Meet the City Cast Salt Lake Team

There’s a lot to love about Salt Lake. Growing at breakneck speed but still misunderstood by outsiders, Salt Lake transcends the snowy and conservative caricature that defines it from afar. We’re Small Lake City: a city in a town known for its generosity, its beauty, and its familiarity. Every day, you’ll hear from the team highlighting what makes this complex city we call home just a little bit better. Get in touch at saltlake@citycast.fm.

Ali Vallarta

Podcast Host

Where I’d take you to eat in SLC:

We are going to The Pearl and getting the greens & mushrooms over rice. Later, we can swing by Los Tapatios and get birria tacos with consomé.

Best book or movie or TV show about SLC:

SLC Punk!

Something we do better in SLC than anywhere else:

Chocolate chip cookies. Hot. With milk. Delivered to your house.

Emily Means

Executive Producer

A place in SLC not enough people know about:

Gilgal Garden. It’s a weird, hidden sculpture garden featuring a sphinx with Joseph Smith’s face (he’s the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).

Where I’d take you to eat in SLC:

We’re going to Copper Onion and sharing the ricotta dumplings. Non-negotiable.

Something we do better in SLC than anywhere else:

Our streets are on a grid system, which makes it very easy to figure out where you’re going — as long as you know your cardinal directions and where the temple is. Good planning by the pioneers.

Ivana Martinez

Producer

Someone from SLC you should know about, but don’t:

The Utah Legislature, probably. Who are those guys? Most people don’t know, but they totally should! They make tons of laws. Get in touch with your state representative!