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
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”.
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I personally have never felt Bambara has lived up to the promotion and expections it gives out. Competent food at near big city hotel prices. It’s good food, but it would get lost among similar places in a major city. It’s not good enough to stand out. Hopefully, David Jones will fix that. He’s very talented, but he’s always made very comlex dishes that showed his technique more than highlighting the main ingredient. Ted may say that was only at the end of his stint at Log Haven, but it was always true. Since Ted’s never anything but gushing love for Log Haven. Nothing was ever wrong and it was mentioned A LOT in his reviews. He says it has nothing to do with his SO working there, but that provides an in where you become friends with the staff and you are never unbiased after that. Hopefully, David has changed his ways. That would move Bambera up to being the restaurant it should be. But, it may take someone other than Ted to provide that unbiased review.
Where’s your go to place for a special meal Rod?
Somewhere with a great ambiance, great food and killer service.
I must confess to having the odd hit and miss dishes at Bambara, but their seafood has always been stellar for me personally.
Julia’s Mexican Food is fabulous – not for the weak of palate. Authentic, delicious, takes cash only.
Julia’s is great! The beans are excellent,as is the rice. I expecially enjoy the cheese enchiladas.
I’ve been to Bambara several times and always had a good experience. I have recently discovered the Wild Grape on 500 E and S. Temple. This has become my home away from home. If you haven’t tried it, you need to go.