City Weekly Best of Utah 2018

Best of Utah 2018: General

77 reader-voted winners in general, from the City Weekly Best of Utah 2018 poll.

Ask Ave: What won Best of Utah 2018 for General

• Best $10 VoucherGolden Hills Motel

  Is it a restaurant or is it a motel? The mystery ends here—it's both! The hidden gem that is Golden Hills is the thriftiest motel closest to Zion National Park. Guests get a $10 voucher…

• Best Alcoholic Bang for Your BuckSquatter's Hop Rising Double IPA

  While not the best beer in the city, Squatter's Hop Rising is an exceptionally drinkable 9-percent ABV double IPA. Prices vary, but the canned or bottled brew seems to go for less at bars…

• Best BaconLucky 13

  For generations, bacon was relegated to side-dish status. Then, a sort of Robert Downey Jr. comeback occurred and thin slabs of heavenly goodness broke free from their breakfast-food… — Runners-up: The Park Café, Pig & a Jelly Jar

• Best Bake SaleFillings and Emulsions

  Like most Americans, chef Adalberto Diaz was horrified when he heard stories of immigrant families being detained and separated at the U.S. southern border. An immigrant himself, Diaz saw…

• Best Big Meals in a Bite-Sized BuildingLaan Na Thai

  Chefs and Thai immigrants Yupin and Wichai Charoen have been running their restaurant for just over two years now, and their operation is still going strong. Five people feels like a crowd…

• Best Blackout on a BudgetX-Wife's Place

  If you're strapped for cash, a cash-only bar might not be the first place that comes to mind for a night out. But if you can scrounge up a few greenbacks, X-Wife's Place gives you the…

• Best Boneheaded Group Standing up for Their Second Amendment RightsUtah Gun Exchange

  Shortly before the survivors of the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School came to Utah in July, The Salt Lake Tribune reported that Bryan Melchior, one of the owners of the Utah…

• Best BunsThe Rising Bun

  Taking a cue from the steamed buns that are integral to Chinese cuisine and hitting them with pork belly, pickled mustard seeds and chile-hoisin sauce, Lehi's The Rising Bun has created…

• Best BurritoBlue Iguana

  With a menu chock full of Mexican cuisine standouts—including chiles rellenos, molcajetes and pipián—this eatery quite literally has something for everybody. Whether they're naked or… — Runners-up: Lone Star Taquería, Red Iguana

• Best Chimney SweepSweet Chimneys

  Although chimney cakes have been around for a few hundred years—you might have missed them because they're traditionally called kurtoskalacs and live in Hungary—this street-friendly dessert…

• Best Conservation WarriorsUtah Recycling Alliance

  Between Fix-It Clinics, Sustainability Summits and Pop-up CHaRMs (collections of hard-to-recycle materials), the Utah Recycling Alliance is doing its part to keep Utah as green, and…

• Best Cultural CraftsUrban Indian Center Art Market

  What started as an opportunity for both experienced and novice Native American artists to share their wares and make a little money, the Urban Indian Center's weekly art market celebrated…

• Best Dairy-Free MenuMonkeywrench

  It was the worst Christmas present ever: Waking up a couple of years back around the holidays, only to realize I'd become lactose-intolerant. Snug in my bed, taunting visions of cheese… — Runners-up: City Cakes & Café, Normal Ice Cream

• Best Down Under JoltCampos Coffee

  Located in an alley between 200 and 300 South, the new Campos Coffee flagship store in Salt Lake City is a caffeine enthusiast's dream. The 4,500-square-foot spot is the first roastery the…

• Best Eclectic ProgrammingLiquid Joe's

  Consider Millcreek's Liquid Joe's a jack of many nightlife trades. Whatever floats your boat—from a revolving door of metal acts to a residency from beloved SLC party band Spazmatics—can be…

• Best Edible SafariBurger Bar

  Imagine surreptitiously trekking the streets of Roy, bushwhacking a path through dense forestation, all in search of some prized game—lions, tigers, bears ... There's no need to break out…

• Best Elected OfficialBen McAdams

  At press time, Ben McAdams is crisscrossing Utah's 4th Congressional District in an outrageously orange school bus—perhaps a nod to his first job as pumpkin picker when he was 12—to unseat… — Runners-up: Spencer Cox, Derek Kitche

• Best F.U. to the LegislatureSign Mocking

  A couple of years ago, Utah's quirky Legislature passed a law requiring bars and restaurants to post signs by their entrances that read, "This premise is licensed as a bar. Not a…

• Best Failled Australian ImportGreat Salt Lake Whales

  Now for some history. Mr. James Wickham, upon first stepping foot onto the Great Salt Lake's banks must have surely—eyes squinting, scanning the watery horizon—said, "Call me Wickham." He…

• Best Flavors of Nepal in the South ValleyHimalayan Kitchen

  Some of the more exotic flavors of international cuisine are easy to find in downtown Salt Lake City, but harder to come by in the farther reaches of the valley. Himalayan Kitchen's State…

• Best Follow on Twitter@thejazzyute

  Whether you're a Utah Utes, Brigham Young Cougars or Utah State Aggies football fan, following the exuberant and often bleak takes of @thejazzyute on Twitter is a must. Sure, most of the…

• Best Garden SupplyMillcreek Gardens

  Started by Vernon and Murriel Smith in 1955, Millcreek Gardens has a strong local connection to not only Millcreek but much of the valley. People drive from all over the Wasatch Front to… — Runners-up: Cactus and Tropicals, Glover Nursery

• Best Gas Station SnacksJacksons Food Stores

  If your gas station doesn't offer pebble ice and fresh maraschino cherries for your fountain drink, you deserve better. Add flavor shots and a squeeze of lemon or lime for a DIY dirty soda…

• Best Gastronomic GambleSpice to Go at Spice Kitchen Incubator

  Spice Kitchen has always been a flagship for diverse eating in Salt Lake, and its Spice to Go project has provided a way for locals to take some of that diversity home with them. Every…

• Best Gear BrandCotopaxi

  Brands are all about messaging these days and Cotopaxi, started by Brigham Young University graduate Davis Smith, is quickly becoming a household name among outdoor gear options. The… — Runners-up: Black Diamond, Kühl

• Best GreekAristo's

  Since he was a young boy, Aristo Boutsikakis had a vision to create a restaurant honoring his family's home, the Greek island of Crete. Staying true to Greek culture and tradition, Aristo's… — Runners-up: The Other Place, Manoli's

• Best Hollywood First Amendment ProponentJane Fonda

  A headline-grabbing fixture since her 1960 big-screen debut in Tall Story, two-time Oscar-winner Jane Fonda has gone through several reinventions (Spandex-clad workout, anyone?) giving…

• Best Human-Powered Conservation EffortUtah Conservation Corps' Bike Crew

  Three times a year, the Utah Conservation Corps takes a bunch of 20-somethings into the woods, outfits them with chaps and helmets, and hands them chainsaws. (Don't worry—training is…

• Best Innovative MenuHSL

  Foodies in Utah should already be aware of Briar Handly, Melissa Gray and Meagan Nash's other successful restaurant, Handle in Park City. They've since ventured into the Salt Lake Valley to… — Runners-up: Table X, Boltcutter

• Best Instagram Feed@IconoCLAD

  The stalwart downtown second-hand store is more than just a great place to pick up vintage clothing, or hang out with the resident cats. The shop keeps its Instagram followers in the loop… — Runners-up: @UtahGrubs, @IndieOgdenUtah

• Best KaraokeHighlander Club

  This comfortable little club is off the beaten downtown path, but the trip south is worth it. Wood-grained chairs and tables evoke a classic neighborhood bar atmosphere, but once karaoke… — Runners-up: Piper Down, Tavernacle

• Best KombuchaMamachari

  What's that you ask, "Has the Best of Utah gone all hippy-dippy?" Not quite. Consumer habits have changed, and according to a recent study, what was once thought to be a niche elixir is now… — Runners-up: Sünnte, Harmons

• Best LGBTQ Advocate From an Institution You Wouldn't ExpectRichard Ostler

  A faithful Latter-day Saint and former bishop, Richard Ostler encourages fellow devout Mormons to embrace LGBTQ people, groups the LDS church has historically stigmatized and demonized…

• Best Liquor SelectionWhiskey Street

  Whiskey Street opened in 2013 with 130 varieties of its namesake liquor—since then, it's nearly quadrupled that total. The extensive menu includes a whiskey pairing for each food item, and… — Runners-up: Lake Effect, White Horse

• Best Lucky CharmTalisman Brewing Co.

  A talisman is typically an inscribed ring or stone that is thought to have magic powers and bring good luck. In Utah, Talisman is a brewpub located in the northernmost part of Ogden that…

• Best Mashed Potato Delivery SystemThe New Haven at Nuch's

  Not too long ago, hitting up Nuch's for a New Haven pizza became my go-to birthday tradition. Before I dig into the significance of this particular pizza, and why I only eat it once a year…

• Best Middle EasternMazza

  The Best Middle Eastern Restaurant award has gone to Mazza for 17 straight years, and for good reason—nowhere else can you enjoy as exquisitely prepared, authentic Middle Eastern cuisine… — Runners-up: Laziz Kitchen, Cedars of Lebano

• Best Mobile Feminist CollectiveMobile Moon Co-op

  The folks at Mobile Moon Co-op are really into plants. Like, really into them. Founded by Erika Longino, the collective is based out of a veggie-oil-powered 1980s bus. Its aim: to be a…

• Best Nearby Refuge from the Urban JungleLiberty Park

  I laughed out loud the first time I biked the concrete path around Liberty Park. I'd just moved to Salt Lake City from Texas, a state where voters consider the word "taxes" to be a curse…

• Best Neighborhood PhoThai This

  No matter how many times I draft this blurb, no words can properly communicate my love for Thai This. At first, I was going to talk about how my grandma and I visit there when we need a…

• Best New Place To Buy AlcoholLee's Discount Liquor

  I know this is the Best of Utah, but there's a store in Mesquite, Nev., that's long been popular with passersby who stop and purchase liquor. Why? Because you'll likely find cheaper prices…

• Best Night OutElixir

  Looking for a unique dinner and drinks one-two punch? This place has you covered with its combo Italian restaurant/lounge. Bloody mary piled to the sky accompanied by some pork tenderloin?…

• Best One Night Only and EncoreAvant Groove Jazz Club & Martini Bar / Button Down Bar

  Back in April, I wanted to find the type of raw, sweaty Jazz club that Jack Kerouac describes in On the Road—you know, the kind that could get you in trouble with the law. What I found was…

• Best Pale AlesDesert Edge Brewery

  The English invented the pale ale, but America perfected it. Now, I'm not slamming pals across the pond; they make some great suds. We Americans just happen to be gifted with brilliant…

• Best PatioRuth's Diner

  In 1930, Uruguay defeated Argentina in the very first World Cup, Neil Armstrong and Sean Connery were born and the television was barely an idea. Ruth's Diner was also established in 1930… — Runners-up: Cliff Dining Pub, Blue Iguana

• Best Penis EnvyV. Project, Gary Vlasic

  Anyone who's familiar with the internationally acclaimed work of Utah-based multidisciplinary artist and experiential designer Gary Vlasic knows he's practically the Picasso of penises. His…

• Best Place for a Morning DipFairmont Aquatic Center

  Start your day off right with a few laps at the Fairmont Aquatic Center. Located in the heart of Sugar House, the eight-lane, 25-yard lap pool is perfect for experts and novices, giving…

• Best Place To Feel Like You're in the Big CityLake Effect

  You've heard it before: Salt Lake City? More like Small Lake City, am I right? But, damn it, SLC is growing and there are places to experience the big-city vibe. Stroll into Lake Effect on…

• Best Place To NoshFeldman's Deli

  Feldman's stands alone when it comes to authentic Jewish deli-style sandwiches stacked mile high, gefilte fish, blintzes and dozens more East Coast-influenced items that have turned the…

• Best Place To Stick it to the EstablishmentNeighbor states

  For months, Utahns have been bombarded with news—and even fake news—about Proposition 2, the ballot initiative that would legalize medical cannabis. The Legislature was virtually silent…

• Best Place To Take in Utah's Wildlife Before It's GoneNorthwest Quadrant

  If you fashion yourself an ornithologist, the wetlands around the Great Salt Lake are a great spot to explore Utah's variety of birds. But act quick: The Inland Port—an international…

• Best Place to Unleash Your Inner TarantinoUtah Film Center Artist Foundry

  If you're looking to cast or cut that amazing indie film you've been slaving, sweating and crying over, it's hard to find a better place to do it than the Utah Film Center's Artist Foundry…

• Best Political BrawlMia Love and Ben McAdams

  Arguably the most interesting election in the Utah 2018 midterms, the Mia Love/Ben McAdams race had it all—allegations of both candidates using illegal campaign donations, political…

• Best Political ScandalInland Port Authority

  It's been called Utah's largest economic-development project—ever. Yet the bill creating the Utah Inland Port Authority was introduced, re-written and ramrodded through the 2018 Legislature… — Runners-up: Bears Ears, UTA

• Best Proponent of Utah LoveDan Reynolds

  In 2018, the Imagine Dragons frontman expanded his LoveLoud Festival, which celebrates Utah's LGBTQ youth and raises awareness about the staggering suicide problem they face. With a new…

• Best Re-creation of Childhood MemoriesKiitos Brewing's Dreamsicle

  It was only around for a brief, summery moment, but if you were lucky enough to sip on the Dreamsicle craft brew on tap at Kiitos Brewing, you likely had a sudden rush of sense-induced…

• Best Reminder that Humanity's Existence Is FleetingInversion

  Yep, it took 29 years to give this bad boy an award. Listen, we're lucky to live in Salt Lake City. In many parts of the U.S., the effects of climate change are so slow-moving that they're…

• Best ReservoirPineview

  Head east of Ogden to find one of the Wasatch Front's best spots to fish and dabble in water sports. If you have a boat or, better yet, a friend with a boat, Pineview Reservoir has plenty… — Runners-up: Jordanelle, Strawberry

• Best Running EventOgden Marathon

  Also known as "Utah's Spring Run Off" and rated by Runner's World as one of the Top 10 marathons in the world, the Ogden Marathon starts at 5,400 feet of elevation and follows a gentle… — Runners-up: Ragnar Relay, Salt Lake Maratho

• Best Scenic Drive for Visiting GuestsGuardsman Pass to Park City

  Beehive State residents face this dilemma all the time: visiting guests who want to see "the real Utah" without driving all the way to Zion or Arches. Try this relatively short summer-only…

• Best Show of SolidarityDiabolical Records

  A movie's box office intake after nabbing a Best Picture Oscar; a butt facial's popularity after being tweeted about by Kim K.; the visibility of a local business after it's heralded as a…

• Best Showcase of Utah to the WorldWestworld and Yellowstone

  Utah's tourism is built around the state's beauty, its expansive landscapes and its recreation. For years, Hollywood has taken note, too. HBO aired its second season of Westworld last…

• Best Social CauseHomelessness

  The homeless. Most mornings, you see them sleeping on the edge of Main Street planter boxes or huddled in abandoned storefronts. But for every "vagrant" we encounter, there are dozens more… — Runners-up: Medical cannabis, Suicide preventio

• Best SoupsSoup Kitchen

  The weather has turned, your comfy sweater has made it out of the dresser and pumpkin spice everything litters store shelves. It could only mean one thing: soup season is here! A Salt Lake… — Runners-up: Zupas, Kneaders

• Best Southern Utah OasisZion Brewery

  Surrounded by the deserts of Southern Utah and carefully placed by the beer gods near the gates of one of the most beautiful places on the earth, Zion Brewery has become the beer mecca in…

• Best SpiritOgden's Own's Five Wives Vodka

  Managing partner of Ogden's Own, Steve Conlin knows three things: How to take a solid portrait, rock a fedora like no other and distill some damn good vodka. Available at state liquor… — Runners-up: Beehive Distilling's Jackrabbit Gin, Sugar House Distillery's Sugar House Vodka

• Best Sports ReporterDavid James

  Any die-hard fan can spout statistics and sometimes obscure facts about their favorite sport. But it takes years of up-close observation and interaction to know the real stories behind… — Runners-up: Dave Fox, Wesley Ruff

• Best Tropical ToastMatterhorn French Toast

  Maple syrup has been such a staple accompaniment to breakfast baked goods, we sometimes forget that there are other creative options. The Matterhorn food truck serves up innovative…

• Best UnderstatementNormal Ice Cream

  If you've visited Trolley Square in the past year or so, then you might have noticed the disco ball surface of Alexa Norlin's chrome ice cream truck parked conspicuously within the east…

• Best VegetarianZest Kitchen & Bar

  Zest Kitchen & Bar is unlike any dining experience in Salt Lake City. Its extensive menu is sure to appease your appetite whether you prefer gluten-free, meat-free or soy-free entrées. Even… — Runners-up: Vertical Diner, Boltcutter

• Best Way To Eat Vegetables You Think You HateCrispy Brussels Sprouts at Franck's Restaurant

  If you've got a lingering belief that certain foods are yucky—remnants of a picky-eater childhood, or preparations that rendered those foods borderline inedible—maybe you just need to see…

• Best Way To Evict the Friends Living On Your HeadOneCure

  The incessant itching, the eerie feeling that something is crawling in your hair and, gross, are those eggs around your ears and neck hairline? It's not in your head, it's on it—you've got…

• Best Way To Get To Know Salt Lake's HistorySalt Lake City's Past Forward Program

  Utah's capital city is full of historic neighborhoods and there might not be any better way to learn about their architecture and history than from the experts in Salt Lake City's Planning…

• Best Way To Help the Environment for $1.50Reusable straws at Beans & Brews

  Just when you thought 2018 couldn't get any worse, the case for the vilification of plastic straws was made. Last July, Seattle became the first major U.S. city to ban single-use plastic…

• Best WeathercasterSterling Poulson

  For 33 years, Sterling Poulson has been telling local television audiences what Mother Nature has in store. After a stint at KSL Channel 5, he moved to KUTV Channel 2 in 1989 where viewers… — Runners-up: Allison Croghan, Kevin Eubank

• Best WingsTrolley Wing Co.

  Looking for savory, filling and just the right kind of messy wings? This neighborhood haunt is sure to do the trick. The operation literally started out of a trolley car nearly 20 years… — Runners-up: Wing Coop, Wing Nutz

• Best Young-Person Diss of a Congressional CandidateYoung Republicans and College Republicans' spoof of Ben McAdams' ad

  Alright, Ben McAdams' shower ad is a little odd. In the 30-second spot, the fully clothed Salt Lake County mayor and Congressional hopeful bathes himself five separate times—in five…