Roger Damptz is on a mission to spice up your palette. The owner of Burn Your Tongue – SSS (Simply Spicy Stuff), Roger offers more than 700 hot sauce varieties for sale, and he can tell you about every single one. This self-designated chilehead has curated the biggest hot sauce selection in Utah, with current locations in Ogden and Logan, and more on the way. Roger was first … [Read more...]
KLOS Guitars: The Art of Making Indestructible Instruments
KLOS Guitars, Utah’s only large-scale guitar manufacturing facility, is internationally distributed, but reflects the rugged adventure found from the mountains to the deserts of our Utah landscape. For those who want to marry the adventure to the art within themselves, there are really two instruments that stand out as mascots for life out in the world ― the guitar and the … [Read more...]
The Art of Sharp: Park City’s New West KnifeWorks
Every cook — professional or amateur — understands the importance of quality kitchen tools. And, that’s especially true when it comes to knives. A well-made knife makes slicing, dicing, chopping, mincing, and peeling a breeze. And a good, sharp knife is also a safe one. So, where do you go to find world-class culinary knives? Germany? Japan? Well, I would start right here in … [Read more...]
Hive Campers: Not Another Typical Camper
Mauricio Narvarte, owner of Hive Campers, has come a long way since he built his first teardrop trailer with three tools. He built several before he was satisfied with it and then he started a business building teardrop trailers. As time went on he found the teardrop trailers were not very functional and it didn’t hold much cargo. That’s when he made the prototype … [Read more...]
A Conspiracy Store Opens in Salt Lake City!
On April 1, Salt Lakers can welcome the opening of the city's first brick and mortar conspiracy store. The store, whose site, name, and owners are on a "need to know" basis, will purvey all items that conspiracy theorists need to further their beliefs. "We decided to go for an actual store after our sales skyrocketed on the dark web," said the owner. "We will feature … [Read more...]
Ogden Businesses Survive COVID Challenges Thanks to Local Support
There’s a famous scene in the show Friends where Ross enlists Rachel and Chandler to help him carry a couch up a narrow flight of stairs, and he ends up madly shouting, “Pivot! Pivot! Pivot!” as the too-large sofa becomes lodged in the corner of the stairway. It’s a hilarious moment, and one that reflects the far-more-serious motto for many business owners during the pandemic … [Read more...]
Why Should You Drive to Provo to Get Your Rock Climbing Equipment?
Outdoor sports are one of the biggest reasons to live in Utah. People come from all over the world to ski, mountain bike, rock climb, and pursue a plethora of other adrenaline addictions that bring them face-to-face with raw nature. The geographic wrinkles that rise up all around us in this beautiful state, sculpted and carved by wind and water, offer a view from just about … [Read more...]
Stocking Up On Fabulous Foods From Our Favorite Markets
When I moved to Utah in 1992, specialty food stores were few and far between. Liberty Heights Fresh was still a year away from opening and Granato’s was about the only gourmet game in town, selling imported Italian foods, hot and cold sandwiches, kitchenware and such. Thankfully, much has changed in the nearly 30 years since then, and SLC and its environs are … [Read more...]
European Tastees, an Armenian-Owned Small Shop in Murray not Fazed by Pandemic
Since 2005, European Tastees has been providing a taste of nostalgia to the European population in the Greater Salt Lake area. It is a true family business, founded by an Armenian couple, Artur Makian and Ruzan Mnoyan. I chatted with their son, Andrew Makian, who is carrying on his parents’ legacy of making German, Polish, Bulgarian, Russian, ex-Yugoslavian, and many other … [Read more...]
Western Timber Frame
The family gathers at the table, resting in the shade of their new pergola. The sunset and the evening lights illuminate the pathway to this new gathering place. The ceiling fan suspended from the wood rafter pushes the hot summer air away, as laughter and good food brings the family together, forging lasting memories. Hyrum Thompson, a cabinet maker, and his son Brad, … [Read more...]