Pintxos, Bocadillos, Asador
One of SLC’s finest restaurants is the Spanish eatery Finca. As they enter their second year (see my original review from last year) it’s great to see the restaurant still evolving. Case in point, these three great new additions debuting right now:
• Lunch and brunch – the launch of a new bocadillo menu
• Mid-day: half-price pintxos
• Sunday: now opening for dinner and featuring an asador tasting menu
O.k. exactly what are those three new exotic items you ask. Bocadillos are synonymous with a quick lunch in Spain. These tasty sandwiches are available on every street corner in nearly all sections of Spain, and as owner Scott Evans says, “we felt our lunch menu, just wasn’t complete without them”.
Asadors are Spain’s version of American BBQ. All across northern Spain, causal eateries feature stunning grilled meats, vegetables and seafood all cooked to perfection over a wood-fired grill. Beginning Sunday July 14th, check out Finca’s ‘Sunday Spanish BBQ’ night featuring a three-course asador meal for $25 (in addition to the regular menu).
Finally, pintxos (pronounced peen-chos) – a fine Basque tradition. In northern Spain these mini-tapas are king, small bites to tide you over until the next meal or little morsels to accompany your favorite beverage. Evans told me, “(while in Spain) I fell in love with the ritual of grabbing a small bite in between meals with friends, colleagues or simply to break up a long day of work”. To celebrate the culture of pintxos, Finca is offering ½ price pintxos from 3-5pm daily.
Click pictures for larger image. Top to bottom, right to left, bocadillos, lamb and pork meatball pintxos, piquillo pepper and pork pintxos, wood grilled trip tip asador.
(Disclosure: pictures taken at a tasting event I was invited to, to sample the new menu)
Finca
1291 S 1100 E Salt Lake City, UT 84105
(801) 487-0699
www.fincaslc.com
Frida Bistro Named Most Delicious
After scouring the country for the best ice cream treats, the editors at Food Network Magazine have named the Plátano Macho Split from Frida Bistro the most delicious in Utah. The dessert is a take on a traditional banana split, featuring tequila-fostered plantains, house-made strawberry, Mexican chocolate, and tres leches ice creams, and an array of Mexican-inspired do-it-yourself toppings. Frida Bistro is one of 50 establishments featured in Food Network Magazine’s story “50 States 50 Ice Cream Treats,” a sweet spin on the magazine’s annual feature story on the best dishes from coast to coast.
“Every summer we eat our way across the country looking for the best foods for our ‘50 States’ feature, and after tackling hamburgers, pizza, sandwiches and breakfast, we thought it was high time to cover ice cream,” said Maile Carpenter, editor in chief, Food Network Magazine. “We worked with food writers in every state to track down the best of the best.”
Sounds like a perfect way to cool off from the summer heat to me.
For more information and to check out the winners from other states, visit:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/50-states-50-ice-cream-treats/package/index.html
Frida Bistro
545 W 700 S Salt Lake City, UT 84101
(801) 983-6692
www.fridabistro.com
This post via Connect.
Gourmet Soccer Cuisine
See, you had to keep reading after a headline like that huh! This Saturday (July 13th), if you happen to be at the Rio Tinto Stadium for the double header event – U.S vs Cuba and Costa Rica vs Belize – you could be in for a culinary treat. To commemorate the event, Rio Tinto Stadium’s Executive Chef Matthew Brown is preparing a menu that reflects the different flavors of each participating country. Throughout the stadium, concessions stands will serve special items with international flare. New items available on the concourse this weekend include:
* Smokehouse Nachos: topped with a choice of BBQ meat, sour cream, BBQ sauce, nacho cheese and jalapenos.
* Open-Faced Cuban Sandwich: slice of freshly toasted bread topped with a house made dijon mayo sauce, Kurobuta pork loin, pit roasted ham, pickles and topped with melted Swiss cheese.
* Wasatch Burger: all-beef patty topped with pastrami and special fry sauce.
* Classic Chicken Burrito: homemade burrito stuffed with chicken, cilantro rice and beans.
Chef Brown and his culinary team have also created special international menus for the club and suite levels featuring some of the favorite dishes from each of the participating countries, including:
* Belize: Cheese Pupusas (corn meal cakes), Caribbean Fruit Salad, Rondon (Caribbean curried Tilapia)
* Costa Rica: Shrimp Ceviche Shooters, Pollo y Tortilla Soup, Hearts of Palm and Artichoke Salad
* Cuba: Cuban Chicken Salad, Kurobuta Pork Loin Cuban Sandwich, Arroz Congri (bacon and pork chicharrones)
* United States: Chicken Wedge Salad, Homemade Turkey Pot Pie, Three Cheese Mac N’ Cheese, Grilled Fresh Corn on the Cob
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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