You might want to pull up a chair, grab a warm drink and take a break for this weeks round-up. Back from a two week break comes a bumper edition of the restaurant review round-up, with 11 reviews in total.
Sego Lily Cafe
305 N. Main St., Bountiful
(801) 294-3327
Review: Salt Lake Tribune
Website: www.segolilycafe.com
The Tribune’s Vanessa Chang takes a trip out to Bountiful, to sample a relative rarity for the area. Sego Lily Cafe provides a menu of “New American, comfort — with a heavy Italian accent”. If item’s like brie-baked fresh cod rock your boat, a trip to Bountiful should be in your near future. A big thumbs up from Vanessa, for one of Bountiful’s few independent restaurants.
Snow Bird eateries
Review: City Weekly
Over in the City Weekly and high up in the mountains of Snowbird, Ted Scheffler writes about two new eateries at the resort. Creekside Café seems to offer up basic pub-style eats like Chilli, Burgers and Brats. At the polar opposite end of the scale, is the Seven Summits Club. But if your looking to join this exclusive mountain club, you better have $14,000 to spare for the yearly fees.
Hibachi House
1438 Main Street Suite 102, Lehi, Utah
(801) 341-5008
Review: Your Heart Out
Outside of SLC again, Courtney Buell enjoys a meal at Lehi’s Hibachi House. Hibachi House provides a scaled down version of the grander Teppanyaki experience. There are no elaborate knife skills or communal seating here. What you will find though are cheap prices, a more relaxed atmosphere and all those great Teppanyaki flavours.
Sampan
675 E. 2100 South, Salt Lake City
(801) 467-3663
Review: Deseret Morning News
Back in Salt Lake City, the Deseret News reviews the eternally popular chinese restaurant, Sampan. Stacey Kratz is a big fan, but I personally just don’t get it. My experience has always been that of a ultra-americanized tasting affair, but hey, I think that’s the big attraction for most. Each to their own.
Fratelli Ristorante
9236 Village Shop Drive, Sandy, 84094
(801) 495-4550
Review: Salt Lake Chowhounds
Website: www.fratelliutah.com/
In a less than stellar encounter, the Salt Lake Chowhounds check out Fratelli Ristorante. Despite praise from other quarters the guys have a relatively poor experience, finding more to dislike than like. I respect these guys opinions based off their past output, perhaps a restaurant resting on it’s laurels?
The Counter Burger
188 S. Rio Grande St., Salt Lake City
(801) 297-1000
Review: Salt Lake Tribune
Review: Deseret Morning News
Website: www.thecounterburger.com/saltlakecity
Two reviews of the Gateway’s relatively new Counter Burger, come courtesy of The Salt Lake Tribune and The Deseret Morning News. Opinions vary between the two reviews. Where the Tribune’s review is largely positive, Stacey Kratz of the Deseret takes issue with the whole concept of high-end burger dining. Especially questioning the $100 price of her meal, for essentially burger and fries. I’m kinda with Stacey on this one, some concepts just don’t need a new expensive spin.
Bruges Waffles & Frites
336 W. Broadway, Salt Lake City
(801) 363-4444
Review: City Weekly
Website: www.brugeswaffles.com
Back in the City Weekly, Ted Scheffler takes on the unusual mix of Waffles and Fries. Two Belgian specialties served up in one eatery; located in the tiny space that was formerly Aloha Island Style Sushi. Ted is impressed with the seemingly incongruous mix declaring “I hereby proclaim waffles and frites the ultimate breakfast”.
The Olive Bistro
57 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City
(801) 364-1401
Review: In Utah This Week
This new eatery is the focus of the In Utah Team. Where once L’Astelier Café plied it’s tried, the Olive Bistro now serves up simple European-inflected cafe fare like paninis, salads and pastries. The review seems to confirm, new restaurants take a little while to bed in, with the whole affair seeming a touch hit and miss.
Carlucci’s Bakery
314 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City
(801) 366-4484
Review: Deseret Morning News
Website: www.carluccisbakery.com
A second review from the Deseret Morning news, is of Carlucci’s Bakery. I’m a big fan of a quality sandwich, and this mouth-watering review gives the nod to Carlucci’s, if that is your thing too.
The Bayou
645 S. State St., Salt Lake City
(801) 961-8400
Review: Salt Lake Tribune
Website: www.utahbayou.com
Finally, a review of The Bayou from the Tribune’s Lesli J. Neilson. The Bayou, or “beervana” as it likes to call itself, should be well known to most locals now, due to its vast array of beers on offer. Lesli however takes umbrage at the unfocused menu, which also piles Southwestern and Italian cuisine on top of the Cajun, to complete a 64 item menu. After several visits in the past myself I tend to agree too. Why not just excel at those Cajun specialties, something lacking around these parts.
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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