Casey Staker, chef and owner of Zest Kitchen & Bar, is proud of his menu that offers dishes and cocktails that look as good as they taste. When you’re known for leading-edge vegetarian cuisine and an ingenious cocktail menu, using local organic produce is key.

If you check out Zest’s Instagram feed, you’ll find photos of specials, like fluffy pancakes topped with vibrant peaches, pastas, and salads brimming with colorful vegetables from the farmers market.

The specials are impressive, but the everyday menu offers some of the most original food in Salt Lake City. You’ll find everything from healthy smoothies packed with fruit to a craveable pizza topped with veggies, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and house-made cashew cheese. The cocktail menu also offers local love; these hand-crafted cocktails are made with fresh ingredients and local spirits.

“We love to support our local organic farmers at Zest,” Staker says. ““From buying the farmers’ produce, to my chef’s testing dishes with me in the kitchen, to sharing with our staff before the dish gets final approval. I have a great team! We prefer to keep money in our city as much as possible. From the Montagues to the Sargetakis, Montanaro’s to Organic Heirlooms, we like to bring variety and excitement to the everyday menu. Some of these guys make it easy for us to keep fresh herbs in our kitchen all year long.”

Visit Zest Kitchen & Bar, located at 275 South 200 West in Salt Lake City for lunch and dinner on weekdays, and brunch on weekends. Zest is a bar, so you have to be over 21 to visit, but that also means you can order cocktails at 10:00am!