In August 2010, four Rockettes came from Radio City Music Hall to visit Utah. They visited Rio Tinto Stadium, Olympic Park, Park City Mountain Resort and, of course, Temple Square. They will perform in Utah beginning on Black Friday. Michael Brandy |

Salt Lake City visitors’ guide: Suggestions for time off the slopes

For the uninitiated, Salt Lake City has much more to offer besides snow-laden slopes. Here is a suggested itinerary for ski visitors who’d like to do other things during their stay.

By Scott D. Pierce

| The Salt Lake Tribune

First Published Nov 29 2010 11:16 am • Last Updated Mar 18 2011 12:39 am

You’re in town to ski. But you can’t spend every minute on the slopes, right?

There are plenty of other things to do in Salt Lake City even if you’re crunched for time. Salt Lake has more in common with most American cities than you might expect. You’ll find the typical restaurants and retail outlets. But there are a lot of things that are unique about the city — more than just mountains and Mormons.

Here are some suggestions for how to spend your nonskiing time. (All addresses are in Salt Lake City except as indicated.)

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At a glance

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DAY 1

2 p.m. • Wander Salt Lake’s funky neighborhoods. You don’t have to go far from downtown to do it.

9th and 9th , the area surrounding the intersection of 900 East and 900 South, is eclectic. Stop by Cahoots (878 E. 900 South; 801-538-0606) for weird gifts — where else are you going to find a Marie Antoinette action figure? Or sample custom Hawaiian ice cream at Tropical Dreams (928 E. 900 South; tropicaldreamsicecream.com; 801-359-0986). Get a psychic reading or some new-age gifts and books at Dragon Dreams (920 E. 900 South). Children’s Hour Book Store (914 E. 900 South; childrenshourbookstore.com; 801-359-4150) carries books, clothes, jewelry and more. The Tower Theater (876 E. 900 South; saltlakefilmsociety.org; 801-412-1824) shows foreign films, art films and cult classics. Right next door you can grab a cup of coffee and dessert at the Coffee Garden (878 E. 900 South; 801-355-3425). The neighborhood also is home to two local dining favorites: Mazza, which specializes in Middle Eastern fare (912 E. 900 South; mazzacafe.com; 801-484-9259), and Pago, small and casual with gourmet American fare (878 S. 900 East, 801-532-0777).

Up the road and over a bit is the 15th and 15th neighborhood (1500 East and 1500 South), filled with charming homes and several funky businesses. Browse the King’s English Bookshop (1511 S. 1500 East; kingsenglish.com; 801-484-9100), where atmosphere and great books abound. Check out the work of emerging Utah artists at the 15th Street Gallery (1519 S. 1500 East; 15thstreetgallery.com; 801-468-1515). If you’re hungry, nosh at Caputo’s at 15th (1516 S. 1500 East; caputosdeli.com; 801-486-6615), a fun, friendly deli; or stop by the Paris Bistro (dinner only; corner of 1500 South and Emerson; 801-486-5585).

6 p.m. • For dinner, check out Blue Plate Diner (2041 S. 2100 East; myspace.com/blueplatediner; 801-463-1151). It looks like a traditional diner from the 1950s. But, in addition to comfort food and breakfast served all day long, there are a variety of vegetarian dishes. The most expensive item on the menu is $11.99. If you want to go more upscale, try Takashi (18 W. Market St.; 801-519-9595; takashisushi.com), arguably the best (and priciest) sushi in town. Unless you get there early, you’ll probably have to wait for a table.

9 p.m. • Contrary to what you might have heard, there is nightlife in Salt Lake City and you can get a drink in a (relatively) normal fashion. See "Nightlife" below for more drinking information.

The Bayou (645 S. State; 801-961-8400; utahbayou.com) — also known as "beervana" — has some 30 beers on tap and a couple hundred more in bottles, along with pool, live jazz and blues, and food. If you’re in the mood for a movie, try Brewvies Cinema Pub (677 S. 200 West; brewvies.com; 801-355-5500). It’s a second-run movie house/pub — where you can buy food and a drink and take it into the theater to enjoy. If you’re looking for a gay bar, The Trapp (102 S. 600 West; 801-531-8727) caters to a younger crowd, while Try-Angles (251 W. 900 South; 801-364-3203; clubtry-angles.com) fits a somewhat older demographic.

DAY 2

8 a.m. • Breakfast: For something retro, the breakfast buffet at Little America Hotel has good food, but attracts an older crowd. (500 S. Main; 801-596-5700 saltlake.littleamerica.com).

10 a.m.• You can’t come to Utah’s capital and not spend some time at the state’s No. 1 tourist site, Temple Square (center of downtown SLC; visittemplesquare.com). If you allow yourself a couple of hours, you’ll be able to see just about everything — the LDS Temple, the Tabernacle, the visitors’ centers and the grounds — and you can stop by Brigham Young’s old digs, the Beehive House. It’s all free. You can spend a lot more time at the various LDS museums in the area, but that’s up to you. More information under "Architecturally Speaking" below.

Noon• It’s 20 blocks south of downtown, but Pat’s BBQ is a great place to eat lunch. Pork ribs, chicken, brisket and the sides are all amazing and reasonably priced. Closed Sundays (155 W. Commonwealth Ave., South Salt Lake; 801-484-5963; patsbbq.com). Closer to downtown is Vienna Bistro. It’s only open for lunch on weekdays, but offers great sandwiches and the sort of thing you’d expect at a place with Vienna in its name — like wiener and other schnitzels. It’s also open for dinner every night but Sunday. (132 S. Main; 801-322-0334; vbweb.viennabistro.com.)

2 p.m. • It’s been almost nine years since the Winter Olympics came to town, but there are still some gold-medal memories. Make a quick trip to see the 2002 Olympic Cauldron and Hoberman Arch (451 S. 1400 East, adjacent to Rice-Eccles Stadium at the University of Utah), the most visible remaining symbols of Utah’s Winter Olympics. The Olympic flame burned in the caldron during the Games; the arch was the backdrop during medal ceremonies (it’s been relocated from downtown). Go ice skating at the Utah Olympic Oval (5662 S. 4800 West, Kearns — about 15 miles southwest of downtown; 801-968-6825; olyparks.com), site of the speed-skating events. If you’ve got more time and a car, go for a bobsled ride at Utah Olympic Park (3419 Olympic Parkway, Park City; 435-658-4200; olyparks.com). You have to be at least 16, sign a waiver and pay $60 per person. It’s about 30 miles from downtown, on the way to Park City ski resorts. (Opens Dec. 21.)

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