It’s been a little more than six months since I had the pleasure to geek out with Kyle Williams – the driving force behind Marcato Kitchen. During that first encounter, I dove gleefully into the Banh Boli, an Italian-Vietnamese fission of ideas and ingredients (it’s back on the menu right now just so you know).
I’ve looked on ever since, as the business and menu have developed, A recent order of the arguably more straightforward Bodega ($13.99) was equally as enjoyable; indeed, the composition is testament to Williams’ keen chef-senes, effortlessly balanced and measured. Williams’ resume lists the likes of some of Utah’s finest – Deer Valley’s St. Regis HSL, Hearth & Hill, just a few.
Back to that Bodega then, whose core features a richly-satisfying ground beef and cheese blend, calibrated in a variety of directions. Fermented cabbage delivers acidity and bite – onion and tomato counter with sweetness. Smoky bacon, earthy kale, and some moderate back-of-the-throat heat from salsa macha all create a detailed picture. It all comes swaddled in Williams’ perfect stromboli pastry, a 72-hour fermented dough that blisters and bubbles after a rapid high-heat blast. The texture dances on the fence line of chewy and soft.
Every bit as good as that first visit. Every bit worth your time, money, and attention.
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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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