The Roaring (Twenty) Twenties 

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Ever since Salt Lake City got its own Real Housewives franchise, I've been quietly taking stock of the restaurants that appear on the show. A restaurant brawl has always been one of the highlights of the show, and one that occurs while the cast is wearing silly costumes is top tier entertainment.

This piece of multifaceted local flavor was what initially put Prohibition (151 E. 6100 South, 801-281-4852, prohibitionutah.com) on my radar. In addition to that fanboy desire to see the backdrop for one of Jen Shah's classic meltdowns, I couldn't help but notice the food they were all eating looked amazing. As our local chapter of the Real Housewives franchise enters its third season this month, it seemed like a good time to kick off my restaurant pilgrimage with a visit to this Murray establishment.

In a nod to the speakeasies of the 1920s, Prohibition's front-of-house is decked out like an antique store where the seating area is obscured from view. Once you provide your IDs, however, the hostess opens up a bookcase that leads you inside, where Prohibition's concept continues in full swing. Servers dressed like vintage bartenders or glittery flappers mosey from table to table, tables are offset with chic armchairs, and water is served in square whiskey bottles.

As one would expect from an outfit that has adopted a speakeasy aesthetic, Prohibition offers an extensive menu of cocktails, wines, spirits and draft beer. My wife and I dropped in at the height of this massive September heat wave, so a cool mint julep ($11) seemed more that appropriate.

The food menu consists of gastropub fare befitting of a fine establishment like Prohibition, though the names of each menu item have been revamped to align with the restaurant's jazzy, wiseguy aesthetic. We started with the Cat's Meow Cauliflower ($14), generous chunks of cauliflower dipped in a beer batter and fried up to a golden brown. They come served with slices of grilled lemon and some buffalo sauce, making for a nice vegetarian alternative to buffalo wings or fried fish. Overall, these are a great way to start a meal, though ours were a bit light on seasoning—nothing a bit of salt and pepper couldn't fix.

In addition to their creative take on pub food, Prohibition's dinner menu goes heavy on the steakhouse vibes. Items like the ribeye ($59), the strip ($49), the venison tenderloin ($36) and a ditty called The Lamb Before Time ($59) are all there to tantalize any carnivores itching for a prime cut of meat. Despite its meat-centric dinner menu, Prohibition has plenty of vegetarian and vegan options for those who want to get their shimmy on in more of a plant-based state of mind.

My visit was a bit too early for a monstrous steak, so I opted for the Beast Burger ($29) which also offers no shortage of meaty goodness. The patty itself is made from a turf-and-turf mixture of elk, bison, wild boar and wagyu beef, then gets topped with some smoked pork belly. So yeah—plenty of protein happening here. Any remaining room on the burger is filled with melty smoked white cheddar, tomato, fried onions and a moderately spicy habanero aioli.

First things first, I respect a place whose signature burger bring spiciness to the table. The Beast Burger does not skimp in this area—the habanero aioli brings that kind of dangerous, slow burn that starts to extrapolate with every bite. The heat does not come at the expense of the rest of the burger, which is also a plus. The burger itself is enormous, and the meaty mixture is juicy and flavorful. It's served up with Prohibition's signature Cajun fries, which are of the thickly cut steak fry variety and work very well with this monster of a burger.

My wife went with a dish called Alfred O ($26), a pasta dish made with butternut squash ravioli, gigantic shrimp and a parmesan alfredo sauce. I don't have the greatest track record when it comes to pasta dishes at gastropubs, but this one is a winner. The parmesan alfredo is a bit more subtle than one would expect from an alfredo sauce, and the butternut squash filling of the ravioli added a nice smack of sweetness to each bite. The sauce also has a bit of a kick to it, giving this dish a nice balance of savory, sweet and spicy.

Something about the indulgent ambiance that Prohibition creates made me want to check out something from the dessert menu, which includes beignets ($9), bourbon caramel bread pudding ($11) and a key lime pie called Ernest Indulgence ($10). My heart was set on the pecan pie ($11), which was caramelly, buttery and absolutely delightful.

All in all, our visit was full of unexpected surprises, most prominently that the central Murray sprawl near Fashion Place Mall is also home to this swanky little gastropub. Fans of decadent food served alongside a wide variety of cocktails and other spirits will definitely enjoy kicking their heels up at Prohibition.