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New restaurant openings continue to surge

How many days elapsed since our last mega-recap of new restaurants? Fourteen. How many additional business openings to land on our desk since then? More. Many more. As daily past times go, you can take your word of the day books, I’m starting a new restaurant of the day club.

Now open

Batista

For those pounding the streets desperately seeking Cuban cuisine amidst our boba and poke soaked streets – your prayers have been answered. Opening up at the collectively-eclectic spot (roughly 27th South and 5th East) in South Salt Lake this new joint that serves up Cuban and Nicaraguan cuisine. You can find the Batista menu here on our sister site SLC Menu.

There’s no Cubano on there yet – but given the constant barrage of folks asking where can you get the best in SLC (it’s currently Beltex by the way) – one would imagine pressure changes that quite quickly.

493 East 2700 South
(385) 484-757

Big Dipper

Speaking of greedily stuffing things between bread – check out this one over in Park City; and while you’re at it start re-imaging the lyrics to Big Spender as a sandwich based anthem. The BD doesn’t mind a soupçon of whimsy either, check out a few of the dishes on the fun menu.

Concoctions like the she’s shrimp-ly irresistible come with crispy rock shrimp, pickle, romaine, tomato, and remoulade are served with a nod and a wink, and in this case a side of creamy clam chowder. Meanwhile the hot tejana loads up shaved pork, cotija, red onion, cucumber, fresh jalapeños, cilantro and Hot Cheetos. That one comes with a chile broth dip. Indeed every sandwich has a matching liquid for your dipping pleasure. The picture at the top of the page is their Saigon In Sixty Seconds.

The concept is from the team behind 350 Main And The Spur – Cortney Johanson, Fabio Ferreira and chef Matthew Safranek. This looks like a solid new addition to those seeking both calories and warmth post slalom. It’s opening up along with the impending Star Bar in the old Star Hotel.

All together now, the minute you walked in the joint…

227 Main St, Park City, UT 84060
instagram.com/bigdipperparkcity

Blatch’s Backyard BBQ

One more to add to the ever growing pile of homespun operators – this one for vegans bemoaning the lack of BBQ options beyond a cucumber salad and a pat on the head. Blatch’s offers pickup on Fridays 3-6.00 p.m. with pre-ordering accepted through the week until Thursday late afternoon.

In case you’re concerned Blatch doesn’t have the chops – he also cooks up a decent looking range of carnivoristic options too – brisket, pork, burnt ends and more.

Chow Time Seafood Buffet And Grill

New. Or not new? Chow Time seems to have a profile going back a couple years, but also recently popped up on Yelp as a new business. Reviews talk about the “recent opening” of this West side buffet. I’m guessing a re-naming, re-branding or otherwise changeup of an existing buffet?

2819 S 5600 W, West Valley City, UT 84120
(801) 890-3838

MunchKart

Operating out of the ComCom Kitchen commissary is this fast-casual Indian, catering to your curry needs via both delivery and pickup in person. Preparations include dishes like saoji and makhani, alongside options of bowls and wraps. Prices are remarkably keen, starting at $7.99 for some of the veggie dishes on their compact menu.

Side Bar

Ogden's Own team at Side Bar
Ogden’s Own team at Side Bar

Ogdenites have this new fun looking bar to scope out. Located inside the Ogden’s Own Distillery new build, and with an eye on craft cocktails and mocktails alike. The bar was one of the last recipients of precious as gold, bar licenses. Actually given Utah bar licenses change hands on the open market for $50K, and presumably weigh no more than a few grams of paper – they’re defacto the most expensive commodity on planet earth by weight. Take that saffron, diamonds and Californium 252.

615 W Stockman Way, Ogden, UT 84401
(801) 458-1995

Trolley Cottage Cafe

Appearing in our inbox just today, as hot off the press as can be. Trolley Cottage is now open next door to Skewered Thai and offers a cafe menu perfect for brunching and lunching. Breakfast staples like benedicts, brioche and burritos sit alongside lunchables like salads and sandwiches. Prices range $12-$16.

703 E 600 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84102
(801) 419-0579
instagram.com/trolleycottagecafeslc/

Coming soon

Cafe Azteca

This new West side spot are promising a November 13th opening.

900 W. 300 S. Salt Lake City, Utah

Fed Up Kitchen

The shuttered Freebirds’ location in Sugar House is set to re-open any day now. The new tenant, Fed Up Kitchen, has existing locations in St. George and Draper; the business offers a range of meals to go, with a focus on health first and foremost. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all served on their menu.

2120 S 1300 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84106

Flanker Kitchen

After failing to secure one of the aforementioned bar licenses during September’s DABC meet, this huge build at The Gateway went and purchased one from Legends – before being rubber stamped at the October meeting. That should mean the concept will fling their doors open any day now.

We’ve been previewing this one quite a bit, and it goes without saying, a lot of eyes are watching the Vegas-import. With it, comes a lot of big names, cash and expectations to fill the space left dormant by the now dead as a dodo Punch Bowl Social.

6 N Rio Grande St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
(801) 683-7070
flankerslc.com

Italian Graffiti

Moving into the spot vacated by California Pizza Kitchen at The Gateway, this funkily branded Italian restaurant. The graffiti moniker should give the best indication as to what to expect. Why? Well, this is a sister business to HallPass’ Graffiti Bao – the modern spin on Asian bites. Both are operated by Vegas based chef Marc Marrone. If I we’re a gambling man, my money would be on IG-worthy interpretations of Italian classics.

156 400 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Laurel

Slated for a December opening is the ritzy looking Laurel, housed in the belly of the Grand America. Details are being coyly dripped out for the time being, but we’re told to expect European cuisine with a whirl of American fusion. Here’s hoping this one brings back some solid French flair to the streets of SLC, confit and nicoise and stiffly pressed aprons. I’m promised info very soon, more news as I get it.

Martine Cafe

Hopefully you’ve heard the news, but here it is once more. Downtown Salt Lake’s vaunted Martine Cafe, part of the Pub Group (Desert Edge Pub, Stella) is set to make a grand comeback. The restaurant has been spied hiring for a variety of positions and was also recently approved for a full service liquor license. And as I mentioned in that story, you don’t get your hands on those if you’re not serious about opening the doors.

Old Cus SLC

A heads up from our writer Christy on this new breakfast and lunch cafe arriving any day now. Here’s what she wrote over on IG , “got to preview a little of what’s coming at @oldcusslc and it is going to make your mouth so happy. it’ll be the artisan espresso drinks you know and love from the truck, plus a full breakfast and lunch café, a microbakery, a vintage shop, and more. brent’lee shared this mediterranean-flavored mushroom and olive sandie and it was so incredibly delicious. i’ve never had better mushies, he makes a sharp, tangy cheese spread from scratch, and it’s all plant-based. just needs a giant cookie for dessert.”

Shinobi Sushi Bar & Grill

Intel on this one came from an attentive reader of the website – and as ever – thank you all for thinking of me and letting me know the moment you see as much as a burger patty out of place. Email me here with your tips. Shinobi should be here any day now, serving up Japanese cuisine to the good folks of the Marmalade neighborhood.

555 North 300 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84103
(801) 859-2251
shinobislc.com

Shades Brewing

Another tidbit from this months DABC meetup – Shades Brewing purchasing the liquor license from Habitat in downtown SLC. Putting all the pieces together, it appears to me at a distance that Shades will replace Habitat (just around the corner from Himalayan Kitchen) and open up a new bar spot. I’ve reached out for comment and confirmation, and will update the post as soon as I hear back in some official capacity. Or you know, swing by and let me know!

Update November 2nd, Shades confirmed the following info with us:

The South Salt Lake location will remain open. It will be where we brew still, as well as the beer to go store. We had to give up the taproom license, but are hoping to apply for a tavern license at the end of this month and by December we can reopen the South Salt Lake location as a limited taproom.  Our new location is in partnership with the owners of both Himalayan Kitchen and Arempas Venezuelan kitchen. We will have a full kitchen with a full menu- our menu will feature Himalayan food, Venezuelan food, as well as American. (Think tacos and hamburgers, basically).  We will be open for lunch and dinner, and around 9 or 10:00 we will turn into more of a bar bar to compete with Twist, Green Pig, etc.  New location is 366 S State St, right above Chakra Lounge and Himalayan Kitchen!

Tamarind

Thanks to the Downtown Alliance’s Joshua Jones for this piece and the lowdown on this new Vietnamese spot. Jones writes, “two lawyers are pho-filling their dreams (no groaning allowed). North of Beerhive, Tamarind will begin serving Vietnamese cuisine in the next couple weeks. Perfect timing for a big warm bowl of Pho, made with a secret family recipe. “

Mountain View

And finally. Just to make things ever more crazy. How about FIFTEEN more restaurants. Yeah, you read that right. ABC4 reports on a massive new development coming to to Riverton’s Mountain View Village. ABC reckon more than a dozen restaurants will be part of the new retail options, including “five first to market in Utah” including:

  • Kona Grill
  • Shabu Gen experiential Korean BBQ
  • Silverlake Ramen
  • Stack 571 Burger & Whiskey Bar
  • WildFin organic, sustainable seafood

It reads like a whats what of the trends of the year. Expect boba…

Previously mentioned with no further update

We’ve written about the following new restaurants in recent posts tracking new restaurants around SLC. We’ve heard no further news on these at this time: 

Opening a new restaurant in Utah? Be sure to check out our Utah restaurant resources mini site for the businesses and services you will need to help you open your restaurant.

Other useful links



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