Restaurant Roundup: Anticipated Food Fests 

• Courtesy photo
• Festa Italiana

While we have plenty of great food festivals peppered throughout the summer, Utah's culinary party game really picks up in the fall. It's when we enjoy seasonal favorites like Oktoberfest while getting our last picks of fresh produce at the various farmers markets along the Wasatch Front–anything to help us prep for the winter ahead. From cultural celebrations to annual shindigs, here is a list of all the food fests that you'll want to keep on your radar.

Salt Lake Greek Festival
September 6-8
279 S. 300 West
saltlakecitygreekfestival.com
At 48 years running, the Salt Lake Greek Festival has become one of the Wasatch Front's most beloved cultural events. As the second largest cultural festival in Utah and the largest Greek festival in the Western United states, this is an event that always draws a crowd–usually somewhere around 35,000 guests.

Everyone has their own approach to tackling the Greek Festival, but I always gravitate toward the food. It's prepared by the truckload, so there's always plenty to go around. The centerpiece to the Greek Festival's culinary wing would have to be its spit-roasted lamb–an evocative and tasty encapsulation of what makes Greek food so enticing. I tend to plan multiple courses during my visit, so I'll typically start with a gyro and Greek salad before I hit the shops.

After watching some of the local music and dancing, I'll head back for the casserole-like pastichio, otherwise known as Greek lasagna. This pairs nicely with some dolmades, herbaceous grape leaves stuffed with a seasoned beef and rice mixture. For dessert, the baklava is a classic, but don't overlook the custardy galaktoboureko if you need something a bit more substantial.

Eat Drink SLC
September 11-12
589 E. 1300 South
eatdrinkslc.com
Downtown SLC loves its casual culture fests dearly, but it also loves an excuse to throw on some party duds and sample a bit of the bubbly. To this end, we have Eat Drink SLC, an elegant yet approachable shindig that celebrates some of the finest food, wine, and spirits that Salt Lake has to offer.

Organized and operated by members of SB Dance and Tracy Aviary, Eat Drink SLC helps raise money for both organizations while donating funds to New Roots SLC, which helps refugees establish themselves in new communities.

This year's event celebrates the festival's tenth anniversary, and its two-night revelries will each feature a different roster of food and beverage vendors. The dining highlights of September 11 will be Urban Hill, Provisions, Franck's, Ivy & Varley, Fácil Taqueria and Xiao Bao Bao. From James Beard nominees to creative takes on Mexican and Asian cuisine, these are some of Utah's heaviest culinary hitters. To complement this all-star team of local dining, attendees can sample libations from Beehive Distilling, Laurent-Perrier, Nossa and St. Hildie's.

On Thursday, attendees can get samples from Oquirrh, The Copper Onion, Finca, Avenues Proper and Hill's Kitchen, to name a few. It's a list that includes a few local fine dining pioneers along with some up and comers in our local food scene. Thursday's drink vendors include Waterpocket Distillery, Ogden's Own Distillery, Rutherford Wine Company and Terrestoria.

Tickets include both nights, and they tend to sell out fast–snag them while you can.

Festa Italiana
September 14-15
400 W. 200 S.
festaitalianaslc.com
Like the Greek Festival, the Festa Italiana is gigantic. Taking place over two days at Downtown's Gateway Shopping Center, this is the one that pasta lovers look forward to every year. This year's food vendors are all spectacular, but Mastra Italian Bakery is the one I'm most excited about. I've had my share of homemade focaccia, but Mastra is the gold standard to which I measure them all.

Other highlights include Matteo Ristorante–it's been making all kinds of waves in the local food scene–Sicilia Mia, Per Noi Trattoria and of course attendees have to pay homage to Caputo's. Where most of the food you'd get at the Greek Festival lends itself to multiple courses, you'll want to pace yourself at Festa Italiana. Opt for the slow trickle of pizza and pasta while you take in the Italian music and peruse the different vendors. If you really want to show off your binge capabilities, you can always sign up for the pasta eating contest.

Snail Fest 2024
September 22
2065 E. 2100 South
slowfoodutah.org
Slow Food Utah is all about recognizing local establishments that prioritize sustainability, environmental responsibility, cultural connection and ethical business practices. This year celebrates Slow Food Utah's first annual Snail Fest, which will feature local spots that have received their Snail of Approval Award–it's a roster that includes Sego Restaurant, Central 9th Market, Beltex Meats and Pago to name a few. Tickets will include five small bites and two drinks from the attending vendors, and a cash bar will be open.

Snail Fest is perfect for locovores that like to support those members of our community that strive to keep things in the community while remaining sustainable and ethical. It's a great way to learn more about establishments that are going the extra mile for their craft.