Stuart Melling is a former restaurant critic for the Salt Lake Tribune and the mastermind behind Gastronomic SLC. If you ever need to know where to eat, Gastronomic SLC is the ultimate resource. So we asked Stuart about his recommendations for every occasion, from late-night meals to Sunday morning hangovers.
🌙 Late Night
“I’m probably headed to Franklin Ave. on Edison Street in downtown SLC. The kitchen is open till midnight, I believe, and it’s seven days a week. Moreover, it’s also their full menu, not a redacted late night eats list. When you put it all together it means no matter the time/day/mood, I know I can stop by Franklin. I love the burger there, the pasta dishes, [and] the great cocktails.”
🍳 Sunday Morning Hangover
“Urban Hill’s brunch burrito is a monster of a thing and capable of curing the most painful of Sunday mornings. It’s a mammoth hangover prescription coming in a huge 14” tortilla. It's stuffed with chunks of pork, shredded hash browns, and scrambled eggs. There’s green verde and a thick New Mexico chile sauce on top as well as Oaxaca cheese.”
👩👩👧👦 Family in Town
“The bigger the guest list, the bigger the menu needs to be. Somewhere where everyone can find something to eat probably tops fine dining or trendy. It also probably means we’d have to skip the 21+-only spots as well as pick somewhere where the restaurant is happy for people to hang out a little longer. Brewpubs are usually my go-to pick when having to balance all these points. Places like Squatters downtown [have] deep menus, lots of seating, rarely a wait, even for a big group.”
🥘 Favorite Dish
“Wow. Where to start. The fried chicken at Copper Common is an under the radar pick and a favorite of mine. The salted fish and chicken fried rice at New Golden Dragon is a comfort food classic for me, as are any of the dishes at Curry Fried Chicken. I could eat at Feldman's Deli every day for the rest of my life, too.”
⛰ Utah-Specific Dish
“My heart, or belly, always has a soft spot for Yanni’s Greek Express in Sugar House, more specifically their gyro with red sauce. I’d pay good money to get my hands on the recipe for Yanni’s red sauce, which eclipses any I’ve tasted. It’s a meaty gravy with wonderful depth, and I’ve not a clue what goes into it.”
When you go out of town, what’s one Utah-specific dish that you miss?
