Many visitors think you cannot drink in Utah. That is not true.
From Sunday's NYT. I deleted the skiing part, 'cause, like, you know...
November 13, 2005
Going to
Salt Lake City
By MELISSA SANFORD
WHY GO NOW Three years after the 2002 Winter Olympics brought international attention to Utah, Salt Lake City is at a crossroads: trying to appeal to non-Mormons by promoting a cosmopolitan atmosphere, while maintaining the traditions that make it a religious capital for millions. One thing it has going for it is location: the Wasatch Mountains surrounding the city are already covered with snow, and there are seven ski resorts within a half-hour's drive.
Most Mormons still do not drink alcohol, Utahans have the largest families in the country, and polygamy was legal here until 1890. (A sect living in southern Utah even continues the practice in defiance of church and state law.) Most Utahans are proud of their heritage, but if visitors look closely, they will see that residents are also quick to chuckle at aspects of the state's history. For instance, one of the most popular beers here is called Polygamy Porter. And although night life is becoming more active every year, it is more subdued than in other major cities.
WHERE TO STAY The Hotel Monaco, (1) 15 West 200 South, (801) 595-0000, www.monaco-saltlakecity.com, is a modern hotel and a historic landmark that is part of the Monaco chain owned by Kimpton Hotels. The building was originally constructed in 1924 as a bank and was converted into a hotel in 1999. Between 5 and 6 p.m. guests can have free shoulder massages and wine in the hotel lobby. Guests can bring their pets, and the front desk will even lend out goldfish. Rooms start at $179, $109 on weekends, based on double occupancy. The hotel's restaurant, Bambara, offers dinner entrees ranging from $18 to $32.
The Grand America Hotel, (2) 555 South Main Street, (801) 258-6000, www.grandamerica.com was built to add luxury accommodations to the city's hotel stock in advance of the 2002 Olympics. It was designed to look like a classic European hotel with golden sconces, ornate ballrooms and high ceilings. Most of the guest rooms have Carrara marble bathrooms and mountain views. Rooms are $259 during the week and $219 on the weekends, double occupancy.
The Parrish Place Bed & Breakfast, (3) 720 East Ashton Avenue, (888) 832-0869, www.parrishpl.com, is a small bed-and-breakfast in a residential neighborhood. The house was built in 1890 by George Cannon, who is rumored to have lived there with two of his three wives, the owner said. The guest rooms have the original tile work and stained glass from Mr. Cannon's era. Rooms start at $89 for double occupancy.
WHERE TO EAT After years of cooking at the summer farmers' market, Miguel Gutierrez, a popular local chef, opened a year-round restaurant this year. At Junior's, (4) 230 South Main Street, (801) 364-1002, Mr. Gutierrez and his wife, Josefa, serve carne asada tacos ($1.50) tamales ($2) or burritos with rice and beans ($5.50). At lunchtime this tiny downtown restaurant is packed.
Two brothers, Scott and John Ashley, are the new owners of Michelangelo Ristorante, (5) 2156 South Highland Drive, (801) 466-0961. Scott Ashley starts each day by preparing fresh pasta and bread. At night he is the head chef in the kitchen, where he cooks staples of Italian cuisine like pasta Bolognese ($12). This busy restaurant is in the basement of a minimall and is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Silver Fork Lodge, (6) 11332 East Big Cottonwood Canyon, (888) 649-9551, a bed-and breakfast known mostly for its restaurant, sits in the Wasatch Mountains. It is a few minutes from Brighton Ski Resort, www.brightonresort.com, and Solitude Mountain Resort, www.skisolitude.com. Diners can linger by the fireplace, eat hearty dishes like brisket ($15.95) and look out large windows.
WHAT TO DO DURING THE DAY The Pioneer Memorial Museum, (12) 300 North Main Street, (801) 532-6479, has an enormous collection of unusual items, some from the days of the original Mormon pioneers. Inside the museum you can find a stuffed two-headed lamb that was preserved decades ago. The museum also has a large collection of crafts from the turn of the previous century, including delicate decorative flowers woven from human hair. The museum is free, but donations are welcomed.
Despite a bribery scandal that surrounded the awarding of the 2002 Winter Olympics to Salt Lake City, its residents remain proud of their role as hosts. Visitors can relive those glory days at Olympic Cauldron Park, (13) 451 South 1400 East, (801) 581-6606, where photographs capture the opening ceremony in which New York City firefighters carried the American flag from the World Trade Center, and the ice skater Sarah Hughes glided to gold. An eight-minute film presents the event's most memorable moments. The museum is free; the film costs $3.
Visitors can see art galleries in historic warehouses and local artists at work on Pierpont Avenue (14) between the streets 200 and 300 South. Nearby is UTah Artist Hands, (15) a gallery at 61 West 100 South, (801) 355-0206, www.utahands.com, which features local art including hand-painted greeting cards starting at $4.50.
YES, FREE Missionaries give tours of the home of Brigham Young, the first governor of Utah and leader of the Mormon Church. Mr. Young lived in the Beehive House, (16) 67 East South Temple, (801) 240-2681, from 1852 to 1877, part of the time with Lucy, one of his 19 wives. The house is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The Beehive House near Temple Square, (17) the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, home of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Family History Library, (18) 35 North West Temple, (801) 240-2331, where anyone can search for ancestors in one of the world's largest genealogy collections.
WHAT TO DO AT NIGHT Many visitors think you cannot drink in Utah. That is not true, although there are some confusing liquor laws. Bars here are called private clubs. All are welcome, however, as long as they pay a temporary membership fee (about $5). In most clubs you can order any type of drink, and smoking is allowed.
The Red Door, (19) 57 West 200 South, (801) 363-6030, serves more than 40 types of martinis ($6 to $8) and has a fully stocked bar for other spirits. In this dimly lighted club, upscale night owls lounge on couches while listening to loud ambient music.
The Tavernacle Social Club, (20) 201 East 300 South, (801) 519-8900, is a piano bar crowded with residents who enjoy a beer (drafts $3 to $7; cocktails $4 and $8) and a song. Here, the highlight of the evening is a group singalong accompanied by two and sometimes three piano players. The best nights to visit are Wednesdays through Saturdays, when the dueling piano show is in full swing.
For visitors with slightly more elevated musical tastes, Salt Lake City has a resident symphony led by Keith Lockhart, the conductor of the Boston Pops. During the week of Jan. 14, Mr. Lockhart will conduct the Utah Symphony and Opera, (21) Abravanel Hall 123 West South Temple, in a production of "La Rondine" by Puccini (801) 355-2787. Tickets cost $12 to $70.
WHERE TO SHOP For the last 15 years, the Blue Cockatoo, (22) 1506 South 1500 East, (801) 467-4023, has sold funky gifts at reasonable prices. The store carries handmade magnets ($3); handmade earrings ($30); hand-blown glass bud vases ($35); and sculptures by local artists ($150).
The 900 South and 900 East neighborhood has a large selection of boutiques. The Children's Hour, (23) 914 East 900 South, (801) 359-4150, sells faux-fur coats ($78) and matching booties ($36) for little girls. For boys, the shop sells Kenneth Cole Reaction dress shirts, pants, and Ultrasuede jackets (the clothing set costs $68). The store also carries children's books and gifts.
A couple of blocks up, Hip & Humble, (24) 1043 East 900 South, (801) 467-3130 sells luxury bed and bath items. The smell of Provençal soaps ($4 to $8) greets customers as they walk in. The store sells soft robes ($59), pillow shams ($50), and linen duvets ($125 to $325.)
HOW TO STAY WIRED The main branch of the Salt Lake City Public Library, (25) 210 East 400 South, (801) 524-8200, offers a free hour of high-speed Internet access per day. Visitors must present a picture ID to receive a temporary pass. The library is in a striking building, with a four-story high wall of rounded glass. For serious work, the best place to sit is in the technology center.
>YOUR FIRST TIME OR YOUR 10TH No trip to Salt Lake is complete without a drive through the Wasatch Mountains. Venture into Big Cottonwood Canyon, (26) on the highway that bears that name, for mountain views, snow-covered trees and rivers. Signs posted at the bottom of the canyon will alert you to road conditions.
HOW TO GET THERE Delta has a hub in Salt Lake City, so it is usually fairly easy to find flights here. From Kennedy Airport, nonstop round-trip tickets were priced at about $300 for early December. American, Continental and Southwest also fly into Salt Lake International Airport.
GETTING AROUND Downtown Salt Lake City is easy to navigate with public transportation. City streets are on a grid system centered on the Mormon Temple. The address of a building three blocks southeast of the temple would be 300 South 300 East. The city's light rail train, TRAX, is clean and reliable. An all-day pass for TRAX and public buses costs $3.50. A rental car is more convenient for exploring outlying areas.
