The Wild Grape: Belly up to the Bar

It was supposed to be a goodbye brunch for a friend, but the only seats available at The Wild Grape, New West Bistro on this Sunday morning were at the bar.

Lesson one:  this place is busy - make a reservation.
Lesson two:  sitting at the bar can be a GOOD thing.

While it made for challenging group conversation, we quickly realized that sitting right in front of the talented Wild Grape kitchen staff has its benefits.  I'd never been before, but apparently, it's common for folks at the counter to be offered tastes of different dishes.  We got to sample a strawberry and goat cheese dish, as well as tortillas with salsa.

And then there was the meal - I'd been told that the Wild Grape uses mainly locally-produced ingredients, so the Local First Omelet, with Creminelli's Porcini Sausage, Beehive's Cheddar, and caramelized onions, seemed a good place to begin.

I will say this:  when it comes to flavor, I believe butter makes (almost) anything better, and yet, I didn't put ANY of it on the homemade biscuit.  Didn't need to.  The reasonably priced ($4) bloody mary was a nice accompaniment to the weekend meal.

I'd been hearing nothing but good things about this place, and I'm sure I'll be back to check out even more of what they have to offer.

Details:

481 E South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Phone: (801)746-5565

Hours:

Lunch: Mon-Fri 11am-3pm

In Between Menu: 3pm-5pm

Brunch: Sat-Sun 9am-3pm

Dinner: Sun-Mon 5pm-10pm, Fri & Sat 5pm-10:30pm

Late: Mon-Sat 9:30pm-Till Close (11:30 - Midnight)