This article is excerpted from the Utah Eats newsletter. To get the full newsletter every Wednesday, subscribe at sltrib.com/utah-eats.

Hello, Eaters! Van Ryder, a modern Western-themed rooftop bar at 131 S. 300 West, is its own destination even if you aren’t staying at Le Meridien hotel downstairs.

Daniel Horn, Van Ryder’s new executive chef and the regional culinary director for Azul Hospitality (pictured below), is bringing playfulness and flavor to a new menu at the 21+ Van Ryder, giving an update to a bar that’s been open since 2023.

I recently visited Van Ryder for dinner and had a great chat with Horn, who said he’s created a shareable “convivial bar menu.”

The origin story: Horn has been at Van Ryder since the end of 2025. He got a lot of his food education by helping his blind Italian grandmother cook after school, but he also went to culinary school in California, his home state. Most of his chef experience comes from working at high-end resorts and luxury hotels, including two stints at Amangiri in southern Utah. He said he will keep tweaking a dish over time until it’s exactly what he wants.

Van Ryder is named for Jack “The Rambling Kid” Van Ryder, who was an American cowboy and artist known for his pastel-colored paintings of the Western sky, according to the bar.

The vibe: If a saloon were viewed through a dreamy Instagram filter, you’d get Van Ryder. Simultaneously tough and soft (literally, there are faux fur couches), Van Ryder is all wood, leather and gentle lighting combined with touches of blue and gold. The patio is heated, so when the weather cools down and the sun isn’t setting so late, I’d imagine it would be a lovely place to cozy up and watch the sunset that inspired Jack Van Ryder. My only quibble was the music — no Orville Peck or any other country?

The menu: Horn said Van Ryder’s menu used to be entree-heavy, but when groups would come in, there wouldn’t be enough room for everyone’s plates and utensils. So instead, Horn said he went “back to basics” and made a menu that people could share. Divided into “trail starters” (appetizers) and “provisions for the long ride” (larger dishes), the menu is influenced mainly by the Southwest. To read about my order, scroll down to “Meal of the Week.”

The hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 5 p.m.-midnight. Kitchen closes at 11 p.m. Last call at 11:30 p.m.

Live deliciously,

Kolbie

Food News

• The first Chef’s Table Festival is happening through Sunday in Park City, and will comprise an entire weekend of lunches and dinners prepared in collaboration by national and local chefs. For the full lineup, and to purchase tickets, visit festival.chefstable.com.

• Level Crossing Brewing Co. is hosting its first Lowcountry shrimp boil, featuring The Oyster Guy, who will be shucking raw and char-grilled East Coast oysters on Saturday starting at 5 p.m., according to an Instagram post. Tickets are $50 per person, and include a Lowcountry shrimp boil with corn, potatoes and sausage, plus three char-grilled oysters finished in hot butter. Oysters will be available a la carte throughout the evening for ticket holders and walk-in guests, and there will be plenty of live music and cold Level Crossing beer to pair with all the food.

Openings:

• Silverside Deli is opening a new location in downtown Salt Lake City at 270 S. Main St., where Italian Olive was for a minute. The sign is up, but the deli isn’t quite open, so follow Silverside Deli on Instagram (@silversideut) for updates. In other Silverside Deli news, the owners are moving their Sugar House location from 2121 S. McClelland St., Suite 108, around the corner to 2122 S. Highland Drive, according to posts on Instagram, and seeking a liquor license.

• Utah bakery chain Bonrue Bakery has moved from its previous location near Zion National Park into a bigger space down the road, at 828 Zion Park Blvd. in Springdale, according to a news release. The bakery has seating for 40 people, as well as pastries, breakfast items, sandwiches and coffee. In other Bonrue news, the bakery is opening locations in Orem and Provo this summer.

• In national chain news, there is a new Little Caesars at 5639 W. 7800 South in West Jordan, and a new Panda Express at 4180 Pony Express Parkway in Eagle Mountain, according to news releases.

Closings:

• Big Don’s Pizza, at 170 W. 100 North in Price, is closing, according to an Instagram post. “This decision was not made lightly or easily,” the post said. “We are so grateful for our community and the 15 years of support we have received.” Big Don’s pizza bus in Moab will remain open, the post said.

• Has a restaurant opened or closed in your neighborhood? Let us know at food@sltrib.com.

Booze (and Drink!) News

• On Thursday, Aug. 20, starting at 5 p.m., Felt Bar & Eatery, at 341 S. Main St. in Salt Lake City, is hosting the first gathering of the Salt Lake Yacht Club, which will feature “tiny martinis, Doobie Bros. on vinyl, lobster corn dogs, a rip-roaring blender producing frozen concoctions, caviar, captain’s hats and euphoria,” according to the Instagram post. Open to the public, this 21+ party doesn’t have tickets or a dress code, the post says, but yacht attire is “highly encouraged.”

Meal of the Week

For my dinner at Van Ryder, I ordered the cast-iron-baked cornbread muffins ($15) and albondigas (meatballs) ($26), with a mocktail called the Crimson Veil ($14).

The only meatballs I’ve had were Italian, so I was skeptical of Southwestern-flavored meatballs, but they won me over. The sauce was like a chile verde, with a spice that built over time, and the pico de gallo on top made for welcome pops of freshness. Instead of serving the albondigas with plain tortillas, they came with hot buttered tortillas, and I’m going to eat tortillas that way from now on.

The cornbread muffins were so moist and hit that perfect combination of salty and sweet, and they came with Cholula honey butter, which I thought was really fun.

My drink seemed a little out of season, with its use of spiced cranberry syrup, but the beautiful pink color the syrup brought to the drink landed this beverage squarely in a summer evening.

— Newsletter written by Kolbie Peterson, The Salt Lake Tribune’s food and drink reporter. The Tribune pays for all of the food written about in this newsletter.