Oasis Cafe *
Now that the sun is out and gardens are sprouting, it also means the onset of “swimsuit” season. Oasis Cafe is offering lighter and healthier alternatives to delicious dining for May’s three-course offerings from Chef de Cuisine Efren Benitez. Priced at just $25 and changing weekly to take opportunity of the freshest ingredients, the nightly “swimsuit” dinner special includes a nourishing choice of soup or salad and changing entree and dessert options.
“Along with warmer temps, this time of year is also “swimsuit” season after months of hibernation, so we understand that our guests may want to eat lighter and healthier,” said Will Keesen, general manager. “Chef Benitez and his culinary team are serving up sautéed tiger prawns, pan-roasted mahi-mahi from Hawaii, and grilled halibut fresh from the sea along with some super fresh vegetables and super foods.”
Oasis Cafe’s March 3-Course $25 Specials come with a starter course of soup or salad and change weekly:
May 5-11
sautéed tiger prawns over penne pasta with sundried tomato sauce, and a finish of pecan and peach cake (pictured above)
May 12-18
airline chicken breast stuffed with bacon, bell peppers and feta cheese, over soft polenta with grilled zucchini and a smoked tomato sauce and dessert of mint brownies and pistachio ice cream
May 19-25
pan roasted sea bass over mashed potatoes, kale, and a tarragon sauce and coconut cheesecake
May 26-1
grilled halibut over a green bean and tomato salad, topped with a mango salsa and chive oil, with mixed berry and sabayon in a prizzell
151 S 500 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84102
(801) 322-0404
www.oasiscafeslc.com
Craft Beer
Lovers of craft beer will know that next week, May 12-18, is craft beer week. SLC being the mini-mecca of brews that is, has a raft of events for hop lovers. I had planned to write my own review of the best events, everything from brewery tours to beer dinners – but fellow blogger Mikey over at Utah Beer has a tremendously detailed post. You should check it out.
Log Haven *
Log Haven, the acclaimed fine-dining destination, kicks-off Dog Days of Summer with an inaugural event to make tails wag. On Sunday June 1, Log Haven will host the Dog Days of Summer Shake-Off cocktail contest to benefit the Humane Society of Utah. Now in its 7th year, Dog Days of Summer is a summer-long al fresco dining event for well-mannered dogs and the humans who love them.
Libation lovers and their canine companions are invited to Log Haven’s Hillside Amphitheater to shake paws and cocktails alike with acclaimed bartenders and mixologists from Log Haven, BTG, Finca and Taqueria 27. . Each mixologist will create a canine-themed cocktail with an eye to winning Best in Show. A panel of judges including Scott Beck, President of Visit Salt Lake; Mary Brown Malouf, Editor, Salt Lake magazine and Ted Scheffler, Food & Drink Editor, City Weekly will select the their favorite, based on originality, flavor, presentation and relevance. Price for admission will be $20 and includes food, tax and gratuity. Proceeds will be donated to the Humane Society of Utah. Doors will open at 5:30pm, and the contest will begin at 6:15pm. Reservations are highly recommended.
While the Shake-Off is one day only, well-behaved canines and their human companions can escape the hot valley and visit the restaurant for Dog Days all summer long. Starting May 31st and continuing through September as weather permits, dogs and their owners can take a hike in cool, green Millcreek Canyon (one of only two Wasatch Front canyons that allow dogs), and then enjoy a refreshing beverage and a delicious snack or meal in Log Haven’s outdoor amphitheater. Log Haven provides fresh water and doggie treats for Fido; owners can reward especially good pups with menu items, including K-9 game kabobs.
6451 E Millcreek Canyon Rd, Salt Lake City, UT 84109
(801) 272-8255
www.log-haven.com
Faustina *
Faustina in downtown Salt Lake has smartened up the lunch menu to offer a wider array of options. With a nod to offering lunch diners more choices for business meetings or casual lunch with friends on the secluded patio, Chef De Cuisine Joe Kemp has been busily concocting new lunch options, new pricing structure and new fresh, organic “side of the day.”
Although Kemp will be keeping many guest favorites on the menu such as the Salmon BLT, the smoked Sonoma Chicken Salad and Faustina’s Linguini Diavalo, they will be offering new items such as Kemps’ Chicken Parmesan with house breaded chicken breast, mozzarella, basil pesto spread and Diavalo sauce on ciabatta bread; and Hot Caprese Sandwich with fresh mozzarella, tomato, red onion, balsamic reduction and basil pesto (pictured above). Joining lunch from the popular weekend brunch menu is the Bacon and Egg Cheeseburger, a yummy mess with applewood smoked bacon, white cheddar cheese, garden fresh tomato, avocado, Mosiah sauce, and of course topped with an egg – over easy, over hard or fried.
New menu pricing is a la carte to allow the culinary team to offer both simpler offerings and over-the-top lunch entrees. Faustina’s “Fixed Lunch Special” is still $12 with three choices daily and Joe’s famous roulade. New lower priced sides include sweet potato chips, house salads, house or butternut squash soup or half salads of Sonoma chicken or citrus. A “Side of the Day” offering will put the spotlight on Faustina’s expanded relationships with local growers. Each day featuring, among others, Mountain Valley Microgreens, Parker Produce, Bev Myers Eggs, Jones Creek Beef (grass fed, free range), Morgan Valley Lamb, Pierre Country Bakery, and more. Dessert options have been expanded, too with expanded offerings.
“I’m excited to mix up our lunch menu with lighter, simpler options and a focus on our local fresh and organic farms,” said Joe Kemp, Chef de Cuisine. “I have a passion for the quality of each ingredient and have been working to form close bonds with these farmers and ranchers who are so passionate about taste.”
With 20 years of critically acclaimed work preparing delicious, healthy dishes, Joe Kemp brings a wealth of experience to the kitchens at Faustina. Originally from Iceland, Faustina’s new chef de cuisine grew up in Florida in the Palm Beach area. After graduating from the Florida Culinary Institute, Joe began his cooking career helping a friend open The Red Maple in Baltimore, Maryland. Together they created an acclaimed menu of creative tapas with a global influence. There his career-long passion for fresh, local ingredients began to bloom. He also owned and operated the Moontimes Cafe in Catonsville. Then, after falling in love with the breathtaking serenity of the Solomon Islands in Maryland, he kept well-traveled palates happy at the Blue Heron B&B, Belle Maison Bistro and the CD Cafe.
454 E 300 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
(801) 746-4441
www.faustinaslc.com
* Gastronomic SLC is a proud local partner of Bambara, Caffe Niche, Faustina and Oasis Cafe.
Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC. I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have written in myopic detail about the Salt Lake City dining scene for the better part of seventeen years.
I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV. Pause those credits, yep, that’s me! I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. What they’re saying about me: “Not inaccurate”, “I thought he was older”, “I don’t share his feelings”.
Want to know more? This is why I am the way I am.
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