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Utah Eats: New openings and closings, and the state’s first gay sports bar

We’re asking readers to point us to the best soup, and the best hot chocolate, in Utah.

(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Drag performer Kay Bye performs during the weekly Tailgate Drag Brunch at The Locker Room, a gay sports bar, in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023.

  | Dec. 28, 2023, 1:00 p.m.
| Updated: Dec. 29, 2023, 4:05 p.m.

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

Hello, Eaters!

Christmas is over, and I hope you are all enjoying this liminal week between the big holiday and New Year’s Eve. The rush is over, and now’s the time for nibbling Christmas candy and enjoying the company of friends and family.

Now’s also the time for staying warm, and what better way to do that than sipping something piping hot? I’m working on a roundup of some of the best options for cocoa and soup, and I could use your input. Where are your favorite places to get the tastiest, most warming and fog-up-your-glasses cocoa or soup? Email us at food@sltrib.com and let me know.

Live deliciously,

Kolbie

P.S. Thank you very much for all the suggestions for quiet restaurants! By the way, you’re always welcome to email me at kpeterson@sltrib.com with recommendations for restaurants, lunch spots, bars and more — or just to chat about food. And as always, follow me on Instagram at @kolbie.peterson!

Booze (and Drink!) News

• The Locker Room, located at 1063 E. 2100 South in Sugar House, is Salt Lake City’s first gay sports bar. The owners told me they wanted to create an experience that was for people who don’t necessarily like the “nightclub life,” and they aim to run a comfortable space that’s safe for the LGBTQ community but also welcoming to allies. And with its many events, like the Tailgate Drag Brunch, The Locker Room has something for everyone.

• During its last meeting of 2023, the liquor commission of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services awarded licenses to three bars, including Riata VIP in Ogden, Rusty Nail Saloon in Midvale, and Marquis Park City in Park City. The commission also granted two liquor licenses to restaurants — Bower Lodge in Eden, and the Warehouse MotorClub, a car club in Park City — and revoked the license of a Veterans of Foreign Wars lodge over compliance issues.

Food News

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) A new residential and hospitality center known West Quarter, located at 100 South and 300 West in Salt Lake City, opened on Wednesday. It includes 240 luxury apartments in a tower called The Charles and 272 guest rooms spread over two hotels, Le Meridien and Element, along with several restaurants and soon-to-be opened retail outlets at ground level.

The hotel Le Meridien Salt Lake City Downtown has been awarded Marriott International’s Opening of the Year Award for 2023. This award “recognizes the very best of hotel openings among Marriott properties in North America that bring new brand thinking to life and move Marriott forward,” according to a news release.

If you’re unfamiliar with Le Meridien, this hotel is located at 131 S. 300 West, catty-corner from Delta Center, and offers a couple of options for dining. Its signature restaurant, Adelaide, is a French and New Orleans-inspired brasserie that serves plentiful seafood. On the roof is Van Ryder, which offers cocktails and small plates and gets its name from Jack “The Rambling Kid” Van Ryder, an American cowboy and Western artist.

Openings:

The Mountain Mike’s Pizza chain recently opened its seventh Utah location, in the Academy Village at 4026 W. Real Vista Dr., Herriman. Franchise owners Lydia Faulkner, Katie Hanson and Dave Wilcox are Herriman residents, and first-time owners of a Mountain Mike’s franchise, according to a company news release.

Here is a year-end catch-up of recent restaurant openings:

Closures:

• Two-Bit Street Cafe, located at 126 25th St., Ogden, is closing its doors after 20 years. In a post on Facebook, the owners said they had been “strong-armed out of our lease and our location.” A GoFundMe campaign is underway to secure the resources needed to move to a new spot.

Dish of the Week

(Kolbie Peterson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Caffe Molise's lasagna, photographed Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023, is Utah Eats' Dish of the Week.

My husband and I went out to dinner on Saturday night and decided to visit Caffé Molise (404 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City), since neither of us had been there before. The clean air and twinkling Christmas lights in the trees made for a magical walk up to the front door. For my entree, I ordered the lasagna ($21.95), made with layers of pasta, Italian sausage, seasoned beef, ricotta, Asiago and marinara, and garnished with fresh basil. It’s a bit messy, but the lasagna was delicious, especially the sausage. And the basil was a welcome fresh contrast to all the richness. I cleaned the extra sauce from my plate with a soft roll.