Our food writer sees potential in a new brunch spot in SLC’s Maven District

This article is excerpted from the Utah Eats newsletter, compiled by Kolbie Peterson, The Salt Lake Tribune’s food and drink reporter. To get the full newsletter in your inbox every Wednesday, become a subscriber by going to sltrib.com/newsletters.

Hello, Eaters!

A new breakfast/brunch spot popped up in Salt Lake City’s Maven District recently, so I thought I’d check it out and report back to all of you.

It’s called Early Owl, and you should keep in mind that they just had their grand opening last week, so I’m sure they’re still dialing in some things. But I did see some potential in this cute little restaurant.

Located at 155 E. 900 South, Suite 101, Early Owl can be found between Lovebound Library and La Barba Coffee.

Service was prompt and friendly, and the server took our coffee orders right away.

Then we ordered off the extensive menu, which featured foods like omelets, scrambles, salads, fruity French toast, the “Big Boy Brekkie” (bacon, mozzarella cheese and two eggs on top of whole wheat toast), smoothies and several fruit-forward dishes like granola, the “super bowl” and the cinnamon roll fruit salad, which is a cinnamon roll served with fruit salad alongside (you can order it with ice cream on top for an extra $3).

My dining companion ordered the Philly beef sandwich ($15), and I ordered the salmon bagel ($17, pictured at top). To read more about what I ordered, check out the “Dish of the Week” section of this newsletter.

While we sipped our coffee, we enjoyed having the place to ourselves on a Sunday morning. But I’d wager that business will start to pick up for Early Owl, especially in this neighborhood. This seems like a solid spot, one definitely worth checking out.

Live deliciously,

Kolbie

Note to readers: Tessa Arneson, a member of The Tribune’s Board of Directors, is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Maven District.

Food News

• Kimi’s Chop & Oyster House, 4699 S. Highland Drive, Holladay, is hosting live music by Will Baxter on Mondays (July 8 and 15) from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., and Sasha Haydn on Fridays (July 5, 12 and 19) from 6 to 9 p.m. Enjoy views of Mount Olympus while you take in dinner, a blackberry bramble cocktail and music on this Scandinavian-inspired restaurant’s patio.

Openings:

• Tossd, a salad and bowl concept (pictured above) that got its start as a drive-up food truck, is expanding into a second location, this one at 612 S. Pleasant Grove Blvd. in Pleasant Grove. The brick-and-mortar location will be opening on Monday at 11 a.m. with just the drive-thru, then the interior of the restaurant will open to the public a few months later, a spokesperson for Tossd said. Tossd’s menu features such chef-curated items as the new protein bowl, which is filled with grilled chicken, sofrito brown rice, marinated beans, kale, avocado, egg, pickled onion and chimichurri sauce.

• Dunked Cookies, 1453 N. Summer Village Road, Saratoga Springs. According to this sweet shop’s Instagram, Dunked Cookies sells cookies inspired by sneakers, hip-hop and basketball. Dunked Cookies just held its grand opening and ribbon-cutting last weekend, a news release said.

• Chipotle Mexican Grill is now open at 5400 S. Redwood Road in Taylorsville, according to a news release. This location features a Chipotlane, a drive-thru pick-up lane that allows customers to grab their food without leaving their cars.

• Hawaiian-born burger chain Seven Brothers Burgers has opened three new locations in Utah: One in City Creek, at 55 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City (in the former Blue Lemon location); one in Farmington at 1060 Park Lane, Suite #3; and one in Uintah at 6658 S. 2500 East, according to a news release.

Booze (and Drink!) News

• The SunTrapp, a landmark LGBTQ bar in Salt Lake City, reopened last month and has a new owner, new renovations and big plans for new events and activities. Peterson said she would like to bring back karaoke and drag shows, as well as start a queer flea market. I talked with Peterson about her plans for the bar as well its importance to the queer community.

• The historic building that once housed Kimi’s Chop & Oyster House (pictured above) in Sugar House is going to become a “bar hall” called Sugar House Station. Pago and Finca owner Scott Evans, who is spearheading the project, said about 10 local restaurant and bar concepts will fill the inside, and that people will be free to wander the space with a drink in their hand. For now, one craft beer bar called Sugar House Station is operating inside, but more bars and restaurants are to come.

Dish of the Week

My salmon bagel from Early Owl (pictured at top) was served on a warm, toasted plain bagel with soft cream cheese, a generous portion of smoked salmon, sliced pickles, a perfectly poached egg, fresh herbs and sliced radishes.

I did think $17 was a little pricey for a bagel, even one as fully loaded up as this one, but that was my only quibble. (Full disclosure: The day we went was the last day of Early Owl’s grand opening, and they were discounting their food 50%, so technically I paid only $8.50 for my bagel.)

This breakfast bagel sandwich was delicious, however, with all of the different flavors and textures playing off of one another. The presentation was lovely, and that made it taste even lovelier.