One of the cool things about making the rounds, sipping the entries at this year’s Farm to Glass Cocktail Contest is the collateral advantages: We stopped in at Pallet to try the “Street Corn named Desire”, since bar manager Bijan Ghiai’s creations are alway stellar. Sure enough, we loved the cocktail—a highly original concoction made of blended sweet corn, ancho liqueur, dry curacao, lemon and honey. The blended corn is strained out, leaving the drink with a light and foamy consistency, reminiscent of the texture eggwhite gives a gin fizz. It’s served in a martini glass washed with mezcal with one outer side dipped in powdered ancho chile and garnished with a toothpick skewer of ancho-dusted corn kernels. 

The inspiration for the cocktail can be ordered from the appetizer menu: Sous Chef Jerry Pacheco makes Elotes (translates to fresh corn) from Utah sweet corn kernels mixed with creme fraiche, cotija cheese and truffle aioli and tops it with ancho chili powder and red vein sorel from Frog Bench Farms.

 But then we saw another cocktail going out and immediately ordered one of those: For the “Life of Poblano,” Bijan scrapes the seeds and stems from a fresh poblano pepper and balances it in a glass of ice water. Then he mixes Wahaka Espadin Joven Mezcal with lime, orgeat, Ancho Reyes (a liqueur flavored with ancho chile) and some other things and fills the pepper with it. You drink directly from the pepper, getting a green, vegetal aroma with every sip that offsets the smoky liquor. 

Over 45 restaurants in downtown Salt Lake City are set to participate in the 13^th annual Downtown Dine O’Round. The event runs September 9 – 25, including three full weekends for locals to get out and try something new. Specially-designed dinner and lunch menus have been created for the event with the frugal in mind. Two-item lunches are either $5 or $10 and three course dinners are either $15 or $35, depending on location.

“Dine O’Round is important to encourage diners to try a new restaurant or return to an old favorite during the seventeen delicious days of the event,” said Nick Como, communication director for the Downtown Alliance. “Our fantastic restauranteur partners have elevated Salt Lake City’s brand as a culinary hotspot with quality dining options, culinary talent, and varied ethnic cuisines.”

Participants include local favorites Gracie’s and Blue Iguana as well as award-winning restaurants like J. Wong’s Asian Bistro and Tin Angel Cafe. By asking for the special Dine O’Round menu, diners can choose from a variety of choices and add on additional drinks and appetizers from the regular menu if they choose. The Downtown Alliance puts on the event every year to draw new people downtown and encourage downtown residents and office workers to explore the city’s diverse dining options.

This year, the event also offers diners the opportunity to “win dinner for a year.” To enter, participants can upload photos from their Dine O’Round experience, use the hashtag #DineORound and tag @downtownslc on Instagram to automatically enter to win.

For more information on participating locations and samples menus, visit www.dineoround.com.

-Brieanna Olds

Be an Athenian for a day and enjoy all that the 41^st Greek Festival has to offer. Put on by the Greek Orthodox Church, the event has become a popular tradition among residents of the Salt Lake Valley with as many as 50,000 visitors attending the weekend event. Beginning on Friday, September 9, the festival is a three-day journey into Greek culture, music, entertainment and cuisine.

“This annual event gives the Salt Lake Greek Community the opportunity to share our deep-rooted culture with the great people of the state of Utah,” Parish Council President Thomas W. Peters said.

Utah has one of the largest Greek communities in the country, which is reflected in the annual festival’s expansion into the largest cultural event in the state. From its beginning in the basement of the church, the festival has grown to offer dance performances, tours of the church and museum, and a variety of food choices. Attendees are encouraged to come feast on classic Greek cuisine, like gyros and baklava, while sitting in the majestic shadow of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral.

Admission is $3 per person and many of the proceeds will be set aside by The Greek Orthodox Church to support charities in the community. Children 5 and under are free.

The Salt Lake Greek Festival is located at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 279 S. 300 W., and runs September 9 – September 11. For more information visit www.saltlakegreekfestival.com.

-Brieanna Olds