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MAY 2022
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UTAH STORIES MAGAZINE
6 Utah Stories Contributors 12 Saints & Sinners
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VOLUME 11 ISSUE 23
24 Orchid Dynasty Utah Orchid Society champions blooms
38 Canned Cocktails
What are we hiding?
14 Phishing Scam
New trend
Don’t take the bait
40 Decades of Dive
16 Utah’s Porn Problem
Park City’s O’Shucks Bar & Grill
Porn’s destructive path
44 Businesses That Thrived During COVID
18 Dirty Soda The dirtier, the better
20 Coffee Garden Bakery, coffee shop, or both?
Different Challenges
22 Delice Bakery Delice is a delectable bakery.
SPOTLIGHT 26 Moab
30 Ogden
Advocates Search for
34 Food
New World Distillery
Delicious Decadence
Housing Solutions
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WE POST STORIES AND PHOTOS ALL THE TIME. FOLLOW US @UTAHSTORIES PUBLISHER/EDITOR Richard Markosian PUBLISHER’S ASSISTANT Connie Lewis SALES & ACCOUNTS Golda Hukic-Markosian Elizabeth Callahan
DISTRIBUTION & OUTREACH
GRAPHIC DESIGN Anna Lythgoe
Jackie King
Fletcher Marchant
Chris Bodily Dung Hoang
DIGITAL PUBLISHER & MARKETING & EVENTS
PHOTOGRAPHERS
WRITERS
Rachel Fixsen Dung Hoang Mike Jones Ted Scheffler John Taylor
Rachel Fixsen Carey Hamilton David E. Jensen Mike Jones
Golda Hukic-Markosian COPY EDITORS David Jensen
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ILLUSTRATORS
Heather L. King Connie Lewis Richard Markosian Cathy McKitrick Al Sacharov Ted Scheffler Gail Veley COVER Chris Bodily
ONLINE PREVIEW
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BEHIND THE STORIES Gail Veley
Gail Veley has one particular mentor to thank for influencing the way she writes today. His name is Bob Jackson, who, back in the early 90’s, was the editor of a tabloid type promotional “newspaper” she regularly wrote for. However, during one particular meeting they had, he greatly stressed the importance of not only painting a picture, but also infusing smooth and easy to follow transitions from one sentence or paragraph to the next. Transitions may have been her shortcoming then, while she was in her early 20’s, but now at age 55, Veley feels as though it has become one of her strengths as a writer. She took Jackson’s advice to heart, and never writes one article without seeing his face or hearing those words. Today she regularly writes magazine articles for 13 state deer farming associations and gives horseback riding lessons, which is her other lifelong passion. She has also written a book entitled “My Top Ten Favorite Horse Stories — and the lessons learned”. It is available on Amazon or the Kindle bookstore.
Rachel Fixsen
After growing up on the east coast and earning degrees in English and Art from the University of Maryland, Rachel moved to Utah in 2010 and fell in love with the deserts, mountains, rivers and canyons. She has worked as a wildland firefighter, a park ranger, a field research technician, and a builder. She now lives in Moab, where she writes for the Moab Sun News and the Moab Area Real Estate Magazine. She loves rock climbing, hiking, trail running, and summiting mountains. She also enjoys learning more about Utah’s history and culture, and how we are all adapting to a changing world.
Heather L. King
Heather is a food and beverage writer and anonymous restaurant critic for a variety of publications in Utah. She’s happy to have reported on Utah’s changing food landscape for more than 20 years. When not dining out, you’ll often find her at local farmers markets shopping for fresh produce and meeting local vendors. During the pandemic lockdown, she spent her time perfecting gin cocktails — often using locally produced spirits and garnishes. She shares her love of great food with her husband and two Great Danes. Her passion for traveling is fueled by experiencing the food cultures of other countries and regions. She owns SLCLunches.com, and you’ll find her sharing her favorite dishes @slclunches.
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Letter from D Harr. In response to:
‘Girls Wrestling Boys’ Article by Dan Potts Great Article! You know, as a woman, I embrace our transgender sisters. I embrace them because they are about to discover what it really means to be a woman. I didn’t always feel this way. Then I watched a Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=lrYx7HaUlMY. In this, I realized that those of us born as women are raised to know or understand, not in any real or tangible way, that many of us are raised as being “less than” everything else … exclusively because of the quirky ways we practice “religion”, and that in some groups it really sucks to be female. We, those born this way, are raised NEVER UNDERSTANDING ANYTHING OTHER THAN [BEING] LESS THAN A MAN. You can watch another Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edLQdf4o0cg. It is sad that the most POWERFUL VOICE we have is not from those BORN FEMALE. Our most POWERFUL VOICES are happening from within the transgender portion of being a woman. They went through all these surgeries so that everything would be “right” and be “happy”, only to find there is this other sector of “reality” that females have been SCREAMING ABOUT and well, yeah … it's a shocker once you become a woman. When you aren’t raised with all this “happening to you”… As a woman, I can only apologize that we “DON’T HAVE SOMETHING BETTER TO OFFER”… men with dicks can’t hear us. They are our voice, and sadly the first VOICES with a bit of power. HOWEVER, Look, in athletics, THERE USED TO BE ONLY A MALE PLATFORM. WOMEN FOUGHT FOR THEIR OWN PLATFORM. TRANSGENDER --- YOU AREN’T the same and every time you step up on the woman’s platform, YOU TAKE IT FROM A FEMALE THAT WAS BORN THAT WAY. RAISE WOMEN UP, fight for your own PLATFORMS, just like we as women had to. Don’t take ours. RAISE US UP. We got our own platform. It wasn’t easy, and WE WILL HELP YOU GET YOUR OWN ATHLETIC PLATFORM. However, if you feel there is no difference, we might just say FINE --- THEN NO SEGREGATION. ONE EVENT, ALL SEXES. Let's see where that goes. And boys … the best of us are better than your lower “skill branches”. WE WILL START TAKING PODIUMS FROM YOUR SIDE. If sex doesn’t matter … let's try it your way. We should embrace our Transgender Sisters. We should exercise more compassion for them. They were not born into this being, okay? We don’t talk about it in society, we ACCEPT it. They freaking DIDN’T KNOW, they couldn’t see, they couldn’t hear. Well ... There are many leaders out there [that] have had their eyes opened in ways they never knew were closed.
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Saints & Sinners By Richard Markosian
econciling the strange world of living amongst one of the most dominant cultural/political/religious forces in the world as a “sinner” has been interesting. It was discovered over a decade ago that Utahns consumed more online porn than any other state. This became a serious problem. Surveys and polls showed that virtually zero LDS members admitted to viewing porn, but it was statistically impossible that the Saints were telling the truth. Something had to be done. A “Utah porn czar” was appointed, and suddenly, voila! Over the past ten years, if you believe the media, Utahns gradually stopped consuming porn and now we are in the 40th position among the states! I hate to burst this wonderful bubble, but there is another possibility: Utahns started using VPN (Virtual Private Network) services so that their digital cookie crumbs (IP addresses) could not be detected visiting porn sites. Fake news or reality? You be the judge. Living among the Latter-Day Saints all of my life, I’ve witnessed both some wonderful people with exceptional family values, along with some major hypocrites. Most LDS folks are awe-
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some! But let’s be honest, some are serious phonies. But there is a good reason for this, which I will get into later. Since leaving the Church, I’ve been reminded how terrible my sins are. If you weren’t already aware, the LDS Church expanded the list of sins about 120 years ago in a text known as the Word of Wisdom, to include alcohol, coffee and tobacco use. I love beer. I succumb to gluttony and the weakness of the flesh, and my love of fine food, especially creamy chocolate desserts. Let’s face it, most of us like to sin and it’s difficult to completely condemn the sins in which we all engage.
Consider The Seven Deadly Sins: Wrath (anger) – Isn’t it mentally healthy to express anger? Envy (covetousness) – What is the fuel of ambition/drive/economic success if not envy? Lust (wanting sex) – Could we survive as a species without it? Greed (money lust) – “Greed is good.” Like envy, most of us work for the want of money. Gluttony (overeating) – Over-consuming fat and sugar helps us to prepare for lean times.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHRIS BODILY
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Pride (ego-mania) – People do get ahead for never admitting wrongdoing. Sloth (laziness) – Isn’t relaxation rooted in laziness? Shouldn’t we all relax and chill out more? However, any of these sins taken to the extreme may indeed cause most of the problems people suffer from today. So how do we reconcile both the good and the bad of our sinful nature? The Bible and our Judeo-Christian traditions offer the best redemption archetype in Jesus Christ. But there is a paradox. Christ didn’t come for “saints” (or people who consider themselves virtuous enough to be worthy of love), he came for sinners—those who are aware they fall short. Examine his disciples: a tax collector, several lowly fishermen, a prostitute, and a rotten scoundrel named Judas. There were no Saints. The Pharisees or Sadducees (upper-class men of the Priesthood) were not among Jesus’ disciples. Still, the concept that Christ came to save us from our sins, is so passe. Do we really need saving? Examine countries without God or Christ, and without individual liberty. If we don’t have individual souls that need saving, why not embrace totalitarianism, hedonism and debauchery? Examine the power of sin (and absence of law and order) in destroying entire cities and nations while exterminating millions. Examine history, then answer that question for yourself. In my time as a “Saint”, I discovered that a key tenet of the Latter-Day Saints’ culture is to never admit, confess or demonstrate a tolerance for sin, outwardly. Also, don’t spend time with those who are “apostate” or living in sin.
Since all my friends were Mormon, that just meant doing my best to hide my sins from parents and/or other church members. But doesn’t doing that accustom members to phoniness and cause mental illness? Again, you be the judge. The problem is that we all sin, and like bad cheese, sin stinks up everything if not aired out. Confession of sins has gone out of favor in not only the LDS faith, but most religions, perhaps because the Catholics took the practice to extremes. But why is confession so unpopular and “virtue signaling” so popular today? Confession of sin could result in potential condemnation and/or or the labeling of our behaviors. Admitting that the devil is tempting you or whispering in your ear, could stamp you with a label: schizophrenic, depressed, narcissistic or megalomaniacal. Then might come the prescription or a powerful drug. The worst is when people become their psychiatric label. Confessing to the wrong person could result in a lawsuit. In our world today, it’s dangerous to confess to our sins. Virtue signaling or condemning others is fun and easy. It has become the pastime of millions on social media. It also helps sinners hide their sin and shame by attacking others. So should we all pretend we are without sin and instead look to condemn others? Well, this is certainly the popular path today. However, “Wide is the path at the gate that leads to destruction.” Mat. 7:13. Perhaps the only advice I can offer in our very judgemental world, is to keep your sins mostly to yourself and God, and search far and wide for other sinners like yourself whom you can confide in.
utahstories.com | 13
phishing scam Protect Yourself By Connie Lewis
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raudsters are nothing if not innovative. They keep up with the times and trends. As emails have given way to text messaging as a communication preference, scam artists have followed suit. Email usage has shrunk and now has a smaller audience, with texts having a higher read rate. So, those wishing to separate you from your money or information will typically adopt an area code you are familiar with, and will pretend to be a nearby business, hoping you’ll respond with information that is better kept private. David Glod is the Vice President of Information Security at Mountain America Credit Union. It is his job to protect their members and others from falling victim to these schemes. Glod taught computer forensics and security and risk control at the University
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of Utah before moving to Mountain America Credit Union. “Basically, my team and I are charged with protecting members’ data and their finances. We are responsible for finding vulnerabilities and flaws and remediating them before they become a bigger problem. We are looking for anything suspicious,” Glod says. The latest text message frauds are those pretending to be from a financial institution. So what can you look out for? Glod explains that the message will probably be from an unfamiliar phone number; one a person wouldn’t recognize from their bank, credit union, or credit card company. A second clue is that the text won’t reference the person by name, but rather “Dear Member” or “Dear Customer.” And third, says Glod, the text will be
something unexpected. “For example, out of the blue, a person can receive a text saying a transaction will not be allowed, or that they’ve detected fraud on your account. They are trying to create a sense of urgency.” The idea is to get you to click on the provided link, and from there the crooks ask for personal information that will compromise your security and could get you into financial trouble. The scammers are pretty sophisticated. If you do click on the link, it will generally take you to a page that looks very similar to the institution’s login page. From there, they ask for your username and password. “These sites can look very legitimate,” Glod says. “They may even register a very similar domain name with maybe just one letter off and people don’t notice it.” So how do you protect yourself? Glod has some advice. The first thing to do is just pause a moment before you click. Don’t let panic cloud your judgment. Then ask yourself some questions. Does the message look legitimate? Was I expecting it? The best thing to do if you have any questions is to delete the text. Just receiving the text won’t compromise someone’s information. You also have another option. You can take a screenshot of a suspicious text and send it to phishing@macu. com whether or not you’re a Mountain American member. Glod says the credit union works with other institutions, helping each other out to bring a stop
to fraud. Sometimes they are even able to shut down the fake sites and phone numbers. If you’re worried because you clicked on a link and gave out personal information, call the financial institution referenced and tell them your concerns. They can guide through the steps to undo the damage. Other good practices for protection is to set up transactional alerts to inform you of any login or transaction. The quicker you can stop a bogus transaction, the better the chance for success. Make sure to set a strong, unique password. Glod recommends using a password you don’t use anywhere else for your financial institution, and says the longer the better. “Instead of the minimum of 8 characters, I recommend 12 to 15.” Enable multi-factor authentication. This involves getting a text code authenticator when you sign in. That way your account is still inaccessible even if your username and password fall into the wrong hands. If you get a call or text you are worried about, don’t respond. Instead, call the number on the back of your credit or debit card and ask to speak with the fraud department. Reputable financial businesses will never ask for your password or have you text back an authenticator. The crooks are out there, but don’t panic. Take a deep breath, think twice, and stay safe.
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Utah’s porn problem Stats show porn consumption fell in recent years
D
espite our reputations as political conservatives who extoll family values, a 2009 study out of Harvard University assigned Utahns the unflattering status of being number one in the nation for online pornography consumption. But a more recent analysis by PornHub.com, one of the world’s largest purveyors of pornographic material, says the online viewing of porn has dropped 68 percent in Utah, now placing us at 40th in the nation.
Too conservative? When porn consumption in Utah was at its peak, Pamela Atkinson, former chair of the Utah Coalition Against Pornography, believed that Utah’s repressive religious culture pushed people to
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view prurient material, especially on the Internet. “It’s because we don’t have the adult movie stores as much as they do in other states,” she explains. “And people have come to realize that you can access this material quite easily.” Others dispute the religion factor, citing instead Utah’s higher-than-average porn-viewing population of 15-to34-year-olds, and the fact that 80 to 90 percent of online pornography, unlike magazines and videos, is free and can be accessed anonymously.
More than a “bad habit” Ironically, the same Latter-day Saint culture that some say nudges its members to indulge in porn to satisfy a stifled curiosity about sex, especially
ILLUSTRATION BY DUNG HOANG
By David E. Jensen
among its youth, strongly opposes the viewing of porn and considers it a sin because it replaces healthy sexuality with distorted perceptions of genuine love and affection that should only occur within the bounds of marriage. Religion aside, most people believe pornography to be much more than just a bad habit or compulsion, bordering instead on a dangerous addiction that promotes violence against women and even chidren. One former porn addict admits that “Porn is a social toxin that destroys relationships, steals innocence and erodes compassion.” And yet the industry thrives. With more than 420 million sites on the internet, porn is a world-wide, multi-billion-dollar enterprise that strives to satiate a global lust for erotic material. In America alone, porn’s profits eclipse the total annual revenues of the NFL, NBA, and MLB combined.
Utah’s “Porn Czar” Utah’s preoccupation with internet porn got so bad that in 2000, then Governor Mike Leavitt appointed Paula Houston as the state’s first “Porn Czar” to investigate and regulate Utah’s rising porn addiction and aggressively pursue anyone who violated Utah’s obscenity laws. In 2003, the state retreated from the embarrassment of having a porn czar, with Republican state Sen. Todd Weiler of Woods Cross saying the “whole thing was a public-relations nightmare and kind of made Utah the laughingstock of the nation.”
“Massage” parlors
attest to the important health benefits of regular, clinical massage performed by a licensed therapist. However, once clandestine and hard to find, illegitimate practitioners of massage now operate openly in Utah, masked as legitimate establishments. But much of what goes on behind the doors of these “massage parlors” or “spas” may violate Utah’s statutes regarding nudity, obscenity and prostitution, and sometimes involve human trafficking. Many have been raided and shut down in recent years, with owners and patrons alike being arrested, but some of them simply reopen again under different names and locations. In September 2021, evidence uncovered by the state’s SECURE (Statewide Enforcement of Crimes by Undocumented REsidents) Strike Force revealed that “female workers were brought to Utah to work legitimate jobs but were then forced into sex work,” according to the Salt Lake Tribune. An unknown number of Asian women from six Wasatch Front massage parlors were given medical attention, food and shelter, and other assistance. Three people were arrested by the Utah Attorney General’s Office after a five-month investigation in which more than $100,000 in cash and assets were seized. Charges included “exploitation of a prostitute, aiding prostitution, money laundering, a pattern of unlawful activity and maintaining a public nuisance.” Human beings have always enjoyed their carnal vices. And Utahns, it seems, no matter how hard we try to be different, are no exception.
Proponents of therapeutic massage, from athletes to the very sedentary, will
utahstories.com | 17
dirty soda
What everyone is craving Because regular soda is just too boring By Gail Veley t’s 6:15am and the drive through line has already begun forming at Sips in Clearfield, Utah. Customers are craving their favorite morning drink which clearly outsells coffee. Beginning at 6:30am when Sips opens, customers are ordering “Dirty Soda”; a combination of flavored syrups added to soda of all types. Because it’s apparently just too boring to get a plain Diet Coke or Sprite. By adding coconut syrup, vanilla syrup, and half-and-half to any soda of your choice, you would have a “Snowcap”, one of Sips most popular morning beverages, explains Manager Lainey Keller. Customers visiting Sips later in the day might crave a fruitier “Sunset” drink containing mango puree and pineapple syrup with soda, she added. The craze for Dirty Soda, shared evenly across the board by young and old alike, is growing as fast as weeds in a spring garden.
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“Utah might not be the home of dirty soda, but it was definitely the birthplace,” offers Kandace Keddington, manager of Fiiz Drinks in West Valley, Utah, which opened five years ago. Inspired by the Mormon culture, which primarily abstains from drinking alcohol and caffeine, dirty soda is considered perhaps a welcome substitute to the latter. The first dirty soda location ever,
PHOTOS BY JOHN TAYLOR
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opened in April of 2010 by Dixie State University, in St. George, Utah, according to internet research. When another dirty soda shop, Swig, opened in St. George a few years ago, high school senior Savannah Weber, 18, remembers being intrigued by the menu. “I tried a Dr. Pepper with coconut,” she said. Today she orders Mountain Dew with raspberry puree and mango. While she still drinks regular soda, if given the choice, she’d rather have a dirty one. While the demand for dirty soda is outrageous, the price to buy one isn’t too unreasonable. Depending on what size you order (which can vary between 12 and 44 ounces), drink prices range from $1.50 up to $4, $5 or $6. And, according to both Keller and Keddington, customers aren’t too concerned about weight gain or medical issues such as diabetes when it comes to drinking dirty soda, as sugar free or diet versions of all drinks are also available. At Fiiz Drinks, topping the list as a customer favorite is the “Lime in the Coconut” beverage which contains coconut syrup, two wedges of fresh lime and whatever soda you may be craving at the moment. Second in demand is the coveted “Chandler Bing” drink which contains coconut syrup, strawberry syrup and pineapple syrup with Mountain Dew, Keddington said. Syrup quantities for all drinks directly coincide with the size of drink you order.
While it was hard for Fiiz Drinks to quantify the number of customers it serves monthly, Sips estimates at least 200 customers are served each week at their Clearfield store which opened a year ago. However, the Sips store in Bountiful, Utah, is their top seller and serves a substantially higher number of customers, Keller said. The busiest days at both Sips locations are Friday through Sunday, with store hours averaging between 14 to 16 per day. Not all dirty soda stores offer a substantial food menu. Some opt to
offer only snack foods such as popcorn, cookies or pretzels, while others offer breakfast sandwiches or a sandwich of the day. However, any food probably tastes better while enjoying your favorite dirty soda along with it, Keddington states. “It’s more about the drink than it is about the food. On a scale of one to 10, I’d like to think customers like our drinks at a ‘10’!”
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coffee garden
Serving great coffee and treats for almost 30 years By Mike Jones
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Coffee Garden Owners: Alan Heberston & Dieter Sellmair
corporate training facility. We said no, and they said, ‘get ready because we’re opening across the street.’ We ended up getting so busy that it almost put us out of business because we were the little guys and people came to support their local coffee shop.” When asked if coffee had more of a stigma then or now, Hebertson explained: “Not to the people that were coming to Coffee Garden after we opened. The stigma existed to people outside of the state who had a very superficial view of Utah and thought that no one drank coffee because everyone was Mormon.”
PHOTOS BY MIKE JONES
lan Hebertson and Dieter Sellmair operate one of the oldest coffee shops in Salt Lake. Coffee Garden opened its doors in May of 1993 and is still going strong. For the first 13 years they were located across the street from their current location at 9th and 9th. It’s no wonder they’ve stayed open so long. With fantastic locally sourced Ibis Coffee, and treats made onsite from scratch, they have been a staple in Salt Lake’s coffee community for nearly 30 years. Back then, according to Hebertson, “Coffee didn’t have the reputation it does now. It was a little bit edgy for Salt Lake. There were a few places that were run by some odd characters, and some of those shops didn’t stay around very long. I had spent some time in Seattle after losing my job and had the idea to start a coffee shop. I actually contacted Starbucks corporate to ask them if I could start a franchise here in Salt Lake. They laughed at me and told me all their stores were corporate-owned and that they had no plans to come to Utah. Thirteen years later, our landlord asked us to sell our lease to Starbucks who wanted to take the space over for a
Twenty years ago, Hebertson continued, “we tried to bring Seattle-style coffee into Salt Lake … a lot of milk-based drinks. Pretty quickly we realized that there was a big vegan community in Salt Lake and that we needed to bring in milk alternatives, Chi, and other drinks that have made their way into Coffee shops.” That was when Hebertson and Sellmair realized they had to really start thinking about what else they could add in addition to coffee and food. “Originally we did not know how much food people were going to be interested in,’’ Hebertson said. “Now,
we are essentially a bakery with a coffee shop attached. Almost everything is made in-house except for the gluten-free products. We have too much flour floating around in the air. We do a lot more with tea these days as well. We also try to follow the trends. Give people a taste of whatever the new thing is while still keeping the classic drinks everyone has always loved on the menu.” Coffee Garden is located at 878 E 900 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84105 Hours: 6am to 8pm Monday through Saturday. Sundays 7am - 8pm
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Delice bakery & Cafe Where pastries and cakes are a work of art By Cathy McKitrick
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OUTH SALT LAKE — Delice Bakery & Cafe brims with ambience, aroma and an amazing bakery case that beckons patrons with pastries and mouth-watering cakes that could easily double as works of art. Pastry chef Jean-Jacques Grossi obviously brought both his French roots and decades of experience to Delice. Whether it’s french pastries, breads and desserts, or breakfast and lunch fare you seek, Delice offers delectable choices that include deli sandwiches, salads, soups, quiche and more. “It’s a long story,” Grossi said of his move from the south of France to Salt Lake City in the 1970s. As a teen on vacation, he first arrived in 1975 to visit his father and siblings who had moved here after his parents
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divorced. “I wanted to stay a little longer,” Grossi said. “I went to Canada for a year, then came back in 1977 and have been living here since then … one thing led to another.” His culinary handiwork has captivated customers in the Salt Lake City area since 1982 when he and his father first opened Normandie Bakery near 21st South and 7th East. Normandie changed hands and eventually closed, but Grossi went on to work for Brumby’s and then Gourmandise Cafe & Bakery, where he settled in as pastry chef manager in 2001 — and stayed 15 years. Grossi said he left Gourmandise about six years ago because the owners headed in a new direction with which
PHOTOS BY JOHN TAYLOR
Delice Bakery Fruit Tart
The best desserts hands down! we have all of our family celebrations here and they are always very accommodating to our large group” he disagreed. But he didn’t lose his love and flair for preparing fine food. Grossi teamed with Akbar Matinkhah to open Délice in November 2018, and longtime fans took note. “A lot of old customers have been following me,” Grossi said. “So far, business has been pretty good.” That “pretty good” could be understated when describing Delice’s brisk business. Recent reviews posted on www. restaurantji.com offer a glimpse into Delice’s loyal customer base.
“The best desserts hands down! We have all of our family celebrations here and they are always very accommodating to our large group,” Patrick Quinn Properties wrote in March. And Sarah W praised Delice in her February review: “Great place to read, work, meet a friend for coffee and a good panini, salad, snack or dessert! The cream of mushroom soup was just like we’ve had in France!” Does the 65-year-old chef ever plan to retire?. “Of course,” Grossi said with a laugh. “I’m too old for this now — I didn’t expect to be that busy.” But Grossi said he’s not quite ready to leave it all behind. “I don’t really want to fully retire, but maybe just take it easy, know what I mean?” he said. “Slow it down a little bit.”
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ORCHID Dynasty Beauty in the Desert
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rchids … exotic, beautiful, mesmerizing … and thriving in Salt Lake City. Although far removed from the tropics where they bloom in thousands of varieties, orchids are abundant here in the high desert of Utah. Both the flowers and those who fancy them were at the recent spring showing of the Orchid Club of Utah held at Red Butte Gardens. “Orchids are so varied no matter what your situation that there is one that will grow,” says club president
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Angie Schneider. There are few plants that have created such a devotion. During the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, explorers risked their lives to find new varieties in malarial jungles. What is it about orchids that create a fascination bordering on addiction? “Orchids teach us patience,” says Shawn Quealy. “They can take forever to flower, grow or die. It’s a spiritual connection that sucks you in by creating rewards on different levels. It’s the
PHOTOS BY DUNG HOANG
By Al Sacharov
shamanic idea of a power plant.” Quealy is Utah’s only recognized judge for the American Orchid Society (AOS), a position that takes six years to get fully accredited. This degree of expertise is necessary because big money is at stake with orchid breeding. If a breeder’s orchid receives the highest of marks from the AOS, that plant can be sold for a tidy sum of six figures. “As long as there are addicts, there will be a market,” he says. Bruce Hugo knows the power of orchids. He started off with one plant and now has over 120. “My wife still hasn’t kicked me out of the house yet,” he says. He has parlayed his orchid love with photography since the plants are natural show stoppers. This beauty is apparent when visiting Orchid Dynasty at 365 West 900
South in Salt Lake. Owners Clint and Shelly Lewis have over 5,000 orchids at their business which caters both to customers and designing arrangements for special events. Clint says that the phalaenopsis variety is best for newcomers. It is the workhorse of the industry with showy, long-lasting flowers that can stay in a window and only need watering once a week. Orchid Dynasty provides advice to plant lovers, but Clint suggests that the 50-year-old Utah club can be of great help since the best information comes from fellow growers. Perhaps one suggestion is that after a person gets their first orchid, they should always leave space for another. The Utah Orchid Society can be reached at utorchidsoc@comcast.net.
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MOAB
Moabite Alex de Moor is working with Moab nonprofit Community Rebuilds to construct his own home in the Arroyo Crossing subdivision
Housing crunch In Moab, advocates try to match need
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n the under-construction Arroyo Crossing subdivision just south of Moab, dozens of people bustle in and out of 17 houses in various phases of construction. Some are just framed skeletons, others have sheathing and metal roofing, and some have straw bale walls. Some of the people are residents-to-be working on their own and their neighbors’ homes through sweat-equity programs offered by local housing nonprofits; some are volunteers, donating time and labor in exchange for building skills; some are professional subcontractors. They’re all working on homes built specifically for Grand County workers on a parcel
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owned by the nonprofit Moab Area Community Land Trust (MACLT). The MACLT is just one entity attempting to address the housing crisis in Moab. Housing is a problem nationwide; Moab’s housing market is under additional pressure from a thriving tourism industry that generates a glut of low-paying jobs while simultaneously increasing the profitability of overnight accommodations, incentivizing developers to focus on that sector. Many local workers share housing, sometimes in tight quarters. Some live in dilapidated or substandard homes; some live in their vehicles. Others commute to work in Moab from the closest towns: La Sal and Monticello to the
PHOTO BY RACHEL FIXSEN
By Rachel Fixsen
south or Green River to the north. In Arroyo Crossing, the land is owned by the MACLT, and leased by residents who own the homes themselves. Taking the land out of the equation helps keep the costs low for buyers. To be eligible to purchase a home in the 42-acre subdivision, buyers must live and work in the county and earn between 80120% of the area median income (AMI). There’s also an equity cap on the resale prices of the homes to help maintain affordability. Arroyo Crossing will eventually have about 300 units; a mix of single-family homes, townhomes, and apartments. MACLT Executive Director Kaitlin Myers said about 100 of them will be completed within the next couple of years. “Most of our lots are already reserved or are in some level of development already,” she said. That’s not surprising, considering the desperate scramble for housing in the Moab area. Local governments are working on housing too. In 2018, Grand County rolled out its “High Density Housing Overlay” to encourage the private sector to build workforce housing. The overlay allows property owners in certain areas to apply to develop their land at a higher density than their underlying zoning dictates, provided they agree to deed-restrict 80% of the units to Grand County workers. That restriction, officials hope, will tie the home prices to local wages. Moab City requires any new overnight accommodations developments to either provide some employee housing or pay into a fund to be used for that purpose. In 2018 the city used those funds to purchase a property called Walnut
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Lane with plans to replace existing run-down trailers with more, and higher-quality, affordable housing. That project has been stymied by unforeseen legal issues and higher-than-expected project costs, but city officials still hope to see it through in the near future. Camping—including living in a vehicle—is illegal outside of established and permitted campgrounds in Moab City and Grand County. Free camping can be found on federal public lands outside those boundaries, but it can be a long drive to and from town, and popular dispersed camping spots are overused: managers find trampled vegetation, litter, and human waste in popular camp spots. Some Moabites deliberately eschew traditional housing. Sean and Nick, both in their early 20s, work for a busy gear retailer in town, and they say they enjoy living out of their vehicles. Nick has lived out of his van for about two years. He likes to be mobile and close to the outdoors. He said he missed his van after spending a short time living in an apartment with a friend. “I didn’t know what phase the moon was in the other day, and I kind of freaked out,” he said. He plans to stick with the van lifestyle for the foreseeable future. In Moab, tourism and the housing crisis are inextricable. Moab’s funkydesert-town vibe and outdoor splendor attract both more tourists and residents seeking an alternative lifestyle. Businesses struggle to find employees, while employees struggle to find housing. Residents and tourists rely on each other to fuel the economy, but at the same time vie for space both under roofs and under the stars.
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OGDEN
Ashley Cross explaining the botanicals in the Oomaw Gin.
A Whole New World From School Teacher to Distiller, The Story of Ashley Cross
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n 2013, after teaching High School English for 23 years, Ashely Cross told her husband Chris she didn’t want to go back for year 24. Her plan was to turn their hobby into a business, and New World Distillery was born. Ashley and Chris both enjoyed traveling, and their trips often involved experiencing the local liquors at different locales, turning hobby travel into a chance to learn the distilling business. “We liked to travel and visit distilleries. Chris, in particular, is interested in agave. We traveled to Mexico distilleries and also learned artisan backyard distilling techniques,” Ashley says. Ashley is a gin drinker, and they learned the art of gin distilling, partly in Amsterdam. “The places we visited for fun became
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the places we visited to learn. When you think you know everything you should, just get out of the business. It doesn’t matter what you are doing — because then you can’t move forward.” Ashley chose an industry where there is so much to learn. She says it is equal parts interesting and scary. They broke ground in March 2016 and opened New World in December 2016. They kept the exterior simple. Ashley says it resembles a barn, and the hard work done inside includes all things necessary to start a distillery. An early decision launched their business. “We had to make a decision to be open for 20 days in December, and pay all the local and federal fees for an entire year, or wait until January 1st,” Ashley says. They ultimately decided to open
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ASHLEY CROSS
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in December, and it paid off. 2016 was a heavy snow year and there were lots of tourists in town for skiing. They visited the new distillery, and even with only one product on the shelves, they made enough to justify the expensive fees. What prompts someone to start a new career? Ashley explains, “I think people are living longer today, living to be 100. You can start thinking of 50 as the halfway mark, and what are you going to do with the second half of your life?” That’s what started the discussion for her, along with the chance to work closely with her husband after spending a lot of time apart while he was in the military and traveling for other employment. Choosing a distillery was partly due to a hobby they loved, and practical thinking. There aren’t many distilleries in Utah, and some of those don’t distill in-house, but instead, bring in a product and rebottle it. Seeing a scarcity of actual distilleries, and despite the challenges of dealing with the DABC in Utah, they made plans to go forward. And besides, after a long commute teaching school, Ashley was delighted to switch to a 7-minute commute from their home to New World. Being one of only a handful of distilleries in Utah is also challenging. Ashley explains that there is not a united body of representatives for distilleries, like a guild. One was attempted a few years ago, but fell apart because of divisiveness between distillers that distill and those that import. Ashley would like to see a true craft distillers’ guild in Utah. “Without it you are on your own,” she says. She collaborates with James Fowler of Sugar House Distillery, and Julia and Alan Scott of Waterpocket Distillery. Being in what is considered a
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male-dominated business doesn’t concern Ashley too much. “Over the last few years, I’ve noticed a rise in women’s voices and it has made men scared to death to say anything. I think it has men being really careful and sometimes overly careful. I don’t mind taking a back seat to something I’m not as good at as another man or woman. I don’t make a big deal out of it. I am secure in my femininity.” The future looks great at New World. They recently added a third still that arrived this month. The new still will keep things running while the slow processing of aging the Ogden 9 Rails Bourbon Whiskey takes place. Ashley says the other products pay for the time while the whiskey is sitting. The Ogden 9 Rails is one of their most popular products, with people waiting in the parking lot on release days. The new still is called Ruth, after Ruth Bader Ginsburg and a character from the series Ozark; both strong, powerful women. Ashley says that stills are named after women because, “they are complex and sexy, and get a lot done, but they can be difficult and challenging at times.”
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FOOD & DRINK Midici Nutella Calzone
Dishing the decadence Delectable Desserts to Die For
The Beehive State has a sweet tooth. Utahns love, love, love their desserts. Of course, that’s true of Americans in general. But Utah is special. I mean, you can’t swing a cat by its tail without hitting a soda shop like Swig, Twisted Sugar or FiiZ. Walk into the BYU bookstore and the first thing to catch your eye isn’t textbooks, it’s the enormous Sweet Stop candy and dessert counter. But hey, I’m no sugar hater. I love a decadent dessert as much as the next person. Here are a few of my favorite sugary sins. There are few things I love more than
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a made-from-scratch pie like grandma’s. For that, I turn to Left Fork Grill in Murray. Jeff Masten’s pies (order whole ones in advance) are second to none, made with fresh ingredients by hand. The crusts are perfect (the secret is lard) and the fillings are divine. My favorite is Jeff’s banana cream pie, which I would eat daily if I lived closer to Murray. And if you happen to be down in Washington County, drop into Veyo Pies for pies like the Veyo Volcano with graham cracker crust, sweet cream cheese, butterscotch, and chocolate with whipped cream on top.
PHOTOS BY TED SCHEFFLER
By Ted Scheffler
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Or, how about a pizza pie for dessert. Pizza for dessert??? Yup! MidiCi at The Gateway is one of my favorite restaurants, and I can’t get enough of their outstanding Neapolitan-style pizza. But another of my favorite menu items is the decadent Nutella Calzone dessert. It is sooooo yummy and looks like a million bucks. It’s a dessert calzone made from pizza dough, baked to crisp perfection and topped with fresh fruits (blackberries, strawberries and blueberries), then drizzled with a sweet and tart balsamic reduction and, finally, Nutella, before getting a dusting of powdered sugar. Now that is decadent! Another great restaurant dessert is the decidedly decadent Torpedo Waffle at Bruges Belgian Bistro. This is a Liège-style waffle stuffed with Belgian dark chocolate bars and topped with silky creme fraiche. And you might not expect Utah’s best sushi restaurant to have world-class desserts, but Takashi does. One of the more surprising desserts I’ve ever had is Takashi’s Candy Cap Panna Cotta. This silky Italian-inspired panna cotta is actually made with candy cap mushrooms that taste naturally like maple syrup. Maple syrup-tasting mushrooms? Who knew? One of the finest bakeries in the West — not just Utah — is Romina Rasmussen’s Les Madeleines, one of the first bakeries in Utah to offer gourmet cupcakes, French macarons, and heavenly kouign amann. Romina told me that she flavors the shells of her macarons, which is not typical. Romina’s been making macarons since way before they were trendy, initially calling them “buttons” since nobody knew what macarons were. She
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Steins Brunch
uses fruit powders and extracts to flavor the shells and only utilizes natural food colorings. All the macarons are piped by hand, with fillings ranging from buttercreams to caramels to ganaches, using Weiss bean-to-bar chocolate from Saint Etienne, France. Popular macaron flavors include Bali (coconut-almond shell and passion fruit buttercream) and the Coquelicot, flavored with poppy blossom. Bonus: Romina recently added chocolate bonbons to the menu — just another great excuse to visit Les Madeleines. If it’s variety you’re looking for, look no further than the opulent brunch buffets at Stein Eriksen Lodge in Deer Valley or at Grand America’s Laurel restaurant in downtown SLC. Both offer a staggering selection of sweet things for every palate. At Laurel, for example, the Sunday all-you-can-eat brunch dessert options include mini brownies, assorted French macarons, sacher torte, Verrines chocolate pot de creme, passion fruit mousse bars, mini chocolate tarts, mini blondies, mini caramel tarts, Verrines vanilla pot de creme, and more. Ain’t life sweet?
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COCKTAIL SUPPLIES • TOURS & TASTINGS • SPIRITS
FOOD & DRINK
Can-DO COCKtails Craft Cocktails in a Can By Heather L. King
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t’s a rare cocktail drinker who might find themself jealous of beer drinkers — until they want to enjoy their favorite mixed drink on the trail, on a picnic or just on the go. The distinctive sound of an aluminum can popping open for a refreshing reward at the top of the mountain, at a tailgate party or down a ski run, is the sound of a mission complete, the ultimate satisfaction, not to mention a more sustainable and lighter-weight item to carry. Fortunately, cocktail imbibers can now join the rest of their can-chugging crew to raise a toast and rejoice as a handful of local distilleries Sugar House Distillery are making canned Owner & Distiller: James Fowler cocktails for portable enjoyment.
Sugar House Distillery Newest in the canned cocktail mix is Sugar House Distillery, which uses its own vodka, rum and rye whiskey in their recently released first three flavors of 10% ABV canned cocktails. Find Raspberry Lemonade Vodka and Rasp-
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berry Whiskey Sour at 16 DABC outlets as well as the distillery. Vodka Tonic is sold exclusively at the distillery. All are $3.49 each for a 12 oz. slim can, equating to approximately two cocktails. Look for new flavors available at the distillery beginning in April: Whiskey
Cola, Rum Cola and Bloody Mary. Sugar House Distillery owner and distiller James Fowler worked with Thom Garwood of Garwood Ginger Beer to develop Sugar House’s flavors. “Thom was really a big part of putting these flavors together with me,” Fowler says. “He has a great palette and
PHOTO BY JOHN TAYLOR
knows how to come up with some fun flavors, and when I drink these I can see Thom’s influence. I really like the direction Thom got us going with these first few flavors.” Fowler explains that he chose not to make a Moscow Mule due to many competing products. “We needed to add something different to the shelves at the liquor stores. That’s why we went with the lemonade and whiskey sour.” He shares a typical conversation he’s recently had with many customers who say, “I am not a whiskey drinker but that Raspberry Whiskey Sour is amazing!” “Then,” Fowler thinks to himself, “they will be a whiskey drinker soon.” In just two months, Raspberry Whiskey Sour and Raspberry Lemonade Vodka have sold equally well — more than 4000 cans each. Fowler feels the early success is due to convenience. “I think the ease of grabbing some cans is really catching on. Beer has been in the lead for a long time with this concept, so it is nice for a consumer to have a choice of other alcoholic drinks like canned cocktails or wine in a can. These cans have changed things and they are so convenient. You don’t have to worry about other ingredients. Do you have fresh lemon or limes? Nope, you can just grab a can and enjoy.” With the new canning equipment and tanks, Fowler’s next step is to find a new home for the distillery where he says, “we can have a better customer experience with drinks and some food. For now, we’re making the best out of our space to get these out to the public so they can get them in their hands and try a delicious Sugar House canned cocktail.”
Simplicity Cocktails Coming to the Utah canned cocktail market in a very different way from other distilleries, Simplicity Cocktails actually started with that very delivery method in mind after co-founders Chris Weed and Chad Linville scrapped plans to open a gin distillery. Yet, in their efforts to explain and endear gin to their friends, they developed some tasty gin and tonic recipes and realized that there were few ready-to-drink options on the market. “Canned cocktails have come a long way in recent years,” says Chris Weed, co-founder of Simplicity. “For the most part, gone are the days of cheap syrupy flavors that leave you with nasty hangovers.” Today, Simplicity sells 11 canned cocktail flavors with a new Nitro Bourbon Sour on tap to launch in March. “Development has taken a bit longer than expected as we perfect the recipe to get the creamy head we’re looking for,” explains Weed. You can find their most popular canned cocktail, the Moscow Mule and Cadillac Margarita in most state liquor stores along with canned bourbon and canned vodka with resealable lids. “We’re really excited about the canned spirits with resealable lids. We’re the first in the US to do this, as far as we know,” Weed says. All of Simplicity’s products are available at their facility, with canned cocktail prices ranging from $3 to $3.80 per cocktail. Read about Ogden’s Own Distillery and Beehive Distilling canned cocktails on UtahStories.com
utahstories.com | 39
BAR SCENE
O’Shucks Staircase
Decades of dive
A Chat with O’Shucks Owner Bruce Corrigan
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hen Bruce Corrigan and his wife Debra opened O’Shucks on Main Street in Park City, “I Swear” by All4-One, Celine Dion’s “The Power of Love” and “The Sign” by Ace of Base were playing on the radio. Pulp Fiction, Dumb & Dumber and Forest Gump were in the theaters. Bill Clinton was president, and we hadn’t yet heard the name Monica Lewinsky. The year was 1994. Bruce Corrigan has seen a lot of changes to the bar biz in Utah over nearly three decades since opening O’Shucks, not the least of which was the disappearance of private clubs and the memberships needed to enter them. Perhaps surprisingly, there are things the O’Shucks owner misses about the
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clubs. “Although we had to share the membership money people paid to drink at a private club, those membership fees were a steady and reliable source of revenue for club owners,” says Corrigan. “And the memberships created a loyal customer base, since most people were only going to buy a membership or two. So they’d come back and drink at your place over and over. Tourists would buy a membership at O’Shucks or the Alamo or wherever and come back day after day.” When O’Shucks opened it was essentially a tavern selling beer, which didn’t require memberships and a private club license. And by the way, Corrigan proudly uses the word “dive”
PHOTOS BY JOHN TAYLOR
By Ted Scheffler
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O’Shucks Jody Peterson pouring 3-buck schooner of beer
to describe his beloved Main Street O’Shucks. A while back he told me that the idea when O’Shucks opened was “to super-serve the locals. Everybody else was dropping white tablecloths, so we took the exact opposite tack — we figured we’d take care of all the Park City ‘hourlies’ — the ski instructors, lifties, sprinkler installers … you know … we figured no one was really taking care of them, so we rolled out the red carpet for those guys. Our business model was that if we took care of the locals, it wouldn’t really matter if the tourists found us.” The tourists, however, did find O’Shucks, and today it’s one of Park City’s most popular bars for both tourists and locals alike. The cost of doing business has gone through the roof since 1994. Corrigan still hosts Locals Night at O’Shucks on Tuesday nights when customers can get a 3-buck schooner of beer and a 3-buck burger. “When we started doing that, hamburger was 89 cents a pound, now it’s $3.99,” he says. “When we began doing the $3 schooners, a keg of beer was
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$28.50 — now it’s $105. Keeping prices low and things like Locals Night going creates loyal customers, however. We have people who were regulars coming to O’Shucks in the nineties whose kids are now working for us here.” And multiple generations of O’Shucks customers flock to Bruce and Debra’s newer Pinebrook location, which is family friendly and definitely not a dive. I’ve never talked to Bruce when he hasn’t commented on the gratitude he feels for the support of the community and his customers, who have stuck with O’Shucks from day one, and even through a pandemic. Until March of 2020, when the Health Department shut everyone down, O’Shucks had never been closed for even a single day. “But people have just been wonderful to us and to our staff. They really took care of us,” says Corrigan, speaking about how the pandemic brought out the worst in some people, but the best in most of them. “The vast majority of people have been nothing but cool,” he says, smiling.
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MARKETPLACE
Saturday Cycles: Margie Isabelle & Mark Kennedy
Businesses That thrived during covid Companies Stayed Open But Faced New Challenges During Pandemic
Saturday Cycles
U
nlike other businesses that had to shut their doors for months or even forever, Saturday Cycles in Salt Lake City’s Marmalade District remained largely open after the disruptive and disastrous March 2020 Covid lockdown. During that time, the shop faced new challenges to its business model while trying to keep its customers
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happy. On one hand, owner Mark Kennedy was lucky that his company was considered an “essential business”, as biking was thought to be an adequate social distancing form of transportation, exercise and recreation. But the frustration and chaos that ensued, mostly from lack of inventory, still resonates. “Everyone wanted a bike all of a
PHOTOS BY DUNG HOANG
By Carey Hamilton
sudden,” Kennedy said. “We mostly couldn’t keep up with demand, and the whole pipeline of bike stuff went dry. So we had to deal with the risk of Covid, as well as a lot of people looking for help with stuff, but we couldn’t get them things. Bikes we had ordered a year earlier never arrived.” Most of the bicycles and parts come from Asia, and as factories were shuttered, supply was cut. The shortage of bikes and parts still exists and might return to normal by 2023. Or it might not. With a mission of helping people “to be able and prepared to ride your bike everywhere, and to use it every day,” the staff consists of avid cyclists, from road and mountain racers, BMXers, all-season commuters, and bicycle tourists. While the shop, at 605 N 300 W (https://www.saturdaycycles.com), saw its best financial years in 2020-21, the stress of worrying about COVID transmission amongst his half-dozen employees and the public, as well as the dearth of unavailable parts, was overwhelming. “We were already turning away business because we couldn’t keep up,” he said. “So we made a few dollars, but I wouldn’t say we thrived. It was probably the worst two years ever for me in the bike industry. We do it because we love it, and during Covid, the love part got sucked out.” Saturday Cycles was not alone in its struggle to keep pace with demand during that unprecedented time.
England Plumbing Supply England Plumbing Supply in Millcreek saw a spike in business as owner Chris
King said people tackled their “honey-do lists” while on lockdown. The majority of projects were bathroom and kitchen remodels and sprinkler and landscaping jobs. Plumbing companies and do-it-yourselfers make up the majority of customers at the shop, located at 1009 E 3300 S (https:// www.englandplumbingsupply.com). “I think it had to do with keeping themselves from going crazy being stuck at home,” King said. He and his three employees were so busy they didn’t have much time for making sourdough bread, streaming their
Steve Wasmund, AKA Bykmor. He can be seen riding his big orange longtail bike all over town.
favorite TV series, or watching TikTok like so many others. “It was definitely a weird time,” he said. Getting parts became less of a problem as suppliers tapped into their reserves, but since then, plants have shut down and some are playing catch up. “We were spoiled in 2020 and 2021,” King said. The general trend of slowdowns began after Thanksgiving last year, but he expects activity to pick up once the temperatures rise this spring and people spruce up their yards.
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BARS & PUBS A BAR NAMED SUE
Full bar, food, pool tables, pingpong. 3928 S Highland Dr, SLC + 8136 S State St, Midvale
BEERHIVE PUB
Main Street just got a whole lot cooler! A big, gorgeous bar, hundreds of great beers and good company. 128 S Main St., SLC
BIG WILLIES
Good pub food, sports bar and pool tables. 1717 S Main St, SLC
BODEGA
Home of SLC’s best kept secret. 331 S Main Street
BOHEMIAN BREWERY
Czechs know: Amazing food. Amazing beer. 94 E 7200 S
CHAKRA LOUNGE
LEGENDS SPORTS GRILL
Perfect spot to watch the Jazz and enjoy a burger and a brew. 677 S 200 W
LUCKY 13
Excellent food and a friendly atmosphere. 135 W 1300 S
PIPER DOWN
SLC’s Most Amazing Rooftop Patio. 1492 S State St, SLC
POPLAR STREET PUB
Good food, great selection of local beers. 242 S 200 W
PROPER BREWING CO. Craft beer and a full bar. Food available next door at Proper Burger Co. 857 S Main St., SLC
RED ROCK BREWING CO.
Tapas, exceptional cocktails, DJ. 364 S State, SLC
Utah’s most awarded brew pub: taste why. 254 S 200 W + 1640 W Redstone Center Dr, Park City
COTTON BOTTOM INN
SQUATTER’S
DESERT EDGE PUB
THE BAYOU
FIDDLER’S ELBOW
TWIST
Classic aprés ski, famous garlic burgers. 2820 E 6200 S, Holladay Great food and atmosphere for a night out. Trolley Square Watch the Utes and drink a stein in Sugar House. 1063 E 2100 S
GRACIE’S
Service, drinks, food and ambience—all top notch. 326 S West Temple, SLC
Where great dining and beer was born in Salt Lake City. 147 W Broadway (300 S) A must see ‘Beervana’, 100s of beers. 645 S State St., SLC Renovated 19-century boiler room with a patio for clever small plates, pub classics & craft beer. 32 S Exchange Pl, SLC
UINTA BREWERY
GREEN PIG PUB
A small pub attached to Utah’s biggest brewery. 1722 Fremont Dr. (2375 W)
HOG WALLOW
Superb food and beer. 2110 Highland Dr, SLC + 250 Main Street Park City
Great place to watch the game and have a pint. 31 E 400 S, SLC Offering spirits & bar food, live music. 3200 E Big Cottonwood Canyon Rd, Cottonwood Heights
KEYS ON MAIN
WASATCH BREW PUB WHISKEY STREET
High West and a great vibe classic feel. 323 South Main St.
Live dueling piano bar in the heart of downtown. 242 S Main
Celebrating America’s Craft Breweries with over 300 Brands 128 South Main Street • Salt Lake City Open every day from Noon to 1 am
May Activities May 12
Great Salt Lake Bird Festival. Owl lovers are invited to a bird watching party on Antelope Island to look for Great Horned, Barn, Burrowing, Long-eared and Short-eared owls. This is also a great opportunity to see other wildlife in the park. Held from 5pm to 9:30pm, ticket price includes park entry. Registration and more information can be found at daviscountyutah.gov/greatsaltlakebirdfest.
greetings, coming when called, and more. Cost is $35 per class. May’s class will be held at Orson Smith Park, 12625 S Highland Dr., at 6:30pm. More classes will be held June 14 at Dimple Dell, July 13 at Wheeler Farm, August 18 at Jordan River Parkway, and September 13 at Quail Hollow. Find more information at utahhumane.org/programs-services/behavior/hiking-hounds.
May 20-22
Farm Fest at Wheeler Farm. Celebrating all things spring and previewing the Wheeler Farm Farmers market. There will be sheep shearing, hands-on farming activities and wagon rides for $3. Vendor hours are 9am to 2pm and admission is free. Wheeler Farm is located at 6351 S 900 E
Moab Music Festival. This concert series presents music at various venues around Moab. Starting on May 20th with a High Water Colorado River Float and Concert. May 21 features a High Water Family Music Hike and High Water Garden Concert. The concluding concert on May 22 will be held in Old City Park, Moab. For more information and tickets, visit moabmusicfest.org.
May 14
May 20-22
May 14
Hairy Horse Show in Ogden. This is a family open horse show for groups from under 9 years to adults. Classes include halter, pleasure, snaffle, bit, reining, barrels, poles, and keyhole. Signups are from 7:30am to 9am, and the show starts at 9am. Admission is free. Find more information a facebook. com/events/473560940660977//.
May 19
Hiking Hounds Class with the Humane Society. This 90-minute on-leash hiking class teaches loose-leash walking, polite dog
Living Traditions Festival. The Salt Lake City Arts Council is sponsoring this annual festival presenting both historical and contemporary multicultural traditions through dance, music, craft and culinary arts. It will be held Friday from 5pm to 10pm, Saturday 12pm to 10pm, and Sunday 12pm to 7pm at Washington and Library Squares. Admission is free. Find more information at LivingTraditionsFestival.com.
