High in the Park City mountains, the term resort fare became a sort of euphemism. Meals were well-prepared, if uninspired iterations of vaguely western-themed Americana. This isn’t quite an indictment of Park City dining’s old guard, but an acknowledgement that restaurants here lacked that certain spice of life. “Variety,” some call it. A procession of new chefs and restaurateurs has come to the hills, changing the culture of cuisine on the Wasatch Back.
We went on an exhaustive and calorie-intensive journey around town from the heart of Main Street to the outer reaches of Snyderville Basin, all with the goal of mapping out dining itineraries tuned to any taste. Carnivores, we have you covered with top cuts. Vegetarians, we compiled cuisine for your values. Fish lovers, we found flavors that won’t leave you floundering. Read on for some of our favorite dishes and get ready to take your taste buds for a trip around Park City.
Superb Seafood
It doesn’t get more landlocked than Utah, but that doesn’t mean seafood lovers will be fish out of water. Dive in.
Breakfast
Lox Sandwich ($8.99) from Park City Bread and Bagel
This lox sandwich is a finely executed standard, especially because the cured salmon is served on a bagel that even New Yorkers must admit is delicious.
Real Mainah Lobster Roll ($27) from Freshie’s Lobster Co.
Freshie’s lobster rolls won the title of World’s Best Lobster Roll in 2017 while competing against the best the Northeast has to offer. This one’s a favorite for even the most ardent locals from the upper right.
Salmon L. Jackson Roll ($19) and Small Sashimi Plate ($45) from Sushi Blue
The finest high-altitude sushi around is at Sushi Blue. The clever names adorning many of the rolls on the menu are almost as delightful as the dishes themselves. Almost.
Plant-based diners rejoice! Fertile frontiers have given rise to a wonderful variety of vegetarian-friendly dishes on the Wasatch back.
Breakfast
Buddha Bowl of Goodness ($15) from Harvest
An alluring brew of veggies and grains—highlighted by the likes of butternut pumpkin purée, herb salad, avocado and more—is both morally conscious and utterly delicious. 820 Park Ave., 435-604-0463, harvestparkcity.com
Lunch
Falafel and Hummus Tacos ($5 each) from Vessel Kitchen
Flat out, the best falafel in town is rolled into a naan flatbread taco with some spicy Fresno chili and mango slaw. It sure beats bean and cheese. 1784 Uinta Way, 435-200-8864, vesselkitchen.com
Dinner
Dal Makhani ($14.99) from Ganesh
This delectable concoction of black lentils, onions, tomatoes and spices, with a little naan thrown in, is a wonderfully comforting dish to warm up with after a long day playing in the surrounding mountains and on the ski hill. 1811 Sidewinder Dr., 435-538-4110, ganeshindiancuisine.com
Masterful Meats
All that ranch land out west pays serious dividends. Enjoy some mountain-raised meats with these fine meals.
Breakfast
Pulled Pork Benedict ($16) from Five5eeds
Light it ain’t, but tasty it is. Start the day off right with pulled pork and apple cider hollandaise on top of some sourdough. This isn’t your grandparents’ Benedict. 1600 Snow Creek Dr., 435-901-8242, five5eeds.com
Lunch
Bacon Bleu Cheeseburger ($16.50) from Annex
The legendary buffalo burgers from the No Name Saloon are available to people of all ages at the Annex. The bacon bleu burger is everything it’s cracked up to be and more. 449 Main St., 435-649-6667, annexburger.com
Dinner
Trio of Wild Game ($55) from Riverhorse on Main
When mountain fare’s done right, who am I to argue? The buffalo, venison and elk combo with a port reduction is a highly elevated version of a western classic you could imagine done over a campfire. 540 Main St., 435-649-3536, riverhorseparkcity.com
See more stories like this and all of our food and drink coverage. And while you’re here, why not subscribe and get six annual issues of Salt Lake magazine’s curated guide to the best life in Utah?
The party-bus ride to hell is in the rearview mirror. Whitney and Heather have taken their principled flight home (in coach!) Mary has been compelled to post an Instagram apology with hashtags including #apologyaccepted, #reels and #latinos. The Real Housewives of Salt Lake Cityare officially home from their cursed girls’ trip in an episode that feels a bit like palate cleanse. After a constant barrage of explosive revelations, this episode pauses the revelations and tells us things we mostly already know. Lisa still hates Heather and Whitney! Karlyn is still cute! Mary’s house is still a Dadaist nightmare! In the middle of the shaky return-to-normal, though, is a front-row seat to the event we all knew would come: The Jen Shah One-Woman Show.
It starts with Lisa at home debriefing with John, or, as he’s horrifyingly known in Lisa’s phone, JB HUSBAND BOSS. Lisa is rattled from the fight that ended the trip, which only solidified her opinion that Whitney and Heather are out to get her. “Whitney, she’s not a pot stirrer. She’s like a little whisk. Little Whiskney,” and JB HUSBAND BOSS seems legitimately amused. (It’s no “Whitney and Heather, bad weather,” but I’ll take it.) After calling the cousins “weak fucking little sheep,” Lisa gets a text from an unknown number. JB HUSBAND BOSS is FORBIDDEN by Lisa from getting a drink from the kitchen, because the text is from Jen. JB HUSBAND BOSS thinks that Lisa should meet up with Jen for some reason, but Lisa is keeping her distance, because she still feels manipulated after sticking her neck out for Jen before the arrest.
Jen, then, reaches out to her other remaining ally: Heather. Heather immediately drops everything to get lunch with Jen, who is trying to spin the arrest as best as she can. “This is what I asked God to show me,” she says. “Who are my real friends?” Well, your prayers are answered I guess! Obviously, none of the Housewives, let alone Housewife recappers, have all of the evidence to definitely say whether Jen is guilty or innocent. However, the case clearly doesn’t look good for Jen, and some of her statements seem brazenly dishonest. At lunch with Heather, she’s sticking to her story about some mystery person calling from Sharrieff’s phone to say he had a medical emergency. Heather must know that this story is suspicious, but she doesn’t push further. Why? As she is wont to do, Heather compares the situation to her divorce. “All I wanted was for someone to show up, hold my hand, say they loved me and not ask me too many questions,” she says, which Jen is, of course, perfectly fine with.
Both Jen’s conversation with Heather and a later one with Sharrieff show that she is experiencing real pain. Of course she is scared of not seeing her family. It’s painful to see her children, who Jen emphasizes are Black kids in a mostly white community, walk out of the house with their hands up with white police officers. But there is so much bullshit on display that even Bravo can’t help but build a case for federal prosecutors. Just as Jen tries to minimize her and Stuart’s relationship, the show flashes back to a clip of Jen feeding him a banana and saying, “while you make me money I feed you.” Heather may be sticking by Jen—and telling her directly what the others think about her—but Lisa is wise to steer clear.
Whitney’s been a lot of fun to watch this season, but now I’m worried that she has girlbossed too close to the sun. She has tried to dedicate screen time to her beauty business, which recently rebranded from Iris & Beau to Wild Rose Beauty, and this episode makes it clear that this company is no casual side hustle. Over Chipotle takeout, Whitney accuses Justin of viewing Iris & Beau I mean Wild Rose Beauty as just a hobby. Before you feel too bad for Whitney, though, Justin reminds her that he has invested hundreds of thousands into her newly rebranded business. Whitney has, by her own admission, not been all that careful with the family’s sweet, sweet MLM bread—now she has a $1 million line of credit, and Justin will have to cosign on the deposit if she can’t get a loan. (I don’t actually understand what this means, which is one of many reasons why I should not start my own skin care line.) Even more concerning: Whitney asks, “What did you make us for dinner daddy?” as Justin gets out the Chipotle. Between this and JB HUSBAND BOSS, I think the FBI needs to come back.
Giving us our weekly reminder that rich people have very different hobbies, Lisa and Meredith head to the stables for some horseback riding. As usual, Meredith is mostly there to turn a look, though, unlike Lisa, she can actually get her horse to move. They then drink tea (still in the stable…full of horse shit…relaxing) and catch up on the latest drama. Somehow, even though Jen is fighting for her life in federal court and Mary may be a literal cult leader, Lisa is mostly preoccupied with Whitney and Heather being rude to her. Meredith, reclaiming her role as group therapist, says the group has a “dynamic that is very problematic” and that no one person (even Jen!) is totally to blame. Lisa refuses to match Meredith’s measured tone. She says, “someone has to have my fucking back,” and Meredith, who seems tired of defending Lisa, is insulted by the insinuation that she doesn’t defend her. Lisa THEN says that Whitney and Heather’s lies are as bad as Jen’s which is, a) absolutely bananas and b) the exact wrong thing to say to Meredith, who has viewed Jen as Public Enemy #1 since Twinkgate. And just like that, Lisa has finished the next stop on her burning bridges tour.
For the sake of everyone’s health, there is no major group outing this week, but Heather and Jennie do show up at Whitney’s $20,000 photo shoot for Iris & Beau I mean Wild Rose Beauty. Jennie quickly observes that this was not necessarily 20 grand well spent—none of the glamour shots include any product and a big chunk of the merch advertises the old company name. Come on Whitney! We have more important business to attend to than Whitney’s probably failing business, though. Jennie talks about her plan to bring everyone together, including Jen, to hash out their problems over Vietnamese food. This is a bad idea, but it will probably be funny. Heather talks about her lunch with Jen and says, “I hope and pray she’s innocent.” This is a bad idea that just makes me feel sorry for Heather. Then, Whitney drops the episode’s only true bombshell—she had a three-hour conversation with Cameron, who had a public falling out with Mary and her church. “If Lisa knew 1/10 of what I knew and if 1/10 of that was true, Mary is bigger and badder than we ever realized,” Whitney says. Oh no. Whitney wants to directly talk with Lisa about what she’s learn. This is actually a good idea—even Jennie thinks so. Yes, part of the reason I like this idea is because it will cause a stupidly entertaining fight that will end with eight confusing puns and a slam poem from Lisa. But even the non-evil part of my brain thinks this makes sense. Meredith may still want to hear Mary’s side, but most reasonable people already know what will happen if Whitney brings it up: Mary will deny it, scream out a sermon word salad, say something racist and then apologize months later in a Live Laugh Love font. Lisa, though, should directly confront the allegations against Mary as she tries to play both sides. Next week, everyone gets together—including Jen—and apparently the tension simmering underneath Meredith and Lisa’s friendship finally erupts.
Random observations:
Jen is upset that Lisa won’t talk to her because she “read something on the Internet.” That’s certainly one way to put it!
The real loser of this episode: Whitney’s daughter Bobbi, who has to watch her parents fight AND doesn’t get to finish her Chipotle. Sad!
In this episode, we meet the bravest woman in America. Her name is Alexia and she’s hired to organize Mary’s closet…and her bedroom which has become another closet since the real closet is impenetrable. She gently offers very good advice like “If you can’t see things that are behind or tucked away you’re probably not wearing it.” Her chance of success is almost zero, but I would watch a miniseries about her attempt.
Bosozoku, also known as the Black Emperor, is a Japanese subculture focused on speed, excitement, and powerful motorcycle or vehicle customization. This delinquent subculture arose when some kamikaze pilots returned from World War II in the 1950s. The pilots could not cope with having an ordinary life after returning home, having experienced violence on the battlefield. They established motorcycle gangs that would cruise around neighborhoods at night on high-speed, high-noise, and high-risk rides, pursued by police to imitate the military nature of brotherhood, danger, and thrill.
As the kamikaze generation grew older, these motorcycle gangs were replaced by a new generation of disgruntled teenagers more tradition-oriented. After a series of disturbances triggered, the gang brought the motorcyclists’ reckless driving behaviors to media notice; they nicknamed the emerging group “Bosozoku.” The subculture immediately embraced the term because of violence and speed.
The Bosozoku was mainly comprised of working-class male teenagers between the ages of 17 and 20. Most gang members were uneducated teenagers, and many dropped out of school. Even though Bosozoku was primarily a male-dominated organization, there were also female-only Bosozoku gangs. They sometimes paired with the male-only gangs to ride together. Despite their prominence in the subculture, there appears to be little research on female Bosozoku members.
Ascension and Decline of the Black Emperor Gang
The National Police Agency of Japan believes that there were more than 40,000 Bosozoku gang members countrywide in the 1980s. They were all over the place, not only in large cities but also in rural areas. They regularly fought with residents and authorities, creating noise violations, property damage, and sometimes full-fledged riots with massively modified motorcycles.
Members routinely engaged in violent confrontations with law enforcement and rival gangs. Getting beaten to a pulp by senior gang members was a rite of passage for many newcomers.
It’s easy to see how Katsuhiro Otomo would extrapolate the Bosozoku’s ubiquity in his picture of Tokyo’s dismal future in the early 1980s, given such an environment. They controlled the police agenda in Akira and took part in anti-government protests. They turned the streets into a playground and defied any authorized person who tried to stop them. It is definitely easy to imagine such a scenario given the state of affairs in Japan’s postwar bubble economy in the 1980s.
However, the asset bubble broke in the early 1990s, and the ensuing lost decade brought everything crashing down (the effects of which still reverberate through the Japanese economy). During the 1990s, membership decreased precipitously. The fact that bike modifications were costly was a large factor. Given the status of the economy, many young folks could not afford such upkeep.
Another factor that contributed to the Bosozoku’s decline was the National Police Agency’s growing strength. Previously, police had limited recourse for reckless driving and violating noise restrictions by customized bikes. Arrests were challenging unless the Bosozoku injured someone or damaged property. The government changed the road traffic rules in 2004, resulting in increased arrests of Bosozoku members. The dangers were no longer worth it for many young members.
Black Emperor Gang Retro Motorcycles
The Bosozoku retro motorcycles started as locally built 250-400cc road bikes but eventually morphed into Kaizsha (“Modified Vehicles”), which are more than the sum of their parts. Although American choppers and British cafe racers influenced their design, Bosozoku’s retro motorcycles are distinctive. According to motorbike enthusiasts, these bikes can be fully fixed up, from fixing or replacing engines to crucial replacements and updates. The retro motorcycles include flamboyant paintwork, stickers, flags, modified exhausts, larger fairings, and gigantic sissy bars. Symbols such as the Rising Sun became standard branding. Horns, often many per bike, were custom-made to generate melodies that gangs adopted as their own.
The changes were made for one reason: display. The Black Emperor gang was unconcerned with speed or power, but they didn’t mind either. Instead, for many, the highlight of the culture was bragging to their peers and the larger community. Whole gangs, often hundreds at a time, cruised through cities and towns as one, clogging highways and generating the type of disturbance that seemed pointless at the time but is now remembered fondly as time well spent.
Modern Retro Bikes
As the name implies, modern retro bikes are modern production models designed like historical motorcycles but with modern engines, chassis, and componentry. These bikes combine a nostalgia-inducing appearance with totally modern performance and conveniences, including current electronics packages and rider aids, to provide what many riders believe to be the best of both worlds. This means you’ll be able to cruise the streets on a vintage-style motorcycle without having to worry about drum brakes, fussy carburetors, or archaic wire wheels. Most current retro bikes are based on the 1960s and 1970s models, while some exceptions are based on 1980s motorbikes and prewar motorcycles.
The combination of old-school aesthetics and modern powertrains and technology distinguishes a modern retro from other retro bike models. An example is the Royal Enfield Bullet or Yamaha SR400. These are essentially retro bikes that have remained in production, largely unchanged for many years compared to modern motorcycles with modern retro bikes designed to look like vintage scoots. While some classic forms, like scramblers or cafe racers, are prevalent in the modern-retro area, modern-retro motorcycles are available in virtually every motorcycle genre, from minibikes to full-sized cruisers.
Although it has been many years since the Black Gang Emporers dominated the streets, the memories are kept alive, and the culture that they created has never been forgotten.
What we’re debating here is the very foundation of this community. It’s the literal ground we’re standing on—like the actual dirt. Seriously. Even the dirt in Park City is fraught with contradiction, caught between a bygone silver mining era and the eternal transformation into a worldwide destination resort for outdoor enthusiasts, art aficionados, indie movie darlings, cuisine Instagrammers and whomever else we can market the community to. That mining part left a legacy of environmental contamination—tailings laced with lead, arsenic and the like—which is quite literally resurfacing as the development boom races ahead in its myriad of incarnations. The questions at hand are, one, what we do with those soils and, two, who’s responsible for them. Thus far, Park City hasn’t dug up any easy answers.
Building new things first requires digging holes in the ground, and Park City is doing a lot of both. The proposed Arts and Culture District, for example, will unearth endless piles of soil needing to go somewhere. Because the soils are contaminated it can’t just be haphazardly dumped. Carbon-based life doesn’t get along great with mining-era contaminants.
Currently, every truckload of contaminated soil from Park City is taken down to a contaminated soils repository in Tooele, a solution which is expensive and laced with ethical quandaries about offloading inconvenience on another community. City officials sought another solution: to build a repository on municipal acreage alongside S.R. 248, which would be more cost effective. The city previously used a repository in Richardson Flat, but it has been closed since 2010.
The concept, with both its flaws and virtues, never got off the launch pad. An overwhelming flood of negative community pushback thrust the issue to the forefront of public consciousness. It was called a toxic waste dump and a community hazard. Even if those proclamations are vague and hyperbolic, some concern is valid. “Utah has weak fugitive dust regulation, which means there are insufficient controls to keep contaminants from being airborne,” says Scott Williams, Executive Director of HEAL Utah. “It’s more well-regulated when transporting materials off site, but the process hasn’t been well publicized or transparent enough.” City officials say disinformation created the charged atmosphere, which ultimately led every mayoral and city council candidate in the 2021 election to abandon the solution they’d designed. Councilors Max Doilney, Steve Joyce and Tim Henney all asserted deep politicization of misinformation derailed honest assessment. Incumbent Mayor Andy Beerman and challenger Nann Worel both stated the need to respect the desires of the community, while noting the issue wouldn’t evaporate under the status quo.
For now, Park City keeps on trucking…dirt to Tooele. But the larger issue won’t stay buried.
The Waste Repository That Wasn’t
The planned contaminated soils repository was to hold 140,000 cubic yards of material. That’s enough for 15 years storage, after which it was to be capped and turned into open space for recreation. Construction was estimated to cost $2.7 million but recoup multiples of that initial investment over the course of its lifetime.
This December, as we’re all sitting around wondering what to watch this holiday season, we do not have to submit ourselves and our families to another viewing of A Christmas Story. Instead, this year, the new holiday releases have been taken over by some pretty nerdy adaptations and original films and TV shows.
That’s good for Utah, which is consistently rated among the, if not the, geekiest state in the nation. Whether it’s the study by a real estate website Estately or this one by Zippia, which both looked at the number of people with nerdy interests listed on their social media profiles, or another study by AT&T, which looked at the number of pop culture conventions and nerd-adjacent retailers. And this year, on-demand streaming services have a gift for Utah: some very, very nerdy content on the list of what to watch this holiday season.
The Book of Boba Fett premieres Wednesday, December 29, 2021 on Disney+
Disney+
Hawkeye – Season Finale on Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021
Marvel Studios’ Hawkeye stars Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, who teams up with another well-known archer from the Marvel comics, Kate Bishop, played by Hailee Steinfeld. The cast also includes Vera Farmiga, Fra Fee, Tony Dalton, Zahn McClarnon, Brian d’Arcy James and newcomer Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez. Hawkeye is helmed by Rhys Thomas and directing duo Bert and Bertie. Hawkeye debuted on Disney+ on Nov. 24, 2021.
The Book of Boba Fett – Premieres Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021
The Book of Boba Fett, a thrilling Star Wars adventure teased in a surprise end-credit sequence following the Season Two finale of The Mandalorian, finds legendary bounty hunter Boba Fett and mercenary Fennec Shand navigating the galaxy’s underworld when they return to the sands of Tatooine to stake their claim on the territory once ruled by Jabba the Hutt and his crime syndicate.
LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special – Now Streaming
The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special reunites Rey, Finn, Poe, Chewie, Rose and the droids for a joyous feast on Life Day. Rey sets off on a new adventure with BB-8 to gain a deeper knowledge of the Force. At a mysterious Jedi Temple, she is hurled into a cross-timeline adventure through beloved moments in Star Wars cinematic history, coming into contact with Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Yoda, Obi-Wan and other iconic heroes and villains from all nine Skywalker saga films. But will she make it back in time for the Life Day feast and learn the true meaning of holiday spirit?
Season two of The Witcher premieres December 17, 2021 on Netflix
Netflix
The Witcher – Season Two Premieres Dec. 17, 2021
The Witcher returns with Season Two. Convinced Yennefer’s life was lost at the Battle of Sodden, Geralt of Rivia brings Princess Cirilla to the safest place he knows, his childhood home of Kaer Morhen. While the Continent’s kings, elves, humans and demons strive for supremacy outside its walls, he must protect the girl from something far more dangerous: the mysterious power she possesses inside.
Cobra Kai – Season Four Premieres Dec. 31, 2021
Cobra Kai takes place over 30 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament with the continuation of the inescapable conflict between Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka). Season 4 finds the Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang dojos joining forces to take down Cobra Kai at the All Valley Under 18 Karate Tournament… and whoever loses must hang up their gi. As Samantha and Miguel try to maintain the dojo alliance and Robby goes all in at Cobra Kai, the fate of the Valley has never been more precarious. What tricks does Kreese have up his sleeve? Can Daniel and Johnny bury their decades-long hatchet to defeat Kreese? Or will Cobra Kai become the face of karate in the valley?
Lost in Space – Season Three Now Streaming
In the third and final season of Lost in Space, the stakes are higher than ever and the Robinson family’s survival instincts will be put to the ultimate test. After a year of being trapped on a mysterious planet, Judy, Penny, Will and the Robot must lead the 97 young Colonists in a harrowing evacuation—but not before secrets are unearthed that will change their lives forever. Meanwhile John and Maureen with Don at their side—must battle overwhelming odds as they try to reunite with their kids. The Robinsons will have to grapple with the emotional challenge of not just being lost—but being separated from the ones they love…as they face the greatest alien threat yet.
HBO MAX
The Matrix Resurrections – Premieres Dec. 22, 2021
From visionary filmmaker Lana Wachowski comes The Matrix Resurrections, the long-awaited fourth film in the groundbreaking franchise that redefined a genre. The film reunites original stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss in the iconic roles they made famous, Neo and Trinity. The Matrix Resurrections stars Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Priyanka Chopra, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Jessica Henwick, Parker Posey, Telma Hopkins, Eréndira Ibarra, Toby Onwumere, Max Riemelt, Brian J. Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. The Matrix Resurrections will be available on Dec. 22 in theaters and on HBO Max, streaming only on the Ad-Free plan in the U.S. for 31 days from its theatrical release.
8-Bit Christmas – Now Streaming
Set in 1980s suburban Chicago, 8-Bit Christmas centers on ten-year-old Jake Doyle’s quest to get the latest and greatest video game system. The film stars Neil Patrick Harris, Winslow Fegley, June Diane Raphael, David Cross, and Steve Zahn. Screenplay is by Kevin Jakubowski, adapted from his debut novel.
Young Justice – Season Four Finale on Dec. 30, 2021
This animated spy drama, Young Justice, explores the entire DC Universe through the eyes and stories of young Dick Grayson/Robin, Kaldur’ahm/Aqualad, Wally West/Kid Flash, Conner Kent/Superboy, M’gann M’orzz/Miss Martian, Artemis Crock/Artemis, Zatanna Zatara/Zatanna, and Raquel Ervin/Rocket. As this core team steps out of the shadows of their mentors and matures into adult heroes – with some joining the Justice League and others taking on new identities Nightwing, Aquaman, and Tigress– they also mentor a new generation of protégés including Forager, Wonder Girl, Blue Beetle, Cyborg, and Halo, all in their ongoing crusade for justice.
The Wheel of Time, based on the high fantasy series by Robert Jordan, is now streaming on Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime
The Wheel of Time – Season Finale on Dec. 24, 2021
The Wheel of Time is one of the most popular and enduring fantasy series of all time, with more than 90 million books sold. Set in a sprawling, epic world where magic exists and only certain women are allowed to access it, the story follows Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), a member of the incredibly powerful all-female organization called the Aes Sedai, as she arrives in the small town of Two Rivers. There, she embarks on a dangerous, world-spanning journey with five young men and women, one of whom is prophesied to be the Dragon Reborn, who will either save or destroy humanity. The first three episodes of Season One premiered Friday, Nov. 19, with new episodes available each Friday following.
Shatner in Space – Premieres on Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021
A one-hour special that details the events before, during, and after Shatner’s life-changing flight—which made him the oldest person to ever travel to the cosmos—and the growing friendship between the Star Trek icon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, whose dreams of space travel, like many, were inspired by the original Star Trek series.
The Expanse – Season Six Premieres Dec. 10, 2021
The sixth and final season of The Expanse picks up with the solar system at war, as Marco Inaros and his Free Navy continue to launch devastating asteroid attacks on Earth and Mars. As the tensions of war and shared loss threaten to pull the crew of the Rocinante apart, Chrisjen Avasarala makes a bold move and sends former Martian Marine Bobbie Draper on a secret mission that could turn the tide of the conflict. Meanwhile, in the Belt, Drummer and what’s left of her family are on the run after betraying Marco. And on a distant planet beyond the Rings, a new power begins to rise. Series stars Steven Strait, Dominique Tipper, Wes Chatham, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Cara Gee, Frankie Adams, Keon Alexander, Nadine Nicole, and Jasai Chase Owens reunite for the most epic season yet.
Sundance and Slamdance have released the lineups for their 2022 film festivals. The dueling events—one which has grown since its inception into an international spectacle and the other which adheres strictly to its independent, DIY ethos—will take place concurrently in Park City, beginning on Jan. 20, 2022. Last year’s Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals were derailed by Covid, but organizers and attendees are banking on vaccination and testing protocols to return the 2022 editions to their former glory with in person screenings and an interactive, welcoming atmosphere.
The Sundance Film Festival, which hardly needs an introduction at this point, has been a midwinter mainstay in Park City since 1981 and returns to the community from Jan. 20-30. Sundance’s profile has risen over the years as the film industry’s glitz, glamour and funding have become part of the production, but the festival’s always been a breeding ground for independent film that would go on to gain wider acclaim. The first edition of what was then called the Utah/U.S. Film Festival included canonical films such as “Deliverance,” “Mean Streets,” “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “Midnight Cowboy,” after all.
Still from “Living;” Photo courtesy Sundance Film Festival
Audiences in 2022 can get excited about an enormous variety of independent film genres and visions. Highly anticipated selections from the lineup include IFC Midnight’s “Hatching,” a suspenseful feature about a young gymnast hiding a mysterious giant egg from her domineering mother, “Living,” a reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s “Ikiru (To Live),” “Lucy and Desi,” a documentary examining the enduring legacy of the unlikely partners from director Amy Poehler and “Master,” a horror tinted psychological thriller about an elite New England university built on the site of a Salem-era gallows hill. Typical cinema fare these films certainly are not. For more details about the festival schedule and lineup, visit the Sundance website.
Slamdance has become, in its way, the antithesis of Sundance, eschewing the creep of Hollywood influence in favor of an unwavering independent spirit. To be eligible for Slamdance’s competition lineup, the 23 features chosen from more than 1,100 submissions are all directorial debuts with budgets under $1 million and without U.S. distribution.
“We are anti-algorithm. That’s always been true, but it’s more urgent than ever as we continue to celebrate truly unique voices that defy simple classification and transcend analytics,” said Slamdance President and co-founder Peter Baxter. “This year our programmers gravitated towards films that embody the true DIY spirit of guerrilla filmmaking and push the boundaries of what’s possible in storytelling.”
Still from “Facing Monsters;” Photo courtesy Slamdance Institute
Films audiences can look forward to run the gamut from “Facing Monsters,” a feature-length documentary about West Australian ‘slab wave’ surfer Kerby Brown, to “Killing the Eunuch,” a horror feature about a serial killer using his victims to kill further victims, to “Forget Me Not,” the story of a family fighting for their son with down syndrome to be included in the country’s most segregated school system. Click here to see the full festival lineup, and visit the Slamdance website to purchase passes for the January 20-23 in person portion and January 20-30 online portion of the festival.
We’ll have plenty more film festival coverage as Sundance and Slamdance take over Park City in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.
Shortly before this article was published in our November/December issue, Thy Vu, co-owner of Mims Bakery, was killed in a car crashwhen a suspected drunk driver in a police pursuit struck her vehicle. To donate to Tripp Mims and their children, visit this GoFundMe.Friends of Vu’s started the community organization Live Like Thy and are currently working on a memorial fund in her name.Mims is now advocating for policy changes in police pursuits and continues to run Mims Bakery.
Plenty of us rediscovered the joys of home baking in 2020 and beyond. Some Utahns turned that joy into small businesses. Cottage bakers make small batches of food in home kitchens, promote themselves on social media and field pickup and delivery orders for their (literally) homemade goods. These Utah microbakeries either started or grew significantly during the pandemic as traditional storefronts became less essential, food delivery exploded and many of us spent our days at home hungrily scrolling through Instagram. In a challenging landscape, this model offers a different way forward: locally-focused, collaborative and appealingly small-scale.
“Sourdoughnies” with brown butter, kunafa crumble, pistachio and orange zest; Photo courtesy Mims Bakery
Seeded polenta bread; Photo courtesy Mims Bakery
Pain d’epi and baguettes; Photo courtesy Mims Bakery
MIMS BAKERY
If, like me, you spent more of the pandemic watching The Great British Baking Show than nurturing a sourdough starter, Mims Bakery’s classic sourdough is the perfect way to get your homemade bread fix. Husband-and-wife duo Tripp Mims and Thy Vu started Mims Bakery out of necessity when Tripp was laid off as a sous-chef at the now-closed Alamexo. “We have always passively baked for fun and for ourselves, but with a lot of downtime after Tripp was furloughed, he started baking for family and friends to pass the time,” Vu says. They started with a “small but mighty” Rofco bread oven in their own kitchen before converting their garage to a mini-bakery. Along with traditional breads, they sell seasonal menu items highlighting local ingredients, like tomato and basil grown in their own garden. Tripp and Vu, the bakery’s only employees, regularly collaborate with friends, neighbors and other local businesses while fundraising for community organizations like Salt Lake Community Mutual Aid and Black Visions Collective. “It is an opportunity to get good food into bellies while also making a difference together as a community,” Vu says.
Orange blossom baklava cronie from Powder Peak Sweets and Aziza; Photo courtesy Powder Peak Sweets
Powder Peak Sweets owner Jayden Brennan started using Instagram as a platform to share baked goods she made for fun. By summer 2020, Jayden harnessed a growing social media following to start her own business with her sister Sarah and boyfriend Jordan. (Jayden admits Jordan “kind of just got thrown into the whole baking thing, but I wouldn’t be able to do it without him.”) Jayden’s specialty is cronies, decadent donuts made with flaky layers of croissant dough. Powder Peak Sweets regularly updates their menu with flavor combinations like vanilla espresso and peach bourbon brown sugar, but you can’t go wrong with the classic cinnamon sugar combo. Jayden, who still works full-time at the University of Utah, says she hopes to continue growing as a microbakery before upsizing to a storefront. “We have received tremendous support from our community,” she says. “We would never be where we are today without them.”
Dominique Wilson holds one of his homemade pies; Photo courtesy Pies the Limit
Chocolate coconut cream pie; Photo courtesy Pies the Limit
Classic peach pie; Photo courtesy Pies the Limit
PIES THE LIMIT
“I’ve always had an infatuation with cooking,” says Pies the Limit owner Dominique Wilson. Wilson started selling homemade pies online as a side hustle in 2017. Last year, Pies the Limit (Instagram: @pies_the_limitut) received a surge of attention as growing awareness of racial justice inspired more interest in Black-owned businesses online. “One thing that I’ve always felt isn’t taught enough in the Black community is owning your own business,” he says. “I want to leave my future children with something they can call their own.” Sharing a kitchen with friends Geoff and Mia Patmides, who co-own Taylorsville’s The Local Greek, Wilson sells both dessert and dinner pies, including his signature creation, a silky smooth blueberry sour cream pie. “Being able to call myself a business owner makes me more proud than anything,” he says. As his one-man operation continues to grow, Wilson has a simple message to readers: “These pies are damn good. Come and get you some!”
This week on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, the longest vacation in recorded history finally comes to a close. Yes, this girls’ trip has technically only lasted a few days, but this drama-filled, emotionally draining journey to hell has turned into several hours of television and likely many, many more hours of professional counseling. (I already know I will need to call my own therapist immediately after the season finale.) Somehow, Jen’s arrest is already starting to feel like a distant memory as the cast dances around the allegations against Mary’s Faith Temple Church all while picking old fights that were bound to boil over.
This episode, we finally get some substantive info about the skeletons in Mary’s closet. For several weeks, Lisa and Whitney have both hinted that they know negative information about her church—Lisa is close with Cameron, a disgruntled former member of the congregation, but she won’t get into specifics about his experience. After eating several pounds of melted cheese and watching everyone else drink from the shot-ski, Mary gets tired of tormenting Whitney and goes to bed. This gives everyone else—sleep-deprived, tipsy and still traumatized from federal agents swarming the Beauty Lab parking lot—the chance to ask what the hell is going on. Lisa waffles like a Utah legislator drawing Congressional boundaries until even her friends Jennie and Meredith feel frustrated. Under pressure, she blurts out that Cameron mortgaged his house to give her $300,000. Cameron claims that Mary and Robert Sr. would regularly convince the congregation to give them large amounts of money, and in this particular case, Mary used it to get surgery removing her odor glands.
This explosive information, coming so soon after Jen’s arrest, turns up the pressure cooker even more, unleashing big emotions that will likely reverberate for seasons to come. There’s so much to keep track of that it seems easier to go housewife by housewife:
Whitney
Plenty will change as the season continues, but I’m already prepared to declare Whitney as the MVP of Season 2. Throughout all the chaos, she has been funnier than ever, probably the smartest person in the room and, crucially, the only cast member whose motivations are both logical and sympathetic. Unlike Heather, she is clearheaded about the implications of Jen’s arrest. Unlike everyone but Heather, she seems to be done with Mary’s bullshit. And she defends her cousin when everything goes haywire at the end of the episode, even when that means choosing Delta over a private jet. Team Whitney!
Lisa
Every episode, I get more and more confused by Lisa. She (at least sometimes) tries to be friends with everyone, but the only thing she’s succeeded at so far is pissing everybody off. Is she really playing four-dimensional chess, as Heather and Whitney so fervently believe? I have no idea, but if she is, I have zero guesses on what her end game will be. Why does she insist on protecting Cameron’s privacy (even though cameras filmed their conversation,) tell the group what he said on a whim and then make up with Mary in the middle of the night? Beats me! Her insistence on playing both sides—first with Meredith and Lisa, and now with Cameron and Mary has gone from confusing to disturbing. If she truly believes Cameron, she should want to stay as far away from Mary as possible. And yet, for no clear reason, she doubles down on their friendship even harder.
Heather
Look, Heather is very charming. She makes me laugh (on purpose!) at least once every episode, and her reunion with her estranged sister this week was truly sweet. So it’s sad to see her break down at the end of the episode—she seems genuinely hurt in a way we haven’t seen until, well, one of her besties got arrested a couple of days ago. It helps that she is right about pretty much everything. Yes, it is weird that Lisa and Mary are all of a sudden closer than ever! Yes, Mary is rude to Whitney for pretty much no reason! Yes, everyone should have learned their lesson from Jen and ask Mary some hard questions! The big question mark at the center, though, is Heather’s maddening loyalty to Jen. Heather is right to treat Mary with skepticism, but she won’t bring that same energy with Jen who, you know, might actually go to jail.
Jennie
Jennie is a year behind on all of the drama, which honestly works in her favor. (Sure, she gets less screen time, but she is also the only one who seems to be going home without lasting emotional scars.) Jennie had a rivalry budding with Mary, but Mary decides to throw her some snakeskin Louboutins as a peace offering. (“This will lighten up my luggage,” Mary says in the confessional. Heartfelt!) With designer shoes to keep her quiet, Jennie minds her business and eats a croissant while everyone else melts down. Good for her!
Jen
Jen is not in this episode, which I’m sure is a relief to her legal team. Unfortunately for her, though, an ABC News special, The Housewife and the Shah Shocker, outlined her case in more detail. Pretty much every part of the documentary looked bad for Jen, especially heartbreaking interviews with victims who were defrauded by a shell company that allegedly worked with her. The documentary, streaming on Hulu, is worth watching if you want true-crime details the Real Housewives hasn’t dived into (yet).
Meredith
Meredith was clearly having the time of her life when Jen got arrested. She gets to experience two of the greatest pleasures in the human experience—being proven right and luxuriating in a stupidly fancy bath—at once. I can only dream! Sadly, now that the focus has shifted to Mary, Meredith’s moral righteousness about Jen feels much more suspect. When she learns about Cameron’s allegations her first response is to…feel guilty for gossiping? And not to worry aboutM Mary’s victims, which she scolded the group about in Jen’s case last week? It really doesn’t add up, especially when she was so suspicious of Jen that she hired a private investigator to track her. Even without firsthand evidence that Faith Temple is bad news, Meredith surely sees that Mary is frequently awful to others in the group for no good reason. I was rooting for you Meredith!
Mary
Yikes. YIKES. This episode is a new low for Mary. At times in Season 1, if you were feeling generous, you could call Mary an entertaining eccentric. Now, faced with real questions about her behavior, she completely melts down, fully unleashing a sinister side that makes for chilling television. She categorically denies all of the negative allegations about her church. (Since the season was filmed, The Daily Beast has published an investigation about abusive practices at Faith Temple.) She gives everyone besides Whitney expensive gifts just to be an ass. And when direct questions about her actions are raised, she gives an impromptu sermon in the living room, basically says that Heather is a fat alcoholic and calls Jen a “heartless thug, like Mexican people that make all those drugs.” Wow. At this point, it’s painful, and maybe even ethically questionable, to watch.
After a not-at-all-relaxing getaway, the Housewives finally travel back to SLC, though Heather and Whitney skip out on Meredith’s private jet and fly commercial as a protest. After an unbelievable string of episodes, it’s probably for the best that everyone is out of that cursed Vail mansion. As everyone returns home, they will surely have to keep grappling with the fact that a man may have MORTGAGED HIS HOUSE so that Mary could get her ODOR GLANDS REMOVED. I know I’m going to keep thinking about it.
Read all of our recaps of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.
Christmas media can be a love-it-or-hate-it proposition—either you’re blasting Mariah Carey before Halloween is over or you cringe at all of the earnest merriness. Like it or not, though, we’re well into the most wonderful time of year, and Pioneer Theatre Company has a fun-for-the-whole-family idea for those unwilling to brave the cold (and crowds) to see the Christmas light-donned construction zone at Temple Square. Even if you’re not one to devour every Netflix holiday rom-com, PTC’s ElfThe Musical is charming enough to unite Santa-believers and their parents, nostalgic millennials and anyone looking for an enjoyable, family-friendly musical. (In Utah, that’s pretty much everyone.)
Jason Simon and Max Chernin in “Elf The Musical;” Photo courtesy Pioneer Theatre Company
The musical, narrated by Santa himself, begins at the North Pole with Buddy, (Max Chernin) an unnaturally tall elf who lacks his colleagues’ preternatural toy-making abilities. At age 30, Buddy overhears the real reason he doesn’t fit in at Santa’s Workshop—he is actually a human who accidentally crawled into Santa’s sack as an infant. Santa tells Buddy that his real dad Walter (Chirstopher Gurr), a children’s book publisher in New York City, does not know that he has a son, and, making matters worse, he’s on the naughty list. Adrift, Buddy heads south to meet his father, stepmother Emily (Mary Fanning Driggs) and 12-year-old stepbrother Michael (alternated between Austin Flamm and Grant Westcott). Unfortunately, Santa doesn’t tell Buddy to lose the yellow tights.
The musical is based on, and in the shadow of, the 2003 movie starring Will Ferrell. The original film, now firmly in the Christmas movie canon, is a fish-out-of-water comedy that mines endless humor from the gulf between Buddy’s Christmas storybook upbringing and the normal adult world in New York City. Thanks to a clever concept, plenty of quotable lines and, especially, Ferrell’s performance, the original is a sentimental favorite, meaning the musical has big (pointy) shoes to fill.
PTC’s cheerful, eager-to-please production mostly succeeds. Sure, there are details for Scrooges (or maybe just tired parents) to nitpick. The score, with music by Matthew Sklar and lyrics by Chad Beguelin, is catchy, generally pleasant and totally forgettable—none of these songs are destined to become Christmas or musical theater classics. The source material has an irreverent streak, but at its core, it’s still a mushy-hearted holiday movie with a 100% earnest belief in the power of Christmas magic. (The plot, after all, is about an overworked man embracing the true meaning of Christmas, a tried-and-true staple from Dickens to Hallmark.) The updated-for-2021 book, by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin, makes an effort to cut through the sweetness. A sassy Santa (Jason Simon) binge watches Squid Game and complains that PETA shut down his reindeer operation, and a few grownup-directed punchlines poke the boundaries of the PG rating. (It’s still fine for kids.) Still, the stage adaptation, which stretches to 2 ½ hours and adds an extra helping of musical theater cheese, only highlights the original movie’s cliches.
Max Chernin and Antoinette Comer in “Elf The Musical;” Photo courtesy Pioneer Theatre Company
But if you’re at all susceptible to the Christmas magic everyone on stage keeps singing about, none of this will really matter. The formula is a part of the point—you know that Santa’s sleigh will fly at the exact right moment, the tone will be as warm as a mug of hot cocoa and everyone will live happily ever after. It’s easy to be won over by the flexible ensemble, who play both permanently chipper elves and a wide variety of normal New Yorkers, from a robotically friendly Macy’s perfume seller to a chorus of beleaguered mall Santas. Antoinette Comer is winning as Jovie, an unlucky-in-love cynic who begins dating Buddy. The snow-globe inspired set from scenic designer James Kronzer is a lot of fun, as is the peppy choreography by Rommy Snadhu. Director Alan Muraoka strikes the right balance between energetic and overbearing, and the musical’s brisk pace never wears out its welcome.
While all of the cast is strong, the musical really rests on Chernin’s too-tall shoulders. It’s no easy task to play a role so closely associated with one actor—Ferrell’s iconic performance is so central to the original that I don’t envy anyone who tries to make it their own. Luckily, Chernin understands the assignment—he is totally committed, 100% earnest and a great singer and dancer to boot. He leans in, without winking to the audience, to the ridiculousness of the plot, which makes the jokes land harder and the sentimental moments more effective than they have any right to be. You’d have to be a cotton-headed ninny muggins to resist his charm.
Elf The Musical will be at Pioneer Theatre Company through Dec. 18. For tickets and more information, visit their website. Stay on the nice list and wear your mask during the performance.Read moreabout arts in Utah.
“This is a much more difficult decision this year than last.” The editors of Salt Lake, along with Francis Fecteau of Libation SLC, had a lot to discuss while deciding the winner of our 2021 Cocktail Contest. We evaluated how these cocktails engage the senses—the visual presentation, the aroma and, most importantly, the taste. We mused philosophically about what makes a cocktail great and debated our personal preferences. We considered which cocktails were particularly unique, which were well-balanced and which we wanted to order again and again.
Fecteau, who was also on the panel for our 2020 Cocktail Contest, said that this year’s entries represented an exciting leap forward. None of the 12 cocktail creations were exactly alike. They featured unexpected flavor combinations and inventive uses of local spirits. Some took us on a summertime trip to the islands with tiki-inspired drinks, while others evoked the coziness of fall. Plenty gave new life to unconventional ingredients, from beets to parsnips. Bartenders used homemade shrubs, eye-catching garnishes and other personal touches to make these cocktails unmistakably their own. This contest proved how many places there are to get a great cocktail in SLC—and was a testament to the creativity and passion of the bartenders behind these delicious drinks.
It was a close call. All month long, the competition for number one was neck and neck, but ultimately Eli Larson Hays’ rich and smooth concoction garnered the most votes in this close contest. The Alta Pervuian gets its name from the Peruvian Pisco Logia, which is coupled with brandy and balanced by a sweet and nutty orgeat syrup, tart yuzu juice and a dash of chocolate bitters. The toasted sesame seed rim makes for a pretty presentation as well, solidifying this crowd-pleasing cocktail’s status as our readers’ favorite.
As the days get darker and colder, this bright, inviting cocktail provides necessary counterprogramming to a Utah winter. Starring a shrub that balances the sugar rush of pineapple juice with the kick of ancho chiles, bartender Maddy Schmidt’s Dead Man’s Party is pure escapism. Our panel kept returning to the addictive mix of sweet and spicy that made this drink an approachable yet complex favorite. One sign of its greatness: Dead Man’s Party actually gets better as the ice melts. The result is a cocktail that is well-balanced, creative and, most importantly, a lot of fun to drink.
We couldn’t resist sneaking in one more winner. Both judges and readers agreed that Lake Effect’s cocktail Second Iteration is a highlight of this year’s contest. Christopher Stephenson’s creation was less than 300 votes behind the reader’s choice winner, and our panel also appreciated this one-of-a-kind drink. Stephenson, a self-described “booze nerd,” combined two surprising local spirits—Holystone Distilling Bosun’s Navy Strength Gin and Sugar House Distillery Rye—with a manuka honey and marigold tea syrup for a daring, complex and downright delicious cocktail.
Honorable Mentions
There was a lot to love about the entries in this year’s contest. Here are a few more of our favorites that almost took the crown.
This cocktail’s fall spice rim and earl grey syrup highlights classic fall flavors while the combination of Velvet Falernum and lemon juice ties the drink together with a light touch.
This high-concept creation earned our respect for pure chutzpah. Inspired by a cozy fall viewing of a good scary movie—did you catch his The Big Lebowski reference?—Jacob Sanders’ daring flavor combination includes butter, tarragon vinegar and, of course, sarsaparilla. The drink is garnished with a marbled shard of sugar, resembling edible stained glass, that we used to amp up the sweetness.
This easy-to-miss bar tucked behind Curry Up Now should be your next not-so-secret hangout spot. Cozy yet chic, we were more than happy to linger at Mortar & Pestle while sipping Fire and Earth, a surprisingly sweet beet syrup cocktail.
Stoneground Kitchen bartender Joel Aoyagi was a sentimental favorite for naming his drink after our late editor Mary Brown Malouf. The Malouf daringly used a labor-intensive syrup made from roasted parsnips in a nod to Mary’s frequent quip after trying a drink flavored with beet juice: “Beets! Why doesn’t anyone make a drink using parsnips!” Joel Aoyagi answered the challenge with a tasty, drinkable cocktail that succeeds far beyond the concept’s novelty.
That’s a wrap on our 2021 Cocktail Contest. Thank you to Alpha-Lit SLC and The Shop for assisting us with the photoshoot. Thank you to Libation SLC for sponsoring this year’s prizes. Thank you to each of the 12 bars and restaurants for participating in the contest and to the bartenders for sharing their time and talents with us. And thank you, especially, to our readers for coming back to vote again and again and for supporting local food and drink. Cheers!
Check out our 2021 Blue Plate Awards, honoring people making a positive impact in the food and drink community.
