Self-proclaimed ‘East Coast food thieves’ have touched down in Salt Lake City, bringing with them delicious debauchery in the form of sandwiches, salads and secrets. The newly-opened Bonnie & Clyde’s specializes in quality lunch fare, baked goods and coffee, all inspired by flavors found in big cities like Chicago, New York and Boston. The light-filled space is filled with thoughtful nods to the roaring 20’s, with exposed brick and luxe seating. And, in the spirit of the era, the cafe comes complete with a sultry speakeasy hidden behind a bookcase.

Owner Greg Castro first tested his idea for an upscale sandwich and salad spot in Park City. No surprise that the concept took off, who can resist a Turkey Pesto and side of cajun fries? But when he found competition from resorts and the seasonal swings to be too much, he decided to turn his eyes to the valley. The timing couldn’t be more perfect, as the newly-built space on 600 South and State was ready for its first tenants. Now, the sizable cafe sports floor-to-ceiling windows, a cute walk-up counter, and plenty of tables for city-slicking professionals and nearby residents to post up with their laptops. 

Focusing their efforts on quality eats and coffee, the menu at Bonnie & Clyde’s is brimming with hot and cold sammies, staple salads and a few breakfast items. I tried the house-favorite Turkey Pesto—house roasted turkey, white cheddar, oven roasted tomatoes and green served on a warm ciabatta bun, and The Clyde—breaded chicken cutlet, balsamic, arugula, balsamic reduction and fresh mozzarella on an Italian hoagie. Both sandwiches were a generous portion and met a nice balance of flavorful and light. I also couldn’t resist the Caesar wrap, which was decidedly my favorite and kept it simple with crisp romaine lettuce, chicken breast, croutons and a delectable caesar dressing. To accompany my sandos I had the Cajun and Parmesan fries, both thick cut and seasoned nicely. Next time I definitely want to take advantage of Bonnie & Clyde’s custom chop salad offerings, which allow you to mix and match your favorite toppings and proteins. And, you can’t pass up the baked goods counter, which offers freshly-baked items like Pain Au Chocolat, ham & cheese croissants and Kouign-Amanns. 

After enjoying our yummy lunch, and chugging a matcha latte with the cutest foam art, I got to chatting with Greg and his girlfriend/cafe designer Madeline about Bonnie & Clyde’s most notable feature—the bookcase. Next to the cafe’s entrance, the brightly-colored installation features a curated collection of vintage books and trinkets sourced from local thrift treasures like Capital City Antique Mall and Utah Book & Magazine. It’s an art feature in itself, but it also hides one of Bonnie & Clyde’s scintillating secrets. Behind the bookcase’s hidden door is a sultry speakeasy, complete with a full bar and posh decor. The space is still under wraps, although Greg hopes to open it in the next month or so. The speakeasy, named Hide & Seek, will open when Bonnie & Clyde’s closes down for the day, and inside will serve an entirely new menu of rotating shared plates like ceviche and tartare. Both intimate and alluring, I can foresee the bar becoming an ideal space for private parties and after-work cocktail hours. 

Bonnie & Clyde’s has a lot of fun stuff in the works, and I’m excited to see what the cafe will bring to Downtown SLC’s ever-changing community. Check their instagram for updates about the speakeasy @bonniexclydes

If You Go…

611 South Main Street, SLC

385-29-8180

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Self-proclaimed ‘East Coast food thieves’ have touched down in Salt Lake City, bringing with them delicious debauchery in the form of sandwiches, salads and secrets. The newly-opened Bonnie & Clyde’s specializes in quality lunch fare, baked goods and coffee, all inspired by flavors found in big cities like Chicago, New York and Boston. The light-filled space is filled with thoughtful nods to the roaring 20’s, with exposed brick and luxe seating. And, in the spirit of the era, the cafe comes complete with a sultry speakeasy hidden behind a bookcase.

Owner Greg Castro first tested his idea for an upscale sandwich and salad spot in Park City. No surprise that the concept took off, who can resist a Turkey Pesto and side of cajun fries? But when he found competition from resorts and the seasonal swings to be too much, he decided to turn his eyes to the valley. The timing couldn’t be more perfect, as the newly-built space on 600 South and State was ready for its first tenants. Now, the sizable cafe sports floor-to-ceiling windows, a cute walk-up counter, and plenty of tables for city-slicking professionals and nearby residents to post up with their laptops. 

Focusing their efforts on quality eats and coffee, the menu at Bonnie & Clyde’s is brimming with hot and cold sammies, staple salads and a few breakfast items. I tried the house-favorite Turkey Pesto—house roasted turkey, white cheddar, oven roasted tomatoes and green served on a warm ciabatta bun, and The Clyde—breaded chicken cutlet, balsamic, arugula, balsamic reduction and fresh mozzarella on an Italian hoagie. Both sandwiches were a generous portion and met a nice balance of flavorful and light. I also couldn’t resist the Caesar wrap, which was decidedly my favorite and kept it simple with crisp romaine lettuce, chicken breast, croutons and a delectable caesar dressing. To accompany my sandos I had the Cajun and Parmesan fries, both thick cut and seasoned nicely. Next time I definitely want to take advantage of Bonnie & Clyde’s custom chop salad offerings, which allow you to mix and match your favorite toppings and proteins. And, you can’t pass up the baked goods counter, which offers freshly-baked items like Pain Au Chocolat, ham & cheese croissants and Kouign-Amanns. 

After enjoying our yummy lunch, and chugging a matcha latte with the cutest foam art, I got to chatting with Greg and his girlfriend/cafe designer Madeline about Bonnie & Clyde’s most notable feature—the bookcase. Next to the cafe’s entrance, the brightly-colored installation features a curated collection of vintage books and trinkets sourced from local thrift treasures like Capital City Antique Mall and Utah Book & Magazine. It’s an art feature in itself, but it also hides one of Bonnie & Clyde’s scintillating secrets. Behind the bookcase’s hidden door is a sultry speakeasy, complete with a full bar and posh decor. The space is still under wraps, although Greg hopes to open it in the next month or so. The speakeasy, named Hide & Seek, will open when Bonnie & Clyde’s closes down for the day, and inside will serve an entirely new menu of rotating shared plates like ceviche and tartare. Both intimate and alluring, I can foresee the bar becoming an ideal space for private parties and after-work cocktail hours. 

Bonnie & Clyde’s has a lot of fun stuff in the works, and I’m excited to see what the cafe will bring to Downtown SLC’s ever-changing community. Check their instagram for updates about the speakeasy @bonniexclydes

If You Go…

611 South Main Street, SLC

385-29-8180

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Famous steakhouse franchise STK recently cut the ribbon on a brand new Utah location, just east of downtown SLC’s Delta Center.

The Atmosphere

STK leaned into Utah culture with its famous ultra-hip club vibe, with this location featuring murals of Arches National Park and other familiar landmarks among the chain’s signature neon lights, abstract architectural details and modern art.

The Menu

The event offered a sneak peek into nearly every section of the STK SLC Menu, beginning with brunch bites and a variety of appetizers showcased on the first floor.

If brunching at STK, expect quality renditions of classic favorites, such as savory steak and eggs, extra-loaded avocado toast with egg, jalapeno and pumpkin seeds, and a chicken and waffles I’d put up against just about anywhere else’s.

This appetizer menu invites diners to think outside the typical steakhouse box, offering tuna tartare tacos and beef carpaccio atop a uniquely seasoned tortilla chip, alongside reimagined favorites, from short rib quesadillas to classic beef sliders. Those looking for classic luxury for special occasions can also find a full raw bar on the menu, ready to satisfy your oyster or ceviche cravings.

Upstairs, a tomahawk carving station made absolutely clear the star of the show: steak itself. Expert butcher chefs cut generous slabs of rare-cooked, off-the-bone ribeye for each guest, then ushered us down the line to garnish with our butter of choice (lobster butter, truffle butter to complement our sides of truffle mashed potatoes, or miso umami butter), melted tableside with a blowtorch.

For non-red-meat carnivores, the carving station also highlighted a lighter-fare dish with the restaurant’s miso-glazed Chilean Sea Bass.

All in all, if you’re after the Vegas nightlife vibes and a diverse steakhouse menu for your next night out with friends, STK is ready to host with a fresh vision for downtown SLC.

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Local culinary vanguard Caputo’s has been providing Utahns with the best flavors from around the world since they opened their flagship market in 1997. But the food nerds just couldn’t come to terms with letting customers leave with precious meats and cheeses in their hands without teaching them a thing or two about where they came from. So, in 2000, they started educating the Beehive State’s jello-totting, soda-lovin’, fry-sauce-frenzied residents on the wonders of the food world. From in-depth chocolate tasting classes, to French cooking courses, to Wine and Whiskey 101 lessons, the acclaimed experts at Caputo’s have curated a unique and accessible avenue for culinary education. 

In an attempt to increase my food IQ, I purchased a virtual Tour of Italy class for myself and my family as a Christmas gift, and I can confidently say I’ve achieved ‘Favorite Child’ status. After receiving our kit, which included 11 hand-picked meats, cheeses, chocolates and olives, we gathered ‘round the kitchen island, joined the zoom meeting, and popped open a bottle of Chianti. The 90-minute class was led by Caputo’s Senior Manager & Director of Education Adrianna Pachelli, and to my surprise was full of both local and international students. The course was a serious test of our self-restraint as Pachelli admonished us to taste one item at a time, but the generous amount of each product ensured we had plenty to snack on while we listened to her extensive and quick-witted explanation. 

Each item took us through different regions of Italy, where we covered cheeses that are at-risk of extinction, chocolate-makers shattering glass ceilings, and the rich traditions of olive-making. Discussing food through a geographic lens is particularly useful in connecting each product with the people that make them. “In essence, we want folks to see that cheeses vary by region, that some areas smoke their cured meats, chocolate is made using unique processes depending on location, and that food is as diverse as people,” says Pachelli. Throughout the class we chimed in on our favorite pairings, mused about our own food traditions and connected with each other over this special shared experience. Pachelli says it best: “For me, the Tour is a celebration of the human experience and what it means to invite people to your table.” 

Four Takeaways

The course was a great introduction to Caputo’s lesser-known products, but it was also an opportunity to reflect on food history and culture. Here’s my four takeaways from our Tour of Italy. 

The Chocolate Industry is (surprise, surprise) Incredibly Misogynistic 

Nibbling on an indulgent dark chocolate bar by gourmet Tuscan chocolate brand Amedei, Pachelli lamented about the founder Cecilia Tessieri’s uphill battle in a male-dominated field. The world’s first female master chocolatier, Cecilia spent decades mastering her craft and eventually entered a bar into the Academy of Chocolate where she initially placed very highly. After questionable reevaluation, and no doubt complaints from her male colleagues, the Academy faulted her bar on an ingredient technicality and the award was taken. Undeterred Cecilia returned to the Academy in 2005 and won the organization’s first ever ‘Golden Bean’ award. Since then, she has gone on to win multiple international awards and Amedei has become one of the industry’s highly regarded bean to bar chocolate companies.  

Eating With Intent Will Help Save Endangered Culinary Traditions 

Industrialization, climate change and hyper capitalization have put thousands of delicious foods at risk of extinction. Case and point: Pecorino Fiore Sardo cheese, a lightly smoked hard cheese made from sheep’s milk in Sardinia. Dating back to the Bronze age, the production of Fiore Sardo has remained unchanged—a labor-intensive process that requires patience and near constant attention by the cheesemaker. As industrial producers have moved in, the artisanal cheese makers have struggled to compete, and the tradition runs the risk of extinction. As we savored this special cheese, Pachelli reminded us of our role as consumers, and how our buying decisions have the ability to rescue endangered traditions. For more information on at-risk foods, visit Slow Food USA which keeps a living catalog of foods facing extinction. 

Chocolate and Whiskey are a Pairing Made in Heaven 

Chocolate and wine? No thank you, I’ve since discovered the best pair for an indulgent confection is whiskey. Both share a lot in common, like their range of flavors and textures, meaning you can mix and match to your heart’s content. Pay attention to the barrel type the whiskey matures in to inform your choice!

If it Tastes Good to You, It’s Right

I always have a tinge of trepidation when taking courses like these, like maybe my palette is not refined enough or I’ll blurt out my favorite cheese and meat pairing only to be met with stunned silence. My anxieties aside, the folks at Caputo’s invite curiosity and experimentation, and never look down their nose at us pedestrian eaters. Some of my favorite moments in the class occurred when Pachelli invited us to grab honey out of our pantry and drizzle it on the cheese, or give in to our inner child and dunk crackers in wine.  Forget hoity-toity etiquette and eat how you want. 

Caputo’s offers a variety of online and in-person classes every month, check their website for the latest schedule. 

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I have always been a communal dinner kinda girlie. At my first-ever grown-up dinner party in my own place, I popped a whole roasted chicken into the center of the table with some pan sauce and a Lebanese garlic dip and let everyone have at it. We started out using utensils and ended by pulling meat off the bird with our fingers. Everyone there still talks about how good it was. We demolished everything. In the spirit of communal dining, this month’s food crush is the full Tasting Platter at Mahider, an authentic Ethiopian restaurant in Salt Lake City. They serve various traditional Ethiopian dishes, both vegan and with meat, “using recipes passed down through the generations.” The Taste of Mahider platter comes with Doro Wot, Siga Wot, Alicha Wot and all the vegan greens, pulses and purees. The giant, brightly colored platter arrives at the table with dolloped portions spaced out for each person, and the earthy spices hit your nose all at once. The bigger the group, the bigger the platter. All together, you’ll get to try 12 dishes, including a light tomato and jalapeno salad and a crumbly fresh cheese. 

Everything is served on top of a spongy, platter-sized flatbread called Injera. Made from teff flour and fermented like sourdough, it is best described as a tart, crepe or dosa-like bread that is smooth on one side with holes dotting the surface from the ferment. Injera takes the place of rice, bread, plate and the delivery method to get food to your mouth. There is no flatware on the table. You’ll scoop up stews, purees and braised meats with torn-off Injera. The bread soaks up everything and makes each bite that much more flavorful. 

Remember that all the preparations that don’t explicitly have meat in them are vegan. You can even get a separate “vegan-only” platter, which makes this my spot for taking mixed-food-preference friends for dinner. The meat eaters will be happy. The vegans will be satisfied. And everyone will walk away full. I also love that you’ll get a sampling of dishes made with red lentils, yellow lentils, split peas, and garbanzo beans on every platter. This is my spot as a wholehearted bean lover and mildly reformed vegetarian. 

I recommend visiting Mahider with a group of four people or more. Start with the Lentil Sambusa, then get some Ethiopian red wine to go with your tasting platter. Eat slowly. Discuss your favorite dishes. Mix and match portions. Laugh at how much fun it is to eat with your hands. End with Buna, the Ethiopian-style black coffee. And enjoy gathering ‘round the communal table. And see if you don’t develop a crush as well

The Secret is in The Spice — Ethiopian Berbere Spice Blend

While talking about Ethiopian food, let’s make a quick note about Berbere, one of the Ethiopian staple spice blends. Much like the euphonious “curry,” which can be a dish, a spice blend, a plant, or a catch-all for food cooked in a spicy gravy, Berbere can mean several things. It can be a spice blend, a type of chile, and a catch-all for a series of herbs or spices that aren’t well-known internationally (yet). Generally speaking, Berbere, the spice mix, is blended with chile peppers, coriander, ginger, garlic and fenugreek. But every family has their own recipe. And I expect the same is the case at Mahider. Ethiopian food is well-spiced with lingering warmth rather than big mouth-searing heat.

Some of my favorite dishes include:

Doro Wot—Fall-off-the-bone chicken legs simmered in a rich and spicy stew with berbere, caramelized onions, garlic and served with Ayib, a fresh cheese similar to ricotta, but more crumbly. The rich cheese cuts the heat from some of the other dishes. Since we are all used to eating chicken legs out of hand, this is a good foray into eating all the other dishes with fingers and Injera. 

Gomen—Chopped collard greens steamed with garlic spices. Believe it or not, this is my favorite dish from the entire platter. The greens are bitter and stewed down until they are soft. I love scooping up some of the collards along with a bite of one of the meat stews to balance out the richness and spice.

Shiro Wot—Roasted chickpeas, pureed and then simmered with garlic, tomatoes, and onion. When it is done cooking, it is more sauce than stew. But what a sauce! 

Siga Wot—Cubed beef with caramelized onions, berbere, and other spices slow simmered into a stew. This is the most dense dish on the platter and is worth eating with the fresh tomato/jalapeno salad that comes with it. 

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