Month: June 2018

News

Ciao, Chow

I was saddened to hear that the growl of Chow Truck’s engine will no longer be heard roaming the streets of Salt Lake. Chow truck was the very first “non roach coach” food truck to enter the dining scene in Utah. Culinary pioneer SuAnn Chow knocked the socks off of hesitant diners with bold marketing and innovative flavor mashups. Calamari, taro root chips, lemongrass chicken, pineapple ginger tacos, brisket tacos–it was innovative for the Salt Lake restaurant scene and unconscionable to be coming from a food truck.

After a while, SuAnn sold the truck to her main chef, who then ran it for a few more years. Diners’ tastes may have shifted, marketing and social media from the truck became spotty, and you know the rest of the story.

Kudos to SuAnn for being brave and sticking her neck out to bring food trucks to our community. I remember seeing her frequently, hustling non-stop even in the freezing cold. The next time you see her, give her a hug and a hearty thanks.

Events, News

Eat, Drink SLC July 12th

Nibble, nosh, sip and swirl the evening away while listening to live music on Tracy Aviary’s cool, green grounds at Eat Drink SLC 2018 on July 12, from 6:30 to 9:30pm. Festival-goers, aged 21 and over, sample seasonal fare from many of Salt Lake’s leading restaurants and purveyors; sip from a selection of 80 wines from an international assortment of family-owned wineries; taste craft cocktails from small-batch distilleries, including several which are locally owned and operated; and enjoy local beers from award-winning Utah craft brewers. Each of the three distinct festival pods feature its own culinary mix and musical genre, allowing patrons to chart their own course through the evening.

Eat Drink SLC is a response to a new sense of urbanism in Salt Lake. As the valley changes, its tastes are changing with it. The growth of chef-driven and -owned restaurants and rise of craft beverages, urban wineries and distilleries are elevating the city’s palate. “Eat Drink SLC is a delightful way to celebrate our community’s coming of age as a culinary hotspot and raise visibility for the vibrant food and drink scene with both locals and tourists,” according to Tracey Thompson, President of Vine Lore Wine and Spirits, the event’s Presenting Drink Curator. Thompson notes that Eat Drink SLC marries food and drink in a way not found in other Utah events. “Eat Drink fosters an appreciation of the synergy between food and drink,“ says Thompson “not just one or the other but how the marriage of the two.”
Vine Lore Wine and Spirits is joined by an impressive list of award-winning Salt Lake City restaurants and food businesses. Eat Drink SLC is hosted under a nonprofit partnership umbrella consisting of Tracy Aviary and SB Dance. These two organizations represent, respectively, a place and an arts-maker that contribute to the unique character of our community. A third nonprofit – Neighborhood House – represents an organization that empowers underserved youth from Salt Lake’s west side, many of whom are from families involved in the food and beverage industry. Eat Drink SLC’s mission is to honor the entire industry’s food chain including customers, business owners, managers, servers, culinary professionals, purveyors and agricultural workers.

With tickets priced at $90, this summer evening social is an approachable, affable and appetizing night out while supporting three local nonprofits that enhance Salt Lake’s community: Tracy Aviary, Neighborhood House, and SB Dance. Admission includes all food and drink and a complementary signature wine glass. Guests must be 21 years old and over. Please buy tickets early, as the event sells out days in advance.

To purchase tickets, please visit http://eatdrinkslc.com/

Eat Drink SLC
July 12th, 2018 from 6:30-9:30pm at Tracy Aviary

Tickets: $90 (plus a $6 processing fee)

Website and tickets: www.eatdrinkslc.com

new menu, News

Alamexo Cantina: Bye Bye Lunch, Hello Happy Hour Snacks

Alamexo Cantina in the iconic 9th and 9th district will now be open seven days a week and is adding a new “Cantina Happy Hour” menu of $4 Botanas that will be served from 3 until 6 p.m. throughout the restaurant. Each week will feature a rotating selection of small bites available a la carte in addition to the regular dinner menu.  “I’m going to serve some additional treats in the afternoon – things you’d usually find in at a bar in Mexico,” said Matt Lake, owner and executive chef.

New Operating Hours are Monday – Saturday from 3 until 10 p.m. and Sundays from 3 – 9 p.m. with the Cantina Happy Hour menu served daily from 3 – 6 p.m. “It’s a new neighborhood to us, and we listened carefully to our customers since opening,” said Susan Bouldin, operations manager. “Everyone has really embraced the Cantina and our gorgeous patio in the afternoon and evening and that’s clearly the time of day they want to enjoy the restaurant.”

The Cantina Happy Hour Menu, available from 3 – 6 p.m. in addition to the dinner menu (highlights below), will change weekly to take advantage of the freshest ingredients from local farms and ranches. Drink specials will be offered with selections changing weekly. Sample $4 Botanas offerings include:

  • Huarache Plantanos: corn and ripe plantain masa topped with refried black beans, lettuce, cabbage and cashew salsa  
  • Quesadilla con Queso y Hongos: two white corn quesadillas filled with mushrooms, jalapeño & Oaxaca cheese served with salsa verde cruda
  • Jalapeño Rellenos: pickled jalapeño filled with beef barbacoa, topped with queso fresco & crema
  • Taquitos de Pollo: crispy rolled tacos filled with adobo chicken

 

While the Cantina will not open until 3 p.m., Lake and his crew are happy to open for groups mid-day. “It’s actually the perfect answer for us because we can’t accommodate private groups in our downtown location and have a huge call for mid-day lunch meetings and events,” said Bouldin. “We can host any type of private party during the day now and offer a truly private space.”

In keeping with the traditional Mexican values and roots, Alamexo’s culinary teams source only the finest organic and natural produces for their menu. They feature Niman Ranch and Snake River Farms meats, responsible seafood and buy from local farmers in season. All their suppliers are locally owned and operated.

At both Alamexo Mexican Kitchen downtown and Alamexo Cantina in the 9th and 9th district, they offer a wide, hand-curated selection tequilas: blancos, reposados and anejos; as well as an all-new cocktail menu, mezcals, cervezas and licor.

The dinner menu will be served from 3 p.m. until closing. The Para la Masa offerings include popular selections of their classic Guacamole and Guacamole Verde con Carnitas, Queso Fundido, Cantina Nachos or Quesadilla Grande, both of the latter having options to add shredded short rib barbacoa or chicken tinga.

The Platos Principales are served with rice and beans and include the Enchiladas Suizas with roasted pulled chicken in a tomatillo cream sauce; Enchiladas Mole Poblano with pulled chicken adobo with traditional mole poblano; Carnitas con Salsa Verde with tender pork carnitas, the Jaiba y Camarones with lump crab and Gulf shrimp, Hongos y Queso with wild mushrooms and Oaxaca cheese, and the Con Queso y Aguacate with mashed avocado and melted Chihuahua cheese.

Tacos include the Pollo y Adobo with chicken in chipotle adobo, Pescado Mixtos with wild mahi mahi filet and Gulf shrimp, Barbarcoa with tres chile beef barbacoa, Al Pastor de Alamexo with braised and pulled pork, Vegetales with roasted cauliflower and seasonal vegetables and Carne Asada with adobo marinated steak.

A Cantina Salad with Romaine hearts, baby spinach, tomato, avocado and jĭcama can be made into a meal by adding adobo chicken or beef barbacoa. Lados (or sides) include Cantina favorites of Papas y Chile Molido, smashed russet potatoes, Platanos con Crema, fried ripe sweet plantains; Elotes de la Calle, Mexican street corn off the cob with lime aioli, queso fresco and chile molido or Coliflor, roasted cauliflower with chile recado.

Events, News

Stanza Wine Dinner, June 28th

Vosca Chardonnay

Stanza Italian Bistro & Wine Bar’s first wine dinner of the summer features wines from Vosca, Roncúsand Dolfo paired with Chef Jonathan LeBlanc’s four-course Italian tasting menu on Thursday, June 28, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. Cost is just $85 per person (or $55 per person without wine pairings). Reservations are a must and can be made by calling 801-746-4441. Reservations may be made on www.stanzaslc.com, but a notation about the wine dinner needs to be included.

After a refreshing Vosca Chardonnay DOC upon arrival, the pairing of Chef LeBlanc’s menu includes: Dolfo Rose 2016 with Chef’s new Brûléed Melon, Prosciutto and Burrata with frisée salad and Cavalli balsamic; Dolfo Pinot Noir 2012 with Tiger Prawn Risotto Rucolawith heirloom tomato and pecorino; Dolfo Merlot 2013 with a juicy Rack of Lamb with orzo, mint pistachio pesto, cucumber créme fraîche and oven roasted Campari tomato. The dessert course will feature Roncus Rilolla Gialla with pastry chef Amber Billingsley’s Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake with roasted stone fruit, local wildflower honey and candied walnuts.

“While backpacking Europe a couple years ago, I was blown away by the wonderful wines being produced along the border of Italy and Slovenia. Since then, I’ve been lucky enough to form a relationship with some of these winemakers, and to help in making their delicious product available in Utah,” says Hillary Merrill, general manager. “These wines are very dear to my heart, making this an especially exciting dinner for me.”

Stanza is located at 454 East, 300 South in Salt Lake. Reservations can be made by calling 801-746-4441, info@stanzaslc.com or by visiting www.stanzaslc.com.

$85 Five-Course Wine Dinner includes:

Vosca Chardonnay DOC upon arrival 

Course One

Brûléed Melon, Prosciutto and Burrata with frisée salad and Cavalli balsamic

Dolfo Rose 2016

Course Two

Tiger Prawn Risotto Rucola with heirloom tomato and pecorino

Dolfo Pinot Noir 2012

– Cassis Sorbet –

 Course Three

Rack of Lamb with orzo, mint pistachio pesto, cucumber créme fraîche and oven roasted Campari tomato

Dolfo Merlot 2013

Course Four

Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake with roasted stone fruit, local wildflower honey and candied walnuts.

Roncus Rilolla Gialla

Dolfo Merlot.png

News

UPSCALE COCKTAIL BAR & VINYL ROOM TO OPEN AT THE GATEWAY

The Salt Lake craft cocktail game is growing, thanks to La Barba Coffee co-founders Josh Rosenthal and Joe Evans, with the exciting announcement of Seabird Bar and Vinyl Room. Seabird, set to open doors this fall, is part of a rapidly growing number of new and unique tenants at The Gateway.
Seabird will be located next door to La Barba, which began serving customers earlier this month.
“Seabird is exactly the kind of concept we’re excited to bring to downtown,” says Jenny Cushing, Vice President of Leasing at Vestar. “What they can do with coffee is second-to-none, and now, they’re going to bring that same level of quality and uniqueness into the cocktail scene. We’re so excited for it to come to life here at The Gateway.”
Seabird will feature lavish seasonal renditions of  craft cocktails, while music is played from a classic turntable. “We’ve just started construction on a Seabird location in Draper,” says Josh Rosenthal, co-founder of La Barba and Seabird. “Once we signed the deal to come to The Gateway, we knew it would be another perfect location for us.”