This article is excerpted from the Utah Eats newsletter, compiled by Kolbie Peterson, 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!
You probably noticed that Sean P. Means has been kindly filling in on Utah Eats while I was away on trips to the United Kingdom and central Utah. But I’m excited to be back, and what better way to celebrate than by checking out a brand new restaurant?
Paréa, at 320 E. 900 South in Salt Lake City (across the street from Loki Coffee and Chubby Baker), is the latest project from chefs Manoli and Katrina Katsanevas, the owners of Manoli’s, a Greek restaurant just down the street that focuses on locally sourced small plates.
While Manoli’s is more of a fine-dining restaurant, Manoli Katsanevas told me, Paréa is much more casual: part gyro spot, part market.
The idea for Paréa — which opened earlier this month — stems from when Manoli’s had to close for five months during the pandemic, Katsanevas said. To stay afloat, they did gyro pop-up events, and also sold grab-and-go and take-and-bake items. “It was a huge success,” he said.
After they found the building that would become Paréa — a refurbished vintage house just west of Manoli’s — they thought they should combine the two ventures (gyros and grab-and-go) into one business, Katsanevas said.
(Kolbie Peterson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Various dry goods for sale are shown on the mantle in Parea, a new fast-casual Greek restaurant in Salt Lake City, pictured on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
It’s an effective combination. You can stop by and sit and enjoy a gyro for lunch (read more about my order in the “Dish of the Week” section of this newsletter), like my dining companion and I did on a sunny Saturday, and then afterward visit the refrigerated section and pick out a pan of pastitsio for a delicious Sunday dinner.
Other grab-and-go items include housemade Greek yogurt, carrot tzatziki, creamy feta dressing, pita and more. There are things like spanakopita (spinach and feta pie) and Greek meatballs that you can heat up or finish in the oven at home.
There are also spice blends and other dry goods on top of the long mantel above the fireplace.
With its good food and welcoming atmosphere, Paréa is yet another must-visit local business along 900 South.
Live deliciously,
Kolbie
Food News
• A handful of Utah bars and restaurants got nods from The New York Times recently in a story called “36 Hours in Moab: Things to Do and See.” If you have an autumn Moab getaway in your future, or if you live in the picturesque southern Utah town, here are all those businesses in case you’d like to check them out:
Mas Cafe: Coffee shop at 344 S. 400 East, opened in March.
Birdy’s Finer Diner: Bar and restaurant that oozes mid-century style, at 989 N. Highway 191.
Rooted Vine: Serves wine from around the world and light fare, at 137 N. Main St.
Moonflower Community Cooperative: Utah’s first food co-op; serves breakfast, lunch and grab-and-go deli items at 39 E. 100 North.
98 Center: Serves Vietnamese food like pho and banh mi, along with Philly cheesesteaks, at 98 E. Center St.
Cactus Jacks Moab: Serves classic American breakfast and lunch fare, at 196 S. Main St.
La Michoacana Artisan: Offers paletas (ice pops), ice cream and Mexican-inspired desserts, at 83 E. Center St.
• Van Ryder, the bar on the roof of Le Meridien hotel at 131 S. 300 West in Salt Lake City, has a new barbecue-inspired menu, according to a news release. Overseen by executive chef Jacqueline Siao, the menu includes dishes such as the brisket platter, which includes 18-hour smoked Angus brisket, onion rings and potato salad; and the barbecue shrimp scampi, which comes with blistered tomatoes, sweet peppers and focaccia, the release said.
Openings:
• Slice House by Tony Gemignani is set to open at 1332 Foothill Drive, in Foothill Village, in December, according to a news release. This will be the first Utah location of the celebrity pizza chef’s fast-casual franchise, the release said.
• Halgatteok is a new Korean restaurant in Salt Lake Chinatown at 3390 S. State St., Suite 20, in South Salt Lake. It’s most well known for its tteokbokki, which is a rice cake bar made with glutinous rice flour that’s doused in various sauces.
Closings:
• Mayor Voss, a bar at 228 S. Edison St. in Salt Lake City, reportedly closed a few weeks back. Thanks to Tristan for the tip.
• Taste of Louisiana, a vendor at Woodbine Food Hall at 545 W. 700 South in Salt Lake City, has closed, according to an Instagram post. “We appreciate all the support during our time at Woodbine! Stay tuned for updates as we continue to expand the Taste of Louisiana brand,” the post said.
Booze (and Drink!) News
(Zoe Evanitus) A percentage of the sales for a new kombucha from HK Brewing Collective called Parker Power will be donated to Huntsman Cancer Institute.
• New from Han’s Kombucha and HK Brewing Collective is a kombucha called Parker Power, named for Parker Felton, a girl who has been battling stage 4 kidney cancer since she was 3. According to a news release, Parker Power is a blend of citrus, vanilla and sage flavors, and a percentage of all sales of this special-edition kombucha will go toward child cancer research at Huntsman Cancer Institute. Parker Power is available to purchase at HK Brewing Collective Taproom & Bar, at 370 Aspen Ave in Salt Lake City, along with retailers including Liberty Heights Fresh, Pizza Nono, Central 9th Market, Sugar House Coffee, Beer Bar and more.
Dish of the Week
(Kolbie Peterson | The Salt Lake Tribune) The red lentil falafel gyro at Parea in Salt Lake City, pictured on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
• When I visited Paréa for lunch, I ordered the gyro plate ($19) and chose the red lentil falafel gyro, which came with potato wedges and a side salad. Inside the gyro — which of course was wrapped in a lovely warm pita that’s made daily at Paréa — was the falafel, carrot tzatziki, chopped tomatoes, shaved red onion and crispy potato wedges.
Yes, there are fries in this gyro, which I was unfamiliar with. I was also unfamiliar with a Greek restaurant not serving beef and lamb in their gyros (Paréa offers falafel, pork, and marinated and grilled chicken), but Manoli Katsanevas told me that in Greece, it’s much more traditional to get pork in your gyro. Fries are also a common filling, and Greek yogurt is more common than tzatziki. Apparently, the beef and lamb is a Greek American invention, he said.
The falafel was delicious, though, perfectly crispy and seasoned. And the dill in the gyro was such a refreshing touch. The salad, with its zippy lemon oregano vinaigrette, was bright and flavorful. And the seasoning on the potato wedges was just right.
