When Patrick Andrews founded Blue Copper Roasters in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2013, he was one of only three people in town serious about roasting coffee. Now there are over a half-dozen notable shops and the restaurant, bar, and local music scenes are thriving. Let Andrews be your guide to Utah’s capital, the small, easily navigable city nestled between the Wasatch mountains and the Great Salt Lake. Whether you’re looking for old-fashioned diner grub or late-night tacos to soak up a wild night, we’ve got just the place. Where should I stay?
An Airbnb in Sugarhouse, which is full of old buildings, mini-neighborhoods, and has tons of cool bars, shops, and food. You could also stay in Downtown, but the experience of staying there isn’t quite as rich. As for hotels, the Grand America is fancy, and I know a guy who set up a great cocktail program there at the Gibson Bar (named for its—you guessed it—Gibsons), so that’s a good perk.
Where should I grab breakfast?
Rye. They do American-style food with an Asian twist. It’s a well thought-out, stripped-down menu with good ingredients. Their morning cocktails—including classic mimosas and stiffer whiskey drinks, all on their own breakfast-specific cocktail menu—and coffee service are great, too. Another one is The Park Café, which is really classic, higher-quality diner food with 100 people waiting online outside on the weekends. There’s always way too much food for about $6—potatoes, eggs, you name it.
Best cup of coffee?
The Rose Establishment serves San Francisco’s Four Barrel coffee and they have very well-trained baristas and a knowledgable staff. There’s another cool, tiny shop called Caffè D’Bolla. Their branding is out of line with what’s hip, and that almost makes it cooler. The vibe is weird but the coffee is phenomenal. They only have espresso drinks and a siphon pot. They don’t do wholesale, except to Forage, which tells me Forage is probably outstanding.
Best brewery?
Epic Brewing.
They were one of the first breweries to do high point beers.
The best market to eat your way around?
The Downtown Farmers Market in Pioneer Park goes all summer long, every Saturday morning. All of the produce is super rad, Eva’s Bakeryusually has a booth, and Bitters Lab, a new bitters company I like, is there. It’s a nice way for out-of-towners to see what’s going on in the city, because everyone who’s doing cool stuff is at the market at some point.Where to see great art?
There is a strip on Broadway that hosts gallery strolls once a month in the warmer seasons. There’s also the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, which has no permanent collection so there’s always something new, downtown.