seafood – SLCeats: Highlighting the best restaurants in Salt Lake City and Park City

SLC Eatery

There’s something really cool happening in an old stucco’d building at 10th South and Main Street. The building that houses newly-opened SLC Eatery was formerly a rock shop. Apparently you could go in and buy rocks of all shapes and sizes, in varying colors, and from pretty basic to very fancy. Who knew.

The building is situated right between a motel and a used car dealership, in a (what should I call it) unique part of town for a restaurant. The area is slowly filling in with dining and drinking options, such as Proper Burger, Tinwell, and Fisher Brewery, but there is a way to go before this area is thought of as a culinary stronghold in SLC. At the restaurant there isn’t much in the way of parking (just plan to park on the street) and the restaurant’s website isn’t even done yet. Yet this quirky little spot has managed to generate more buzz in the few short weeks it’s been open that just about any other restaurant in my recent memory. And for good reason, because co-chefs and business partners Paul Chamberlain and Logan Crew are putting out some of the most unique, boundary-pushing food that we’ve seen in the city since the going-away of Forage. And did I mention they have a dim sum cart?

Continue reading “SLC Eatery” →

Events

The Yurt at Solitude Mountain Resort

solitude the yurt ext 01 — Image Courtesy Solitude Mountain Resort

Of all of the dining experiences available to residents along the Wasatch Front, dining at The Yurt at Solitude is among the most unique and memorable experiences out there. Let me try to paint a picture for you: upon arrival at Solitude, find your way to the ski rental shop, where you’ll meet your guide and strap on some snowshoes to get ready for your hike up to The Yurt. “Did I dress warm enough?” you wonder quietly to yourself, and perhaps out loud to others. Once the sun goes down in the mountains, things cool off very quickly. Your guides will equip you with a headlamp, and off you go to begin your journey. If you’re not the “hiking type,” don’t worry—if you can walk around a park, you’ll be just fine. No man left behind. Unless you’re going to make me late for dinner. Then all bets are off. It’s a short half mile hike up to the yurt, which is a large tent with origins in Mongolia. Upon arrival, snowshoes are removed, and you enter the yurt, which seats up to 26 guests. A small staff of servers, including one who looks remarkably like Chris Pratt and has similar comedy chops, greets you and helps you find your seat, as well as the appropriate libations. The room is cozy and warm, with help from the cast iron wood-burning stove.

There is no electricity in the yurt. Propane lamps light the room, and everything is cooked on the wood-fired stove. It is cozy. Comfortable. Intimate. Chef Craig Gerome is the chef. I have been a fan of Gerome’s work since his time at the Annex in Sugarhouse (RIP). His balance of flavors is always on point, and his work with seafood is masterful.

gerome2 — Chef Craig Gerome plating a dish of smoked short ribs, potato fondant, charred carrots, and turnip pureé

Our menu consisted of:

Salad: chicory salad with whipped Bellwether Farms ricotta, pine nuts, tarragon, and Pecorino Toscano.

Soup: pacific Bay chowder, diver scallops, and sourdough.

Entreé: smoked beef short rib with potato fondant, charred carrots, and turnips.

Dessert: milk and honey panna cotta with huckleberries and white chocolate crunch.

For those looking to really make an impression–whether it be a first date, corporate dinner, anniversary, or just a special evening–a dinner at The Yurt at Solitude is an experience that won’t soon be forgotten.

“Memorable,” “unique,” and “adventurous” are words that could be used to describe this experience. But I think I’ll just stick with “delicious.”

The Yurt is available Wednesday through Sunday during the winter season. Guests 13 years of age and older are invited. Parties of 1 to 26 are welcome. A four-course dinner, snowshoe guide, tax, and corkage are included in the price, with wine and beer available for purchase.

$140 per person. Find more information here.

gerome 5 — Gerome serving up a Pacific Bay chowder with diver scallops

Milk and honey panna cotta with huckleberry jam and white chocolate crunch

Disclaimer: I was an invited guest on behalf of Gastronomic SLC and SLCeats

Events, New Restaurants, News

News from Park City and Deer Valley

Two new restaurants are making their debut this season in the Park City area, and an impressive new gingerbread display has been erected at the Stein Eriksen Lodge. Read on to find out more.

Hearth and Hill

Hearth and Hill, a 192 seat upscale casual restaurant will open its doors on December 16th. Brooks Kirchheimer, the former manager of Daly’s Pub at Montage Deer Valley and Sundance’s Zoom restaurant, is the proprieter, with Mia Yue (formerly of Firewood and High West) as the GM. Chef de Cuisine is Adam Walker (formerly of Handle and Yuki Yama). The restaurant is located in Kimball Junction and will offer an eclectic selection of food, such as a daily gyoza selection, hamachi crudo, seasonal soups of the day, ramen, burgers, Korean fried chicken, Utah trout, and filet mignon. Sounds intriguing!

The restaurant has a full bar, a large patio, and a 36-seat private dining room. The restaurant will be open year-round for lunch and dinner, and offers takeout.

1153 Center Drive, Newpark Retail Center (between Jupiter Bowl and Best Buy). More information at www.hearth-hill.com

RIME Raw Bar

Matt Harris, chef/owner of Tupelo Park City, is opening RIME Raw Bar, the world’s first ski in/ski out seafood and raw bar. RIME opens December 20th, and will offer an oyster happy hour ($2.50 oysters from 2-3pm). The menu includes ahi tartare, chowder, crudo plates, chopped salad, lobster rolls, French dips, tacos, and more, along with a selection of various beers, sparkling wines, reds, and whites.

With a tagline of “Where Powder Meets Chowder,” it’s already off to a great start in my book.

RIME is located at the top of the Jordanelle gondola, and is open Thursday through Sunday, 11am – 3pm.

Find out more info at their site: https://www.rimerawbar.com/about/

Viking Gingerbread Display at the Stein Eriksen Lodge

The incredible pastry chef team at Stein, led by Executive Pastry Chef Jeremy Garcia and Corporate Chef Zan Holmquist, have done it again, creating a huge Viking ship made out of gingerbread. The ship features a 13-foot candy cane mast, and 8-foot dragon figure, and 9 feet of gingerbread stretching from bow to stern on each side.

The ship features hundreds of pounds of fresh-baked gingerbread, fondant, cookies, and candy.

“Our annual gingerbread display is one of my favorite ways to impress our guests during the holiday season,” said Jeremy Garcia, Executive Pastry Chef at Stein Eriksen Lodge. “The level of creativity and passion for such an enormous display – entirely constructed of pastries – is a testament to our team’s dedication to ensure the holidays spent at Stein Eriksen Lodge are an unforgettable experience.”

The display is located in the Mountain Lodge at Stein Eriksen. For more information, see their website.

New Restaurants, News

Slapfish coming to Utah

Photo courtesy Slapfish

I generally limit my coverage of chains and franchises, but when a good one pops up on my radar, I’m glad to toot their horn.

Slapfish started as a food truck serving fresh, sustainable seafood dishes such as traditional fish tacos and fish and chips to more adventurous items like chowder fries, ceviche, and lobster taquitos. Not gonna lie, looking at their photos is making me wish they were opening a bit closer to downtown, but I think I’ll make the drive. I’m excited to try out their version of the lobster roll.

“With our menu of seasonally rotating, gourmet dishes in a relaxed setting, guests experience the quality of fine dining with the cost and convenience of faster food. Also setting us apart is the fact that we only serve the freshest fish and shellfish sourced from responsible suppliers of seafood.” Chef Andrew Gruel

Slapfish intends to open up to eight locations in Utah. Grand Opening events will happen on March 10th and 11th in their Lehi location.

Slapfish
3360 N Frontage Road
Lehi

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