Fall dining menu updates start to roll out on local menus

Oquirrh

It’s been a whirlwind year for Oquirrh – the chef-driven fine dining spot on the Eastern edge of downtown SLC. Named the outstanding restaurant of the year by SL Mag at the start of the year, as well as receiving a prestigious James Beard nod for best (regional) chef – the restaurant has begun updating their menu with seasonal Fall dishes. New items to sample include:

• Steamed clams with Fall greens, bone marrow, white wine broth, sourdough toast points
• Braised fennel with marcona almond puree, local apples, cider syrup, herbs
• House made radiatore pasta, wild mushrooms, creamy mushroom & Fall herb duxelle, parmesan
• Market fish with charred leek, chicken broth, local Yukon & red potato-leek soup, leek dust

Reservations recommended via Tock.

Micro-specials

Wasatch Brew Pub – With area roadworks in mind, this central Sugar House brew pub are offering a sweet deal. Their “Construction Relief Beer” sees 12 oz draft beers pried $3.50; while everyone who dines in also gets 10% off food and non-alcoholic drinks during the construction difficulties.

Urban Hill – New Sunday specials at Urban Hill include $2 oysters, 20% off bottles of wine and a Sunday supper special; a classic Creekstone farms châteaubriand served with whipped potatoes, mac & cheese, rolls, and asparagus. Priced $175 and serves 3-4.

Porch – The Daybreak restaurant has brought back their always popular BOGO Tuesdays. Buy any small or big plate and get one free. The offer is limited to two per table, and available for Tuesday night dinners only.

Manka – Writing on Facebook this North Salt Lake restaurant confirmed a very special upcoming Bolivian buffet writing, “So many asked for it !!! We back with a great 3 hour special You will be able to enjoy our authentic bolivian food with the original flavor ,,, buffet style !!!! This Saturday, October 21”.

Flanker Kitchen + Sporting Club

This “slam dunk” of a deal is one for Jazz fans looking to fill up before a game during the impending NBA season. Flanker (just a five minute walk from the re-minted Delta center) have launched a new special menu ahead of all home games. The three course prix-fixe menu is pried $36 with menu as follows:

Appetizer (choice of one)

• Mac & cheese bites, served with buffalo ranch
• Spicy tuna bites, tuna tartare, spicy jalapeno mayo on crispy rice
• Pulled pork sliders, overnight smoked pork shoulder, BBQ sauce, coleslaw, mini buns
• Classic Caesar salad, chopped romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese, garlic croutons, caesar dressing
• Soft pretzels, sea salt, quest

Mains (choice of one)

• All-American burger, American cheese, caramelized onions, comeback sauce
• Hot chicken sandwich, crispy fried breast, Frank’s hot sauce, lettuce, pickles, brioche bun
• Chicken wings, apple wood smoked, choice of maple buffalo, BBQ, teriyaki or sweet chile garlic sauce
• Steak sandwich, peppers, onion, provolone

Dessert of cookies – chocolate chip, double chocolate, macadamia white chocolate

Mandarin

The popular Bountiful restaurant has brought back their Woktoberfest menu for 2023. The special Mandarin update features more than 12 menu items offered as small plate portions along with local craft beer on tap.   Woktoberfest menu prices range from $1.50 to $9.00. The promo runs weekdays only through October 31st. Small plate appetizers include:

• Szechwan chicken wings
• Zesty orange sesame shrimp
• Bon bon chicken-cold cucumbers, peanut sauce
• Tea cup hot sour soup

Small plate main dishes include:

• Szechwan catfish
• Ginger salmon
• Mediterranean chicken
• Satay chicken noodles
• Mu shu pork
• Nanking pork
• Hunan beef
• Locally grown eggplant with garlic sauce
• Locally grown green beans with mushrooms

Small “just a bite” desserts are priced $4.25 and include:

• Pumpkin spice bread pudding-bourbon butter sauce
• Flourless chocolate angel cake-peanut butter cup ice cream
• Layered lemon cheesecake-berry coulis

Annie’s Diner gets menu refresh

Val Phillips Chew And Chat blog recently confirmed a menu refresh for this Kaysville favorite. Phillips, writes, “Annie’s Diner in Kaysville has updated its menu, as of today (Oct. 13, 2023). Owner Jason Sanders texted me about some of the additions, including two new pastas — Alfredo and baked penne. Also salisbury steak, chicken cordon bleu, two wraps and Friday night prime rib. Breakfast items include avocado toast, eggs Benedict with house-made hollandaise sauce; breakfast burritos and crepes (which Jason says are heavenly!).”

Laurel

A new Fall menu dishes have now rolled out at the Grand America’s signature restaurant. New dishes at Laurel are as follows:

Lunch

• Fall lettuce salad, mushrooms, fines herbs, radishes, breadcrumbs, sunflower seeds, lemon emulsion, $13
• Butter lettuce salad, dried cranberries, pomegranate seeds, candied walnuts, blue cheese, apple cider vinaigrette, $14
• Butternut squash raviolo, brown butter crispy sage, $20
• Baked lasagna, wild mushrooms, whipped ricotta, parmigiano- reggiano, $22
• Pan seared maple glazed Scottish salmon, sweet potato farro risotto, oven glazed shallots & figs, crème fraiche vinaigrette, $28

Dinner

• Arancini, Sicilian rice fritters, fresh mozzarella, parmesan, tomato marmalade, $11
• Burrata & prosciutto, kale walnut pesto, arugula, golden raisin (lunch & dinner), $16
• Roasted tomato soup, parmesan crouton, olive oil (lunch & dinner), $12
• Heirloom beet salad, goat cheese, endive, red currant granola, heirloom lettuces, oranges, white balsamic vinaigrette, $14
• Roasted mushroom salad, caramelized shallots, grilled radicchio, heirloom baby carrots, Champagne herb vinaigrette, $14
• New house-made gelato & sorbet flavors: pumpkin cheesecake, peppermint cookies & cream, gingerbread, pecan pie, cranberry sorbet

Park City Dine About

Back on the agenda for 2023 is this week long deal-fest up in Summit county. Running through till October 22nd select restaurants are offering two-course lunches for $15, $25 or $30 per person and 3-course dinners for $30, $45 or $60 per person will be offered. The 33 participating restaurants this year are as follows:

• 350 Main
• 7880 Club
• Apex Montage Deer Valley
• Après Pendry
• Bangkok Thai
• Big Dipper Park City
• Billy Blanco’s
• Café Terigo 
• Cena Ristorante
• Courchevel Bistro
• Don Gallo
• Escala Provisions Company
• Este Pizza Park City
• Flanagan’s on Main
• Fletcher’s
• Ghidotti’s
• Grappa
• Grub Steak
• KITA
• Luna’s Kitchen
• Pine Cone Ridge
• Powder at Waldorf Astoria
• Purple Sage
• Riverhorse on Main
• Roadhouse Grill
• Salt Box
• Shabu
• Silver Star Café 
• Sushi Blue
• tupelo
• Twisted Fern
• Wasatch Brew Pub
• Windy Ridge Café 

Other useful links

• Free newsletter – signup and receive our weekly newsletter for free
• Food talk group – chew the fat with other like-minded Utah foodies over on Facebook.
• Best of SLC 2024 – what you can’t miss in the Beehive right now.

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.