Somewhere along the way last year, this particular recurring feature fell down the back of the sofa. For the new year, I’ve gone rummaging and plucked it back out alongside a small fortune in coins, and remotes long since deemed vanished.
For those new to Gastronomic SLC, the roundup is a look at what other local writers are tapping and talking about. Speaking of which, I also include TV, radio, and podcasts too. In a nutshell, if there’s notable food news out there, don’t worry about missing it – I’ll recap it here. Without further ado then…
Salt Lake Magazine’s Lydia Martinez starts the new year musing on mussel shooters, specifically those from Takashi – part of her ongoing dish under the microscope series. Martinez also writes up Uncle Jeffi’s, the new brunch and lunch spot in Holladay that replaced Pig & A Jelly Jar; the review points to the Thai-influenced section of the menu as where to begin. Also in the mag, Bartolos‘ new Farmington outpost at Station Park gets the first look treatment from Megan Bartholomew.
On the screen, Taste Utah’s Katy Sine heads to the new downtown Sol Agave location, the video shows some good shots of the space, a brand new build at 660 S. Main – just opposite the Grand America. The Farmington location of WildFin is Val Phillip’s latest writeup on her always engaging Chew & Chat blog. The Utah veteran food writer pops up again this month in the Standard-Exmainer – this time looking at Red Fort Cuisine Of Indian and their upcoming Ogden expansion.
Always a fun and educational read, Joshua Jones and his latest latest story for the Downtown Alliance blog; an in-the-know scoop on what’s brewing in the city. Jones’ story has a little more insight into Felt Bar & Eatery, a newcomer I tapped recently as one to watch this year. Slug Mag’s Lila Kiron this month heads on over to Tamarind, a downtown Vietnamese restaurant with a focus on takeout and delivery.
City Weekly’s Alex Springer takes a look at both Hash Kitchen and El Cholo. HK is one of the Savory Fund’s latest outings in Utah, a high-energy all-day brunch concept, driven by build your own blood Mary bar. Springer notes the restaurant’s Instagram-worthy style and interesting selection of Benedicts. As for El Cholo, the verdict is “near-perfect” margaritas amidst a notable Sugar House dining room space.
Over in the Trib, new food writer Kolbie Peterson covers the controversy of Bewilder Brewing and their Deseret beer. A roundup of seasonal soups and a sober bar crawl are also part of Peterson’s new year stories. That crawl by the way is one I make myself many times a year, albeit with something a little stronger in the glass. The stretch of Edison Street that quickly affords Copper Common, Roc Taco, Franklin Avenue, Back Door, Laziz, and Bar X / Beer Bar – is one of the lesser-known food/drink stretches in town. Excellent food and drinks in a compact area, without any of the fuss and crowds of ambling along Main Street. Also in the Trib, the data-driven Andy Larsen takes a look at Kaysville’s Annie’s Diner and crunches the numbers on why the restaurant business is a tough one to succeed in.
Utah Stories’ Ted Schefler takes in both Cast & Cut and Umi Shabu Shabu. Scheffler names the latter as one of his most enjoyable experiences of last year, I couldn’t agree more, it made my own best of 2023 list. Cast & Cut meanwhile is Deer Valley Resort’s most recent reboot of their famous seafood buffet spectacle.
Featured image: Gastronomic SLC and my original writeup and review of the restaurant from Winter 2023.
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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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