The past 10 months have been rough for restaurants. But Utah’s dining scene hasn’t been all doom and gloom. Several entrepreneurs were able to open new eateries amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Here are 10 to celebrate in 2021:
Arlo Restaurant • Chef-owner Milo Carrier opened this contemporary American restaurant at 271 N. Center St. in the Capitol Hill space once occupied by Em’s.
Grid City Beer Works • The pandemic messed with this brewery’s grand opening, but it was able to survive on to-go sales and eventually started sit-down service in July in the old Tile for Less Building at 333 W. 2100 South.
Hunt & Gather • Chef Chet Saign and his wife, Nancy, opened this Torrey restaurant in the former Cafe Diablo space, serving slow-cooked meals of wild game, beef, fish and vegetables. The restaurant is closed for the season but will reopen in the spring.
Carson Kitchen • Chef-owner Cory Harwell opened his third Carson Kitchen — and Utah’s first — next to the AC Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City. The Southern food, with a twist, is inspired by Harwell’s grandmother, who grew up and cooked in Woodstock, Ga.
Greek House • The lamb gyros topped with tzatziki (yogurt) sauce are the stars at the casual eatery, 2654 W. 4700 South, in Taylorsville’s Westwood Village shopping center.
Nohm • This Japanese gastropub in Salt Lake City’s Central 9th neighborhood is a gem, serving chicken katsu, bibimbap, sashimi and noodle dishes.
Nomad Eatery • When chef-owner Justin Soelberg opened Nomad East, he closed his original Nomad Eatery on North Temple, near the Salt Lake City International Airport. A few months later, he made good on his promise not to abandon the west side, opening inside Uinta Brewing Co. at 1722 Fremont Drive. Hamburgers, sandwiches and sides — as well as draft beer — are served every day but Sunday.
Ogden River Brewing • The state’s 35th brewery includes a beer production facility and a 250-seat gastropub for dining. It is located about a block from where Utah’s historic Becker Brewing and Malting Co. was founded in 1890.
Streusel • Savory pastries— like the breakfast roll with cheddar hash browns and a baked egg inside a garlic brioche — are the niche at this Salt Lake City bakery. It is located inside the ComCom Kitchen at 67 W. 1700 South.
Vessel Kitchen • Owners of this healthy, fast-casual eatery defied the pandemic odds and opened a fourth location at 905 E. 900 South, where the old Great Harvest Bread shop once stood.
Restaurant meals delivered
You don’t need to ask which Utah restaurants are struggling during the pandemic. If it is a small, locally owned, “mom and pop” shop, just know it’s in trouble.
But business owners aren’t sitting around waiting for help. They are coming up with innovative ways to survive — like the new weekly meal delivery service called Hive Eats. It was launched last month by some of Salt Lake City’s top restaurateurs.
The menu includes cooked and reheatable meals like pork and shrimp posole from Cucina; smoked beef short ribs from Pago; mac ‘n’ cheese with pulled pork from Publik Kitchen; and chicken musakhan from Mazza Mediterranean.
Order by Sunday for delivery Thursday. Customers can choose two-, three- or four-meal options for $50 to $100 — with a flat $10 delivery fee.
Right now the delivery service includes a handful of restaurants, but in the coming weeks more will be added, said Publik owner Missy Greis, who called Hive Eats “a swivel toward something we all need right now: easy, delicious and convenient comfort food.”
