Summer menu refresh rolls out at one of SLC’s finest restaurants

Urban Hill

Hot off the heels of a recent menu collab with Tyson Peterson (Mar | Muntanya), chef Nick Zocco has revamped the menu at Urban Hill. The James Beard-nominated chef has been busy by the looks of things, the update is significant. Appetizer and small plate revisions include:

• Ceviche, tomatillo, habanero, coconut-lime dressing, tortilla chips
• BBQ oysters, nduja butter, scallions, preserved lemon
• Grilled calamari, Spanish chorizo, preserved lemon, yuzu-saffron aioli, olives, espelette
• Crispy pork belly, parsnip purée, golden raisin agrodolce, sunchoke chips
• Caputo’s burrata toast, rhubarb compote, peppercorn honey, nuts & seeds
• Steak tartare, confit egg, pickled mustard seed, bacon aioli, chive, malt vinegar chips
• Smoked beet salad, farm greens, goat cheese, strawberries, basil, mint, pine nuts, miso-honey vinaigrette

On the entree side of things, diners can now enjoy:

• Fire-roasted maitake mushroom, za’atar spiced cous cous, turmeric-cashew cream, piquillo pepper & caper relish
• Roasted chicken, asparagus, toasted gnocchi, charred scallions, olives, five spice jus
• Golden eagle black cod, fregola sarda, English peas, fava beans, smoked dashi, scallion-ginger vinaigrette,
  gochujang-citrus glaze, benne seed
• Iberian “tomahawk” pork chop, foie gras bordelaise, bok choy, grilled pineapple & preserved lemon salsa
• Strozzapreti pasta, Calabrian chili sugo, basil pistou, ricotta, pine nuts
• Lamb porterhouse chops, farro risotto, English peas, turnips, radish, mint vinaigrette, pickled chilis, red wine reduction

Speaking of collabs, Zocco’s next outing will be with Manoli Katsanevas (Manoli’s) on July 16th – more on that next week. Call the restaurant now and book tickets ASAP if you don’t want to miss out. Update June 27th: this event is sadly now sold out, but the restaurant recommend using their Resy listing to signup to their wait list in case of cancellations.

Vessel Kitchen

Also getting in on seasonal updates. A recent update to all of Vessel’s locations includes the following three new highlights:

• The Godfather salad, diced chicken breast, arugula, Tuscan chop salad, pita croutons, Tuscan vinaigrette.
• Tuscan chop, radicchio, tomato, artichoke, pepperoncini, pickled onion, mozzarella
• Tuscan vinaigrette, garlic, dijon, honey, lemon, vinegar, oregano, EVOO

If you missed the article last year, here’s a piece I wrote on Vessel and their eight years of continued success and popularity with Utah diners.

Flanker Kitchen & Sporting Club

Joining the Hidden Boot popup bar (still running strong as I write) at this downtown bar, a trio of new Summer-ready cocktails. The new drinks are as follows:

• Strawberry fields, Mi Campo Tequila, Italicus Liqueur, lychee juice, lime juice, strawberry purée
• Pistachio rum tini, Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, white crème de cacao, dark crème de cacao, Frangelico, pistachio orgeat
• Garden bliss, Alpine Gin, Angel Vert Apéritif, St-Germain, Verjus Blanc, strawberry-basil-honey syrup

St. Regis

Sunday brunch is now in full swing at this Deer Valley resort. Offered Sundays (11.00 a.m. – 3.00 p.m.) the selection includes a seafood station with king crab legs, oysters, snow crab claws, and jumbo shrimp. The buffet also features a carving station with chef’s selection of grilled or smoked meats, assorted sweet pastries, and a fresh salad station. Finally, a selection of tapas-style small plates is also available, dishes such as eggs benedict, chicken and waffles, avocado toast, poke bowl, banana French toast, and more.

The brunch is served at Brasserie 7452, and The St. Regis Bar and is priced $85 per person, or $30 for children 12 and under.  The views (see above) are free. Also at the resort right now, a few locals-only specials (local ID required):

• Tuesdays – enjoy a St. Regis beer and a burger for $25 at Brasserie 7452 or The St. Regis Bar for lunch or dinner
• Wednesdays – 20% off your meal (excluding alcohol) at La Stellina, plus complimentary corkage on up to two 750mL bottles or one 1.5L bottle of wine
• Thursdays – 20% off your meal (excluding alcohol) at RIME, plus complimentary corkage on up to two 750mL bottles or one 1.5L bottle of wine

Grand Hyatt Deer Valley

As this resort development in Deer Valley takes shape, a brand new menu has become available, one with an unexpected twist. The newly opened Sunspell Pool + Provisions features 7,000 square feet of terrace space amidst views of the Wasatch.

Open seven days a week (7.00 a.m. – 10.00 p.m.) the menu features a range of poolside-friendly light bites (poke, satay, crudo, salads, sandwiches etc.) as well as that twist I mentioned – cocktails by Water Witch. The recent James Beard Awards finalist (in the outstanding bar category) has been tapped to provide inventive twists on tropical classics. Selections include spicy margaritas, clarified mezcal cocktails, and a signature coconut oil gin sour.

High West

Several seasonal menu offerings are underway at a variety of the businesses’ properties as follows:

Sunday brunch is now back at The Distillery (27649 Old Lincoln Hwy, Wanship). Located in The Refectory, enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet featuring both hot and cold selections, a carving station, desserts, and refreshing seasonal cocktails. The buffet is offered 10.30 a.m. – 2.30 p.m.

A Summer Dinner Series will run seasonally at the The Nelson Cottage (651 Park Avenue, Park City) on select Fridays and Saturdays. Dinners typically include a welcome cocktail and a buffet dinner. Check Tock for reservations, prices, and weekly menus.

Also, each week, the Cottage will host prix-fixe dinners on Wednesdays through Sundays – each complemented by an optional whiskey pairing. Each meal begins with a brief lesson from one of High West’s Cottage Whiskey Ambassadors on whiskey tasting.

Small bites

Grand America / Laurel – With the recent opening of Laurel’s garden patio, a new menu has launched for the Summer season. Dishes include a wild mushroom benedict, molasses-glazed country-style pork chop, and a refreshing tropical breeze smoothie. The business also tells me, “for the first time ever, we now have an all-day extended breakfast menu.”

Little America / Coffee Shop – A new Summer menu has rolled out at the downtown SLC hotel. Dishes include blackened coho salmon, hot pastrami, and avocado toast with microgreens and smoked salmon. Until the end of June, every Monday, kids can enjoy free ice cream too.

Mar | Muntanya – A one-table-a-week experience courtesy of chef Tyson Peterson is running Summer long at the Spanish-informed restaurant. Peterson prepares, serves & explains each dish exhibition style in an informal outdoor atmosphere. Guests are seated with each other at a communal table surrounded by our raised bed gardens on Mar Muntanya’s 6th-floor terrace. The menu is created uniquely each week with produce sourced directly from the Chef’s Garden as well as from the downtown SLC Farmers Market and local greenhouse growers.

Tea Zaanti – Over in Sugar House, Thursday night, “BTG & Dogs” is back for a second year. The weekly event pairs natural wines with a variety of summer-friendly hot dogs, not least a rotating selection of gourmet toppings.

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• Free newsletter – signup and receive our weekly newsletter for free
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• 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.