POSTED // Jul 16,2008 - Thanks to overnight shipping and slick, high-tech seafood distribution networks, even here in landlocked Utah, we are swamped with sushi and sashimi. It seems like a new sushi restaurant opens every other week on the Wasatch Front and, indeed, sushi has...

POSTED // Jul 16,2008 - I’m often asked by interested parties to name my favorite restaurant or my favorite wine. And usually, with the slithery aplomb of a professional politician, I avoid answering the question directly. However, this week I’m feeling magnanimous:...

POSTED // Jul 9,2008 - The thrill is gone … it’s gone away from me. So sang B.B. King—and me as well, having just judged my first (and perhaps last) sanctioned barbecue competition. It sounded like a good idea at the time: Spend three days up at Snowbird...

POSTED // Jul 9,2008 - When was the last time you poured red wine straight from the fridge? Probably not recently, nor often. Well, I’ve been pouring lots of chilled red wine lately, because I’ve developed a small but persistent habit for sparkling red wine. He’s...

POSTED // Jun 25,2008 - On a recent Saturday, as the late great Rick Nelson used to sing, “I went to a garden party … everyone was there.” Well, maybe not everyone. But at the kickoff of Summer Saturdays on the Garden Café patio at Grand America, I...

POSTED // Jun 25,2008 - Will write for food: To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Sweet Tomatoes is looking to find and reward its “most remarkable patrons.” As such, guests are invited to draft a 200-word essay describing why they or someone they know (Me! Me! Me!)...

POSTED // Jun 25,2008 - Recently, I dropped into Este pizzeria (EstePizzaCompany.com) and was chatting with owner and unrepentant Yankees fan Dave Heiblim. He was showing me the new Este wine menu (Yes! Este now serves wine!) and mentioned a Pinot Grigio that he really likes....

POSTED // Jun 18,2008 - Utahns love an all-you-can-eat buffet—which is why, I suppose, Tucanos Brazilian Grill in The Gateway was mobbed on a recent rainy Wednesday evening. With most midlevel and upscale restaurants suffering under the weight of a lousy economy, I was...

POSTED // Jun 18,2008 - On June 26, the first Utah location of El Pollo Loco will open its doors in Lehi. I’ve eaten often at West Coast El Pollo Locos, famous for their citrus-marinated flame-grilled chicken served with warm tortillas and fresh salsas, which are prepared...

POSTED // Jun 18,2008 - Susie Selby has something you don’t. No, I don’t mean a winery, though she has that too. But she has an official George W. Bush Sharpie pen. “It was slightly chewed on one end,” she said as we sipped and supped at last week’s...