First up this week is Ted Scheffler of the City Weekly. Ted heads over to West Valley City and checks out Five Star Cuisine. Vanessa Chang of the Tribune also covered this Chinese restaurant several weeks back.

Ted agrees with Vanessa’s favourable assessment. Five Star Cuisine offers an array of authentic dishes, 150 in total offered ala carte. More exotic ingredients from the menu include Abalone, Sea Cucumber and Jellyfish. I’d wager these aren’t doused in sweet and sour sauce…

Also interesting are the prixe fixe options, “$68 for six courses or $98 for eight, served family style”. I have previously touched on how I miss great Chinese food since moving to SLC, Five Star Cuisine is increasingly sounding like a possible solution for my cravings. I would love to hear from anyone else who has tried this restaurant.

Five star Cuisine: 3361 S. Redwood Road, Salt Lake City, 84119, Utah

A bumper crop from In Utah This Week, who focus on Patio dining. I think they might be jumping the gun a bit, as I write this the weather outside looks anything but summery. The In Utah reviewers briefly cover one eatery each and then list their favourite patio picks around town.

Amanda Chamberlain picks the Bayou: “The Bayou’s food can be bland, but that doesn’t matter when you’ve got a beer selection like this.”. If your hungry, I would beg to differ with that statement. I have tried the Bayou a number of times and I would concur with Amanda on the food, the beer is definitely the main focus here. Their appetizers are pleasing enough though.

Sam Vicchrilli has an enjoyable meal at Café Trio. I have only ever managed to get to Trio twice and both times were excellent. I guess that’s more because the place is always teeming and doesn’t accept reservations. That always puts me off a place. Does anyone work in the industry and know why some places don’t like to take reservations? Takashi are another culprit, it seems insane to me, but there must be a reason?

Amy Spencer gives the thumbs up to Barbacoa and begins her piece with a good dose of hyperbole, “Barbacoa serves what is arguably the best burrito north of the border”. I’m sure some would like to debate that with Amy, but this local chain seems decent enough.

Finally, Kelly Ashkettle goes to Tucci’s. A bit of a mixed bag according to Kelly, although their patio does look rather nice.

The Bayou: 645 S State St, Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Café Trio: 680 S 900 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84102

Barbacoa: 859 E 900 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84105

Tucci’s Cucina Italiana: 515 S 700 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84102

Stacey Kratz of the Deseret Morning News heads up to Sandy and Smoky Mountain Pizza & Pasta. From what I can tell from their website, the restaurant is an expanding chain out of Idaho. The restaurant’s focus is on family friendly dining, offering a number of nice touches if you have kids in your dining group.

Smoky Mountain Pizza & Pasta: 1850 E 9400 S, Sandy, UT 84093

Finally, local blog Your Heart Out gives a very short review to Gloria’s Little Italy in Provo. It isn’t often I come across foodie delights from Utah County, so its always good to mention when one crops up, even if only briefly. Gloria’s offers a surprising selection, from deli sandwiches through to fresh pasta and home made sauces. Gloria’s even has it’s own bakery and market for cheese and meats. By the sounds of things, they have everything you need under one roof.

Gloria’s Little Italy: 279 E 300 S, Provo, UT 84606

And that ends another week. As I finish writing the sun has just started to peak through the clouds. Maybe summer here is after all, perhaps time indeed to check out some outdoor dining!

Overall: Enjoyable neighborhood eatery
Food: Authentically spicy
Ambiance: Welcoming
Service: A touch slow

We have been infrequent diners at Pawitt’s Royal Thai ever since it opened. I recall reading one of the first reviews of Pawitt’s in the City Weekly. Pawitt, the restaurant’s namesake, owner, and chef was, if I recall correctly partner in another Salt Lake City Thai restaurant. This new restaurant would see him striking out on his own in the Holladay area. Being quite close to us, we were thrilled with the prospect of a good Thai restaurant within easy reach of home.

As we sat and waited for our menus on this particular evening, I reminisced with Wendi. The restaurant was fairly full and buzzing. I commented that it was nice to see the business doing well. It was only have been a few minutes later that one of the waitresses brought the room to a hush. By some strange coincidence she explained that evening they would be celebrating 2 years of being in business. How time flies I thought, it seems only a few months back that we first visited. As part of the celebrations, the waitress informed us Pawitt had arranged for a traditional Thai dance.

For the life of me I cannot remember the name of the dance (Wendi’s note - I can’t remember the Thai name, but translated it was half human/half bird). A smiling elaborately dressed lady took to the floor, happily indulging us as we all took pictures:

While we watched the complimentary dance, I took in the restaurant more fully than I had in the past. Pawitt’s is housed in a former Chinese restaurant, and touches of that still remain. Spacious booths line the walls, the wall paper has a dated print, a sure-tell tale sign of past occupants. The centre of the room is dominated by a large fish tank, which in turn is surrounded by tables for larger parties. The room is liberally littered with Thai decor. Adorning the walls and tables are statues, ornaments, paintings, photographs and even an LCD screen showing images from Thailand. Overall the restaurant exudes a comfortable feel, it couldn’t hurt to re-upholster the booths mind you.

Service this evening was on the slow side. Our experience has been that it has never been super-speedy, but always friendly and with a smile. When our waitress finally took our orders, we started by each ordering a glass of Tempranillo ($5.50). The wait continued. Luckily, we had the dance to watch.

As we had not been in for a while, we decided to refresh our memories and started by sharing the Mixed Appetizer Plate ($14.95):

This included Chicken Satay, Thai Fish Cakes, Deep Fried Tofu, Prawn Dumplings and Curry Puffs. The appetizers came with the standard selection of Thai condiments, ranging from peanut sauce to a strong soy-cilantro-green onion mix. The satay were pleasing enough, as were the fish cakes and tofu.

My personal favourites were the curry puffs. In all but name they were effectively lighter Indian Samosas. These deliciously light pastries contained gently curry-seasoned mashed potato. I found them to be far preferable to the typically more heavy Indian samosa. Another unlikely addition was the prawn dumplings (though I am not sure if that is how they were named on the menu). The dumpling filling consisted of minced and seasoned prawn with glass noodles encapsulated in a pastry shell then deep fried. It struck me as a very Chinese-style item, and we both enjoyed them.

For our entrees Wendi opted for a “drunken” Shrimp and Vegetable stir fry ($13.95):

The dish was ordered medium, which at Pawitts means “real hot”. A Thai salad we once ordered “hot” left us both in tears. Do be warned if spice isn’t your thing. As you can tell from the picture, portion sizes are also generous.

I only had a brief taste of Wendi’s dish as I happily devoured my choice. Wendi assures me it was very good; a mix of vegetables stir-fried with the typical bold and fragrant Thai ingredients.

I went for one of “Pawitt’s specials”, Shrimp and Pineapple in Red Curry ($14.95):

Again this was a medium heat, and again required copious reaches for the water glass. I am sure if you are a Thai food fan like us though, that’s just the way you like it. As for the dish, the sweetness of the pineapple was a perfect offset to the rich, spicy, red curry sauce. The (shell on) prawns however were a little overwhelmed by the heat and strength of flavours. I would suggest a more robust meat perhaps. Both dishes came to the table with a family style serving of steamed jasmine rice.

Service continued to be a little off the pace. I would have liked a second glass of wine, but no one ever checked back on us. This has been a problem I have encountered on separate visits in the past. The service is really my only grumble with Pawitt’s Royal Thai. Whilst the service is most definitely friendly, they certainly need a little more work on organisation. The food is authentic and tasty and the atmosphere is welcoming and relaxing.

I am not aware of a website for Pawitt’s, it is located at ‏‏1968 Murray Holladay Road, Salt Lake City, UT 84117

You may have noticed the lack of restaurant review and round-up in the last 7 days. We took a brief weekend break in Las Vegas and decided to take a week off from the website to boot. Vegas was a nice warm break from rainy SLC. We didn’t win a single penny, but enjoyed some sublime meals at restaurants like Thomas Keller’s Bouchon and the Michelin 2 starred Picasso. I briefly pondered a ‘GSLC on the road” style post, but thought better of it. Suffice to say I am now solidly addicted to duck confit.

In light of the 7 day lull, this week I will be writing a dual round-up of both weeks 04/25/08 and 05/02/08.

04/25/08: Lesli J. Neilson of the Tribune takes a look at two Breakfast/Lunch joints. Eggs in the City and Carl’s cafe both get a quick review. Eggs in the City in particular gets the nod as the best place, with its “hip” decor and food.

Both places look good to me but I doubt I will ever get the chance to try them. I’m not a morning person at all, is there anyone that truly is? My only thought in the first hours of the day is caffeine, and plenty of it.

05/02/08: Vanessa Chang of the Salt Lake Tribune checks out Stella Grill. We visited Stella a few months back and found the experience largely O.K. Vanessa seems to be on the same page, touching briefly on the fact that a few menu items are ubiquitous across the Pub Group restaurants (Desert Edge Brewery, Red Butte Café and Martine).

Carl’s Cafe: 2336 East 7000 South, Salt Lake City

Eggs in the City: 1675 E. 1300 South, Salt Lake City

Stella Grill: 4291 S 900 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84124

04/25/08: Ted Scheffler of the City Weekly runs the rule over four Pizza joints. Namely Lazy Dog Pizzeria, NYPD Pizza, Sweet Home Chicago Pizzeria and Rocky Mountain Pizza. The quirky naming scheme at Lazy Dog in particular made me smile as I read the review.

05/02/08: Ted talks about the Secret Ingredients cookbook this week, so it’s not just me on holiday, missing the weekly review then. Just kidding Ted!

Lazy Dog Pizzeria: 317 S. Main, Salt Lake City, 84111

NYPD Pizza: 8208 Gorgoza Pines Road, Park City, Utah

Rocky Mountain Pizza: 3977 S. Wasatch Blvd. Salt Lake City, Utah

Sweet Home Chicago Pizzeria: 1442 E. Draper Parkway, Salt Lake City

A new addition to the round-up is In Utah This Week. Annoyingly, their website will not allow direct links to their articles. If you follow the links below though, you will go through to a general articles page. From there hit “dining” to reach the reviews. Curiously their dining section also focuses on bars and drinks.

04/25/08: In Utah This Week sends Sam Vicchrilli to Roma Ristorante. On the whole Sam is happy with Roma Ristorante, but he does comment “My only complaint is that the noodles were overcooked”. I think Sam lets them off a little too lightly, surely competently cooked pasta should be a cornerstone of any Italian eatery?

05/02/08: Sam Vicchrilli’s next review focuses on Johnniebeefs in Midvale. Johnniebeefs is a simple fast food joint, whose menu consists of Chicago style hot dogs and fried sides. Health food this is not. I’m with Sam all the way on his comments about food fascism and cheap eats. Heck the number of Gyro’s I eat, I couldn’t say anything else. I don’t think I have ever tried a Chicago-style dog, so I may have to give the place a whirl one day.

Roma Ristorante: 5468 S 900 East, Salt Lake City, 84117

Johnniebeefs: 194 South Union Park Ave, Salt Lake City, Utah

04/25/08: Speaking of Gyros, Trompos Mexican Grill is the destination for Stacey Kratz of the Deseret Morning News. Most intriguing to me was Trompos’ Mexican take on the spit-roasted meat classic, “Carne Al Pastor”. Stacey describes this as much like Gyro or the middle eastern Shawarma only “seasoned with Mexican spices”. I drooled all over my keyboard just reading about that. A word of warning from Stacey though, regarding the restaurants location on the road, approach from the East only.

05/02/08: From what I can see there is no restaurant review in the Deseret this week. Coupled with the lack of review in the City Weekly, I don’t feel too bad missing a week myself now…

Trompos Mexican Grill: 1005 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale, Utah

05/02/08: Finally, I came across saltlakecity.about.com just recently. They seem to also run restaurant reviews every so often. That said they are quiet brief and lacking detail. Case in point is this weeks review of El Taconazo. The reviewer briefly touches on the unusual menu on offer: “El Taconazo has a lot of unfamiliar menu items for American eyes but once you get past the lingo, the dishes are exotic, flavorful and good”. However they do not go on to actually build on what any of these dishes may be.

El Taconazo: 7962 South State Street, Salt Lake City, Utah

El Taconazo: 3505 South Redwood Road, Salt Lake City, 84119

Overall: Can’t wait to try again
Food: Excellent
Ambiance: Quirky and Hip
Service: Relaxed

After hearing rave after rave from fellow SLC foodies (and several failed attempts I may add), we finally managed to make it to the Tin Angel Cafe. The Tin Angel Cafe is perhaps one of Salt Lake’s worst kept culinary secrets. All the foodies I talk to are well aware of the restaurant, yet none of my friends who aren’t as equally obsessive seem to have heard of the place.

Despite wanting to try Tin Angel for dinner, an opportunity arose for lunch so we grabbed it. The first thing we noticed as we arrived was the outdoor patio seating. Nestled under a wood and metal awning, shaded from the setting sun, this would make a perfect location for a late summers meal. Unfortunately on this afternoon, the wind had different plans for us, so we headed indoors.

On entering the restaurant, we were greeted and seated at once by a happy smiling host. As we settled in, the Tin Angel’s tagline, “Gourmet Food…Rock n Roll Attitude,” started to become evident. After spending so much time in Salt Lake City, taking in this restaurant space and décor was an intriguing treat. Wendi’s first comment was, “This reminds me of Seattle.” I had to agree. The walls were lined with artwork, from who I presume are local artists. The dining space is split into various small areas, mainly a function of the old building’s layout. A very relaxed atmosphere pervaded the whole place. I ordered a glass of Pinot Noir and Wendi a Soy Latte as we sat back and perused the menu.

The focus of the food seemed to hit all the right buzzwords: seasonal, fresh, and local. The menu features a number of classic dishes, with more than a nod to Italy (chicken picatta and marsala, carpacio, gnocchi, risotto). To call the menu simple though would be both unfair and plain wrong. There is obviously a love for food going on in the kitchen at Tin Angel Cafe. Every item on the menu screams of freshness and quality. Local and organic produce are clearly paramount to the award winning head chef Jerry Liedtke.

We were both hard pressed to choose our lunches. Wendi was almost sold on a soup/salad combo, before our waitress suggested that day’s Brunch special (Spinach and Mushroom Omelette, $9):

Wendi had been craving a Brunchy items since we set out and this hit the spot. Whilst not the most exciting dish on the planet, it was perfectly executed and elicited a big thumbs up from Wendi. The omelette was served with a side of fried potatoes and onions. Wendi proclaimed the potatoes well seasoned and not too greasy.

After hearing lots of good things about the Breasola, I had to try the Breasola on Foccacia (Cured Beef Tenderloin, fresh Arugula, Shaved Parmesan, Roasted Tomato Tapenade, $9):

The sandwich was nothing short of a revelation. I am pretty sure my first words to Wendi after tasting were along the lines of “This is the best sandwich I have had in some time”. (Wendi’s note: Actually it was more along the lines of a deep sigh, some satisfied smacking of the lips, and “This sandwich is real real REAL good.”) Coming from me, that is a major thumbs up. You have to understand my obsession with sandwiches, I won’t go into depth today, but lets just say I like them… The beef, the tomato tapenade, the bread, the arugula, all came together perfectly. I noted the menu mentioned Carlucci’s bakery for the source of the bread. I will definitely have to investigate Carlucci’s further.

All the sandwiches come with a side of Terra Chips, Potato Salad, Green Salad, or a little soup for a small surcharge. I went for the potato salad and was treated to a lovely mound of home made goodness. Red potatoes married with crunchy onion and celery in creamy mayo/mustard-based dressing. I had to constantly bat Wendi away from my potato salad as she too agreed it was excellent.

Service was unapologetically relaxed throughout, in a good way I should add. I got the impression with a few visits you could get to know the staff quite well. Indeed, everyone from diners and staff alike seemed to be happy, comfortable, and having a a great time. As we departed, the same happily smiling hostess waved goodbye. I can imagine the laid-back vibe is further complemented by weekend music at Tin Angel. Live artists perform every week on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

I’m really looking forward to trying the Tin Angel Cafe for dinner sometime. The only problem is that every other Salt Laker who takes their dining seriously now seems to be in on the secret too. The last time we tried to call for reservations (extremely last minute on our part) on a Saturday evening, we were told we could have a table at 5PM “near the door for an hour at most”. When I do manage to reserve ahead of time, I can imagine the Tin Angel being a perfect summers hangout: the outdoor seating, fresh quality food, a bottle of wine, and some live music could combine perfectly to equal a great summer’s evening. Unfortunately, I think it’s going to be next to impossible to keep this relatively new Salt Lake City gem just between us.

Tin Angel Cafe is located at ‏365 W 400 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84104‏

Vanessa Chang writes for the Salt Lake Magazine this week, with their first ever Cheap Eats Guide. No great surprises, most of the usual suspects you would expect are covered.

Over in the Salt Lake Tribune Kathy Stephenson examines the grilled cheese in it’s various guises throughout Salt Lake. Kathy details the grilled cheese offerings at 7 local restaurants. According to Kathy, April is “National Grilled Cheese Month”, I’ll have to take her word on that one!

Stacey Kratz in the Deseret Morning News reports on the Wing Coop. The focus is on chicken in various formats (wings, tenders, sandwiches etc). The Wing Coop’s special take on the bar food classic would appear to be their range of 15 sauces and 8 dips/dressings.

From Stacey’s review I initially thought this might be a chain restaurant, closer inspection shows it to be an independent Utah restaurant with two locations. Prices seem reasonable enough, and take out looks like being your best bet over dining in.

The Wing Coop: 3791 Wasatch Blvd, Salt Lake City, UT
The Wing Coop: 4095 S. Redwood Road, Salt Lake City, UT

Hot on the heels of the Salt Lake Chowhounds, Ted Scheffler of the City Weekly scopes out Wasabi. As previously touched on, Wasabi is the first revolving sushi bar in Salt Lake City.

Ted contrasts the natural constraints of the revolving bar concept with the more traditional sushi bar, talking briefly about I Love Sushi. I have never been myself but the deep fried carcass of Spanish Mackerel sounds delicious; even though I assume that is a one off special dish.

Wasabi: 675 E. 2100 South (721 Plaza), Salt Lake City, UT
I Love Sushi: 368 S. State, Salt Lake City, UT ]]> http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2008/04/18/weekly-round-up-041808/feed/ http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2008/04/18/in-n-out-comes-to-utah/ http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2008/04/18/in-n-out-comes-to-utah/#comments Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:24:44 +0000 Stu http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2008/04/18/in-n-out-comes-to-utah/ Reported in the “In Utah” Magazine, this week: In-N-Out Comes to Utah. Don’t get too excited though, the first location appears to be Washington City, UT. Still a long drive to grab one of the renowned burgers…

Solid locals eatery
Food: Well executed
Ambiance: Local hangout
Service: Friendly and low key

With each passing day the weather seems to creep closer and closer to summer. Okay, there might be the odd freak hail storm or snap of rain, but it is getting warmer. With the growing warmth comes thoughts of lighter, simpler fare. On a recent warmer evening myself and a friend were looking for just this kind of meal. An array of restaurants sprang to mind: the Tin Angel Cafe, Citris Grill, Trio. Neither of us had been to Epic before, and both of us had heard good things. We agreed it was the perfect time to try the place out.

Wendi and myself have a running joke when seeing people on television (or in print) talk about food. We see how many of the following words they can use to describe a dish or restaurant: seasonal, simple, fresh, rustic, local. The cuisine at Epic seems to fit all these categories, so I will resist the urge to use them throughout the review.

Epic sits in the same large parking lot as Ganesh Indian cuisine, which we reviewed a few months ago. As a result parking is a breeze. We arrived on Tuesday evening (6.15PM) without reservations and were happy to find the restaurant only half full. Our host quickly greeted us and led us through to the deceivingly large dining space.

I must admit to not being keen on the décor. We both concluded the color of the walls to be army-green. This was offset with pieces of modern art here and there, various styles of lighting and an open kitchen to the far end of the room. The exposed metalwork ceiling (pained black) compounded the overly dark feeling of the room. We both agreed a lighter color scheme would work wonders in what is a very big space.

Our waitress arrived to interrupt our amateur décor critiquing, we both ordered a glass of the Castle Rock Pinot Noir ($7). For a relatively casual establishment the wine list was interesting and well rounded. The menu featured 5-6 options by the glass for both red and white.

As we were looking for a lighter meal, we skipped the Flat Breads and went for the appetizers. I should note that the flat breads did look quite tasty, featuring a range of toppings.

My guest chose the Grilled Artichoke with Clarified Butter ($8):

A basic dish and executed well. One artichoke halved, grilled and topped with butter and little cheese. My companion was more than happy with his choice.

My choice was the Dungeness Crab Cake (Balsamic Remoulade & Sweet Bell Pepper Slaw, $7):

The crab cakes seemed to be pan fried, yet were surprisingly oily throughout. I actually enjoyed the slight greasiness, but I could see it may be a turn off for some. Flavor-wise they were perfectly fine, the remoulade was a nice match. The side slaw comprised cabbage, red onion and bell peppers. I would have liked to have seen less slaw and slightly bigger crab cakes mind you. A decent enough start though to the meal.

Both appetizers featured a pet hate of mine, a confetti around the edges of the plate. I might be in the minority, judging by the number of places that run with this decorative treat, but I think it just makes a plate look messy. Rarely does it add anything to the dish. Message to chefs: please stop, please!

With our appetizers cleaned off and wine glasses refilled, our entrées quickly appeared. Thankfully both plates were confetti-free and looked all the more clean and appetizing for it.

My friend opted for the Sautéed Pork Medallions (Caramelized Onion, Sherry/Sage Demi-Glace & Au Gratin Potatoes, $17):

I am told the pork was spot on. Cooked just to the point of done, it was moist and juicy. The medallions were topped with a tasty pile of carmelized onions. More praise came for the potatoes too. A thumbs up for the plate all round. Not a bite was left on the plate at the end of the meal.

I chose the Seared Ahi Tuna (Sweet & Spicy Peanut Sauce & Basmati Rice, $17):

As you can see from the picture, the tuna was studded with sesame seeds and seared ever so slightly, just how I like it. The accompanying peanut sauce was essentially a rendition of Thai Satay sauce. I didn’t detect the spicy element noted on the menu, all the better though as that would have overwhelmed the ahi. Surprisingly the rice was cooked well, I often find that rice can be an afterthought in a restaurant not featuring rice extensively throughout its dishes.

Both entrees featured the same vegetable side, mainly consisting of carrots, broccoli and mushrooms. At the price point of Epic I thought this was very disappointing. I would have preferred to have seen more thought and effort go into making something unique for each dish.

Which brings me onto a slight complaint, that of the pricing. I personally felt some of the options were overpriced. My ahi at $17 was a stretch, as was the artichoke at $8. This isn’t to say the menu was exorbitantly overpriced, I just feel it could stand to be a touch more keenly priced. The wine pricing was definitely reasonable.

On the whole our meal was largely enjoyable, we both commented on not feeling overly stuffed after the meal. The entrée portioning was just what we wanted. The atmosphere also grew on us, by the time we were into the full flow of our meal the restaurant was quite busy and buzzing. I could have happily hung around and had another glass of wine, if we hadn’t had plans.

Epic is clearly a restaurant with a loyal following, evident by the busyness for a Tuesday evening. If I lived a little closer I’d certainly return and try a few more dishes, from time to time. If you do live in the area, and want a meal that is: simple, seasonal, fresh, rustic and local, then it wouldn’t hurt to give Epic a whirl. There, I couldn’t resist…

Epic Casual Dining is located at 707 E. Fort Union Blvd. Midvale Utah 84047

First up the Salt Lake Tribune, Vanessa Chang heads up to Bountiful for Marcello’s Ristorante Italiano. From Vanessa’s review it seems the restaurant provides perfectly fine, standard Italian fare. Service appears to be a little on the inexperienced side, that is tempered by fair looking prices.

I did note a curious element to the Tribune’s review system. Even though Vanessa was largely full of praise, she awarded only 1.5 our of 4 stars. I initially construed this as Vanessa trying to communicate the restaurant was sub par. On closer inspection it seems the Tribune’s lowest rating of 1 star equates to “Good”. If you are reviewed by the Tribune, you are guaranteed at least a “Good” rating it would appear, how odd.

Marcello’s Ristorante Italiano: 375 N Main St. Bountiful, UT 84010

Stacey Kratz of the Deseret Morning News checks out Left Fork Grill. The first and last time I head about Left Fork Grill was in the Salt Lake Tribune. The Tribune review focused on the pie offerings, Stacey concentrates on the savory Lunch options. Indeed Left Fork Grill only opens for lunch.

Left Fork Grill: 68 W 3900 S Salt Lake City, UT 84107

Finally in the City Weekly, Ted Scheffler riffs on the theme of the Salt Lake ‘Dine-o-Round’, which is almost here. Going around the valley Ted picks favourite items from various popular eateries. Ankimo from Takashi, Duck Confit from The Paris, Kobe from The Metropolitan and so forth, the list goes on.

Speaking of the ‘Dine-o-Round‘, has anyone ever tried this? For those who don’t know, the idea is for a group of downtown restaurants to provide a three course set menu for either $15 or $30 per person (most being $30). Personally the idea never appealed, I’d much rather pick what I want to eat. Not to mention $30 at most places doesn’t really seem like a bargain. ]]> http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2008/04/11/weekly-round-up-041108/feed/ http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2008/04/11/best-of-salt-lake-city-restaurants/ http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2008/04/11/best-of-salt-lake-city-restaurants/#comments Fri, 11 Apr 2008 18:06:12 +0000 Stu http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2008/04/11/best-of-salt-lake-city-restaurants/ It’s that time of year again, awards seem to be flying all over the place. A short while ago the Salt Lake City Magazine announced their 2008 Dining awards. Hot on their heels, the City Weekly also had their yearly best of 2008 issue last week.

On the whole the SLC magazine awards seemed fair. A couple of strange choices I thought, but largely as expected. I won’t name any names, but some of the reader choices in the City Weekly had me genuinely disappointed. Some restaurants placing number one in their categories, shouldn’t have placed at even 100. But then, that’s just my opinion, and that’s what makes talking about restaurants so interesting for me. One person’s sumptuous dinner can be another person’s idea of hell.

If I had to pick my favourite restaurant of the past 12 months, I would go for Kyoto. I simply cannot fault them for their sheer consistency of food and service. Every time I have been, the experience is spot on. Consistency is a big deal for me. I highly value having a go-to place you *know* will be great. Whether your taking out of town friends for a meal, maybe celebrating a birthday, or grabbing a bite to eat after an exhausting day at work. Knowing that when you step through the door, a great meal is guaranteed is a great feeling.

Kyoto for me is just this place. It’s relaxed, comfortable and also surprisingly affordable I feel. We have taken to hanging out at the sushi bar and chatting with the friendly sushi chefs like Mike and Akira. If they’d let me, I would happily buy one of the places at the sushi bar as reserved seating just for me. I digress.

So what do you think, what’s your favourite restaurant of this past year? Maybe there is more than one, maybe you don’t think any place in SLC makes the grade? Either way, let us know your thoughts on dining out in SLC this past year!

This week in the Salt Lake Tribune Kathy Stephenson goes over some hidden gems you may not be aware of. I personally thought this was a very interesting piece. A number of the items Kathy discusses intrigued me.

I don’t think I have ever tried anything authentically Peruvian. In the same respect, Julia’s Mexican restaurant fare seems to be as far from Chimichangas as you could get - “pork ribs with strips of prickly pear cactus in a red chile sauce” anyone? If anyone has tried the restaurants Kathy goes over, I would love to hear from you and know your opinion.

Julia’s Mexican Food: 51 S 1000 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84104
Victor’s Restaurant: 1406 S 700 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84104
El Chalan Peruvian Cuisine: 309 W 1500 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84115

Ted Scheffler in the City Weekly covers my personal favorite Salt Lake City restaurant, Bambara. Specifically he reviews the newer items brought to the menu with new head chef Dave Jones.

I haven’t been to Bambara since chef Dave Jones started his tenure. From Ted’s review it seems the restaurant is still firing on all cylinders as it was under chef Robert Barker. One of my reasons for loving Bambara so dearly is that they really know how to cook seafood properly. This still seems to be the case, I need to go back soon!

Bambara: 202 S Main St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

This week sees the Salt Lake Chowhounds head on over to the Wasabi Sushi Bar. The ChowHounds have a good time, at what is Salt Lake City’s first revolving sushi bar. It surprised me that with Salt Lake’s feast of sushi restaurants, it took this long to get a conveyor belt joint.

As the ChowHounds touch on, the main problem is often the lack of selection. Additionally, in my experience at other similar style restaurants, items can sit for overly long periods on the conveyor belt (I have no personal experience if this is true of Wasabi Sushi Bar). All this said, the concept is certainly fun and popular in most cities. I myself have enjoyed the dizzying giddiness of watching plates whizz by on more than one occasion.

Wasabi Sushi Bar: 675 E 2100 S State, Salt Lake City, UT 84106

Finally, in the Deseret Morning News today, Stacey Kratz tries Chalia’s Bakery. Chalia’s Bakery is located out in Midvale and according to Stacey serves “Mexican tortas and milk cakes, with a few additions such as cookies, grilled chicken and tacos”.

Chalia’s Bakery: 752 W. Center, 7800 S, Salt Lake City