In October, my wife and I did something we hadn’t done since pre-pandemic days: we left the country. We took a couple of weeks off to visit Portugal, with a brief side jaunt to Spain for a day. Needless to say, it didn’t suck. The food and drink in Portugal is excellent, especially if you love fresh fish and seafood; there are mountains of it. And, compared to European … [Read more...]
FOOD ON THE FLY Eating at the new SLC International Airport
Lots and lots of folks are going to be flying to visit friends and relatives this Thanksgiving holiday, which will give many a first look at the newly (and beautifully) revamped Salt Lake City International Airport. It’s a stunner. I got a somewhat unwanted chance to explore the new airport at length during recent trips to and from Salt Lake City and Portugal, thanks to … [Read more...]
SKY HIGH SPANISH: A Visit to Hyatt’s New Rooftop Restaurant
The glitziest new addition to the Salt Lake City dining scene is the Hyatt Regency’s new Spanish-inspired rooftop restaurant, Mar | Muntanya. Translated from Spanish, the name means “sea and mountain.” Which seems appropriate given that Executive Chef Tyson Peterson’s menu is said to “draw inspiration from the coastal and mountainous regions of Basque Country and Catalonia, … [Read more...]
LET’S TALK TURKEY: Top Feasts for Thanksgiving 2022
Thanksgiving is just around the corner and many of us will be toiling in the kitchen, cooking Turkey Day dinner at home. However, if you’d prefer to let someone else do the cooking and cleanup, there are a lot of good restaurant choices for dining out on Thanksgiving, as well as a number of take-home options. Here are some restaurants that provided me with … [Read more...]
Top Spots for Locally Sourced Fare in Salt Lake and Beyond
The phrase “farm to table” gets thrown around a lot in the restaurant world and it can mean different things to different people. At its purest, a farm-to-table restaurant is literally an eatery that is located on (or at least near) a farm and the ingredients—most, anyway—that go into the restaurant’s dishes come straight from that farm. A good example is Hell’s … [Read more...]
BREWS & CHEWS: 6 Can’t Miss Restaurant Food & Beer Pairings
For decades, wine snobs ruled the roost when it came to finicky food and beverage pairings. You know: Chardonnay ain’t good with steak; Cabernet is. That sort of thing. Well, with the emergence of America’s craft breweries and the idea that you can eat something besides burgers or beef jerky with your beer, focused food and beer pairings have become as popular as food and wine … [Read more...]
CRANDALL’S CORNER: Another Bourbon Group Hit at Franklin Ave.
Bar loving Utahns can thank the Salt Lake City-based Bourbon Group for bringing an inspired mixture of great cuisine, top-notch libations, and inviting ambiance to our town with establishments like Whiskey Street, Bourbon House, White Horse Spirits & Kitchen, and now, Franklin Ave. Cocktails & Kitchen, which opened in mid-summer. All of these places help to raise the … [Read more...]
Authentic Eats on the Road in Utah
OFF THE EATEN PATH In a state as large as Utah, you sometimes have to put in some serious mileage to find the restaurant gems that make the Beehive State so unique. However, I’ve done some of the legwork for you. You’re welcome. Here are a few of my favorite, authentic Utah eateries that are worth a road trip. Just fill up the tank and get eatin’! A little … [Read more...]
TALES OF TAKEOUT: Bold Flavors at W. Thai Chef
Layton and Kaysville in Davis County are pretty far from being Meccas for foodies. I would estimate roughly that there are a dozen chain/franchise eateries for every single independent restaurant there. From Sonic and Arby’s to Moe’s Southwest Grill and Red Lobster, fast casual and fast food franchises litter the landscape. There are some notable exceptions however, like … [Read more...]
BODACIOUS BAR BITES: A Dozen Delicious Dishes That Raise the Bar
There was a time when eating at a bar pretty much meant a choice between corn nuts, pretzels, pork rinds, or maybe a pickled egg from that gigantic jar behind the bar. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But thankfully, times have changed and those looking to dine a little more creatively or healthy in bars can now do so. Here are a dozen of my favorite bar … [Read more...]