Eight ways to keep it cool in downtown SLC
Aug 02, 2023
We were stunned when Ryan Lowder closed The Daily. It was a favorite coffee shop with a casual sophistication. The space inside the 222 tower is being fully redesigned for Hando Sake, a Japanese restaurant specializing in temaki sushi, or hand rolls. They are also promising a full bar and live music (rad)! We’re getting a September feeling on opening, based on a peek inside.
Speaking of high-end sushi, as first reported here, Aker Restaurant and Lounge has opened in the Boston Building (where Maxwell’s was once located). Imagine swimming in Bahia de Banderas, showering and entering one of the luxury restaurants in Punta Mita. Lush golden hues and light beats nestle you into a calm drift as you sip an exotic cocktail and dine on the freshest fish like maguro with blueberry habanero jam, or miso cod marinated for 24 hours in a three miso blend glazed with hajikami. That’s how it transported us, anyway. This restaurant is going to be the “it” spot. Be an influencer and check it out before all your friends tell you about it. 
Fallan Keyser has closed Good Grammar and will fully convert it into a new concept. They should be open this week. We’re hearing the space will continue operating as a 21+ and be early morning to late night. Start with coffee in the morning, after work drinks and a late night vibe that will be a bit more muted than Good Gramar’s ruckus energy. Perhaps more like the aforementioned Daily’s vibes? The front door has a cryptic passage, “A small group of people with shared interests or tastes, especially one that is exclusive of other people.” Which, of course, is the definition for a clique or coterie… so that’s our bet for the name. 
Yes, we used google to figure that out. What kind of genius idiot do you think we are?
Don’t overthink the name, people! Chinese Bistro has very quietly opened on Regent Street. There was nothing happening in the old FeastBox space for months, and then poof! It is super fast casual and our first taste of the popcorn chicken was very tasty with three dipping sauces.
Vanessa Notini and Erick Pernia, owners of Arempa’s have stealthily opened Earth and Stones Cocktail Bar at 63 Exchange Place, once home to the venerable Heavy Metal Shop. Kolbie Peterson with The Salt Lake Tribune says to expect a Japanese aesthetic with a quieter atmosphere than the bars nearby.
So long Pollo Loco! The short-lived chicken shop in the US Bank Building changed hands and names overnight. Mr. Melling at Gastronomic first reported it is now Mi Buena Vida, a fast casual chain owned by Alan Galeano that we’re excited to try. The menu is a bit more diverse than Pollo Loco with ceviches and Mmm…moles. Right next door, Alan is opening his namesake, Galeano’s Restaurante Italiano. He owns some well-regarded restos in Park City, so big anticipation!
