City Weekly March 30, 2023

Fraud Is Baked Into American Health Care

“Internal documents and former company executives reveal how Cigna doctors reject patients’ claims without opening their files,” investigative journalists Patrick Rucker, Maya Miller and David Armstrong reported for ProPublica on March 25. “A Cigna algorithm flags mismatches between diagnoses and what the company considers acceptable tests and procedures for those ailments.

Company doctors then sign off on the denials in batches ...”

There are many structural defects in an American HMO/PPO/prepaid care system that masquerades as “insurance.” One of them is a tendency to mask outright fraud. If ProPublica’s reporting is accurate, Cigna’s practices are an example of that defect.

While Cigna implemented its “review system”—which sounds more like an “automatic denial of purchased benefits” system—more than a decade ago, legal thriller writer John Grisham described it in his 1995 novel The Rainmaker.

In the novel (subsequently made into a film starring Matt Damon), an “insurance” company refuses to pay for a leukemia patient’s bone marrow transplant on the pretense that such transplants are “experimental.” A young lawyer eventually discovers that the company’s policy is to simply reject claims, knowing most patients

won’t fight for the benefits they’re entitled to. High legal drama ensues.

If you purchased an item from me, and I failed to hand over the item after receiving payment, you’d know darn well I’d defrauded you. You wouldn’t do business with me again, and might even sue me.

But suppose I’m a $150 billion company with 18 million “customers,” most of whom receive my services in the form of employment benefits with limited (if any) ability to withdraw their patronage from—or stop payment to—me.

That kind of arrangement makes it a lot easier for a business to get up to shenanigans.

While I’m on record as thinking that “single payer healthcare,” for all its problems, might work better than the current Rube Goldberg healthcare apparatus, “single payer” wouldn’t solve this particular structural problem: a captive “customer” base at the

mercy of a large, opaque bureaucratic apparatus.

The solution to this problem is finding a way to sever the linkage between employment and health coverage, which originated as a way of getting around World War II salary caps with “fringe benefits.”

Direct—and stoppable—payment from actual consumers would force Cigna and other “insurance” companies to cater to those consumers, or risk losing business to companies that don’t treat defrauding the customer as a viable element of a legitimate business plan.

THOMAS L. KNAPP

William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism

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THE WATER COOLER

What has changed since the pandemic about how, where, or how much you dine out?

Benjamin Wood

I’ve purchased more delivery/takeout meals in the last three years than the rest of my life combined.

Kelly Boyce

I eat out almost daily—supporting local businesses. And also, I don’t fully know how to feed myself.

Scott Renshaw

I think I’ve made even more of an effort than I did previously to support the local establishments, but it was a loooooong stretch before I wanted to be dining inside. It feels kinda mostly OK now, and if I’m going to take any kind of risk, I want to do it in support of the businesses that care about this community.

Eric Granato

Pretty much nothing now. As soon as my restaurants started opening, I was back in them. I am back to spending too much eating out.

Jackie Briggs

I feel like the pandemic changes I made have sort of disappeared and now it’s good old prices that keep my ass at home.

Bryan Bale

I do most of my work from home these days, so I don’t visit our downtown eateries nearly as much as I used to. On the other hand, I have placed a lot more orders to Free Wheeler and The Pie in the past couple years than I had before.

BY KEITH BURNS

OPINION Cancel Hate

On March 16, Latter-day Saint apostle Jeffrey R. Holland was announced as the 2023 commencement speaker for Southern Utah University (SUU), a controversial decision that has sparked rigorous debate as to whether he is fit for the assignment.

In August of 2021, Holland delivered a speech in which he made numerous offensive and bigoted remarks about LGBTQ+ people. He called for “musket fire” against those criticizing LDS teachings and advocating for sexual and gender equality. He also condemned the “recent flag-waving and parade-holding” of LGBTQ+ activists, especially among BYU students and professors, stating that “we have to be careful that love and empathy do not get interpreted as condoning and advocacy.”

But perhaps the most insensitive and hurtful part of Holland’s address was his criticism of former BYU valedictorian Matt Easton’s 2019 commencement speech.

“If a student commandeers a graduation podium intended to represent everyone getting diplomas in order to announce his personal sexual orientation, what might another speaker feel free to announce the next year until eventually anything goes?” Holland said. “What might commencement come to mean—or not mean—if we push individual license over institutional dignity for very long?”

After hearing such a scathing critique, I immediately went back to Easton’s 2019 address at BYU and listened to every word of it.

Far from “commandeering a graduation podium,” Easton’s words—which were pre-approved by BYU faculty—were unifying, uplifting and filled with gratitude for the wonderful experience that BYU had provided him. In fact, he reserved just two sentences for sharing his sexual identity within a six-minute speech.

Many queer SUU students have found Holland’s attack of Easton painfully ironic, pointing out that it is Holland’s anti-LGBTQ hate speech that would commandeer their graduation ceremony intended to represent everyone.

Those who oppose Holland speaking argue that antiLGBTQ sentiments should not be an issue of public debate, political discourse or free speech, and have no place on a university campus, especially a public one. Many are asking why someone who has denigrated the identities and experiences of queer people be given such a powerful platform at a university that has significant queer representation.

Conversely, defenders of Holland have argued that rescinding his commencement address is an act of censorship and “cancellation” that violates his free speech. Tom Christofferson, a publicly gay and active Latter-day Saint, argued along with Jacob Hess in a Deseret News op-ed that the intentions of Holland’s “musket fire” speech were to “call for more robust efforts to ‘defend’ his faith tradition and teachings—not to attack a particular community, and certainly not to justify physical violence.”

They framed Holland’s remarks as “meaningful differences in perspective” and “disagreements [that] should be an invitation for more dialogue and discussion, not less.” Christofferson and Hess point out that cancel culture negatively impacts liberal and conservative voices and should not be used to silence people with whom we disagree.

There is certainly reason in their argument that individuals should not be prohibited from giving speeches because they hold different or unpopular opinions, especially in our increasingly contentious political environment. However, a belief system that degrades the dignity and validity of one’s sexual or gender identity is not a “meaningful difference in perspective” and instead constitutes hate speech.

We would never support a speaker who holds the belief that Black skin is inferior to white skin and condemns advocates of racial equality. We should therefore hold those equally accountable who express the belief that LGBTQ+ relationships and identities are inferior to cisgender heterosexual relationships and identities.

Some have argued that protesting Holland’s speech constitutes a personal attack against him and his character. However, holding him accountable for his anti-queer rhetoric is far from a personal attack, especially because his

personal wealth, power and influence would not be harmed if he were to resign from this speaking assignment.

Kier Whitten, an SUU freshman, identifies as a member of both the LGBTQ community and the LDS Church. “The decision to keep Elder Holland as a speaker will make countless students feel unwanted at their own graduation,” she said during a recent campus event as reported by Cedar City News. “I’m aware of this man’s accomplishments, but the negative impact on an already marginalized community will be detrimental.” Another student expressed: “All I ask is that you realize that many of the students graduating here have been personally hurt by this man’s teachings and by his rhetoric and views.”

Thus, it is not a matter of attacking Holland or the LDS Church, but rather of protecting LGBTQ+ individuals from those who participate in harmful and dangerous rhetoric.

And perhaps, LGBTQ+ SUU students and allies would be more inclined to accept Holland as speaker if he sincerely apologized for his “musket fire” words, even if he were simply to acknowledge the deep pain and anguish they caused. However, public apologies from LDS authorities are incredibly rare.

Top church leader Dallin Oaks stated in 2015 that the church doesn’t “seek apologies” and “we don’t give them.” While this reluctance to accept accountability is disappointing—especially by a religion that possesses tremendous financial, cultural and political power—the internet and social media are creating a new age of accountability to hold people like Holland in check.

I applaud the countless queer individuals and activists at and beyond SUU who have protested this commencement speech. In fact, an online petition to remove Holland has surpassed 18,000 signatures.

These thousands of individuals make up an inspiring collective effort to advocate compassionately and courageously for those who have historically been marginalized and oppressed. Their unified message does not encourage the censoring or restricting of others’ voices and instead calls for robust accountability for powerful individuals who hold and express harmful beliefs. CW

Private Eye is off this week. Send feedback to comments@cityweekly.net

DRIVERS WANTED

City

Drivers

Those

HITS & MISSES

BY KATHARINE BIELE | @kathybiele

MISS: State Supervision

All we can say is, don’t believe politicians when they talk about small government and local control. With our supermajority Legislature, you can depend on the heavy hand of the state messing with hard-fought local decisions. Let’s start with accessory dwelling units (ADUs), which have caused no end of headaches. The governor has already signed SB174 requiring—wait for it—lots of paperwork while municipalities justify how they’re supporting moderate income housing and the number of ADUs approved. Also passed was SB113 limiting how local governments could regulate “animal enterprises” or the use of a working animal. Salt Lake might not have been able to restrict horse-drawn carriages under the law. From Texas to Georgia, there are stories of conservative legislatures beating back progressive cities. Here in Utah, we call it gerrymandering.

MISS: Mine Sweepers

Speaking of un-local control, let’s talk about quarries. Neighbors of quarries have to face dust, noise and, of course, breathing problems. Most recently, state mining regulators OK’d the expansion of Geneva Rock’s quarry at Point of the Mountain, even though Draper has an ordinance against expansion. The Salt Lake Tribune pointed out that it’s not the first time locals have been rebuffed. The Parleys Canyon limestone quarry was met with similar objections and will now duke it out in court against Salt Lake County. Never mind that mining affects water quality, among other things. One bright spot is that HB527 was filed away after trying to shield quarries from any county oversight. “The bill appears to be tailored to fit the situation faced by the I-80 South Quarry, proposed by Granite Construction against strong objections raised by Salt Lake County officials and elected officials from nearby cities,” The Salt Lake Tribune reports. In Utah, the rule of thumb is that business trumps individuals.

HIT: Think of the Children

There are stories that we laugh at, even though there is a grain of disturbing truth in them. The latest attempt at regulating social media is one. Gov. Spencer Cox was giddy about Utah’s first-in-the-nation social media curfew. Media was all over this delightsome news as lawmakers said they were solving a mental health crisis among youth. Everyone wants to know how to save kids from online predators.

“Sarah Coyne, a professor of child development at Brigham Young University ... warned that the measure could inadvertently boomerang, exacerbating youth mental health issues by cutting off vulnerable young people from important sources of information and support,” The New York Times reports.

Gizmodo notes that verifying user ages violates privacy, among other things. But The Onion beat them all in its spoof of Cox, saying “our kids will only be preyed on by adults they know and trust.” So, the apps are on a leash, but certain religious leaders can still have their way behind closed doors. CW

| @slsees

Maze Running

Quick: what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “labyrinth”? If you’re like me, it’s probably movie-related. Was it the suspenseful world created by Guillermo del Toro in Pan’s Labyrinth or David Bowie’s fantastical realm in the appropriately titled Labyrinth? Maybe the word reminded you of the hedge-based mazes in the end scenes of both The Shining and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire? Regardless, labyrinths seem to belong less to the real world than that of fictional ones.

So, it was a surprise to me when running the streets of Salt Lake to come across more than half a dozen of them scattered across the valley. No, these labyrinths aren’t all three-dimensional—with high walls and complex passageways—as what you might find being guarded by the minotaur; their purpose is less for confinement and more for meditation. Because of the therapeutic nature attributed to walking labyrinths, most that I’ve been able to spot are located at hospitals and churches, with a few exceptions such as the Jordan River Peace Labyrinth near 1550 South and 1125 West.

Two that I am particularly fond of can be found at the interior courtyard of the St. Mark’s Cathedral at 231 E. 100 South and the southeast corner of the Holladay United Church of Christ at 2631 E. Murray Holladay Road (lower left and right photo, respectively). The pristine concrete path at St. Mark’s reminds me of another labyrinth located outside the University of Utah’s Tanner Irish Humanities Building, whereas the quaint, homemade gravel path at the Holladay UCC is definitely one-of-a-kind.

But my all-time favorite labyrinth was the first one I came across when noodling around South Salt Lake. Located in the parking lot of the Commonwealth Room music venue at 195 W. 2100 South (above), the short, brightly painted maze is the creation of the nearby Center for Spiritual Living and was most unexpected to stumble upon. A-maze-ing! CW

A brightly colored maze decorates a parking lot near the Commonwealth Room and the Center for Spiritual Living.

A pair of maze-like paths greet visitors to St. Mark’s Cathedral, left, and the Holladay United Church of Christ.

Out of the Past

Utopia Early Music brings unique life to compositions created centuries ago.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

There are people you can’t get to listen to music from five years ago. So how do you go about building an audience for concerts that showcase songs that might be literally a thousand years old?

Soon to head into its 15th season, Utopia Early Music has created a unique arts organization built on showcasing the kind of tunes that even standard symphony orchestras might consider too obscure to play—music of the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque eras. According to Utopia’s executive director and co-founder Emily Nelson, it was in some ways easy to create the organization, because there was nothing else like it locally. “It was this little garden waiting to be planted,” she says.

Nelson’s own background is in music with an emphasis on vocal performance; “I’ve always been a singer,” she says. “I can’t remember when I decided to be a singer, I was so young. If I have a core identity, that’s what it is.”

Nevertheless, it took her some time to work up the courage to study music in college—and she certainly didn’t expect to find herself immersed in this particular specialty. It was thanks to a class she took from University of Utah professor Dr. Margaret Rorke that she was first exposed to early music, and found herself fascinated by its unique qualities.

“She played all of these wonderful recordings, and I just fell in love with it,” Nelson recalls. “I think it was because it sounded so different to my ear from the Romantic era music. Don’t get me wrong,

I do love singing Mozart and Schubert; that’s still a big part of my career. [But] Medieval music used different modes. It was some of the first music I heard that used different musical scales.”

It took several years, though, for Utopia to come into being, with the collaboration between Nelson and co-founder Christopher LeCluyse. “Chris and I formed Utopia when he was fairly new to Salt Lake City,” Nelson says. “Some mutual friends said we should get together, they knew both of us were interested in early music. We had coffee together, and just decided, ‘Let’s put together this group.’ Because there wasn’t anything else that was like it.”

Through the years, Nelson and LeCluyse have put together programs with a variety of fascinating themes, including the popular Christmas-themed program. And among the most intriguing things about these programs for the artists in them is that they’re working with compositions that often come with incomplete histories, allowing for a great deal of creative interpretation.

“It gives us a huge amount of freedom and creative agency,” Nelson says. “We can shape it to sound how we want. There’s not very much on the page, so I can almost be like a co-composer. … [We’re] putting together for next season a concert that’s going to have a lot of Medieval song, and in one case, there’s just one line of music, there’s no rhythm. Even the instruments are also imaginative recreations. So basically, I can add rhythm to it, add a drone underneath it.”

Nelson understands that the idea of a concert representing centuries-old music can be a hard sell, and as a result, there’s an emphasis on building programs that are entertaining, and not designed to be lectures. “I think it does sound stuffy a little bit,” Nelson says, “but it’s important that the audience does have a great time. We’re looking for things that will be eyeopening about the past, that will be playful, sometimes unexpected, and to sound beautiful. We try to talk as little as pos-

A&E

sible; it is really just a concert.”

And it’s clear that Utopia knows how to keep audiences engaged, based on feedback Nelson has received from, for example, students who came simply as part of a school assignment, and wound up loving what was offered. She also has a favorite anecdote about a patron who definitely wasn’t expecting the program that he ended up seeing.

“One patron who was there at the beginning, I can’t think of a time I haven’t seen him [since],” she says. “He thought he was going to a Kate McLeod show that first time; he actually went by mistake. But he really loved what we did, and wasn’t interested in what we were doing before.”

Nelson does love the opportunity to share with people things they otherwise might not have known about the music of this era, like how much unexpected diversity can be found among the compos-

ers; “people will say, ‘I didn’t know there were any women writing music back in that era,” she notes. The focus, however, remains on emphasizing the pleasures of the works themselves, and bringing them to life for people 40 to 50 generations removed from its creation.

“More than trying to do what they used to do in the past,” she says, “because we really can’t, we’re just trying to do something beautiful in the present.” CW

UTOPIA EARLY MUSIC: WRITTEN ON

THE WIND

Cathedral Church of St. Mark 231 E. 100 South Saturday, April 1, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 2, 5 p.m.

Admission pay as able at the door (suggested $15/$20)

Utopiaearlymusic.org

JOHN OLSHINSKI

Utopia Early Music co-founders Christopher LeCluyse and Emily Nelson (center and second from right) with fellow performers.

Shane Gillis

Shane Gillis could be considered a renaissance man of sorts. Aside from excelling in stand-up, he’s a popular radio personality and cohost of Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast with his pal and fellow comedian Matt McCusker. Despite winning a football scholarship to West Point early on, he chose instead to pursue a career in comedy. He was named “2019’s Stand-Up Comedian of the Year” at Theinterrobang’s Sixth Annual Comedy Awards, and a “Notable New Face” at Montreal’s Just For Laughs festival. That same year, Comedy Central cited him as an “Up Next” comedian after his appearance at their Clusterfest festival. Prior to that, he won several local competitions before placing third at Helium Comedy Club’s annual “Philly’s Phunniest” event in 2015.

In 2021, his first comedy special, Shane Gillis: Live in Austin, aired on YouTube, and he also found success through his collaboration with filmmaker John McKeever, and their online sketch series Gilly & Keeves. Nevertheless, he experienced a momentary bump in the road when, after being named a new cast member of Saturday Night Live in 2019, he was subsequently fired after four days due to allegations that his podcasts contained various racial and sexual slurs. He owned up to the offenses and apologized, even while making it clear that he often pushes buttons. Nevertheless, his fans find him funny—and as a cutting edge comedian, he can certainly rest on his reputation.

Shane Gillis appears at the JQ Lawson Capitol Theatre (50 W. 200 South) on Friday, March 31 at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $39.75. Visit arttix.org for tickets and additional information. (Lee Zimmerman)

theESSENTIALS ENTERTAINMENT PICKS, MARCH 30-APRIL5, 2023

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

Salt Lake City DuoFest

In 2019, City Weekly previewed a new event—the team improv showcase Salt Lake City DuoFest—that was intended to become an annual event. Unfortunately, we all now know that nature had other plans in 2020 for events that were or wished to be “annual,” extending into subsequent years for many such events. So now, three years of COVIDrelated delays later, Salt Lake City DuoFest finally gets to launch its second installment, featuring local and national talent from the worlds of improvisational comedy and social media.

“We thought about hosting the festival in 2022, but COVID was spiking again in the spring, so we didn’t feel like it was safe enough to move forward,” says festival producer Danielle Susi-Dittmore. “We have performers flying in from around the country, and everyone has expressed their standard of safety and precaution, so it has been paramount for me to protect them and audience members by delaying until 2023. We’re thrilled to be back! For many performers, improv festivals can feel like big reunions, so we’re looking forward to seeing everyone and really getting to show off some of the very best talent from around the country.”

Salt Lake City DuoFest comes to the Sugar Space Arts Warehouse (132 S. 800 West) for two nights only, March 31 – April 1, from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. nightly. Each performance is scheduled to include eight two-person teams, and may feature mature content; audience discretion is advised. Tickets are $15 for individual nights, or $25 for both nights. Visit eventbrite.com/e/502804550947 for tickets. (Scott Renshaw)

MENTION THIS AD FOR AN ADDITIONAL 10% OFF YOUR PURCHASE

CALVIN DITTMORE

Ella Al-Shamahi @ Kingsbury Hall

When your biography lists part of your job description as “explorer”—as is true for Ella Al-Shamahi—it would seem that you have the kind of life that plenty of kids grow up dreaming about. That doesn’t necessarily mean, however, that you’ve got the stuff to stand in front of an audience and share those experiences with others in an entertaining way. That’s why it’s particularly interesting that another part of Al-Shamahi’s job description is “stand-up comic.” Tales of danger, mystery and intrigue will come at you with a fun twist.

That combination of skills makes Al-Shamahi an ideal host for shows like BBC’s Changing Planet, which returns to the same locations annually to convey the immediate impacts of climate change. She also participated in the National Geographic documentary Tut’s Toxic Tomb, investigating the infamous “curse” of King Tutankhamun’s tomb—and when you’re engaging in globe-hopping archaeological adventures, it’s easy to get compared to Lara Croft. “It’s the tank top, I’m sure,” Al-Ahamahi said in an interview with the Phillippine Dailey Inquirer. “[To] be honest, Indiana Jones probably had a bigger influence on me. But the difference is that Indiana Jones and every archaeologist I know wears a hat, so I’m like, ‘I’m not doing that.’”

Ella Al-Shamahi visits Kingsbury Hall (1395 E. Presidents Circle) to discuss “Exploring Dangerous Places” on Tuesday, April 4 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the in-person lecture are $20, $10 for University of Utah students and staff; a virtual livestream is also available for $20 - $40. Visit artstickets.utah.edu for tickets and additional event information. (SR)

MARIE-CLAIRE THOMAS

Lessons Learned

Our local restaurants are tempered and strong, but let’s not make things harder.

By Alex Springer comments@cityweekly.neT @captainspringer

Even under the reasonably normal circumstances that we knew before 2020, running a restaurant was hard. Most restaurateurs who make the attempt fold within a year of operation simply because managing a business, keeping on top of food trends, training staff and keeping customers happy is a superhuman effort to juggle.

When we hit the end of 2020, we saw around 10% of our local restaurants throw in the towel, many having been in business since the late ’70s or early ’80s. Though, from the consumer standpoint, things are getting back to normal, our friends in the hospitality industry are still trying to get their feet on the ground.

That said, something every successful restaurateur knows is that trials keep them sharp. The ability to think quickly and creatively while maximizing every available asset is what sets owners, cooks and hospitality workers apart. So, what lessons have our local chefs taken from those nightmarish few years, and what do those lessons mean for restaurants and bars moving forward?

We’ll start with a chat I had with Andrew Corrao from Forty Three Bakery (67 W. 1700 South, SLC, fortythreebakery.com). “One thing I think every manager had to learn was that employees had to feel safe at work,” he says, as I perused his freshly baked croissants and pastries. “When you employ a person, you employ all of a person.”

This conversation reminded me of the many news headlines that chronicled the increase in resignations between 2020 and 2022 when employees decided that working at a restaurant during the pandemic wasn’t worth the risk of contracting COVID. Not only that, but many had their hours and wages reduced. Though safety has always been a priority for Corrao and his staff, being cognizant of his staff’s mental health was something that became more clear as he navigated his business over the past few years.

Jen Gilroy, owner of Porch (11274 S. Kestrel Rise Road, Ste. G, South Jordan, 801-679-1066, porchutah.com), also saw employee relations as a key factor. “Every relationship is different,” she says. “I think you run into problems when you treat all of your employees the exact same way. You have to consider them as individuals.”

Porch’s cozy patio and craft cocktails in the Daybreak community are a welcome anomaly to those of us who live and work a bit south of Salt Lake City—we are elated to find creative upscale dining outside the Salt Lake metro area. Simply sustaining a niche restaurant like Porch no doubt tested Gilroy.

But she maintains that restaurant owners have never been strangers to flexibility and, to some extent, that’s what keeps her and her team going. “This business requires so much adaptability for success,” she says. “You have to be able to constantly pivot and make shifts.”

During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, concerns with everyday issues grabbed all the attention. “Restaurant owners have had to retool their whole business models,” Gilroy says. “So many things were impacted by COVID—economy, labor crises, supply chain issues—and we had to cut costs in other places.”

When our conversation shifts to the present day and what lessons have been learned, Gilroy considers the relationships she’s formed with her team and her community. “One thing I’ve learned over and over again is really taking care of the people who take care of you, and the rest kind of falls into place,” she says. “I didn’t qualify for a PPP, but the community here would come and tip my staff 100% to help us out.”

Moving forward, Gilroy echoes a request that many

restaurant owners and hospitality workers share, and that’s to give restaurants a break when it comes to your inner Yelp! reviewer.

“Prices have gone up exponentially for everyone,” Gilroy says. “There’s a disconnect when people are paying twice as much for groceries but are expecting restaurant prices to stay the same.”

Everyone has been impacted by food shortages and increased prices, but keep in mind that restaurants have to operate, profit and take care of their staff under those exact same circumstances.

“If people want the restaurant industry to flourish, then restaurants need to be profitable,” Gilroy says. “Big chains don’t have to spend money on labor because their ingredients are prepped, frozen and shipped out. Local restaurants don’t have that option.”

Despite the fact that restaurant owners and their staff are made of some pretty tough stuff, it behooves all of us who love to dine out to not make things any tougher. There was plenty to be learned by those who took the plunge and launched an eatery or a bar, but it’s reassuring to know the lessons include being more mindful of workers who help run the show.

Dining out in Utah has become this wonderful, evolutionary pageant, and we surely don’t need any more of our beloved local eateries closing up shop. CW

Putting the ComCom in Community

Getting flexible with commissary kitchens

By Alex Springer comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

Even in the salad years that preceded 2020, the need for flexibility for those in the hospitality industry was increasing. Sure, online ordering and takeout spiked hard during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, but online storefronts and social media presences provided economical and versatile solutions to food-based entrepreneurs who needed the agility that brick-and-mortar locations didn’t always provide.

We saw plenty of new businesses pop up, and those who needed industrial-powered resources without all the costly overhead that typically goes with it sought out commissary kitchens like ComCom Kitchen, Square Kitchen and SLC Commissary.

Though Salt Lake has had a number of commissary kitchens in operation during the past few years, the cataclysmic shift in our dining culture coupled with rising ingredients costs saw more local chefs, bakers and entrepreneurs turn to the commissary kitchen or “ghost kitchen” model. Essentially, these are spots that provide kitchen space, appliances and the occasional storefront to those seeking to grow their culinary concept into a business.

Danny Cheng, who owns and operates ComCom Kitchen (67 W. 1700 South, SLC, 801-694-2390, comcomkitchen.com) along with three other commissary kitchen spaces along the Wasatch Front, became interested in the concept as a way to get his parents back into the restaurant world. “I came across these commissary kitchens on the East and West coasts and thought my mom could make her dumplings or something like that,” he said. “When I did some research on the ghost kitchen model, I realized that I didn’t see a commissary kitchen concept in Salt Lake that was doing what I wanted to do.”

Cheng used the concept for a few brands of his own—like Ghost Sushi and Wow Bao—until he had the forward momentum to create ComCom Kitchen. Now, his commissary spaces are home to some seriously good local eats such as Forty Three Bakery, Nur Kitchen and Kiss My Boba, to name a few.

This writer recalls in mid-2020, whenever I saw an interesting pickup-only dining concept, they were usually operating out of ComCom Kitchen. I have this space to thank for giving Mad Dough (maddoughslc.com) the resources to mass produce their cream-filled “doughnies,” and Andrew Corrao’s Forty Three Bakery is easily one of my Top 5 local bakeries.

As Cheng and I continued our conversation, it becomes clear that commissary kitchens are one of the best resources for restaurants or bakeries that want to set their own terms. Though that concept is evergreen in the eyes of a business owner, the past few years really hammered a sense of adaptability and independence in those who didn’t have the capital to invest into a restaurant space.

For those whose culinary business is more of a side hustle, or those who are trying to generate the amount of income needed to open their own space, a commissary kitchen provides a lot to work with. “I feel like fine dining is the onl-

way brick-and-mortar stores will survive,” Cheng says. “The amount you put into a brick-and-mortar isn’t usually worth what you’re getting out of it.”

Though a the goal of operating a storefront or restaurant space of their own is often one of the motivators for those using commissary kitchens, having some stepping stones to get there is often better than taking one giant leap. “Expenses are lower, employee costs are lower and your peace of mind from not having to worry about how someone else is managing your business is priceless,” Cheng says.

Even as we’ve started to ease back into going out to drink and dine, there’s no doubt that commissary kitchens will be a valuable resource for our local food scene. I will always like the experience of visiting a restaurant and soaking in the vibe of the place, but I also appreciate tasty takeout that supports local business—and I don’t think I am alone in that. Just like those who work in the food business, consumers’ expectations have undergone a major shift, and a big part of that shift is having both dine-in and takeout options.

What these Utah-based commissary kitchens will look like in the near future is anyone’s guess—there are similar concepts in coastal cities that house dozens of startup food concepts; local restaurants are starting to rent out their own kitchens to other takeout-only businesses.

As for Cheng and his commissary kitchen business, his plans are to keep expanding. “We’re finally going to open our food truck park at 894 E. 3900 South in Millcreek,” Cheng says. “I have a kitchen there, and in front of that is the food truck park.” Based on the community-focused nature of the vendors using ComCom Kitchen, it appears Cheng’s approach has helped foster the creativity of several like-minded business owners in need of flexibility. “These places are here for when you need to open or close or when you need to scale up or down,” Cheng says.

Whether you’re simply looking for a way to earn a little extra cash or setting your feet on the path toward owning your own restaurant, our local commissary kitchens are a great place to get started. CW

COURTESY PHOTO

ComCom Kitchen owner Danny Cheng

Pop Goes the Food

Your guide to local pop-up dining options.

By Aimee L. Cook comments@cityweekly.net

Salt Lake City is embracing the culinary pop-up trend with enthusiasm. Pop-ups provide an exciting way to experience food and culture, as entrepreneurs, chefs and bakers create “events” with limited time frames and locations throughout the city, allowing diners to sample unique cuisines and share an interactive culinary journey. Here are just a few to look for:

Yamo Foods: Meaning “mother” in Syrian, Yamo was created by daughter Luna Nasser and her family in July 2022 to share their culture with Utahns. The family moved here 10 years ago, and to make friends, they’d share their food, using family recipes for hummus and muhammara, a red pepper walnut dip. And Luna recently added Olive Za’atar Crush—an olive spread made from Nablus green olives—to their offerings.

“No matter how different you are or how awkward it is, if you have a plate of food in front of you, the awkward melts away,” Nassar says.

Orders can be made through Instagram @yamofoods or picked up at The Neighborhood Hive (2065 E. 2100 South, SLC).

Xiao Bao Bao: Romina Rasmussen (formerly of Les Madeleines fame) and the Yee brothers have created a nostalgic line of bao based on their fond memories of childhood foods in Asia. Flavors include chicken curry, BBQ pork and an eggplant base that

is vegetarian-friendly. “Just don’t call them buns,” Rasmussen quipped.

Pop-ups occur at the former Les Madeleines location (216 E. 500 South, SLC) and bao can be purchased frozen—along with kouign-amann at The Neighborhood Hive (2065 E. 2100 South, SLC). Follow @xaiobaobaoslc on Instagram for updates.

Mims Bakery: Tripp Mims and his late wife, Thy, started baking bread and selling it in 2019. Tripp—a professional chef furloughed due to COVID and hobby baker—has perfected the sourdough artisan bread recipe and turned the hobby into a sustainable business. “I wouldn’t have what I do without Thy; it is like this gift that was left for me,” Mims said. “I offer sourdough bread and cookies— and sometimes sourdough donuts that are very labor intensive.”

Bread can be ordered through the mimsslc.com or picked up at The Neighborhood Hive (2065 E. 2100 South, SLC) while supplies last. Follow @mims_bakery on Instagram.

Tripp Mims, Mims Bakery

Tomodachi Bake Shoppe: Professionally trained pastry chef Megan Warner launched this micro-bakery in 2022. Her beautifully laminated dough and unique Japanese flavor profiles create delicious pastries, cakes and cookies you won’t find anywhere else. Try the miso chocolate chip cookies or the black sesame kouign-amann.

“The flavors are nostalgic to me, things I grew up eating,” Warner said. “They were hard flavors for me to find in Utah; we would always have to go to Las Vegas, where they had a big Asian market where I could find ingredients. I knew I wanted to incorporate those flavors into baked goods to try and introduce them to people, so they become more familiar with them.”

Orders can be placed through the tomodachi-cakeshoppe.com or picked up during the weekly pop-up Saturdays at 3619 S. 900 East, 12 noon to 3 p.m. Follow @tomodachi_bakeshoppe on Instagram.

Blatch’s Backyard BBQ: Did you know vegan barbecue was a thing?

Christopher Blatchford is slinging vegan BBQ from his cottage kitchen, and no flavor is sacrificed in his brisket or crafty side dishes, such as the Cuban-inspired black beans. His fermented handmade hot sauces, like

the Jamaican Red, are other popular offerings that you can drop in and pick up on Wednesdays and Fridays. Preorders are also accepted and appreciated for the combo meals.

“I started with regular barbecue and offering some vegan options, but I am a flavor snob, so I wanted to make some vegan things that tasted good,” Blatchford said. “My brisket has anywhere from 12 to 14 different kinds of smoked mushrooms that I grind into a powder and then add seaweed, garlic and herbs.”

For ordering information, follow @blatchsbackyardbbq on Instagram.

Baby’s Bagels: Why not share what you love, like Koby Elias does? Elias grew up on the East Coast and wanted to bring bagels, his favorite, to Utah. His bagels are boiled and baked, then topped with the classic poppy seed, everything spice, sesame and salt.

“We are always experimenting with flavors, but mostly on the cream cheese side—we generally have a lot of seasonal cream cheeses,” Elias said. “We pick a lot of local ingredients from our fellow farmers market vendors.”

You can find Baby’s Bagels at the Downtown Farmers Market on Saturdays and can pick up preorders on Sundays. For ordering information, follow @babys.bagels on Instagram.

COURTESY PHOTO

Christopher Blatchford, Blatch’s BBQ

Central 9th Burger Night: Monday evenings—starting at 6 p.m.—are burger nights at Central 9th Market, and for anyone who has stood in line only to have them sell out before your turn is up, the disappointment of not scoring one of the 100+ smash burgers that night is real. The burger master, Jozef Ezra, is the main guy at the flattop; he’s coming up with the weekly specials and feeding the masses.

“Burger night started back in high school when my calculus teacher said if I didn’t study, I would be stuck flipping burgers. I aced the class but I never did study, so I guess he was right,” Ezra said. “The ‘smash burger’ style comes from eating burgers in Los Angeles and its environs. At the time, there was a once-a-week backyard burger pop-up called Burgers Never Say Die, which gave me a love for the style and format, so I have to give them credit.”

Find Central 9th Market at 161 W. 900 South or follow @central9thmarket on Instagram for updates.

The Neighborhood Hive: Conceived as a space for local purveyors to have a place to sell their goods year-round, this ongoing pop-up, of sorts, makes shopping local simple. It even provides another location for established small businesses like The Kings English for the public to see and buy their products.

“The Neighborhood Hive (2065 E. 2100 South) is a collaboration between three small businesses—The Bean Whole, Hello Bulk Market and Olio Skin & Beard Co.,” said Tiffany Rainwater, co-owner of The Bean Whole. “We were kicked out of our original spot when the Blue Plate Diner closed, but we wanted to stay in the area. So when this space became available, we figured we could work together and lease spaces or shelves to our others. We wanted to create a space for people starting in business without all the risk.”

Find more information at theneighborhoodhive.org. CW

COURTESY PHOTO

Local customers and creators connect at Neighborhood Hive.

Step Up for Your Server

Local front-line restaurant workers offer tips on how to be the best customer you can be.

By Erin Moore comments@cityweekly.net

Alot has changed in the restaurant world since the pandemic turned everything upside down. QR code menus dot every table, it seems; delivery services have boomed; outside patios are still unfurling up and down sidewalks in the warmer months … and those “hiring” signs still hang in many windows.

While many customers have gladly returned to dining out, brunching like nothing ever happened, what’s it been like for those on the other side of the bar? We talked to a few industry people to get a lay of the land—and left their last names off to keep their positions safe. Read on for some tips on how customers can do their part to make service interactions not just satisfactory for themselves, but positive for workers, too.

‘Sup With Social Skills?

Local cafe worker McKay notes something that many may have sensed since the pandemic came along: “I feel like people forgot how to be in public— speak to strangers. But on the flip, I feel some people have been so deprived of social interaction they seem in need of friendship from me and my coworkers.”

She also notes, quite frankly, that it often feels like some customers are meaner than ever before. The pandemic surely has taken a lot out of all of us, but should it also have taken kindness?

So, Customers ...

If you’re feeling back-to-normal enough to eat out (as many of us apparently are), that means normal social skills are in order, too. Service industry workers are ordinary people who have good and bad days, so when in doubt, remember the golden rule: Treat others as you’d like to be treated.

And if you find yourself in the position of being a regular somewhere, and you feel like the people behind the counter are your homies, it may behoove you

to remember that they’re your server/ bartender/barista first. While service workers are integral parts of any community’s vital third spaces, they’re also being paid to talk to you—even if you have on-fire repartée, they know your order like the back of their hand and they give you free refills. It should go without saying that if your barista is filling more than your coffee cup on the day-to-day, tip ’em well.

The Struggle Is Still Real Madison, a local server, offers up a reality check: Workers are dealing with “constant understaffing, insane hours” and management that often responds like everything is fine. As restaurants get busier, workers—already spread thin—are exhausted.

This has resulted, Madison notes, in kitchen staff who lack time for food preparation and presentation and who display high emotions and low motivation across the board. Yet, customers still expect tip-top service. Sounds like a situation destined for disappointment on both ends.

Remember the ‘golden rule’ when interacting with service workers.

So, Customers ...

Acknowledge all of the above and remember the service industry is still dealing with challenges that include low hourly wages and lack of benefits.

Be patient with service workers, even if they mess up your order, because there’s usually a good reason— and especially now—for why service is less-than-perfect. Give grace and give 20%, even if your avocado toast isn’t as Insta-worthy as you’d hoped.

Supply Chains and Annoying Apps For Will, an ex-bartender, it feels like the supply-chain situation has never really improved and that impacts the experience dining establishments are able to offer. Acknowledging that, Will said, “could lead us to rethink sourcing in ways that are more sustainable, more dependable and [which] create a unique food and drink experience.”

Since recently transitioning from working in service to becoming a customer himself, Will sees the ethics of eating out from a new perspective, too. “Personally, I’m done eating out unless I really know the place is special and has good service. I don’t want to pay for a stressed-out waiter to be mad I’m at the restaurant, and then serve mediocre food. I really think improving working conditions could help customers also feel better.”

And another thing? “Delivery and QR-code menu shit has made it all worse,” he says.

So, Customers ...

You’re probably arriving at the end of this article thinking, “How am I supposed to control things like supply chains, or exploitative bosses who make people “clopen” three times a week?” (“Clopening” is service industry slang for closing, then opening the next day—a common and unpleasant occurrence.)

Make like Will and prioritize eating at those establishments that seem to be reworking how they source for their restaurant menu, or how they sustain an environment that supports staff needs. How do you know if that’s happening, you ask? Talk to your servers, especially if you’re already a regular somewhere.

Will notes, “A restaurant I love is a small place that takes walk-ins only, with a small menu, and the staff have told me that they’re paid well. ... It creates a great social and food experience without pretending that you can source any food all year. It has good service because the staff are happy.”

And when it comes to ordering out, instead of ordering through a delivery app—which results in some rando coming through the doors and waving a digital order in servers’ faces—order from the business directly if it’s an option. By doing so, the business will likely keep more of its own money, and your tip won’t be skimmed off the top by an expensive delivery-app middleman.

Did we miss a tip? We hope not—and we hope that you don’t miss (giving out generous) tips, either. CW

Try Something New

Check out these additions to the Salt Lake dining scene.

By Thomas Crone comments@cityweekly.net

For a while, we stayed home and learned to bake bread and shake martinis while zooming with our friends, but those dark days are behind us. We’re cruising for burgers again. And all of a sudden, the shuttered diners and empty malls and new housing developments across the valley have “had some work done” and are lighting up with delightful new offerings, so much so, that it’s hard to keep up. We’ve compiled this list of new-ish spots, so you can schedule a visit and see what the buzz is about. See you out there.

Yumz! Vegan Cafe

If State Street has anything, well, it has … everything. So a spot that sells vegan Mexican and Puerto Rican food is a perfect complement to the myriad restaurants that call State Street home, though few do so with the exact blend of meat-free, family-friendly vibes of Yumz!, which quickly established itself as a linchpin of the local vegan dining scene. Unsurprising, too, is that a kid-friendly restaurant like this would be a strong purveyor of sweets, so if you’re thinking of tackling a plate of tacos here, do consider leaving just a bit of room for dessert. 3490 S. State, South Salt Lake, 801-590-8092

Oromian Restaurant

Rundassa Eshete’s Oromian Restaurant is one of State Street’s real wins, a place that’s flipped a former pawn shop into an authentic Ethiopian restaurant featuring his sister, Bullallee Eshete, as the acclaimed new spot’s chef. They offer a variety of East African fare with a heavy emphasis on vegetarian dishes and shareable options. 1522 S. State, SLC, 801978-9673, oromianrestaurant.com

Aqua Terra Steak + Sushi

Washington state’s Ascend Hospitality Group brings this concept to life, an intriguing blend of game cuts, sushi, sake cocktails, a superior wine list and a warm, inviting atmosphere. And since steak is right there in the name, consider any beef items (including, of course, steak) to be among the best picks from this restaurant’s menu. 50 S. Main, Ste. 168, SLC, 385-261-2244, aquaterrasteak.com

Noemi’s Café and Catering

Now in the old strip mall location that used to be Ganesh’s, Midvale’s Noemi’s Cafe comes from the direct lineage of a truck called Noemi’s Catering, a business that established this Chilean cuisine in the local consciousness. They do a lot of things right, but steak?

Last fall, City Weekly’s own Alex Springer gushed that “Every single bite of steak on the lomo saltado at Noemi’s is perfectly cooked, so when you line up that perfect bite of fry, onion, tomato and steak, all you get is pleasure.” So, yeah, maybe give it a try, or find another dish that hits the spot, with Noemi’s excelling at everything from seafood to sweets. 777 E. Fort Union Blvd., Midvale, 801-979-7888

Angry Korean

Growing out of the food truck model that’s brought so many brick-and-mortar restaurants to Salt Lake, the Angry Korean’s first restaurant took root in South Jordan in 2019 offering a solid take on Korean street food, with some nods to fusion. Launching their second eatery in May 2022 in Cottonwood Heights (and perhaps more to come), chefs Young-Ho Kang and Peter Kim were recently honored as semi-finalists for the annual James Beard Foundation awards, among a small selection of SLC locations to get that nod amidst a five-state region.

6945 S. 1300 East, Cottonwood Heights, 801-441-1022; 11587 S. District Main Drive, Ste. 300, South Jordan, 801-307-8300, theangrykorean.com

Mama Coco Kitchen

Soul food (be it baked, boiled or fried) and sweets are the appeals of Mama Coco, a proper new fit in a strip mall on Main Street not far from the Chinatown Mall near 3300 South. Po’boys made with chicken, shrimp and fish are at the heart of the menu here, but so are waffle meals and all manner of sides.

With what has to be the thinnest web presence of any restaurant on this list, it appears that a walk through the door is the best way to get familiar with the offerings here. 3357 S. Main, South Salt Lake, 725-247-2046

Neutral Ground

Calling on flavors from Louisiana kitchens, Neutral Ground brings an updated and elevated spin on menu items such as alligator tacos, crawfish mac’n’cheese and fried green tomatoes. The physical space also plays with some NOLA elements without overwhelming diners and drinkers. Speaking of which, the bar program is geared towards “proper whiskey,” though fans of beer, wine and spirits will be satisfied with their options as well. 2110 W. North Temple, SLC, 801-953-0443, nglounge.com

Woodbine Food Hall

The Granary District scored big with the introduction of Woodbine Food Hall, a space that currently features 3 Cups, Deadpan Sandwich, Mozz, Yakuza Ramen, Taco Lady and W. Cocktail Bar. Facilities like this, blending a host of different food ’n’ drink options under one roof, are all the rage across the U.S., and Salt Lake’s newest play on the concept brings together spots that are a wellmatched group, with divergent tastes and menus collectively featured Tuesday through Saturday. 545 W. 700 South, SLC, 801-669-9192, SLC, woodbineslc.com

Urban Hill

Brought to life by the folks behind Park City’s Hearth and Hill restaurant and Hill’s Kitchen café and catering, Urban Hill is a sharp-looking affair in the Post District, featuring a wood-fired grill in the heart of the open kitchen. With an emphasis on quality sourcing and a kitchen staff that’s pulled the best in town, Urban Hill’s menu covers most proteins well, but fish is given a definite star turn. A large bar area and a patio that’ll be kicking come spring, augment the big, beautiful dining room. 510 S. 300 West, SLC, 385-295-4200, urban-hill.com

Italian Graffiti

In City Weekly’s first issue of the year, dining critic Alex Springer topped himself with this zinger of a thought re: Italian Graffiti, which, he notes “comes to us from Nice Hospitality Group, which excels at creating restaurants that have, for lack of a better term, strong-ass vibes. While quality food and an exciting menu remain front and center, these restaurants strive to take their diners on an escapist journey.”

Aqua Terra Steak + Sushi

UTAH’S BEST BURGER!

The greenery and floral décor no doubt contribute to the vibe. Chef Marc Marrone’s food at this Gateway eatery, though, is centered around pastas, steaks, seafood and items from in-house artisan bakery. 156 S. 400 West, SLC, 385-281-8373, italiangraffiti.com

Mi Buena Vida

This 2022 debut comes compliments of Utah restaurateur Alan Galeano, who operates El Chubasco and Don Gallo in Park City among eight restaurant holdings. This 15th & 15th neighborhood “truly Mexican” spot features traditional items such as burritos, tortas, tacos and tostadas and provides a nice counterpoint to other area staples such as the nearby Caputo’s. 1500 S. 1500 East, SLC, 385229-4812, mibuenavidaslc.com

Emigration Cafe

After opening in April 2022 in the east side Yalecrest neighborhood— and drawing on customers from well outside that geographic boundary— Emigration Cafe has got folks covered with breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner served seven days a week (minus a Sunday dinner service). With a heavy emphasis on well-executed, classic American favorites, restaurateur Scott Evans has another hit on his hands. The addition of Logos Coffee adds to this excellent, day-round destination. 1709 E. 1300 South, SLC, 801-906-8101, emigrationcafe.com

This spot in Maven West (an apartment community in the Maven District) hit upon a unique notion: that people in SLC wanted to try the many variations of, yes, dough. And all in a single locale. Located just across 300 West from T.F. Brewing, Dough Miner serves up a common favorite like a bagel or a donut alongside items that might have a touch more of a niche audience—the fans of kolaches, say, or Cornish pasties, which are the signature dish of Dough Miner.

Though open seven days a week, there’s a chance that you might not be able to get your favorite treat later in the afternoon, as “selling out” means “closed” at Dough Miner. So plan your trip accordingly and don’t be shy in asking about the joy that is the Cornish pasty. 945 S. 300 West, Ste. 101, SLC, 385-334-3389, doughminer.com

Officially opened in June 2022 by the Bourbon Group, “Franklin Avenue” refers to the building’s first incarnation as the Franklin Avenue Variety Theatre, built in the 1890s. There’s a swashbuckling history inside 231 S. Edison, dating back a century, when it was a bit of a speakeasy, sporting house and gastronomic hub, all in one place.

These days, some of those vices have been given the boot, but a revamped building and the food and drink remain. And they excel at those things, tackling modern American fare with aplomb, along with a top-notch beverage program. 231 S. Edison St., SLC, 385-831-7560, franklinaveslc.com

WEST, CENTER VIEW WAY, WEST JORDAN LUCKYSIRONDOOR.COM

UTAH’S BEST BURGER IS NOW AVAILABLE TO ALL AGES

Franklin Ave. Cocktails & Kitchen

The Dough Miner

Franklin Ave. Cocktails and Kitchen

Breakfast • Salads

Sandwiches • Pasta • Burgers

Monday-Saturday 10:30am-2pm Dine in, Delivery, Take-Out, or Catering mypeppercinis.com @mypeppercinis

Pretty Bird Hot Chicken

You’d be forgiven for thinking that all new restaurants in the Beehive State are serving up variations of spicy chicken, and Pretty Bird’s a big part of this nota-problem. The chain’s growth in town is due to a nationwide trend to love all these yardbird dishes, sure, but there’s just something special about the way that Pretty Bird handles simple items like tenders.

With a mere four Pretty Bird locations flying in our region today (the original Regent Street location downtown first expanded to Sugar House, then in 2022, to both Park City and Midvale), would it surprise you to see this name hit 10, 20 or more? It shouldn’t. They’re that good. Multiple locations, prettybirdchicken.com

Libertango Steakhouse

Steakhouses with lineage in Brazil and Argentina are typically un-shy in speaking about their general sense of exquisite taste, be it the food served to you, the music played overhead or the drinks accompanying one’s meal.

Libertango, which opened in December 2022, is such a place—self-confident and deservedly so. The steak list (obviously) headlines this Sandy restaurant’s bill of fare. Its menu ranges includes salads, pastas and rice dishes that are several notches above the ordinary. When a place can brag on its sides as well as its signature dishes, well, it’s got something special. 10395 S. State, Sandy, 801-448-6449, libertango.us

The Juice Shop

What’s especially pleasing about the food menu at The Juice Shop in the Maven District is that the menu is relatively small, playing to the strengths of this health-inclined kitchen. There are salads/bowls, toasts and a handful of snacks. Barring a special or two, these

are your options, though there’s range within each category.

Hot beverages, loaded smoothies and, of course, fresh-pressed juices are also there for you, with items like Liquid Sunshine (golden beet, carrot, orange, ginger, turmeric) beaming with healthy radiance. 888 S. 200 East, SLC, 801-203-0877, thejuiceshopslc.com

Yoko Taco

Long in the planning process, Yoko Taco anchors the corner storefront of theRUTH apartment complex, located just a stone’s throw from the complementary Fisher Brewing and RubySnap Fresh Cookies. Noted for its farm-fresh ingredients, local sourcing and a small, nimble taco menu, Yoko Taco (sister restaurant to Yoko Ramen) is hitting its stride after a delayed build-out.

The pig’s ear taco is a must for those inclined toward an adventurous order, and the kimchi pico de gallo will bring you back for more. 285 W. 800 South, SLC, 385-218-4325, yokotacoslc.com

Training Table

The name rings out to a true Utahn, with The Training Table’s pair of dipping sauces the stuff of legend. With those now available for purchase online (sad Salt Lakers were trying to recreate sauces in their kitchens from scratch prior to TT’s return last year),

The Training Table is sending food trucks into the community to further strengthen the brand before the arrival of a new brick-and-mortar shop in 2023. Family lawsuits now sorted out after the restaurant’s closure in 2016, the hearts of cheese fry fans throughout the regions are singing with TT’s return—though no word yet if the signature tabletop landline telephones will be back, at least for nostalgia’s sake. thetrainingtable.com CW

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Keep an eye out for Training Table food trucks.

NOW OPEN!

Eateries Bygone and Brand New

By Erin Moore comments@cityweekly.net

Along with the loss of some beloved restaurants during the pandemic has also come new joints that will carry on the tradition of quality eating in Salt Lake City. Read on to recall some bygone eateries and for updates on fresh, new establishments to check out.

A Few Notable Closures:

Coachman’s Dinner & Pancake House

Salt Lakers got an unpleasant surprise to find out this State Street icon will be no more—hopefully the sign is preserved somehow, somewhere.

Hector’s

Ooch, this one hurt. The closure came fast and sudden. Prayers out to anyone who didn’t get a last burrito.

Sconecutter

The eponymous scones of this small, long-running Utah chain are sadly no longer rising.

Newcomers on the Block:

By the Bucket

A tired old Starbucks bites the dust and brings some fun novelty to this Sugar House corner with buckets o’ pasta from By the Bucket. 701 E. 2100 South, SLC, 385-415-2185, bythebucket.com

Frankie & Essl’s

A new contender for best breakfast sandwich in SLC, their sweet brioche buns are to-die-for.

490 E. 1300 South, SLC, Instagram: @frankieandessls

Nona Bistro

Endings

that lead to New Beginnings:

Campos Coffee Now Brick & Mortar

Australian coffee couldn’t hack the pandemic, and now the beautiful space they left behind is contributing to Edison Street’s character in a new way, as the bar Brick & Mortar. 228 S. Edison St., SLC, 801-419-0871

9th & 9th Mazza Is Now Crack Shack

Survived by its 15th & 15th location, Mazza moved out of 9th & 9th over the pandemic, and is replaced by trendy chicken from Crack Shack. 912 E. 900 South, SLC, 385-715-0250, crackshack.com

Les Madeleines Is Now Xie Bao Bao

A beloved French pastry shop is lost, but the former owner has partnered up in a new endeavor to bring Chinese dumplings (bao) to Salt Lake City.

214 E. 500 South, SLC, instagram: @xiaobaobaoslc

This little backyard gem has a limited Italian menu and an intimate vibe, whether inside the home-converted-to-dining-space or on their twinkly back patio in the summer.

346 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-230-8090, nonaslc.com

Picnic

What better name for a coffee shop within walking distance to Liberty Park? Grab one of their stellar bagels and a cup to go, and you’ve got yourself picnic materials.

1329 S. 500 East, SLC, 801-467-2947, picnicslc.com

Sunday’s Best

From the minds that brought us Ginger Street, this Sandy eatery wants to be the brunch spot, and they sure have worked hard to put their spin on almost any brunch staple one could want.

10672 S. State, Sandy, 801-441-3331, brunchmehard.com

The Local Market & Bar

Another new food hall in the heart of downtown, this one freshly opened this year, offering cuisine for all tastes. 310 E. 400 South, SLC, 801-413-1360, thelocalsaltlakecity.com CW

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Crack Shack’s Double Clucky

2 Row Brewing 6856 S. 300 West, Midvale 2RowBrewing.com

Avenues Proper 376 8th Ave, SLC

avenuesproper.com

On Tap: Blizzard Wizard - Hazy Pale Ale

Bewilder Brewing

445 S. 400 West, SLC

BewilderBrewing.com

On Tap: Gluten Reduced Kolsch

Bohemian Brewery

94 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale BohemianBrewery.com

Bonneville Brewery

1641 N. Main, Tooele BonnevilleBrewery.com

On Tap: Peaches and Cream Ale

Chappell Brewing

2285 S Main Street Salt Lake City, UT 84115

https://chappell.beer/

Craft by Proper

1053 E. 2100 So., SLC craftbyproper.com

On Tap: That’s a KnifeAustralian Cold IPA

Desert Edge Brewery

273 Trolley Square, SLC DesertEdgeBrewery.com

On Tap: Out of Office Pale Ale

Epic Brewing Co. 825 S. State, SLC EpicBrewing.com

On Tap: Lemon Bomb Sour IPA

Fisher Brewing Co. 320 W. 800 South, SLC FisherBeer.com

On Tap: A rotation of up to 17 Fresh Beers!

Grid City Beer Works

333 W. 2100 South, SLC GridCityBeerWorks.com

On Tap: Extra Pale Ale

Hopkins Brewing Co. 1048 E. 2100 South, SLC HopkinsBrewingCompany.com

On Tap: Silent H’s Dub Nectar!

Kiitos Brewing 608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

Level Crossing Brewing Co. 2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake

LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: Vienna-Style Lager Trivia: Mondays at 6pm

Moab Brewing 686 S. Main, Moab TheMoabBrewery.com

On Tap: Bourbon & Blonde (Bulleit Bourbon Barrel-aged Blonde Stout)

Mountain West Cider 425 N. 400 West, SLC MountainWestCider.com

On Tap: Pomme Paloma

Offset Bier Co 1755 Bonanza Dr Unit C, Park City offsetbier.com/

On Tap: DOPO IPA

Ogden Beer Company 358 Park Blvd, Ogden OgdenRiverBrewing.com

On Tap: Injector Hazy IPA

Policy Kings Brewery 223 N. 100 West, Cedar City PolicyKingsBrewery.com

Prodigy Brewing 25 W Center St. Logan

Prodigy-brewing.com

On Tap: It’s Complicated Sour

Proper Brewing 857 S. Main, SLC

ProperBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Cloud ChaserKölsch with Strawberry and Watermelon

Proper Brewing Moab 1393 US-191 Moab, Utah 84532

On Tap: Angus McCloudScottish Ale

Red Rock Brewing 254 So. 200 West RedRockBrewing.com

On Tap: Gypsy Scratch

Red Rock Fashion Place 6227 So. State Redrockbrewing.com

On Tap: Munich Dunkel

Red Rock Kimball Junction Redrockbrewing.com

1640 Redstone Center

On Tap: Bamberg Rauch Bier

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com

On Tap: Flash Flood Belgian Pale Ale

Roosters Brewing

Multiple Locations RoostersBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Identity Crisis Session West Coast Hazy Cold IPA –the name says it all!

SaltFire Brewing

2199 S. W. Temple, S. Salt Lake SaltFireBrewing.com

On Tap: 10 Ton Truck West Coast IPA

Salt Flats Brewing

2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com

On Tap: Save the Lake Pilsner - 5% of sales donated to local non-profits to support preserving our Great Salt Lake Scion Cider Bar 916 Jefferson St W, SLC Scionciderbar.com

On Tap: South Hill Baldwin (NY) - 8.3% ABV

Shades Brewing 154 W. Utopia Ave, S. Salt Lake ShadesBrewing.beer

On Tap: Tap & Tarot

Live Music: Thursdays

Shades On State 366 S. State Street SLC Shadesonstate.com

On Tap: Mexican Lager

Karaoke: Wednesdays

Silver Reef

4391 S. Enterprise Drive, St. George StGeorgeBev.com

Squatters 147 W. Broadway, SLC Squatters.com

Squatters and Wasatch Brewery

1763 So 300 West SLC UT 84115 Utahbeers.com

On Tap: Top of Main Ginger Beer, 5% ABV Strap Tank Brewery Multiple Locations StrapTankBrewery.com

Springville On Tap: PB Rider, Peanut Butter Stout

Lehi On Tap: 2-Stroke, Vanilla Mocha Porter

Stratford Proper 1588 Stratford Ave., SLC stratfordproper.com

On Tap: Yacht Rock Juice Box - Juicy IPA

TF Brewing 936 S. 300 West, SLC TFBrewing.com

On Tap: Edel Pils

Talisman Brewing Co. 1258 Gibson Ave, Ogden TalismanBrewingCo.com

On Tap: The Patriot- Session IPA

Uinta Brewing 1722 S. Fremont Drive, SLC UintaBrewing.com

On Tap: Was Angeles Craft Beer UTOG 2331 Grant Ave, Ogden UTOGBrewing.com

On Tap: Lovely Lady Nitro Stout

Vernal Brewing 55 S. 500 East, Vernal VernalBrewing.com

Wasatch 2110 S. Highland Drive, SLC WasatchBeers.com

Zion Brewery 95 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale ZionBrewery.com

Zolupez 205 W. 29th Street #2, Ogden Zolupez.com

OPENING SOON! Helper Beer | 159 N Main Street | Helper, UT 84526

A list of what local craft breweries and cider houses have on tap this week

Goin’ to the Chappell …

Veteran brewer Tim Chappell brings a new brewery to South Salt Lake.

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

Because of your insatiable need for craft suds, local beer nerd Tim Chappell has decided to share his love of beer with us all, and officially opened Chappell Brewing in South Salt Lake City.

Chappell’s new brewery is a block east of Saltfire at 2285 S. Main Street. The space has a broad design, and it’s all windows on the west-side of the tavern. Chappell as of this writing has two beers—an American Blonde (also served on nitro) and an American Pale Ale. These two beers will be the first of many joining Salt Lake’s craft-beer stronghold, which is quickly becoming a “beer-cation” hotspot. Welcome to the family, Chappell Brewing.

Chappell - Brawndo: This Americanstyle Blonde ale has Vienna malt for its base, and pours a medium golden color with an orange hue, and a mild-to-medium crispy white head. The nose has bread dough, bread malt, Vienna malt, honey and faint lemon citrus, along with some floral notes and a little honey as well.

The initial flavor starts with bready malts and toast crackers, with a wheatlike and yeasty malt backbone. It finishes mildly sweet, as a little black tea flavor rounds it out. The body is medium/light with that unfiltered mouthfeel. It’s not too heavy, though; it leans malty, but appropriate for the style.

Verdict: Pretty spot-on for an American Blonde ale. Its smooth character and toasted components with hints of honey-like sweetness take this ale into lager territory.

Chappell - Playground: This pale ale is described as a hazy pale made with Idaho 7 Cryo, along with Citra hop hash, and it looks the part. I find the nose to be

somewhat sweet and mellow, with hints of orange peel, as well as some underlying maltiness.

The taste is as I expected—nice upfront, yeasty, malt flavor with some caramelized sugar notes along with a very mild hint of herbal hop spice. A medium amount of hop flavor allows the malt to shine through.

Verdict: The taste is well suited to the American palate. Most of the flavor is light and subtle. The mouth feel is you’d expect from a 5.0 percent hazy. Light to medium on the palate, not a heavy body at all. This ale is smooth and refreshing—enjoyable enough that I would consider buying it again.

Epic - Peach Cream Ale: A dark ball of sunset orange at the top of the glass gently drifts into a pale, milky yellow glow, with a fluffy head jam-packed with foamy bubbles and lacing for days. Gentle fruitiness appears up front, with some mango and fruit salad. Then the peach hits, and boy does it hit hard. It’s like peach candy, with depth that far surpasses any peach I’ve smelled in other Epic beers. The vanilla pulls it down into a sweet, savory mess, but the best kind of mess.

Wow, this isn’t even beer, but more like liquified peaches amplified by vanilla cream. It’s amazing how the bean both complements and enhances the peach flavor, slowly changing it into something darker, sweeter and more decadent than I ever thought possible, like sailing over a waterfall of candied peaches and cream. At the bottom is a stunning blast of even more flavor, with some ripe mango and creamsicle entering the fray. Reminiscent of peach nectar, it’s certainly creamy; the lactose addition is light, adding a silkiness without being overbearing. The result is heavy and velvety, which works nicely with this flavor.

Verdict: The vanilla complements the peach so, so well. Like yin and yang, each balances the other. This is shamefully delicious, like a liquid creamsicle.

Epic’s Peach Cream Ale just hit the brewery last week in 12-oz. cans. That’s your best bet, but soon it will be in grocery and convenience stores everywhere. Chappell beers will only be available at the source in SSL. You can get them togo in their house containers—not quite growler/crowler, you’ll see. As always, cheers! CW

MIKE RIEDEL MIKE RIEDEL

Warm Up

BY ALEX SPRINGER | @captainspringer

Hell’s Backbone Welcomes New Executive Chef

Though I will always consider Hell’s Backbone Grill (hellsbackbonegrill.com) a local treasure, its multiple James Beard Award nominations have pushed it into the national spotlight and we’re all just going to have to deal with that. While we adjust, let’s take a moment to welcome their new executive chef Tamara Stanger. For the past few years, Chef Stanger was heading things up at The Lakehouse at Deer Creek and before that she made waves with her restaurant Cotton & Copper in Tempe, AZ. With Hell’s Backbone officially opening for the season on March 31, I’d say it’s a good time to road trip down to Boulder to introduce ourselves to Chef Stanger and make sure she feels welcome.

Underground Supper Club with Chef Jonathan Ortega

Chef Jonathan Ortega’s Underground Supper Clubs at Park City’s O.P. Rockwell (268 Main Street, oprockwell.com) have been building some healthy buzz, and he’s got another one coming up this weekend. Chef Ortega likes to keep things unexpected with these events, so your ticket gets you a trip down his culinary memory lane with recipes inspired by his childhood in California. There will be a wine and cocktail menu on-hand, and there will be two dinners per night from March 31 to April 1, one from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and one from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets are available via O.P. Rockwell’s website.

Namash Swahili Cuisine Opens Storefront

Namash Swahili Cuisine (namashswahilicuisine.com) is one of my go-to food trucks whenever I visit the farmers market or Twilight Concert series, and now I’ll always know where to find them. Yes, the Namash team has moved into a storefront at 145 E. 1300 South, Ste. 409. For the uninitiated, Namash is all about East African cuisine that features interpretations of curry beef and chicken, along with their fried beef sambusas which are dynamite. They’ve been one of Spice Kitchen Incubator’s greatest successes, and we’re excited that they’ve got a storefront to help spread the word about their vibrant and flavorful menu.

Quote of the Week: “I suppose there are people who can pass up free guacamole, but they’re either allergic to avocado or too joyless to live.”—Frank Bruni

Saving Throw

Honor Among Thieves figures out the unique requirements of a Dungeons & Dragons movie.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

The aspect of Dungeons & Dragons as a game that has made it so compelling for nearly 50 years is exactly the thing that makes it a tricky translation as cinematic intellectual property. Unlike comic books, best-sellers or even video games like Super Mario Bros. or Hitman, Dungeons & Dragons doesn’t come equipped with familiar characters or settings; the protagonist of that game is … well, you, and the setting is … well, wherever you want it to be. There are no catch-phrases to inspire chuckles of recognition, no canon to provide points of narrative attachment. Beyond some basic game-play rules, there’s simply infinite space for imagination. For folks gathering around a table, that’s a feature; for any potential movie version, it’s a little bit of a bug.

The writer/director team of John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (Game Night, the Ed Helms Vacation remake) might not initially seem like the ideal filmmakers for a fantasy spectacle, but that would be thinking about a Dungeons & Dragons adaptation in the wrong way. A fundamental component of the game is that it takes on the personality of the Dungeonmaster, the one who’s guiding the players through the story. And by that measure, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a feature that absolutely delivers a D&D adventure after the creators’ own hearts.

Because this is, first and foremost, an energetic and delightful comedy, albeit one that happens to include plenty of CGI

stuff. At its core, it’s a simple quest narrative: Edgin (Chris Pine), a thief recently escaped from prison with his long-time partner-in-crime Holga (Michelle Rodriguez), needs to recover his daughter (Chloe Coleman) from one-time colleague Forge (Hugh Grant), along with a magical artifact that could revive Edgin’s dead wife. Unfortunately, Forge has teamed up with a powerful wizard (Daisy Head) for nefarious purposes, requiring Edgin to seek assistance from insecure mage Simon (Justice Smith), shape-shifter Doric (Sophia Lillis) and paladin Xenk (Regé-Jean Page).

The adventuring party with a mission certainly sets up a basic D&D scenario, including recognizable types like the fighter, the magic-user, the thief and so on. Daley and Goldstein understand how to employ some of the tropes of the game—a magical item isn’t really a magical item unless it comes with a moniker like “Helmet of Disjunction”—but they’re not interested in leaning into that stuff too heavily. If it’s important to you that you get an appearance by a halfling or a dwarf, so be it, you’ll find it. And if it’s not important to

you, you’re not getting drowned in a sea of stuff that only veteran players would appreciate.

Instead, Daley and Goldstein are committed to the much more universal language of comedy, which they speak fluently. In part, that comes from casting deft performers like Pine, Smith and Grant for their ability to bend a line with just a little extra something; Grant in particular continues to shine as he embraces the “playing an absolute bastard” phase of his career. The action sequences aren’t always bursting with kinetic energy, but they’re playful and satisfying because the filmmakers understand that characters fighting a dragon has been done to death, and it’s more interesting if you make the dragon in question a total chonky boi. And in particular, they get remarkable mileage out of a sequence in which our heroes try to extract vital information from reanimated corpses, struggling to nail the specificity of the “only five and exactly five” questions for each undead warrior.

I’m not convinced that Honor Among Thieves succeeds at its attempt to find

an emotional hook in the idea of Edgin’s group as a makeshift family; if there’s one thing that long-time D&D players know, it’s that the characters questing together don’t necessarily have to like or trust one another. Nor is it always a seamless melding of the filmmakers’ goofy sensibility and the seemingly-obligatory 21st-century blockbuster stakes of a villain with megalomaniacal designs. It is, however, tremendous fun nearly from start to finish. No one here had to worry about nerds griping about the casting. They just got to share a unique adventure with those willing to play along in the universe of their creation. If that’s not D&D in movie form, I don’t know what is. CW

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES BBB

Hugh Grant Rated PG-13 Available March 31 in theaters

Chris Pine Michelle Rodriguez

Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

What’s In a Name?

BY EMILEE ATKINSON eatkinson@cityweekly.net @emileelovesvinyl

It’s important not to judge a band by its name. Unless it’s something completely egregious or offensive, it’s good to not shy away, lest you miss out on music you end up really enjoying. Such is true for Chase Ford & The Gummy Boys. The name doesn’t indicate what you’re going to get, and you’re in for a treat with their debut singles.

If you look into Ford’s history, you’ll find a previous project called Fake Nice, the precursor to The Gummy Boys. Fake Nice was a band put together by Ford and his then-girlfriend, but when they split, he didn’t feel right keeping the same name.

That’s where The Gummy Boys come in. “The name Chase Ford & The Gummy Boys was just kind of like a joke name,” Ford explained. “It was meant to be kind of like a stop-gap, so we could still keep the band going, but also be respectful of the fact that it was a band that I had started with my former girlfriend, but then it kind of stuck.”

The name is not going anywhere now— even though there was some hesitation to keep it at first. “I think what solidified it for me was when I would tell people the name, in my head, I was like, ‘This is the dumbest name ever,’ but everybody kept having such positive responses to it. I was like, ‘Man, I think we might be onto something with this name. People really seem to be into it,’” Ford said.

Chase Ford & The Gummy Boys dropped their first three singles at the beginning of the year, and their unique brand of indie rock has inspired a warm reception so far. Ford worried about losing a following

as Fake Nice faded and The Gummy Boys came to be, but they still have a strong fanbase and plenty of support from the community.

According to Ford, their most popular track so far—“Howdy!”—was written in a pretty short amount of time. “I felt like I wrote and recorded it in the space of just a few hours, most of what’s on the recording,” he said. Inspired by another artist on TikTok, Ford took the sound of this other musician and tried to make his own version.

Jack Stauber’s “Oh Klahoma” is a popular song on the app, and Ford’s interpretation of the sound is a worthy successor.

Starting out with a spoken, “Hello / Or, sorry, I mean howdy,” the song starts out cheerfully, followed by a bassline that’s easy to fall in love with; it’s punchy, grainy and slides all over. The bassline is actually where Ford started with the song, building the rest around it. You can hear the influence of Stauber’s sound, but Ford still went in his own direction. Vocals have been given an entrancing effect, sounding light and echoey; meanwhile, synths are peppered in, giving it a buzzy feeling.

The next track on the EP, “Don’t Make

Any Plans,” also drew inspiration from other artists. “I had been listening to the Pixies a lot,” Ford said. “I really like how they play with tension and just ugly, dissonant-sounding stuff, and I wanted to do something similar to that.” Listening through, the influence from the Pixies can definitely be heard in the guitar work on this single.

The EP’s closer, “Someone Living in My House,” is a bit more on the sad side, and doesn’t take inspiration from another musical artist. “I never know if people are going to like really sad songs,” Ford said. “It’s like me, as a listener, I don’t always want to listen to them.”

While the track has some sad notes, it won’t make you extra espresso depresso. It has a beautiful intro featuring handpicking on an acoustic guitar accompanied by Ford’s clean vocals. It’s on the shorter side, clocking in at just under two minutes, but it’s an alluring, introspective look at oneself and how difficult it is to be so stuck in your own way and in your own head.

Being the frontman, Ford does most of the writing, but The Gummy Boys are an excellent team. “We’ve got such a great

band right now. Everybody’s so good at their instrument, and I’m just so excited that they want to play music with me,” he said. There’s a lot of collaboration and synchrony that happens on stage with Chase Ford & The Gummy Boys. “Everybody is so creative and lately we each have something that we’re working on with the band, and it’s just nice to have a creative team.”

These three songs were a good introduction for Chase Ford & The Gummy Boys, but there’s definitely more to come. The band won’t be playing as many shows, but the goal is to get a full album out by the time summer rolls around. Music videos are also going to be a focus for the group, since Ford is also a filmmaker. “If you have a strong music video that looks professional, I feel like it raises the level of the band,” he said.

There’s a lot to look forward to from Chase Ford & The Gummy Boys, so stay tuned. It’ll be exciting to see what their new album holds, and how rowdy they’ll get at live shows later this summer. And when you’re looking at the concert calendar, remember to give that band with the unique name some attention. CW

Chase Ford & The Gummy Boys take a funny name and turn out great music.

AZARIAH REESE

By Emilee Atkinson

Imag!nary Friendz, Bleugrave, Eyes Buggy, The Bombshell Flowers @ Velour 3/30

Shows with all-local lineups are some of the best in town. Bands from the area bring such high-energy fun each time they play, and this show is sure to be a blast. Imag!nary Friendz on their own bring an intense set that will have you begging for more. The Ogden trio creates a massive wall of sound each time they play, sounding like seasoned professionals. They made their debut in 2021 with a fiery EP titled The Un!t, which perfectly encapsulates the group’s lighthearted sound. In addition to their great original work, the trio are known to perform some great covers; their rendition of Jet’s “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” shows off their on-stage chemistry as well as their rock chops. This show is part of a series at Velour called “New Band Showcase,” and Bleugrave fits this category. They debuted their trippy reverb-soaked sounds in 2022, and released a new single last month called “Zamboni” that will be a treat to hear live. Brand-new group Eyes Buggy dropped their first single, “DIE” in January, an intriguing track that starts out slow before exploding into a wild solo before bringing the energy back down. It’s a great jam song, clocking in at over six minutes, so this will be an interesting one to see live. Last but not least, The Bombshell Flowers bring their flavor of alt-rock to the diverse show. Head out to this all-local lineup on Thursday, March 30 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the allages show are $10 and can be found at 24tix.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

By Emilee Atkinson

Coco & Clair Clair, Grandma @ Soundwell 3/31

The world needs more besties turned musical artists. Coco & Clair Clair met in 2013, and began creating music around the same time. Over the last decade, the duo’s music has grown and evolved from Soundcloud-era production to modern hits that go viral on TikTok. Like many of us, the two joined TikTok during the pandemic, recognized an opportunity, and jumped on it. “I got into TikTok during the quarantine, but I think for our songs—we always thought it might happen because we saw the other songs going viral on there, and it made sense for us. But it felt overnight. It wasn’t a slow, obvious climb; it just happened,” Clair told Stereogum in November when their latest album dropped. The chemistry between Coco & Clair Clair is palpable, maybe from their years of friendship, or because their personalities mesh well together. Either way, it makes for a great experience listening through their music. “There’s a type of synergy—when one of us is going into chaos mode, the other is down to hold back. We balance each other out,” Clair said. Joining the duo is multi-instrumentalist Grandma, who writes, sings, programs, arranges, produces and mixes all of his music himself. His latest album, Angelhood, is an exciting adventure filled with warmth, tons of synths and songs that take from many different genres. Nothing Grandma does is boring, which is why he’ll make a great companion for Coco & Clair Clair on Friday, March 31 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $20 and can be found at soundwellslc.com. (EA)

Weedeater, High Tone Son of a Bitch, Adam Faucett, Muckraker @ Aces High Saloon 4/1

After your April Fool’s Day antics, head over to Aces High Saloon for a packed lineup of intense metal. This show features some rad subgenres of metal including stoner, doom and even some bluesy rock thrown in. At the helm is stoner metal group Weedeater, who have been in the heavy game since the late ‘90s. The trio doesn’t release music on the most consistent basis, but their 2018 “best of” album is a pretty definitive collection of their work. The compilation contains some great headbangers like “Time Served,” “Potbelly” and “Bully” that showcase and exemplify that sludgy vibe they’re known for. Joining Weedeater are doom collective High Tone Son of a Bitch, who have presented some great new work in the last couple of years. They released three singles in 2022 before hitting listeners with a live album later that year. The group has also produced some epic psychedelic music videos to accompany the live performances. You can find videos on YouTube for their tracks “Tribute,” “John the Baptist” and “Monuments to Ruins,” all excellent listens from the group. Joining the lineup is Adam Faucett, who is bringing the blues rock element to the show. His most recent release, It Took the Shape of a Bird, made it on Pop Matters’ top 20 Americana albums in 2018, and is his heaviest, most personal work to date, according to his website bio. Come rock out on Saturday, April 1 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $22 and can be found at aceshighsaloon.com. (EA)

MUSIC PICK S

By

Key Glock @ The Complex 4/4

Ron Sexsmith @ The State Room 4/4

When your music garners the praises of people like Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello and Ray Davies, it would seem hard to remain humble. Yet Ron Sexsmith has always managed to hang on to a self-effacing perspective that reflects both melody and modesty. “I don’t want to go into the studio unless I know I have good songs,” he told this writer during an interview for M Music and Musicians in 2011. “I try to keep up the quality control.” That he’s done exceedingly well, as his new album, The Vivian Line, indicates once again. Of course, each of his 18 efforts have struck the same standard, courtesy of songs that share their pop precepts in ways that are both upbeat and engaging. A cherubic-faced man/child, even at age 59, this compelling Canadian troubadour draws from obvious influences—be it classic crooners like Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby or those aforementioned musical masters—courtesy of songs that are wistful, reflective and indicative of a genial, upbeat attitude. “Take a look at me now, I’m feeling good!,” he sings on “Diamond Wave,” one of several spectacular songs on his new album. Then again, that’s a sentiment well in keeping with the overflow of emotion that’s become his calling card. With songs so effortlessly endearing, Sexsmith is easily considered an artist of a singular stature.

Caligiuri)

With the fresh-pressed February 2023 release of Glockoma 2 (a follow up to the 2018’s Glockoma), Key Glock has dusted off his shoulders and rolled out a series of tour dates under the same name as the album, including our very own Salt Lake City on the April leg of the brief two-month tour. The (only!) 25-year-old rapper has an impressive resume, known for working closely with fellow Memphis-based rapper, friend and cousin-in-law Young Dolph, who was shot and killed at a bakery in 2021. Paying homage to Young Dolph through his 2022 EP PRE5L, Glockoma 2 marks Key Glock’s first fulllength album release since that death. Combining a unique mixture of quintessential trap beats and backpack rapper verses, Key Glock bridges the gap between the raw, lyric-heavy old school rap and the kinetic, driving beats of the new school. Breathlessly breezing through verses that either rhyme or have clear reason, the songs remain simultaneously provocative and crisp, rarely venturing over the 2:30 minute mark. The album features both industrious and quick-witted beats, steadfastly pushing the pace of the tracks forward with vigor without sacrificing cleanliness of cut or prioritizing rush when a slow, drop-down beat is just what’s needed. Key Glock presents a rare talent in that it’s clear he will soon become a staple for legions of rap fans, without ever feeling like out-of-date old news. Simply stated: He will remain what’s new. Tickets for his all-ages show start at $39.50 and can be purchased at thecomplexslc.com. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. (Sophie

Ron Sexsmith and guest Paul Jacobsen perform at the State Room, on Tuesday, April 4 at 8 p.m. Tickets for this 21+ show cost $31. Go to tix.axs.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

Weedeater Key Glock

Emilee Atkinson

free will ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Sometimes, I give you suggestions that may jostle your routines and fluster your allies. But after trying them out for a short time, you may chicken out and revert to old habits. That’s understandable! It can be difficult to change your life. Here’s an example. What if I encourage you to cancel your appointments and wander out into the wilderness to discuss your dreams with the birds? And what if, during your adventure, you are flooded with exhilarating yearnings for freedom? And then you decide to divest yourself of desires that other people want you to have and instead revive and give boosts to desires that you want yourself to have? Will you actually follow through with brave practical actions that transform your relationship with your deepest longings?

TAURUS (April 20-May

20)

You have done all you can for now to resolve and expunge stale, messy karma—some of which was left over from the old days and old ways. There may come a time in the future when you will have more cleansing to do, but you have now earned the right to be as free from your past and as free from your conditioning as you have ever been. April Fool! I lied. In fact, you still need to spend a bit more time resolving and expunging stale, messy karma. But you’re almost done!

GEMINI

(May

21-June 20)

Businessman Robert Bigelow hopes to eventually begin renting luxurious rooms in space. For $1.7 million per night, travelers will enjoy accommodations he provides on his orbiting hotel, 200 miles above the Earth’s surface. Are you interested? I bet more Geminis will be signing up for this exotic trip than any other sign. You’re likely to be the journeyers most excited by the prospect of sailing along at 17,000 miles per hour and witnessing 16 sunsets and sunrises every 24 hours. April Fool! In fact, you Geminis are quite capable of getting the extreme variety you crave and need right here on the planet’s surface. And during the coming weeks, you will be even more skilled than usual at doing just that.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

The coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to become the overlord of your fiefdom, seize control of new territory and declare yourself chieftain, or overthrow the local hierarchy and install yourself as sovereign ruler of all. April Fool! I was metaphorically exaggerating—but just a bit. I do believe now is an excellent phase to increase your clout, boost your influence and express your leadership. Be as kind you can be, of course, but also be rousingly mighty and fervent.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

In his poem “The Something,” Charles Simic writes, “Here come my night thoughts on crutches, returning from studying the heavens. What they thought about stayed the same. Stayed immense and incomprehensible.” According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you Leos will have much the same experience in the coming weeks. So there’s no use in even hoping or trying to expand your vision. April Fool! I lied. The truth is, you will not have Simic’s experience. Just the opposite. When your night thoughts return from studying the heavens, they will be full of exuberant, inspiring energy. (And what exactly are “night thoughts”? They are bright insights you discover in the darkness.)

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

If there will ever come a time when you find gold bullion on the ground while strolling around, it will be soon. Similarly, if you are destined to buy a winning lottery ticket or inherit a diamond mine in Botswana, that blessing will arrive soon. April Fool! I was exaggerating a bit. The truth is, I suspect you are now extra likely to attract new resources and benefits, though not on the scale of gold bullion, lottery winnings and diamond mines.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

In my opinion, all of us need and deserve at least one muse, even if we’re not creative artists. A muse can be a spirit or hero or ally who inspires us, no matter what work and play we do. A muse may call our attention to important truths we are ignoring or point us in the direction of exciting future possibilities. According to my astrological analysis, you are now due for a muse upgrade. If you don’t have one, get one—or even more. If you already have a relationship with a muse, ask more from it. Nurture it. Take it to the next level.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Dear Valued Employee: Our records show you haven’t used any vacation time over the past 100 years. As you may know, workers get three weeks of paid leave per year or else receive pay in lieu of time off. One added week is granted for every five years of service. So please, either take 9,400 days off work or notify our office, and your next paycheck will reflect payment of $8,277,432, including interest for the past 1,200 months. April Fool! Everything I said was an exaggeration. But there is a grain of truth in it. The coming weeks should bring you a nice surprise or two concerning your job.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Sagittarian poet and artist William Blake (1757–1827) was a hard-working visionary with an extravagant imagination. His contemporaries considered him a freaky eccentric, though today we regard him as a genius. I invite you to enjoy your own personal version of a Blake phase in the coming weeks. It’s a perfect time to dynamically explore your idiosyncratic inclinations and creative potentials. Be bold, even brazen, as you celebrate what makes you unique. But wait! Although everything I just said is true, I must add a caveat: You don’t necessarily need to be a freaky eccentric to honor your deepest, most authentic truths and longings.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Some of my friends disapprove of cosmetic surgery. I remind them that many cultures throughout history engaged in body modification. In parts of Africa and Borneo, people stretch their ears. Some Balinese people get their teeth filed. Women of the Indigenous Kyan people in Thailand elongate their necks using brass coils. Anyway, Capricorn, this is my way of letting you know that the coming weeks would be a favorable time to change your body. April Fool! It’s not my place to advise you about whether and how to reshape your body. Instead, my job is to encourage you to deepen and refine how your mind understands and treats your body. And now is an excellent time to do that.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

I invite you to make a big change. I believe it’s crucial if you hope to place yourself in maximum alignment with cosmic rhythms. Here’s my idea: Start calling yourself “Genius.” You could even use it instead of the first name you have used all these years. Tell everyone that from now on, they should address you as “Genius.” April Fool! I don’t really think you should make the switch to Genius. But I do believe you will be extra smart and ultra-wise in the coming weeks, so it wouldn’t be totally outrageous to refer to yourself as “Genius.”

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Your body comprises 30 trillion human cells and 39 trillion microbial cells, including bacteria. In my astrological estimation, those 69 trillion life forms are vibrating in harmony with all the money in the world. Because of this remarkable alignment, you have the potential to get richer quicker. Good luck is swirling in your vicinity. Brilliant intuitions are likely to well up. The Money God is far more amenable than usual to your prayers. April Fool! I was exaggerating a bit. But I do believe you now have extra ability to prime your cash flow.

ACROSS

1. Overnight, maybe

5. “____ bing!”

9. Indisputable evidence

14. “Citizen ____”

15. Have too much, briefly

16. “Welcome to Hawaii!”

17. Says “I gave it 110%,” say

20. Lapis ____ (blue gemstone)

21. End of the White House’s domain

22. “Take ____ a compliment!”

23. Having five sharps

25. One curl, say

27. Competitor of Stridex

28. What a kimchi lover might grow in their yard

34. “Fascism is ____ told by bullies”: Ernest Hemingway

35. It’s between Can. and Mex.

36. Wine region between Turin and Genoa

38. ____ sci (college major, informally)

39. Eponymous swindler Charles

42. Hiking route

44. Forearm bone

46. One of the Brady Bunch

47. Setting for a classic Agatha Christie novel

48. What a gerontologist’s patient hopes to do

52. “Terrif!”

54. ____ Speedwagon (“Keep On Loving

You” band)

55. Realm from 800 to 1806: Abbr.

56. Lotion ingredient

58. Just peachy

60. Cape Canaveral countdown term

65. Something that might result in a home gym or cozy guest house ... or this puzzle’s theme

68. NBC foreign correspondent Richard

69. Musical artist known as the “Queen of New Age”

70. Novelist Tokarczuk who won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature

71. Actress Thompson of “Passing”

72. “That ____ it!”

73. Condé ____

DOWN

1. Vodka brand that sounds like a toast

2. “____ Nagila”

3. “Little” sister in “Hairspray”

4. Machu Picchu’s land

Dammed Ice!

It’s hard to say, “It’s spring!” when it just keeps snowing and snowing. If you live in the Salt Lake Valley, you probably don’t have much snow stacked up in your yard, but on the benches, homes that face north still have up to a foot in some places.

Then there’s all the snow in the canyons. We’re breaking records, right and left, for snowfall and, when this stuff does melt, some folks are going to be dealing with ice dams, water damage and mold.

5. Packing in cartons

6. Oral health org.

7. Snoop of hip-hop

8. Goat known for its wool

9. Distant

10. Jai ____

11. Small rabbit

12. Bad thing to get from your boss

13. Quick with a clapback

18. Director Kazan

19. “Best. Day. ____!”

24. Kiss for a señor or señora

26. Making out on the bus, e.g.: Abbr.

28. Imposed maximum

29. Surname shared by three members of the 1963 San Francisco Giants

30. Backwaters, in Australia

31. Human ____

32. According to Urban Dictionary, it’s a “Hindi word for cannabis ... introduced to Jamaica by Indian laborers”

33. College sports channel

37. “C’mon, ____ be fun”

40. Actor Galifianakis

41. Krypton, for example

43. “What’s the idea?!”

45. ____ Lingus

49. First, second or

50. Firmly set

51. Disaster relief org.

52. Aspect

53. Unaccompanied

57. December 24th and 31st, for two 59. Casino game similar to bingo 61. Pumped metal 62. “The Lion King” lioness 63. Popular brand of sheepskin boots 64. Adjustable bike part 66. She, in Portuguese

Last week’s answers

During and after snowfall, your roof warms in two ways, leading directly to the snow melting. One way is when the sun’s rays are refracted through ice crystals in the snowflakes that have collected on your home’s roof, creating warmth and melting the snow. Another way is from heat rising from inside your home escaping through the attic and its vents and warming your roof.

When roof snowmelt reaches your cold gutters, it can freeze into ice. This process of thawing and refreezing creates ice dams in your gutters, which can cause water to back up under the shingles or behind the fascia boards where it can lead to damage to the roof decking, wall sheathing or the ceilings and walls of your attic.

Ice dams can cause awful problems and cost a lot of money to fix. The absolute worst thing you can hear in your home is the sound of dripping water if you didn’t turn on the tap. If water gets under your shingles, it will pool in the attic and then run down your walls or inside your walls and could end up in your basement.

X

SUDOKU

Complete the grid so that each row, column, diagonal and 3x3 square contain all of the numbers

1 to 9. No math is involved. The grid has numbers, but nothing has to add up to anything else. Solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic. Solving time is typically 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your skill and experience.

The scary part is that you might not hear the water trickling until it’s too late, when your ceiling can fall in on you. It starts as a bubble in the paint that grows into a huge bubble before it pops. Then, lo and behold, attic insulation and sheetrock tumble down onto the floor. Or it travels inside the walls and you find your basement has water in it from the roof dam. It can happen slowly or quickly depending on the outside temperatures and weather conditions.

The longer the melting water runs into your home, the more damage it will cause. Almost immediately, mold will start to grow in any warm area of the home that the moisture touches. Mold can lead to serious breathing and health problems and, many times, it isn’t discovered until it’s wreaked havoc in your home.

If you see a bunch of icicles hanging from your gutter, knock them down. You can also add insulation and heating wires on your roof and in your gutters to eliminate this problem. n

NEWS of the WEIRD

BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL

Goals

Donald Matthew Santacroce, 65, really wants to go to federal prison. To that end, on March 6, he entered a Wells Fargo bank branch in Salt Lake City and handed the teller a note: “Please pardon me for doing this but this is a robbery. Please give me $1. Thank you.” According to KSL-TV, the teller handed over a dollar and asked Santacroce to leave, but instead he sat down in the lobby and waited for police to arrive. During his wait, he mentioned that it was a good thing he didn’t have a gun, because the police were taking so long. At that point, the manager ushered employees into a locked back room. The arrest report noted that Santacroce said that “if he gets out of jail, he will rob another bank and ask for more money next time,” so that he’ll be sent to federal prison.

Bonfire of the Vanity Plates

Maine’s vanity plate free-for-all is at an end. The state’s review process for custom license plates was effectively ended in 2015, after which residents could—and did—put nearly anything on the tags, including profanities. Lawmakers have now had enough: The state is reestablishing a review process and recalling hundreds of “inappropriate” plates, NBC Boston reported. But resident Peter Starostecki wants to know: What’s inappropriate about soy products? The state recalled his plate, “LUVTOFU,” because it “could’ve been seen as a reference to sex instead of admiration for bean curd,” as NBC put it. Starostecki is one of 13 motorists to appeal their plates’ recall so far, all of which have been denied. Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said vehicle owners can still express themselves—but that they should do so with bumper stickers, not state-issued tags. “We have a public interest in keeping phrases and words that are profane or may incite violence off the roadways,” she said. So, Maine motorists, consider yourselves safe from tofu-induced road rage. For now.

It Was a Cuticle Emergency

Pop quiz: If you crashed your car into a building, what do you think you would immediately do? Maybe call emergency services? See if anyone was hurt? We’re betting you wouldn’t answer with “get a manicure next door to the place I just destroyed,” but that’s what an Ontario woman did earlier this month. Per CTV News Toronto, which obtained security footage of the incident, a Jeep plowed into the storefront of Guilty Pleasurez Dezzert Cafe on March 3, shattering windows and destroying merchandise. Thankfully, the bakery—owned by siblings Tanvir and Simran Bawa—was not yet open for the day, and no one was inside. Tanvir rushed to the scene after getting a frantic call from the pair’s mother, while his sister got the news from a worker at KC’s Nails and Beauty Shoppe, the nail salon next door to Guilty Pleasurez. The employee told Simran that the driver was inside KC’s, getting her nails done. Tanvir told CTV that he spoke to the driver: “I was like, ‘Are you OK?’ ... and she’s just giggling. She’s like, ‘Yeah, I’m fine.’” His sister added, “I’m telling you, this whole time, not one single apology from them. ... This is pretty much my bread and butter.” Simran said the bakery had sustained “serious structural damage,” but that their insurance provider was requiring the shop to stay open for the time being—despite the shattered glass and a front door that doesn’t fully open. In the kind of understatement only Canadians can pull off, Simran said, “It’s not been the most pleasant time.”

All the Cool Cats Are Doing It

If you saw the phrase “cocaine cat” trending recently, here’s why: A wild cat that was captured in Cincinnati tested positive for exposure to cocaine, NPR reports. In events only recently made public, a big cat named Amiry escaped from his owner’s car during a police stop in January. Soon after, local dog wardens started getting calls about a possible leopard stuck in a tree. Responders retrieved Amiry, brought him to a shelter and called in an expert. Per NPR, “The expert suspected Amiry was actually a serval: a long-legged, big-eared wild cat that is native to subSaharan Africa and illegal to own in Ohio.” A DNA test confirmed that hunch—and also found narcotics in the cat’s system. (After an incident last year involving a monkey on amphetamines, the shelter now tests all “exotic” animals that come through its doors.) Amiry is currently living at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. He suffered a broken leg during his ordeal, but is recovering well, says lead trainer Linda Castaneda. “Amiry is young and very curious,” she said. “He is exploring his new space and eating well.” No charges have yet been filed against Amiry’s former owner, but the case remains open.

Lookin’ For Love

Sometimes, even the self-appointed top bachelor needs a little help. Robert Siegfried, 43, of Janesville, Wisconsin, was tired of his experience on dating apps and decided to try a different tactic, reports WISC-TV. He took out a billboard featuring a photo of himself and next to that he included the all-caps words “DATE ROBERT” in what some might call a desperate shade of red, followed by “Wisconsin’s #1 Eligible Bachelor.” The sign states that Robert is “looking for a local, honest woman.” Said lucky lady can reach him at the number plastered on the billboard. But if you do reach out to Robert, you might want to ask him about the restraining order that was put in place against him last year, according to online court records, which is set to last for four years. Meh, that’s probably nothing to worry about. Get dialing, ladies!

Free the Torsos!

According to Berlin’s local government, everyone will soon be allowed to go topless at the city’s public pools, regardless of gender. Up till now, women who bared their breasts at Berlin pools were asked to cover up or leave, and were sometimes even banned, reports NBC. After a local woman filed a discrimination complaint with a government office for equal treatment, the Berliner Baeder-Betriebe (which runs the city’s public pools) decided to update its policies. Doris Liebscher, the head of the office involved, praised the decision because “it establishes equal rights for all Berliners, whether male, female or nonbinary, and because it also creates legal certainty for the staff at the Baeder-Betriebe.”

■ Owners of Club Castaway, a strip club in Whately, Massachusetts, are looking for a way to stand out in a “saturated” market, Boston.com reported. So they’ve decided to transition their business into a topless cannabis dispensary. “We do have some experience on the cannabis side and some on the nudity side,” said co-owner Nick Spagnola. “We want to replace this nightclub scene and alcohol with something that is harmless in comparison.” Club Castaway shut down during the pandemic and has not yet reopened; details and licenses for its new incarnation are still being worked out.