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 col … [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...]
Molise 2.0: New Digs for Venerable Caffe Molise
In the Beginning … I first reviewed downtown SLC’s Caffe Molise - named for the Molise region of Italy - back in 1994. Shelley DeProto opened the restaurant that year and it was a modest affair. The dining room was festooned with white plastic patio furniture and the menu was limited. The food, however, was excellent and I still remember how much I enjoyed Shelley’s aio e oio a … [Read more...]
Saffron Valley: 2018 Biryani & Kebab Festival
An Annual Celebration Each fall, Saffron Valley celebrates Indian cuisine from the north and south of India with its annual Biryani & Kebab Festival. It’s a terrific opportunity to sample some dishes that might not appear on the regular Saffron Valley restaurant menus. The festival features, as you might have guessed, kebabs and biryani. Biryani Biryani is one of my f … [Read more...]
Avenues Bistro: New Owners; Timeless Appeal
A Neighborhood Joint I’ve been a fan and follower of Chef Michael Richey’s culinary talents since back when he cooked up at Solitude Mountain Resort. I enthusiastically reviewed his Fireside on Regent restaurant when it opened last year and still think it’s one of the best places to dine in downtown SLC. For many years I’ve also thought that Avenues Bistro on Third - operate … [Read more...]
Killer Kitchen: A Modern Take on Lebanese Cooking
In Arabic, “laziz” means enjoyable, tasty and lighthearted. With that in mind, owners Derek Kitchen and Moudi Sbeity could not have picked a more appropriate name for their restaurant: Laziz Kitchen. The food is tasty, indeed. The vibe at Laziz is nothing if not enjoyable, and both the food and ambiance is lighthearted, never heavy-handed. This place just oozes friendliness. … [Read more...]
Park City Chefs Headed to NYC: Utah Restaurants Showcased at Historic James Beard House
The Dean of American Cookery For those who might not know of James Beard, he was a larger-than-life force of nature. Named the “Dean of American Cookery” by the New York Times in 1954, he was a chef and gourmand who laid the groundwork for much of the cuisine American chefs create today, as well as for the way that we eat. In 1955, Beard established the James Beard Cooking Sch … [Read more...]
Do You Know Jack? Logan is Home to Jack’s Wood-Fired Oven
Will Travel for Pizza It is no secret that I will travel far and wide for great pizza. I’ve eaten amazing Neapolitan pizza in Italy, pizza topped with hard-boiled egg and linguiça in Brazil, pizzaladière in Provence, and many, many more pizzas in many, many more places. And so, it’s not really that much of a stretch for me to travel to a town like Logan for good pizza. No, m … [Read more...]
Glamp Out: Glamping at Conestoga Ranch
Nature Meets Luxury This Labor Day, many of us will be spending the last long weekend of summer camping. But I have to admit, as much as I love pitching a tent and sleeping on the hard ground, I’ve been spoiled by glamping - glamour camping. That’s what my wife, Faith, and I enjoyed doing recently up near Bear Lake at Conestoga Ranch, where nature meets luxury. Conestoga Ran … [Read more...]
State of the Union: Southwestern Sizzle at Tortilla Union
Spirit of the Southwest I can’t really say that I’m too fond of shopping centers like City Creek in SLC or Farmington’s fairly new Station Park. The commercialism of those places is smothering to me. However, I decided recently after shopping at Harmons in Station Park to bite the bullet and check out a new restaurant there. I’m glad I did. Farmington is the second location … [Read more...]