January’s DABS meeting a quiet one

Bar area at Caffe Molise

After the storied DABS voyage that was 2022, and a particularly choppy end of the year, January’s DABS meeting offered calmer waters; surely a portent of upcoming storms and overly worked metaphors. The headline news right now is the incoming legislative session and what the yearly omnibus liquor bill might hold for business owners in … Read more

Final Utah DABS meeting of 2022 proves an intriguing one

Mar Muntanya interior bar counter

Well that was a head scratcher. Maybe someone was passing around the egg nog, but the final DABS meetup of 2022 left this curious onlooker a smidge confused. Lets start with the main item therein… Bar licenses After some jiggery pokery with the population numbers I believe an extra bar license was conjured up from … Read more

Zero bars granted license at Utah’s September DABS meeting

Counter and bar sapce at Current Fish and Oyster

After last month’s DABS meeting you might recall I posed this not entirely rhetorical conundrum. When tasked with managing Utah’s most precious of resources – that’s bar licenses not water duh – how exactly should a kingmaker act? This month saw one possible course of action come to pass, which is to say, inaction. Demurring … Read more

Utah liquor licensing starting to turn the screw on local businesses

Generic bar setup

If recent DABS meetings weren’t worrying enough for would be bar owners, the August meeting writ large the reality of a distressing future. Entering the eighth edition of this year’s disbelief fest, fourteen Utah bars turned up hoping for the best. Five business were ready to roll, three bar licenses up for grabs. But wait, … Read more

No new bars granted license – plus mini bottles return

A cocktail bar in downtown Salt Lake City

The headline news – at least according to out of state onlookers and column inches – is the return of mini bottles in the Beehive. Last seen on shelves here in the 1980s, a vote at the July DABS meetup saw their re-instatement approved. Ho hum huh. Miniature liquor bottles of 50ml and wine of … Read more

Pie N Beer day returns with 9,000 slices o’ pie

The Pie - buffalo ranch

According to the folks over at the Downtown Alliance, that’s the number of pies and slices set to fly off the proverbial shelves at this year’s Pie N Beer day event. The popular Summertime bash which has taken a two year covid-break, is back for 2022, and back with style I might add. If you’re … Read more

Liquor license frenzy approaches – mark your calendars

Beer (freepik)

As the clock ticks down to the June DABC meeting (sorry it’s DABS now folks) so the interest escalates around who exactly will snaffle up all those delicious bar licenses set to unfurl. Just like an exotic flora that blooms once every 17 years, this is a practically unheard of event, something to witness and … Read more

Utah bar licenses exhausted until the Summer after DABC meeting

Beer (freepik)

Well there you have it. Two months into the year and bar licenses are pretty much toast. Want to open a bar in Utah? Come back in May, because that’s when a single license will be up for grabs next. And after that, who knows… With various news outlets reporting on a state legislature unconvinced … Read more

Fifteen bars, one license, welcome to Utah

It sounds like the premise of a bad joke: fifteen bars walk into a… but no, this was the reality of January’s DABC meeting. One singular bar license, fifteen business jostling for position and five ready to go today. Welcome to Utah. To remind you then, the state currently has a complete dearth of available … Read more

Utah liquor license crisis set to worsen according to reports

Punch Bowl Social - beer and biscuits, no more

Get ready for a fraught 2022 folks. Following this months DABC meeting, Ben Winslow confirmed via this story that the Utah legislature seems unmoved by the perilous state of Utah’s liquor license inventory. Indeed, things might actually get worse yet still – if that’s even possible. As part of the FOX13 story, Winslow highlighted the … Read more

Restaurant liquor licenses starting to feel the pressure

Crack Shack sandwiches (Crack Shack)

Welcome back to our monthly roundup of all things perfectly potable. While ordinarily I’d start with a raised eyebrow and nod to the state’s bar license crunch (there are presently ZERO available) there’s truthfully not much to talk about. So instead lets start with another looming area of concern… Full service restaurant licenses (beer, wine, … Read more

Utah fund offers up million dollar restaurant prize

R&R BBQ - three meat plate

Ever fancied yourself a would be Danny Meyer, a food tycoon extraordinaire in the making? Maybe you’ve got the details to the next big thing stashed away in your brain – just not the cash to covert calculations to concrete? If so, local equity fund Savory have exactly what you need… a cool million bucks … Read more

Exclusive reposado now pouring at Taqueria 27

Exclusive Herradura Reposado at Taqueria 27

You might recall way back in the before times (June 2019 to be precise) Taqueria 27 dipped their toes into the exclusive tequila waters by sourcing their very own house special tequila; a hand-selected, single barrel aged tequila from Casa Noble. The team are now back at it once again for 2021, this time with … Read more

How might this years legislation affect what’s in your glass?

Avenues Proper beer cellar dinner in 2020

Liquor legislation looms large Trying saying that after a double. This year’s legislative session has now kicked off and will run until March 5th. On the docket, a few issues that might affect Utah drinkers directly. The most notable item up for discussion is talk of increasing bar licenses. Once upon a time, Utah had … Read more

Score a great restaurant bargain before this program ends

Stop In Utah deals continue New deals continue to pop up on the Shop In Utah program funded by the state. If my severely hazy memory recollects – this will be depleted pretty much any day now. With that in mind, here’s a current round up of some of the more interesting deals and discounts … Read more

A sneak peak at new restaurants, sad closures and menu updates

Graffiti Bao - angus beef pho

Restaurant closures First up, a quick look at this month’s restaurant casualties; remember we’re keeping a running tally of all the Covid-crushed businesses here too. Mazza Sandy – Following on from the shuttering of the 9th and 9th location, the popular Lebanese restaurant group, which only a while ago numbered three, is now down to … Read more

Food and drink events to check out now – five of the best

Cupbop - ugly bop bowl

Boo!Stillery Tonight’s the night (Friday October 18th) for Slug Mag’s Boo!stillery festival. This brand new event is a halloween-themed spin on SLUG Mag’s regular Brewstillery festival. Attendees can sample a variety of boos, sorry booze, from local brewers and distillers alike. Boo!stillery will also feature local food trucks and artisans. Tickets for the 21+ event are priced … Read more

Cocktails, BBQ, sake, feasts aplenty – five fab food events

Kaze Sushi - maki roll

Cocktail contest shakedown This Sunday, more than twenty of SLC’s best restaurants will go head to head to be crowned the winner of Salt Lake Magazine’s Farm-To-Glass Cocktail Contest Shakedown. If you’re free, you can sample all the entrants efforts – each tasked with using local and seasonal ingredients in their cocktail creations. Participating restaurants … Read more

Wine, beer and mezcal – events coming up for all tastes

BTG Wine Bar - blushing beauties wine flight

Looking to brighten up the week? Looking for a sip or sample beyond the Summer deluge of BBQs and salads? Check out these upcoming food and drink events in SLC. Coming up on the calendar first… Wine pairing dinner at BTG Guests at this wine pairing dinner can meet wine marker Stephen Hagen on Wednesday … Read more