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Dec 04
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Meet Gimlet, the Distillery Cat. At Beehive Distillery.

By City Watch, Eat & Drink

Everyone knows Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat, Gus the Theatre Cat and Grizabella the Glamour Cat, but somehow the cast of Cats, the musical, missed out on Gimlet the Distillery Cat.

Especially since we have this quote from T.S. Eliot, the poet who wrote Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, the book that formed the lyrics for the Broadway musical. Eliot himself had a cat named Noilly-Pratt and when he was asked how he wrote some of the verse drama Simon Agonistes, he answered it took three quarters of an hour after church and a bottle of gin. And, a famous quote from the esteemed poet: “There is nothing quite so stimulating as a strong dry Martini cocktail.”

So it’s only poetic correctness that Salt Lake’s own gin distillery, Beehive Distilling Company has a resident cat named Gimlet.

A little tuxedo cat (adopted from Best Friends Animal Society), she’s at home in the distillery, and as cats do, has taken full possession.

She sleeps in a whisky barrel, is unfazed by the noise of the canning machines (Beehive makes its own canned cocktails now) and as co-owner Chris Barlow says, “She owns the joint.”

Gimlet’s domain is in the back; out front is a beautiful bar, serving all kinds of drinks as well as gin, as well as cool noshes. Blessedly, there are no TVs. Instead, you can go to the back of the bar and watch Gimlet.

Beehive Bar is located at 2245 South West Temple and is open from 4 p.m. to close, Monday through Saturday. For more information about Beehive Distilling, click here.

Dec 03
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The Return of Nowhere Man: Spend a night with Everett Ruess and Kate MacLeod.

By Arts & Culture, Music

Everett Ruess, a young artist/wanderer who disappeared into the southern Utah desert wilderness 85 years ago still haunts the imagination of writers, filmmakers, artists and wanderers young and old.

Last August, Ken Sanders, owner of Ken Sanders Rare Books, helped French journalist/musician/filmmaker Emmanuel Tellier premiere Tellier’s film, “Le Disparition d’Everett Ruess” in Escalante, Utah. The opening was followed by screenings in Moab and Salt Lake City.

Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kate MacLeod and Tellier traveled down the Green River this summer (read about it here) with a group of Ruess fans, telling stories, writing and playing music.

Tellier is returning to Utah this weekend and December 8 at 5 pm, he and Kat Eggleston will join Kate MacLeod  in an intimate concert at Ken Sanders’ Rare Books.

Proceeds ($15 suggested) go towards completion of MacLeod’s recording project, an album of Utah-inspired music including a song about Ruess. The price of admission includes a copy of the completed CD.

For tickets, go to kensandersbooks.com

 

Dec 03
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Gift opp! Meet Mr. Jones, cheese guy, and buy a signed book.

By City Watch, Eat & Drink

Steve Jones is one of America’s mouthiest cheesemongers and I mean that in the best way possible. Mouthy is what you want in a cheesemonger. Because besides accurate tasting notes about a particular cheese—obviously crucial—you want the whole story of the cheese: Where it came from, how was it handled and aged and what complements it best.

Jones can tell you all of that. And more. He’s one of Steven Rosenberg’s favorite cheese guys and he’ll be at Rosenberg’s Liberty Heights Fresh store tomorrow at 7 pm, signing his new book about pairing cheese with beer, wine and cider.

And talking about cheese with Rosenberg, no mean monger himself.

A book and a hunk of cheese will make a perfect hostess/holiday gift.

RSVP to emmag@libertyheightsfresh.com

 

Dec 02
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Odyssey Dance Theatre Presents Redux Nutcracker

By Arts & Culture

Odyssey Dance Theatre, for the seventh year in a row, will present Redux Nutcracker December 17 – 23 starting at 7:30 p.m. at Kingsbury Hall on the University of Utah campus. This is an updated version of the beloved holiday classic. Redux means to redo and this is exactly what ODT has done. Darryl Yeager brings this production to life in the present day, with the original Tchaikovsky score re-imagined and arranged in a pop/hip-hop style.

Imagine Clara as the young lady whose imagination is inspired by the technological advances of today and is drawn into her smartphone to a magical world where Drosselmeyer drives a DeLorean, the soldiers are actually robots, and the gangsta mice have a hip-hop swagga.

If you have been to any productions of Odyssey Dance Theatre, then you already know that they are known for adding their own flair to classic productions. They have done this in the past with Thriller, Romeo+Juliet, Giselle and many more. 

If you are looking for a new holiday tradition this year, than this is the one for you. ODT’s Re-Dux Nutcracker will make a great family outing, girls night out, date night, or even a great idea for an office holiday outing. ODT is a wonderful dance company to support. And really- what’s not to like about gangsta mice and a DeLorean?

For more information got to http://odysseydance.com/ for tickets please go to http://tickets.utah.edu/

For more A & E fun, click here.

Dec 02
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Ballet West’s The Nutcracker Celebrates its 75th Anniversary Live

By Arts & Culture

Ballet West and BYUtv Team Up for A History Making Performance – On February 21, 2019 Ballet West announced the national broadcast of the The Nutcracker’s 75th anniversary. This is due to a generous donation from the George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation of $100,000 for the project. 

“Our focus at BYUtv is to cultivate co-viewing experiences for kids and parents to enjoy together,” said Managing Director Michael Dunn. “Every holiday season, The Nutcracker has been just that for generations of families in Utah and around the world, and we’re honored that our network will now be able to share Ballet West’s iconic production with millions of people all across America, right in their own homes.”

BYUtv is a family entertainment television network reaching 50 million households across the country via cable, satellite and streaming.

“I am grateful and honored the Eccles Foundation has once again recognized the worldwide appeal of this magical production, which beautifully showcases Ballet West and highlights the rich legacy of art and culture in Utah,” said Adam Sklute, Ballet West Artistic Director. “From Mr. C’s first American incarnation, The Nutcracker is now a phenomenon, which permeates our culture bringing joy to millions each year and helping to sustain ballet companies across the country.”

Ballet West’s full production will be captured by BYUtv, featuring stunning professional dancers and adorable children performing Mr. C’s choreography, as well as fantastic new sets, costumes and special effects, thanks to the generosity of the Eccles Foundation. “From the moment we approached BYUtv, their team has been ecstatic to tell this intricate, historic and important story,” said Ballet West Executive Director Michael Scolamiero. “I am thrilled to have a broadcast partner who is committed to the arts and recognizes what a beautiful and special production this is and the importance of sharing it with a wider audience.”

Ballet West invites the community to participate in the 75th anniversary celebration. There are a variety of giving levels which may include donor’s names and organizations to be recognized in the BYUtv documentary. For more information, visit: 
balletwest.org/support/75-anniversary-the-nutcracker

You can see America’s First Nutcracker starting December 7th through December 26th. Get tickets now as they sell quickly. Ballet West’s presentation of The Nutcracker is a wonderful holiday tradition and is perfect for all ages.

Go to balletwest.org for tickets.

For more A & E fun, click here.

Dec 02
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New Mornings: Cool brunches in Salt Lake City

By Eat & Drink

I am notorious among my friends for disliking brunch, the meal that most regard as a guaranteed party. After all, brunch is a meal invented with leisure in mind—it’s not one of the basic three-a-day, it’s not supposed to fuel you for working productively and it’s seldom a meal where you conduct business. It’s a meal that presupposes you sleeping in before and not doing too much afterwards. That’s part of the reason I don’t like it—I don’t mind dedicating a whole day to a meal, but brunch is not that meal. (Exception: New Orleans.)

For me, for me…I know most of the world disagrees. Here’s what I don’t like:

The drinks. You know the choices: mimosas or bloody marys. Cheap champagne is the problem with the first and tomato juice is the problem with the second. There’s really no point in putting good sparkling wine under a mask of fruit juice, so what’s the point of a mimosa anyway? And I don’t care how elaborate the garnish is, tomato juice is still tomato juice.So what’s the solution? There are lots of cocktails suitable for morning imbibing but here are a few: an Aperol spritz. A grapefruit margarita. A French 75. A plain old screwdriver.

Also: buffets. Most chefs, if they’re being entirely candid, will tell you that buffets are a less-than-optimum way to serve hot food. Yet in the ’80s, the glory days of brunch, every hotel worth its salt had a mammoth brunch spread with omelet stations, crepe stations, all kinds of egg casseroles (usually made with Saturday night leftovers,) prime rib, ham, chicken, waffles and nine kinds of toppings….all over pinch-pleated and starched white tablecloths. Now, only a few of those Roman-worthy spreads are notable: Grand America and Stein Ericksen. Brunch at these places is still a Very Special Occasion.

But more and more of us who want weekend brunch (sleep late, feel noshy, want to dawdle over something to eat) without all the pomp. And bloating.

So brunch has adapted. Here are some cool brunches in Salt Lake City:

Laziz: The hip Lebanese restaurant famously offers a drag brunch and it is an eyeful on a weekend morning—faaaaabulous in all senses of the word. But even when costumes are not involved, this brunch menu is different: For example, ful is a traditional Lebanese vegan breakfast dish of cooked fava beans flavored with lemon juice and garlic and served with olive oil, chopped parsley and tomatoes. On the sweet side, try the banana-walnut pancakes made with rosewater. Lazizslc.com

Zest: Always vegetarian, Zest serves brunch seven days a week. Their avocado toast comes with guacamole, cashew cream, pico de gallo and hemp hearts; pancakes are made with toasted hazelnuts and chickpeas with basil maple syrup and spirulina whipped cream. Mini biscuits are served with mushroom gravy and zausage. Zestslc.com

The Dayroom: Em’s by night is a different place during the day. Chef Milo Carrier flexes breakfast notions in the kitchen and presents a very California-tinged menu: eggs with kimchi and gochujang, the Korean chili paste that’s replacing sriracha in the hot and hip category, pumpkin pie French toast, yes those spices again in the anglaise but with bay ice cream and brown butter? And, you can order gummi bears on the side. Dayroomandems.com

SLCEatery: Chefs Logen Crew and Paul Chamberlain share different ideas about morning food. One of the best is their idea of a mimosa: The “Mimosa Intorno” could be translated as “Mimosas all round,” meaning a bottle of Adami Prosecco with your choice of orange, pineapple or grapefruit juice. The House Bloody Mary is made with charred tomato and harissa and a meal’s worth of garnishes. Or you could opt for chai spiked with rye whiskey. Food, including a breakfast sammy made on griddled masa bread, is just as inventive. Slceatery.com

Tupelo: IMHO the best breakfasts are Southern like Chef Matt Harris and in concept they’re as retro as those initials. Biscuits, fried chicken, andouille, grits and benedict are all on Tupelo’s brunch menu and then they throw some Yankee curves like Maine mussels. Good idea. Tupeloparkcity.com

Nov 29
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Post Holiday Detox? Consider a body contour wrap.

By Lifestyle

Of late, our office has been nothing but treat-infested. Starting with the SLmag Philly cheesesteak competition (results here), followed by the holiday onslaught of glutton-giving treats that you can’t resist, such as Icelandic chocolate (yes, Caputo’s you’re deliciously evil), caramel-coated popcorn, and most recently, ranking our locally-baked favorite pumpkin pies. Holy mackerel, my jeans are feeling tight and the mother-of-all holiday months, December is still in front of us.

It’s not just the gaining weight thing (although very valid), it’s feeling bloated and sluggish, and wanting to sleep and never wake up. For detoxing or ridding the body of the blahs, there is a list of remedies one could try, like, sipping on a cup of water with lemon juice, or a dilution of apple cider vinegar. How about a nice glass of organic green juice or steeping a teabag of milk thistle? All good things to consider.

“Wrapping” vs. “Rapping”

We love a good homophone, don’t you? If you’re brave enough to try a detox wrap, you may wish to rap a rhyme at a local open mic, like this one at Wise Guys Comedy Club.

While we were writing an article about the Soulstice Day Spa, owner Nicki Luck mentioned a favorite service, their M’Lis Body Contour Wraps, “created from a wellness brand in Utah, beyond the weight loss and detoxifying benefits of the M’Lis full-body contouring wrap, the skin looks so much better and tighter after a session—“It’s an incredible pick-me-up.” While you’re all wrapped tight, she suggests to bring along some headphones, take a nap, or add a rejuvenating spa-facial to go along with it.

They offered a full-body wrap session and, feeling a tad sluggish of late, I said, “Why yes, thank you.” Visiting their Fort Union location, Clarissa, who is also a massage therapist, fully explained the procedure prior to wrapping me up. A pre-measurement was followed by preliminary papaya body exfoliation. The M’Lis body contour wrap is a proprietary blend of niacin (a common form of vitamin B3 used for detoxing) and cinnamon. Once applied the active ingredients slowly absorb into the skin, feeling tingly and warm, and it turned my skin bright red but didn’t hurt like a sunburn. Then using a more industrial type of cellophane, she wrapped sections of my body like a mummy, legs, midsection and arms. For 40 minutes I laid on a spa bed, under a warm blanket, and while bundled, Clarissa kept me company by giving me a wonderfully relaxing foot massage.

Once cut out from my body contouring wrappings, I felt great, somewhat revitalized and— even more exciting—my post measurements showed results. My waist and abs post-wrap were a full half-inch smaller (oh heck yeah!). And for the value, the cost of the body contour wrap at Soulstice Day Spa is about the same as the average body spa treatment or massage—and, that’s a wrap.

To read more of our health and wellness posts, go here.

 

Nov 25
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Holiday Recipes: Pecan Tassies

By Eat & Drink

Ingredients:

3 oz. softened cream cheese

1 stick of butter

1 cup flour

2 pinches of salt

1 egg

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup broken pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Beat together cream cheese with butter, flour and a pinch of salt. Wrap dough and refrigerate until firm—several hours or the day before. Mix together egg, brown sugar, vanilla, a dash of salt and broken pecans. Line small muffin tins with dough, pinching and molding it like Play-doh to make a tart shell. Fill each shell with a spoonful of pecan filling. Bake until filling is puffed and crust is golden. Makes two dozen.

For more foodie fun, click here.

Nov 25
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The eyes have it: Get yours at Ero Edge

By Lifestyle

I was in 7th grade in 1966 and not ashamed to admit it. (So there, OK Boomers.) And I was allowed to wear makeup for the first time against the better judgment of my mother.

And woe to her, the big models then were Jean Shrimpton and…Twiggy. Because of “the Shrimp” my lips were coated with Yardley’s Frosted Slicker, basically shiny white lipstick.

And because of Twiggy, I wore fake eyelashes to school every day. Upper and lower.

It’s hard to believe now and it was a phase that gave way quickly to a more Woodstock-esque, all natural look (long stringy hair, wire-rimmed glasses, hairy legs) but the truth is I still crave long, baby-horse eyelashes. My own are not.

So when Ero Edge offered the magazine a free “lash lift and tint,” I raised my hand.

Then I read about it and oh, the horror.

Lash lifting is a procedure that basically “perms” your eyelashes so they curl up and I read several scary stories about the perm solution almost blinding people, etc., etc. Yet I also read the procedure is FDA-approved. And I don’t scare easy. And you can’t trust the internet, right?

So last week I spent an hour and a half at Ero Edge getting my lashes lifted and tinted.

There was nothing scary about it. My eyes were protected by silicon shields, the operator was calm and professional and I was able to keep my eyes closed the whole time—a total luxury for someone who spends 16 hours a day staring into a screen.

Results were: Better lashes. Darker and more discernible. Not floppy-long like Twiggy’s, but after all, what looked good on a Baby Boomer then wouldn’t look good on a Baby Boomer now.