Eat & Drink

Fred Moesinger and Aimee Sterling took a giant leap backward when they were forced to move their beloved Italian restaurant, Caffe Molise, and its sister bar, BTG, because of planned city construction. Instead of abandoning downtown for new construction in the burbs (and yes, I count Cottonwood and Holladay), they decided to invest in Salt Lake’s history and take over the landmark Eagle Building. That’s not the Salt Lake way—we generally prefer to tear down the old and put our money into new and shiny—and usually boring—buildings.

So hurrah for Fred and Aimee and kudos to their craziness. The new old space is 15,000 square feet over three floors; the original Caffe Molise space was 9,000 square feet. BTG now has a whole floor with its own entrance, the top floor is a ballroom fit for Beauty & the Beast to waltz across.

Built in 1915-16 for the Fraternal Order of the Eagles, the building has a formality and a presence seldom seen in new architecture. The grand entryway staircase on West Temple leads into the dining room, which, because of tall ceilings and architectural detail, lending a sense of occasion to your meal.

Molise’s menu has remained the same, which seems weird, because it all tasted better in the new space. It’s been proved (as much as social science can prove anything) that where people eat affects how much they enjoy what they’re eating. Caffe Molise’s arista—spice rubbed roast pork tenderloin with fig compote—has always been one of my favorites. The moist pork and the mildly sweet fruit have a naturally beautiful relationship in the mouth, but the newly elegant setting is conducive to slowing down and relishing flavors. Eggplant polpette have all the umami of meat, enhanced by tomato cream and grilled asparagus—a humble dish elevated by its surroundings.

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“In the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s, people used to go to hotels for entertainment. There were dining clubs and dances with live bands in the ballroom,” says Jared Steele, General Manager of Salt Lake’s AC Hotel. Sometime around the ‘70s, that, like most everything else in American culture, changed.

For hotels, that was a move away from wooing locals into their space for entertainment and a move towards corporate events. But here in Salt Lake, there are two very different hotels turning that business model on its head.

University Marriott

“I know we’re here at the Marriott and they have fancy tablecloths and whatnot, but we’re going to get so loud we’re going to make the people upstairs wonder what we’re doing down here,” said Jason Cozmo on a recent Saturday night at what, even he admitted, was an unexpected venue for his drag show.

Chef Jason Talcott has been remaking the image of the Marriott following a spring 2018 re-do by bringing locals into its Wakara Bar with live music, trivia nights, liquor education events and, yes, even drag queens (including a family-friendly drag brunch).

Nestled in Research Park, Talcott notes that his hotel bar is the only watering hole on the west bench of the city—and the closest for employees at the U and the surrounding areas. “We’re just trying to get people engaged,” he says, noting that Geeks Who Drink trivia has been a huge hit with the Research Park crowd. “So far,” he admits, “It’s working.”

Of course, guests at the hotel have to be on board, too. “They love it,” Talcott says. “They’re used to traveling and they get to their hotel and there’s nothing going on. They come here and they don’t even have to leave the hotel to get a craft cocktail and live music.”

480 Wakara Way, SLC, 385-722-9600,
marriott.com

AC Hotel

A study in contrast, the AC Hotel shares a city block with some of the most popular bars in Salt Lake. But, general manager Jared Steele says there’s no competition. “We’re a different story than those places. People can come here and work all afternoon and then stay through the night and transition on the way with us.”

The AC hosts paint nights, education events and jazz jam nights with local musician David Halliday, “They come and set up and the band jams for a bit and other guys jump in. It’s been a lot of fun,” says Steele.

For the more professional-types, Steele says he’s working with a local tailor and photographers to create an event at which patrons will get fitted for suits or alterations and get headshots at the same time.

And for the religious majority here in Utah, Steele says they’re doing mock-tail classes and events. Says Steele, “We’re taking some of the culture out and saying ‘here are some fun things to do, if you drink, great, and if you don’t drink, you’ll still like it here.’”

“Revenue generation isn’t the goal,” he says. “We want people to know this is a place they can spend their evenings.”

225 W. 200 South, SLC, 385- 722-9600 achotels.marriott.com

See all our food and drink coverage here.

Mention canned fish to Americans and they’re likely to remember Charlie, the tuna with no taste. But in Europe, canned—there it’s the very continental “tinned,” of course—has long been a delicacy and Americans are starting to catch on. Pun unintended. At super-uber hip Post Office Place, order the imported sardines and they’re presented still in the can. Er, tin (below). A big difference between American-canned and, say, Portuguese-tinned fish is that we cook the fish in the can; they cook the fish, then they can it. It makes a huge difference in flavor. Caputo’s has a good selection of imported tinned seafood.

See all of our food and drink coverage here.

Pho—the Vietnamese dish of rice noodles, broth, herbs and meat—is spectacularly popular among the American hipsters who spend more time arguing about the soup’s proper pronunciation than they do eating it. It’s “fuh,” by the way. Thus, hipsters and hipster-adjacent populations are reaping the benefits of the Great Pho Rush, in which no fewer than three pho restaurants serve Park City’s 8,300-ish residents. It’s a welcome development for a town that doesn’t earn high marks for culturally-diverse cuisine. Few things are more comforting than huddling over hot pho on a cold day, so pick your spot and slide up to a bowl.

Bald Mountain Pho The term “slope side dining” tends to conjure bleak images of $16, overcooked, a-la-carte hamburgers with a hefty surcharge for soggy fries. But this ain’t some run-of-the-mill drafty cafeteria. We’re talking legendary Deer Valley quality and luxury in Silver Lake Lodge. I’d go out on a limb and say the pho at Bald Mountain is even better than the resort’s famous turkey chili. For $13.50 you get your choice of beef or ginger-mushroom broth as well as decadent slices of wagyu beef or tofu with shiitake mushrooms. No matter what you choose, your dish comes with the standard rice noodles, bean sprouts, sliced chilis and fresh Thai basil. Best eaten while refueling on a powder day. 7600 Royal St., Park City,
435-649-1000

PC Pho PC Pho’s a hole in the wall shop in Prospector. The intimate atmosphere with an open kitchen gives PC Pho a community feel that’s rare in the more tourist-heavy parts of town. Stop in on a snowy evening when Main Street is packed, or have some hot grub brought right to your residence by Mountain Express delivery. Best shared with new friends you made on the chairlift. 1890 Bonanza Dr., Park City, 435-214-7027, mountainexpresssdelivery.com

Kuchu Shabu Tucked in an unassuming Kimball Junction parking lot, Kuchu Shabu returns an old pho hotspot to its former glory. Kuchu Shabu opened last summer with new management sporting an updated interior and menu, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the incredible pho. Kuchu Shabu serves up more than just an excellent selection of pho—including an assortment of ramen options and the flagship menu item, Japanese hot pot specialty shabu shabu—so you can accommodate a group with diverse palates while getting your fix. I’m partial to the $17 beef brisket and meatball pho. Best enjoyed after finishing the errands that kept you from enjoying a powder day.  1612 W. Ute Blvd., Park City, 435-658-9829,
kuchushabu.com

An influx of delivery services makes deciding what’s for dinner harder—and easier—than ever. Good news! Your stay-on-the-couch culinary options are no longer limited to pizza or Chinese. In the last year, plenty of delivery services have entered the Salt Lake marketplace offering everything from locally-owned sweets-only services to app-based whatever-your-heart-desires. Just be sure to tip your driver.

The National Contenders:

Grubhub grubhub.com

• Best For: Feeding the whole family.
• Use When: You don’t want to cook.

Postmates postmates.com

• Best For: Maybe you just want a Big Gulp?
• Use When: They send you a coupon code (which is often).

Uber Eats ubereats.com

• Best For: Employing Uber drivers not giving rides
• Use When: You’ve Finally Forgiven Uber for their last PR disaster.

The Local Players

Chip Cookies chipcookies.co

• Best For: Pre-meditated binging
• Use When: Order early on a bad day for delivery that night.

Happy Dumpling happydumplingslc.com

• Best For: Get your weekly wonton on.
• Use When: Once-a-week delivery for dinner.

Munchies munchiesslc.com

• Best For: Late-night sweet cravings.
• Use When: Drunk or, umm, you’ve recently been to Colorado.

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Bread fads come and go (baguettes, croissants, bagels) but you can tell when something has peaked when they make a sandwich with it. Judging by that, the biscuit has hit the top.

Southerners have a proprietary feeling about biscuits, but basically, any biscuit is made with fat (lard or butter), flour, baking powder, salt and a little milk or buttermilk. (Originally, Southern biscuits were made with a softer wheat, meaning it had less gluten, so the biscuits were more tender.) There is a thing called a “beaten” biscuit that leaves out the leavening and instead requires a half-hour of beating (literally) to loosen the gluten so the biscuit will rise, but it’s a labor-intensive rarity. Everyone except me loves biscuits smothered in sausage gravy—I’m a born-Southerner, but I prefer butter.

At any rate, you can’t go to many restaurants these days without tripping over a biscuit. Here are a half-dozen-plus-one of the best biscuits in Utah:

1. Sweet Lake Biscuits & Limeade,
54 W. 1700
South, SLC,  801-953-1978

Slightly strange bedmates—limeade is in no way a traditional accompaniment to biscuits—but each of this restaurant’s specialties are terrific. Originally a stand at the Farmers Market, now Sweet Lake serves seated biscuit-oriented meals until midday—try the biscuit sandwich with grilled asparagus, bacon, arugula and an egg.

2. The Daily,
222 Main St., SLC, 385-322-1270

I get into more detail about Ryan Lowder’s new downtown endeavor on p. 108, but this is about the biscuits, which are fantastic. Lowder has made this space the bakery for all his restaurants and head baker Caroline Hargraves is turning out sandwich bread, as well as these tall, flaky, ever-so-slightly sweet biscuits. Sausage gravy? No. But perfect for strawberries and whipped cream.

3. Woodland Biscuit Company,
2734 E. State Rd. 35, Woodland, 435-783-4202

Open only on the weekends and you’ll need your GPS to help you find it, but Woodland Biscuit Company is worth finding. So I hear—I haven’t found it yet. But I have it on the highest trusted authority that the biscuits here rule, so a field trip is forthcoming. For breakfast or lunch. Almost every dish is biscuit-based. Even the burger.

4. Ruth’s Diner,
4160 Emigration Canyon Road, 801-582-5807

Probably the most famous biscuit in the state, Ruth’s “Mile High Biscuits” are enormous. Like, enormous. They’re a little bit doughy and less flaky than other biscuits on the list, but they come with every breakfast entree. So if your banana walnut french toast doesn’t provide enough carbohydrates, you’ve got a major biscuit to fall back on.

5. Penny Ann’s Cafe,
1810 S. Main St., SLC, 801-935-4760; 280 E. 12300 South, Draper, 801-662-0009; 1856 5400 South, Draper, 801-613-9702

Most famous for their “heavenly hotcakes,” Penny Ann’s makes a mean biscuit too. Like many biscuits, this one is hidden on the menu under sausage gravy, but you can get a single biscuit and slather it with butter if you prefer. Like I said, I do.

 

6. Pig & A Jelly Jar,
401 E. 900 South, SLC, 385-202-7366; 227 25th St., Ogden, 801-605-8400; 1968 E. Murray Holladay Rd., Holladay, 385-695-5148

Biscuits play a supporting role in this Southern-tinged cafe—dig through the spare rib, eggs, beans and kale or the smoked ham, tomatoes and eggs or the double-battered fried chicken and you’ll find a biscuit. Or you can have them with the inevitable Southern gravy.

 

7. Tupelo,
508 Main St.,
Park City,  435-615-7700

I have been at a dinner where guests literally fought for these biscuits. Granted, it was a fingertip fight, polite, but there was a primal intent to snag the last of these buttermilk beauties (generally, NOT served with sausage gravy but as the side bread with honey butter).

 

 

 

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