After losing her former husband to suicide, Amber Zaugg stood in the middle of Ogden’s relentless noise. What she built next became a refuge for anyone searching for stillness.

Salted Roots began as simple kitchen experiments and quickly grew into one of Utah’s most talked-about small-batch food brands. Founder Ivy Watrous has been cooking since childhood, blending bold flavors with careful technique. Today, her handcrafted salts and sugars are showing up in farmers markets, home kitchens, and even cocktail menus — each one shaped by personal stories, long hours, and a commitment to doing things the hard way when it matters.

From Park City to Moab and every town in between, Utah’s most distinctive local shops offer character, creativity, and a strong sense of place. Our contributors share the bookstores, cafés, boutiques, and hidden gems they return to again and again.

European Tastees celebrates two decades in Utah, growing from a family dream into a market known for Old World flavors, immigrant heritage, and a new expansion filled with global goods.