Locally fished trout shines at this downtown SLC newcomer

Me: “Can I also order the mussels, maybe something else?”

Server: “Oh, actually, I think you’ve ordered plenty already.”

Me: “Don’t worry, I’m a professional, I have a hollow leg, what about this other dish as well?”

Server: “No really, I think that might be enough.”

So approximately went the friendly back and forth between myself and my server at Rouser – the signature restaurant on the ground floor of the Asher Adams hotel. For what it’s worth, Bobby was spot on, narrowly steering me away from a gluttonous denouement.

I’d popped in to investigate the output of the restaurant’s Josper oven, the charcoal powered engine of the kitchen, which neatly connects the thematic dots with the venues former life as a rail hub. Catching my eye almost immediately, locally sourced trout from Whistling Springs Farms. I’ve spied trout from all over the U.S. and indeed Europe on Utah menus, so hook, line, and sinker for this guy.

The chef-focused farm in Brigham City produces a catch that’s raised in mountain spring water and free growth hormones and antibiotics. The trout typically arrives on the chef’s chopping block the same day it was caught. At Rouser, the team do little more than let that oven work its embering magic.

The fish is cooked whole, nose to tail, presented simply with a little acidic boost from a tomato chow chow. Once plated the trout is scored vertically, back to belly. Simply take your fork and work the meat from top to bottom – the beautiful pink flesh effortlessly slides from the bone. Should you proceed meticulously through your meal, you’ll finish up with a cartoon-esque skeletal remains.

While I managed to best the dish solo, not least several others (don’t try this at home, kids, I really am a pro), the dish is more sensibly ordered for the table alongside ala carte sides. Trust your server folks.

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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.