Stuart Melling

Utah

Founder and Writer at Utah Now

Founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic Salt Lake City - Utah's biggest online food magazine. Award winning coverage of Utah's food scene for 15+ years.

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Articles

Grab the calendar - these are the major Utah food and drink events for 2025

5 days ago | gastronomicslc.com | Stuart Melling

Well, it looks like Summer is here. No, I’m not looking at the weather app, indeed more so my beet-reddened legs, incinerated by an accidental snooze in the afternoon sun this weekend. Pass the aloe please and thank you. With that in mind, here’s a look ahead to a range of events with a strong food/drink component at their core this Summer and. Don’t forget the sunscreen.
Cosmica is another jewel in the culinary crown of the Central 9th neighborhood

6 days ago | gastronomicslc.com | Stuart Melling

I first started tracking Cosmica (945 S 300 W) more than a year ago. The news that local restaurateur Ryan Lowder (Copper Onion, Copper Common) was to venture out again, had me more than a little intrigued. For those grey enough, Lowder’s opening of Copper Onion over a decade ago, was largely recognized as a gear shift in the SLC dining scene at the time.
Two new updates on Sugar House’s rapidly evolving Highland Drive

1 week ago | gastronomicslc.com | Stuart Melling

Another week, and another refresh of the central Sugar House food and drink scene. With the exhausting roadworks along Highland Drive quickly becoming a distant memory (ok, let’s just pretend folks) the central Sugar House thoroughfare continues to evolve. To remind you, Sugar House Station opened in March, with Hearth and Hill arriving quickly on their heels just a week or so later (hint: try the laksa).
Restaurants and bars that secured licenses at April DABS meeting

1 week ago | gastronomicslc.com | Stuart Melling

Eleven full year bar licenses were available going into the April meeting, with three applicants on the agenda:High West Distillery, Park CityMono Tape Club, Salt Lake CityApparition, Salt Lake CityBoth High West and Mono Tape left the meeting with a bar license in hand.
Enjoying the stories? Here’s how you can support the website

2 weeks ago | gastronomicslc.com | Stuart Melling

This is your intermittent reminder that the current ad-free experience needs your support to continue for another year. Those persnickety third-party ads vanished in March 2024, and hopefully, you’ve been enjoying the much-improved reading experience ever since. Should you wish to pop a few dollars into the “Oh please god don’t bring those awful ads back” fund – the cost is five dollars per month.
Coconut Curry Laksa - a soulful star at the new Hearth and Hill

2 weeks ago | gastronomicslc.com | Stuart Melling

I trust that since my recent preview of Hearth and Hill in Sugar House (2188 S Highland Drive), you’ve had a chance to pull up a pew. If not, here’s another reminder via way of one particular dish – Coconut Curry Laksa. A quintet of pinpoint-cooked shrimp are joined by a spikily marinated “six-minute egg”, all custardy yolk enscapulated by quivering white. Rice noodles provide the dense heart of the dish, swimming in a complex curry that pulls zero punches.
Upcoming liquor law changes in Utah - with one major change for all bars and restaurants

2 weeks ago | gastronomicslc.com | Stuart Melling

After a relatively busy 2024 update to Utah’s liquor laws, this year’s edition ultimately yielded few major updates. Indeed, a possible relaxation of proximity laws was shot down, the legislature instead preferring to keep licensing control at the state, rather than local, level. Maybe next time eh. So what’s new this year? Let’s jump right into that headline, lest you berate me for burying the lede…Effective January 1st, 2026Expect to hear a lot about this one.
Mother’s Day dining in Utah - where to eat in 2025

2 weeks ago | gastronomicslc.com | Stuart Melling

Mother’s Day falls on Sunday, May 11th this year, and with it, a mammoth amount of buffets and dining specials at restaurants around the state. Below are all of the Mother’s Day dining options we know of in Utah this year. Please note that the information and descriptions below are provided by restaurants directly; prices listed may not include tax, gratuity, or optional drink pairings.
Easter 2025 Dining in Utah - where to eat this year

4 weeks ago | gastronomicslc.com | Stuart Melling

Easter Sunday falls a little later this year namely, April 20th As per usual the date is marked by local restaurants with a wide array of buffets and dining specials. Below are all of the extra special Easter dining options we know of in Utah this year. Please note that the information and descriptions below are provided by restaurants directly; prices listed may not include tax, gratuity or optional drink pairings.
Garage On Beck to close on May 31st after 15+ year journey

1 month ago | gastronomicslc.com | Stuart Melling

After a storied 16-year run, the bell has been rung for last call at the much-loved Garage On Beck. “There are a number of different factors”, explains owner Robert McCarthy, “but ultimately, our lease is coming to an end in the not-too-distant future. Probably, the business wouldn’t be able to continue at that point.