Salt Lake City...Cocktails?

I know this is maybe the most oxymoronic post I've ever made, but by chance is there an outstanding or even very good to excellent social club in Salt Lake City in which I can enjoy fine cocktails and possibly entertain some folks? I'll be out for 5 days in January.

I'm also looking for high end dining as well.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Jonny

I was there on business about a year ago. Pretty place, that's about it. Well, I'm sure you know by now that you've got to buy a "membership" in order to drink, something like $4 per place.

I don't have a recommendation for a place for good cocktails (and I drank at about 5 places there) but if my memory serves me correctly, they are very limited in SLC in the amount of alcohol they can dispense per drink, which kind of curtails good cocktail-making. I ordered a martini there, and I believe they were limited to 1 oz. gin per drink (this was at Ruth Chris'), or it might have been that there could be only one type of alcohol per drink, so it was the smallest and most watered down martini ever. After a few miscues with cocktails, I stuck to wine because it is what it is.

According to this Utah state website:

"Wine, Liquor, and Beer Full liquor service is available in licensed restaurants, banquet and catering facilities, airport lounges, and private clubs. Patrons may order liquor by the drink, wine by the glass or bottle, and beer in bottles, cans and on draft. Packaged liquor, wine, and heavy beer (over 3.2%) are available in State Liquor Stores and Package Agencies."

Maybe someone else can weigh in here, but I found "cocktailing" in SLC to be a futile endeavor.

FWIW, the bar at the Hotel Monaco had a lot of business people there when I visited.

As for high-end dining, I played it "safe" and went with Ruth Chris. Food in downtown SLC (assuming that's where you'll be) can be pretty bad. From what I hear from locals I know (even Mormons), my cousin, who did his post-grad at Univ. of Utah, as well as frequent visitors, is that anyone who wants to seriously wine and dine travels the forty minutes or so out to Park City, where the restaurants are infinitely better and there are no alcohol restrictions.

best place to drink is probably at the ski resorts... get a beer and sit out in the common area. Beautiful. Last time I was there, went to a little lodge/bar up in the mountains that was fantastic. Edit: it is called Silverfork Lodge.
http://www.silverforklodge.com/wine-list.html

Otherwise, for food, there are these pretty cool greek fast-food joints that serve pastrami burgers. Crown Burger is one of the chains. Very tasty.

There's even one decent mexican place w/ great mole's called Red Iguana.

ab wrote:Otherwise, for food, there are these pretty cool greek fast-food joints that serve pastrami burgers. Crown Burger is one of the chains. Very tasty.

I'll say. It shouldn't work, and no individual component comes close to distinguishing itself, but, oh, the sum of those parts: that pastrami adds just the right chew, meatiness, salt. Really, really good.

We went to Settebello right afterward for pizza and gelato: the SLC location is just as solid as the Henderson, NV location.

Crown Burger
118 North 300 West,
Salt Lake City, UT

Settebello
260 South 200 West,
Salt Lake City, UT

I can't help you with cocktails, but do please consider a visit to Takashi (a sushi place downtown) for your upscale dining. It seems oxymoronic to have sushi in the mountains as well, but this place is just fantastic, and they will take good care of you. Good sake there as well.

18 W. Market St. (bet. 300 & 400 South)
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
801-519-9595