Dining Awards

SLC Eatery has been a go-to recommendation of Utah foodies for several years running. Part of SLC Eatery’s consistent success is a menu that is, perhaps ironically, always evolving and surprising diners, allowing patrons to push themselves out of their culinary comfort zones. “Logen Crew and Paul Chamberlain and the team take their food seriously, but not themselves,” says panelist Darby Doyle of the warm and welcoming atmosphere. One of SLC Eatery’s signature features is its dining cart service. (Tip: The dim sum cart has especially fun offerings.) “Some of the best bites of my life have occurred here,” says Doyle. The sentiment is seconded by Lydia Martinez, who likewise praises SLC Eatery’s hamachi as “the best of my life.” No matter the dishes that end up on the table—entree or ala carte—rest assured there will be a perfect wine to pair with it. —Christie Porter 

1017 S. Main St., SLC, 801-355-7952, slceatery.com

The term restaurant doesn’t really fit this neighborhood market next door to Water Witch on what may be Salt Lake’s hippest block. “Bodega” is a more apt label. Anyone who has enjoyed discovering a killer deli counter hiding inside a non-descript New York Bodega will understand why there’s a line out the door on Saturday mornings at the Central 9th Market. Customers stand ‘on line’ for the breakfast sandwich panelist Darby Doyle calls “the best thing I’ve had outside of New York City” and (more to the point) “a ****ing phenomenal sandwich.” Good food, after all, doesn’t have to come with white linens and silverware as panelist Stuart Melling says of the selection: “At the end of the day, it’s about recognizing excellence. And Central 9th is excellent.” So grab a sandwich from the more-than-just-breakfast deli menu, head next door to Scion or The Witch and eat up. —Jeremy Pugh

161 W. 900 South, SLC, 385-332-3240, central9th.com

What may have started as a necessity—a bar to welcome the long line of patrons waiting for a table at Takashi—has grown into something special. The stellar experience is heralded by the towering, illuminated shelves of manifold liquor bottles behind a welcoming bar. Salt Lake magazine has often praised the ingenious bartenders, innovative cocktails and the impressive selection of Japanese Whisky at Post Office Place, and our panelists agree that beverage director Crystal Daniels is doing something pretty amazing with the sensory, fun bar experience. But Chef Brandon Kawakami is doing something pretty amazing with the food menu as well. The fusion of Japanese and Peruvian is “fusion in the best way—with purpose,” says Lydia Martinez. The food feels intentional in its combinations of flavors and pushes the envelope, delightfully defying expectations and enhancing the drink experience. Post Office Place more than stands on its own and deserves to be a destination for drinks and eats in its own right, rather than a waiting room. —Christie Porter

16 W. Market St., SLC, 801-519-9595, popslc.com

Each year, we hand out a collection of special mentions. Find our 2023 Dining Awards superlatives here!

Yes. Copper Common is a bar and NOT a restaurant, which is clearly noted by Utah’s state-mandated sign on the door. The original inspiration for owner Ryan Lowder was Maison Premiere in Williamsburg, a high-end cocktail and oyster joint at the heart of hipster Brooklyn. Oysters are still on the menu here and the cocktails are still on the highest of ends, but it’s the food that makes Copper Common a reliable restaurant (despite what the liquor cops say.) Mainly thanks to its new(ish) Chef Sarah Corson. Lowder is a guy who can see talent. He plucked her off the line at Copper Onion and trained her up to be chef de cuisine at both Copper Onion and the bar, ahem, restaurant next door. Corson is the opposite of her loudmouth (in a good way) boss. She’s quiet and reserved. She lets the food on the plate do her talking, elevating items as basic as a cheeseburger or a frissee salad to mouth-watering levels. “Her new menu invigorated a lot of what I thought was already great about Copper Common,” complimented panelist Darby Doyle.

111  E. Broadway, SLC, 801-355-0543, coppercommon.com

Conceived by the minds who brought us Alibi, but firmly standing on its own, The Pearl provides an unforgettable food and drink experience. First, let’s talk about the food. The menu is inspired by Vietnamese street food that pays homage to the formative days of Chef Tommy Nguyen, who is “a legend,” in the words of Darby Doyle. The food is a delicious and intimate affair, in a cozy setting, and nothing on the dinner menu will let you down. The pork belly and the egg rolls are unforgettable and Nguyen’s mother’s recipe (and the pho is definitely “a thing” worth trying), which inspired Stuart Melling to compare the experience at The Pearl to dining at “Tommy’s family table.” As for the drinks, expect exceptional and balanced craft cocktails (if you’ve been to Alibi, you know what we’re talking about), perfectly paired with the dishes by masterful and sage bartenders.

917 S. 200 West, SLC, @thepearlslc (Instagram)

Learn more about Tommy’s vision for the Pearl and the minds behind their nuanced bar program.

Inside, Sauce Boss Southern Kitchen feels more like a diner than fine dining, but that’s the point. “It’s not fancy, but it is great eats served with love,” says Darby Doyle, a Kentuckyian who knows Southern food. The menu is the embodiment of nostalgia, Southern comfort and Black soul food at its best—a rare combination to find in Utah, to say the least. The focus is on authentic flavors, consistent quality and the details: Red Drink (their house-made version of Bissap), real sweet tea, crunchy-crust cornbread, fried catfish, blackened chicken wings and the best collard greens in the valley. Chef Julius Thompson nails the standards. He’s a master at the deep fryer, and, our panelists say, his touch with spice and sauces is pretty special.

877 E. 12300 South, Draper, 385-434-2433, saucebosssouthernkitchen.com

These are two different restaurants in two very different spaces. Handle, located just off of Park City’s Historic Main Street, stands out in a town that caters to visitors where some operators, frankly, phone it in. HSL on the edge of downtown SLC is Handle’s cousin in the city. The common denominator is, of course, Chef Briar Handly, who is the impresario behind what panelist Lydia Martinez called “The Briar Handly Experience.” Chef Handly is an enfant terrible who can’t stop playing with his food. But sitting still is only prized by preachers and school teachers. We, on the other hand like our chefs to have poor attention spans which result in surprise and, from Handly, delight, regardless if you’re in a party of 20 or two. (The latter was experienced by panelist Jennifer Burns, who watched in awe as the servers and kitchen produced one of “the most phenomenal experiences ever.”)—Jeremy Pugh 

Handle: 136 Heber Ave., Park City, 435-602-1155, handleparkcity.com // HSL:  418 E. 200 South, SLC, 801-539-9999, hslrestaurant.com

Table X continues to push its high-concept experiment further. Started by a team of chefs who came from traditional fine dining restaurants on the East Coast, Nick Fahs and Mike Blocher, Nick focuses on the restaurant’s bakery (which sells directly to customers) and Mike sources food locally (much of it from the restaurant’s own garden). Last year, Blocher doubled down on his confidence in the food from his kitchen. Table X only serves an ever-changing tasting menu at each seating. Basically, he’s saying, “I’ll decide.” Relax. You’re in good hands. “This is the most ambitious kitchen in town,” says panelist Lydia Martinez, echoed by panelist Darby Doyle who says, “their prix fixe tasting menus are dependably stunning and always include vegetarian and vegan options.” But don’t think this is fussy food, Blocher limits himself to a small number of minimally manipulated ingredients. But. No. They don’t serve a burger.

1457 E. 3350 South, SLC, 385-528-3712, tablexrestaurant.com

Tona Sushi Bar & Grill in Ogden has been wowing our cousins to the north for more than a decade with “creative and ingenious art,” as described by Dining Awards panelist Jennifer Burns. “I’ve eaten sushi within sight of an ocean and thought, ‘Tona is better,’” she says. Chef Tony Chen combines traditional Japanese techniques with a modern sensibility that wows on the plate. Sushi, after all, is fussy food with exactness and precision required of its practitioners who are as much designers as they are chefs. “Every touch is thought out to create the perfect bite,” Burns says.

210 25th St., Ogden, 801-622-8662, tonarestaurant.com