.

OCTOBER 2022 The still-under-construction Sugar Alley is engulfed in flames and burns for days. Crews demolish the building and developers will spend the next few years reconstructing the building as originally planned.

MARCH 2021 The former Snelgrove Ice Cream factory (2100 South and Commonwealth Avenue) is demolished to make way for the Sugar Town development.

NOVEMBER 2021 Alta Terra South, the first of two mixed-use developments near Fairmont Park, on the former site of a 24 Hour Fitness (1132 E. Ashton Ave.), receives approval from the city.

The city orders the developer to landscape the undeveloped 2100 South property. The bare crater earns the nickname “Sugar Hole.”

In February 2023, the Highland Drive/1100 East Reconstruction Project began. According to the City, the project involves “Long overdue reconstruction of the roadway with added bike lane infrastructure and improved crosswalks and ADA access.”

This project overlaps with multiple other ongoing projects in the area—including the 2100 South Sewer Expansion, 1100 East Improvement Project, 2100 South Reconstruction, which is scheduled through spring 2024, and a new apartment building project on Ashton Ave. At last check, a plan is also in the works to develop the old Wells Fargo site on 2100 South and Highland Drive. When will the construction end? At this point, there are construction projects slated for Sugar House through 2025.

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THE HIVE

F OOD

Go Beyond Chicken Noodle Soup

Warm your soul and combat the common cold

BY LYDIA MARTINE Z

W

H E N C O L D , flu and midwinter January misery hit, I want a big bowl of soup. The hottest, spiciest, brothiest soup I can find. And while Chicken Noodle Soup has its place in the world, I want something to wake up my taste buds and light my sinuses on fire. Here are our top picks for the best alternatives to chicken noodle soup that will get you through the winter.

TOM YUM OR TOM KHA SOUP THAI GARDEN BISTRO

GRASS-FED WAGYU BEEF PHO SOMI VIETNAMESE BISTRO Somi has been a go-to for years. Their Grass-fed Wagyu Beef Pho is delicious, and the broth is a clear canvas for whatever combinations of sauces you want to add. If you are sick, you can doctor the broth up with jalapenos and sriracha to volcanic heat levels. Add in a bunch of basil for another layer of congestion-clearing fragrance. somislc.com

BONE BROTH BELTEX MEATS Since Beltex Meats is all about tip-to-tail butchery, they make first-rate bone broth. They often have beef and pork bone broth and sometimes even lamb bone broth. You can also find ramen and pho broth—a great shortcut to making your own spicy soup at home.

Stock up on a quart or two, and you don’t have to order take-out on a sick day. beltexmeats.com

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Most people think of Feldman’s as the place to get one of the best sandwiches in town. We agree. But what you don’t know is that they peddle the best soup-based “penicillin” in the form of Matzo Ball Chicken Soup. The broth is salty and thick from the matzo. If you get a quart, it will reheat beautifully later. feldmansdeli.com

SPICY KARAI RAMEN TOSH’S RAMEN Award-winning and one of our favorite ramen shops—Tosh’s broth is simmered for hours until it is perfectly milky and rich. The Spicy Karai Ramen is made with a traditional tonkotsu broth and served with spicy ground pork, a soft-boiled egg, a sweet shitake mushroom, bean sprouts and spring onion. Tip: Add the house-made Kimchi for an extra fermented kick. toshsramen.com

Thai soups are veggie-centric and pack a good dose of heat, lime juice and fresh herbs like lemongrass and cilantro, with clear spicy broth. Thai Garden Bistro offers carry-out of both their Tom Yum Soup—hot and sour with lots of veggies—and the Tom Kha Soup— which adds coconut milk for a silky-rich texture. Vegetarians can get either soup with tofu. thaigardenslc.com

CREME OF MUSHROOM SOUP RAWTOPIA LIVING CUISINE Rawtopia has both raw foods and a few cooked vegan options for when you want something warming. Their dairy-free Creme of Mushroom Soup is made with well-spiced, pureed cashew, shiitake and miso, topped with wild rice, broccoli and cilantro. And, of course, love—an ingredient in every one of their dishes. It says so on the menu. The result is a delicious and comforting soup. rawtopia.com

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ARIANNA JIMENEZ

MATZO BALL CHICKEN SOUP FELDMAN’S DELI

THE HIVE

A & E

For the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, film screenings will start a little earlier than in previous years.

• Festival dates: Jan. 18-28, 2024. Opening Night Gala is Jan. 18 at the DeJoria Center.

In-person screenings begin around noon on Jan. 18. Online screenings begin Jan. 25.

• The lineup: 90+ feature films, 60+ shorts.

• Park City venues: Eccles Theater, Egyptian Theatre, Holiday Village Cinemas, Library Center Theatre, The Ray Theatre, Redstone Cinemas and Prospector Square Theatre.

• SLC venues: Megaplex Theatres at The Gateway, the Salt Lake Film Society’s Broadway Centre Cinemas and the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center.

• Tickets and more information at sundance.org

First Impressions A new Festival Director makes his mark on Sundance as the Festival celebrates 40 years

BY CHRISTIE PORTER

T

H I S Y E A R M A R K S the 40th

festival for the Sundance Film Festival. In some ways, it’s hard to believe an event that has such an influence on film and art worldwide could possibly be that old. In other ways, it feels as if the festival has always been a permanent part of Park City and Utah. This 40th year marks Eugene Hernandez’s second as Festival Director, but, for people close to the event, it might feel as if Hernandez has always been a permanent fixture of the festival as well.

Hernandez started coming to Sundance 30 years ago, as a journalist in the mid-1990s, to build Indiewire. For Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO, bringing in Hernandez is a “full circle” moment. Vicente was a film producer and met Hernandez during those early years. “Many times we would meet at Sundance,” she says, illustrating one of the festival’s primary functions. “Sundance is really a place about discovery. It’s this

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gathering place where you meet collaborators that you’re going to be working with.”

“The two of us are part of this broader independent film community because of the role that Sundance played in our own lives,” says Hernandez. Within that community he includes industry folks and audiences, particularly locals, who have shown “tremendous enthusiasm for coming back together,” he says. They saw this last year as well, when nearly 87,000 people physically attended the festival. Participants redeemed 138,000 tickets and contributed $118.3 million to Utah’s gross domestic product, according to an economic impact study on the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. “There’s something unique and special about every year coming back to that community,” says Hernandez.

And the community is growing. With the accessibility of digital, festival films screenings received more than 285,000 views online.

PHOTO CREDIT SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

SUNDANCE 2024 AT A GLANCE

JOANA VICENTE SUNDANCE INSTITUTE CEO

EUGENE HERNANDEZ SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL DIRECTOR

PHOTO CREDIT (LEF T) ANJELICA JARDIE, (RIGHT) HENNY GARFUNKEL

The Sundance audience attends a festival event at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. To Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO, the Sundance audience makes it the best festival to make a first impression, as it is both an industry festival and a public-facing one. “There’s a chemistry that happens when you have people who are not in the industry watching films,” says Vicente, which sparks robust Q&A’s with filmmakers.

THE NEXT SUNDANCE So what will Sundance look like with a longtime participant and professional, like Hernandez, as director? His focus is on connection, specifically connecting to art and to others through art. Forty years in, Hernandez attributes the festival’s longstanding cultural relevance to its support of independent artists. “Sundance plays such a vital part in starting the year with a new class of filmmakers, and that first impression is so essential,” says Hernandez.

So the question becomes, “How do we assure that each film and filmmaker and the teams that come to Utah as part of that experience have the best shot at introducing themselves

and their work to our various audiences?”

To that end, the 2024 Sundance Film Festival will carry forward some of the aspects of the 2023 festival—such as the hybrid model, with films available to screen in-person and online—while trying to infuse the event with more meaning and connection by emphasizing the in-person experience. To make those first impressions as special as possible, film premieres will only be screened in-person and competition films will be screened online only during the second half of the festival.

With this new model, the hope, in part, is to make the in-person portion of the festival—well—festive. Like with all anniversaries, expect celebration. Reflecting

on 40 years, Sundance plans to honor the past by celebrating the future. “Celebrating the future is about continuing to be curious and to curate and bring the most exciting voices, stories and people who are the future of independent storytelling,” says Hernandez. The festival is also celebrating its legacy of discovering new talent. This year’s Opening Night Gala will celebrate a director who got his start at Sundance with the film Memento, Christopher Nolan.

“It really is unique among other festivals to have that focus on spotlighting and showcasing what’s new while also celebrating that alongside some of the familiar faces,” says Hernandez. “That’s really the work...to continue bringing people together.”

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Adventures t r ave l / o u t d o o r s / w e llb e in g

Adventure Down South in Bryce Canyon

p. 31

Outdoor Pursuits: Ski Run Bucket List

p. 35

Winter Fitness: Sledding

p. 38

Bryce Canyon National Park

PHOTO ADOBE STOCK

Destination Red, White and Blue (Skies) Get away from the Northern Wasatch ski resort shuffle. Head south to the Bryce Canyon area for solitude, red rocks, snow and cerulean blue skies.

U

N D O U B T E D LY, T H E A L P I N E S K I I N G

opportunities within 30 minutes of Salt Lake rank evenly with the best winter resorts in the world.

And I, like hundreds of thousands of Wasatch Front residents, try to soak up as much resort skiing as I can during Utah’s short but sweet ski season. That said, for one winter weekend, I hang up my alpine skis, load my snowshoes and crosscountry skis into the car and beat it to Bryce Canyon National Park. There, among red rock spires, campy small towns, scenic trails and glorious cross-country ski tracks, I treat myself to a much-needed, nature-infused recharge.

BY MELISSA FIELDS

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WINTER FESTIVAL

Bryce Canyon National Park Rangers lead guided snowshoe excursions along the rim of Bryce Canyon.

Snow play in the high desert takes center stage during Ruby’s Inn’s annual Bryce Canyon Winter Festival (February 17-19, 2024). This family-friendly event includes cross-country ski and iceskating instruction, wildlife track clinics, watercolor painting, yoga classes and much more—most of which are free. Events are held at Ruby’s Inn and in Bryce Canyon National Park. rubysinn.com

Lodging rates in the Bryce Canyon area are a steal in winter. Ruby’s Inn, located in Bryce Canyon City, offers clean, pleasant and dog-friendly hotel rooms with lots of on-site amenities. In nearby Tropic, Bryce Canyon Pines features standard hotel rooms and a three-bedroom family suite with a full kitchen. Or rent a home through Vrbo or AirBnB (like this cute two-bedroom house 12 miles from BCNP in Cannonville at vrbo.com/719925). rubysinn.com, bcpines.com

2. Glide

Ruby’s Inn sets more than 30 kilometers of cross-country skiing track for both classic and skate skiing throughout the Ponderosa Pine-fi lled forest directly next to the hotel. Admission to the track is free for both hotel guests and those staying elsewhere. Ruby’s Inn also maintains an ice ribbon next to its Winter Activity Center (Ebenezer’s Bar & Grill building). The cost to skate is just $7 and includes ice skate rental.

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3. Hike

Thanks to its 8,000-feet-above-sea-level elevation, the contrast of snow-flocked red rock against blue skies is both a sight to behold and common in the winter months at Bryce Canyon National Park.

For an up-close view of Bryce’s snowfrosted spires or “hoodoos,” take a walk on the Queen’s Garden/Navajo Combination Loop, a 2.3-mile, moderate trail descending and ascending the canyon between Sunset and Sunrise points. Before you go, check in at the park Visitor Center for the latest trail conditions and info on ranger-led snowshoe hikes.

If you’re looking for more than the ample elbow room offered at Bryce Canyon, head 10 miles southeast to Red Canyon, known as “Little Bryce,” for its red rock hoodoos and pink sand. The Red Canyon Visitor Center is closed in the winter, but current hiking, mountain biking and OHV trail information is posted on a kiosk at the mouth of the canyon. Drive 10 miles farther along Scenic Byway 12 through Tropic to Kodachrome State Park. There are five hiking trails that wind among surreal sandstone spires, called sedimentary pipes.

Pro tip: Dress in layers as temperatures vary widely between the sun and shade in the desert, especially in the winter.

Snow-covered trails throughout the park are invariably slick making micro-spikes and hiking poles/walking sticks musts.

(Both can be rented at Ruby’s Inn.) nps. gov/brca, stateparks.utah.gov

4. Eat & Drink

Dining in this corner of Utah is limited, especially in the winter. The Cowboy’s Buffet & Steak Room at Ruby’s Inn is open year-round, but there’s often a wait.

The region’s only liquor store can be had at Ruby’s Inn as well. Other options include traditional barbecue from the soda fountain IDK Barbecue or hand-tossed pizza, salads, entrees, and beer from The Pizza Place at Bryce Canyon Inn—both in Tropic. Clark’s Country Market, on Main Street in Tropic, offers supermarket-level groceries. Pro tip: I often pre-make chili or curry to heat up in a crock pot in the hotel room while my friends and/or family and I ski or hike during the day.

Then we know we’ll have a hot meal at the end of a stellar day spent outdoors. brycecanyonpizza.com, idkbarbecue.com, clarkscountrymarket.com

PHOTOS COURTESY BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK (LEFT), ADOBE STOCK (RIGHT)

1. Stay

Bryce Canyon National Park has been officially designated a Dark Sky Park and the night sky is especially gorgeous in the winter.

PEERING INTO DARK SKIES

PHOTO ADOBE STOCK

Though the Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival is held annually in June, low moisture and long nights make winter an even better time to stargaze at BCNP. It is possible, in fact, to see more than 7,500 stars with the naked eye on a moonless winter night there.

Take advantage of regular ranger-led stargazing talks and clinics held as part of one of the oldest national park astronomy programs in the country.

Both BCNP and Kodachrome Basin State Park have been named Dark Sky Parks by the International Dark Sky Association.

Pro tip: If you plan to walk around at night, consider bringing along a headlamp with a red light setting, like Petzl’s Tikka, which allows you to see details in the dark without impairing anyone’s night vision. nps.gov/brca

Petzl Tikka Headlamp, $34.95, available at rei.com

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Photo courtesy: HOK Architects

WHAT’S NEXT AT YOUR NEW MORE ADDITIONS ARRIVING 2024 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.

Now that Phase 2 is completed, you’ll find 22 additional gates and 19 new shops and restaurants, including more local favorites, ready for you to enjoy.

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.

22 ADDITIONAL GATES

19 NEW SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS

CENTRAL TUNNEL TO CONCOURSE B

MORE FLIGHTS TO MORE DESTINATIONS

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

NOW OPEN: NEW GATES ON CONCOURSE A-EAST

TED’S ROCK

Beaver Mountain Ski Resort

For longtime Beaver Mountain devotees, the area accessed by Marge’s Triple Lift is still “that new part” despite the fact that the “new” lift has been spinning since 2003. That’s the way it is up on Beaver Mountain; things don’t change (even when they do). And that’s what’s truly great about Beaver, it’s its own world where powder, untrammeled by crowds, lasts for days. There’s no better example of this than Ted’s Rock, a fast shot off of Marge’s Triple that is plenty of fun on a groomer day and otherworldly on a powder day. This mildly pitched intermediate run is the perfect trail for newcomers to powder skiing learning to get in the back seat and float.

PHOTO BY CHRIS PE ARSON/SKIUTAH

Ski Utah athletes Sammy Elam and Chelsea Gallant cruise Ted’s Rock at Beaver Mountain on a sunny powder day following two days of storms.

The Stuff of Legend

Challenge yourself on 5 of Utah’s most iconic ski runs

BY JEREMY PUGH

E

V E R Y R E S O R T I N U TA H H A S T H AT O N E R U N . It’s the name on the trail map that makes you wonder, “Can I?” Everyone knows someone who has tackled these runs and told the tale. But the truth is, skiing and snowboarding, for all the camaraderie on the lift, are individual sports. Once you drop in, you are on your own and no matter your level of competence, there is a personal relationship with each run you attempt, because, well no one else can ski for you. It’s up to you to know your limits and push them. These five iconic runs symbolize the aspiration behind the sport. They are the high bars that draw us to the mountain to ask, “Can I?” They respond with, “Well, can you?” This season only you can answer the question.

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OUTDOORS

The Cirque at Snowbird is one of the most sought-after and well-known sections of powder at Snowbird.

THE CIRQUE TO

Snowbird On the first tram of the day at Snowbird, the conversation is all about The Cirque— five black- to double-black-diamond runs accessed from the Cirque Traverse below the tram station on Hidden Peak. Why all the fuss? Well, for starters, you can see the Cirque from the Tram and appraise its potential. Tram riders, especially those lucky enough to be aboard the first tram of the day, crowd the window as they cross into Peruvian Gulch, like kids looking at puppies in a pet store. It’s a wide bowl that drops into Peruvian, with multiple entry points that often offer the best powder shots of the day, if you can get there first, that is. Because of its visibility, it is also among the first tracked-out sections at the ’Bird, where the early bird gets the powder.

The Ski Utah Dawn Patrol rides the powder on Baldy Shoulder.

2 3

BALDY SHOULDER Alta Ski Area

Alta skiers know that at this resort you have to earn your turns.

The best runs are accessed by traverses into the wide open bowls, that are deliberately left untrammeled by the grooming crew.

Baldy Shoulder, accessed by the Shoulder Traverse from the top of Collins Lift, below Alta’s highest peak, Mt. Baldy. The traverse cruises above the intermediate run, Ballroom, in case you chicken out and concludes with a boot pack up to the ridgeline where you’ll steel yourself for the drop into Baldy Shoulder, less of a run and more of an exercise improvisation.

If You Dare…

While you’re collecting yourself to drop in, to Baldy Shoulder, it may occur to you that it is also possible to scale the heights of Mt. Baldy above. It’s occurred to many but is dared by the few. This is one of the toughest runs at Alta and thus one of the toughest runs in North America. Moreover, to access Baldy Chutes you’ll take the longest boot pack at Alta (from the top of Sugar Loaf Lift) via the EBT cat track, past the Snowbird gate, and, well, straight up the mountain to the peak. Baldy Chutes, you might want to know, is a wild series of five black diamond chutes at a white-knuckle 40-degree pitch that drops you into Ballroom.

Buckle up!

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PHOTOS BY CHRIS PE ARSON/SKIUTAH

BALDY CHUTES

Search for leftover powder stashes at Brighton Resort with the Ski Utah athlete team.

MILLY’S BOWL

Brighton Resort

This famous bowl is part of Brighton’s famous “sidecountry,” meaning out-of-bounds backcountry areas that can be accessed by lift, in this case, Milly’s Lift. To drop in, hike up the shoulder and don’t be lulled into complacency by the lift access. Once you exit the resort through the Brighton Gate, you are on your own. Brighton patrol will close the shoulder hike and the gate during high-risk avalanche conditions but otherwise know that you are not in Kansas anymore.

STEIN’S WAY

Deer Valley Ski Resort

4 5

On a sunny day at Deer Valley, the iconic run, Stein’s Way, is one you’ll want to lap over and over with for its speed and spectacular views.

PHOTOS BY CHRIS PE ARSON/SKIUTAH

Named after the man who brought skiing into the imagination of America, Stein Ericksen, there is no more quintessential Deer Valley run than Stein’s Way. A steeply pitched groomer from the top of Bald Mountain, this run is a leg burner that will test your ability to “ski like Stein.” But the big appeal of this iconic run is the view from atop Bald Mountain, which stretches out across the Heber Valley and remains in your sight with every turn on the ridge before you pass into the trees. Do it again via the Sultan Express lift.

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OUTDOORS

Photo Byline_Black Photo Byline_Black Photo Byline_Black Photo Byline_Black Photo Byline_White Photo Byline_White Photo Byline_White Photo Byline_White

It’s Not Just For Kids

Why and how sledding should play into your winter fitness routine

M

OST OF MY SLEDDING MEMORIES were formed on the hilly golf course next to my childhood home in Northern Michigan. But after I moved to Utah in my mid-twenties and had kids in my mid-thirties, I found that my hometown sledding terrain pales compared to the sledding opportunities to be had here. Sledding was a part of most winter weekends when my kids were young; a practice that waned as they entered high school. Recently, however, I’ve realized that whooshing down a snowy slope on a plastic sled is not only fun but a fabulous complement to all the other winter sports I like to do, too.

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The leg muscles we use to propel ourselves up to the top of the sledding hill—gluteus maximus and quadriceps—are also the prime movers for skiing and snowboarding. But that’s not all that gets worked on a sledding hill climb, so says Michael Krushinsky, owner and head coach at Wasatch Fitness Academy (wasatchfitnessacadamy.com). “Additionally and at least as valuable, is how it works your body’s responsiveness to changing terrain,” he says, “Slight undulations in the ground, slipping a bit in the snow and slogging through untracked snow, all ask the body to instantly use stabilizing muscles to support the hips, knees and ankles in ways that are beyond the demand of walking

PHOTO ADOBE STOCK

BY MELISSA FIELDS

PHOTO MELISSA FIELDS, SCHEELS.COM, ACEHARDWE AR.COM, LLBE AN.COM

uphill on pavement.” Pulling weight behind you, like a young child in a sled, for example, gets your torso, abs and back muscles in on the action, Krushinsky added.

Along with the physical benefits, I’d argue that adult sledding offers a pretty unique mental health boost. Last winter I began joining my neighbor in her before-work sledding sessions, and I found that on the days I sledded, I felt a bit lighter, more settled and generally happier for the remainder of the day.

The fresh air and exercise were probably part of the equation, but I also attribute the bump to laughter.

Something about flailing uncontrollably down a hillside, trying to avoid trees and other obstacles with snow flying on my face, strikes me as hilarious. Turns out my post-bellylaugh good vibes are not all in my head. According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter enhances oxygen intake, activates and relieves the stress response and soothes tension, leaving the laughter with a greater sense of wellbeing that can last for hours.

SLEDS THAT SHRED

Zipfy Mini Luge Sled, $54.99, Scheels. This sleek, compact luge-style snowslider is easy to carry uphill and provides a fun, core-challenging ride on the way down. Recommended for tighter, already broken-in sledding zones.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Author Melissa Fields, her sweet pooch Bell (seen here photo bombing), Christine Mikell, Jen Mijangos and Kelly Bollow.

Adult Sledding Hills

As you may have gathered, the physical and mental benefits of adult sledding are mostly about hiking uphill and then using a sled to avoid the knee-wearing walk back down. While sledding hills like Sugar House Park, Donut Falls in Big Cottonwood Canyon, Flat Iron Mesa Park in Sandy and Mountain Dell Golf Course in Parley’s Canyon are home to some of the area’s most popular sledding venues, they are not as ideal for adult

sledding. Neff ’s Canyon, Millcreek Canyon, Park City’s Round Valley and City Creek Canyon (closed most weekdays until 2027) provide a steady, longish and not-too-steep but still heart-pumping uphill hike followed by an easily navigable descent.

Just remember to keep an eye out for other trail users, like hikers and skiers, on your downhill runs and prepare to yield (basically, wreck) to make way for uphill traffic. Happy sledding!

Flexible Flyer 48-inch Snow Boat, $28.99, Ace Hardware. This classic sled has a grooved undercarriage for better steering, a cushioned seat to help absorb the bumps and is extra wide to allow for a small passenger.

L.L. Bean Polar Slider DLX Sled, $69.

This high-quality plastic sled is an upgrade that is fast and light but still steerable. It comes with a durable nylon webbing tow rope, ideal for hauling a small child back up the hill.

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PROMOTION

Philanthropy THE 2024 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 AUSTIN FACER

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

ADIB’S RUG GALLERY ♥ FIRST STEP HOUSE ♥ MAKE-A-WISH UTAH ♥ RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES

PROMOTION

EMBARKING ON A JOURNEY THROUGH LIVES: ADIB’S RUG GALLERY At the historic Villa Theatre on Highland Drive, you’ll fi nd Adib’s Rug Gallery, a treasure trove of exquisite and eclectic rugs. But this story isn’t just about rugs; it’s about the incredible man behind it all—Dr. Hamid Adib.

Dr. Adib’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary. He immigrated to the U.S., earned Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees at UC Berkeley and San Jose State, and later a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Utah. His professional career soared to remarkable heights. Yet, today, he’s on a new quest to uplift and support those in need. His inspiration? His parents, who planted the seeds of compassion in him during his upbringing.

“My parents’ philosophy was to immerse ourselves in the lives of others and strive to make a positive impact in their world,” Dr. Adib says.

Dr. Adib’s daily agenda is now a whirlwind of philanthropic endeavors. Name a charitable organization in the Salt Lake Valley, and there’s a good chance that he and his dedicated team are actively involved. Dr. Adib believes that by uplifting individuals, he can trigger a ripple effect that benefits the entire community. Adib’s Rug Gallery has long been a dedicated supporter of numerous charitable organizations in the Salt Lake area.

But Dr. Adib’s reach extends well beyond Utah’s borders.

Having fi rsthand knowledge of the challenges faced by families around the world, he regularly embarks on humanitarian journeys. One of his most significant involvements is with the Heal Child Skin Disease Foundation, a cause dedicated to sponsoring medical treatments for children suffering from severe and agonizing skin conditions, including Epidermolysis Bullosa, which ranks as one of the most excruciating conditions a person can endure.

So he works tirelessly. Dr. Adib often dedicates entire nights to projects aimed at improving the lives of others. He’s found joy in creating vibrant and imaginative paintings in his home, which he sells privately, donating every penny to the Heal CSD foundation and some other charitable organizations.

Thanks to Dr. Adib’s efforts and the generosity of kind art lovers, the foundation has been able to establish means for two clinics in Iran.

Dr. Adib refers to his endeavors as “the sweetest pain.” To this remarkable rug gallery owner, who claims to have everything he could desire in life, this mission has become his life’s purpose.

“I always strive to leave a positive and indelible mark in people’s hearts,” Dr. Adib declares with determination. “I aspire, at the end of my journey on this planet, to possess a notebook filled with those indelible footprints, each representing a meaningful connection. I hope this notebook serves as a testament to who I was and the positive difference I’ve made while I passed through.”

PHOTO ADAM FINKLE

Dr. Hamid Adib

OWNER | ADIB’S RUG GALLERY

3092 S. HIGHLAND DR., SALT LAKE CITY (801) 484-6364 • ADIBS.COM

PROMOTION

First Step House

SHAWN MCMILLEN | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 440 S. 500 EAST, SALT LAKE CITY (801) 359-8862 • FIRSTSTEPHOUSE.ORG

SERVING THE WHOLE PERSON: FIRST STEP HOUSE You might have heard a little bit about First Step House, the treatment provider for those experiencing homelessness or battling addiction. But what exactly does the nonprofit do?

A bit of everything, First Step House’s Development Director Mary T. Calhoon, explains.

“We have a continuum of treatment, housing, and built-in supportive services to help men and women who are experiencing some of the most significant struggles a person can have,” Calhoon said.

First Step House was founded in 1958 to provide shelter and rehabilitation to Utahns struggling with addiction. Since then, First Step House has helped many thousands of people in the Salt Lake Valley build lives of meaning, purpose, and recovery. The nonprofit has steadily evolved to meet the changing needs of the community, fulfilling a commitment to serve those who would otherwise get left behind.

One of the biggest life-saving services offered by First Step House is safe and supportive housing.

All of us have felt the pressure of rising housing and living costs over the past decade. For some Utahns without a safety net, rising costs have led to disastrous outcomes: loss of housing, and a spiral into homelessness that is difficult to climb out of. With a growing portfolio of deeply affordable housing, First Step House seeks to interrupt that cycle.

Housing needs look different for First Step House clients at different stages of rehabilitation and recovery. Many come to treatment directly from incarceration or an untenable living situation, like couch-surfi ng; when they graduate, they may need to stay in a sober residence for a few months while attending outpatient treatment. They’ll work with a case manager and participate in an

employment program as they prepare to move into housing on their own. Others, with diagnoses of serious mental illness or experiences of chronic homelessness, may need a supportive housing arrangement that’s permanent.

In 2019, First Step House opened Central City Apartments downtown, creating 75 supportive apartments—permanent homes—for people with long histories of being homeless. The following year, they opened 40 more apartments next door at Medina Place. In 2024, the freshly renovated Stratford Apartments will add another 46 units – and more buildings are already in development. Th is pivot to housing was a natural step for the nonprofit, explained Executive Director Shawn McMillen.

“We had decades of experience as a behavioral healthcare provider. We had developed a whole suite of wraparound services: case management, employment, medical care, and long-term recovery support. It made sense to build housing that incorporates treatment and services,” McMillen said.

Th is housing helps meet a crucial need in our region, where chronic homelessness has risen sharply in recent years.

First Step House aims to treat the whole person, taking an individualized approach to address barriers in all areas of life: from health to relationships to fi nances.

“Our goal is to work alongside our clients as they build a more stable foundation, so they can recover and thrive,” Calhoon said.

“We see them overcome obstacles, persist in recovery, and rebuild their lives and their families. Our clients amaze us.”

THIS FEBRUARY,

Join First Step House in celebrating a Month of Valor, a special campaign to end veteran homelessness. First Step House operates the only transitional housing in Salt Lake County for veterans experiencing homelessness. It’s called Valor House, and you’ll find it on the VA Medical Campus. Learn more and get involved with Valor Month at firststephouse.org/donate.

PROMOTION

771 E. WINCHESTIER ST., MURRAY (801) 262-9474 • WISH.ORG/UTAH MAKE-A-WISH UTAH: CREATING BETTER HEALTH OUTCOMES We’ve all seen the clips that go viral on social media. Make-A-Wish Utah moments can be powerful to watch and witness. But wishes can be even more impactful than just stirring up emotion for those who see a bit of magic come to life. The wishes granted by Make-A-Wish Utah can be just what the doctor ordered—literally.

WHAT IS MAKE-A-WISH UTAH? Make-A-Wish Utah creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.

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

Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight a critical illness.

Th is may improve their quality of life and produce better health outcomes. The impact of a wish far exceeds any one day and can often create benefits that last a lifetime. Th is impact was evident when teen Laycee received her wish to have her own horse earlier this year.

17-year-old Laycee was born with a congenital heart defect that has created significant challenges in her day-to-day life. She underwent four open-heart surgeries by the time she was five years old and has spent every night of her life on oxygen. Her condition has created many challenges to her health and makes it difficult for her to keep up with her peers as she tires easily. However, Laycee has always indulged in a deep love for horses, and when she learned she could have a wish granted, her decision to have her own horse sparked a turning point in her life. After months of searching for the perfect companion and with invaluable help from community partners, Make-A-Wish Utah presented Laycee with her new horse. Th rough tears of gratitude, she announced her name would be Willow.

CREATING A LASTING IMPACT Willow has been a priceless aid to Laycee, providing inspiration and encouragement in trying times. Laycee has undergone two surgeries since her wish for Willow was granted, and during recovery for each Laycee focused her thoughts on riding Willow again and looking forward to spending time with her best friend.

“Willow has motivated Laycee to get through the hard times and never give up,” Laycee’s mother explained. “Laycee has always said that horses are her wings. They allow her to run and play and do things that other kids can do. Horses are her way out of her disability.”

When a wish is granted, a child replaces fear with confidence, sadness with joy, and anxiety with hope. Willow has given Laycee the strength she needs to continue battling her critical illness and has unlocked many of the limitations that Laycee’s condition has put on her body.

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. Make-A-Wish Utah has many creative avenues to raise funds, find out how at wish.org/utah or make a direct contribution now with the QR code on this page.

PROMOTION

Carrie Romano

CEO | RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES 935 E. SOUTH TEMPLE, SALT LAKE CITY (801) 363-4663 • RMHCSLC.ORG

PHOTO ADAM FINKLE

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED AT THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE The Ronald McDonald House has long been a mainstay of local support from its location on South Temple. As Carrie Romano, CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Intermountain Area, explains, the organization prides itself on making life easier for those in the middle of a difficult challenge.

“Our goal is to support caregivers like mom and dad so that they can actively participate in the healing and medical care of their child,” Romano says. “Here, they don’t have to worry about where they’re going to sleep or how they’re going to eat. They can actively participate in the healing of their child.”

At the Ronald McDonald House, families of children receiving attention at one of Salt Lake’s top-notch pediatric care facilities have it all taken care of for them.

They have a place to stay, food to eat, and room to relax when needed. It makes a huge difference to a family needing to give greater attention to their infi rm child.

But while those families will have everything they need, the Ronald McDonald House itself has a big need of its own: volunteers. Supporting more than 10,000 patient families a year requires a lot of manpower. Romano explains that having a robust volunteer force can make things even easier for families who could use a helping hand.

“Our mission is fueled by the community,” Romano says. “Anybody can go onto our website, RonaldMcDonaldHouseUtah.org, and check out our get involved tab to look at our adopted meal calendars. We also have volunteers and some of our biggest donors come in to answer the phone at the front desk or drive the shuttle. They love doing that.”

Unfortunately, ever since the pandemic threw the volunteer program for a loop, Romano has seen a real shortage of folks giving of themselves at the Ronald McDonald House in Salt Lake City. There is an urgent need for volunteers looking to support the staff on site.

“We have a staff of approximately 50 employees and a 24-hour-a-day schedule. We simply cannot carry out our mission without strong volunteer support at every level,” Romano says.

“Here, the volunteers don’t just do the fluff y work, we have volunteers that do the truly meaningful work. We need them and welcome them.”

And, as we enter the new year, now is the perfect time to volunteer.

The warm and fuzzy feeling of giving makes it all worth it. Romano has seen many volunteers over the years feel overwhelmed with the satisfaction of having helped a family in need.

“When people volunteer for us, they tend to have the most extraordinary experience, because it’s so direct they get such a clear sense of what their service means for people and the kind of hardships people are going through when they’re staying with us,” Romano says. “It’s an incredible feeling.”

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dust of snow drifts down from the churning grey-andwhite sky. I begin the ascent to Cassidy Arch, clambering up the switch-backed trail out of Capitol Reef’s Grand Wash. I’m rewarded with the grand view of sandstone and snow all to myself.

Snow-filled tracks on the trail are evidence that other hardy souls are somewhere ahead, but for now, it’s just me on a trail of quiet and solitude. The slick rock is appropriately slick under the new snow, making my hike across the red-rock plateau above Cassidy Arch less hike, more scramble, but the slipping and sliding lend a comical exuberance to my exertions, which are blessedly unobserved—like a clown falling in the woods with no one else to see.

This is day four of a seven-day wintertime road trip through Utah’s five national parks and on every excursion, in every park, I am essentially by myself, only occasionally passing others on the trail, mostly foreign travelers who were somehow whispered the secret: Southern Utah’s mild winters make it the perfect time to tour the Mighty Five— Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks.

The global popularity of these parks has created a dependable summertime mob. At least once a summer, Arches National Park makes the news as crowds clamoring to get a glimpse of Delicate Arch shut down Utah Highway 191, just outside park gates near Moab. Even on the least busy warm-season days, the lines of cars cruising popular sections of each park fulfi ll Edward Abbey’s 1960s prescient lines from Desert Solitaire predicting the “serpentine streams of baroque automobiles pouring in and out, all through spring and summer, in numbers that would have seemed fantastic when I worked there…the ‘visitation,’ as they call it, mounts ever upward.”

Is this the great outdoors? Or a parking lot? Plus, it’s hot in all but the highest elevations, with temperatures hovering around 100 degrees for most of the summer season. But in February? The parks are yours. Open roads and open trails, comfortably cool daytime temperatures and blessed quiet offer a rare solitary view of the overly viewed vistas. Of course, there are some hurdles to wintertime adventures, like weather. Yes. I encountered rain and snow in all the parks, but apart from one blizzard in Bryce Canyon (the highest-elevation park at 8,000 to 9,000 feet on the rim), it was manageable with sensible clothing layers and an adventurous heart. Meanwhile, the moody weather’s layers of cloud, snow and sky invited rare reflection. The second obstacle to traveling in Southern Utah is a dearth of lodging and restaurants, a downside to solitude. But amid seasonal closures, I found a pleasant selection of year-round places to stay in each of the communities near the park areas and some surprisingly good eats along the way.

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WANT FIVE NATIONAL PARKS ALL TO YOURSELF?

BY JEREMY PUGH

PHOTO CREDIT ADOBE STOCK PHOTO CREDIT TK

I

T ’ S 5 0 D E G R E E S at the end of February and a light

PHOTO CREDIT TK

in the winter

J ANUAR Y /F EB R UAR Y 2024 | SALTLAKEMAGAZINE.COM

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THE BIG HIKE Fairyland Loop Distance: 8 miles This hike down into Bryce Canyon offers the park’s most spectacular display of its hoodoos. It’s also a good workout.

You’ll hike down and back out of the canyon through the magical Fairyland, a maze-like trail at the base of the towering hoodoos. Tip: Do this loop clockwise, and get the leastcharming canyon rim section out of the way first instead of at the end of the long hike.

OFF-SEASON EATS Foster’s Family Steak House

national park

Home to some of the most stunning vistas in the national park system, Bryce is known for its abundant hoodoos. Rising out of the canyon floor like stalagmites, some are diminutive while others reach as high as 10-story buildings. The optimistically named Bryce Canyon City borders the park boundary. It is home to Ruby’s Inn, founded by Reuben C. Syrett, an intrepid pioneer who settled in the area in 1916 to ranch. When the park (first a national monument) was founded in the ’20s, Reuben, or Ruby, was poised to capitalize on the influx of visitors that continues to grow each year.

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OFF-SEASON STAY Ruby’s Inn Ruby’s Inn is pretty much all you’ve got for lodging—even the park’s rustic lodge is closed. The hotelier has two lodges on either side of the main drag and is home to one of the only liquor stores in the area. The rooms are clean and situated nicely at the edge of the park boundary. It owns much of the land adjacent to the park and offers a slew of wintertime activities on its property. 26 S. Main Street, Bryce Canyon, rubysinn.com, 435-834-5341

PHOTO CREDIT HANS ISSACSON

BRYCE CANYON

This wooden-walled diner is one of the few year-round dining spots outside of the Ruby’s Inn enclave and it’s worth the short drive. Outside the kale-and-quinoa zone, expect the wilted salad bar (with “both” kinds of dressing, ranch and Thousand Island). But it’s hearty meat-and-potatoes fare, with simply prepared steaks and meatloaf and pies baked each day. 1150 Highway 12, Bryce City, fostersmotel.com, 435-834-5227

THE BIG HIKES

1

Angel’s Landing Distance: 5.4 miles

This is a pre-lawyer hiking trail. It’s a butt-kicking climb to the very top of Zion Canyon, famously completed by a “chain route”—where the vertiginously narrow trail offers chain handholds as you crawl up tummy-turning sections with sheer drop-offs. Yes, people have fallen. No, they did not survive. Yet the trail remains open, perhaps because the payoff is so spectacular—a perch on Angel’s Landing with stunning views in every direction and a sense of fear-facing accomplishment. Do not do this hike in less-than clement weather.

2

The Narrows—Distance: 9.4 miles

The Narrows is a scramble up the Virgin River. You splash over and around river-rock bowling balls as towering rock walls close together as you ascend the canyon. In the summertime, people tackle The Narrows in sandals and shorts, but in February you’ll need some gear. Rent a dry suit from Zion Outfitters (zionoutfitter. com). The thick, rubbery suits keep the water out and you warm and dry inside. And although you’ll look like you belong on a Star Trek landing party, you’ll feel invincible wading through the chest-deep water near the top. The kit also comes with extra-grip water shoes and a giant wooden pole that makes your scrambling easier. The hike terminates at the backcountry boundary (permit required). And although you’re not hiking uphill, all the wading and clambering is tiring, so remember you’ll have to return the way you came. Consider turning back before you’re all gassed out.

OFF-SEASON EATS Whiptail Grill

PHOTO CREDIT ADOBE STOCK

Whiptail Grill is a cute cantina in a converted gas station, serving creative takes on Mexican cuisine. 445 Zion Park Blvd., Springdale, whiptailgrillzion.com, 435-772-0283

OFF-SEASON STAY Cable Mountain Lodge Located right at the mouth of Zion Canyon, Cable Mountain Lodge is practically in the park. The lodge has standard hotel rooms as well as family-sized suites with kitchens and plenty of space. Bonus: The hot tub is open year-round. 147 Zion Park Blvd., Springdale, cablemountainlodge.com, 435-772-3366

ZION

national park

Overcrowding in peak season made Zion National Park the first in-Utah park to move to a mandatory shuttle system. But in February the roads are empty and its two most popular hikes, The Narrows and Angel’s Landing, are blissfully free of the human traffic jams and bottlenecks endemic to the summer season. Zion is Utah’s lowest park in both elevation and latitude, so its weather tends to be fair year-round. You can expect rain but rarely snow.

You’ll encounter cool temperatures, especially in sunless canyon bottoms like The Narrows. Springdale, located just below the park entrance, is for the most part open for business in the winter season, but restaurants and stores often limit their hours. The Cable Mountain Lodge has a helpful “what’s open” guide.

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CAPITOL REEF

national park

One of the most under-appreciated national parks, Capitol Reef should not be. So appreciate it already. Its winding canyons and Parisian boulevard-like washes offer stunning displays of the power of wind and water to shape the land.

The park was essentially empty last February and perhaps the best and loneliest of the parks in winter.

This hike will take you into the heart of the Reef, and along the way, you’ll get stunning views from both below and above the underrated Cassidy Arch (named after Butch Cassidy of “and the Sundance Kid” fame, who hid out in the area). The trail starts at the Grand Wash, a ramble up a wide avenue of the former riverbed. The Cassidy Arch trail starts at 3/4 of a mile in on the right and is a strenuous climb up to the top of the Waterpocket Fold. Once you’re up there, however, the going is pretty easy. Cassidy Arch is a spur off the main trail and worth the detour, but in snowy or wet weather, stay well away from the edge. You’ll follow the Frying Pan Trail out, through the goblin-filled Cohab Canyon. Unless you have two cars, you’ll need to ply your hitchhiking skills on Utah Highway 24 back to the Grand Wash trailhead, which in an empty park can take a while.

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OFF-SEASON EATS Red Cliffs Restaurant Pickings were slim last February as far as restaurants in Torrey go, but Red Cliffs Restaurant served up a decent take-out pizza during a winter storm that had pretty well shut the rest of town down. 56 E. Main St., Torrey, 435-425-3797

OFF-SEASON STAY Broken Spur Inn The Broken Spur is the only lodging open off-season in Torrey, just outside Capitol Reef. The homey, family-run establishment is the type of place that has Zane Grey books in the lobby and a hearty western breakfast included in the cowboy-comfortable dining room. 955 E. Utah Highway 24, Torrey, brokenspurinn.com, 435-425-3775

PHOTO CREDIT ADOBE STOCK

THE BIG HIKE The Frying Pan Trail Distance: 7 miles

THE BIG HIKE Murphy Loop (Island in the Sky District)—Distance: 10 miles From the rim, the trail seems to disappear right into the cliffside. The steep 1,400-foot descent is a real thrill— remember that secret trail Frodo and Sam climbed in Lord of the Rings’ Mordor? The precarious perch on the cliffside offers stunning vistas at every turn. At the bottom, you’ll hike through a sandy wash in a loop that returns you to the cliff base for a tough climb out.

national park

OFF-SEASON STAY Dead Horse Point The road into Canyonlands’ Island in the Sky District passes

by Dead Horse Point State Park, a worthy side trip in and of itself. Last year the state park installed three yurts on the edge of its famous overlook. The yurts are open year-round, with a toasty heater. The yurt deck is a prime seat for stunning sunsets and sunrises, and on a moonless night, you’ll lose count of stars and feel super insignificant under the twinkling blanket above. Reservations in the off-season are easy and can be made up to four months in advance at stateparks.utah.gov.

PHOTO CREDIT ADOBE STOCK

BY THE WAY: KANAB Kanab is a popular destination with a bus-touring set. Located in the center of the Grand Circle, a set of byways that includes stops at Bryce, Zion, Lake Powell and Arches and the Northern Rim of the Grand Canyon, Kanab is an excellent way station open in wintertime. Many Hollywood westerns were filmed in the area, including John Ford’s classic starring John Wayne, The Searchers. The town pays homage to that legacy with kitschy western gear shops and tourist traps complete with old movie sets.

CANYONLANDS Perhaps one of the park system’s most disjointed areas of majesty, Canyonlands is truly a puzzle. Divided by the rugged topography of the landscape into three districts—Needles, Island in the Sky and the honestly named Maze—the park befuddles. The Islands in the Sky area is the most easily accessible, while Needles and the rugged Maze offer more backcountry than many national parkgoers expect. Regardless of the district, every trek into Canyonlands is marked by a steep descent into and a rugged climb out of the deep canyons carved by the Colorado River and its tributaries.

OFF-SEASON EATS The Rocking V Cafe Kanab’s Center Street mainstay, the Rocking V. is a solid bet for a good meal and offers the gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options often missing on southern Utah menus.

97 W. Center St., Kanab, rockingvcafe.com, 435-644-8001

OFF-SEASON STAY Quail Park Lodge This classic mid-century motor lodge has been upgraded into a campy mid-century modern boutique hotel. The rooms are retro chic, with big comfy beds and well-appointed bathrooms. Free breakfast is across the street at The Victorian Inn, which features an equally hip lobby filled with the owner’s collection of Dale Chihuly’s sculptural glass works. 125 N. 300 West, Kanab, quailparklodge.com, 435-215-1447 J ANUAR Y /F EB R UAR Y 2024 | SALTLAKEMAGAZINE.COM

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THE BIG HIKE Double O Arch (via the Devil’s Garden Primitive Loop) Distance: 7.2 miles If you’ve bagged Delicate Arch, head to the back of the park and take the trip to Double O Arch. Along the way, you’ll see other marquee arches like Landscape, as well as the ominous Dark Angel tower. The hike will have you scrambling over slick rock fins back to the trail’s namesake arch. Instead of heading back the way you came, take the primitive loop back to the parking area. The trail marches you through Devil’s Garden, over even more slick rock obstacles and again with the stunning scenery.

OFF-SEASON EATS Moab’s Winter Offerings

national park

The most popular park in Utah lives up to its name, with a vast array of mind-boggling sandstone arches around every corner. The park is packed in summertime, mainly because of the easy hike to its show pony: Delicate Arch. But like every park in winter, it’s blissfully deserted come February.

The park is near Moab, which provides an excellent base of operations for exploring Southeastern Utah.

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OFF-SEASON STAY Fairfield Inn The Fairfield Inn on the edge of Moab is a clean, breakfastincluded base with comfortable, business-class rooms.

Predictable and easy, it was ideal after seven days on the road.

1863 N. Highway 191 Moab, marriott.com, 435-259-5350

PHOTO CREDIT VENTI VIE WS

ARCHES

More than most park-adjacent towns in Southern Utah, Moab has more year-round offerings for the winter traveler. Find unexpected Southeast Asian fare at Arches Thai (archesthai. com) or Bangkok House Too (bangkokhousetoo.com). For meat and potatoes (with a view) try Sunset Grill (moabsunsetgrill. com). Finally, one of Moab’s best restaurants isn’t anything fancy but the family-owned El Tapatio (tapatiorestaurants.com) offers warm, comforting Mexican fare, perfect for warming up after a day of winter hiking.

1

6

W

hile wintertime in Southern Utah is much, much tamer than you imagine weatherwise (you’re not summiting Everest, you’re going on well-traveled hikes in national parks) you’ll still need to deal with cooler and widely fluctuating temperatures as well as intermittent rain and snow.

The Boy Scouts have it right: Be prepared.

get the gear 3

1. HIKING BOOTS.

6. BASE LAYERS.

Your light trail hikers won’t cut it. You’ll want a breathable, waterproof boot with a sturdy, super-grippy Vibram sole.

Wicking fabrics are a must; they’ll keep the moisture away from your skin as you sweat. After you stop moving you’ll cool down quickly and want to keep yourself as dry as possible.

2. ICE CLEATS.

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These are basically “chains” for your boots that will help you on snowy trails and dangle nicely from your day pack if conditions are mellow.

3. TREKKING POLES. Clawing your way up snowy and, at times, icy trails and across wet slick rock (which unlike dry slick rock is genuinely slick) can be tricky.

Some nice sturdy, collapsible poles with a rubber tip will give you an extra place to put weight down while on slippery descents.

5

2

4 & 5. BREATHABLE, WATERPROOF JACKET AND RAIN PANTS. You’ll want a nice breathable outer layer for your top and bottom that will repel water and let your perspiration out when you’re climbing.

4

7. DAY PACK. You’ll need a waterproof (or at least resistant) pack with enough room to stash all your layers as conditions change. Size matters: Make sure you’ve got room for snacks, water, a beanie, gloves, an extra-mid layer and room to stash your outer layer if things heat up. Hiking in cold weather is about staying dry, so don’t be a hero. If you’re sweating a bunch, stop and peel a layer or two.

FINAL NOTE. NO SNOWSHOES. Too often touristas clomp around on packed-snow trails in snowshoes which are more of a hazard than a benefit. You will only need them if you are venturing well into the backcountry and off, off-trail in very snowy conditions.

Basically, if you don’t know how to use snowshoes you probably aren’t going to be in a situation where you’d have to know—make sense?

1. Kaha 2 GTX Hiking Boot - Men’s, $239.95, backcountry.com 2. YakTrax Summit Traction Device, $99.99, yaktrax.com 3. Kelty Scree Trekking Poles, $69.95, backcountry.com 4.

Backcountry Runoff 2.5L Rain Parka - Women’s, $129.35 - $199, backcountry.com 5. POC Motion Rain Pant - Men’s, $179.95, backcountry.com 6. Backcountry Spruces Mid-Weight Merino Women’s Baselayers, 1/4-Zip Printed Top, $79.80 - $114.00, Printed Bottom, $76.30 - $109.00, backcountry.com 7. REI Co-op Trail 25 Pack - Women’s, $79.95, rei.com

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Traffic is choking the Canyons.

UDOT answers with THE GONDOLA.

BY TONY GILL ILLUSTR ATION BY CHELSE A RUSHTON

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T

HE LEGEND LIVES SOMEWHERE IN THE PEAKS OF LITTLE COTTONWOOD CANYON. Dendrites of just such a density, perfectly

stratified, falling endlessly. The Land of “Gnarnia” blanketed with the Greatest Snow on Earth. If only you can get to it. The word is out. Denver is mercifully passé.

Everyone is chasing the legend, and therein lies the foundations of the problem. There may not be enough of it to go around.

Wintertime traffic in and out of Little Cottonwood Canyon has reached a breaking point. The Red Snake of Death appears on Utah Highway 210 in both directions, devouring unsuspecting skiers and snowboarders. It’s still not the four-hour slog on Interstate 70 on Colorado’s Front Range, but it’s gotten grim enough for both public and private enterprises to take notice.

The fix, we’ve been told, is an eight-mile gondola—which would be the world’s longest—running from Wasatch Boulevard to Snowbird and Alta. There are roughly two decades and a host of other changes coming between now and then, but the Gondola has become Salt Lake City’s very own Monorail. It has captivated the attention of the city, unleashed a torrent of emotion, and, frankly, sowed a wild amount of confusion.

HOW DID WE GET HERE? WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN? LET’S ASK THE PEOPLE INVOLVED.

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The winter of 2022-23 brought into acute focus the bottleneck in Little Cottonwood Canyon. The record snowfall and created historic avalanche conditions and led to repeated road closures that made traffic snarls a regular occurrence. It was a nadir for many powder hounds who found their ability to fit ski days into their everyday lives suddenly disrupted. The issue, however, had been on the minds of myriad officials for years.

In 2018 the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) began an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Little Cottonwood Canyon and Wasatch Boulevard to devise a future system that would improve transportation on Utah Highway 210. While the EIS may have been the State’s formal start in seeking a solution for canyon traffic, interested parties already had been circling the issue.

A full decade ago, in 2013, a collaborative group of state, county and city elected leaders, transportation wonks, ski resort general managers, local property owners and environmental groups began a

two-year process to develop a long-term sustainable solution for the Wasatch, culminating in the 2015 Mountain Accord Charter. The Accord’s recommendations were non-binding, but the extensive work involving often warring parties resulted in a meaningful set of goals to address the environment, transportation issues, recreation and the economy. The Accord offered a glimmer of optimism.

“Mountain Accord came up with a comprehensive solution that everybody agreed on—from the Governor to the legislature to conservation groups to the ski areas,” says Ralph Becker, the former Mayor of Salt Lake City who worked on Mountain Accord and later became the Executive Director of its successor, the Central Wasatch Commission (CWC).

Becker was not the only person who felt this way about the promise of The Accord.

“I believe in shared pain and shared gain,” says Carl Fisher, Executive Director of the environmental advocacy group Save Our Canyons (SOC). Fisher had a seat at the Mountain Accord table and still represents his group’s interests on the CWC Stakeholder Council. “SOC has our agenda, vision, feelings and ideas, but when partnering with people their problems are

Ralph Becker, the former Mayor of Salt Lake City and former Executive Director of The Central Wasatch Commission, has worked extensively on watershed and transportation issues in the Cottonwoods and says current planning “has lost the forest for the trees.”

ours and ours are theirs. That’s the only way things get done.”

However, as the process became more formalized, the issue’s focal point began wandering from where Mountain Accord and CWC had sought a solution.

Instead of a holistic review of the Wasatch Front and Back, the EIS as outlined in 2018 called for focus specifically on Little Cottonwood Canyon.

“The scope of UDOT and the state’s work narrowed the assessment,” says Becker. “I think the EIS process had a faulty goal. We lost the forest for a few trees.”

Fisher concurs. “The problem was redefined,” he says. “If the question becomes, there’s an issue four months a year at two ski resorts, then what’s the answer going to be? The collective failure of our leaders was in abandoning a genuine process to find a solution for the ski industry.”

Josh Van Jura, UDOT’s project manager for the Little Cottonwood Canyon EIS, says

WAIT. BACK UP. WHAT IS AN EIS PROCESS? In essence, the EIS is a federal process required by the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) and the guidelines of the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) executed with UDOT acting as the lead agent.

Funding comes from the Utah Legislature. No matter what UDOT ultimately recommended from the EIS process, nothing gets built without some combination of the legislature allocating bonds, digging one-time surplus funds or rounding up federal funds with a local match.

With the EIS focused primarily on Little Cottonwood, the goalposts moved, at least that’s what Fisher and Becker think, both of whom worked on Mountain Accord and with the CWC. But back in 2018, a gondola was little more than an aspirational marketing twinkle in the eyes of a few ski industry executives. Numerous transit options were on the table, including two enhanced bus options, two gondola options and a train. A sixth option, which involved doing nothing and maintaining the status quo was also on the table.

Through an endless string of meetings, public comment periods and engineering, environmental and cost analysis exercises, UDOT eventually issued its official Record of Decision on July 12, 2023, identifying “Gondola Alternative B” as their recommendation.

“It’s an amazing milestone to reach this point after five years of intense effort,” Van Jura says. “So many people worked extremely hard on this, and tens of thousands of members of the public provided their input. People care so deeply about these mountains, and that’s reflected in how involved everyone was.”

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PHOTO ADAM FINKLE

WHICH VISION OF THE FUTURE ARE WE FOLLOWING?

skier traffic became the focal point because of its impact on the Cottonwood Canyons.

“The vast majority of people going up the canyon in the winter are going to the resorts,” Van Jura says. “We know the number of parking stalls at the resorts in Little Cottonwood compared to the rest of the canyon is about nine to one, so we were looking for solutions to provide direct transit service to the resorts to alleviate traffic. If we can reduce the number of private vehicles on the road by 30%, it will provide much more reliable travel time for everyone in the canyon.”

WHAT ON EARTH IS ‘GONDOLA ALTERNATIVE B?’ The future is Gondola Alternative B. What does that mean? In very broad terms, Gondola Alternative B is a phased approach to implementing enhanced bussing—replete with mobility hubs at the bottom of the canyons—along with periodic tolling in Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons before ultimately constructing the world’s largest gondola from a base station at La Caille on Wasatch Boulevard with stops at Snowbird and Alta. The proposed plan will unfold in three phases.

• Phase 1: (Estimated start date: Fall 2025, funding secured) Improved and increased bus service with mobility hubs, resort bus stops, tolling and roadside parking restrictions.

• Phase 2: (Start date and funding TBD): Show sheds for avalanche protection in Little Cottonwood, Wasatch Boulevard widening and trailhead improvements.

PHOTO ADAM FINKLE

• Phase 3: (Start date and funding TBD): Gondola system with 35-person cabins arriving every two minutes, base station access roads and parking with 2,500 stalls and canyon bus service ending once the gondola is operational.

As of now, only Phase 1 is funded.

UDOT secured $211 million of the estimated $240 million it requires. The remaining two phases will require an additional $716.1 million in capital costs, totaling roughly $955.4 million for the entire project. Other total estimates are as high as $1.4 billion. Neither figure includes the estimated annual $21.7 million in gondola operating costs. When

major project budgets extend several decades out, rounding errors veer into the tens of millions. Hazarding a guess at the final bill is a fool’s errand.

The gondola isn’t expected to start until 2043 at the absolute earliest. Visitors to Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons won’t notice any changes until at least 2025.

“Starting bus service by 2025 is pretty optimistic,” Van Jura says. “There’s an 18–24 month delivery time for new buses, especially the specialized ones with lower gear ratios and automatic deployed chains needed in the canyons.”

Tolling won’t begin until the enhanced bus system—a Carl Fisher, Executive Director low-cost alternative for of Save Our Canyons, wonders, “If the question becomes, riders—is available. This is a there’s an issue four months NEPA requirement and a a year at two ski resorts, then moral imperative from an what’s the answer going to be?” environmental justice standpoint. Restricting access to public lands in the queasiness about utilizing vast sums of Wasatch by implementing economic public money to shuttle people primarily barriers is deeply problematic. Details are to two private resorts, among others. yet to be finalized, but UDOT estimates Van Jura says he personally read every tolling vehicles roughly 50 days a year in public comment but defends not the upper canyons during peak season quantifying their content and holidays.

“The comment period isn’t designed to So, expect mobility hubs, bus service and be a ballot referendum,” he says “We didn’t tolling restrictions in a couple of years. If count ‘yeas’ and ‘nays.’ It was designed to you eat well, watch your blood pressure and get feedback from the public, and in fact, exercise regularly, with a little luck you may much of what we decided ultimately came get to ride a gondola in 25 more. from public input.” He refers to both the phased implementation structure and the HOW INEVITABLE WAS overall layout with a revised starting point THE GONDOLA DECISION? for the Gondola Alternative B. The gondola, he insists, was identified as the Th is question is at the heart of antibest choice because of its reliability and its gondola ire. UDOT never released an limited environmental impact compared estimation of public approval for the to alternatives project. But a glance through public Still, some feel top-down influence comments showed plenty of opposition, precipitated momentum towards a gondola and others have undertaken the effort. despite the collaborative efforts of Salt Lake City resident Nick Firmani Mountain Accord/CWC and the tide of posted on Reddit, as reported by The Salt public opinion and believe UDOT put its Lake Tribune, an analysis showing 89% sizable thumb on the scale. of the roughly 13,000 comments “I wasn’t on the inside at the state level, obtained from the UDOT website were but I saw some things unfolding at the against the gondola. Reasons for beginning,” Becker says. “The gondola was opposition include environmental and a dream in the eye of Nate Rafferty at Ski watershed concerns, the visual impact of Utah and the ski area. Gondola Works 250-foot-tall gondola towers, and

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PHASE

1

“This is ultimately UDOT’s decision—not the WFRC’s,” Sobczak says. “We just play a required role in including the project in our 2023 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), as well as identifying funding resources for upcoming prioritized projects on the immediate horizon.”

WHO IS GOING TO OPERATE THIS? There’s a lot of infrastructure that needs to be built, operated and maintained, and many questions remain. Who is going to operate the buses?

Who is going to build and operate the gondola? Those remain open questions. UTA is the obvious choice for the buses, as the organization runs the ski buses currently in operation, but even that’s uncertain. UTA, after all, has a lot more on its plate than just getting skiers and snowboarders to the lifts.

“UTA may or may not be the actual provider of bus service for skiers. It depends on what UDOT decides,” says Christensen. “The reality is this concentration of ridership is a seasonal thing for us. UTA has no intention to walk away from ski service until there’s a good solution, but it isn’t what drives our long-term plans. If you provided this level of funding to our mid-range and longrange planners, there’d be a lot of

Increasing bus service scaled to meet demand Constructing resort bus stops and building a mobility hub at the Gravel Pit

$

Josh Van Jura is UDOT’s project manager for Little Cottonwood Canyon.

Tolling Implementing winter roadside parking restrictions.

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PHASE

2

Widening and other improvements to Wasatch Boulevard

excitement about what they could do to increase ridership throughout the state for people who rely on public transit to get to work and school.”

The gondola, meanwhile, would almost surely come from someone other than UTA. “UTA has never operated a gondola and we have no experience in that sort of planning,” Christensen adds.

SO, IS THIS ACTUALLY, DEFINITELY A GONDOLA PLAN? “I’m not sure they communicated the phases particularly well,” Christensen says. “Phase 1 and Phase 2 are mostly

PHASE

3

Constructing snow sheds

Construct base station with 2,500 parking spaces near the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon

Implementing trailhead parking improvement

Gondola infrastructure

PHOTO ADAM FINKLE

was formed and a six-figure PR campaign convinced some state leaders on how cool this would be and how much it would help the ski industry and the state economy. I don’t know how big a role it played, but I think it led to the gondola being given favorable treatment compared to some alternatives.”

“Pressure comes on UDOT from a handful of places. It’s an agency in the governor’s administration and their budget is set by the legislature, so they’re somewhat at the mercy of their bosses,” Fisher says.

“How is UDOT supposed to convene an open and transparent process? If they had, they would have listened to the public comments which were overwhelmingly against the gondola.”

The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) and the Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC), were intentionally agnostic to UDOT’s decision. Both organizations stressed their assistance on the project was to help UDOT simply by providing information and expertise. In fact, according to UTA Board of Trustees Chairman Carlton Christensen, UTA emphatically avoided taking sides.

“UDOT relied heavily on UTA for expertise and estimation of operational costs,” Christensen says. “I would say [UDOT] wanted us to take a stronger position on almost every front, but we felt as an organization it was not our place to take a formal position.”

And over at the WFRC, Communications Manager Mike Sobczak said in an email that his organization sat firmly on the fence.

A BIRD’S EYE VIEW

ALTA, MINERS DUMP, NEAR ALTA LODGE - 2ND STOP SNOWBIRD ENTRY 1, 1ST STOP

GRAVEL PIT MOBILITY HUB

WHITE PINE TRAILHEAD TANNERS FLAT TRAILHEAD LISA FALLS TRAILHEAD

BASE STATION PARKING STRUCTURE AT LA CAILLE

BRIDGE TRAILHEAD GATE BUTTRESS TRAILHEAD

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PHASE 2

PHOTO ADAM FINKLE

TOLLING STATION

about buses, and Phase 3 is the most expensive and controversial part. If enhanced busing works, it could save a lot of money. People don’t seem to understand that buses are stuck in the same traffic as private vehicles. Until controlled access is implemented with tolling and parking restrictions, I don’t think we’ll see the effectiveness enhanced bussing could have.”

UDOT’s Van Jura echoed this sentiment, indicating that, at least in the short term, this is a bus project. “All of our attention is devoted to Phase 1 at the moment. It’s the only thing we have funded right now,” he says.

Even Fisher finds some solace in the phased approach but worries little thought is being given to how the success or failure of early stages will impact the future.

“Many of us broadly support Phase 1 components, but the process has prevented us from finding broader solutions for the long run. We’re going to spend $240 million, but UDOT hasn’t demonstrated what success from that would even look like or how that could affect future decisions,” he says.

UDOT’s recommendation essentially kicks responsibility to the Utah Legislature.

For each upcoming phase, the legislature must provide funding to move forward.

PHASE 3

However, there’s no formal process to reassess the need for additional phases, which is something the WFRC had originally voted in favor of.

In theory, even if the first and/or second phases are wildly successful, there’s no formal review process to assess needs going forward. The only thing keeping taxpayers off the hook for the remainder of roughly $1 billion is the legislature voting explicitly to deny those funds without a true process to help determine if they should. Basically, while there’s no guarantee the gondola gets built, there’s not a lot checking its inertia.

WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW? Right now? Not much. Beware the Red Snake this winter. The future promises legal challenges, pro- and anti-gondola messaging and tussles from every interested corner, and probably a lot more misunderstanding and more consternation.

Amidst all that, there remains beauty to behold. The Cottonwood Canyons. The delicate grandeur of the Wasatch. The fleeting weightlessness of a perfect powder turn. It’s all still there if a bit more difficult to access than it once was. The plans may be drawn up, but the future remains unwritten. Don’t forget to enjoy the little things along the way there.

PHASE 1

HOW WOULD IT WORK? The Little Cottonwood Gondola would be the world’s longest with 22 towers as tall as 250 feet along its eight-mile length. 35-person gondola cars would depart every two minutes from the La Caille Base Station with a roughly 40-minute ride to the Snowbird Station and a few additional minutes to the Alta Station. Capacity would be 1,050 people per hour. The La Caille Base Station would have 2,500 public parking stalls available, and additional mobility hubs on Highland Drive and Wasatch Boulevard would offer approximately 1,000 additional parking stalls with bus access to the gondola

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Ana rchy in the SLC SLC Punk! 25 years later (ish)

BY THOMAS CRONE AND JEREMY PUGH ILLUSTRATION BY CHELSEA RUSHTON

A

S A D O C U M E N T O F S A LT L A K E ’ S M I D - ’ 8 0 S P U N K - R O C K U N D E R G R O U N D , this darkly funny film is not

accurate enough for the scene’s survivors and a face-slap to the conservative Reagan-era types who had no idea mohawked, slam-dancing punks full of anarchistic rage were roaming the night, saying “Hell no” to saying “‘No’ to drugs,” breaking things and fighting everything and everyone, even (and often) each other. The 1998 feature, by Judge Memorial High School alumnus James Merendino, peels back Salt Lake’s squeaky clean sheen, revealing a motley crew of characters based—at times controversially—on real SLC punks of the era.

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Photo left, Byline_White Stevo (Matthew Lillard), and Heroin Bob Byline_White (Michael A. Goorjian)Photo in a scene from SLC Punk!

Byline_White shot in what isPhoto now Big D Construction’s Photo Byline_White office building at 404 W. 400 South, SLC

T

H E R E A R E F I G H T S . There’s

PHOTOS COURTESY OF E VERET T COLLECTION

gunfire. Robberies. Wanton acts of abandon. Characters collapse into mental and physical illnesses, all catalyzed through heedless descents into drugs, sex and rock ’n’ roll, right here in sleepy Salt Lake.

“Back in 1985, I was living in Salt Lake City, and, at 14, I was already different, already bizarre,” Merendino recalls. “I was bored and I was very much an outsider. I was a Catholic in a Mormon state. I was the geeky guy in the cafeteria who was always getting his

ass kicked. I began listening to punk music because it appealed to me, and gave me an identity to help me survive the horrors of high school.”

Punk was a response to the failures of the ’60s starry-eyed idealism that led to the top-down restructuring of economies in Europe and America. Merendino’s Utah experience is not uncommon and made Salt Lake fertile soil for the punk movement as embodied by Stevo’s (Matthew Lilliard) diatribe at his parents in one of the film’s most memorable scenes.

“Mom, don’t talk to me about self-

destruction,” Stevo shouts, his blue mohawk waving. “And don’t start blaming yourself either. It ain’t how you raised me...

It’s the future baby. Take a good look, I am the future. I am what you so arrogantly saved the world for. You saved the world for guys like me. Guys who are going to send it straight to hell!”

Salt Lake played host to the most well-known punk bands of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. They stopped in town on the way to Vegas or Denver to play in Salt Lake at wild venues like Speedway Cafe, The Painted Word, the Indian Walk-In Center

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? James Merendino (Writer/Director)

Merendino continues to write and direct films and television, including the sequel to SLC Punk!, called Punk’s Dead (2016). Merendino later created the series Great Kills (2023), a dark comedy about a small-time, Staten Island hitman, released on Tubi.

Matthew Lillard

(Steven “Stevo” Levy) Lillard has since appeared in dozens of films and TV shows.

Lillard starred in the third season of Twin Peaks (2017), costarred with Christina Hendricks on the NBC series Good Girls (2018–2021), plays an undercover FBI agent in the Amazon Series Bosch and appears in the live-action movie adaptation of Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023).

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Years later, the impact the fi lm made on the scene it depicted is hard to quantify. Not just in Salt Lake City, where the fi lm’s name still brings nods of recognition, but also in punk circles around the country (and the world). The fi lm tackles punk rock with elements of reality. It does that with specific references to Salt Lake—the Utah State Capitol, the Great Salt Lake, the University of Utah, Memory Grove Park and West Side industrial districts—that provide either color, backdrop or plot points. (For example, the gang tries to sink a stolen car in the Great Salt Lake.)

All the fights in the fi lm? Yeah, they’re dramatized, but they’re heightened representations of the real contradictions and the clashes among tribal groups.

and punk crash pads like Hell House.

When we interviewed him, Merendino suggested that we were calling too early and that the fi lm does not hit 25 years of age until next year. And that’s true to a degree: the fi lm debuted in the U.S. at Sundance on Jan. 22, 1999, with a U.S. release on April 16. But German investors pulled some strings and the fi lm opened there early, on Sept. 24, 1998, thanks to the presence of the German actor Til Schweiger—whose Euro trash drugdealing character, Mark, is one of the fi lm’s more engaging, if not necessarily likable, characters.

Anarchy in the SLC?

SCENE: A beat-up pickup truck pulls onto a quiet corner in Salt Lake’s Avenues. In the distance, we see the LDS Temple and the Utah State Capitol. Two rednecks in wranglers and ball caps climb out and chug down Budweisers, tossing empties onto the quiet street. Stevo narrates: “The thing about me and Bob and pretty much all of us was, we hated rednecks more than anything else, period. Because rednecks, for us, were America incarnate.

And America...Well. F*** America.”

Stevo and his sidekick, Heroin Bob, emerge from the shadows. They ambush the men, with fists, legs and Bob’s metal pipe, laying them out. Victorious, they run toward the camera, laughing maniacally and disappear into the night.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Michael Goorjian (“Heroin” Bob)

Francis Capra (Young Bob)

Over the years, Goorjian has gueststarred in numerous network television comedies, dramas and procedurals.

He wrote a science-fiction novel titled What Lies Beyond the Stars, and he directed, wrote and starred in the film Amerikatsi (2022).

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This prolific child actor went on to star (as an adult) in the TV series Veronica Mars, as well as a subsequent film of the same title, and the film Shadows (2022).

Jason Segel (Mike)

Segel’s career took off after landing big parts in high-profile shows like Judd Apatow’s Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000) and How I Met Your Mother (2005–2014).

Segel now stars as a therapist in the Apple TV+ series Shrinking (2023), for which he won an Emmy.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF E VERET T COLLECTION

Stevo’s hairstyles change radically throughout the film.

Jason Segel as the deceptively not-so-straight-laced character Mike in SLC Punk!

Jerry Liedtke Circa 1982

Flashback: The Speedway Cafe Heroin Bob (Michael A. Goorjian) and Stevo (Matthew Lillard) in a scene shot at Milly’s Burgers in Sugar House.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF E VERET T COLLECTION

It’s scenes like this that cause blowback. The main beef: Writer and director Merendino liberally adapted storylines based on the exploits of actual figures in the SLC punk rock scene. Some names, like the colorful Sean Fightmaster, were used outright in the film and factual events were only lightly burnished for narrative effect.

As Merendino told Billboard in 2019, “[Stevo and Bob] are named after two people who were actually pretty big figures in the punk scene and I got their permission to use their names. One is Stephen Egerton from The Descendents. He grew up in Utah, and was in a band called Massacre Guys. But the story’s not based on them in any way, I just liked the names. Heroin Bob’s stories are drawn from experiences I had with a guy named Chris Williams, who’s now an Episcopalian priest and a great guy. He didn’t actually overdose. He’s the one who came into school with a shaved

head and he looked like Travis Bickle; he really looked good with a mohawk.”

Still, there’s some consensus that the film is important both as a representation of the international punk scene and mid-’80s Salt Lake. Merendino is aware of the praise. And the criticism. He’s self-effacing about it all. “Like many filmmakers, I only hear negative reviews.”

Finding Stevo

Regardless of the tribal battles over the fi lm’s authenticity and its, at times, too-close-tohome scenes, SLC Punk! set the stage for some of the actors, whose memorable early-career performances would lead to varying degrees of stardom.

Take, for example, the onscreen successes of Matthew Lillard (Stevo) and Jason Segel, who played clean-cut, preppy

Salt Lake City upped the punk reaction to the Reagan era.

The extra sheen of squeaky-clean Mormonism bred an especially virulent antibody to the cultural vaccine: a raucous and edgy underground manifestation of punk rock ethos.

“As an old guy, I look back at the ’80s and I see why we were so angry,” says local chef Jerry Liedtke.

“Reagan was working with the Taliban, the CIA was working with Pablo Escobar, there was talk of a draft, Russia had nukes pointed at us. So we took a lot of drugs and there was a good amount of hooliganism, but here in Salt Lake, it was different because you’d have these Mormon kids and straight-edgers, who didn’t do drugs, in the scene, too.”

Liedtke and his partner Kestrel went legit and now operate the Tin Angel Cafe in the Eccles Theater.

But he came up in the heat of the punk scene in SLC and ran with a punk crew called the “Fry Gods.” The music and mayhem were centered around a host of small and medium-sized ad hoc all-ages clubs like the Palladium, DV8, The Bar and Grill, Maxims and the Pompadour, to name a few.

The epicenter of the scene was the Speedway Cafe, a truly subterranean venue buried underneath the viaduct at 500 South and 500 West. Liedtke’s punker cousin Paul Maritsas co-owned the Speedway with the aptly named metalhead Jay Speed. Young Liedtke got the coveted job of running the beer room. Punk and hardcore legends like Black Flag, the Circle Jerks, The Stench, the BoxCar Kids, GWAR and many more sweated it out on the stage, and Liedtke had a front-row seat. The Speedway closed in the early ’90s but its legacy and impact on Salt Lake’s music scene remain.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Annabeth Gish (Trish)

Gish has had a long career on both the big and small screen. She is known for her recurring roles in Mike Flanagan’s horror series on Netflix, including The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass and The Fall of the House of Usher.

Jennifer Lien (Sandy)

Lien has retired from acting, after starring in Star Trek: Voyager.

Christopher McDonald (Mr. Levy)

McDonald has had a full career as a TV, film, theater and voice actor.

McDonald appears in Hacks on HBO Max as Marty, a Las Vegas casino owner and the Marvel series Secret Invasion on Disney+

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The Sequel (or Spin-off) When Merendino was typing up a script for a sequel to SLC Punk!, he had some pretty big ideas. The script was going to follow the lead character Stevo, with shooting locations “around the world.” He estimated that the film would cost around $7 million as envisioned, a figure that he had no chance of raising at that time.

Fans of the original film asked about a sequel enough that they convinced Merendino to tackle the project, even if at a lesser price than the already-modest cost of the original. He turned to crowdfunding to add to the coffers and was able to secure just enough cash from the old-head fans to proceed with a stripped-down followup, much of it shot in and around Ogden, beginning in 2014.

Released in 2016, Punk’s Dead: SLC Punk 2 drew mixed critical reaction, which rolls off of Merendino. Discussing it today, Merendino says, “It turned out how it turned out. I like it. And some other people do. A lot of people don’t. That’s okay with me, you know, that’s I think he said he didn’t understand Mike, with a violent temper. While the nature of art.” the script. It messed with my head there are many local actors and crew Colson Baker (aka Machine Gun Kelly) stars because he forced me to pitch my members scattered throughout the as the scene-stealing punk rocker Crash— own movie to him. It made him credits, Lillard and Segel came to the the most well-drawn character in the film, stand out. He said, ‘OK, well, let me film through a national casting call portrayed with gusto by Baker. On the other go now. And now that I understand that included interest from well-known side of the fame conversation, several of the where you’re coming from, let me actors like Jack Black, Vin Diesel, Jared star-level folks who appeared in the original come back in and just nail this.’ He Leto and, whoa, the late Heath Ledger.

(Segel, Lillard, etc.) didn’t take part in the came back the next day and he was One of the greatest challenges in rebooted version, and there are moments in just awesome.” the production was fi nding the right the film in which you sense that Merendino was actor for the role of Stevo because of padding out the run time, with lengthy concert his large amount of screen time and segments shot for the film given plenty of space Merendino’s noticed over the years role as the fi lm’s narrator. in the second half of Punk’s Dead. the tendency for SLC Punk! to get “We couldn’t move forward until In talking to Merendino about the work, referenced in a variety of pop cultural we found exactly the right person,” there’s the sense that he’s okay with leaving contexts, many found close to home. says Merendino. “We read a lot of where it lies, even if there was a different SLC Dunk!, for example, is a people. Matthew Lillard came in and story that he wanted to tell. podcast dedicated to Utah Jazz he was the most interesting person Faced with creating a different version of basketball, affi liated with the SB to come to audition, mostly because his original idea, or letting it go, he says, “At the last minute, I ended up sort of making it more of a spinoff.”

Three new lead characters carry the film, while actors and their respective characters from the James Duval Summer Phoenix first film were written into smaller (John the Mod) (Brandy) support roles and cameos.

“Had it been a real sequel, it Duval, known for his later roles Phoenix is a musician (piano/ would have been about Stevo. And in Go (1999) and Donnie Darko keyboards) and has made a return to that was the subject of the script (2001), continues to star in acting, starring in the thriller directed I originally wanted to do, but I just numerous independent films.

by Amy Redford, What Comes Around, couldn’t afford to do that.” released August 2023.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF E VERET T COLLECTION

SLC Punk’s Not Dead

Mark (Til Schweiger) and Mike (Jason Segel).

Schweiger, a German actor, helped get the film released in Germany.

Nation media family. After a lot of uploads in 2022, the pod seems less populated today. Credit, though, for the clever title in the fi rst place.

SLC Punkcast is a much longer-running podcast, dedicated to “new songs, old songs, great albums, inf luential individuals, live shows and guilty pleasures.” The show is hosted by Dustin and Eric and has topped 320 episodes.

Merendino says that friends let him know about new homages “All the time.”

Take, for instance, Proper Brewing Company’s pilsner ‘SLC Pils!’

“I guess though it’s ironic to call it SLC Pils because in the movie the guy Bob overdoses, he’s murdered by or inadvertently killed

by pills. Wow. Well, I don’t know that they made that connection, but…When I posted pictures of it on my Facebook page, a lot of people came in saying, ‘That’s not cool!’”

Merendino says one platform, unimaginable at the time of the fi lm’s release, has birthed some attention-grabbing content: TikTok. Merendino says TikTok is actually one of the main ways he stays connected to the fi lm, which he seldom watches anymore.

“There are these TikTok edits where, you know, kids on there repurpose shots from the movie and make little homages and their own edits, which I find actually more interesting now than the movie itself.”

Proper Brewing Company’s SLC Pils

PHOTOS COURTESY OF E VERET T COLLECTION, PROPER BRE WING COMPANY, SLC

(Stevo) Matthew Lillard crowd surfs to the stage in the film’s representation of the many ’80 underground punk clubs.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Devon Sawa

(Sean the Beggar) Sawa continues to act in film and TV—particularly adjacent to the horror genre—reprising his role in Punk’s Dead, starring in the thriller The Fanatic (directed

by Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst) and the horror comedy Black Friday, appearing in an episode of HBO’s Hacks and filling recurring roles in the SyFy show Chucky.

Adam Pascal

Til Schweiger

(“Mod” Eddie)

(Mark)

Pascal works as an actor on screen and stage, singer and musician, starring in multiple recent Broadway productions like Something Rotten! and Pretty Woman: The Musical.

The German actor and filmmaker notably appears in the Quentin Tarantino film Inglourious Basterds (2009) and is slated to appear in an upcoming Guy Ritchie movie, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

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Park City li f e o n t h e o t h e r s i d e

The Bake Shop

p. 67

Future of Park City and Sundance

p. 70

Seasonal Workers’ Housing

John and Paige Courtney of The Chop Shop teamed up with former professional skier and Olympic Silver Medalist Devin Logan to create The Bake Shop.

p. 72

IF YOU GO

PHOTO CREDIT ADAM FINKLE

The Bake Shop 1154 Center Drive, Park City 435-776-6984 thebakeshopparkcity.com

RISE AND GRIND The Bake Shop trio has the dough and beans to do both

BY TONY GILL

P

A R K C I T Y ’ S newest bakery, rather fittingly named The

Bake Shop, is open for business. The Bake Shop is owned by the husband and wife team of John and Paige Courtney, two experienced restaurateurs who also run Chop Shop, which is directly across the street from their latest venture. They’ve teamed up with former professional skier and Olympic Silver Medalist Devin Logan to serve up the freshest baked goods alongside some seriously high-quality coffee every Tuesday through Saturday.

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The Bake Shop co-owner Paige Courtney is also one of the culinary minds behind The Chop Shop Park CIty.

The new shop serves up breakfast and fresh coffee.

The baker’s day starts early. You know, time to make the donuts and all that. The one thing you can’t skimp on with yeasted bread is time. It takes a few hours for dough to proof and rise before it’s ready to bake, so someone’s at The Bake Shop at an outrageously early hour each morning getting things ready to open by 8:00 a.m.

Good thing there’s three dedicated people to help out.

John and Paige Courtney have teamed up with Devin Logan on the dedicated artisanal bakery in Kimball Junction. All three names are likely familiar to people in Park City, though for different reasons. The Courtneys are veterans in the local dining scene with the Chop Shop, and both have had extensive culinary careers. John’s spent years as a chef, including at the three-Michelin-Star restaurant La Bouitte in Savoy, France while

68 SALTLAKEMAGAZINE.COM | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2 0 2 4

Paige is a master sommelier who previously served as the Food and Beverage Director at Waldorf Astoria.

Logan, however, is Park City famous for something else entirely. She won the silver medal in Slopestyle at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, just a single highlight in a decorated freeskiing ski career that took her to three Olympics and dozens of international podiums. There’s no royalty quite like ski royalty in Park City, and Logan certainly qualifies.

Logan retired from competition in 2022 and embarked on a second career following a culinary passion that grew over the years while traveling the world and coalesced during the pandemic.

With The Bake Shop, the three partners have channeled their ambitions and love of food. Offerings are broken up into three

categories: “Doughs & Sweets,” “Grab ’n’ Go,” and “Coffee & Such.” The usual suspects are all accounted for: croissants, cakes, pain au chocolat, and without a doubt the best sourdough loaf in town.

In addition to being used on various house-made items like breakfast sandwiches and turkey, tomato and mozzarella on baguettes, Bake Shop breads will also be used across the street at Chop Shop. Th ink of the corner in Kimball Junction as a convenient little ecosystem for both chefs and customers.

Even for those in a carb-free phase, The Bake Shop is worth a stop for the steampunk-inspired pour-over coffee utilizing a Poursteady system and Lamill Coffee beans. It’s quite the cup, but that’s hardly surprising. The Courtneys and Logan are used to impressing people.

PHOTO CREDIT ADAM FINKLE

The Bake Shop is across the street from The Chop Shop in Kimball Junction.

Live Exquisite Elevated 7452 feet high lies bespoke luxury, exquisite dining, the finest Ski-in/Ski-out experiences, and lifetime memories.

The St. Regis Deer Valley 2300 Deer Valley Drive East Park City, UT 84060 t. +1 435 940 5700 marriott.com/slcxr

PARK CITY This year’s Sundance Festival will be back to form in January on Main Street.

Park City has hosted the Sundance Film Festival since 1981, when it was still known as the U.S. Film Festival. In its 40th festival year, Sundance in Park City and Salt Lake City has hosted, thousands of films, millions of attendees and countless gossiped-about celebrity sightings.

(I’ve talked to both Danny Glover and preayahuasca-enthused Aaron Rodgers.) If you’re reading this between the dates of Jan. 19-29, 2023, get out to Main Street and revel in the madness.

Who knows how many years it’ll still be a possibility.

Park Pa rk City

Sundance Sundan ndance

Forever?

The future of the relationship between Park City and America’s favorite film festival

BY TONY GILL

N

O W E L FA R E F O R S U N D A N C E + K I M B A L L ,” read the anonymously

authored sticky note. The note contained one of many such nuanced takes from a late fall event designed to gather public input regarding Park City’s possible future arts and culture district in Bonanza Park.

Setting aside the ludicrous, anonymous nature of the feedback—which channels some of the most vocal characters of an internet comment section—the event’s very existence reflected a contemplative mood surrounding what was once a broadly supported development concept.

Local sentiment is seemingly less enamored with the world of art and entertainment. Is the feeling mutual?

If a faction of fed up residents were contemplating ousting Sundance, the fabulously impactful annual film festival, some rumors suggest they may not get the chance. Word on the street is Sundance has been considering an exit from Park City, possibly leading to a

70 SALTLAKEMAGAZINE.COM | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2 0 2 4

situation of “You can’t break up with me because I’m breaking up with you!”

Reporting from Deadline in July 2023 indicated festival organizers were fielding RFPs from numerous cities including Santa Fe, New Mexico and Bentonville, Arkansas. Sundance reps replied at the time that the requests for proposals were related only to Sundance Labs, the year-round programs Sundance Institute runs to develop upcoming filmmakers. One of the labs is held at Utah’s Sundance Resort, which is undergoing extensive construction, necessitating the need for an alternative location.

The enticing morsel of Hollywood gossip got a boost a few months later when Sundance Film Festival leadership requested an extension on the deadline to renew its agreement with Park City to hold the festival in town beyond 2026, when the current agreement expires. The requested seven-month extension (from March 1 to Oct. 1, 2024) indicated Sundance is conducting a broad review of the festival’s future. In a letter to Mayor

PHOTO CREDIT SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

IT’LL BE ‘FESTIVAL AS USUAL’ THIS YEAR

Nana Worel, Sundance Institute CEO Joana Vicente pointed to new executive leadership, several years of declining revenue and “many uncertainties” that make a “new vision” for the partnership essential.

Is Sundance really asking to see other people? Are they merely trying to find out if Park City is serious about their relationship? Is this strained metaphor an inaccurate lens through which to view a standard negotiating tactic relating to an agreement that automatically renews in 2027 without a two-year written notice by either party? It’s hard to say.

Those sticky notes referenced in the introduction weren’t about the Sundance Film Festival itself but the Sundance Institute’s presence as an anchor tenant in the planned arts and culture district. In 2017 when the district was conceived, three parties—City Hall officials, Sundance Institute representatives and Kimball Art Center leadership—envisioned a vibrantly reimagined section of town that would lessen the community’s reliance on

outdoor tourism while serving as a long-term hub of artistic cultivation.

The intervening years, in no small part due to the pandemic, upended best laid plans. Locals have bristled as the city’s estimated portion of the bill, which has exceeded $90 million.

Vicente’s letter made no mention of Sundance Institute moving to Summit County. The Kimball Art Center continues to operate in its “temporary” digs on Kearns Blvd. with no end in sight. Meanwhile, the lots where businesses in Prospector were razed to make way for the arts and culture district remain vacant.

Relationships are hard.

Rumors are swirling.

“Good riddance,” some residents would no doubt say, at least, anonymously, on sticky notes. If it ever comes time to cut ties with the festival and organization that has become synonymous with Park City, the community will have to reckon with whether the grass is really greener.

Sometimes you don’t realize what you have until it’s gone.

Despite unconfirmed rumors of Sundance leaving Utah, the festival will be back at venues in Park City and Salt Lake City, like the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center.

DONʼT MISS THESE INCREDIBLE SHOWS PLAYING SOON!

VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR THE FULL LINE-UP OF SHOWS!

J ANUAR Y /F EB R UAR Y 2024 | SALTLAKEMAGAZINE.COM

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RENTING A SOLUTION Park City’s progress on workforce housing woes

BY TONY GILL

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P

ARK CITY has an ongoing

workforce shortage, which is directly tied to a lack of housing.

It’s the only city in Utah with more jobs than residents. Some 11,000 jobs need to be filled each winter, and there are only 8,500 residents within city limits according to figures from Mountainlands Community Housing Trust. Just 15% of Park City’s workforce—about 1,650 people—actually lives in town.

Fortunately, multiple groups are making efforts to address the dearth of rental units available to area workers.

Perhaps the most creative endeavor is the delightfully acronymed Workplace Employer Rental Incentive Program (WE RIP). WE RIP is a partnership between Mountainlands Community Housing Trust, the Park City Chamber/ Bureau and the winter sports brand Rossignol, which will provide a ski or snowboard package valued at over

$1,000 to homeowners who rent units seasonally or on a long-term basis to local workers.

WE RIP began a pilot program last season in which would-be landlords were given season passes to Deer Valley for renting units to the resort’s workers.

It was based on a successful program started in Aspen, Colorado, but both Deer Valley and Park City declined to participate this season. It’s unfortunate, as ski passes are a very effective carrot in ski-obsessed communities, and it’s as of yet unknown if people find gear equally enticing.

Perks alone won’t fi x a monumental housing shortage, so local developers are joining the fray. “The housing shortage is a demographic issue that’s been ignored for too long with significant impact on the greater community,” says Tony Tyler, Partner at Columbus Pacific Development.

PHOTO CREDIT FREEBIRD PHOTOGRAPHY

Slopeside Village below Canyons Village will help with the workforce housing crunch but advocates say much more housing is needed.

WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THE RENTALS?

Resorts are hoping that amenities like the common areas at the new Slopeside Village will help recruit new seasonal employees.

“Helping address the situation is more than an obligation for us, it’s the right thing to do.”

Columbus Pacific has developed a lot of properties in Park City, notably the current home of the Kimball Art Center as well as the high-end Apex Residences and Pendry Residences. Just prior to this winter, the company held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a far different property, the Slopeside Village. The development has housing for 1,197 full-time Summit County residents with deed restricted prioritization for local workers at the base of the Canyons Village.

Workforce Housing

These rental-based affordable housing initiatives are crucially important to bolstering the local workforce.

Much attention is paid to the cost of ownership in the area, but a dramatic decrease in long-term rental inventory has long hampered hiring.

Seventy percent of rental supply in Park City is short term, used primarily by vacationers.

The proportion of second homes owned locally continues to increase, threatening to exacerbate the existing shortfall.

“It’s a unique structure,” says Tyler.

“Essentially there are nine tiers of priority based on where you work and how much you earn. It levels the playing field for people who work locally, and businesses here have seen a dramatic rise in their ability to recruit workers.”

Neither the promise of free skis, nor a single, if significant, development is going to solve all the area’s housing woes, but it’s an encouraging start. Hopefully some added momentum will push the local resorts to pony up a few passes to sweeten the pot. Every little bit helps.

PARK CITY AFFORDABLE HOUSING FACTS Employee Housing - Park City Mountain Resort

BY THE NUMBERS • 11,000 jobs to be filled each season • 8,500 Park City residents • 15% of the total needed workforce

Slopeside Village

Canyons Village Cabriolet Ski Lift

actually resides in Park City

SOURCE: MOUNTAINL ANDS COMMUNIT Y HOUSING TRUST

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N O W O P E N 7 D AY S A W E E K

On The Table f o o d / t r e n d s / d in in g

Hog & Tradition

p. 75

Restaurant Listings

p. 78

Lydia’s Food Crush

p. 80

Semifreddo Recipe

p. 82

Ethiopian Spice

p. 88

IF YOU GO Hog & Tradition’s Dominican BBQ platter of smoked chicharron, smoked pernil (slow-roasted pork shoulder), plátanos maduros (fried, sweet plantains), arroz con habichuelas (rice and beans) and onion salad.

Hog & Tradition and Lamb & Feta at Hall Pass SLC in The Gateway, 153 S. Rio Grande St., SLC hallpassslc.com, Instagram: @hogtraditionbbq

PHOTO ADAM FINKLE

Triple Fusion BBQ: Hog & Tradition at Hall Pass

Savor the richness of Southern smoke, Tongan flames and Dominican sizzle all in one place

BY LYDIA MARTINE Z

C

H E F G E O F F PAT M I D E S O F H O G & T R A D I T I O N

and Feta & Lamb has the most diverse background of any chef I’ve ever met. Half Tongan and half Greek, he grew up watching his grandmother in the kitchen. He remembers cooking lamb outside on a spit for Greek Orthodox Easter and he was always underfoot in the kitchen. “I used to watch and help when I could, but my grandmother would never let me do anything,” he laughs. But he learned by watching, and loving others and sharing food became connected in Patmides’s mind. “I saw how people loved the way my grandmother would cook for them and how everybody came over for her food.”

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ON THE TABLE

SECRET MENU It is well worth stalking the Hog & Tradition Instagram to find out about the secret pop-up menu items. Recent mash-up examples include: • Pacific Island-style smoked teriyaki chicken, smoked spicy pork belly, macaroni salad and rice.

• Smoked brisket Quesabirria tacos.

• A Hawaiian breakfast sandwich with smoked brisket or pulled pork, fried salami, fried cheese, fried egg, chipotle aioli, cilantro chimichurri and ruby sauce.

• Cubano sandwiches with house-smoked ham.

Check @hogtraditionbbq on specials or call ahead—they are out when they are out.

A global twist on tradition Patmides’s ability to cook anything is his superpower. Matched by his ability to fuse together flavors from around the world. The Hog & Tradition menu has a range of traditional BBQ with flashes of inspiration from different traditions. “We base our meats on mostly a Texas style,” explains Patmides. “But everything else is my own little twist on things.” You can get the pulled pork, brisket or smoked chicken served traditionally on Texas toast or non-traditionally with a Carolina gold-style sauce as one of the “twists.” There are nods to Patmides’s Tongan heritage on the menu as well. Purple yams, traditional on the islands, show up in the form of Southern-style candied yams. The sweet-style cornbread is also made with ube, served with hot honey and salted butter.

The layers of cultural fusion deepen, as Patmides’s wife is Dominican, and he has clearly fallen in love with her food traditions and grafted them into his own culinary style. On Sundays, there is a Dominican takeover. You can get a full platter starting with chicharron—pork belly with the skin attached and deep fried until the rind is crispy, the belly is tender and the fat is melty. Patmides takes it further and smokes the pork belly before making Hog & Tradition his chicharrones. No Combo Plate with brisket, bacon mac platter is complete without and ube cornbread the arroz con habichuelas, or Dominican-style rice and beans, made with a pink bean that gets extra soft as it cooks, and, of course, the obligatory plátanos maduros (ripe plantains), sliced and fried for a sweet and savory addition to every platter.

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Geoff Patmides is the person behind the smoker at Hog & Tradtion BBQ.

A fusion of love, family and food Hog & Tradition isn’t Patmides’s first foray into restaurant ownership. He opened a food truck called Chomp City in 2012. “It was a bacon-everything truck,” he says. After selling the food truck, he opened the much-beloved Local Greek in 2018 in Riverton, which moved to Taylorsville a couple of years later. But after about eight months and a bout of significant health issues, Patmides took a pause and reevaluated everything. “We ended up closing it because I didn’t want to lose time with my family. I couldn’t do it physically, mentally.”

After a lot of hard work, healing, and time to recharge, Patmides is back slinging the food he loves at The Local.

“I grew up seeing my grandparents work really hard until they died. They worked a lot of hours, a lot of days, every day,” Patmides says. “They missed out a lot on the kids and the family on a regular basis.

That’s all I want to do differently. I want to have my family more involved in what I do, to have the memories of being in the kitchen…I don’t want them to feel like it’s just work that we do. I want to put good food out and keep it moving.” Together. Which isn’t just lip service. His entire family was on hand the day we talked.

As we were wrapping up our interview, my recorder caught Patmides talking to his kids, who were getting ready to leave. That snippet of conversation sums up who he is as a person, as a chef, and as a father. “I love you. Okay, I love you.

I’m going to see you guys later. Okay? I’ll bring some food home.” Eating at Hog & Tradition is like walking away with a box of food and some love.

PHOTOS ADAM FINKLE

ORDER LIKE A REGULAR:

Patmides learns how to cook through a mix of magical osmosis, pure grit and with a bit of infatuation. “When I want to learn to cook something, I get pretty obsessed about it.” And it doesn’t matter the cuisine. “When I see something on TV from another country, I’m like, ‘What is that?’ That looks so good. I want to try it.” If he can’t find a place to try it, he figures out how to make it. “I like to understand where the dish comes from, why they use those ingredients, and the process that they use to cook it. If you have the root knowledge of all these cooking styles around the world, you can cook anything.”

All the technology you need to start, run, and grow your restaurant — all connected by a powerful POS. Let us take care of your tech, so you can focus on what matters most.

Like serving great food to hungry Utahns.

ON THE TABLE

WHERE TO EAT

Listings

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

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ININ

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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.

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

2A 023 W A RD

2023 Salt Lake magazine Dining Award Winner

HAofLL

FA M E

D

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ININ Table X –1457 E. 3350 South, SLC, 2A 023 385-528-3712. tablexrestaurant.com. A W A RD trio of chefs collaborate on a forwardthinking 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 Cafe Niche–779 E. 300 South, SLC, 801-4333380. 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, 801-277-6113. 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.

D

ININ Central 9th Market—161 W. 2A 023 900 South, SLC, 385-332-3240.

W A RD central9th.com. More bodega than restaurant, Central 9th’s breakfast sandwich is probably the best you’ll have outside of New York City. You can also grab a sandwich from the more-than-justbreakfast deli menu and head next door to Scion or Water Witch to eat up.

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Five Alls —1458 Foothill Dr., SLC, 385-528-1922. fivealls.com. Five Alls offers a unique dining experience in a romantic, Old Englishinspired location that overlooks the valley. The name is in part a reference to the menu’s five courses.

ININ Log Haven –6451 E. Mill CreekCan2A 023 yon Road, SLC, 801-272-8255. log-haven.

W A RD com. Certainly Salt Lake’s most picturesque restaurant, the old log cabin is pretty in every season. Chef David 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.

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Indulge in the inhouse cured meat program, paired with cheese expertly; and we love the Prosciutto Beignets.

The Charleston –1229 E. Pioneer Rd., Draper, 801550-9348. 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 12 during evening hours and an indoor dress code.

La Caille –9565 Wasatch Blvd., Sandy, 801-9421751. 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.

ININ SLC Eatery–1017 S. Main St., SLC, 2A 023 801-355-7952. slceatery.com. The SLC D WAR Eatery offers culinary adventure. Expect equally mysterious and delightful entrees and exciting takes on traditional dishes.

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MEET ME AT BAMBARA

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, they turn out dishes with a community-minded sensibility.

Provisions–3364 S. 2300 East, SLC, 801410-4046. 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.

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Bambara –202 S. Main St.,

ININ HSL –418 E. 200 South, SLC, 801-5392A 023 9999. hslrestaurant.com. The initials stand W A RD 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.

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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.

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Arlo –271 N. Center St., SLC, 385-266-8845.

801-258-6000. 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.

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American Fine Dining

Grand America –555 S. Main St., SLC,

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SALT LAKE CITY & THE WASATCH FRONT

Dining Award Hall Of Fame Winner

Quintessential Utah

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, 801-7481300. 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, 801-2664322. 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, 801-596-5700. 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, 801-4872121; 7725 S. State St., Midvale, 801-562-1500. moochiesmeatballs.com. This itty-bitty eatery/take-out joint is the place to go for authentic cheese­steaks made with thinly sliced steak and griddled onions glued together with good ol’ American cheese and wrapped in a big, soft so-called French roll.

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LYDIA’S

FOODCRUSH

TASTE OF MAHIDER PLATTER

Oasis Cafe–151 S. 500 East, SLC, 801-3220404. 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.

BY LYDIA MARTINE Z

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H AV E A LW AY S B E E N A COMMUNAL DINNER KINDA G I R L I E . At my first-ever grown-up

dinner party in my own place, I popped a whole roasted chicken into the center of the table with some pan sauce and a Lebanese garlic dip and let everyone have at it. We started out using utensils and ended by pulling meat off the bird with our fingers. Everyone there still talks about how good it was. We demolished everything. In the spirit of communal dining, this month’s food crush is the full Tasting Platter at Mahider, an authentic Ethiopian restaurant in Salt Lake City.

They serve various traditional Ethiopian dishes, both vegan and with meat, “using recipes passed down through the generations.” The Taste of Mahider platter comes with Doro Wot, Siga Wot, Alicha Wot and all the vegan greens, pulses and purees. The giant, brightly colored platter arrives at the table with dolloped portions spaced out for each person, and the earthy spices hit your nose all at once. The bigger the group, the bigger the platter.

All together, you’ll get to try 12 dishes, including a light tomato and jalapeno salad and a crumbly fresh cheese.

Everything is served on top of a spongy, platter-sized flatbread called Injera. Made from teff flour and fermented like sourdough, it is best described as a tart, crepe or dosa-like bread that is smooth on one side with holes dotting the surface from the ferment. Injera takes the place of rice, bread, plate and the delivery method to get food to your mouth. There is no flatware on the table. You’ll scoop up stews, purees and braised meats with torn-off Injera. The bread soaks up everything and makes each bite that much more flavorful.

Remember that all the preparations that don’t explicitly have meat in them are vegan. You can even get a separate “vegan-only” platter, which makes this my spot for taking mixed-food-preference friends for dinner. The meat eaters will be happy. The vegans will be satisfied. And everyone will walk away full. I also love that you’ll get a sampling of dishes made with red lentils, yellow lentils, split peas, and garbanzo beans on every platter. This is my spot as a wholehearted bean lover and mildly reformed vegetarian.

I recommend visiting Mahider with a group of four people or more. Start with the Lentil Sambusa, then get some Ethiopian red wine to go with your tasting platter. Eat slowly. Discuss your favorite dishes. Mix and match portions. Laugh at how much fun it is to eat with your hands.

End with Buna, the Ethiopian-style black coffee. And enjoy gathering ‘round the communal table. And see if you don’t develop a crush as well.

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ININ Oquirrh–368 E. 100 South, SLC 8012A 023 359-0426. oquirrhslc.com. Little and origiW A RD nal 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.

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Food Crush: [foōd KRUSH] noun. An intense infatuation with a specific dish or meal, to the point where an individual thinks about it all the time and may drool a little when it crosses their mind. For example, ‘her food crush on tacos was well known, to the point that everyone knew if you gave her tacos, she would be happy.’

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.

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, 801-605-8400. 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.

SOUTHERN COMFORT Do not sleep on the Chicken and Waffles at Pig & A Jelly Jar. Wash it down with a hot cup of coffee or a cocktail (with or without alcohol).

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

PHOTO CREDIT ADAM FINKLE

ON THE TABLE

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, 801-2776499. 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.

The Salt Republic–170 S. West Temple, SLC, 385-433-6650. exploretock.com/the-salt-republic-salt-lakecity. A modern eatery with a focus on healthful and hearty dishes from local ingredients, prepared in the kitchen’s rotisserie and wood-fired oven, for breakfast, lunch or dinner at the Salt Lake City Hyatt Regency hotel.

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’S BRUNCH Try brunch favorites like the Scotch Egg, with its jammy yolk and Panko breading, served with house-made mustard aioli and local sausage.

For those 21 years and older, The Vintage Room at The St. Regis Deer Valley is a lovely, clear and heated slopeside structure.

The Vintage Room features a 30-foot wooden bar behind which a St. Regis mixologist creates signature cocktails and where our chef prepares all raw bar orders and shucks oysters.

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.

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

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ON THE TABLE Meyer Lemon Curd Ingredients • Zest from 1 Meyer Lemon • 3 Meyer Lemons • 3/4 cup sugar • 1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup), grated • 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk Method 1. Zest one Meyer Lemon. Pause here and inhale the fragrant floral scent.

2. Juice three Meyer Lemons, placing the juice and zest into a heat-proof bowl or the upper portion of a double boiler.

Add sugar and butter to this mixture.

Move over chocolate.

This citrusy dessert will win your heart this season!

Meyer Lemon & Thyme Semifreddo recipe

BY LYDIA MARTINE Z

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L O V E C I T R U S S E A S O N . Bright, sweet citrus is my savior during the peak of the winter season when I need a hit of color as much as the hit of vitamin C. This easy dessert celebrates the citrus season’s pinnacle, using Meyer Lemons to whip up a show-stopper dessert. Need a shortcut? Use store-bought lemon curd, and you’ll have less than 10 minutes of active prep time for a party in a pinch.

Meyer Lemons are a cross between a regular lemon and a mandarin, they are magically floral with a sweet and sassy rind and juice that isn’t mouth-puckeringly tart.

I like using them to make a Meyer Lemon Curd. Which I, in turn, make into an Italian Semifreddo with thyme. Bliss.

Semifreddo literally means semi-frozen. As the name implies, it is frozen—but only part way and served still soft. I add some fresh thyme and a thyme simple syrup along with the Meyer Lemon Curd to the semifreddo—because the woodsy herb balances out the sweetness. Again, if you don’t have the time to make fresh Meyer Lemon Curd, please feel free to buy a jar store-bought. Your secret is safe with me. (continued on p. 84)

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4. Add a few inches of water to a saucepan or the lower half of your double boiler and gently simmer over medium heat. Place your bowl with the lemon mixture atop the simmering water, ensuring that the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the upper bowl and does not reach a full boil.

5. The butter in your lemon mixture will begin to melt in a few minutes. Stir until the butter is fully melted and the sugar is dissolved.

6. Gradually and with a steady hand, pour the whisked eggs into your heated lemon mixture, continuously whisking as you do so. Maintain your whisking until the entire concoction thickens and gels, taking approximately 5-10 minutes.

However, this may vary depending on your altitude. Note that the mixture will continue to firm as it cools.

7. Transfer the hot curd into a clean, warmed jar to prevent breakage (simply pour hot water into the jar and empty it just before adding the hot curd). Allow the curd to cool down to avoid trapping steam (which would subsequently condense and water down your curd) before sealing the jar.

8. Once cool, seal the jar and store it in the refrigerator. Using a clean spoon for serving, your curd will remain good for up to two weeks.

PHOTOS BY LYDIA MARTINEZ

Semifreddo is a “semi-frozen” dessert that comes together quickly.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and an additional yolk. For optimal smoothness in your curd, strain the beaten eggs through a fine strainer before proceeding.

Urban Hill–510 S. 300 West, SLC, 385-295-4200. urban-hill.com. The menu is seafood forward and takes inspiration from Southwest cuisine. Its wood-burning flame grill is unique, and the emberroasted carrots with salty feta and a New Mexico red chili sauce are a winner. Be sure to save room for dessert.

Vessel Kitchen–905 E. 900 South,

URBAN HILL’S BRUNCH The cocktail menu features bold “restoratives,” like a well-dressed savory, spicy Bloody Mary topped with shiso leaf, pickled Spanish piparras peppers and a smoked sardine.

SLC, 801-810-1950; 1146 E. Fort Union Blvd., Midvale, 801-337-5055; 11052 S. State St., Sandy, 801-349-2544; 1784 Uinta Way, 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–bakinghive. com. Online only, this homespun bakery uses real butter and cream. 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.

Chip Cookies — 155 E 900 S #101, SLC, 801-889-2412. chipcookies.co.

Probably the only gourmet cookie delivery company that began out of pregnancy cravings. Try the weekly specialty cookies or one of the original flavors. Delivery, pick-up and catering available.

Biscotts Bakery & Cafe–1098 W. Jordan Pkwy. #110, 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.

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.

Carlucci’s Bakery–314 W. Broadway, 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. 7009 S. High Tech Drive, Midvale, 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.

Fillings & Emulsions– 1475 S. Main St., SLC, 385-229-4228. fillingsandemulsions.com. This little Westside 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.

SCANDINAVIAN & AMERICAN CUISINE SINCE 1952 Breakfast & Lunch 7:30 – 2:30 Daily Located between Resorts and Airport 1624 S 1100 East, SLC

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Meyer Lemon & Thyme Semifreddo Ingredients • 1 pint heavy whipping cream • 1/3 cup thyme simple syrup • 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped • 1/2 cup Meyer Lemon curd (or regular jarred lemon curd) • Optional: Candied Meyer lemon slices Note: This recipe will only require a portion of the simple syrup. The surplus can be utilized in cocktails or as a sweetener for your coffee or tea.

Stored in the fridge, it will remain fresh for up to 2 weeks.

Method 1. Put a glass bowl into your freezer for 30 minutes to chill. This will help the cream whip much faster. A convenient tip: put the bowl in the freezer when making your Thyme Simple Syrup to optimize your prep time.

Thyme Simple Syrup Ingredients • 1 bunch of fresh thyme • 1.5 cups water • 1 cup sugar Method 1. Add the bunch of thyme and 1.5 cups of water to a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer gently for 5 minutes.

You are essentially making thyme tea.

2. Incorporate 1 cup of sugar into the pot, stirring to combine and increase the heat to high. Once the mixture of thyme, sugar and water reaches a boil and the sugar dissolves, promptly turn off the heat.

3. Allow the thyme to steep in the simple syrup for 10 minutes to infuse its flavor. Then, strain the syrup to remove the thyme and any detached leaves, then let it cool to room temperature.

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2. Add the heavy whipping cream along with the simple syrup to the bowl. Beat with a hand mixer until the cream sets up and stiff peaks form in the whipped cream.

3. Add the thyme leaves and lemon curd and gently fold in until well-mixed.

Granary Bakehouse–1050 E. 900 South, SLC, 385-212-4298. granarybakehouse.com. The classic bakery sells beautifully lamenated baked goods, does not skimp on the quality of the baked artisan breads and sources local ingredients.

Gourmandise–250 S. 300 East, SLC, 801328-3330, 725 E. 12300 South, Draper, 801-5711500. 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, 801-2586708. 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 American-style 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-andcoming 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.

4. Optional: Decorate the bottom of a loaf pan with slices of candied lemon—this will eventually be the top of your semifreddo.

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.

5. Pour the whipped cream mixture into the loaf pan, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and put in the freezer for about 3-4 hours—long enough for the semifreddo to set up and start to freeze, but not long enough for a hard freeze.

Tulie Bakery–863 E. 700 South, SLC, 801-

6. To remove from the pan, immerse the base of the pan only in hot water for 10 seconds, then turn it upside down over a plate and give it a little shake. Serve in slices with fresh berries, a little lemon zest, or a dollop of lemon curd.

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.”

PHOTOS BY LYDIA MARTINEZ

ON THE TABLE

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R&R BBQ—307 W. 600 South, SLC, 801-364-0443.

Other locations. randrbbq.com. Tasty, reliable and awardwinning barbecue define R&R. The Ribs and brisket are the stars, but fried okra steals the show.

2A 023 W A RD

Sauce Boss Southern Kitchen— 877 E. 12300 South, 385-434-2433

Draper, saucebosssouthernkitchen.com. The menu at Sauce Boss embodies nostalgia, Southern comfort and Black soul food at its best. The focus is on authentic flavors, consistent quality and the details: Red Drink (a house-made version of Bissap), real sweet tea, crunchy-crust cornbread, fried catfish, blackened chicken wings and collard greens.

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, p. 102)

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 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,

STEAKHOUSE Excite your senses with an elevated dining experience. | A large private conference room to host private dining events.

801-521-7446; 6227 State St., Murray, 801-262-2337; 1640 Redstone Center Dr., Park City, 435-575-0295. 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.

1234 WEST SUNSET BLVD. SAINT GEORGE, UT 84770 ■ ANASAZISTEAKHOUSE.COM ■ 435-674-0095

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ON THE TABLE Breakfast/Lunch Only

Coffee

Central & South American

Eggs in the City–2795 S. 2300 East, SLC,

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.

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.

Caffe d’Bolla–299 S. Main St., SLC, 801-355-

Braza Grill–5927 S. State St., Murray, 801-

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.

506-7788. brazagrillutah.com. Meat, meat and more meat is the order of the day at this Brazilian-style churrascaria buffet.

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, 801-4674000. 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 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

Cupla Coffee–175 W. 200 South, SLC, 385-2078362; 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

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

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.

Asian Star–7588 S. Union Park Ave., Midvale,

Logos Coffee–1709 E. 1300 South, SLC, 801657-1383. 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.

Boba World–512 W. 750 South, Woods Cross,

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 plant-based 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 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,

South, SLC, 801-355-3891. siegfriedsdelicatessen. com. The only German deli in town is packed with customers ordering bratwurst, wiener schnitzel, sauerkraut and spaetzle.

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.

Tonyburgers–613 E. 400 South, SLC, 801-

Salt Lake Roasting Company–820 E.

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.

Rodizio Grill–600 S. 700 East, SLC, 801-220-

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.

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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.

801-298-3626. bobaworld.blogspot.com. This momand-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, 801531-7010. 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, 801350-0888. jwongs.com. Drawing from their Thai and Chinese heritage, J. Wong’s menu allows you to choose either. Lunch—Chinese or Thai—isn’t a good deal. It’s a great deal. Don’t miss the ginger whole fish or the Gunpowder cocktail. Call ahead for authentic Peking duck.

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

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

Franck’s–6263 S. Holladay Blvd., SLC, 801-2746264. francksfood.com. Founding chef Franck Peissel’s influence can still be tasted—personal interpretations of continental classics. Some, like the meatloaf, are perennials, but mostly the menu changes according to season and the current chef’s whim.

Mar | Muntanya–170 S. West Temple, SLC, 385433-6700. mar-muntanya.com. The rooftop restaurant, atop the downtown Hyatt Regency hotel, has a menu of Spanish-inspired cuisine with an emphasis on shareable tapas, Spanish gin and tonic cocktails and regional specialties with a little Utah twist.

Monsieur Crêpes–1617 S. 900 East, SLC, 787358-9930. monsieurcrepesut.us. This French-style creperie offering both savory—Brie, prosciutto, tomato—and sweet—whipped cream, fruit, chocolate—fillings. The charming cafe comes with a very pretty patio.

Indian Bombay House–2731 E. Parley’s Way, SLC, 801581-0222; 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, 801467-4137. 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.

Himalayan Kitchen–360 S. State St., SLC, 801328-2077; 11521 S. 4000 West, South Jordan, 801-2540800. 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, 801-4663504; 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.

Whether it's brunch, lunch, or dinner, we invite you to join us at Tifiny's!

Royal India –10263 S. 1300 East, Sandy, 801-5726123; 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.

567 South Valley View Dr | Saint George, UT 84770 | Phone: (435) 879-3363

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ON THE TABLE Saffron Valley–1098 W. South Jordan Pkwy.,

The Secret is in The Spice Ethiopian Berbere spice blend

BY LYDIA MARTINE Z

While talking about Ethiopian food, let’s make a quick note about Berbere, one of the Ethiopian staple spice blends. Much like the euphonious “curry,” which can be a dish, a spice blend, a plant, or a catch-all for food cooked in a spicy gravy, Berbere can mean several things. It can be a spice blend, a type of chile, and a catch-all for a series of herbs or spices that aren’t well-known internationally (yet).

Generally speaking, Berbere, the spice mix, is blended with chile peppers, coriander, ginger, garlic and fenugreek.

But every family has their own recipe.

And I expect the same is the case at Mahider. Ethiopian food is well-spiced with lingering warmth rather than big mouth-searing heat.

Some of my favorite dishes include: • Doro Wot—Fall-off-the-bone chicken legs simmered in a rich and spicy stew with berbere, caramelized onions, garlic and served with Ayib, a fresh cheese similar to ricotta, but more crumbly. The rich cheese cuts the heat from some of the other dishes. Since we are all used to eating chicken legs out of hand, this is a good foray into eating all the other dishes with fingers and Injera.

• Gomen—Chopped collard greens steamed with garlic spices. Believe it or not, this is my favorite dish from the entire platter. The greens are bitter and stewed down until they are soft. I love scooping up some of the collards along with a bite of one of the meat stews to balance out the richness and spice.

• Shiro Wot—Roasted chickpeas, pureed and then simmered with garlic, tomatoes, and onion. When it is done cooking, it is more sauce than stew. But what a sauce!

• Siga Wot—Cubed beef with caramelized onions, berbere, and other spices slow simmered into a stew.

This is the most dense dish on the platter and is worth eating with the fresh tomato/ jalapeno salad that comes with it.

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

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

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

Friendly service.

Italian & Pizza Arella Pizzeria–535 W. 400 North, Bountiful, 801-294-8800. arellapizzeria.com. Chic pizza in Bountiful. Arella’s pies appeal to pizza purists, traditionalists and adventurers, with 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, 801-5338746. 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, 801-272-0821. caputos.com. A great selection of olive oils, imported pastas, salamis and house-aged cheeses, and the largest selections of fine chocolate in the country. The deli menu doesn’t reflect the market, but is a reliable source for meatball sandwiches and such.

Carmine’s Italian Restaurant–2477 Fort Union Blvd., SLC, 801-948-4468. 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, 801328-3463. toscanaslc.com. This longtime favorite turns out Italian classics like veal scaloppine, carbonara and a risotto of the day in a chic setting. A tiny cup of complimentary hot chocolate ends the meal.

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

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

Osteria Amore–224 S. 1300 East, SLC, 385270-5606. osteriaamore.com. An offshoot of the evergrowing 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, your-hands-on service, hope they have enough glasses to accommodate the wine you bring, and order the spinach ravioli.

The Pie Pizzeria–1320 E. 200 South, SLC, 801-582-5700; 3321 S. 200 East, South Salt Lake, 801-466-5100; 7186 Union Park Ave, Midvale, 801233-1999; 10627 Redwood Rd., South Jordan, 801495-4095. 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 institution, 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, 801-7023580. 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.

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

Slackwater Pizza –684 S. 500 West, SLC, 801-386-9777. slackwaterpizzeria.com. The pies

here are as good as any food in SLC. Selection ranges from traditional to Thai (try it), and there’s an excellent selection of wine and beer.

FROM THE DOCK TO YOUR TABLE, WE BRING THE HARBOR TO YOU!

Settebello Pizzeria–260 S. 200 West, SLC, 801322-3556. 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, 801274-0223; 895 W. East Promontory, Farmington, 385988-3727. 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!

ADD LOBSTER TAIL, CANADIAN RED CRAB OR MAINE SCALLOPS TO ANY ENTREE. WE SPECIALIZE IN FRESH SEAFOOD AND FEATURE WAGYU, AMERICAN KOBE BEEF FROM SNAKE RIVER FARMS. 2302 E. PARLEY’S WAY 801-466-9827 harborslc.com

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.

Monday–Thursday 5p–9:30p | Friday–Saturday 5p–10p | Sunday 5p–8:30p

Located on the corner of 2100 South & 2300 East in Sugar House

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, 801521-4563. valtersosteria.com. Although the restaurant’s namesake, Valter Nassi, passed away in 2022, the restaurant remains a living monument to his effervescent personality. His legacy of service and quality continues to inspire and delight.

Veneto Ristorante–370 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-359-0708. venetoslc.com. This small place, owned by Marco and Amy Stevanoni, strives to focus on one of the many regional cuisines we lump under the word “Italian.” Hence the name; and forget what you think you know about Italian food except the word “delizioso.

Japanese Aqua Terra Steak + Sushi–50 S. Main St. #168, Salt Lake City, 385-261-2244. aquaterrasteak.com.

Aqua Terra’s menu features premium steak and wild game cuts, a wide range of sushi, omakase and crispy rice, an array of classic and sake cocktails and wine offerings in a chic, art-deco setting.

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ON THE TABLE Kaze–65. E. Broadway, SLC, 801-800-6768. kazesushiut.com. Small and stylish, Kaze has plenty to offer besides absolutely fresh fish and inventive combos. 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.

Mediterranean & Middle Eastern Café Med–420 E. 3300 South, SLC, 801-4930100. 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, 801-2729111. 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.

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.

Laziz Kitchen–912 S. Jefferson St., SLC, 801-

Mint Sushi–8391 S. 700 East, Sandy, 385-434-

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.

8022; 3158 E. 6200 South, Cottonwood Heights, 801417-9690; 4640 S. Holladay Village Plaza, Holladay, 385296-1872. 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.

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

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

441-1228. lazizkitchen.com. There are so many reasons to love Laziz Kitchen. Some are obvious—their topnotch Lebanese-style hummus, muhammara and toum.

Mazza–1515 S. 1500 East, SLC, 801-484-

Manoli’s–402 E. 900 South, Ste. 2, SLC, 801532-3760. 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.

Chile Tepin–307 W. 200 South, SLC, 801-8839255. 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, 801-9531840; 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.

La Cevicheria– 123 E. 200 South, SLC, 801-906-0016. @lacevicheriautah. It’s all about the ceviche. La Cevicheria has 11 unique varieties of ceviche (with seasonal flavors weaving in and out).

You’ll find ceviche made with shrimp, tuna, whitefish, salmon and octopus. There is even a vegetarian ceviche.

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.

Red Iguana and Red 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.

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 afterdark destination.

Taqueria 27–149 E. 200 South, SLC, 385259-0940; 4670 S. Holladay Village Plaza, Holladay, 801-676-9706; 6154 S. Fashion Blvd. Ste. 2, Murray, 801-266-2487; 1688 W. Traverse Pkwy., Lehi, 801331-8033. taqueria27.com. Salt Lake needs more Mexican food, and Taqueria 27 is here to provide it.

Artisan tacos (try the duck confit), inventive guacamole and lots of tequila.

Mexican

Seafood

Tsunami–1059 E. 900 South, SLC, 385-9000288; 7628 S. Union Park Ave., Midvale, 801-6766466; 10722 River Front Pkwy., South Jordan, 801-748-1178; 1616 W. Traverse Pkwy., Lehi, 801-770-0088. tsunamiutah.com. Besides sushi, the menu offers crispy-light tempura and numerous house cocktails and sake.

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.

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.

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

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.

Tosh’s Ramen–1465 S. State St., SLC, 801466-7000. 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.

Spitz Doner Kebab–35 E. Broadway, SLC,

Blue Iguana–165 S. West Temple, SLC, 801-533-

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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, 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–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 redcurry 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, 801-5054999. 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.

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ON THE TABLE 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, 385-2400309. 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–7307 Canyon Centre Parkway, Cottonwood Heights, 801-485-2323. phothinslc.com. 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.

Krua Thai–212 E. 500 South, SLC, 801-3284401. 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, 801595-1234; 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.

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.

Sapa Sushi Bar & Asian Grill–

20 S. 400 West Ste. 2020, The Gateway, SLC, 801355-3704. 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.

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, 801364-1144. skeweredthai.com. A serene setting for some of the best Thai in town—perfectly balanced curries, pristine spring rolls, intoxicating drunk noodles and a well-curated 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.

Rawtopia–3961 S. Wasatch Blvd., SLC, 801-486-0332. rawtopia.com. Owner Omar AbouIsmail’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.

Steak

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.

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.

Vegetarian & Vegan

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse–

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, 801-2384748. 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.

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, 801355-8899. 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 batter-fried bananas with coconut ice cram.

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VEGAN MAC A good vegan mac ‘n‘ cheese is hard to find, but not at Vertical Diner. It’s right there, on the menu.

Vertical Diner–234 W. 900 South, SLC, 801484-8378. 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, 435-6041402. 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.

FEEL LIKE A MILLION BUCKS Don’t miss Spencer’s for Steaks And Chops’ Millionaire’s bacon, a decadent slab of pork belly, drizzled with honey and fig compote.

350 Main–350 Main St., Park City, 435-6493140. 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.

SEASON’S GREETINGS Firewood’s locally sourced menu rotates with Utah’s seasons, like bison in the summer and elk in fall and winter. Visit often to get the full range of fire-cooked flavors.

The perfect place in Kimball Junction for families, beer fans, & friends!

Firewood–306 Main St., Park City, 435-2529900. 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.

See you soon!

Glitretind–7700 Stein Way, Deer Valley, Park

1764 Uinta Way C1, Park City, UT 84098

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, 435-6583975. 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.

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Rime Seafood & Steak–2300 Deer Valley Dr. East, Park City, St. Regis, Deer Valley, 435-940-5760. 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.

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ON THE TABLE Royal Street Café 7600 Royal St., Silver Lake Village, Deer Valley Resort, Park City, 435-6156240. 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.

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.

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 are a must.

NO NEED FOR BEEF Burgers & Bourbon’s vegan burger is handmade, with a black bean and rice patty on an artisanal vegan bun with tofu aioli, sprouts, tomato and onion. Even meat lovers admit it’s delicious.

Lush’s BBQ–7182 Silver Creek Rd., Park City, 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.

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 else.

The Brass Tag–2900 Deer Valley Dr. East,

Sammy’s Bistro–1890 Bonanza Dr., Park

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.

City, 435-214-7570. sammysbistro.com. Down-toearth 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.

Eating Establishment–317 Main St.,

Silver Star Cafe–1825 Three Kings Dr., Park

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.

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.

Fletcher’s on Main Street–562 Main St.,

Simon’s at Homestead resort–

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.

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.

Burgers & Bourbon–9100 Marsac Ave.,

Blind Dog Grill–1251 Kearns Blvd., Park

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.

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.

Bar Grub & Brewpubs

American Casual 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.

Wasatch Bagel Café –

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.

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.

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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 stateof-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, 435-6459555. 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.

U TA H O W N E D | U TA H R A I S E D | U TA H G R O W I N G

S A LT L A K E L O C AT I O N N O W O P E N

Italian & Pizza Fuego–2001 Sidewinder Dr., Park City, 435- 6458646. fuegopizzeria.com. Off the beaten Main Street track, this pizzeria is a family-friendly solution to a skihungry evening. Pastas, paninis and wood-fired pizzas are edgy, but they’re good.

Ghidotti’s–6030 N. Market St., Park City, 435658-0669. 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 hard-to-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.

OGDEN | SLC | SANDY

Yuki Yama Sushi–586 Main St., Park City, 435649-6293. 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.

Mexican & Southwestern Baja Cantina–1355 Lowell Ave., Park City, 435649-2252. 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 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 avocadoshrimp appetizer combines guacamole and ceviche flavors in a genius dish.

o p en t u esd ay – s aturd ay 7 :3 0 a m – 3:30pm 1 0 5 9 eas t 900 s outh sa lt la k e ci ty , utah granarybakehouse.com @granarybakehouse_slc

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ON THE TABLE NORTHERN UTAH

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.

437-5488. snowbasin.com. Ski-day sustenance and fireside dinner for the après-ski set. In summer, dine at the top of the mountain.

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.

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ININ Rime Seafood & Raw Bar– 2A 023 9850 Summit View Dr., Park City. rimerawW A RD bar.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 ThursSun.

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 prizewinning mixologists adds to the freestyle feel.

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, 435-649-8060. 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.

The Huntington Room at Earl’s Lodge–3925 E. Snowbasin Rd., Huntsville, 888-

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.

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, 385-2441825. 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, 801-6212830. 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, 385-2441471. 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, 435-7534777. caffeibis.com. Exchange news, enjoy sandwiches and salads and linger over a cuppa conscientiously grown coffee.

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Chinese Mandarin–348 E. 900 North, Bountiful, 801298-2406. 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 familyowned 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.

ININ Tona Sushi–210 25th St., Ogden, 2A 023 801-622-8662. tonarestaurant.com. The W A RD 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.

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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.

American Fine Dining

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.

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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.

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.

PROVO & CENTRAL UTAH American Fine Dining Communal–102 N. University Ave., Provo, 801373-8000. 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, 385-2417499. 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 s­ teaks. Sunday brunch is a mammoth buffet.

GET COZY After a chilly day on the slopes, warm up with a meal and a seat by the fireplace in the Foundry Grill’s dining room.

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.

Barbecue Bam Bam’s BBQ –1708 S. State St., Orem,, 801-225-1324, bambamsbbq.com. Bam Bam’s delivers on its promise of authentic Central Texas-style barbecue with meats smoked to perfection. They also offer a BBQ 101 class.

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ON THE TABLE 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, 801-5810222. bombayhouse.com. Salt Lake’s biryani mainstay has several sister restaurants worthy to call family.

Italian & Pizza Màstra Italian Bakery and Bistro–476 N. 900 West, Ste. D, American Fork, 385221-9786. mastraorders.com. 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.

Bar Grub & Brewpubs Moab Brewery–686 Main St., Moab, 435-2596333. themoabbrewery.com. 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.

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.

ST. GEORGE & SOUTHWEST UTAH American Fine Dining Anasazi Steakhouse–1234 W. Sunset Blvd., St. George, 435-674-0094. anasazisteakhouse. com. Diners cook their own steaks and seafood on volcanic rocks at this stylish and artsy spot that also serves up fondue and cocktails.

Canyon Breeze Restaurant— 1275 E. Red Mountain Cir., Ivins, 435-652-5728. redmountainresort.com. Red Mountain’s Canyon Breeze Restaurant has spectacular views and outdoor patio seating. The menu focuses on whole foods, local meats, homemade baked goods and desserts made from scratch.

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.

Rib & Chop House–1676 S. Convention Center Dr., St. George, 435-674-1900. ribandchophouse. com/st-george-utah. Rib & Chop House is home to premium steaks, fresh seafood and baby back ribs (the local favorite). The perfect nonchalant atmosphere for quality food.

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, 435644-3300. vermillion45.com. Who would expect a fine restaurant with a French chef in Kanab? But here it is, and it’s excellent.

Wood•Ash•Rye–25 W. St. George Blvd., St George, 435-522-5020. theadvenirehotel.com/woodash-rye-restaurant. Located in historic downtown St. George, Wood•Ash•Rye seeks out regionally sourced ingredients to curate one-of-a-kind recipes that rotate with every season.

American Casual Bear Paw Café–75 N. Main St., St. George, 435-900-8790. bearpawcafe.com. St. George’s favorite breakfast and lunch cafe for more than 25 years! Bear

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Paw Cafe is the perfect place to get breakfast at anytime of the day. Don’t forget to try the guest favorites, including belgian waffles, hand-crafted pancakes, world-class french toast and fresh crepes.

George’s Corner Restaurant & Pub–2 W. St. George Blvd., St. George, 435-2167311. georgescornerrestaurant.com. This comfy neighborhood hangout spot serves burgers and pub grub, along with regional beers.

Mom’s Café–10 E. Main St., Salina, 435-5293921. 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.”

Morty’s Café–702 E. St. George Blvd., St. George, 435-359-4439. mortyscafe.com/stgeorge.

From burgers to coffee, Morty’s Cafe has just about every type of quick and fresh classic food. Straightforward and relaxed, don’t forget to try their homemade special Morty sauce.

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- 6891959. 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 chocolate-chile 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.

Barbecue Pica Rica Americana BBQ — 25 N. Main St., St. George, 435-200-4420. picaricabbq.com. In the heart of St. George, Pica Rica’s menu marries the themes of Texas barbecue with the flavor of Mexico City. You’ll find all of the classics, from spare ribs to smoked brisket, along side moles, fresh salsas and street corn.

Bakeries & Cafés Tifiny’s Creperie–567 S. Valley View Dr., St. George, 435-879-3363. tifinyscreperie.com. Enjoy the cozy dining room and the comforting, casual French cuisine, featuring classic sweet and savory crêpes.

Mexican Angelica’s Mexican Grill–101 E. St. George Blvd., St. George, 435-628-4399. angelicasmexicangrill. com. A bright Mexican eatery serving up traditional street food in a cozy space.

Café Sabor–290 E. St. George Blvd, St. George, 435-218-7775. cafesabor.com. Sabor boasts a warm and welcoming atmosphere with an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs work their magic. The menu includes a fusion of traditional Mexican dishes with a Southwestern twist.

CONTEMPORARY SEASONAL CUISINE CASUAL FINE DINING We look forward to serving you soon!

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.

Italian & Pizza Cappeletti’s Restaurant– 36 E. Tabernacle St., St. George, 435-986-4119. cappelettisrestaurantstgeorge.com. A family owned Italian restaurant. With fresh homemade salami, handmade mozzarella, beef empanadas, seafood linguini and more, Cappeletti’s has been serving St. George for more than a decade.

Open 7 days a week, Lunch: Mon-Sat 11:30-3:30, Dinner: 4pm Daily 2 WEST ST. GEORGE BLVD., ST. GEORGE | 435.634.1700

Chef Alfredo’s Saint George–1110 S. Bluff St., St. George, 435-656-5000. chefalfredos.com. Authentic Italian cuisine in the heart of Southern Utah. With incredible food and outstanding service, Chef Alfredo’s is a must for a date night or special occasion.

The Pizza Factory–2 W. St. George Blvd., St. George, 435-628-1234. stgeorgepizzafactory.com. The original St. George Pizza Factory, founded in 1979, is one of the city’s main attractions. It was born of a desire to create the perfect pizza parlor, where friends and family could come together over a slice or a whole pie.

Japanese Sakura Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi–81 N. 1100 East, St. George, 435-275-2888. sakuraut.com. The Hibachi side of the restaurant gives both dinner and a show in one, but if you’re shy about open flames, Sakura also offers tasty sushi rolls.

Southeast Asian Banana Blossom Thai Cuisine– 430 E. St. George Blvd., St. George, 435-879-3298. bananablossomstgeorge.com. A homey Thai restaurant that has a menu full of the classics and also offers tasty takeaway.

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ARTISANAL ITALIAN RESTAURANT, DISHES MADE FROM FRESH INGREDIENTS.

FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED. Park City

1241 Center Dr. L100 Park City, UT 84098

Sugarhouse

1270 South 1100 East Salt Lake City, UT 84105

Farmington

895 W E Promontory Farmington, UT 84025

VISIT US ONLINE

Bar Fly lib a t i o n s / b a r s

A Taste of Tokyo Nightlife

p. 101

Bar Fly Listings

p. 102

A Little Town Called Eggnog

p. 104

Sayonara’s neon-lit interior brings a little bit of Tokyo to SLC.

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.

IF YOU GO

PHOTO CREDIT ADAM FINKLE

324 S. State St., SLC, @sayonaraslc

A TASTE OF TOKYO NIGHTLIFE Inside Sayonara, Salt Lake City’s latest Izakaya bar

BY AVREY EVANS

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H E O U T S I D E O F S A LT L A K E ’ S N E W E S T B A R

Sayonara is unassuming. Apart from the spacious patio out front and chalkboard sign advertising sake and Japanese spirits, there’s little indication of what awaits you inside.

The ambiguity doesn’t last long. Walking into Sayonara is a delightful surprise. Bright neon signs adorn enclosed booths, scenes from anime project on the walls, and a long bar decorated with samurai prints serve up high balls and Japanese microbrews.

It’s like someone picked up an alleyway bar in Tokyo and placed it right here in downtown Salt Lake City—just as owners Ashton Aragon and Max Shrives intended.

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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.

neighborhood, Casot is the real deal. Located in the established 15th and 15th hood, this small wine bar is a welcome addition featuring a Spanish forward list from Pago’s Scott Evans.

Acme Bar Co.–837 E. 2100 South, 801-467-

West Temple, SLC, 801-596-1234. For an escape from the hustle of downtown, pop into the Salt Lake City Hyatt Regency hotel’s cocktail lounge, to enjoy a small bite or a drink from the thoughtful cocktail menu.

The Aerie–9320 Cliff Lodge Dr. Ste. 88, Snowbird Sayonra owner Ashton Aragon and Elle Aragon.

The duo, who own and operate Tradition, had the vision to open a casual bar downtown that would showcase Ashton’s appreciation for Japanese Izakaya bars. When the space that formerly housed Ginger Street became available, the pair jumped at the opportunity. The bar underwent renovations last February and has been open since this summer. Unlike some new bars that might struggle to establish an identity in our close-knit nightlife community, Sayonara makes a distinct impression on imbibers.

What was once a grand, open dining hall, has been shrunk down by four enclosed booths built in the style of Japanese Minka houses. Suspended wood panels visually lower the ceiling, and bright lanterns give the feeling of roaming Tokyo’s streets. “We wanted to bring everything down and really replicate that Tokyo alleyway feel,” Ashton explains. The booths each have their own personality, Aragon’s wife Elle designed them with themes in mind to replicate a cozy Japanese living room, and a sultry samurai-themed nook. One booth displays wall-to-wall collages of anime clipart, because “you can’t have a Japanese bar without some nod to anime,” says Elle. Most of the DIY decor was brought from Japan to the States, like hand-painted masks and anime movie posters. In short, it’s a mesmerizing space built with deep sentiment.

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Copper Common–111 E. Broadway

2A 023 #190, SLC, 801-355-0543. coppercommon.

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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.

A 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.

Alibi Bar & Place–369 S. Main St., SLC, 385-

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.

Back Door On Edison–152 E. 200 South,

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.

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 on theme nights.

BRINGING TOKYO TO SLC

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3325. acmebarcompany.com. The Sugar House neighborhood now has a high-concept, pop-up, seasonal cocktail bar. While the theme and menus are everevolving, it is always a good time with tiki-centric drinks.

Contribution Cocktail Lounge –170 S.

SLC, 385-267-1161. backdoorslc.com. This watering hole from the owners of Laziz Kitchen serves Lebaneseinspired bar bites and has a promising cocktail menu. Try the Oaxacan Old Fashioned along with the dip sampler.

Bar Nohm–165 W. 900 South, SLC, 385-465-4488.

barnohm.com. The new Bar Nohm is more of a gastropub than a sit-down restaurant, complete with a cocktail menu and Asian fusion sharing plates. Think of it as Salt Lake’s first Izakaya restaurant, the Japanese word for an informal bar that literally translates to “stay-drink-place.”

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, 801364-4268. @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, 801-5662561. 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.

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.

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

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.

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 Ave.–231 S. Edison Street, SLC, 385831-7560. franklinaveslc.com. A swanky restaurant and bar by the minds of Bourbon Group. The food is multicultural fusion with roots in modern American.

House-made 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, 385415-5002. 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.

Sayonara’s shrimp, mushroom and chicken katsu skewers and katsu sandwich pair with ontheme cocktails.

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.

Hive 435 Taphouse–61 W. St. George Blvd, St. George, 435-619-8435. hive435taphouse.com.

Providing a service to the St. George nightlife scene, Hive 435 also serves up live entertainment, gourmet pizza, sandwiches and favorite cocktails.

HK Brewing Collective–370 W. Aspen

Ave., SLC, 801-907-0869. hkbrewing.com. Before the HK Brewing taproom, there was Hans Kombucha, a women-founded and queer-owned brewery. Now they’re slinging ‘booch-cocktails, local spirits, beer, cider and small bites from their taproom and lounge.

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, 801-5322068. lakeeffectslc.com. An eclectic bar and lounge with a fine wine list and full menu. Live music many nights; open until 1 a.m.

Oyster Bar–48 W. Market St., SLC, 801-322-

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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 award-winning martini and a dozen oysters—half price on Mondays.

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The Pearl–917 S. 200 West, SLC,

2A 023 @thepearlslc. The Pearl is a hip space serving W A RD

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.

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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.

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When creating the menu at Sayonara, Ashton set out to offer Salt Lake drinkers a selection of beer and spirits they wouldn’t normally find in Utah, while also serving approachable favorites. “We want to broaden people’s horizons,” he says. “But we also want to make sure we have the things people already love to drink.” There’s a little something for everyone on the menu—cheap drafts and a good sake list, and if you want that $50 shot of Japanese whisky, you can get that too. The cocktail menu, designed by Tradition bartender Rosemary Elliot, is similarly adventurous. The Wasabi Mule puts a spicy kick on a classic, and the Ume Martini combines Japanese pickled plum with Sochu and Gin. There’s also a few different highball variations if you’re in the mood for something light, like the Lemon Umezu–plum, vinegar, Gin and soda.

Of course, any Izakaya bar is incomplete with snacks. Sticking to tradition, Sayonara’s kitchen serves up handmade gyoza, shrimp skewers, chicken katsu skewers and other small bites. “We’re not trying to blow people’s minds with the food, but that’s not what Japanese Izakayas are about,” Ashton explains. “It’s more about coming in after work or on a weekend with some friends, enjoying a good beer and a quick bite. Lowkey, affordable, and delicious.” The kitchen is open five to 10 p.m., seven days a week.

Sayonara has made a welcome addition to Salt Lake’s nightlife community, and it’s only going to get better. Ashton has plans to host live music a few nights a week, and eventually be another destination for chef takeovers and pop-ups. The patio is also expected to get a makeover, with lots of hanging lanterns and privacy screens to reduce street noise and keep the space warm during the winter. Through the changes that new restaurants and bars inevitably make in their first years, I’m sure we’ll see Sayonara become another hotspot for weekend revelers and midweek happy hour seekers.

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.

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PHOTO CREDIT ADAM FINKLE (LEF T, RIGHT)

SAYONARA SIPS AND SNACKS

Post Office Place–16 W. Market St.,

2A 023 SLC, 801-519-9595. popslc.com. Post Office W A RD

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.

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Quarters Arcade Bar–5 E. 400 South, SLC, 801477-7047; 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, only one in Utah.

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.

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 plenty of style.

The Rest and Bodega –331 S. Main St., SLC, 801532-4452. 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 book-lined library, take a booth or sit at the bar.

The Shooting Star–7350 E. 200 South, Huntsville,

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.

With the holidays now firmly behind us, you might be tempted to put away those glass moose mugs and bid farewell to a seasonal sipper. But the custard-like concoction can and should be enjoyed into the winter months, and for one Utah town, it’s a year-round emblem.

The Vault–202 S. Main St., SLC, 801-363-5454. bambaraslc.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.

BY AVREY EVANS

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

Long ago in Medieval England, some uppity imbibers decided to warm their bellies with a mix of curdled warm milk, wine or ale, spices, and hell—why not crack an egg in there? Sounds delicious, I know. These ingredients were too expensive for the average peasant to acquire, thus the beverage was mostly enjoyed by the aristocracy.

After a few generations, and a skip over the Atlantic, the descendant of the curdled concoction became eggnog. Colonists had ready access to milk and eggs, though they swapped out fortified wines for rum, whiskey or moonshine. By the 1800s eggnog was a popular drink enjoyed during the winter months, and eventually became synonymous with the holidays.

Despite the popularization of eggnog consumption from Thanksgiving through the New Year, it’s quite a divisive cocktail. You either hate it or you love it. The rich drink has even been the root of riots—the 1826 Great West Point Eggnog Riot to be exact, where scores of cadets broke the academy’s no-drinking policy to indulge in some ‘nog. But for one Utah hamlet, their affinity for Eggnog is so great that they’re named after it.

Located in Garfield County just southeast of Capital Reef, Eggnog was established in 1979. The desolate town was likely named for their residents’ tendency to serve eggnog to ranchers. With its hefty texture and fattening qualities, the drink is a quick way to restore some energy for laborers. So while the rest of us might turn up our noses to the thought of eggnog off-season, just remember that in some Beehive communities, the ‘nog is a fixed point of pride.

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Wakara Bar–480 Wakara Way, SLC, 801-581-1000.

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.

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 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.

PHOTO CREDIT ADOBE STOCK

A LITTLE TOWN CALLED EGGNOG

801-745-2002. 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.

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 became Utah’s first brewery since prohibition to exclusively produce high-alcohol brews when it opened in 2018.

Enjoy them at the brewery 2 ounces at a time or take some to-go seven days a week.

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.

Prodigy Brewing–25 W. Center Street, Logan, 435-375-3313. prodigy-brewing.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.

Uinta Brewing Company–1722 S. Fremont

Proper Brewing Co.–857 S. Main St., 801953-1707. 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.

Tasting Rooms

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 Brewing Project –30 E. Kensington

Ave., SLC, 385-227-8982. rohabrewing.com. A friendly local taproom in the heart of Salt Lake’s Ballpark neighborhood. This taproom offers 12 draft beers, a variety of high-points beers, local ciders, wine, canned cocktails and spirits. Enjoy the live music, a firkin and other events.

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..

South Salt Lake,801-906-8390. gridcitybeerworks. com. Grid City does triple-duty as a pub, brewery and restaurant. They also triple the ways they serve their one-of-a-kind beers—cask, nitro or CO2. The hard seltzers are pretty tasty, too.

Hopkins Brewing Company–1048

Salt Flats Brewing Co.–2020 Industrial

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 vibe fits the Sugar House scene with frequent live music.

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.

Kiitos Brewing–608 W. 700 South, 801-215-

Shades Brewing–154 W. Utopia Ave., South Salt

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.

Lake, 435-200-3009. shadesbrewing.beer. A mom-andpop brewery supplying many local restaurants—check the website—stop by their tap room.

Level Crossing Brewing Company–2496 S. West Temple, South Salt

Lake, 385-270-5752; 550 S. 300 West, SLC, 885-2954090. levelcrossingbrewing.com. A welcoming bar and community-minded gathering place for trivia and board game night and, of course, hand-crafted beer and wood-fired pizza.

Squatters/Wasatch–147 W. Broadway, SLC, 801-363-2739; 2110 Highland Dr., SLC, 801783-1127; 1763 S. 300 West, SLC, 801-466-8855. 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.

Mountain West Cider–425 N. 400 West,

Talisman Brewing Company–1258

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. The brewpub is kidfriendly, making it the perfect family après spot.

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.

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.

Grid City Beer Works–333 W. 2100 South,

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.

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. Brewmaster Kevin Templin has a long history in Salt Lake’s beer scene. Enjoy his meticulously made German-style beer and don’t miss game night.

700 South, Ste. 401, Pleasant Grove, 801-997-8667. clearwaterdistilling.com. Utah County’s lone distillery is doing the Lord’s work in bringing that part of Utah equally singular spirits. Tastings/tours 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.

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 or stay and enjoy the themed, on-site restaurant.

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.

Simplicity Cocktails –335 W. 1830 South, SLC,

801-210-0868. drinksimplicity.com. Are you “ready-to-drink” craft cocktails and spirits? At Simplicity Cocktails, they follow one motto: keep it simple. Tastings 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.

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. Tastings are available by appointment.

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Be Social f a c e s a n d f u n f r o m a r o u n d t h e b e e h i v e s t a te

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6th Annual Bartender Recharge Sept. 26, 2023 • The Westerner Photos by Miguel Mendoza

More than 650 bartenders from Utah attended the 6th Annual Bartender Recharge. In addition to giving back to bartenders, the event also raised more than $5,500 for the Folds of Honor Scholarship Fund. This popular yearly event is the brainchild of Casey Metzger of Top Shelf and Seth Hill of The Downstairs and is made possible by generous sponsors.

1 Raina from Black Art Tattoo and Dakotah Harlan at the event’s

tattoo experience 2 No Name Crew enjoying the BBQ fare (left to right) Max Bramson, Logan Pierce, Craig Volk 3 Annie Duong, Michael Kalvig, Asia Dove, Jedidiah Johnson 4 Crowd Line Dancing 5 Seth Hill and Casey Metzger

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6th Annual Bartender Recharge

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The Children’s Center Utah

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2008 Utes Sugar Bowl Hall of Fame

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Party for Clean Power

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Eat Drink SLC

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Park City’s Promontory Club

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CALL FOR PHOTOS We welcome your photos of recent social events around Utah for consideration. Please send high resolution photos (.jpg format) to magazine@saltlakemagazine.com with the subject line “Social” and a package of images and event information in a file transfer service. Submissions must accompanied by names and a description of the event (who, what, when, where, why).

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Children’s Center Utah Unveils New Facility Sept. 25, 2023 • Children’s Mental Health Campus, West Valley City Photos by Anthony Oliver, Love Communications

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The Children’s Center Utah hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the grand opening of its new children’s mental health campus at 3725 W. 4100 South in West Valley City. This milestone marks the completion of the multi-million dollar project aimed at providing comprehensive mental health support. The new campus showcases the successful collaboration between public and private partners, highlighting the importance of investments in early childhood mental health. Founded in 1962, The Children’s Center Utah provides comprehensive mental health care to enhance the emotional well-being of infants, toddlers, preschoolers and their families. For more information, visit childrenscenterutah.org.

1 First Lady Abby Cox speaking

2 Abby Cox, Rebecca Dutson, and Gail Miller

3 Donors and TCCU employees, including First Lady Abby Cox; Rebecca Dutson,

president and CEO of TCCU; and Gail Miller of the Larry H Miller and Gail Miller Family 4 Foundation Rebecca Dutson presenting the donor wall

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Advisory Board Member, The Children’s Center Utah

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2008 University of Utah Sugar Bowl Team Hall of Fame Event September 2023 • Flanker Kitchen + Sporting Club Photos by Katie Eldridge

In September, The University of Utah’s 2008 undefeated Sugar Bowl team was inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame. The induction was celebrated with an after-party at Flanker Kitchen + Sporting Club, at The Gateway in downtown Salt Lake City. It had been 15 years since a lot of the teammates had seen each other making for a fun party. Utah Sports Hall of Famers Sealver Siliga, Robert Johnson, Matt Asiata, Sean Smith, Koa Misi, Stevenson Sylvester, John Peel and Derrick Shelby were all in attendance.

1 Coach Quinton Ganther 2 Sealver Siliga 3 Aaron Tonga 4 Robert Johnson 5 Stevenson Sylvester 6 Jacob Bentrude and Kepa Gaison

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Party for Clean Power Sept. 28, 2023 • Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center, Taylorsville Photos by Kristan Jacobsen

Utah Clean Energy, Utah’s leading climate change advocacy organization, presented Utah’s premier climate solutions event, the annual Party for Clean Power, on Sept. 28, 2023. The event brought together more than 350 local leaders to catalyze new ideas, inspire action and celebrate progress in the fight against climate change. Utah Clean Energy is a public interest organization working to turn the tide on climate change by expanding renewable energy, energy efficiency, storage, and clean vehicles.

1 Guests at Utah Clean Energy’s Party for Clean Power 2 Climate Champion Awardee Reverend Dr. Oscar T. Moses, Calvary Baptist Church, with family and friends 3 Performers from Brolly Arts 4 Bert Zimmerli, Zimmerli Family Foundation; Erica Marten, Utah Clean Energy; Sarah Wright, Utah Clean Energy CEO; Karey Barker, Cross Creek; John Robertson, Zimmerli Family Foundation 5 Guests at Utah Clean Energy’s Party for Clean Powerv

6 Doug Hatch, Sharpe/Marken Party; Trish Hatch, Guardian ad Litem Office; Steve Keyser, Utah Paperbox J ANUAR Y /F EB R UAR Y 2024 | SALTLAKEMAGAZINE.COM

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Eat Drink SLC Sept. 13–14, 2023 • Tracy Aviary • Photos by Austen Diamond

Eat Drink SLC celebrated Salt Lake’s culinary and libation world for two nights in September. Net proceeds benefited three nonprofits: Tracy Aviary, SB Dance and Women of the World, a community organization that empowers immigrant, asylum-seeking women and their families. Since its inception, Eat Drink SLC has raised more than $100,000 for worthy nonprofits.

1 Xio Bao’s Romina Rasmussen and Lisa McCune 2 Hill’s Kitchen’s Aly Wallman, Lucy Clark, Alvaro Cisneros, Chris Straughan 3 Lorenza Wines’ Michele Ouellet, Lesley and Wade Rockwood 4 Franklin Avenue’s Josh Handley, Erik Anthony, Matt Crandall, John Parrott, Milo Vigil 5 Yoko Taco’s Jaime Ordaz, Kiersten Duffin, Chef Devon Auchterlonie 6 French Libation’s Kelsey Laderriere 7 SB Dance performer Jorji Diaz Fadel

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Park City’s Promontory Club Celebrates Opening of The Hills Sept. 2, 2023 • Promontory Club, Park City

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Park City’s Promontory Club celebrated the debut of its third golf course, The Hills, on Sept. 2, 2023. Approximately 500 members and influencers turned out for the festivities, which included golf cart tours of the course, a putting competition and culinary delights from Sage, the modern Italian dining concept that will be located in the new clubhouse dedicated to the course.

The Hills, conceived by golf course architect Forrest Richardson and design partner Jeff Danner, is an 18-hole course with all par-3 holes. Along with the new course, clubhouse and Sage, there will be four indoor golf simulator bays with state-of-the-art Trackman technology. Cascade Green, Promontory’s 18-hole putting course, was inspired by the famous Himalayas at St. Andrew.

It is complemented by The GAP, a full practice facility and on-range Golf Academy, complete with multiple hitting bays and a state-of-the-art TaylorMade Fitting Center.

1 DJ Dolph 2 Scott Law, Cynthia Brown, Walter Bennett and Eveleen Babich 3 Marilyn Batter, Carol and Rob Richardson 4 Seth Lansky, Kemper King, Josh Lansky, Corey Melnick, Matty Van Leeuwen 5 Brad Green, Debra Green, architect Solim Gasparik

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CLOUDS & PRECIPITATION

FIELD GUIDE

MOISTURE FROM THE LAKE

WINDS WASATCH MTS

GREAT SALT LAKE

Pretty, Great Snow

How and why Utah can claim ‘The Greatest Snow on Earth’

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ONG AGO, SHORTLY AFTER the

1932 Winter Games in Lake Placid, New York, meteorologist and avid skier S. D. Green told a Salt Lake Tribune reporter that Utah’s snow and skiing were superior to Lake Placid. He attributed his claim to the “natural advantages” found here and planted, possibly, seeds for the Utah Olympic movement.

On Dec. 4, 1960, a young Salt Lake Tribune editor named Tom Korologos coined the phrase “The Greatest Snow on Earth,” riffing on the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus tagline. We all know that P.T. Barnum was the king of Blarney, but this boast would prove to be true. (Could we trademark it if it weren’t?)

As weather forecasting technology advanced, scientists were able to actually prove that, yes, Utah truly has the Greatest Snow on Earth. And, if you ski, you know the thrill of a Utah powder day—you have even more reverence if you’ve experienced East Coast ice sheets or West Coast “Sierra Cement.” Our great snow is not a myth— it’s a reality we experience every winter.

Snow is made up of millions of tiny flakes. To understand snow, you must understand the flake, and we don’t mean

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ski bums in the bars. Jim Steenburgh, professor of atmospheric science at the University of Utah, has devoted an entire book to the flake, Secrets of the Greatest Snow on Earth.

Utah snow is great, Steenburgh says, because of its lower water content and the pattern of its fall. Wetter snow is heavier and falls faster; dry snow falls slowly and has time to become more complex. Snow that’s less than 7% water is considered light, and heavy is over 11%, and creates the Sierra Cement that falls on California and Nevada’s Sierra Range. Man-made snow is really, really dense, with an average of 24-28%. Utah snow, however, has an average density of 8.4 percent. Take that California. (Wait, is that why they all want to move here?)

But the key to our amazing snow is a quick-change temperature fluctuation common to Utah snowstorms. Often a storm starts when it’s warmer, which creates a water-dense base layer, and as the temperatures drop, lighter snow follows This is called “right-side up” snowfall (vs. “upside-down” snowfall). The fluff y stuff stays on top and skiers and boarders can float down the slopes (ideally right side up).

All, however, is not great. Utah temperatures are warmer now than recorded just a few years ago. Warmer winters mean more dust in the air and create “snirt,” brown and dirty snow. It’s a word that sounds as gross as the thing it represents. “The role of dust is one that most don’t think about when it comes to the snowpack,” explains Steenburgh.

Dense dust in the atmosphere creates darker snow. Like wearing a dark-colored knitted sweater, the darker snow absorbs the sun’s light rather than bouncing off a clean, white snowpack. One study found that snirty snow accelerates melting by 25%.

And, as the temperatures rise, it doesn’t take a scientist to figure that more weather events will start as rain instead of snow, so we’ll have denser water-packed snow and suddenly our sneering jokes about Sierra Cement suddenly won’t be as funny anymore.

And it’s also gloomy for those who don’t use the snow as a playground, but simply marvel at its quiet loveliness.

As Steenburgh says, “The beauty of the snow is in the eye of the beholder and no science can prove that.”

ILLUSTRATION BY CHELSE A RUSHTON

BY JEREMY PUGH

KRISTIN ROCKE PRINCIPAL DESIGNER / OWNER