On the eve of another summer weekend, many of us are wracking our brains for new date night ideas. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with dinner and a movie. But the Beehive State is brimming with ways to impress your hinge date, surprise your SO, or tickle the fancy of your platonic Saturday-night companion. Here to offer their own date night itineraries, Salt Lake magazine staff dishes on new restaurants, hidden gems, live music venues and more.
Jeremy Pugh—Salt Lake magazine Editor-in-Chief
Where We Go
Dinner and a show at The State Room.
What We Do
As summer wanes, and along with it the many accompanying outdoor activities, especially concerts, our thoughts turn toward our “winter activities.” High on the list is taking in a show at the State Room. We have a group of concert friends (that often includes one of Salt Lake magazine’s music writers, John Nelson), and we all generally meet for dinner at the Bayou, mainly because it is right across the street from the music hall. RIP Purgatory.
Why We Love It
Although we enjoy the Commonwealth Room, a larger hall that attracts bigger names, The State Room is THE place to see music in Salt Lake. Why? So many reasons. It is small, with great sound. There’s raised seating in the back (and this is key); the bar area is acoustically segregated from the performance space. If you feel like chit-chatting, you can do it out in the bar/lobby. (Bonus: the drinks are reasonably priced compared to other wallet-gouging venues) Inside, the evening is all about the music and there isn’t a bad spot in the house. The bands that play are generally on the rise and we’ve seen artists who now play larger shows like Red Butte (Con Brio) and even, in some cases, arenas—for example, Brandi Carlile, no joke. Other upsells, the ticket prices are usually reasonable “in the current climate,” and the shows start and end on time.
Spencer Windes—Salt Lake magazine Managing Editor
Where We Go:
Dinner and a show
What We Do:
Start off your night with a big ol’ tower. Namely, the Seafood Tower at Rouser at the Asher Adams. A healthy serving of oysters and other mollusks and crustaceans will set the mood under the gorgeous ceiling of the former Union Pacific depot. A glass of Bordeaux blanc from from Chateâux Recougne will make it all go down smoother than your signature moves. Get a cocktail at the bar. Pretend you are a fancy adult.
After dinner, mosey on over to the Suntrapp for Thirsty Thursday drag night. Drink a few pints—the night is young and you might get lucky, so don’t get sloppy on margaritas. Shows start at 10:00 PM or 11:00 PM. If you strike out: The Pie Hole is open until 3:00 AM if you need to console your broken heart with a hot slice of potato bacon. Sadness is always better with carbs.
Avrey Evans—Salt Lake magazine Digital Editor
Where We Go:
Canyon drives and Midway bites
What We Do:
I love a swanky dinner downtown as much as the next gal, but sometimes my boyfriend and I just want to escape the noise and opt for a classic Utah pastime—a canyon drive. We begin our ascent into Big Cottonwood Canyon, following the paved road to the top and then peeling off into Guardsman’s Pass for stunning top-of-the-world views. If we’re up for it, we’ll make a pit stop at Bloods Lake. The hour-ish hike meanders between swaying aspens and towering pines before spitting you out at a cute little lake.
After stretching our legs, we continue our mini road trip through the Wasatch Range and into Midway. The town is dotted with boutiques and specialty shops; it’s definitely worth parking the car and exploring Main Street before settling in for lunch. Midway Mercantile is our tried-and-true for a late lunch or early dinner. Their back patio is ideal for summertime feasting, and the specials menu always showcases seasonal produce from local purveyors.
If we don’t feel like making the trek back into the city, we love spending the night at the historic Heber Senator B&B. Built in 1902, the three-story home has been carefully preserved and adorned with eclectic decor—an original rotary phone and pioneer-era knick-knacks included. It’s just the right amount of charming and bizarre for us, not to mention the complimentary made-to-order crepes that refuel us the next morning.
Why We Love It:
Salt Lake seems to be stepping into a new era of mid-city maturity. And while I’m excited about the opportunities that come with that growth, there’s something comforting about returning to the spots that still capture the quirky, wonderful soul of Utah.
Megan Bartholomew—Utah Style & Design and Utah Bride & Groom Executive Editor
Where We Go
Silver Fork Lodge
What We Do
We usually go not for date night, but for “date Saturday morning.” It starts with breakfast at the lodge—on the patio in the summer, inside by the fire in the winter— followed by a walk around Silver Lake to enjoy those iconic mountain views.
Why I Love It
As born-and-bred mountain lovers, canyon drives are the way to each of our hearts. Our trips to Silver Fork started as a weekend-drive tradition when we were first dating, and have turned into a Saturday-morning staple that has continued through our marriage and parenthood. We fell in love there; we got engaged there; it’s where we shared our last dinner ‘out’ together before the arrival of our first child. And I already know we’ll use this tradition to instill that ‘Wasatch Love’ in our children.
Jaime Winston—Salt Lake magazine contributor
Where We Go
Ogden’s George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park
What We Do
Walk, talk and take selfies with the dinos.
Why I Love It
The park’s walking trail is relatively flat and surrounded by more than 100 dinosaur sculptures, giving you the chance for a fun leisurely stroll and photos with all the dinos. If the relationship goes somewhere, you’ll have pics with triceratops and allosaurus to look back on. The park also hosts unique events throughout the year, next week is their Dinah ‘soar’ Days Hot Air Balloon Festival. Visit from Aug. 22–24 to witness hundreds of colorful hot air balloons take off into the sky, stay for the evening festival featuring chalk art, food vendors, a car show, and a fun Dino Dash race down Main Street.
Melissa Fields—Salt Lake magazine Contributor
Where We Go:
Wherever the trail takes us
What We Do:
There are a couple of things my hubby and I like to do for date nights in the summer. One of our go-tos when we feel like pushing ourselves is renting e-mountain bikes and riding single track from the mouth of Parleys Canyon to City Creek Canyon (via the various sections of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail and Dry Creek) and then have lunch out on the covered patio at Avenues Proper. It’s a 30ish-mile ride, but on the e-bike, it is totally pleasurable with no suffering. And we need some post-trail R&R, we spend a few hours hot and cold plunging at Glow Bathouse, followed by dinner at Forty Three Bakery.
Darby Doyle—Salt Lake magazine Contributor
Where We Go
Deer Valley Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater
What We Do
Enjoy the last gasps of summer in the mountains catching a concert on the lawn.
Why I Love It
What’s not to love about a Deer Valley concert at dusk? DV has the most grab-bag of concert lineups every year and we love them for it. Even though patrons can no longer bring in their own booze (sound on: British Parliament “boo, boooooo”) we appreciate that it’s still a remarkably easy and free parking situation, there are well-organized and quick ID check/drinks lines for grabbing that overpriced beer, and we reliably run into lots of fun local friends in the crowd to share snacks. Win-win.
Luis Henriques—Salt Lake magazine Production Manager
Where We Go
All the SLC Hits
What We Do
A great date day usually starts with a honey cinnamon latte and a snack at Canyons Coffee, where I catch up with their friendly staff, scroll through texts, and actually “wake up.” After that, we drive up to Salt Lake for a small hike up Ensign Peak, taking in the city views and point out planes flying into the airport. From there, we go for a healthy downtown stroll before ending up at Pie Hole for a couple of slices (or three). On the way out of the city, we have to swing by RubySnap to chat with the staff, and snag a Suzie cookie, and many others.
On the drive home, we’ll stop by Prohibition for drinks and snacks, feeling fancy in their speakeasy vibes. Later, we’ll walk around our neighborhood, chat about our next outing, and wrap up with a cozy movie at home.
Why I Love It
I love date days like these because they remind me of my “rookie season” in Utah, where everything is what I did when I first moved here to get familiar with the area!
Michaelis Lyons—Utah Style & Design and Utah Bride & Groom magazine Digital Editor
Where We Go
The Melting Pot
What We Do
When I was younger, my family had a yearly tradition of dining at The Melting Pot every Christmas Eve. Now, it is where my husband and I go to celebrate our anniversary. The Melting Pot offers a four-course dinner for two, perfect for an elevated romantic night out that doesn’t break the bank.
Why I Love It
On top of their spectacular specialty cocktails—I can never resist their Love Martini—The Melting Pot offers a gluten-free dining experience, making it one of the few restaurants that we can still enjoy as a couple.
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