You’ve probably noticed it’s been a smidge quieter than normal around these parts. This time of the year, menu releases slow to a crawl, events are fewer and further between, and big openings are a rarity; frankly, restaurants are all in on the holiday season, and for good reason, there’s money in them thar parties.
Here’s a rifle through the photo library, then. A quick recap of dishes that have made a memorable imprint on the amygdala over the recent weeks, yet through no small part of procrastination, never quite made it to a full story.
Creole & Sliders Cafe
Laissez les bons temps rouler and all that. Salt Lake Sideways (follow them) has this perfect piece on the owners of this South Salt Lake restaurant, which opened up in the former Old Cuss space. Jovanna and Frank Henry are the beating heart of the restaurant, and you’ll undoubtedly meet both during your visit.
The catfish is as delicately fried as I’ve tasted, a gossamer-thin breading encasing the earthy fish. Cinnamon-tempered yams, rich collards, and fabulous cornbread come on the side. The Friday gumbo special is a big ol’ comforting warm hug in a bowl. If we ever see snow again, this, coupled with a splash of Crystal hot sauce (the Louisianan staple litters tables throughout), will stave off any chills. As you might have seen/heard, I have an unfounded dislike for soups aplenty – this is the exception to that particularly bizarre rule.
Go Google the Henry’s efforts, you see that, yep, a perfect 5.0 / 5.0 score. No mean feat.
Top Taco
The older I get, the more I strangely rant about soups on podcasts, the more I love a condensed menu. Enter stage left, Top Taco with just two proteinous choices: carne de res, and al pastor. Simples. Your only real choice is in deciding how to employ the most effectively, say via burrito, torta, quesadilla, etc.
The al pastor is markedly the best of the two. Start and finish here. It should come as no surprise, given the trompo takes pride of place in the business’s logo. The achiote-brightened pork is some of the best in town, gloriously juicy with big chunks of zippy pina. If you’ve ever stared at the kitchen wondering if you could convince your other half to let you install a Trompo Pastorero (al pastor fans know what I’m talking about) stop now, save your marriage, and just come here.
And I lied when I said you had a choice. Tacos. Always tacos.
Urban Chicken & Gyro
Located on Regent Street in Downtown SLC, just across from Pretty Bird. Skip the gyros (which did disappoint in my experience) and make a beeline right to the rice bowls, a sauce-drenched nod to NYC’s halal street cart scene.
The platter starts with turmeric-tinged rice, alongside a jumble of chopped romaine, tomato, and cucumber. Over the top, chicken shawarma, lamb, falafel, or battered fish. And then, a selection of four sauces – white, red, green, and sweet. I should note the white sauce is doled out in perhaps a little too excitable a manner, especially given the rich (mayo, I suspect) base. Go with that on the side, and you’re in for a treat.
The restaurant has been gobbling up the social media clicks of late, especially for their play on the viral walking taco. AKA, open a bag of chips and watch as they load the packet with meats, sauce, and veggies.
Noodle & Dumpling
This year has been a superlative one for new Chinese restaurant openings. For your to-do list of Zhu Ting Ji, Beijing, and Grill Bar, you can add another – N&D. I initially mistook this for a different dumplinger in Millcreek; mea culpa, too much coffee, too little attention.
Pictured top is the famous Hunan dish, generous wobbly chunks of belly braised to a fork-tender finish. The sauce leans more sweet and savory than spicy, which is a nice change of pace from the numerous Sichuan options across the valley. Eat it fast before it cools, and the fatty belly firms.
Also, yet more xialongbao for the streets of Utah, which were previously scarcer than hen’s teeth. And yes, I’ve been using that phrase a lot lately. It’s my current obsession, much like last year’s overuse of prestidigitation. Long-term readers will fondly remember my fascination with amidst. I digress…
Star Of India
Can we just shelve the use of hidden gem now, please? Pretty please with a samosa on top. Case in point, let’s say The Star is a restaurant that deserves a lot more love and attention, because the kitchen here is handily one of the best in town when it comes to South Asian cuisine. The dishes are cooked with care and love, layered complexities that don’t run for the cover of overloads of cream and sugar.
Pictured is the chili chicken masala, a much more nuanced take on the popular gravy, packed with perfect bits of tandoor-roasted chicken. I’m also partial to the keema matar. Param Kaur & Avtar Singh have stewarded the restaurant through a variety of storms and location moves these past few years. Here’s to a few calmer years for them.
Aristo’s @ Sugar House Station
The return of Aristo Boutsikakis’ beloved Greek food hadn’t hit the stands during my first few visits to this Sugar House food hall. I’ve since enjoyed it a few times. The gyro is simple and to the point. You’re here for meat and carbs and creamy tzatziki – not wilted lettuce. The pita in particular is notable, a bouncy, pillow-like affair. The skinny frites are quite good, but the gyro is plenty substantial by itself for lunch or dinner alike.
While it might not quite hit the heights of the very best out there, it’s a very solid option. SHS also happens to be the only spot in Utah that will cater to your love for the simultaneous indulgence of gyro and fine champagne by the glass. Just me?
Salt Egg City
This is the SEC burger. Not one of my finest pictures, and no, presumably not named for the Securities and Exchange Commission. The image, however, does illustrate the seductive cornerstone of this burger, which is happily in SLC’s top five. Just don’t make me pick a favorite child, guys.
As aptly lyrically waxed by Ryan in this article from a couple of years back, these guys know what to do with an egg. In the SEC burger, it’s that ethereal mix of seared crisp edges and runny yolk. A guaranteed mess for sure, but worth every napkin. The kitchen also knows what to do with a salt shaker, too – a note to others – sodium and beef are really, really good friends. Let them hang out.
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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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