To say I’ve been eagerly awaiting Brownstone 22 would be an understatement akin to saying black holes are quite heavy things. I originally heard of the project in late 2025 from Felt Bar & Eatery operators Richard Romney and Travis Herbert, and have been counting the days since.
I originally met the duo while writing about Felt’s opening back in 2024 and have become well-versed with their talents over the intervening years (I hope you have too). The buzzy bar in the heart of downtown’s core is where you’d find me the most last year. I am probably responsible for polishing off more bottles of Bucklin and bone marrow than anyone else in town. Note: This is my regular plea for my internal medicine doctor to stop reading. Nothing to see here.
To tell the tale of Brownstone 22 is to unwrap an elegant Möbius strip of past and present. The restaurant calls the historic Utah Commercial and Savings Bank Building home. Designed by famed architect Richard K.A. Kletting (also responsible for the state capitol building) in 1888, the property is a captivating sandstone slice, wedged between the modernity of soaring glass and steel. Notably, Kletting was also behind the Felt Building, home to messrs Romney and Herbert’s first outing. Kismet.
By 1992, the property had fallen into the hands of Bill Campbell, and five years after that, Martine kicked off a more than two-decade stint in the spot. The intimate eatery was renowned as *the* spot where power brokers would clink glasses. Brownstone 22 comes full circle in more than one way, starting with an art deco-inspired menu that harkens to a different era. According to Romney, “before we put pen to paper, we took time to explore the space, its history, and understand it. We both felt transported back to the East coast, classic oyster houses, martini bars”. The name? Village Brownstone Building was an alternate name for Kletting’s creation back in the day.
With Martine ultimately closing during COVID, Campbell sought a new project for the landmark space. Extensive renovation work began, but the initial concept fell by the wayside. Campbell would turn to Romney and Herbert and offer them the option of building on their successes at Felt (most recently a 2026 James Beard nod back in January). A whirlwind four months would follow, with Campbell signing on as a partner in the new business.
The newly remodelled space at Brownstone 22 offers guests (21+ only) three distinct dining areas. After entering, to the right is the main dining room, which will instantly feel familiar to patrons of the former tenant. The general framework of Martine remains, albeit plushly reupholstered, grandly relit, and with a cubist-esque mural spanning an entire wall.
As we tour the space, Romney is keen to point out the artist (Jessalyn Brooks), as well as other intentional touches. From concept to execution, everything is bespoke, human, and original. There is no AI mimicry at work, no Instagram grass walls, or neon signs. The design was overseen by Gary Vlasic, a seasoned name, and if you’ve dined at Scelto, Saola, Felt/Pago On Main, and more, you’ve seen his work.
As well as a more casual lounge area on the East side of the space, the upper area of the restaurant has been expanded. The mezzanine can be accessed by a newly designed steel staircase. There you’ll find banquettes, booths, and tables. My top tip: try to grab a table in either of the two downstairs sections by a window and enjoy some people watching.
Martinis feature prominently on the drinks menu. The Perfect Bill ($15) is a hat tip to new business partner Campbell, while Romney and Josh Van Gorden (who makes the move from behind the bar at Felt) have crafted a range of tweaked classics and modern spins. Romney points to a lychee martini as a place to take a detour from the norm, not your typical sugarbomb he tells me.
On the food side of things, the list too echoes back through the years, and does so without feeling dated; there’s nary a sight of sauce Diane. In fact, there’s no deviled egg, no shishito pepper, no insert your own fad. Instead, there’s a full seafood tower, caviar service, and Oysters Kilpatrick ($14), a dish born of a bygone epoch. Which is where I begin. The bivalves are gussied up with crunchy shallot, smoked soy, pepper-miso butter, and thick pieces of bacon. The dish is given a sizzle under the grill, and billows with smoky, savory notes.
Uni toast ($20) follows; Japanese milk bread is toasted before being dunked in beef tallow. A spread of Calabrian nduja serves as a spicy foundation, before golden uni and salty caviar are layered on. It’s a decadent composition, bursting with briny luxury. I declare them the queen of canapes and vow to never touch bruschetta again.
Salmon belly sashimi ($22) is revelatory, and the novel preparation catches me off guard. Slices of New Zealand salmon are doused in jeow som, a Laotian dressing that punches with a one-two of fish sauce and assertive spice. The sauce gives the fatty fish a confident funk, sheen, and added viscosity. It knocks me to the canvas, wonderful stuff. In my experience, Herbert doesn’t apologize for full throttle flavor, and it’s on full display here. I wish more would follow his lead.
A rack of lamb ($45) bookends my first meal, and I leave the temp to the kitchen. I don’t recall the last time I’ve eaten such beautifully cooked lamb. The chops are coated in an espresso chili rub and given a rigorous sear, while the interior remains perfectly juicy, with just a hint of blush coloration. The strong earthiness of the lamb is balanced by sweetness from the celeriac mash base, pomegranate molasses, and a few confit grapes. Black garlic chimichurri rounds things out.
As I’ve come to expect from the team behind Felt, pride of product is core to their menus, and that shines here too; the Colorado-sourced lamb has a good amount of fat, and if you’re the kind of type that likes to grab and gnaw, I suspect there’d be more proud glances than scowls.
There’s more to mention. Mishima reserve wagyu, elk osso bucco, an uni cheeseburger (yes, you read that right), a scallop crudo with parmesan, “just trust me”, says Romney. I haven’t even started to work my way through CDC Kayley Yearley’s (previously at Felt, Avenues Proper) lineup of housemade pasta, which, like the rest of the menu, makes for opulent reading.
Both Romney and Herbert have pushed themselves here, and it shows. I’m certain it would have been easier and safer to open Felt 2.0. Brownstone 22 is a genuinely exciting new addition to SLC; it’s distinctive and self-assured. And it’s unquestionably the next part of the storyline for this iconic building.
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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”.
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Thank you. I suggest you interview the Chef. Kayley Yearley 27 yrs old with a grasp of flavor like no other in Salt Lake Citu
Thank you for review of Brownstone 22.Would love to have you interview the Chef. thank you