Mazza Marks 26 Years with New Menu Additions
On March 6, 2026, Mazza marks its 26th year in Salt Lake City. For more than a quarter of a century, owner Ali Sabbah has shaped the restaurant around a philosophy that blends tradition with personal interpretation.
“Like family cooking, every kitchen interprets traditional dishes in its own way,” Sabbah says. “At Mazza, we focus on ingredient quality and technique to create food that is distinctive while staying true to the spirit of Lebanese cuisine.”
That philosophy begins with the ingredients. The kitchen relies on carefully sourced products, including cold-pressed, non-GMO olive oil, fresh herbs, and aromatic spices that help define the restaurant’s distinctive style of cooking.
To mark the anniversary, Mazza is introducing several additions across the menu. A new appetizer tops classic hummus with mushrooms sautéed in an olive and walnut tapenade.
Among the salads, fattoush brings together salad greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and fresh herbs dressed with sumac, pomegranate molasses, and extra virgin olive oil.
Two new kabobs expand the grill offerings. A beef kafta kabob combines lean minced beef with onions, garlic, herbs, and spices, broiled and served with tahineh sauce. A minced chicken kafta kabob, seasoned with Mazza’s blend of aromatics and spices, is served with garlic sauce.
Several new dinner specialties focus on slow-braised dishes. A beef and okra stew features tender beef simmered in tomatoes, herbs, and spices with small Egyptian okra and served over vermicelli rice. Another dish pairs braised chicken with ras el hanout spices, sweet peppers, green olives, preserved stone fruits, Madeira wine, and citrus juice, garnished with almond-stuffed dates and served with turmeric-infused rice.
The menu also introduces pumpkin kibbeh, a traditional dish from the villages of Mount Lebanon often prepared during Lent. Layers of pumpkin and bulgur kibbeh dough are filled with sautéed onions, walnuts, chickpeas, spinach, pomegranate molasses, herbs, and spices before being baked and served alongside a chopped salad.
Seasonal specials will rotate throughout the year. In winter, Mazza will serve chicken mughrabieh, stewed with garlic, chickpeas, pearl onions, and warming spices and served over couscous pearls. In spring, the restaurant will offer maqloobeh for two, a layered dish of chicken, vegetables, and basmati rice that is inverted before serving.
Bambara’s New Chef
The kitchen door at SLC’s Bambara restaurant must be a revolving one. I’ve lost track of how many Executive Chefs have come and gone since the restaurant opened in the Kimpton Hotel Monaco in 1999.
The newest Bambara Executive Chef is Jackie Siao, who most recently served as Executive Chef at Adelaide in Le Meridien and prior to that, Hyatt Centric in Park City. She’s got a star-studded vitae that includes the W Hotel in Aspen, among others spots she’s worked around the world, and there’s delicious evidence of her travels in the global influences of her cooking – with flavors ranging from Paris to the Philippines and Mexico to Shanghai. Hopefully, she’ll stick around a while.
Pasta & Wine Fridays at PCCI
Although it’s called Park City Culinary Institute, the cooking school is actually located on State Street in SLC. Got it? OK. Now that you know where it is, you might be interested in PCCI’s new Pasta & Wine Fridays, where you’re invited to “wine down with friends.”
The folks at PCCI say, “Join us at Park City Culinary Institute in Salt Lake City for an evening of fresh, from-scratch pasta, signature sauces, and thoughtfully selected wine pairings for guests 21 and over.”
“Whether you’re coming with a partner, friends, or flying solo, Pasta Fridays are designed to feel elevated yet approachable — indulgent but fun. Non-Alcoholic Beverages also available.”
New Oishi Ramen Location
If you are a ramen lover like me, you’ll be happy to know that Oishi Ramen – located on State Street’s Chinatown – has opened a second University location at 2095 East 1300 South. The hand-pulled noodles at Oishi are exquisite and the new Oishi location has the same menu items as the State Street eatery.
The nice folks from Oishi said, “Oishi Ramen serves with love to Salt Lake City, UT, pairing tasty products with a wide range of flavors that keep locals and visitors coming back. As a friendly Asian restaurant with a warm, inviting vibe, we celebrate both heritage and innovation on every plate. Our connections to regional kitchens show through careful technique borrowed from a classic Chinese restaurant and through delicate presentations inspired by a contemporary Japanese restaurant. Favorites like fried noodles and savory fried rice are prepared to order, bursting with fresh vegetables, bold sauces, and perfectly seared proteins.”
Oishi Ramen is open daily from 11 AM to 9 PM.
