My Salt Lake Blog RSS

Ekamai Thai in Downtown Salt Lake

Posted on by

Ekamai Thai in Salt Lake City

In the hustle and bustle of the downtown lunch crowd of Salt Lake, there is a little Thai Cafe, that provides a quick hunger fix. Ekamai Thai sits in a little foodie district by Tony Caputo’s and Bruges Waffles, and across the street from Pioneer Park.

This tiny cafe serves up a delicious assortment of Thai food favorites. Their menu changes daily so make sure and check out their website, EkamaiThai.com, or if you’re in the area you can check the chalkboard by the street to see what they are offering that particular day. A personal favorite is their Coconut Curry Chicken Soup along with the bright purple rice.  For more photos and details, please visit TheSLCFoodie.com.

Ekamai Thai Restaurant Salt Lake


Hiking Trails In Salt Lake

Posted on by

Salt Lake City is famous for its outdoor activities, and hiking trails can be found all over the valley. Below is a list of favorite hiking trails in Salt Lake City:

Ensign Peak

Ensign Peak
Ensign Peak is a historical hike that has significance to the Salt Lake Valley. Two days after arriving in the valley, Brigham Young hiked up Ensign Peak with a group of assistants and mapped out how the valley should be built and laid out. From here you can see the entire Salt Lake Valley, including Antelope Island and The Great Salt Lake to the West and North. This is a great hiking activity for the family, and is a perfect spot to watch the sunset. Because there are a few steep hills, it might be more difficult for those that have limited walking abilities. Follow State Street up to the Utah State Capitol, and go to the right  (East) of the capitol to head up the hill. You will be on E Capitol St. Follow this up the hill until you reach Edgecomb Dr, and turn left. This will turn into Ensign Vista Drive. Watch for the trail-head and memorial.

waterfall

Red Butte Garden

Red Butte Garden
Red Butte Garden is a great hiking area with easy trails and harder trails. Check out a family backpack at the front desk and make your hike educational as you participate in the different tasks the backpack has to offer. Stay on the paved paths, or take a more daring hike by venturing off onto the mountain of unpaved trails to see what you can find.

City Creek Canyon
Close to downtown Salt Lake City is City Creek Canyon. To get there, go north on B Street. When you reach 11th Avenue, it will start going into the canyon. This is a one way road, and make sure you watch for joggers and bikers. Find a place to park, and enjoy a paved trail around the canyon road, and other trails winding down Memory Grove Park. This is also a great place for bird watching.

Millcreek Canyon

Millcreek Canyon
Probably one of my favorite canyons for hiking and exploring is Millcreek Canyon. The trails are easy to find, and there are many to choose from. Day use for Millcreek Canyon is $3 per vehicle, so make sure you bring cash when you go. Enter the canyon from 3800 South and Wasatch Boulevard. There are many picnic sites along a gentle river on both sides of the road. Dogs are welcome if they are kept on a leash.

Little Cottonwood Canyon
Because this is a watershed, dogs are not allowed in this canyon. One of the more popular hikes in Little Cottonwood Canyon is Bells Canyon. Most of the trails are marked and easy to find. All of the hiking trails in Little Cottonwood Canyon offer great hikes for all different skill levels.

Donut Falls
One of the most popular hiking trails in Salt Lake City is Donut Falls. It is located up Big Cottonwood Canyon, and the trail-head is well-marked.  It is a three and a half miles round trip hike.

Silver Lake
A great boardwalk type of hike, Silver Lake is located at Brighton Ski Resort. It is a great hike for those with limited walking abilities, and family members of all ages. Because it is a boardwalk around the entire lake, it is great for strollers and wheelchairs. This is a popular destination on the 4th of July when Brighton holds their annual “4th Of July Breakfast”. It can get a little chilly up there any time of the year, so make sure you bring a jacket just in case.

Jordan River Parkway

Jordan River Parkway
This is also a great hiking path for those with limited walking abilities and families of all ages. A paved trail following the Jordan River starting in North Salt Lake and all the way to the South end of the valley. Along the way there are many parks with playgrounds and picnic areas. Make sure to bring your camera because you will see many different types of birds here.

Temple Quarry Trail
This is another historic hike great for families. The Temple Quarry Trail will take you to the area where the granite stone was taken to build the historic Salt Lake Temple. It is wheelchair accessible and child friendly.

For more fun Spring and Summer ideas, visit my blog at Enjoy Utah!

All photos in this post belong to Michelle Powell and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.


Salt Lake’s Favorite Easter Brunches

Posted on by

Easter falls on April 8 this year (more than two weeks earlier that last year), so it’s not too early to make reservations for Salt Lake City’s favorite Easter brunches.

Easter brunch is a holiday tradition for many families, and whether you prefer a huge buffet like the ones at the Grand America or Little America, a Saturday option like Harvest restaurant at Thanksgiving Point, or a plated brunch like the ones at Faustina and Market Street Grill, there are lots of good options to choose from.

SLC Easter Brunches

Photo by John A. Rizzo. Read more from Marsha Maxwell at http://saltlakecity.about.com/.


Pioneer Memorial Theatre’s Hilarious ‘Laughing Stock’

Posted on by

Laughing Stock is a hilarious backstage comedy in the tradition of Noises Off, written and directed by Pioneer Theatre Company’s longtime (and outgoing) artistic director Charles Morley. It was first produced by PTC in 2001 and has since been produced more than a hundred times around the country. It’s silly, sweet, and wildly funny, polished to a shine by a talented cast.

Laughing Stock tells the story of a summer season in a converted New Hampshire barn called “The Playhouse,” in which a diverse group of theater veterans and neophytes presents Dracula, Hamlet and Charley’s Aunt. Budget headaches, clashing egos, frustrated ambitions, crazy mishaps and questionable “artistic interpretations” collide with hilarious results. The night I attended, a less-than-packed house filled the theater with belly laughs. Laughing Stock is truly funny, and also sweet, with a tender love story, and a genuine love of theatre, at its center.

March 23 – April 7, 2012
Mondays – Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays, 8 p.m.
Saturday matinees, 2 p.m.

Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre
300 S. 1400 E. 
801-581-6961

$29-$44, $5 more day of show
Children K-12 are half price on Mondays and Tuesdays

Read the Full Review

Photo: Andy Rindlisbach (Braun Oakes), Lesley Shires (Mary Pierre), David Christopher Wells (Tyler Taylor). By Alexander Weisman. Read more from Marsha Maxwell at http://saltlakecity.about.com/.


Salt Lake City History: The Armstrong Mansion

Posted on by

The Armstrong Mansion is a beautiful historic home in downtown Salt Lake, and is listed on the National Historic Register. Once a gesture of love from Francis Armstrong to his beloved Isabel, the home that holds so many treasured memories is now a romantic bed and breakfast. It is located on the Northwest corner of 700 East and 100 South in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Armstrong Mansion was built in 1893. It was the first home in Salt Lake City to have indoor plumbing and running water. The Armstrongs were known throughout Utah as very welcoming, and had many social gatherings and galas at their home. Francis served two terms as Mayor of Salt Lake City. Read more about the history of The Armstrong Mansion.

continue reading →


SLC Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day

Posted on by

Even if you’re not Irish, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day is a great way to celebrate spring’s arrival and blow off steam after a long winter.

There are plenty of St. Patrick’s Day events for everyone in Salt Lake this year, including family fun events like the St. Patrick’s Day parade at The Gateway, Celtic music concerts at The Depot and Peery’s Egyptian Theater, and evening celebrations at Salt Lake’s Irish-themed pubs.

It’s time to wear something green, eat something green, smile with friends and celebrate spring in SLC this weekend!

SLC St. Patrick’s Day Events

Chef-Prepared St. Patrick’s Day Dinners from Pinon Market & Cafe

Image by ballyscanlon. Read more from Marsha Maxwell at saltlakecity.about.com.


Special Evening at Bambara

Posted on by

Bambara Restaurant in the Hotel Monaco

Bambara is hands down my favorite restaurant in Salt Lake City. I’ve dined out at a wide variety of Salt Lake’s finest establishments, but Bambara always stands out, and is thus my go-to choice for celebrating special occasions. The staff is professional, attentive without bordering on overbearing, and overall great company. The ambiance is upbeat, fun, and a bit avant garde. My boyfriend and I celebrated Valentine’s Day for the second year in a row at Bambara—except we decided to skip the crowds and go a day early. Once again, my taste buds were left in a state of euphoria.

Perfectly prepared new york steak with mac n' cheese

We decided to go all out: Dungeness Crab Stuffed Piquillo Peppers as a starter, followed by a Ruby & Golden Beet & Goat Cheese Salad, rounded out with the Dry Aged New York Steak and Cast Iron Seared Hawaiian Tuna. Oh, and we can’t forget the special flourless chocolate cake to top it all off. Everything was prepared exquisitely, complete with a highly aesthetic—visual and taste—presentation. Each ingredient complemented those surrounding it, and the final result was a perfect symphony of taste.

When you eat really amazing food, it just makes sense. And that is the rare and special feeling I am encompassed in every time I dine at Bambara. It is truly a treat that I look forward to months in advance!

Valentine's Special: Flourless Chocolate Cake

Bambara is located on the main floor of the Hotel Monaco in downtown Salt Lake City at 202 South Main Street. They are open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and can arrange events for large private parties as well. 

Bottom Line: Bambara is definitely not inexpensive, but I truly believe their incredible service and cuisine is worth every cent. Special occasions call for an equally distinctive meal, and Bambara is the restaurant worthy of such moments.

 Follow Nicole Mangino on twitter @nicolesnowbunny.


The NEW City Creek Center Shopping Mall

Posted on by

City Creek Center Sky Bridge

Salt Lake City, Utah, and the entire country, is all a buzz about the new City Creek Center shopping mall. Because it is the only shopping center opening in the entire country for 2012, it is getting attention from as far as China, and we are lucky to be a part of the excitement! You may have seen the building sized ads strewn around downtown.

Thanks to Emily with Intrepid Agency, I was fortunate enough to get a sneak peek of the almost-finished mall to share with you.

After taking the tour, I am predicting that this is going to be the new “go to” place for meeting friends, hanging out and shopping. Not only does it have two levels of retails, but also two levels of residential living.

The Design:

City Creek Center was designed with the environment in mind

City Creek Center was designed using recycled materials whenever possible, and many of these materials were saved when the old Crossroads Mall was deconstructed. The plants you see around the Center were pulled from the real City Creek. Because such care was taken when constructing City Creek Center, they received Silver LEED Certification for being environmentally friendly, and is the first ever shopping center to receive such an honor.

The court outside of Nordstrom will have a fountain that shoots over thirty feet high, and is choreographed to music. It was designed by the same people that designed the Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas. This is the only part of the mall that will stay open 24/7, and will serve as a through-way between South Temple and First South.

Ninety percent of the time, City Creek Center will be an open air, outdoor mall. We all know how Utah weather is, so the mall was designed using operable end walls and a retractable roof. On days when it is rainy or snowy, the walls will come down and the ceiling will cover the mall, all within four and a half minutes, and at the push of a button.

The entire mall will be scattered with interesting art pieces. Even the skybridge connecting the East wing and the West wing has art included on the underside. On the underside of the skybridge, you will notice little ripples that look like water. This is to represent City Creek flowing from one side to the next. continue reading →


2012 Salt Lake Magazine Dining Awards

Posted on by

Salt Lake Magazine Dining Awards

Last week the city honored the best chefs and restaurants in the area with the annual Salt Lake Magazine Dining Awards.

The Leonardo Gallery was filled with the ‘Who’s-Who’ of the local dining scene. Beer and wine flowed as well as tasty hors d’oeuvres and rich desserts served in cocktail glasses. The food community in Salt Lake is a tight knit group of folks so for many it was an enjoyable evening with friends.

Here is a taste of some of the awards that were received:
Best Comfort Food: Pat’s Barbecue
Best Breakfast: The Copper Onion
Best Lunch: Left Fork Grille
Best Bakery: La Bonnie Vie in The Grand America Hotel
Best New Restaurant : The Farm
Best Pastry Chef: Amber Billingsley at Vinto
Best Chef: Viet Pham and Bowman Brown from Forage

For more information and photos from the event please visit The Vintage Mixer blog.


City Creek Center Opening Gala March 21

Posted on by

Salt Lake shoppers don’t have long to wait for the opening of the City Creek Center, a major new development covering 20 acres at the heart of downtown SLC, centered around the 100 S. block of Main Street.

City Creek is a residential, shopping and office complex that will feature more than 80 stores and restaurants, including Nordstrom, Macy’s, Tiffany & Co., Michael Kors, Coach and Texas de Brazil Churrascaria. It’s designed to be a walkable shopper’s paradise, with six acres of green space, the namesake creek, two 18-foot waterfalls, and a massive retractable roof. The center is scheduled to open to the public March 22, 2012.

Salt Lake residents can get a sneak peek at City Creek the evening of Wednesday, March 21, at an opening gala that will benefit local charities. Tickets are $50.

City Creek Center Charity Gala
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

  • Complimentary Parking
  • Continuous Entertainment
  • Food and Refreshments throughout the Center
  • Hospitality Suite with DJ, Hors d’ oeuvres, Beer and Wine
  • Shopping throughout the evening

Purchase tickets directly from The Road Home, Ballet West, Junior League of Salt Lake City, or Utah’s Hogle Zoo. One hundred percent of ticket sales go directly to these worthwhile local charities.

More info on SLC Shopping Malls.

Photo courtesy Intrepid Agency. Read more from Marsha Maxwell at http://saltlakecity.about.com/.