Why fly for your city fix when you can wheel on a whim to Salt Lake City – as we did last weekend. Beyond the call of Ikea, we’ve found a plethora of spots as serious about their style as they are their food and drink. Here’s a sampling of our favorite finds from our most recent junket.
Publik Coffee Roasters
Small Batches, Big Flavor
A brand-new roastery with acumen and attitude, space and style (note: the name is not a trendy misspelling but rather the Dutch word for “community”). Set within a 13,000-sq.ft. warehouse space on West Temple, Publik puts its roasters to work alongside its baristas, meaning every cuppa is both carefully conceived and crafted on-site. Beyond bold brews, the coffee bar serves sensational eats (made with Utah-sourced ingredients). We heart their long list of toasts. Publik sits down the road from Alpha Dominche, a hipster meets mad scientist coffee maker factory. Publik pulls coffee from their neighbor’s signature Steampunk. Worth checking both factory and café out.
975 South West Temple
The Rose Establishment
A Casually Conscious Café
Perched in the downtown Pierpont District, the Rose fills a former meatpacking plant with thoughtfulness – thoughtful teas (loose and lattes), thoughtful bites (from porridges to salads), and thoughtful ambiance (unfinished beams and subway tiles). A serene spot to spend an afternoon reading a book or chatting away.
235 South 400 West
Eva’s Bakery Boulangerie
Cobalt charm and authentic crumb
When you’ve shopped ‘til you dropped at City Creek, take a tasty timeout at Eva’s Bakery. With excess charm and talent, Eva’s feels French with its cobalt and sunflower color scheme and endless viennoiserie – a fitting expression of the organic flour milled by its owner, Central Milling.
155 South Main Street
La Bonne Vie
Beautifully-Presented Pastries
Tucked inside the opulent Grand America Hotel is a cheerful confection house, La Bonne Vie. The good life indeed: sweet beauty abounds, from artisanal chocolates to French pastries and Italian gelato. We were wowed by their handcrafted macarons.
555 South Main Street
Finca
Style and sourcing
Like its sister restaurant Pago, Finca focuses on flavor – finessed and fun. Drawing inspiration from the Spanish term for a rural or agricultural estate, Finca sources local ingredients to make its creative tapas. Its new location, designed by the vanguard crew at City Home Collective, blends Art Deco elegance with 80s flare. Drawn to te desayuno menu, we paired churros with coffee from their in-house La Barba roaster. Yum.
327 West 200 South
Banbury Cross
Delicious Donuts. Period.
Pre-cronuts, pre-Krispy Kreme, pre-fads: An SLC institution, Banbury Cross has mastered the classics, from cake donuts to bear claws (washed down with OJ). No nonsense, no comparison.
705 South 700 East