Oct 2, 2015

My love for anything and everything Salt Lake City, UT has been well documented on this little blog.  I’m lucky enough that I get to travel to one of my favorite spots in the US frequently due to work, but last weekend I got to visit for a friend’s wedding (fall time + mountains, meant the most gorgeous wedding of all time) and noticed that I quite literally plan out my visits to the SLC area by what restaurants I have to get to.

Wasatch Brewing 

I’ve been to both the original location in Park City and the new one in east SLC. And you can’t go wrong with either. I happened to try their calamari this past weekend with my dad… and we seriously considered canceling our orders and just getting another plate of their flash fried calamari as our meal instead.

If you are new to the brew pub scene I would suggest starting off with this one since it’s a higher end one that offers more than your typical brew pub food, yet they still have the best of best craft brews.  The Wasatch Polygamy Porter (haha o yes they have quite the sense of humor) is by far my favorite, though their seasonal Pumpkin Pale Ale and Pumpkin stout were close behind.  

Bonus: you are able to purchase and make your own mix and match six pack with their brews, something my dad demanded we participate in.

 

Red Iguana 

Again, this is one I’ve already gushed about on ABP, but it is soooooo dang good. And it’s traditional Mexican food like you have never had before.

Their specialty (and what has gained them thousands of fans) is their traditional mole sauces. They have about eight different kinds and you can always ask to try a sampler plate of all of them to find your favorite. The Red Iguana hosts a dark, rich, chocolate mole to a pumpkin seed and squash based one, to my favorite the medium spiced Poblano mole. The only complaint I can say about the mole dishes is that they absolutely drench your choice of meat in it and frankly, I’m a less is more kind of a person when it comes to sauces. But they are forgiven of course with how dang delicious the sauce is. 

There are couple different spots where you can find the Red Iguana food, but I highly suggest going to the original location – a dive, west of downtown SLC where you can’t show up past five unless you like waiting an hour to get seated. 

Squatter’s

Another brew pub! My dad and often my coworkers are brew pub enthusiasts so I really need to do a round of all the brew pubs I’ve been to in the area. But Squatter’s and Wasatch are the main ones I’ve been to. Squatter’s is another restaurant located in both SLC and PC and my favorite is the one in SLC.  It’s such a fun downtown restaurant, where you walk in and immediately get hit with the welcoming, un-stuffy vibe.

They boast award winning brews and my absolutely favorite would have to be the Imperial Russian stout, though it was not on tap at the time I was last there. A second favorite is the Oatmeal Chocolate stout – told you I like the dark, rich beers.  My dad couldn’t stop raving about the Marzen, which he actually tried when we were at Wasatch in PC.

This brew pub seems to be on the more laid back side of things compared to Wasatch, though Squatter’s is also open for breakfast and they did nothing to disappoint in that area as well.

Caputo’s 

A recent discovery for me and quickly becoming my go to. It’s a traditional Italian deli that hosts so many things I dare someone to say “It’s not really my thing.” Pasta lover? Chocolate addict? Cheese lover? Seafood enthusiast? Dessert person? A little bread crazy? It’s got you covered. You can either choose to have a meal in their seating area or do what I love and scour all the shelves for the best chocolate, cheese, and bread. 

One thing I’m kicking myself for is not trying out their handmade chocolate selection. They have an outstanding selection of prepackaged chocolate, but host a build your own chocolate box with handmade chocolates, something I’m already planning on going back for. 

Vinto 

I was a bit salty to say the least that I didn’t get to head back to Vinto Wood Fired Pizza restaurant this past weekend. I’m a pizza lover since it’s quite literally made up of my favorite things – cheese and bread. Plus, this restaurant boasts many different selections of wines that are affordable and delish.

Vinto’s is designed with a clean, streamlined decor that let’s the gourmet pizza do all the talking. In Park City it is on the most north part of downtown tucked into a corner with such beautiful views around it.

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Hopefully I’m not the only one who plans my travels around my meal times. And if you end up trying any of these or can a test to my picks let me know! 

xo Kelsey