SheriffL's Profile
Park City, Utah Restaurant Recommendations
Also consider some of the restaurants at the luxe Deer Valley Resort. The Stein Ericksen Lodge, Glitretrind, and the Seafood Buffet (during the ski season) are all excellent and reliable options.
The widely-acclaimed Spruce Restaurant, a satellite of the San Francisco original, has recently opened at the Dakota Mountain Lodge near the Canyons Ski Resort. I have not yet dined there, but the menu looks interesting, if very pricey.
Utah - looking for AWESOME breakfast
There are numerous noteworthy breakfast spots, though most are quite pricey and perhaps too over-the-top for a morning meal. However, if brunch is your thing, the Deer Valley Sunday brunch, Atrium (at Snowbird) Sunday brunch, and Little and Grand America brunches are copious and delicious. Bambara in the Hotel Monaco also serves a lovely a la carte brunch on Sundays. However, for a more down-to-earth, but just as marvelous breakfast, give the Left Fork Diner in South Salt Lake a try. They're in a nondescript building in an industrial area (about 300 West on 3900 South), but they've got some terrific breakfast fare. The sausage, eggs, and pancakes are all well above average and should you have any room for dessert, an impressive array of homemade pies.
One Meal in Salt Lake City
All good suggestions. Takashi and Red Iguana are uniquely outstanding, and I might add Cucina Toscana, an Italian establishment located in downtown Salt Lake City, in that august company. Pago is superb, and Tin Angel and Tipica are very noteworthy. Mazza (Middle Eastern) and les Madeleine (wonderful French pastries) are well worth a stop, though perhaps not for the dinner you have free. You might also consider dining at one of the restaurants in the mountains, such as Wahso or Chimayo (Park City) or the Shallow Shaft (Little Cottonwood Canyon) for some fine dining in a lovely alpine atmosphere.
Recs needed for Provo, Utah
The Provo/Orem area is actually making some headway on the culinary scene, after years of being a chain wasteland. Spark, Rooster Dumpling and Noodle Bar, and the sublime Pizzeria 712 have all entered the scene, supplying fresh, innovative fare. In particular, Pizzeria 712, which specialized in thin crust, wood-fired pizzas, might be a good family-friendly destination, although I can't imagine any place in Provo not providing a relatively kid-friendly atmosphere.
Good food near Salt Palace, Salt Lake City
Good call, Stu, on Eva, a very reasonably priced small plates eatery. I think it's one of the best deals in SLC. Also heartily agree with your recommendations of Settebello and Red Rock Brewery. J Wong's is OK, but is not authentic Chinese OR Thai. They serve decent food, but it's nothing special. Imagine a local version of PF Chang.
In addition to your suggestions, I'd add Squatters Brewpub, just around the corner from Settebello and Red Rock. Also consider Cindy Lee Cafe (Vietnamese) and the Atlantic Cafe (Eastern European/Mediterranean) for very inexpensive fare on Main Street. If your finances allow for a bigger splurge (say, in the $40-60 meal range), I highly recommend Takashi (superb sushi) and Cucina Toscana (sublime Italian).
Salt Lake City eats?
Also consider Cucina Toscana (fabulous Italian), Martine (excellent tapa), and Bambara (upscale New American). All are within walking distance of the downtown hotels and have very good food. Excepting alcohol, you should easily meet your $50 budget at each of those establishments.
Anything new in Salt Lake City?
Several new restaurants have entered the SLC scene.
Two small plates/tapa restaurants, Eva and Meditrina, bear some similarities. Neither is superb, but both have their strong points. Eva's focus is on Mediterranean dishes. It's a small joint, but has a cool vibe and is open late daily. Eva is in the heart of downtown on Main Street. Meditrina is a bit more out of the way, near the Salt Lake Bees baseball stadium, but is also worth a try. I particularly liked their generously portioned antipasti plate and they had an interesting selection of low-priced wines by the glass.
You might also revisit Bambara, which boasts a new chef de cuisine and new interior design.
Also worth checking out will be Tony Caputo's new risotto restaurant, Tipico, which is just next door to Cucina Toscana. The chef is Adam Kriesel, who has had acclaim running the Globe Restaurant and ACME Burgers, among others. The restaurant hasn't yet opened, but should be underway by the time you arrive in Utah.
03/08 How To Exorcize Ubuntu: Eat at Zuzu; Tasty Tapas in Downtown Napa
I also had a relatively disappointing experience. The menu was interested, varied, and well-conceived, but the execution of the dishes was not memorable, lacking good balance of flavor and taste complexity. Service, in particular, was very indifferent. I also found that servers seemed distracted. They were more interested in hanging out with friends or favorite customers than attending to their duties. That said, ZuZu provides a moderate-cost meal with a lively environment.
Looking for Dives in Salt Lake City
I think a reasonable definition of a "dive" would be an establishment that looks pretty seedy from the outside. The food might be terrific (see, Red Iguana), but one wouldn't be able to discern that from the exterior appearance. Other charms like graffiti on the walls (the Pie) or antiquated furniture (Blue Plate Diner) might also help classify a place as a dive.
Mini Pastries in San Francisco?
We're looking for a nice, reasonably priced bakery that makes mini-pastries (danish, cookies, etc.) that would be served at a reception in April. Our price point is about $15/lb of baked goods, so this would put such sterling bakeries as Tartine or Emporio Rulli out of our price range. Can anyone recommend some reasonably priced alternatives? The bakery should be within the city limits of San Francisco.
Please help! Your suggestions would be most appreciated...
Salt Lake City Pizza
Wasatch Pizza has good pies with interesting toppings. They're very solid. If you're a fan of NY-style pizza, Nevole's has some wonderfully greasy pies! I'm not sure what their delivery radius is, though.
Happy Wine-ing & Dining in Salt Lake City...YES, Salt Lake City, Utah
Agreed. You've narrowed to choices to an excellent group. Of your finalists for the 5th dinner, I would say that Faustina, while good, doesn't rank in the same league as the others. Personally, I would select from Takashi and Cucina Toscana, both of which rank with the best restaurants across the nation.
Downtown Salt Lake City breakfast
Bambara in the Hotel Monaco served a nice breakfast. It's a bit pricey, but is well worth it. Also consider the offerings at the Little America and the Grand America hotels.
any recs between SLC airport and Park City for lunch?
Driving from the airport to Park City along I-80 will take you right past downtown Salt Lake City, so you have many options from which to choose. Search for other posts to survey the food landscape in Salt Lake, but some convenient, kid-friendly options include:
Red Iguana (fantastic Mexican, but can have long lines at lunch)
Tony Caputo's (Italian deli)
Settebello (authentic Neopolitan pizza)
Sandy Utah Recommendations Feb 22-24
The discussion about great food in Sandy begins and ends with Royal India, a fine Indian restaurant located on 1300 East just north of 10600 South in a strip mall with a supermarket. Despite its rather humble location, Royal India has the best Indian food in Utah. In addition to the more traditional Northern Indian curries and breads, they also serve some South Indian dishes, including wonderful dosas.
Also worth trying in Sandy is Szechuan Garden, a very authentic Chinese restaurant, also located on 1300 East. Good spicy and unusual fare!
Both of these restaurants are very reasonably priced. One could easily dine for under $20.
30th B-Day in Salt Lake City
As other posters have suggested, your budget, mobility, and tastes will affect our recommendations. Nevertheless, I would suggest you consider:
1) Takashi (marvelous sushi and new Asian cuisine)
2) Martine (Mediterranean food with a great selection of tapa)
3) Paris Bistro (classic French bistro fare)
All of these restaurants are within 5 miles of downtown SLC, although a car would be required to reach some of them.
Happy birthday!
NY foodies looking for good food in Salt Lake City!
I endorse your decision to frequent SLC brewpubs. Squatter's, Wasatch Brewery, and Red Rock have all produced award-winning beers at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), a competition of the nation's breweries. Food at all three brewpubs is very good (especially at Red Rock) and their prices are very reasonable.
A couple of low-priced recommendations in the Holladay area would be Lone Star Taqueria (fantastic fish tacos!) and Five Guys Burgers (similar to the In-and-Out Burger concept). Your other restaurants are all very good choices.
Peruvian and Hawaiian restaurants in Salt Lake City?
El Chalan is a good Peruvian spot (300 W 1500S?). I 've heard there might be a second Peruvian restaurant in town (Macchu Picchu?) that's worth a try.
For Hawaiian, your best bet is L&L Barbeque, part of an authentic Hawaiian chain. There's a location at 700 E 400 S.
Salt Lake City Restaurants?
You might also consider the Wild Grape Bistro, which occupies the space formerly held by Avenues Bakery on South Temple. Their menu is similar to that of Tin Angel and Meditrina.
SLC/Midvale
While it isn't an outstanding place, Ganesh is worth a visit because its menu encompasses South Indian dishes, which rarely appear amongst the more typical Northern Indian fare.
Epic is decent and certainly above average in the Fort Union neighborhood. Sort of upscale brewpub food.
Another suggestion is the Lone Star Taqueria on Fort Union Blvd, a tiny hole-in-the-wall joint with some great tacos and burritos. Their grilled fish tacos are particularly excellent.
Without a car, it will be very difficult to get to many of SLC's nicer restaurants. If you do get your hands on some wheels, Red Iguana is certainly worth a visit, as are Takashi (marvelous sushi), Mazza (terrific Middle Eastern food), and the Paris Bistro (upscale bistro fare).
Where to buy food in Park City/Deer Valley Utah area?
Additionally, consider Tony Caputo's Market in downtown Salt Lake City (300 West 300 South) for marvelous Italian and Mediterranean foods, a superb cheese and chocolate selection (including chocolates from Chocolatier Blue, an exclusive supplier to top-end restaurants like Charlie Trotter and French Laundry), and wonderful house-cured salamis.
Anything worth eating in Bountiful, UT?
There's a branch of Royal India that's up there. While they don't serve the South Indian dishes that they do at their Sandy location, the food is top notch.
Park City/SLC Recommendations for 2-month stay
Definitely would second Wahso and Chimayo as two outstanding, if expensive, Main Street eateries. There's a decent Vietnamese place (Saigon something-or-other) and a good Thai joint (Bangkok Thai) also along Main Street. Deer Valley is home to some superb food. Glitretend, the Deer Valley Seafood Buffet, and Goldener Hirsch are all worth visiting. I've also heard some very good things about Reef's Kitchen, a Middle-Eastern eatery in the Kimball Junction (near the I-80 exchange) neighborhood. For a unique experience, try the yurt dining at the Canyons Ski Resort (one skies or takes a sleigh up to a tent on the slopes for a gourmet dinner).
In SLC, several places worth the extra drive would be Takashi (outstanding sushi), the Red Iguana (wonderful divey Mexican), Mazza (superb Lebanese), Martine (reasonable tapas), and Cucina Toscana (you'll like it better than the Italian fare at Grappa or Ghidotti's and it'll probably be cheaper, to boot!).
Spectacular Salt Lake Sushi
Let me give a little shout out to a terrific little sushi joint that opened recently in downtown Salt Lake City. It's called "I Love Sushi." It's located on State Street, near the intersection with 400 South. From the outside (where the restaurant is barely visible through the thick foliage of a tree), it doesn't look like much, but I have to rave about their fish! Their pricing is competitive with local sushi places and their $3 happy hour nigiri (from 5-7pm every day) is a steal! Absolutely wonderful aji (Spanish mackerel), uni (sea urchin), and albacore tuna. The proprietors are California expats who are friendly and attentive. The owner/sushi chef is a whiz at preparing artful fish concoctions. The interior of the restaurant is spotless and inviting; they've done a fabulous job of renovating what used to be several incarnations of restaurant dives! In addition to a surprisingly good selection of raw fish, they offer some traditional Japanese fare (tempura, udon noodles, sukiyaki) at reasonable prices.
Like many new small businesses, they're struggling along to build a clientele, so I'd urge all sushi-lovers in the area to give 'em a try! Next to Takashi, I really think this is one of SLC's real sushi gems!
Downhill Alert! Market Street/Oyster Bar...
Gastronomy offers---or, at least, they used to---membership into a "birthday club." For a one-time $10 fee, you get permanent membership in their birthday club. On your birthday, they send you a certificate good for a 2-for-1 entree purchase at any of their restaurants, valid during the month of your birthday. It's quite a nice perk.
Butterfly-Salt Lake City
Butterfly has undergone several changes since it came to Utah about two years ago. The executive chef, who came from the SF location, left over creative differences about a year ago. More recently, there was a management shakeup at the restaurant. I don't know what the new ownership intends to change. Butterfly's cooking style was along the lines of California New Asian. Their food was interesting and artful, but not spectacular and often overpriced. That said, it has a upscale, hip vibe and their lounge is one of my favorite hangouts in SLC. Top notch mojitos there!
North SLC recommendations
Unfortunately, I don't believe the Bountiful location of Royal India serves any of the South Indian dishes that the Sandy location offers. So dosas wouldn't be an option...
Good Vietnamese Soup in salt Lake Area?
Pho Cali is my favorite spot for pho, as well. A wonderful, balanced broth and nice meat and vegetable additions. That neighborhood (approximately 3500 South and Redwood Road) is replete with Vietnamese and other Asian restaurants and markets. The nearby Pho Hoa also serves good pho and Hong Phat Market (a few blocks north on Redwood Road) has wonderful, fresh banh mi. Next door to Pho Cali is a hip little coffee joint (Gossip) that specializes in tapioca drinks, including a variety of interesting tropical flavors (lychee, kumquat, soursop, guava, etc.)!
Dining options in Salt Lake City near Marriot University Park
In addition to the previous suggestions, you should consider:
1) The Point
An upscale cafeteria in the Huntsman Cancer Center run by the same folks who operate the well-regarded local Market Street seafood chain, they serve a nice selection of sandwiches and hot entrees at very reasonable prices (the food is subsidized by the hospital to make it more affordable). On clear days, diners also get an unparalleled view of the Salt Lake Valley from the perch atop the Cancer Center.
2) Avenues Bakery
Check out this South Temple bistro for fabulous sandwiches and Salt Lake's best breads. Their rare roast beef sandwich with watercress is amazing!
3) MacCool's
An Irish-style pub with Guiness on draft and some surprisingly delicious food. Try their terrific lamb ribs and the gravlax is superb. They're located in the Foothill Village strip mall on Foothill Drive.
All of these spots are within 3 miles of the University of Utah campus and your hotel.
dim sum in SLC
I think the best spot is Hong Kong Teahouse, on 200 South, a few blocks west of the Gateway Mall. They have wonderful dim sum, which is prepared to order, so it's fresh and hot, not withered on some steam cart. You will need to allow a little more time for preparation, though. Service there is always gracious and attentive. I've also liked the dim sum at Cafe Anh Hong on State Street and about 1700 South. Good, authentic fare there, although the proprietor there is about as sour as any Chinese restauranteur I've ever encountered! Must mean the food is good, I guess! I've heard about the dim sum at Golden Dragon (Main Street and 1700 South), but I've not yet tried it.
