If you haven’t gathered by now, we love food. Cooking, sharing food with friends and family, and experiencing edible art are a few of our favorite things. One of the things I love about food is that it’s ephemeral. You can have the same dish multiple times, but you’re never going to have it in exactly the same way. Ingredients will vary: one tomato is not exactly the same as another tomato, even of the same variety because ripeness, flavor, and aesthetic differs from one to another. Preparation of dishes also varies. A chef may do their best to achieve uniformity, but there’s going to be small differences every time you have the same dish on different occasions. That’s the nature of chopping, cooking, and pouring– there are so many factors that it’s imprecise to some extent, even at its most masterful.
When you eat delicious food, it’s a transitory moment that you can’t experience in the same way ever again– and I love that. I love forcing myself to focus, to be mindful of my senses, and to thoughtfully process what I’m literally taking in as part of myself. This is why– despite the ridicule of being another basic Instagram girl– I love photographing food, as a reminder of an experience, a memory of a feeling.
Because food is the source of so much of our happiness and gratitude, for Jeff’s birthday we decided to do a progressive dinner around Salt Lake City, visiting our favorite haunts and ordering a dish or two per stop. It was unlike anything we’d done before and not for the faint of heart: 10 straight hours of eating and walking around the city with a couple of our closest friends. It was quite the event, and below you’ll find our itinerary and a documentation of our adventures.
Stop 1: Current– Oyster bar and seafood in an open, historic building.
Must Order: Oysters. Fries with three dipping sauces.
Honorable Mentions: Clam dip with thin housemade chips.
Stop 2: The People’s Coffee– Communist libations.
Must Order: Mocha blanca.
Stop 3: Vive Juicery– Cold-pressed juices from local ingredients.
Must Order: Don’t Stop the Beet
Pictured: Daydream
Stop 4: Whiskey Street– Fantastic food served in a beautiful bar.
Must Order: Smoked BBQ wings. (The best wings you’ll ever eat.)
Stop 5: Takashi– The best sushi around.
Must Order: Grilled sablefish (pictured). Toro sashimi.
Stop 6: Red Door– Swanky drinks against a giant Che Guevara mural.
Stop 7: Pago– In a building from 1910, where local ingredients rule.
Must Order: Carrots five ways (pictured).
(photo cred: our dear friend and dining companion, Rebecca)
Stop 8: Rye– Fancy comfort food with Asian and American influences.
Must Order: Pie. Ice cream (pictured). Shoyu-fried chicken.
Honorable Mention: Pork belly lettuce wraps.
Thank you to our friends!
Two brave souls spent 10 hours dining with us. You are the best, and we can’t thank you enough for your friendship and for sharing our love of food!
To our fine readers, I wish the best of food experiences to you all. Cheers!
Geek Appetite: Serving up geek goodies & good eats 