What's Cooking?

Salt Lake City is home to great dining, much of it available within walking distance of the Salt Palace. In this small area you will also find the upscale Metropolitan, New Yorker, Absolute Restaurant and Trasserie, and Bambara restaurants. The dishes you will eat here are works of art. Christopher's Steakhouse, Flemings Prime Steakhouse, and Spencer's for Steaks and Chops are great places to go for a good steak. The Bambara has a classy club if you care for a before-dinner drink. Also in the same area are Baci Trattoria, Lamb's Restaurant, and Squatters Brew Pub, good restaurants with moderately priced fare. Squatters is a brew pub where you can sample beer made on the premises. The two rooftop restaurants in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building (The Garden and The Roof) east of the Temple are both excellent dining choices, offering wonderful views of the Temple and the Church's Main Street Plaza.

If your tastebuds call for more exotic food, try Chinese at Xiou Li, Spanish tapas at the Martine, sushi at Ginza Japanese Cuisine and Sushi Bar, or Peruvian at Incantations. If you prefer to drive to dine and want to soak up some atmosphere, Log Haven in Mill Creek Canyon has outside dining next to a waterfall. On the other hand, the Red Iguana is Salt Lake's most popular “authentic” Mexican restaurant with killer mole and chile relleno.

Price rating system: $=$8-$12; $$=$10-$30 for a la carte

$$Absolute Restaurant and Brasserie,
52 West, 200 South, 359-0899

$Baci Trattoria,
134 West Pierpont Avenue, 328-1500

$$Bambara Restaurant,
202 S. Main Street, 363-5454

$$Christopher's Seafood and Steakhouse,
370 W. 500 S. 299-9544

$$Flemings Prime Steakhouse,
at the Gateway (20 S. 400 W.) 355-3704

$Garden Restaurant, 15 E. South Temple, 539-1911

Ginza Japanese Cuisine and Sushi Bar,
209 W. 200 S. 322-2224

$Incantations,
159 S. Main St. 533-2722

$Lambs Restaurant,
169 S. Main Street, 364-7166

$$Log Haven,
Millcreek Canyon, 272-8255

$$Metropolitan,
173 W. Broadway (300 S.), 364-3472

$$Market Street Grille,
40 W. Market Street, 322-4668

$Martine,
22 E. 100 S., 363-9328

$$The New Yorker Club,
60 Market Street, 363-0166

$The Red Iguana,
736 W. North Temple, 322-1489

$$The Roof Restaurant,
15 E. South Temple, 539-1911

$Squatters Pub Brewery,
147 W. 300 S., 363-2739

$Xiao Li,
307 W. 200 S., 328-8688