This article is reprinted from the Utah Eats newsletter, compiled by Kolbie Peterson, The Salt Lake Tribune’s food and drink reporter. To get the newsletter in your inbox every Wednesday, become a subscriber by going to sltrib.com/newsletters.
Hello, Eaters!
This week, I tried out a brand-new spot, Bhansa Ghar, which is an Indian and Nepali restaurant at 250 W. 2100 South, near Home Depot. Thanks to Kelly for the recommendation!
Bhansa Ghar — the name means “house of food” in Nepali — had its soft opening a couple of weeks ago and its grand opening last week, and it seems like the word hasn’t gotten out yet because we were the only customers there on a Saturday night.
But the staff has the food dialed in. Everything we ordered was delicious.
My dining companion and I started with the chicken momos (pictured above), made with a delicate dumpling dough and fried. They were served with a flavorful sauce made with tomatoes, sesame and turmeric.
For my entree, I chose the lamb rogan josh — more on that below.
On the side, I had the onion kulcha, which is an Indian flatbread filled with thinly sliced onions and baked in a tandoor.
I’d like to let some time go by and go back for another visit once the restaurant is more established. I’ll have to save some room for dessert and try the gulab jamun, which, according to the menu, are fried dough balls soaked in a sugar syrup flavored with rose water.
Live deliciously,
Kolbie
Food News
• Salt Lake City chef Daniel Moreland of @cactuseaterr is doing an exclusive pop-up dinner and cider pairing event called “BURNT” with Scion Cider Bar on Wednesday, March 13, at 7:30 p.m. According to an Instagram post, five courses of “elevated fare” will be expertly paired with five ciders to bring out the best flavors in each combination. Tickets are $100 per person, not including cider pairings, and are available online.
• Tea Zaanti, at 1944 S. 1100 East in Salt Lake City’s Sugar House neighborhood, is holding a Thursday night wine tasting on March 14 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The event features a pre-selected menu item for $10, and two 2.5-ounce wine pours for $5, a still rosé and a sparkling rosé. According to the invite, these are natural wines that can’t usually be found on the shelf in Utah. You can reserve your spot ahead of time, but must pay for the wine the night of the event.
• For the month of March, Make-A-Wish Utah is partnering with New Jersey-based sub sandwich chain Jersey Mike’s for the 14th annual March “Month of Giving” campaign to support local charities. During March, Jersey Mike’s customers will have the option to round up their purchase to the nearest dollar or donate $1, $3 or $5 when placing their order. The campaign will culminate with the “Day of Giving” on Wednesday, March 27, when local Jersey Mike’s restaurants (there are 38 in Utah) will give 100% of the day’s sales to Make-A-Wish Utah.
• Urban Hill just launched its own tabletop s’mores service, so after you have a meal in the restaurant at 510 S. 300 West in the Post District, you can make your own sweet treat with graham crackers, chocolate and housemade marshmallows. Each order comes with six s’mores for $22.
• If someone you knew was moving to Utah, which restaurants and bars would you take them to, and why? Let me know by filling out this Google form, and your picks could be included in a future story.
Openings:
• Four new concepts have opened at The Local Eatery & Bar, a food hall at 310 E. 400 South near the Salt Lake City Main Library: The Salt (NYC-inspired Jewish deli), Enko Ramen (Japanese), Habibi (Mediterranean and Middle Eastern) and Super Chingón (Mexican). These newcomers add to the eateries already under The Local’s roof, including Pokeologist and Pop’s Burgers.
• Culture Coffee, at 285 N. 900 West in the Fairpark neighborhood of Salt Lake City, celebrated its grand opening last week. This cool neighborhood coffee shop features hot and cold drinks, a few local food items (try the banana cream pie!), arcade games, board games and a small selection of vinyl, clothing and coffee accessories for sale. The Tribune’s Palak Jayswal is writing about the coffee shop; the story is scheduled to be published online and in print this weekend.
Booze (and Drink!) News
• Confused about the quirks of Utah’s alcohol laws? We made a TikTok just for you. Kudos to The Tribune’s Kelly Cannon for creating it. (And catch up on our coverage of the annual omnibus liquor bill, which is on its way to Gov. Spencer Cox’s desk, and last week’s Utah liquor commission meeting, where the board cleaned out its supply of bar licenses and won’t get another license to award until April.)
Dish of the Week
For the Dish of the Week, I had to go with Bhansa Ghar’s lamb rogan josh, which was vibrant and bright, great for someone who’s never really eaten lamb before.
Heaped upon long-grain basmati rice, this was spicy comfort food to the max, made with chunks of lamb simmered with yogurt, garlic, onions, ginger, tomatoes and spices, especially Kashmiri red chili and ratan jot (alkanet), which the menu said gives this dish its gorgeous red color.
I’m always happiest when a dish lends itself to being scooped up with bread, and Bhansa Ghar’s lamb rogan josh provided that simple but much-loved experience.
