By Jennifer Margulis
Special to The Washington Post – Sunday, November 16, 2008
Salt Lake City usually makes you think of businessmen sporting short haircuts and long-skirted mothers herding their children like goslings. It has never been known for its culinary prowess. Ask a local, such as 25-year-old library assistant Patrick Hoecherl, what folks in Salt Lake City like to eat, and he’ll tell you the dish of choice at every large gathering is green Jell-O with grated carrots, appropriately molded with scalloped edges.
But there’s another side to Salt Lake City food: a foodie culture that includes offbeat and even New Age-y restaurants that are proving as popular as places serving home-style cooking.
Go to the award-winning Red Iguana (736 W. North Temple, 801-322-1489, http:/
One hundred percent vegan food artfully presented and served by waiters sporting colorful tattoos on their arms is what you’ll find at Sage’s Cafe (473 E. Broadway, 801-322-3790, http:/
At Tin Angel Cafe (365 West 400 South, 801-328-4155, http:/
And then there’s the One World Cafe (41 South 300 East, 801-519-2002, http:/
But what if you want to try green Jell-O with grated carrots? Most travelers will tell you that the stereotype of Utahans’ being among the friendliest folks in America holds true. So get yourself invited to a family reunion.