Authors: James Bennett
Food Review: Bruges
Over a year ago, Belgian restaurateur Pierre Vandamme took the success of his Downtown Farmer’s Market waffle cart and parlayed it into a permanent brick-and-mortar food destination just south of the Gateway Mall. The shop’s attention to detail, use of quality ingredients and kitschy Bruggelingen décor coalesce into a uniquely Belgian eating experience. … read more
Grove Market & Deli: Tasty Two Pound Sandwich
Given the glut of superstores and convenience markets that litter the landscape these days, it is easy to forget that American towns were once built on the backs of family-run food markets. As family businesses have focused on adapting their enterprises to the needs of their clientele, some have managed to stay relevant and keep a solid customer base. One of these success stories is Grove Market & Deli. … read more
The Indie Cred Test
Henry Owings may be the highest profile music fan in the world. Yet somehow, he has managed to parlay his fandom into being on the forefront of many ridiculously important music and book projects as of late. Owings has been the guiding force behind three Chunklet books and his latest, the self-published The Indie Cred Test is written in the style of a standardized exam, with its final goal being a complete assessment of just how cool the reader is. … read more
Fallen Fruit of Utah: Bounty, Beauty and Community
Fallen Fruit is an artistic collaboration among three California-based artists: David Burns, Matias Viegener and Austin Young. The trio’s original art project was to create maps of publicly accessible fruit—places in and around Los Angeles where fruit trees grow on or over public property. The same three artists have collaborated on a Salt Lake-based exhibit called Fallen Fruit of Utah. … read more
Gabor Brothers: Tempting Italian in Davis County
It takes a lot to get me out of Salt Lake City. I only end up in Davis County on the rare occasion that I miss my freeway exit. Recently, though, what started off as a late season trip to a pumpkin patch near Farmington ended up with me cruising Main Street in Layton around lunch time. What I found at Gabor Brothers was nothing short of mouth-watering, and has left me trying to find other reasons to end up in Layton for lunch. … read more
OFF!, NASA Space Universe, Thunderfist @ The Loading Dock 04.16
In 2010, when footage of OFF! first started showing up online, fans of old California hardcore music lost their minds. Was it really possible that Keith Morris was fronting a punk rock super-group that could cram 16 songs into less than 20 minutes? It was possible, and it was actually happening. This was welcome news to fans of hardcore young and old—mostly because it meant that Morris had a reason to tour again, and once he hit the road, there was a solid chance that he’d play your town. … read more
The Garage: Roadhouse Comfort Food
I was impressed by so many things at The Garage: The staff were prompt and courteous and the food and drinks will have you coming back. … read more
Johnniebeefs: The Taste of Summer
Johnniebeefs 6913 S. 1300 E. Cottonwood Heights, Utah 801.352.0372 Monday – Saturday: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Sunday: Closed As long as I can remember, my summers have been punctuated by outdoor cookouts—and this has usually meant sausages and hotdogs. As such, I’ve got a soft spot for a well-prepared dog, even if it isn’t
Fresh Cuts Daily: Sushi Groove
Sushi Groove is a mellow place. Located across from the Visual Art Institute on Highland Drive, the small, laid-back space provides an intimate dining experience. When you’re greeted by the graffiti-style artwork on the wall, you know immediately that you’re not in a pretentious sushi shop. The dining room seems designed to set the guests’ mind at ease, and it is successful at doing exactly that. … read more
Finding My Pioneer Roots
I had wanted to be involved with the annual Beer Issue since its conception, but there was always one glaring problem: I don’t drink beer. As SLUG Magazine’s Highest Ranking Mormon ™, I was limited in what I could contribute. I had always been obsessed with the process of making beer (much like early Mormons were until that whole “Word of Wisdom” thing came along) and was intrigued by the culture of local home brewing. As I looked into it, I realized that, with an increase in home beer production, there was also an increase in the number of brewers that wanted to share the experience with their kids—albeit in a non-alcoholic way. Thus, I found my calling: I would brew my own root beer. … read more