Labor Day is over, the temperature has dropped significantly and your cravings for some indoor fun may be growing. What are you hungering for? Well, Utah’s restaurants have got you covered with exceptional events plus the eagerly anticipated Greek Festival is just around the corner!
Tomato Days
Through September 15
Restaurants across the Salt Lake valley will participate in the annual Tomato Dine-around—featuring dishes highlighting the fantastically ripe tomato! Participating restaurants include:
3 Cups
Avenues Bistro
Eva
Even Stevens Sandwiches
Les Madeleines
Meditrina
Roots Cafe
Tin Angel Cafe
Best of all, you’re eating for a great cause. During the event, 30% of the proceeds of any tomato-themed dish go to Wasatch Community Garden initiatives which supports 22 community gardens across the state. They also conduct workshops and school youth programs too.
Burgundy wine dinner at Bambara
September 7
Join Chef Nathan Powers and certified sommelier Jenna Chevigny at Bambara on September 7 for an evening in Burgundy. Enjoy Powers’ artful American cuisine paired with four Burgundies.
Chevigny, who is the western regional manager for Maison Albert Bichot will guide diners through four world-class wines including Maison Albert Bichot—a sixth generation, family-owned Burgundy house. Bichot owns six domaines in Burgundy including some in Chablis (where they are the second largest Grand Cru landholder), Cotes de Nuits, Pommard and Mercurey. A reception begins at 6:30 p.m. with dinner starting at 7 p.m. Cost of the dinner is $45 for food and $30 for wine pairings. Reservations should be made by calling 801-363-5454.
202 Main St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Salt Lake Greek Festival 2016
September 9-11
Opa! It’s time to dine and dance at one of downtown Salt Lake City’s best tasting celebrations—the 41st annual Salt Lake Greek Festival—hailed as the largest cultural event in Utah. Visit the Holy Trinity Cathedral to enjoy all things Greek at the Greek Festival. This delicious celebration includes food, drink, arts, crafts, dancing and music over three days highlighting the Greek culture, food and lifestyle. Enjoy more than thirty different traditional food dishes include staples like gyro and souvlaki in addition to stifado, kourambiedes and melomakarona. Cost of the event is $3 per person plus food and drink.
279 S. 300 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Downtown Dine O’Round
September 9-25
The 13th annual Downtown Dine O’ Round begins Friday, September 9. Diners can sample two-item lunches for $5 or $10 or three-item dinners for $15 or $35 during a two-week span that includes three full weekends.
The event is designed to bring new people downtown, as well as encourage downtown residents and office workers to explore what the city has to offer. Dine O’Round hopes to attract new diners to restaurants they have yet to experience, or to re-visit old favorites. Some restaurants will choose to put one of their staples on the Dine O’Round menu, while others may change the choice daily or weekly.
Diners are also offered the opportunity to “win dinner for a year” via a photo contest. Following the trend of diners posting photos to Instagram, restaurant-goers can upload photos from their Dine O’Round experience to enter by using the hashtag #DineORound and tagging @downtownslc to be automatically entered to win.
Sample menus and participating locations can be found at www.dineoround.com.
Tomato Sandwich Party
September 10
In collaboration with Tomato Days, Wasatch Community Garden brings you the Tomato Sandwich Party on Saturday, September 10, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. The free event lets you sample delicious heirloom tomato and pesto sandwiches as a thank you to the community who has supported them for the past 27 years and also as a kick-off event for Eat Local Week. This event will take place at the Grateful Tomato Garden, 800 S. 600 E., Salt Lake City, UT 84102.
Eat Local Week
Sept. 10-17
The official 2016 Eat Local Week Utah is September 10-17 with the mission of rallying Utah communities to eat more locally produced food—in turn supporting local farmers, producers and economy, and thereby preserving Utah’s agricultural heritage.
There are three levels to the Eat Local Utah challenge—from the strictest Hardcore level, the Easy-Does-It level or the intro DIY level. Each prompt you to think about your eating habits and replace more and more foods you consume with those grown, raised, produced or caught within Utah boundaries. Share your finds using the hashtag #eatlocalutah.
To learn more about Eat Local Utah week and to sign up for the Eat Local Utah Week, visit here.
National Guacamole Day at Alamexo
September 16
Celebrate National Guacamole Day and Mexican Independence Day at Alamexo on September 16. Enjoy several dinner-only specials including guacamoles, entrées and a specialty cocktail called Up in Smoke pairing Wahaka Mezcal, lime and hoja santa simple syrup with a chile molido rim.
The guacamole specials include:
- Guacamole en molcajete, served with chips & salsa ($10.95)
- Guacamole en fruits, Hass avocado and serrano chilies, mango, grapes & local stone fruits ($10.95)
- Guacamole y chicharron con verde, Hass avocado mashed with salsa verde cruda & topped with crispy house cured pork chicharrones ($11.95)
- Guacamole y langosta, classic Alamexo guacamole recipe with the addition of one pound of lobster ($22.95)
“Guacamole has been part of traditional Mexican cuisine since the time of the Aztecs,” explains Alamexo owner and chef Matthew Lake. “My personal favorite is the one with a full pound of succulent lobster meat folded in!”
268 State Street #110, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Festa Italiana
September 17 & 18
The Italian American Civic League offers Italian hospitality at its best at the second annual Festa Italiana on Sept. 17 and 18 at The Gateway. No surprise, the main attraction of the event will be the food and drink—provided by local Italian restaurants. Get ready to enjoy arancini from Per Noi Trattoria, cannelloni fom Sicilia Mia and scallile from Cannella’s. Pair these with Italian beer and wine and enjoy the fun and flavors of Italy.
Fall Harvest Dinner Party
James Beard Celebrity Chef Tour
September 24
Six star chefs return to Riverhorse on Main, including a Top Chef fan favorite, to take control of the Riverhorse kitchen and serve an unforgettable multi-course meal Sept. 24.
Top Chef’s” Tiffany Derry; La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club executive chef Bernard Guillas; Shabu co-owner and executive chef Robert Valaika; Deer Valley Resort director of food and beverage Jodie Rogers; Eva and Eva’s Bakery owner Charlie Perry; and Riverhorse’s own co-owner and executive chef Seth Adams will all participate in this fundraising event.
Similar to an evening at the historic James Beard House in New York City, guests will have the opportunity to interact with the chefs while enjoying the intriguing atmosphere at Riverhorse.
“This is going to be a night you and your taste buds won’t want to miss,” Adams, of Riverhorse, said. “Each of these chefs is a rock star, and it’s going to be a blast having them in the kitchen – and for a good cause, too.”
The event starts at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $225. Proceeds will go toward the James Beard Foundation, which supports educational initiatives, culinary awards and an annual national food conference. Tickets can be purchased by calling Riverhorse on Main at 435-649-3536 or going online at https://www.jamesbeard.org/events/park-city-ut-2.
4th West Oktoberfest
September 30-October 2
Mountain West Hard Cider and Red Rock Brewing will celebrate Oktoberfest together on 4th West this year. The celebration runs from Friday, September 30 to Sunday, October 2 at 425 North 400 West in Salt Lake City, Utah and features Mountain West’s hard ciders and Red Rock’s craft beers.
4th West Oktoberfest will include live music from local artists Candy’s River House, Tony Holiday and the Velvetones, Hectic Hobo, Talia Keys and Michelle Moonshine. DJ Justin Godina will be spinning tunes in-between sets.
Local food trucks Poutine Your Mouth, SPUDS, Tacos Don Rafa, Bumblebee’s KBBQ and Grill, and Shylo’s Mobile Café are scheduled to serve at the event. Ruby-mosas, a variation on mimosas based on Mountain West Hard Cider’s flagship cider, Ruby, will also be offered during 4th West Oktoberfest.
A part of the proceeds from the event will benefit the Utah Pride Center, a local non-profit organization advocating a thriving LGBTQ+ community in Utah. “We felt a need to support a local non-profit and after working with the Utah Pride Center for the release of Ruby’s Gay Hard Cider during Pride Month, it was an easy choice,” says Jennifer Carleton, an owner of Mountain West Hard Cider.
General one-day admission for the event is $7 and includes a limited edition mug. Children under the age of 12 are admitted free into the event. VIP passes are $50 and provide indoor accommodations, full bar access and a buffet catered by Garage on Beck, in addition to a limited edition mug. Three-day and non-drinker admission tickets are also available.
For more information and ticket sales, please visit http://www.mountainwestcider.com/4thWestOktoberfest.
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