If you could manifest a new location of any local restaurant at the planned downtown sports, entertainment, culture and convention district in Salt Lake City, what would it be?

Smith Entertainment Group CEO Ryan Smith asked that very question on X, formerly Twitter, in October, saying, “We want a strong LOCAL vibe in addition to iconic brands. Take the survey and let us know what local restaurants and shops you want to see in the District.”

When asked for more detail, Smith Entertainment Group echoed Smith’s post, saying, “We’re committed to a strong local presence.”

Instead of taking Smith’s Qualtrics survey, dozens of people chose to respond to his post, answering with restaurants featuring foods ranging from hot chicken to barbecue to xiao long bao.

Three people requested Pretty Bird, the purveyor of crispy hot chicken in sandwich, nugget and tender form.

Others asked for a range of local favorites including Pat’s Barbecue, Itto Sushi, Santo Taco, Crown Burger, Blue Iguana, Lucky Slice, Tacos Lopez, Wasatch Pizza, Blacksmith Ice Cream Co., Los Tapatios and Zeppe’s Italian Ice and Frozen Custard.

One commenter replied to Smith’s question with a spicy “anything but Cafe Rio, Chipotle or R&R [BBQ].”

How about a drive-thru in the downtown district? One person requested Java Jo’s, the drive-thru coffee spot with five Salt Lake County locations.

Some people requested national and international brands, including two who emphatically asked for Din Tai Fung, the Taiwanese restaurant chain famous for its soup dumplings that has locations in Nevada, California, Oregon, Arizona, New York and Washington (there’s no location in Utah, although Zhu Ting Ji in Taylorsville is close, I’ve heard).

Three people asked for the resurrection of a long-dead Utah mainstay, The Training Table. Remember ordering from your table on a landline telephone?

Currently, The Training Table’s website says, “The taste you’ve been craving is back,” and adds that the restaurant is “beginning the next chapter.”

But the last we heard from this “Utah original” famous for its cheese fries was an Instagram post from 2022 saying its Ultimate Hickory Sauce was available to purchase by the bottle. Alas, the account has been dark ever since.

By the way, Lucky Slice co-owner and co-founder Mike McDonald said opening a location of the Ogden-born pizzeria in the downtown district is “something we’d totally be interested in.”

“We’ve always wanted to get into Salt Lake, it’s just finding the right spot at the right time,” he continued.

Smith said in his post that construction on the district will begin next year.

Demolition of part of the Salt Palace Convention Center is scheduled to begin in February, with work continuing into September, according to a permit application submitted to City Hall. The project will be completed before the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.