Last spring during a visit to New York City, my wife and I enjoyed a superb meal in America’s only Michelin-starred yakitori restaurant, called Torishin. And since that time I’ve been tugging on the shirtsleeves of every restaurateur and chef I know, encouraging someone to open a yakitori eatery here in the Beehive State. Yakitori is an up and coming food trend … [Read more...]
In The Bag—Getting Messy at Hook & Reel
Photos by Ted Scheffler. Hook & Reel Cajun Seafood & Bar For many years, my late, generous friend Gus Magann and his brother Tony would host a Louisiana-style crawfish boil when the weather turned warm. It was a raucous, messy affair with crawfish, potatoes, boudin, artichokes, and corn cooking away in multiple giant-size pots, to be poured out onto newspaper-clad … [Read more...]
Gone, But Not Forgotten – The Many Meals I Miss
Former Utah Restaurants In the quarter-century that I’ve been writing about Utah’s food and drink scene, I’ve seen far too many restaurants come and go. And there are plenty I miss. A jaunt down memory lane conjures up a multitude of meals and people I wish I could break bread with one more time. Salt Lake City I miss the late John Williams and Tom Sieg, and I miss … [Read more...]
Dinner in Daybreak—A Trip to Porch Restaurant
I was saddened to learn that one of Salt Lake City’s most consistent, high-quality restaurants will be permanently closing following dinner service this Saturday, September 28th. I am speaking of Meditrina, the eatery that introduced many diners in our community to tapas and small plates-style cuisine. That’s the bad news. The good news is that anyone, like me, who has enjoyed … [Read more...]
Camp Out—Getting the Lowdown on Campos Coffee
Not many of us, I suspect, can look back over the decades and pinpoint - right down to the minute - when a life changing moment took place. But Will Young can. He's the founder and president of Campos Coffee Roastery & Kitchen and on Saturday, July 12th, 1997 at 1:40 pm - he discovered a passion for coffee. It was in a small Sydney, Australia cafe, sipping coffee, when … [Read more...]
Triple Your Pleasure – Three New Utah Restaurants
Chef Oscar Aguilar of Cotton Kitchen. Photos by Bryan Butterfield - imageandfilm.com/ Cotton Kitchen, Holladay Recently opened, this spot quickly jumped to “must” status for me. On your first visit, you have to dive into the Lox Benedict—an explosion of flavor and a great twist on Eggs Benedict. They change the normal Benedict with a chipotle hollandaise and dijon aioli. This … [Read more...]
Sip o’ the Week – 30 Years of Squatters
Founded in 1989 by partners Peter Cole and Jeff Polychronis, Squatters Craft Beers celebrated its 30th anniversary this past Sunday with a beer festival that took place in the parking lot adjacent to Squatters brewpub. It was a celebration of craft beers in general, not just of Squatters’ beers; and included a boatload of local breweries: Bohemian, Hopkins, Uinta, Red Rock, … [Read more...]
YAPPY HOUR—Dogs, Dogs, Food Trucks & Fun!
Attention dog and food lovers! If you’re in the market for really good food in an atmosphere where you can enjoy it with your best canine friends, be sure to look into Yappy Hour 2019. This is the 6th annual Yappy Hour summer and I’m somewhat chagrined to admit that my wife and I only attended our first Yappy Hour this month. Yappy Hour is free to the public … [Read more...]
Too Good To Eat: Getting a Handle on HSL Restaurant
In the beginning, there was Handle restaurant in Park City. And it was good. So good, in fact, that Handle begat HSL restaurant - HSL stands for Handle Salt Lake. And it, too, is good … really, really good. Some of the food, in fact, looks nearly too good to eat. Handle and HSL were created by the talented and creative trio of Briar Handly (Executive Chef/Partner), Melissa … [Read more...]
It’s A Small World After All: What Happened to Little World Chinese Restaurant?
For literally decades, I’ve sung the praises of Little World Chinese Restaurant. There is even an old, faded review I wrote of the place posted near the front counter. The lack of ambiance never phased me, because the food at the humble little eatery always packed such a flavor-filled punch and nullified the dismal decor. I could even ignore the sometimes surly service, knowing … [Read more...]