Slow Food® Utah

LOCAL RESTAURANTS & DINING GUIDES

(Listed Alphabetically by Region)

SECTIONS:  Wasatch Front–S.L. County  |  Wasatch Front/Northern  |  Central Utah  |  
Southern Utah  |  Dining Guides (Utah)  |  Dining Guides (National)

Slow Food Utah would like to expand this list of restaurants both within and outside of Salt Lake County. The objective is to list appropriate establishments through–out Utah. We are Slow Food "Utah" after–all. So, if you own or operate a restaurant, or patronize a restaurant, that is not listed here, and you believe that it reflects the values promoted by the Slow Food Movement, we invite you to contact the Slow Food Webmaster so that we can consider adding it to this listing. Thank you for your participation.

Wasatch Front – Greater Salt Lake County Area – Restaurants

• Café Trio, Salt Lake City & Holladay/Cottonwood Heights.

  

  "Café Trio opened its downtown Salt Lake City restaurant in 2003, guided by three ideals: Simple, flavorful food; The best, quality ingredients; and Welcoming hospitality at moderate prices. In July 2005, Café Trio celebrated the opening of a second location in the Cottonwood area with a restaurant that includes expansive group dining space as well patio and intimate dining spaces." (From Trio’s Website.)

  Mikel Trapp is co–owner and executive chef, offers Italian–focused fare from wood–fired ovens at both downtown Trio and Trio Cottonwood. that includes flatbreads and thin–crusted pizzas, pastas, entrees and satisfying salads feature quality ingredients, many purchased from local, predominantly organic farmers.

  "Our wine list mirrors the straightforward approach we have taken with our menu – we offer a hand–picked selection of about 30 wines from around the globe, all modestly priced for your full–enjoyment." (From Trio’s Website.)

  Café Trio serves lunch and dinner daily: Monday – Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m., Friday – Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m., and Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

• Café Trio – Downtown: 680 South 900 East, Salt Lake City. 801.533.8746
• Café Trio – Cottonwood: 6405 South 3000 East, Salt Lake City. 801.733.6600
• Collins Grill, Alta, Utah.

  

  "Full service European mountain café... French Country cuisine featuring organic lamb, duck, rabbit, seafood, hearty soups, fresh salads, crème brûlée and Stuart’s truffle filled chocolate cupcakes. We make whole wheat, millet, sunflower baguettes every morning. Kid friendly menu available also."

  "We feature local and organic food supplies as available. We make all the recipes on site at 9,300 ft. The menu changes daily with a rotation of appetizers, soups, entrees and desserts, ...except, the signature Stuart’s heart of darkness which must be served every day."

  Proprietor Jude Rubadue, a Member of Slow Food Utah, uses as many local products as she can get her hands on, she is committed to supporting local producers as much as is physically possible. (To top it off, the final leg on her supplies transportation journey involves a snow-cat!)

  Located within the Alta Ski Area, mid–mountain Collins Gulch. Upstairs in the Watson Shelter facility, which is located near the Collins Lift angle station.

  Collins Grill is open 7 days/week during the ski-season 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Reservations are recommended between Noon and 2:00, especially on weekends and holidays. Call 801–799–2297 for reservations.

  (2006–2007 Season Sample Menu – Downloadable PDF)

• Em’s Restaurant 271 North Center Street, Salt Lake City, Utah.

  

  Featuring simply elegant food at its’ finest, prepared fresh by hand from only the finest local and organic ingredients. Patio dining is available. Catering services are also offered, see their Web page or call for more information, (801) 596–0566.

  (Located Southwest of the Utah State Capitol.)

• Fresco Italian Café, 1513 South 1500 East, Salt Lake City.

  

  Owner Mikel Trapp and Executive Chef Dave Jones use fresh, seasonal ingredients and believe that what you eat and where it comes from really matters. Integrity, purity and the tenants of Slow Food are key elements in the food and wine selections at Fresco, where they use local organic and sustainably farmed products, including local beef, lamb and cheeses.

  Fresco Italian Café is open for Dinner: Sunday through Thursday 5:00 to 9:00 p.m., and Friday & Saturday 5:00 to 9:30 p.m.

• Les Madeleines Patisserie Cafe 660 South State Street, Salt Lake City, Utah.

  Serving Pastries, Desserts, Ice Cream, Coffees and Teas. "At Les Madeleines we use only the finest ingredients, such as Valrhona Chocolate, to make all of our desserts and pastries from scratch. Even the graham crackers we use for crust are made in house. All of our doughs are worked by hand to give them the most tender texture possible."

  Open: Tuesday–Friday 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

  In lieu of a Web site, here is the CitySearch listing and the Salt Lake Tribune Dining Guide listing.

• Log Haven Restaurant located four miles up Millcreek Canyon (3800 South) in Salt Lake County.

  

  "World Class Cuisine in Utah’s Most Beautiful Mountain Setting." "Log Haven was built in 1920 by a steel baron as an anniversary gift for his wife. In March of 1994, Margo Provost purchased the property and completely refurbished and renovated this cherished historical gathering place."

  (See their Web Page for Menus.)

   

   

   

• Lugano Restaurant at 2300 East and 3364 South, Salt Lake City.

  

  "Home style Northern Italian fare." Dinner offerings include piattini, starters, wood burning oven items and pasta & risotto, desserts, teas and coffees.

  (Menu)

   

   

• Also, try Lugano’s sister restaurant, "Radda Caffé," located immediately behind Lugano. Radda is open for breakfast and lunch, or a friendly chat over a cup of coffee. Also offering a box lunch menu. Radda offers panini, pizzettas, sandwiches, salads and soup, espresso, lattes, coffee & tea, tiramisu, brownies & cookies. All in an Italian café atmosphere.
• Martine Restaurant located at #22 East 100 South, Salt Lake City, Utah.

  Intimate Euro–style dining. Eclectic Mediterranean Menu. Extensive Wine List and Bar. Tapas Menu. Flavors of North Africa, Spain and Provence and new world tapas. Located in an historic brownstone building in downtown Salt Lake City, Martine offers an innovative tapas menu as well as thoughtfully created entrées with a Mediterranean flair. Incredible food combined with an award–winning wine list and ambience.

  "Open for lunch Monday through Friday 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday beginning at 5:00 p.m."

  Phone: 801–363–9328.

  In lieu of a Website, here is a page maintained by the Salt Lake Tourist & Visitors Center providing information on Martine’s.

• Mazza Café located at 1515 South 1500 East in Salt Lake City.

  

  Ali Sabbah’s Mazza Café is a "charming neighborhood café offers a variety of traditional Middle Eastern Dishes, such as Falafel, Shawarma, Kebabs, dips and salads. The expansive menu also includes specialty platters prepared from scratch, using fresh, high quality ingredients. The beer and wine lists include a selection of Middle Eastern imports. Be sure to try one of the desserts for the perfect finish to your meal."

  "Mazza is pleased to announce that we now belong to the Visionary category of the Utah Power [Rocky Mountain Power] Blue Sky program. 100% of our electrical power is purchased through the program, which provides energy blocks generated by pollution–free wind turbines."

  Mazza Café is open Monday through Thursday 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Friday through Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

  Mazza Café offers an extensive menu including appropriate beer and wine selections imported from around the world.

• Metropolitan Restaurant located at 173 West Broadway (300 South) in Salt Lake City.

  

  "Metropolitan features adventurous, seasonally–inspired ‘handcrafted New American cuisine,’ presented with care in a visually gorgeous setting. Metropolitan offers menus that can please the after–work bar crowd, sophisticated diners, pre–theater goers, après–gallery strollers or celebratory parties."

  Open Monday through Saturday at 6:00 p.m. for dinner.

  (See main Web Page for Menus.)

• One World Café is located at #41 South 300 East in Salt Lake City.

  

  One World Café has become a neighborhood favorite. Customers can fill their plates with as much, or as little, as they want and pay what they feel their meal is worth. In place of a cash register, Owner Denise Cerreta has a brown basket where patrons place their money.

  "One World Café has no set menu. This lets the cooks use their creativity to prepare a variety of seasonal soups, salads, entrees, and desserts. The food stuffs are all-organic and the cuisine ranges from vegetarian to meat. The café provides water, coffee and teas but no soft drinks or alcohol.

  One World Café asks guests to pay what they feel the meal warranted. This requires guests use their fairest judgment. Although the kitchen is a non-profit establishment, it still must meet regular business expenses. Guests are asked to consider this when visiting.

  One World Café serves guests from a serving line. Because the food is prepared in the open, it encourages conversation about the food, the concept and the feel of the cafe, which is unlike anything you may have experienced. The motto of owner Denise Cerreta is ‘a hand up, not a hand out,’ meaning, anyone can eat. If a guest finds they don’t have enough money to pay for their meal, they can volunteer to wash dishes, clean or work in the garden. The kitchen also serves ‘Dal and Rice,’ an traditional meal from the Indian subcontinent, absolutely free to all guests. Along with our bread, dal and rice provides a healthy, high-protein meal that truly lets everybody eat.

  About the garden, the cafe also maintains an organic garden and hosts periodic classes on the cultivation of herbs, spices and vegetables. One World Café also provides catering for events. One World Café has a main dining area near the kitchen and five themed, semi-private dining areas both upstairs and downstairs. Guests may also eat at patio areas in front, alongside and behind the restaurant. Total seating capacity is about 50."

  One World Everybody Eats Foundation

  The goal of the "Foundation is to eliminate world hunger through community building. We will do this by endeavoring to eliminate waste in the food industry, serve all organic food that is free of pesticides and antibiotics, support local organic farmers, pay employees a living wage and offer a hand up volunteer training program, rather than a hand out. We believe in strengthening and preserving our communities."

  One World Café is open seven days a week from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and can be reached by calling 801–519–2002.

  –See the article "Café with a Conscience" published in the Salt Lake Tribune, Wednesday, March 8, 2006. (Need Archive Account.)

  –See the article in Utah City Guide.

  –See the article "Very Veggie – Salt Lake Called a Great Town for Vegetarian Restaurants," by Valerie Phillips, published in the Deseret Morning News, May 11, 2005. (Mentions several establishments including One World Café.)

• Pine American Restaurant is located at 4760 South 900 East in Murray, Utah.

  

  Pine serves new American cuisine. All dishes, sauces and desserts are made in–house from scratch. Owner Greg Neville is a member of Slow Food Utah. Amber Billingsley is the pastry chef, and is also a member of Slow Food Utah. The restaurant has been extensively remodeled.

  Pine is open for lunch and dinner daily, with brunch served on Sundays from 11:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.

  Pine Restaurant can be reached by calling 801–288–2211.

  Check the Pine Web site for lunch, dinner and banquet menus.

• Red Iguana Restaurant located at 736 West North Temple in Salt Lake City.

  

  "Home Of Killer Mexican Food. Specializing in South of the Border Flavors coming from all regions of Mexico, from north to south, from burritos to mole sauces. The Red Iguana expresses the Cardenas’ family passion for Mexican cuisine, with their recipes and dishes proudly served as delicious expressions of their cultural background. The Red Iguana restaurant opened its doors in 1985. Ramon and Maria Cardenas originally opened the Casa Grande in 1965 and created unique yet traditional Mexican recipes, now passed on to the Cardenas children who are proudly continuing the family tradition at the Red Iguana."

  (Menu)

• Sage’s Cafe located at 473 East 300 South in Salt Lake City.

  

  "Vegetarian organic." Sage’s Cafe is committed to providing the freshest and healthiest cuisine possible, without compromising. Sage’s produces fresh foods, often prepared moments before they reach your table, without microwaves, fryers, or heat lamps. This technique creates a little more preparation time, the results are well worth it! Sage’s is currently purchasing at least 90% organic. In order to bring you the freshest foods, variations may occur based on nature’s seasonal cycle. The food is free from any preservatives. The only canned foods used are tomatoes and coconut milk. Sea salt is harvested underground in Redmond, Utah. Locally grown produce goods are used when they are available. It is their hope that you will feel as good as they do about supporting high quality, healthy products and healthy communities world–wide." (From Sage’s Web site. See the "Links" on Sage’s Web Site for several vegetarian related links.)

  (Menu)

• Squatters Pub Brewery at 147 West Broadway in Salt Lake City.

  

  "Damn fine beers for 15 years. Menu features eclectic daily specials and traditional pub favorites. Executive Chef Eric Bell’s philosophy is to purchase organic and locally produced products, and support local companies whenever possible."

  Open Mon – Thu 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 Midnight, Fri – 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m., Sat – 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m., Sun – 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 Midnight.

  (Menu)

• Takashi Restaurant 18 West Market Street, Salt Lake City. Sushi Chef Takashi Gibo.

  Open for Lunch: Mon–Fri 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; Open for Dinner: Mon–Thurs 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Fri–Sat 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Phone: 801–519–9595.

  In lieu of a Web site, here is the CitySearch listing.

  Food and Wine Magazine says that "Salt Lake City finally has an outstanding sushi bar." (Brief Review.)

Wasatch Front / Northern – Restaurants

• Mandarin Restaurant Located at 348 East 900 North, Bountiful.

  

  The Mandarin Restaurant has been supporting local Bountiful produce growers for over 20 years. The Allen Bangeter farm supplies Mandarin Restaurant with green beans (200 lbs. a week), zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, tomatoes and bell peppers. We drive to his family home (3 blocks from the restaurant) once a day and pick up fresh vegetables for the evening’s meals. We also support Jeremy East–East Farms when he has a good crop of sugar snap peas (we use 150 lbs. a week) and then several other local farmers provide onions and other locally grown vegetables. During the Fall we buy bushels of apples from Duncan Family Farms (Bountiful) and Tart Cherries from Weber County for our Apple and Tart Cherry Spring Rolls. For years we had whipping cream delivered weekly (6 gallons) from Brown’s Summit Valley Dairy outside of Park City...the best cream for our homemade ice creams. They have recently sold out to Winder Dairy. During the Summer we buy fresh fruit from local Bountiful families (some are our employees) for our homemade sorbets and ice cream.

  The Mandarin Restaurant makes a conscience effort to support our local farmers. We would be foolish to not take advantage of the excellent quality produce being grown within a 5 mile radius of our restaurant."

  Open Monday through Thursday 5:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

  Phone: 801–298–2406 e–mail.

  (Menu — History)

Central Utah – Restaurants

• (Moab, Utah) The Center Café Located at 60 North 100 West (Just 1 block off Main Street), in Moab, Utah.

  

  

  "Serving a globally inspired menu, The Center Café has built a reputation on outstanding service with innovative and classically prepared menu items. We use the freshest locally grown organic produce in season, dry aged beef, and fresh seafood flown in from both coasts and the gulf. Our menu is always changing and evolving to accommodate seasonal foods and the chefs’ inspirations. The Cafe’s chefs and owners, Paul & Zee McCarroll, are Honors Graduates of the Western Culinary Institute. In addition to running The Center Cafe for the past nine years, they’ve taken many opportunities to work with other chefs around the country, continuing their education to ensure they stay at the top of their game."

  (Sample Dinner Menu)

  Google Map

Southern Utah – Restaurants

• (Boulder, Utah) Hell’s Backbone Grill

  

  Located at No. 20 North Highway 12, Boulder, Utah. (Near Hell’s Backbone in Southeast Utah.)

  

  Hell’s Backbone Grill, "Where the food is heavenly," is open mid–March through October.

  Open for Breakfast: 7:00am to 11:30am, and Dinner: 5:30pm to 9:30pm. Lunch: "We have picnics lunches to go. Order them the night before your excursion and they will be ready to pick up the next morning — at breakfast."

  Check out the book "With a Measure of Grace: The Story and Recipes of a Small Town Restaurant" written by Blake Spalding and Jennifer Castle, owners and operators of Hell’s Backbone Grill, and members of Slow Food Utah. Published by Provecho Press, available from the publisher or your local, independently owned and operated, book seller.

  (See also Books & Movies page of this Website.)

  (Menus)

  Call 435–335–7464, or E–mail.  Google Map.

• (St. George, Utah)  Painted–Pony Restaurant

  

  Located at 2 West St. George Blvd., in the Tower Building at Ancestor Square (North side of St. George Blvd. between Main Street and 100 West.), St. George, Utah.

  

  Serving "Contemporary American Cuisine" with "casual elegance."  "Randall Richards and his wife Nicki Pace, are the faces currently behind the Painted Pony. For the full history of the restaurant however, you must step back a few years. Randall’s dedication to quality and his high level of consciousness are apparent in all aspects of the restaurant. He is committed to using fresh organic vegetables and obtains as much as he can from local growers. He believes that seasonal is the way to go because vegetables give the most robust flavor when the time is right. His menu reflects those beliefs. The escolar they serve is line caught and their veal is humanely raised. They even pick their own watercress and keep a small herb garden."

  Open for lunch and dinner, Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sundays 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

  Call 435–634–1700.

  (Menus)  Wine list available.

  Google Map.

Dining Guides and Reviews (Utah):

• ChefMOZ Dining Guide for Utah. Lists many restaurants, by city location, some with reviews.
• Food & Wine Magazine, Travel Section "Why Smart Skiers Are Racing to Utah" (December, 2005). Brief reviews of several restaurants in Salt Lake City metropolitan area, Alta/Snowbird and Park City, Utah.
• Salt Lake City Restaurants – Dining In Utah, "Salt Lake City’s Complete Dining Guide with links to the nicest restaurants in town" listing restaurants by type of cuisine and regional location. Includes links for the Park City area.
• Salt Lake Magazine – Dining Guide offers reviews, in a searchable database, on many (over 180) restaurants along the Wasatch Front (Salt Lake City, Ogden, Provo, Park City, and beyond) including a few in outlying portions of Utah.
• Salt Lake Tribune offers two resources:
• Dining Guide Reviews An "A to Z" listing of dining establishments along the Wasatch Front.
• Utah Dining Guide – Dining Reviews, brought to you by The Salt Lake Tribune.
• Spiritual Guides to Vegetarian Restaurants & Vegan Restaurants, Natural Foods Restaurant, Natural Food Stores and Health Food Stores in Utah. Compiled by John Howley, Spiritual Guides, Gainesville, Florida.
• Vegetarian Voice publisher of the "Wasatch Front Vegetarian Dining Guide," February, 2002. (This guide is now dated, however, it remains an interesting resource, and is available for downloading as a .pdf file.)
• Online Guide to Vegetarian Restaurants Around the World promoting vegetarianism by "promoting vegetarian restaurants around the world."
• Zagat Survey provides consumer based survey results for dining, travel and leisure information.
• Zagat Reviews for restaurants in Utah. (Requires fee–based subscription.)

Dining Guides and Reviews (National):

• SavoryCities™

  "Savory Cities Restaurant Guides are designed to help people make better decisions about where to dine out. Our in–depth restaurant listings feature food and atmosphere information along with hand–aggregated links to critical reviews. Many listings also include a brief video profile which shows the restaurant’s interior and specialty dishes and features an interview with the chef or owner. Visit one of our sites to find out more." (From SavoryCities Website.)

  "Before you go out for dinner, do you like to read reviews about the restaurant or know if the chef sources from local farmers? If so, you’ll find Savory Cities helpful – it’s a new online resource that covers restaurants in New York, San Francisco and Chicago. Savory Cities details menu and atmosphere information along with video clips of the restaurants and interviews with the chef or owner. "Slow Food" is a category for the Savory Cities Guides, featuring restaurants that are listed in the Slow Food Guides to New York, San Francisco and Chicago.

  To watch video clips of some of Slow Food USA’s March of the Chefs participants, click on these links: Blue Hill at Stone Barns (NY), Lula Cafe (Chicago), Chez Panisse (San Francisco) and Mas (NY)." (From Slow Food USA’s The Food Chain member newsletter.)

• See also the Savory Cities Blog, Savory Tidbits featuring "the latest restaurant and video news from Savory New York, Savory San Francisco and Savory Chicago."