Chef Michael Richey is having some fun. And he’s sharing it with you. Fireside on Regent might be the most fun restaurant in the city right now because everyone working there is having fun. Pizza is a natural party premise and Fireside pizza rocks, but every time I taste something new on the menu, it gives me a big smile of pure pleasure. The roasted corn on the cob with lime and queso fresca? Fantastic. The lamb pops—little rounds of ground round seasoned like kibbeh but somehow juicy and topped with harissa—delicious. So are the short ribs, and they’re served over sunchokes and sauced with chimichurri. Squash blossoms stuffed with Meyer lemon and ricotta, arancini made with taleggio, bruschetta topped with avocado in a cheeky culinary pun on the avocado toast that we’re told is ruining Millennials’ lives…eating from Fireside’s “Urban Picnic” reminds me of eating at some incredibly upscale state fair. This is seriously frivolous food.
And to top it off, now Fireside offers the most lighthearted dessert of them all: soft-serve ice cream. Incredible soft-serve ice cream. Huckleberry and deep chocolate the last time I was there, but flavors change all the time. Cup, cone or something fancier. I dare you not to smile. 126 Regent St., SLC, 801-359-4100
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See more inside our 2017 September/October Issue.
