Restaurant Round-up: Best Salt Lake Breakfast for 2023 

• Courtesy Photo

Ah, January. The misty-eyed herald of a brand-new year. If there was ever a month that felt like that long, gloomy stretch of morning before the dawn breaks, it's January.

Being that I am not a morning person by any stretch, this entire month is pretty miserable to navigate. Which is why during this bleak morning of the year 2023, my thoughts have turned to breakfast. It's really the only positive thing that morning has to offer—there are achingly few things that slice through the pre-dawn doldrums like a sweet and savory breakfast menu.

As January is little more than one long and ominous morning, here is a quick arsenal of breakfast menus that will sustain you until the springtime dawn.

Central 9th Market
161 W. 900 South, 385-332-3240,
central9th.com
While I am fond of calling most of my dining excursions "research," there are times when I am just looking for a bite to eat like a normal human. On one such occasion, I was in the Central Ninth neighborhood looking to rustle up some breakfast. I popped into Central 9th Market since I knew they whipped up a mean focaccia but was derailed in my quest when I saw a breakfast sandwich ($10) on the menu.

I was hungry enough for an entire sandwich adventure, so I ordered it on up. I took it with me and ate it on the way to the Trax station and had to stop numerous times to consider the majesty that I held in my hands. The over-hard fried egg, the grilled ham, the melty cheese and the spicy mayo just collided on my tongue, and I was taken aback at how positively fresh everything tasted.

When you order pre-made food at a market, it's rare for it to taste "market fresh," but the team at Central 9th Market is making it happen on the regular.

The Other Place Restaurant
469 E. 300 South, 801-521-6567,
theotherplacerestaruant.com
Whether you're going for breakfast, lunch or dinner, The Other Place Restaurant has been a long-time purveyor of all things comfort food. It's a great place to get a traditional bacon-and-eggs breakfast, but nothing quite snaps you out of your morning funk like the Gyro Omelet ($10.95).

It's everything you love about omelets combined with everything you love about gyros, and it's a magical blend. The pungent sliced onion and spicy peppers help zap your senses to attention while that perfect gyro meat and buttery feta cheese meld with the omelet's classic, comforting flavor.

The Athenian ($10.95) is another solid bet—especially if you drank too much the night before. The onions and peppers are still there, but the gyro meat gets swapped for the breakfast trinity of sausage, bacon and ham. Whether you're after a breakfast that is low-key and traditional or packed with firecracker flavors, The Other Place is your place.

Vertical Diner
234 W. 900 South, 801-484-8378,
verticaldiner.com
No breakfast roundup is complete without a trip to Vertical Diner, Central Ninth's most venerated plant-based eatery. Like most places on this list, Vertical Diner doesn't just excel at breakfast time, but it's always been a breakfast spot in my mind. Perhaps this is because of their famous Dude Cakes ($13), a bolt of culinary inspiration that has made Vertical Diner worthy of my utmost admiration.

If you've been to Vertical Diner, you know what I'm talking about, but if you haven't—you are in for a treat. You get two pancakes, plant-based sausage, grilled peppers, onions, mushrooms and fries, all topped with a rich brown gravy. It's one of those menu classics that stands proudly in a league of its own.

I'm also a fan of their breakfast burrito ($13), largely because the tofu scramble is especially delicious when smothered in red sauce and plant-based cheese sauce. It's also a monster that can contend with any breakfast burrito on the block. Like the entirety of Vertical Diner's menu, don't underestimate it just because it's plant-based.

Beaumont Bakery & Café
3979 Wasatch Boulevard,801-676-9340,
beaumont.cafe
Breakfast is a vibe to be sure, and the team at Beaumont Bakery & Café have managed to bottle up that vibe and painted their walls with it. When you enter this place in the morning and the smell of fresh coffee, toasted sugar and buttery croissants hits your nose, you know you have set food somewhere special.

I like everything on Beaumont's menu, but this is the place I go when I want to eat dessert for breakfast but still call it breakfast. Likeminded diners can check out the croissant loaf French toast ($12.95), which is even better than it sounds. Paired with a cup of buttermilk bourbon syrup and some bruleed bananas, and you've got a meal that will turn the most dismal winter morning into something to sing about. While you're there, you can grab a of their famous cruffins for when the sugar rush wears off.