Salt Lake magazine’s March/April 2026 issue arrives March 1. As usual, it’s our annual Dining Awards Issue, where we honor the culinary professionals who shape the flavor of our city. There’s far more, too—keep reading and you’ll discover Salt Lake’s coolest bar bathrooms, discover that there’s lots of adventure to be had in Utah’s West Desert and more.
Before we begin rolling out stories here on the web, here’s a letter from our executive editor, Jeremy Pugh.
As you may have noticed on the way in, it’s our annual Salt Lake magazine Dining Awards edition. Each year, our expert panel helps us choose the 20 Best Restaurants in the state. Along the way, we highlight new restaurants that are coming up and give our gustatory darlings special awards for outstanding achievements. For example, “Outstanding Achievements in Cheese.” (Caputo’s is the winner of The Big Cheese award, new this year.)
Our chefs and restaurateurs continue to get national attention through multiple James Beard Award nominations and the swirling rumors that Michelin is snooping around out here looking for stars. We have a hand in that. For 27 years, we’ve awarded our plates to deserving establishments. And we take that seriously. (Although it is a lot of fun.) As our food writer and awards panelist, Darby Doyle says, “a food review is a promise. It’s a promise that what we’re saying is good, is actually good.” She’s right. In the age of the algorithm, finding a solid food choice is a tedium of cutting through the noise, the internet drek and the AI slop. So when we say these restaurants are the best, they are. We promise. See our choices on p. 49.
And there’s a lot more to chew on in this issue. (See what I did there?) Like, can you, like, believe that it’s been 20 years since we first laid eyes on Zac Efron? OMG! Yep. It’s been 20 years since High School Musical introduced the world to the halls of East High. This year, the students at East are trying to pull a Kevin Bacon and get Zac, the cast (and Zac’s abs) back in town for a reunion. Read more about the history of the movie, where the cast is now (some are still in Utah) and the student effort to bring them back to the school that made them famous on p.68.
Dig in!
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