This year, Utah had six semi-finalists on the 2024 James Beard Foundation List. Ahead of the June finalist announcement, we are spotlighting each of the nominees.
Table X Bread—Outstanding Bakery
Table X Bread is the little sister of Table X (also a former nominee). Located on the ground floor of the well-known restaurant, the bakery has limited hours but is well worth a visit. Born out of pandemic ingenuity, the team at Table X started schlepping their in-house bread for pickup when restaurants were closed. But due to high demand, they opened the shop in the basement and haven’t looked back.
The bakery team includes Nick Tramp, the owner of Table X; Alexa Chandler, the pastry chef; Neil Hopkins, the head baker; and Elyse Smith, the sous chef.
When each loaf of bread takes over 36 hours to make, from fermentation to table, it makes for easier digestion and a nomination for Outstanding Bakery. They sell a few types of bread daily but have special loaves that only show up once a week. From the Table X Sourdough to the SLC loaf, this is the bread you bring as a hostess gift or use to make a late-night butter and jam sandwich.
The descriptions clue you in to just how special their bread is: “Buttermilk + Molasses Rye: This bread is naturally leavened and contains local rye flour. We use our house buttermilk and blackstrap molasses to add depth to the bread’s sourness and increase the sweetness. It is not a sweet bread but rich with complex sourness and nuttiness.” Enough said
Why Go: This is the best bread bakery in town.
Insider’s Tip: Their sourdough freezes beautifully, so you can always save it for later if you can’t make it through a generous loaf.
What to Get: Make a special Wednesday trip to get the Pullman loaf, a classic French white bread. It is the perfect bread for grilled cheese sandwiches or French toast. This bread contains creme fraiche, butter, and yeast. You can also get Milk Bread on Wednesdays.
If You Go: 1457 E. 3350 South, SLC, tablexrestaurant.com
