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Feb 26
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James Beard Semifinalists from Utah. More than ever. *

By Eat & Drink

*Thanks to Stuart Melling for pointing out that I neglected to put Peggi Ince Whiting of Kyoto on this list. After being assured women couldn’t be sushi chefs because “their hands are too warm” Whiting has gone on to make sushi in Salt Lake or Park City for more than 30 years. I apologize for the omission and I applaud Peggi!

Blake Spalding and Jen Castle: Hell’s Backbone Grill, Boulder

Nick Fahs, David Barboza and Mike Blocher, Table X, Salt Lake City

Briar Handly, Handle, Park City, UT (and HSL, Salt Lake City, UT)

Moudi Sbeity and Derek Kitchen, Laziz Kitchen, Salt Lake City

Peggi Ince Whiting, Kyoto, Salt Lake City

All semifinalists for the Best Chef in the Mountain Region (a new category) in the James Beard Awards, the most prestigious honor an American restaurant can attain.

Congratulations to all these chefs (who have all won awards from Salt Lake magazine.)

Now do them and the whole food community a big favor: GO EAT AT THESE RESTAURANTS. Excellence deserves support. And it doesn’t come easy.

Here’s the complete list of semifinalists in the U.S.

Feb 26
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Wild Utah: Wild Goose Chase in Delta

By Adventures

“Whatcha doin this weekend?”

“Looking at geese,” was my answer last weekend, instead of the usual, “Nothing.”

Every year, the same time almost to the day, 20–30,000 snow geese stop at Gunnison Bend reservoir just outside Delta, Utah, for some R&R on their way back from Mexico. They started their journey at their breeding grounds at the very top of North America—the top of Alaska, northern Canada, where the continent starts to break up into little islands and runs into Greenland. And they travel 3,000 miles to Mexico.

In the spring, they do it again, in reverse, taking time to stop at Gunnison Bend Reservoir just west of Delta, Utah. Snow geese population overall numbers in the millions; thousands stop at the reservoir. You see them as a white haze on the water until you focus (bring your binoculars and a folding chair) and at first the sight is not that impressive.

Stick around a few minutes and watch. A Division of Wildlife Resources representative is there with a spotting scope and answers to your questions, and the closer you look, the more fascinating the whole scene becomes and the more geese you realize you’re looking at.

Plus you’ll see some other things.

Mixed in with the (technically) Lesser Snow Geese are Ross’s Geese, smaller but with similar markings, and every here and there is a dark morph of the snow goose.

Every few hours, like a wave at a football game, 10,000 geese or so decide to head for nearby fields to feed—the giant whirring sound of their wings almost drowns out their incessant honking and the goose-watchers let out a unanimous and involuntary “ooooooh” as if they were watching fireworks. Then they take up their V-formation making flying calligraphy in the sky.

I think they call that breathtaking.

Where is Sir David Attenborough? you wonder. He’d love this.

Be sure to mark your calendars for next year’s festival and see what small town Utah looks like—a quilt show, local honey and jam, hand-dyed scarves, face-painting for the kids.

Delta is an easy two-hour drive from Salt Lake City—so you can make the Snow Goose Festival a day trip or a weekend. Go to deltagoosefestival.com or check out the DWR website, wildlife.utah.gov.

 

Feb 25
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CENSUS 2020: People, get your money.

By City Watch

2020 is more than just a presidential election year; it’s the year of the census. Simply put, the census is an attempt to calculate the headcount of every human—citizen or not—in the United States, and federally funded it is collected every ten years. There are very valid reasons why folks wish to avoid being counted or even answer their door when a census worker comes a-knockin, but undercounted areas suffer because of it. Addressing those concerns, it’s important to understand the benefit of this census and gain the resources that come with it.

2010/2020: 10 years ago and now

Minimum Wage:  $7.25 (2010, 2020)

Top 10 Hits: “Tik Tok” Kesha (2010), “Adore You” Harry Styles (2020)

President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law (2010)

Trump was acquitted by the Senate on these two counts of impeachment (2020)

 

The results of the census and money that will then be rationed to that community are huge, like in the trillions of dollars huge. And this is because almost every political and civic decision made is based upon those numbers. 

Much like voting, if you don’t get counted, you don’t count. All federal funds and programs, such as our schools, hospital, roads, the amount of money allocated to these programs are based upon those living there. The census is also a “one and done” because once conducted, that will be the determining number pulled for the next decade.

Who are the hardest to reach? Naturally the children, those in rural communities, immigrants and people of color. Declaring the census as one of her top political priorities, Stacey Abrams, who is a lawyer and former Georgia House Representative shares four points in hopes of educating and empowering those who really need to participate. These points are:

  1. This year, 80% of the census will be conducted online. This may make it more difficult for rural communities because an estimated 20-40% of those do not have internet access.
  2. The fear of citizenship question. The system can be weaponized by discounting non-citizens and artificially inflate the representation of the white non-Hispanic population, which isn’t who we are. She advises to avoid the fear of ICE, answer the census online, and to report a social security number is not a requirement. If you answer the census and someone comes knocking, you can hide under the bed knowing they aren’t from the census bureau.
  3. They’ll be able to find you, no matter. Abrams points out that if you have a cell phone or a light bill, they already know how to track you down. The census isn’t giving the federal government any information they don’t already have.
  4. Be counted, get your money. The results of this census is what will determine how much money will be allocated, from congressional leaders to every level of political power, the numbers from the census is where the juice flows to. 

When does the census take place? April 1, 2020, and we’re not joking. You can also learn more about the process and how-to-do your part here: 2020census.gov

Feb 25
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Ballet West’s “Night of Shining Stars”

By Arts & Culture

At first glance, Ballet West’s lineup for its Feb. 22 variety show, “Night of Shining Stars” appeared to be the usual grab-bag: a classical piece, a contemporary offering, another classical gem followed by something unconventional like a ballroom number.

But a closer look proved this wasn’t a mixed-bill performed by a single dance company trying on different hats. Instead Ballet West played host to its dance contemporaries with a wildly entertaining, genre-hopping program at the Capitol Theatre featuring both dance luminaries and promising young aspirants from around the globe.

Headliners for the event included 2019 Cats film star and Salt Lake native Robbie Fairchild, who revisited a dance number from his Tony-nominated performance in An American in Paris for the enthusiastic, mostly-millennial crowd.

Black Swan film star Sarah Lane of American Ballet Theatre danced with crisp technique in two exquisite classical pieces. Known, among other things, as actress Natalie Portman’s controversial body-double for the 2011 Oscar winning movie, the New York native reprised her Swan Lake role for the program. In the midst of the Oscar buzz, Lane became the poster child for disrespected dancers everywhere when Black Swan’s publicity team claimed the majority of the wide shots were danced by quick-study Portman instead of Lane, a distortion (soon exposed) that implied an extraordinary actress could master elite-level ballet in just over a year. Lane’s guest performance in Salt Lake proved, as she has many times before, that nothing beats the real thing.

Ballet West’s own principal dancer, Rex Tilton, who starred in the 2012 reality TV show Breaking Pointe, soared in a shimmering and haunting duet with partner Sayaka Ohtaka and ballroom royalty Casey Treu and Kayci Treu (BYU alumni) performed a jaw-dropping “Greatest Showman” duet that sent the audience into eruption.

The evening also featured a handful of mind-blowingly talented semi-finalists in the world’s largest amateur ballet competition, Youth America Grand Prix. Two soloists, a trio and two ensembles beat out hundreds for the opportunity to perform at the event and move on to the finals in New York City next month. 

To watch a new generation of dancers hungry to raise the bar is to know with absolute certainty that–despite some Hollywood hoodwinking– it takes a lifetime of dedication to achieve what audiences witness onstage.  Each stunning performance by these semifinalists affirmed anew that the future of dance is in exciting and capable hands–and perfectly pointed feet.

Feb 25
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Folk Singer Josaleigh Pollett Finds Her New Voice

By Arts & Culture, Music

For Salt Lake-based musician Josaleigh Pollett, music has always been a family affair. Her father grew up teaching music lessons in Ogden, and if his student didn’t show up, Josaleigh would receive an impromptu training session. She started with the drums, then moved to the stand-up bass and finally settled on the guitar. “It doesn’t even feel like I have a choice,” Pollet said. “It’s just part of my personality now.”

Of course, Pollett was listening to all kinds of music from an early age. She got Frank Zappa from her dad, Joni Mitchell from her mom and The Beatles and Led Zeppelin from both. Soon, she developed her own taste. “Because I’m a ‘90s baby, I also grew up on Alanis Morissette and Nirvana.”

All of these influences show up in Pollett’s Americana-inflected folk music, which pairs her warm, raspy voice with simple, gorgeous melodies, and her acoustic guitar with occasional flourishes of strings and banjo. Pollett usually writes her lyrics first, and it shows — her songwriting, which tends to tell melancholy stories of love and heartbreak, is the star of the show.

Sceneless in Seattle?

After growing up in Ogden, Pollett moved to Washington to jump-start her music career. Now she’s back in her home state, and she draws inspiration from Salt Lake’s tight-knit music scene. Pollett said it could be hard to find a place in Seattle’s enormous music community, but here, everyone supports everyone.

Now, Pollett is working on her next album No Woman Is the Sea, set to be released in early 2020. The new music is a departure from her previous projects, as this is her first album written with a full band in mind. Working with local musician Jordan Walko, Pollett is opening her intimate music to new genre influences —like indie rock —and instrumentation—like string quartets and synthesizers. Though she cautions her new material will be “really different than a lot of stuff I have out on the internet right now,” she hopes to satisfy old fans and win new converts. “It’s the most ambitious I’ve ever been about my music,” she said.

Listen to Josaleigh Pollett here.
Feb 24
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‘Singing to the Brine Shrimp’ is Weird and Whimsical

By Arts & Culture

Plenty of plays start with a protagonist questioning their place in the world. Some of them express that questioning through song. Only one — unless I’ve missed out on a very specific subgenre — has that song sung by a chorus of brine shrimp puppets.

Singing to the Brine Shrimp

Plan-B Theatre Company

Feb. 13-23, with a preview on Feb. 12

Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.

Tickets and info here.

These surprisingly cute creatures show up periodically in Jennifer Kokai’s new play Singing to the Brine Shrimp as a distinctly Utah chorus of consciousness. Their proclamations are not always helpful — they are just microscopic crustaceans after all —  but for audiences, they provide a useful peek into an artist at a personal and professional crossroads.

Utah mom Allison (Latoya Cameron) thinks she has finally gotten her big break. In a burst of brine shrimp-fueled inspiration, she writes a play that gets accepted for a prestigious workshop in New York. Her trip, however, is hardly a dream come true. Allison is constantly anxious about measuring up to the other playwrights, who are all about a decade younger, with fancy degrees and Brooklyn cool-kid-cred to spare. The actors and director assigned to her script are fifty shades of self-absorbed. And to make matters worse, everyone keeps asking about Utah with a condescension that makes her feel like something between a cult victim and an orphaned alien.  

Besides Allison, all of the other characters, played by actors Lily Hye Soo Dixon, Jay Perry and Emilie Starr, are a mix of puppets and humans. (Singing to the Brine Shrimp is a co-production with Puppets in the City, a local non-profit performing and teaching company.) To the actors’ credit, the puppet and human characters fit together naturally, and each new caricature is crisp, distinct and, most importantly, funny. Just because there are puppets doesn’t mean this show is meant for children — though, thankfully, the show also doesn’t milk cheap humor from puppets saying dirty things just for the hell of it.

Behind-the-scenes-drama may be typical subject matter for playwrights, but Kokai’s writing feels grounded in specific experiences, and this production’s aesthetic choices stand out. The sea-blue scenic design from Madeline Ashton enlivens Plan-B’s small space at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, and the catchy songs by composer Kenneth Plain are a welcome addition. Singing to the Brine Shrimp is just the right kind of quirky, and it’s been too long since I’ve seen something genuinely weird and whimsical onstage. 

This short and mostly sweet Singing to the Brine Shrimp doesn’t crack 90 minutes, and that’s probably the right choice — the play is funniest in the first half, when the novelty is still fresh. Kokai doesn’t reach any grand conclusions, and the ending here is perhaps a notch too low-key. Still, it was nice to see a play that was both inventive and light on its feet — all in all, it felt like a breath of fresh air. Of course, the air in Salt Lake smells like salt water and car exhaust, but as Singing to the Brine Shrimp points out, the New York air is hardly any sweeter.

Read more of our theater coverage here.

Feb 21
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Becoming a Master Baker at The Baking Hive, SLC

By Eat & Drink

Become a macaron master at a baking class with The Baking Hive’s experts. 

We all have our guilty-pleasure, anxiety relief activity. Making music, cross stitch, exercise, gardening, you name it. You know how some people stress-eat? Well I stress-bake. 

Upcoming 2020 Adult Baking Classes:

All classes are $60/person.
Basic Cake Baking and Decorating:

Wednesday, March 4, 5-7 p.m.
Monday, March 30, 5-7 p.m.

Choux Pastry (Eclair/Cream Puff):

Thursday, March 5, 5-7 p.m.

Artisan Bread Class: 

Monday, March 9, 5-7 p.m.

French Macaron Class: 

Friday, March 13, 6-8 p.m.

Spring Palette Painted Cake Class: 

Friday, April 3, 5-7 p.m.

Call The Baking Hive at 801-419-0187 or drop by the shop at 3362 S 2300 E, Salt Lake City to get signed up!

If you know me well, you’ll know all about my baking problem. My husband blames me for any and all post-nuptial weight gain, because I have a tendency to panic bake pastries at 11 p.m., and force them on him as a midnight snack. But, since he loves me anyway, he got me the perfect Valentine’s gift: a class at The Baking Hive!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Baking Hive does a variety of one-day crash courses: eclair baking, cake decorating, and even basics as birthday parties for kids. Each adult class is $60, but it includes all of your materials, ingredients and the use of their bakery space. I got to attend a french macaron class, taught by their expert baker Lexi, and she had all of the secrets ready and waiting to unlock a perfect batch of cookies. baking class the baking hive

Each of us got our own mixer, and our own little baking station. Lexi had measured out all the ingredients for us, to make sure we each got the perfect batter. After introductions, we pretty much dove right in, with Lexi walking us carefully through each step. 

She came around to us each individually, to make sure our meringue mixture’s peaks were forming perfectly- she wasn’t about to allow any of us to have less-than-perfect cookies. Periodically, she’d return to her own mixer, to show us what a master’s batter should look like. box of macarons

Once our cookie shells were in the oven, everyone gathered around the bakery table as Lexi went step by step through the complicated recipe, answered technical questions and gave us bonus tips for new flavors, techniques, colors and more. 

I consider myself pretty brave in the kitchen, and will take on any recipe at least once. But I have to say, I am really glad I had an expert by my side to learn this one. The nuances of the macaron technique (which Lexi had down to a science) were so delicate, I can promise you I would have ended up with mangled lumps on a baking sheet. Not cute, trendy, or appetizing whatsoever! But after The Baking Hive class was finished, we each went home with a beautifully dainty box of delicate cookies to show off to our friends (or force feed our husbands.) 

Learn more about Utah’s restaurant community here! 

 

Feb 21
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Fresh Fish: Nikko’s the new home for Sunny the sushi wizard.

By Eat & Drink

I’ve never been happier to see a man with a sharp knife.

Sunny Tsogbadrakh was famous to fans at Mikado and at Naked Fish for precision sushi. And for being a super-nice guy.

Since the demise of those restaurants, he’s popped up here and there but now he has his own home, Nikko Sushi & Ramen in, wait for it, Kaysville.

When he opened Nikko with partner Ken Ulziibayar, Tsogbadrakh immediately had one of the best Japanese joints in town. Only it’s out of town. Before you start squealing about driving to Kaysville, let me point out that the time it takes is 23 minutes. It takes 43 minutes to drive to Park City. And Nikko’s equals or betters any restaurant up the hill. Take my advice and surrender to Tsogbadrakh—ask for omakase and leave yourself in the chef’s hands. Pick up the May-June issue of Salt Lake magazine for a full review, or just go and eat for yourself.

242 N. 300 West, Kaysville. 801- 513-5596

Feb 20
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Public Input Sought for Wasatch Mountain Transit Solutions

By City Watch

Beleaguered, powder-hungry skiers have been battling traffic up and down the Cottonwood Canyons this winter. Skier volume and vehicle traffic have been steadily increasing with each passing season, and the problems are particularly acute when heavy snowfall—which attracts skiers and snowboarders like moths to a light—necessitates avalanche mitigation work on the canyon roads as it did during the historic avalanche cycle following a storm system earlier this month. Clearly a populous city abutting a mountain range with world-class skiing presents unique transportation requirements, and the Central Wasatch Commission (CWC) is committed to tackling the gridlock with sustainable, effective transportation solutions. Right now, they’re looking for public input to help guide their planning.

The CWC’s goal of a comprehensive Mountain Transit System arose from the conclusions of Mountain Accord, in which federal, state and local jurisdictions along with private entities collaborated to come up with management solutions for the Central Wasatch Mountains the reflected the interests of conservation groups, businesses including all four Cottonwood Canyon Ski Resorts and private citizens. The four primary goals were to protect the environment and natural resources, ensure high quality recreational experiences, strengthen the regional economy and enhance regional transportation. An effective transit solution is key to achieving all these goals, which is why the CWC is pushing to outline the development of transportation initiatives by the end of 2020, including identifying potential funding sources.

For skiers and snowboarders who frequent the Cottonwood Canyons, the impact will be felt with measures that incentivize public transit use and dis-incentivize single-occupancy vehicle access. That likely means more busses and other public transit options in addition to more paid parking like you’ll already find at Solitude Resort. Deliverables CWC hopes will achieve those aims are outlined below, and full details are available here.

  • High-capacity transit in the Little Cottonwood Canyon/Big Cottonwood Canyon/Park City corridor.
  • Transit incentives and automobile disincentives including parking/pricing strategies.
  • Year-round local bus service in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons.
  • Fast transit service from the airport to the Park City area via I-80.
  • Improved transit service on US 40 and I-80 between Quinn’s Junction and Kimball Junction. Improved transit connections in Summit County.
  • High capacity transit connections in the eastern Salt Lake Valley.
  • Safety and access improvements for bicyclists and pedestrians.

The public comment period for this phase of the planning is open until Sunday, March 1. There should be no shortage of suggestions, as everyone seems to have their own priorities and the alleged perfect fix for Wasatch transportation woes, so make sure your voice is heard as well by submitting your comment here, or emailing CWC staff at comments@cwc.utah.gov. The work that goes into the Central Wasatch Commission Mountain Transportation System this year will likely define what the future of what access to the Cottonwood Canyons looks like, so be involved in the process and stay up to date by visiting the CWC website regularly.

Feb 20
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New Draft Rule Reignites Welcoming Schools Debate in Park City

By City Watch

The debate surrounding Welcoming Schools in Park City has reemerged after a State Board of Education committee recommended a new draft of the state rule regarding anti-bullying campaigns in Utah public schools that initially ignited debate. The new draft includes language that safeguards protected classes of people who may be bullied based on race, gender identity or sexual orientation. A previous draft of the rule eschewed specific mentions of and protections for federally protected classes of people.

For those unfamiliar with the Welcoming Schools program, it is a professional development curriculum for teachers at Trailside Elementary School implemented to meet a state requirement to include an anti-bullying campaign. Welcoming Schools focuses specifically on combatting bullying to build schools that are safe and inclusive for LGBTQ students and all people of gender identities. An anonymous group of parents and an attorney representing them from the anti-LGBTQ hate group Pacific Justice Institute, inaccurately and deceptively called the program an “LGBTQ indoctrination program and sex education program” as part of a cease-and-desist letter sent to try to derail the program. The action, which was dubiously presented as free-speech advocacy, led to furor and heated discourse throughout the community.

The revised rule is aimed to increase clarity within its language that will properly help schools gather data on bullying and discrimination. Most were happy to see requirements for the inclusion of anti-bullying protections for people protected by Title IX and the Civil Rights Act as a part of required training. Still, some balked at the potential infringement of free speech rights, including Utah Board of Education member Jennie Earl. Earl put forward an amendment addressing “the rights of a school employee, parent, or student to exercise the right of free speech.” The amendment was modified and ultimately accepted by the committee.

Some in attendance asserted the amendment serves to protect bullies rather bullied students, which I believe is a fair representation of its intent. It should be noted as always, that the First Amendment protects people from persecution and arrest by the government. It does not shield one from community criticism or backlash, nor does it inoculate those who say bigoted things in schools from consequence.

The School Board may approve the new rule in March and implement it as early as May following a public comment period. There is no good-faith or intellectually honest argument against building safer and more inclusive schools to be made. If these issues are important to you, stay up to date with the Utah Board of Education and submit your comments when appropriate.

See all our community coverage here.