When restaurateur Scott Evans (Pago, Trestle Tavern, East Liberty Tap House, Hub & Spoke Diner) opened Finca - a Sugar House eatery featuring Spanish-style small plates, wines and such - it quickly became one of my favorite SLC dining spots. Evans has spent a lot of time in Spain and has a particular fondness for Spanish wines and the cuisine of that country. … [Read more...]
Ringing in 2019: Top Choices for NYE & Beyond
Title : Ringing in 2019: Top Choices for NYE & Beyond I have very mixed feelings about New Year's Eve. On one hand, I do enjoy being part of noisy and indulgent NYE celebrations. On the other, I dread going out on "amatuer night."where I'm almost always disappointed in restaurants' overpriced prix fixe dinners and pre-midnight (here in Utah where the sidewalks roll … [Read more...]
Finding The Fat: A Visit to Bountiful’s Fat Fish
For many years now, I’ve been following the restaurant fortunes of Mai Nguyen and Sean Dang. They are the couple who first opened the now closed Pho Green Papaya in West Valley City - one of the first pho outposts in Utah where now there are many. The husband and wife team would go on to open Sapa Sushi Bar and Asian Grill - a beautiful addition to the SLC dining scene with … [Read more...]
A PROPER MEAL: Stratford Proper Opens in Sugar House
In the beginning, there was Avenues Proper, the “Restaurant & Publick House” that opened in The Avenues in the spring of 2013. And it was good. Avenues Proper begat Proper Brewing Co. and Proper Burger Co., which opened simultaneously in 2016 on Main in SLC. The food was less fancy, but more focused, and it too, was good. This month, the Proper crew … [Read more...]
CAFE SOCIETY: Silver Star Cafe is a Hidden Gem
Long before Guy Fieri raved about the pork belly with braised white beans and Carolina BBQ sauce on his Food Network show Diners Drive-Ins & Dives, I was singing the praises of Park City’s Silver Star Cafe. It’s a somewhat hidden gem, situated adjacent to Park City Mountain Resort and Park City Golf Course with spectacular mountain views and excellent food and … [Read more...]
OFF THE EATEN PATH: Authentic Thai Cuisine in Sunset
The Davis County enclave of Sunset, Utah isn’t well known for its adventurous dining options. But I recently happened upon a terrific little hole-in-the-wall Thai cafe called Ros Ni Yuhm Thai Restaurant. For the past few months, Ros Ni Yuhm has occupied the space that was previously home to a good Vietnamese eatery called Saigon Cafe Vietnamese Noodle House. I always like … [Read more...]
The Deer Valley Difference: New Menu Items for the Winter Season
Every year, the good folks at Deer Valley Resort invite a group of food writers and media to the Resort the week before Thanksgiving, to get a sneak peak at new menu items that will appears on various Deer Valley restaurant menus during the coming season. I’ve been attending the Deer Valley Winter Tasting for some 23 years, dating back to when it was just a handful of food … [Read more...]
Pig Out: Pig & a Jelly Jar 3.0
In the beginning there was Pig & a Jelly Jar. And it was good. The original SLC Pig & a Jelly Jar restaurant opened in 2012 and was such a success with local foodies that owner Amy Wanderley-Britt soon launched a second location in Ogden. And now, there’s a third outpost of the comfort food Mecca, this one in Holladay. It’s a formula that works, and I wouldn’t be … [Read more...]
Pho Saigon 2: Oodles of Noodles and So Much More
Located at street level of the Home 2 Suites by Hilton in Murray (4907 S. State) is a gem of an Asian eatery: Pho Saigon Noodle House 2. The “2” is indicative that this is the newer, sister restaurant to the original Pho Saigon Noodle House in West Valley, a restaurant I’ve loved for a long time. Pho 2 offers a more modern ambiance than the original location, with vibrant … [Read more...]
Tupelo Restaurant on a Roll: Park City Restaurateurs Living in the Fast Lane
Chef Matthew Harris has been on quite a roll. He and his wife Maggie Alvarez - who are co-partners as owners of Park City’s Tupelo restaurant, as well as in life - were invited to New York City in September to be part of a five-person team of chefs from Park City restaurants to present their craft at an exclusive James Beard House dinner. While he was in town, Matt also made … [Read more...]