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The Blue Plate Special
If you have never heard of The Blue Plate Diner, you need to quickly look around at those people you call “friends” and reassess your relationships. The diner has been winning awards for “Best Breakfast” for almost a decade, been featured on the Food Network show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and shows no signs of slowing down. In addition to the accolades for their breakfast offerings, The Blue Plate should not be overlooked as a lunch or dinner option. … read more
Odi Et Amo, My Two-Faced Relationship with Evergreen House Cafe
Evergreen House Cafe takes the current wisdom of eating real food, not much of it and mostly vegetables, to heart. … read more
Food Review: Black Widow Cafe
I have visited the Black Widow Café several times for lunch and it has always been the right choice. I’ve seen the place completely empty and completely packed, and in both cases, the service has been good and the food has been quickly cooked to order. Co-owners and chefs John Prescott and Kevin Murphy make everything in-house, and I do mean everything. … read more
A Lovely Little Restaurant: Tea Rose Diner
What makes the Tea Rose Diner special is the pure ambition of the place—it is the biggest tiny restaurant I’ve ever been in love with. For dinner, they make a perfectly excellent and unique rendition of Thai food. They also have one of the most original breakfast menus I’ve ever seen. I was there for more than just the pleasure of the food: I was on a mission. … read more
Food Review: Sapa
I had been meaning to visit Sapa for quite some time. The restaurant spared no expense in making itself look nice. The interior is lush and sexy. Blown-glass chandeliers provide the perfect mood and the seating area is open enough that it never feels crowded—even when chatty diners occupy every table. I am no expert when it comes to sushi, but that didn’t stop me from sampling a few options from their list of specialties. … read more
Which Came First, the Kitchen or the Keg?
Beer and food pairings have become increasingly common in Utah as more and more interesting beers have come to the marketplace. RedRock Brewing Company brews some of the best beer in the state, and given the state of beer in Utah, that is no small feat. A reliably good restaurant is associated with the brewery and feeds the yawning dining room, which fills the deep, cellar-inspired restaurant space. … read more
Korean For Beginners
I asked several of my foodie friends to take me to Korean restaurants, and, independently, each ordered exactly the same thing for our meal: Beef Bul Go Gi and Dol Sot Bop along with the customary bowl of rice and various kimchee and vegetable side dishes. The meals were delicious and easy. Bul Go Gi is a Korean style beef barbecue; it is salty-sweet and not too spicy. It is sold everywhere in Korea, even at the 7-Eleven.
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Food Review: Da Hotdog King
Troy King is called Da Hotdog King––as are his fleet of hotdog carts. As Salt Lake’s only genuine Chicago hotdog cart, this newest soon-to-be Utah legend sits on the corner of 400 South and Main Street on weekday afternoons. The proud owner of two carts in Chicago and two in Atlanta, King is the friendliest high-powered executive you’re ever likely to chat with over a steam table. … read more
Johnny Kolache: Friends Wanted Here
Johnny Kolache is a little coffee shop-sized pastry joint serving Czechoslovakian pastries in a number of fine and tasty ways. The white walls of the joint are covered with the enthusiastic autographs and mementos of many happy customers. Johnny Kolache might be the most intentionally unpretentious place in Salt Lake, and yet everything about the eats and the friendly help says that there’s a lot of pride behind this family and their homestyle food. … read more
Fuckin’ Nuts for Doughnuts!
I spent a decade of my life working in a grocery store, which allowed me to see just how bad the state of the American doughnut had become. In the old days, bakeries would mix the yeast dough from scratch and would use hot oil for frying. Recently though, it has become difficult to find a good doughnut. They’re often dry, overly sweet and too bready. Even when they’re fresh they taste like failure. I wanted something that would leave a more lasting impression. … read more
