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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.

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Al Forno’s Ristorante review

While not chic and trendy, Al Forno’s is a long established neighbourhood restaurant. We head by to check in on how things are going, as the long dark nights entice us increasingly to heartier fare.

Restaurant happenings 10/19/09

Downtown Salt Lake City is quickly becoming more and more alive. Joining recent-ish openings on Main Street like Eva, comes two new restaurants in Vasuvio’s Organic Gourmet Café and a new Braza Grill outlet. Also news on Tulie Bakery too.

Rice restaurant review

Hot on the heels of State Street’s Sapa, comes Rice; another pan-Asian themed restaurant, offering significantly more than Sapa’s menu. Read on to find out how we find our meal here.

Smashburger hits Utah

The latest in a long line of higher-end burger joints debuts in SLC. Say hello to Smashburger, and it’s Salt Lake City and West Valley locations. Read on for the full scoop.

Restaurant happenings 08/17/09

Don’t let the economic downturn fool you, SLC has a swathe of new restaurants opening their doors. From the gourmet delights of Forage to the all you can eat sushi feast at Simply Sushi. Read on for the latest happenings in the SLC dining scene.

Sapa Sushi Bar & Asian Grill restaurant review

What do the following three have in common. A Pan-Asian menu stretching Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and beyond. Centrueis old, imported stilt houses. A bold, chic, modern restaurant. The answer is Sapa, State Street’s newest eatery. Read on to find out how our first visit fared.