In Openings, the A&E section gave you the low-down on all on- and near-campus eateries. Now, venture a little farther off campus, and delight your taste buds-these great restaurants are worth the trip.
Cheap lunch and dinner
Check out these excellent eateries for delicious and affordable meals, with aesthetic ambiance to boot. One-or all-of them may become a favorite.
East West Connection 1400 S. Foothill Drive, Suite 270 581-1128 Four plates Four stars $$ For a perfect union of Eastern and Western styles, look no farther than East West Connection, a strange new world in which Western structure has been skillfully fused with Eastern style and design to create a striking effect. The atmosphere is calm, fresh and engaging-an ideal setting for the invigorating fare. East West offers an assortment of authentic and delicious Vietnamese dishes, ranging from beef, chicken and seafood to noodles, rice and a special vegetarian menu. The servings are enormous, so come hungry.
Noodles & Co. 1152 E. 2100 South 466-8880 TRAXessible Three-and-a-half plates Four-and-a-half stars $ There are perhaps infinite things to do with noodles, and Noodles & Co. takes its best shot at covering as many as it can. It offers Italian, Japanese, Thai, Indonesian and American pasta dishes, as well as soups and salads, and manages to make every option mouthwatering and boldly flavorful in its own way. With high ceilings, meandering pipes, an aesthetically pleasing green and beige color scheme and an abundance of geometric shapes and patterns, the ambiance is mod, hip and just as vibrant as the food.
Litza's Pizza 716 E. 400 South 359-5352 TRAXessible Three plates Two-and-a-half stars $ The pizza is simple, but spot-hitting, and it beats commercial places' attempts at pizza any day. The restaurant is a bit cramped, but it's also charming and fun when you're accompanied by friends-otherwise the copious families and kids might get annoying. The pasta, salads and garlic bread are good but nothing too special. All in all, Litza's provides a cheap, tasty and filling meal.
House of Tibet 145 E. 1300 South 364-1376 Four-and-a-half plates Four-and-a-half stars $ Tibetan is a type of food that most Americans are not familiar with, but it is most definitely worth a try. Everything on House of Tibet's menu is authentic and traditional Tibetan cuisine, which is similar to Chinese and Indian but uniquely delicious. Though its décor is simplistic, House of Tibet's vivid colors, hanging lanterns, draped curtains and Tibetan artwork succeed at creating a culturally rich, meditatively serene mood. Enrich your cultural palate by stopping by for the distinctively flavorful, cheap ($6.50) and filling lunch buffet between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Barbacoa Mexican Grill 859 E. 900 South 524-0853 Four plates Three-and-a-half stars $ Have you ever wanted to see your food made on an assembly line? To watch as it's passed from person to person and more ingredients are piled on? And to have complete control over every addition? Well that's how Barbacoa prepares its burritos, tacos and burrito-bowls. From the tortillas to the salsas, every ingredient is fresh, flavorful and only added at your behest, yielding a substantial mountain of food bursting with Mexican flair. The atmosphere is clean and laid-back-perfect for groups of friends.
Blue Plate Diner 2041 S. 2100 East 463-1151 Five plates Four stars $ Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all fabulous at this retro diner. The jukebox and Elvis-inspired artwork lay a fun, convivial backdrop for the exquisite diner fare, which more than makes up for the limited space. Meat and fake-meat abound almost equally, and everything on the menu is nothing short of scrumptious. The service is friendly, and the portions are oh-so-filling. Elvis was never so appetizing.
Rubio's Baja Grill 358 S. 700 East 1160 E. 2100 South 363-0563 TRAXessible Four plates Three stars $ Fast food at its best, Rubio's attempts to raise the bar for all Mexican joints. The chips are made fresh all day long, and the salsas and guacamole are just as fresh. No lard or MSG is ever used, and the beans are never refried. The tacos, burritos, seafood and salads, though clearly altered for American standards, are tasty and satisfying. The decor and mood make you feel like you've just entered a fiesta, and after being filled up, you'll indubitably want to take a siesta.
Sandwiches
Some of these places have rivalries with each other...but the rivalries only exist because the food is so competitively awesome. They just keep showing each other up.
Carlucci's Bakery 314 W. 300 South 366-4484 Five plates Four-and-a-half stars $ On the savory side, Carlucci's offers exquisite sandwiches, soups, salads and quiches; on the sweet side, it bakes delectable cakes, breads, tarts, muffins, scones and all sorts of pastries. Its provincial charm mingles with elegant, cultured style to create an enchanting and relaxing mood, and Carlucci's impeccable cuisine possesses such a range and standard of quality that there is something here to water every mouth, melt every tongue and sweeten every tooth.
Tony Caputo's Market and Deli 308 W. 300 South 531-8669 Four-and-a-half plates Four stars $ This big, bright and authentic deli offers a wide selection of excellent Italian sandwiches, salads and desserts. Both the food and the deli itself are packed with fresh and flavor-bursting imported Italian ingredients. Though very busy around lunchtime, Caputo's expertly prepares food that is more than worth the wait. Savor your meal at a table in the friendly, welcoming market, take it home or even take it across the street and have a picnic in Pioneer Park.
Frank Granato Importing Co. 4040 S. 2700 East 1391 S. 300 West 277-7700 Four-and-a-half plates Four stars $ Tying with Caputo's for Salt Lake City's coveted titles of Best Deli and Best Italian Imports, Granato's keeps the rivalry going. The huge store is filled to overflowing with precious goods straight outta Italy, and the deli in the back prepares exceptional sandwiches, salads and desserts. Just in case you weren't aware of what real Italian cooking is like, Granato's is here to make sure you know it, love it and keep coming back for more.
Piñon Market 2095 E. 1300 South 582-4539 Catering can be delivered Five plates Four stars $ An oasis of satisfyingly healthy, surprisingly flavorful and uncommonly creative food, Piñon specializes in sandwiches, salads and desserts. This is a unique deli because it prepares everything it offers, from scratch, every day in its own kitchen and because the menu changes every day. To enjoy the undoubtedly delicious morsel you've just chosen, you can sit down and relax in Piñon's cozy café-ish climate or get it to go and savor the meal anywhere. Every mouth-watering, flavor-bursting bite proves that this is the way everything should be done.
Beverages and treats
Whether it's coffee you crave, tea you lust after or frozen desserts you have a hankering for, these are SLC's finest places to get them.
Salt Lake Coffee Break 430 E. 400 South 355-4244 TRAXessible Four plates Four stars $ Coffee Break's large, open room, dark green and bright yellow walls and widely spaced wooden tables work together to create an earthy, hip place to hang out with friends, study, eat or simply sip coffee. In addition to a wide variety of coffees and coffee drinks, you can choose between pastries, soups, salads, sandwiches and marvelous Mediterranean dishes. There is even a cozy little Middle-Eastern market tucked away in the back.
Coffee Garden 898 S. 900 East 355-3425 Four plates Four stars $ Though it has less space, the trendier Coffee Garden is appealing because of its vibrant mood, quality fare and hip location. Here you can socialize while enjoying yummy coffee beverages, sandwiches, salads and desserts. Play a game or two of chess, read a magazine or sit outside and study every person who walks by. The service is extra-friendly and the couches extra-comfy.
Salt Lake Roasting Co. and Café 320 E. 400 South 363-7572 TRAXessible Four-and-a-half plates Four-and-a-half stars $ This two-tiered coffee-lover's haven offers what is perhaps the best coffee-shop ambiance in the city. It's spacious yet cozy, with stairs leading up to a loft-of-sorts that looks down on the first level and out at 400 South. The coffee comes from all around the world, and the pastry and café items are outstanding. SLRC somehow manages to morph, as if on command, from quiet and relaxing to bustling and hip. Either way, it is warm, welcoming and mouthwatering.
The Tea Grotto 2030 S. 900 East 466-8255 Five plates Five stars $ The Tea Grotto reigns supreme in the realm of tea and manages to overcome tea's contentious nature beautifully. Its teas and tea concoctions, natural and bursting with tea-ish goodness, will appeal to anyone-faithful addicts, dispassionate dabblers and vehement malcontents alike. The calming, nature-oriented ambiance provided in this small café is unrivaled in serenity, and the chai is unrivaled, period. Seriously, don't go anywhere else for chai-this place puts all the competition to shame.
Jamba Juice 613 E. 400 South 575-6720 TRAXessible Three plates Three-and-a-half stars $ Jamba is a trendy, colorful and vibrant place to pick up a fresh and fruity smoothie. The shop is clean and brightly lit, with giant neon fruit jazzing up the walls. The smell of fruits, vegetables and grasses awakens your nostrils, and the luscious, freshly blended smoothies do the same for your taste buds.
Luna's Italian Ice Café 2126 S. 1100 East 485-4050 Five plates Three-and-a-half stars $ Luna's offers the absolute best frozen dessert in the world: Italian ice. Its ice is smooth, crisp, juicy and remarkably refreshing. It's prepared daily, on site, with fresh fruit and is fat-free and dairy-free. The small but energetic and hip café offers between seven and nine of its 18 superb flavors every day, and if you want they can layer them on top of each other or blend them with frozen yogurt. No matter what, Luna's fresh and juicy Italian ice is like a god.
Squirrel Brothers Ice Cream 605 E. 400 South 359-4207 TRAXessible Five plates Four stars $ Boldly standing up to its conglomerate competition-which audaciously set up camp right across the street-this ice cream shop proves that independent is better. Its ice cream is fresh, refreshing and doesn't cut any corners, which yields a far superior product. The cones, sundaes, banana splits, shakes, malts, frozen yogurt and vegan options are what ice-cream lovers dream about. So go ahead, corporate America, and make your diluted, air-blasted ice cream one cent less-it's still not half the value. jkoehler@chronicle.utah.edu
