ON THE STREET--NOVEMBER
Every few weeks, when we publish an On The Street column, we think, ”Well, that is it. Won’t need to do that for a while.” Yet here we are with a slew of new, exciting F+B concepts in the downtown pipeline.
But first, a moment of silence for the blue cheese and house-made potato chips at Hotel Monaco. Twenty-three years ago you came into our lives and delighted us every time we visited Bambara. Alas, Chef Patrick LeBeau has reinvigorated the menu with some great fall flavors like scallops ala plancia, quinoa, pomegranate, and mint yogurt. We’ll see you soon Chef!
HOT BUNS! Let’s try to keep this professional, Ok? Ryan Lowder opens HOT BUNS! on Edison Street–steamed bao buns sold from a walk-up window. Remember Plum Alley–Ryan’s inventive Asian eatery–named one of the top new restaurants by Bon Appétit? We hope that some of our favs from that menu return, certainly the steamy pork bun and illegally rich juicy pork bellies are shoe-in’s… right Ryan? The sign is up, but look for an early spring opening.
Washington State-based Ascend Hospitality knows their way around steak and sushi, so we’ve got our chopsticks and steak knives ready for a VIP reception for Aqua Terra at City Creek Center. They will continue to pay homage to the Pacific Northwest with the freshest fish and aged steaks.
At The Gateway, Chef Marrone’s highly-anticipated Italian Graffitti had a very successful opening on Friday. The space is gorgeous, modern and Chef has publicly stated he wants to be the best Italian restaurant in Utah. Word is they’re already scouting locations in Vegas.
Lehi-based Wags Cap Foods, owner of 30 restaurants across the country, has HUGE expansion plans for The Gateway’s shuttered Medici space. Electric Fish will be a new sushi/nightclub restaurant, we’re imagining something akin to Vegas’ TAO or Sushisamba. The presser promises a high-end experiential concept unlike anything else in Utah with private poker rooms, card trading, even a candy shop and cryptocurrency ATM.
With two locations on the west side of the valley, The Break Sports Grill plans to open in the Hyatt House, across from Vivint and the new West Quarter. From chicken tenders to poke bowls, this will be a great place for a group that can’t decide how to please everyone.
The Local, the food hall on 400 South at 300 East plans to open early January. We’ve been looking forward to this space for over a year and are eagerly anticipating Chef Akhtar Nawab’s culinary collection of offerings over 7,500 sq ft on the ground floor of the Avia.
We like to break ‘scoops’ and fans-of-the-column know our eternal longing for ice cream, so we were surprised when Rockwell Old Fashioned Ice Cream Co. stealthily opened on Regent Street. Now, as a regular, we can direct you to Salted Caramel, S’Mores, and Snicker Doodle as our favs.
The Bagel Project’s Bagel and Greens didn’t last long enough in the US Bank Building on 200 South and Main Street. It's a beautiful, sun-filled space, so we are glad that another local favorite is about to move it. Señor Pollo, a small fast food chain that specializes in Sinoloan-style chicken–imagine, drink in hand, being on a beach in Mexico and the smell of juicy marinated chicken being laid on a charcoal grill… It is coming soon to downtown Salt Lake.
If you’ve made it this far, here is a teaser to whet your thirst… imagine an authentic tiki lounge with interactive animatronic cartoon figurines. The concept, coming downtown, makes our imagination ping pong between Walt Disney and Hunter S. Thompson. More to come!