A popular Utah bakery adds a gorgeous dinner menu and table service

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Hello, Eaters! This month, Forty Three Bakery will have been open in its renovated warehouse space at 733 Genesee Ave., just off 900 South in Poplar Grove, for two years.

So, it seems fitting that Forty Three Bakery owner and chef Andrew Corrao would choose this summer to make some big changes at his “urban oasis.” In his words, “we’ve pivoted,” by adding table service and a dinner menu to the bakery’s offerings.

Corrao told me Forty Three Bakery’s weekend brunches had gotten so busy that trying to manage the dining room just with counter service “wasn’t serving us or our customers well.” So, he added table service to the brunch experience at the beginning of June. And, wanting to feature a more complex menu at the bakery, especially one with more savory options, Corrao also added a brand-new dinner menu in July.

He said he aimed to keep the new menu “feeling local, but having deep roots with just my upbringing and cultural background.” With the menu’s focus on artisan pizza and housemade pasta, those “deep roots” lean Italian, he said. The menu also has a strong seafood note, which is influenced by the time he lived in New Zealand. And weaving among everything on the menu is a focus on seasonality, which Corrao has incorporated into his food in the past.

Take the chilled octopus with local peaches ($18, pictured above). This lovely appetizer features octopus that’s been poached over a long period of time, so it’s tender, not rubbery. The octopus is marinated in imported olive oil and citrus, Corrao said, and topped with finely shaved fennel, pickled Utah peaches and a preserved lemon vinaigrette.

The flavors are bright, fruity and complex. Corrao described this dish as “summery and refreshing,” and I agree with him.

To read about another new dish at Forty Three Bakery, scroll down to the “Dish of the Week” section of this newsletter.

And then there’s the new table service. When I visited Forty Three Bakery with my dining companion last week, our server Rosemary was very helpful, friendly, courteous and knowledgeable. It was a new experience having table service at Forty Three, and I enjoyed being able to ask a server questions and order at my leisure.

Don’t get me wrong, though: Forty Three Bakery is still a bakery. There is still a lounge area where you can walk up to the counter, order a pastry and coffee, and then cozy up on a couch with a book. There just also happens to be an option where you can walk in and be seated by a host in a designated dining area.

Here are a couple of things to keep in mind at the new and improved Forty Three Bakery: They don’t do anything off the new menu in the lounge, so if you want to get a mocktail or appetizers, you need to sit in the dining area. You can order baked goods to your table in the dining area; just ask your server, or come up to the counter to see what’s available.

Forty Three Bakery is open Sunday and Monday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Wednesday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and then 5 to 9 p.m. for dinner.

Live deliciously,

Kolbie

Food News

• Three downtown Salt Lake City bars — Whiskey Street, London Belle and White Horse — along with the Mexican restaurant Los Tapatios, were all destroyed in a devastating fire on the 300 Block of Main Street on Monday night. Business owners are vowing to rebuild, and city officials are promising to help. The Downtown Alliance is taking donations for the Main Street Fire Employee Assistance Fund, to provide help to the estimated 200 employees losing their jobs.

• Publik Kitchen, at 931 E. 900 South in Salt Lake City, has expanded its hours beyond brunch and lunch and is now open for dinner on Friday and Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m., according to an Instagram post. The menu features dishes like a char siu farro bowl, tostada, lamb sloppy joe, pork chop and Basque cheesecake.

Openings:

• A new location of Hires Big H is now open in Daybreak, at 11098 S. Grandville Ave. in South Jordan, according to a news release. Hires Big H is known for its burgers, onion rings, fry sauce and root beer floats, served in a retro atmosphere.

• Happy Camper Deli & Bakery is now open inside Trolley Square at 500 South and 700 East in Salt Lake City, according to an Instagram post, near the shopping center’s south entrance that leads to 600 South. Happy Camper started out as a food truck, then established a physical location in Gardner Village before expanding into Trolley Square. It’s known for the “best sandwich you’ll have all day!”, made with fresh meats, cheeses, bread and veggies.

• Urban Sailor Coffee is having a grand opening for its new location in Park City, at 1105 Iron Horse Drive, on Friday at 9 a.m., according to an Instagram post. Urban Sailor — which began as an espresso bar on a motorcycle — is a specialty coffee shop run by Tyler Anderson and several of his sons.

• Bubbakoo’s Burritos — a Mexican-Asian fusion restaurant chain that started in New Jersey — is opening its first location in Utah, at 37 W. University Parkway in Orem, according to a news release. There will be a grand opening on Friday at 10 a.m., and free burritos will be given to the first 50 guests.

Closings:

• Apparition, a rum and cider bar in the Ballpark neighborhood, closed Sunday, according to an Instagram post. Owner Michael Valentine said in the post that he plans to start another business downtown. This follows the closure of Valentine’s first bar, Weathered Waves, in The Gateway shopping center in November.

Booze (and Drink!) News

• Utah cobbler Dax Williamson, the owner of Lucky Sole Shoe Repair at 173 W. Main St. in Lehi, has dreams of adding a speakeasy saloon to his traditional shoe repair shop. Until he can get a liquor license, he’s been getting temporary tavern permits from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services so he can throw events with beer at the shop. The latest permit is in place until Sept. 7, and until then, Lucky Sole will be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., hosting nightly music performances, crafting events and other activities, and pouring beer for 21+ patrons.

• Snowbird’s Oktoberfest kicked off last weekend, and this year, getting to the festival is easier than ever. Snowbird is offering free roundtrip transportation, in partnership with Snow Country Limo, according to an Instagram post. Shuttles will run every Saturday and Sunday, as well as on Labor Day, beginning at noon. Through Aug. 24, the shuttles will run every 80 minutes in each direction. From Aug. 30 through Oct. 12, they’ll run every 40 minutes in each direction. Pickup is at the Park & Ride at 9400 S. Highland Drive in Sandy. Book your seat for free here. Parking is available at entries 1, 2 and 4 for $15. There’s no parking available at entry 3 or below entry 1.

Dish of the Week

I know, I know: “Featuring a dessert with VEGETABLES? Kolbie, have you gone all fancy on us?”

Don’t worry, no, I haven’t, and trust me when I say that the flavors in this cheesecake and accompaniments really work somehow.

Andrew Corrao pairs strawberries and green peas in the Strawberry Fields plated dessert ($11) based on the belief that “what grows together, goes together.” I never would’ve thought that I’d like this combination, but there I was, eating strawberries and peas in the same bite and loving it.

And the presentation? No one asked Corrao to go this hard on creating a beautiful dessert, but he hailed back to his world champion days and just nailed it. It’s whimsical and stunning.