Massive new Salt Lake City food hall set to open doors

Woodbine Foodhall & Tavern

It’s been several years in the works, but this week sees the impressive new Woodbine Foodhall & Tavern unlock the doors; well the front ones to be precise. July 13th is the opening date for the 21+ only bar area. You can find this up front, replete with rooftop patio (see below).

The bar is the spearhead of the space that also features an enormous food hall and joins a quickly expanding list of peers in SLC. Woodbine calls home the former Rico facility in the Granary District (545 W. 800 S).  After some seriously extensive refurbishment work the project is ready. If you’ve ever attended an event at the old Rico, or dined at the long departed Frida’s, I guarantee you’ll barely recognize the space. Literal years have been poured into the development; not least with covid making it’s presence felt extending the updated with improved air filtering and touch free bathrooms.

When the food hall rolls along next week it will feature six vendors at opening – a mix of new and old faces:

• 3 Cups Coffee – the family-run Holladay cafe will be making their second outing at Woodbine
• Mozz Artisan Pizza – a pizza shop out of Provo, Mozz are known for their attention to their house made sourdough and home made mozzarella
• Yakuza Ramen – a new noodle spot
• Square Kitchen – the food incubator plans to install a rotating line up of the businesses they assist, a diverse mix of international cuisines
• Deadpan Sandwich – this all new concept is from Taylor Giullian, who previously worked at Sundance Mountain Resort
• The Taco Lady – according to the trio of Woodbine’s operators, this particularly lady has the very best tacos in town

The facility itself has space for ten food vendors in total, but the Woodbine team are keen to slowly ease in, and adapt to public demand. Food trucks will follow as will more events and fun on the roomy patio out back. Keep an eye on this one. The bar opens today (July 13th) at 3 p.m.

545 W 700 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
instagram.com/woodbineslc

Now open

Moving on then, it’s been a busy month, here’s everything else that’s opened up since our last roundup.

Alpha Coffee

This new coffee shop along downtown’s Main Street is “female and veteran owned”, and, “is proud to donate more than 10 percent of their profits to the planet, veterans, and community through their Grounds for Good program.” Also according to the Downtown Alliance’s Joshua Jones on this post, “the sausage croissant and bacon burrito are legit.” Open weekdays only for now.

111 S Main St, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
(801) 810-2170
alpha.coffee

Azucar

More coffee, this time over in West Valley City, and with Mexican flair. The menu features a recognizable roster of drinks, as well as plenty of Mexican pastries from a local bakery.

843 S 5600 W, West Valley City, UT 84120
azucarcafeutah.com

Beehive Distilling

Not a new opening but certainly a big new update – one of the best distillers in Utah now has food. South Salt Lake’s Beehive Distilling now offers a food menu, offered roughly four till nine while the bar is open. You can check out the menu on our sister site here. More info as and when we swing by very soon…

2245 S W Temple St, South Salt Lake, UT 84115

Chicken In The Kitchen

There’s chicken. It’s in the kitchen. Perfect, I am ever the lover of a succinct name. The chicken in question at this new Provo spot is Korean fried. The Utah County restaurant’s menu looks plenty fun, starting crispy chicken bites from $8.99 working through to crispy chicken tteokbokki – crispy chicken on top of rice cake, fish cake and veggies.

1700 N State St, Provo, UT 84604
(801) 375-0818
instagram.com/cik_provo

The Churro Company

If you’re headed to the City Creek shopping mall anytime soon, check this one out. The Churro Company specializes in handcrafted churros, made from scratch. You can find them on level two of the facility just next to Johnny Rockets.

51 S Main St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
(385) 985-7485
shopcitycreekcenter.com/stores/the-churro-company

Crafted

Not much info on this one yet, except a new spot for Park City. The menu has a solid core of breakfast and lunch options, the likes of Benedict and BLT; as well as what looks a bar area.

101 Deer Valley Dr, Park City, UT 84060
(435) 649-0066
craftedparkcity.com

Dough Miner

I wrote about this one earlier in the week here. The 101 is that this new spot in the Maven West building (opposite Kaisers BBQ and T.F. Brewing) offers traditional Cornish pasties – the British grab and go snack. As a Brit with far too many meals based in pastry over the years – it gets my seal of approval.

945 S 300 W #101, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
(385) 334-3389
doughminer.com

Dos Olas Cantina

A new Mexican eatery spot for Summit County. Details via press release for this one:

Dos Olas Cantina, Park City’s newest restaurant uniting traditional Mexican fare with an updated spin, welcomes guests to the grand opening in the Plaza adjacent to Pendry Park City, Thursday, June 30.

Dos Olas, meaning “two waves,” is a nod to the waves that keep us inspired on the mountain and in the sea. That sense of playful inspiration, creativity and variety fuel every facet of the overall Dos Olas experience. Executive Chef Carlos Segura has crafted a robust menu of signature items including barbacoa nachos, tinga del pollo tacos, and cauliflower con mole alongside fresh ceviche, creative salads, family-style shareables, cantina-inspired snacks, and a selection of traditional desserts such as churro sandwiches, tres leches and flan. All accompanied by a wide variety of inventive margaritas, tequilas, mezcals and Mexican beers. Chef Segura’s menu reflects his roots in Mexico City, and his most recent role as Executive Chef at the Garza Blanca Resort in Los Cabos, Mexico. Chef Segura explains, “We are thrilled to open our doors to the Park City community and offer our own unique version of authentic Mexican cuisine.”

Featuring bold, nature-inspired mural art from Mexican artist Pilar Cárdenas, Dos Olas Cantina interiors are inspired by the bright colors and vibrant textures rooted in Mexican culture and tradition. With an expansive bar, family-friendly vibes, lively slope side ski beach, outdoor patio and complimentary parking, Dos Olas Cantina’s approachable atmosphere welcomes all to enjoy a warm, spirited dining experience. Guests can also enjoy live music on the Plaza all summer long, including opening weekend this Friday, June 30 – Sunday, July 3.

A ribbon cutting event will be held Thursday, July 7, from 2:00pm – 4:30pm hosting local media, business partners and a limited number of guests to celebrate the official welcome to the Park City community, including live music. “We’re excited to welcome our community and visitors alike to our vibrant, dynamic space to experience not only our incredible food and handcrafted margaritas but also to connect with friends and family.” said Brian Shirken, with Columbus Pacific Development.

Dos Olas Cantina is open daily, along with a convenient Dos Olas to-go window to open on the plaza in the coming months for quick, easy grab-and-go offerings. For reservations, please visit www.dosolasparkcity.com.

2417 W High Mountain Rd, Park City, UT 84060
(435) 513-7198
dosolasparkcity.com

Edna’s Market & Grill

Flatbreads, burgers and salads comprise the core of the menu at this new Lehi opening. The Lehi Free Press publication writes, “The limited menu focuses on quality over quantity, with several showcase dishes like the meatloaf (Christiansen farms ground beef & pork, mashed potatoes, buttered peas, crispy onions and chives) or the Paris Burger (7 oz beef patty, raspberry jam, spinach, white cheddar cheese, garlic mayo, crispy onions and ciabatta bun). The menu also offers traditional pizzas and salads. The wood-fired pizzas are cooked perfectly, provide great flavor between the sauce, cheese and crust, and are finished with a honey drizzle.”

380 N 850 E, Lehi, UT 84043
(385) 287-0887
ednasgrill.com

Feed Me

Got midnight cravings? Love your burgers dank? Give these guys a call. An all new late night eats delivery option.

Franklin Ave

Check out my full review of this one here – it’s one of my favorite spots right now – not least because the crowds have yet to descend (they will). For the uninitiated this is Matt Crandall’s latest menu – following on from his last effort at White Horse. Want to head there right now? The burger is world class, the snap peas with South East Asian flair are killer. The pasta is worth your time and calories too.

231 S Edison St, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
franklinaveslc.com

Funnel Cake World

Fresh funnel cakes for the folks of Provo. Flavors include the likes of fried Oreo, freied PB&J and smorelicious.

660 N Freedom Blvd, Provo, UT 84601
(801) 513-6668
facebook.com/FunnelCakeWorld/

Glyn Thai

Don’t quote me on it, but this one appears to be a rebrand. Reviewing their social media accounts, this looks to be the new name for Park City’s Thai So Good. The pictures look stunning.

1764 Uinta Way, Park City, UT 84098
(435) 565-6989
glynthaiut.com

Legit Getdown

The Tribune’s newest food writer, Stefene Russel turned me onto these guys. In her weekly food newsletter Russell wrote, “Legit Getdown, which serves Polynesian beef bowls, beef plates and clam chowder, has opened a walk-up window at ComCom Kitchen (67 W. 1700 South, Salt Lake City). For information on the menu and this week’s schedule, visit their Instagram page. ” Be sure to signup to the Trib’s weekly Utah Eats newsletter here for weekly Utah food updates from their team.

Mochinut Sugar House

With their first location now open in Sugar House, you can now sample this chain’s Korean hot dogs and mochi donuts. Mochi donuts huh? The company write, “Mochi donuts are a perfect union between Japanese-style rice cakes (mochi) + American-style donuts. Originating in Hawaii, these unique treats are growing in popularity because of their unique shape and texture; light crispy coating with a chewy inside. Mochinuts come in several mouth-watering flavors that change weekly.”

2142 S Highland Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84106
(385) 300-8360
mochinututah.com

Mama Coco Kitchen

Soul food comes to South Salt Lake with this one. This menu posted to Instagram is largely buit around a variety of po’boys including chicken ($15), fish ($18) and shrimp ($18) – there’s a particularly loaded version with my name all over it – a mammoth three meat po boy for $23.

3357 S. Main Street, South Salt Lake, 84115
instagram.com/mamacocokitchen

Melissa Crepes and Coffee House

Another new South Salt Lake spot, that will pair your early morning java with a selection of both sweet and savory crepes – biscoff and blueberry through turkey and avocado.

3432 S State St, Salt Lake City, UT 84115
(385) 528-2963
melissacrepescoffeehouse.com

Mint Tapas

Ariunbold Batsaikhan’s (aka chef Soy) picture perfect Japanese cuisines makes another appearance, this time in Holladay. Opening up in the space once home to Copper Kitchen, the menu offers a big selection of Japanese small plates, as well as a 10 course tasting option.

640 S Holladay Village Plaza, Holladay, UT 84117
(801) 971-2599
mintsushiutah.com

Paxton Pub

One of the successful winners at this months barapalooza – an all new SLC pub. Now open over by the Target on 300 W.

365 Paxton Ave, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
(801) 441-2208
facebook.com/PaxtonPub

The Pearl

See this article for my first full look at The Pearl. Located in the rapidly solidifying Central 9th neighborhood this is the second venture for the crew behind downtown SLC’s Alibi bar. The new cocktail bar also brings some heavy guns on the food side of things, with chef Tommy Nguyen cooking the first of his childhood. It’s very, *very* good stuff indeed.

917 200 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
slcmenu.com/2022/06/22/the-pearl-menu/

Pizza Twist

By way of completionism, I should mention this new chain pizza spot in Sugar House is now open.

675 E 2100 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84106
(801) 634-3334
saltlakecity.pizzatwist.com

ROCTACO

Headed South? There’s now another reason to pull over in St George, rather than just you know, floor it till Vegas. Instead, consider stopping over at this modern taco spot. The Southern opening brings the same menu that made the downtown SLC location a hit. It’s a globe traveling array of tacos with inspiration from all over, Korean, Indian and South American.

471 E St George Blvd, St. George, UT 84770
(435) 652-5999
roctaco.com

Sodaboba Drinks

Boba, soda.

10309 S Redwood Rd, South Jordan, UT 84095
(385) 799-6188
sodaboba.net

Snowmobile Pizza

Another Central 9th spot, moving into the former Morty’s space. The restaurant is bedecked in 1980s aesthetic, ski lift style chairs and is the work of Nice Hospitality, the same group that operate the HallPass food hall space in the The Gateway; the restaurant group also have a second space in the works the downtown open air mall as well, Italian Graffiti. Marc Marrone is the chef, who nods to a youth spent in the Bronx’s pizza parlors.

As well as sporting a sporting a blinding palette of colors, Snowmobile presents a menu with plenty of pizzas – specialty 18 inch pies topping out around the $30 mark; additional options include sandwiches, arancini, salads, wings and notably – beer, wine and cocktails.

877 S 200 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
(801) 317-8877
snowmobilepizza.com

Spilled Milk St. George

Another St. George opening, this one via press release:

Utahns now have another option for enjoying delicious ice cream and cereal combinations, as Spilled Milk Ice Cream & Cereal Bar recently opened its second brick-and-mortar location in St. George. This expansion comes a little over a year since opening the first Spilled Milk Ice Cream & Cereal Bar in Salt Lake City.

The new store is located at 1480 S. River Rd., the grand opening was held on Monday, May 23rd, 2022. During the Grand Opening and training, Spilled Milk raised funds for the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. 

“After retiring from the NFL and moving to Utah—I was coaching for the University of Utah until 2018, my wife and I decided we wanted to start a family business,” said Marvin Philip, co-owner of Spilled Milk Ice Cream & Cereal Bar. “The whole idea behind Spilled Milk is about the experience; it creates lasting memories. Many of our memories with our [five] kids are around the nostalgia of ice cream.” 

Spilled Milk Ice Cream & Cereal Bar has recently received the attention and investment from Monarch Ventures, led by Richard Rees, who was an original partner of The Joint Chiropractic Clinics, and Eric Slaymaker, founder, and CEO of Wingers restaurants, with a goal of bringing the Spilled Milk concept to new markets. All ice cream creations are made to order and served on a variety of flavored waffle cones or in shake form.

“My personal favorite is the Banana Dream Pie; it’s banana, Teddy Grahams and whipped cream; it tastes like a banana cream pie,” said Philip. “We are looking forward to sharing the experience of being with family, enjoying wonderful ice cream and the overall fun vibe of our stores with the people in St. George.” 

1480 S River Rd, St. George, UT 84790
(650) 678-9242
spilledmilkicecream.com

Tacos El Fino

Formerly home to Taco Land, and Cafe Guanaco before that, the this cozy bolding on the corner of 5th and 27th is now Taco El Fino. As you might guess from the name, the order of the day is tacos. The menu affords a wide range of selections: al pastor, chorizo, carne asada, chicken, fish, tofu, soy chorizo and hibiscus flower. Prices run about $4 per taco.

499 E 2700 S, South Salt Lake, UT 84115

Coming soon

And next? We’re also keeping an eye on the following businesses, expected to land before too long.

Big Chicken

With more than 150 stores in national development, Big Chicken now have their eyes set on Utah and Idaho. QSR Magazine reports here on The Shaquille O’Neal backed sandwich shop and their plans.

Electric Fish

ABC4 reported on this one and I am sure like myself, you will have many questions. For example, what exactly is a cryptocurrency ATM? Other items planned for this downtown SLC night club include: fried chicken, card trading, poker, sushi, cologne, a candy shop, and so much more. I feel old. I need a nap. The cooler than you Gateway spot is planned for 2023 and is from Wags Capital, the group that purchased the Dirty Bird Chxx chain.

The Fish Market Park City

Park City mag reports on this new seafood market coming to Summit County. The work of Chop Shop owner  John Courtney, the business will be part seafood market, part restaurant. PCM writes “The Fish Market will feature a raw fish counter, an ice well for crab and caviar, and made-to-order seafood dishes. The interior will mix mountain décor with an Asian-inspired simplicity. The Asian influence is also showcased on the menu with items such as chirashi—a poke-bowl-like dish with hot rice, sashimi, salmon, tuna, caviar or smoked roe, and a seaweed salad. Classic items like oysters on the half shelf, shrimp cocktail, and clam chowder will be featured alongside a surprising ahi-avocado dish using sushi-grade tuna, guacamole, and rice crackers. The retail shelves will be stocked with quality rice and soy sauces, and you can order sake, wine, and beer (including some specialty options like Japan’s Hitachino Nest White Ale).”

Island Fin Poke

Planned for SLC this August, a new poke bowl chain. The menu features sustainable fish, house sauces and more than 20 toppings to choose from.

613 E 400 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84102
(801) 829-7653
islandfinpoke.com/salt-lake-city

Judy’s Restaurant

Coming to Smithfield in Northern Utah, this Facebook post indicated the team are hiring, “HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT! Ruby’s Kitchen and Larsen’s Mercantile & Pantry would like to welcome Judy’s Restaurant and hope you will all stop in and support us. We will be located at 133 North Main, Smithfield and will also have our current location. This restaurant will feature a sit down menu. So Please stop in and fill out an application at 866 south 100 east Smithfield and join our amazing team! We are looking for cooks, waiters, and waitresses and Looking to open right soon.”

Jurassic Tacos

Coming soon to 785 E 200 S in Lehi, a new spot for this taco group.

Maxwell’s

The new home for the downtown location of Maxwell’s now seems set. After a will they, won’t they over the original Main Street location the group seem to be completing a new build out at 328 West 200 South.

Santo Taco

After their recent revamp of the Alamexo space on State Street, the team behind Monarca, are set to bring their original taco shop concept to the corner of 400 South and State Street. The space last served last the short lived downtown outpost of Fatboy Phillies.

The Mercantile, a food-hall-ish collaboration among Rooster’s Brewing, Kaffe Mercantile and Beehive Cheese, will be opening in the Depot Building on Ogden at 2501 Grant later this summer. They’re previewing their offerings at a handful of pop-up events, including the Farmers Market Ogden Opening Day (May 28, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and the Historic 25th Street Car Show (June 3, 5-9 p.m.). You can follow their progress on Instagram and Facebook.

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: 

• Adelaide Restaurant And Bar – last mentioned February 2022
• Angry Korean – last mentioned December 2021
• Apex Brewing – last mentioned January 2022
• Banbury Cross 2 – last mentioned January 2022
• Bistro by Butler – last mentioned January 2022
• Bistro Provenance – last mentioned May 2022
• By The Bucket – last mentioned June 2022
• Captain D’s – last mentioned March 2020
• Coffee & Tonic – last mentioned June 2021
• Cheryl’s Bagel’s – last mentioned February 2022
• Crane Ramen – last mentioned March 2020
• Italian Graffiti – last mentioned May 2022
• Famous Daves – last mentioned June 2021 
• Fife Brewing – last mentioned March 2020
• Fuzzy’s Taco Shop – last mentioned June 2022
• Gourmandise American Fork – last mentioned April 2022
• Gyro Shack – last mentioned October 2020
• Hash Kitchen – last mentioned December 2021
• Hearth And Hill – last mentioned December 2021
• Hope Gallery – last mentioned December 2021
• Killer Burger – last mentioned June 2021 
• Las Botellas – last mentioned January 2022
• Lemon Shark Poke – last mentioned October 2020
• The Local Market & Bar – last mentioned December 2021
• Maize Taco – last mentioned January 2022
• Maria’s Mexican Grill – last mentioned May 2022
• Martine – last mentioned October 2021
• Mountain Mike’s – last mentioned March 2021
• Noemi’s – last mentioned December 2021
• Nomo Asian Grill – last mentioned May 2022
• Pizza Nono – last mentioned August 2021
• Pow Pow Ice Cream – last mentioned June 2022
• Quarters Sugar House – last mentioned January 2022
• Recharge Bar & Grill – last mentioned January 2022
• Roll’d Vietnamese – last mentioned December 2021
• Roots Coffee Co – last mentioned March 2021
• Slim Chickens –  last mentioned April 2022
• Sol Agave –  last mentioned February 2022
• Sushi Squad –  last mentioned April 2022
• Tacomania –  last mentioned February 2022
• Tea Rose Thai Express –  last mentioned February 2022
• Urban Hill – last mentioned May 2022
• Wanda Lee’s Chicken Coop – last mentioned May 2022
• Xing Fu Tang –  last mentioned February 2022

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Stuart Melling

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.