A spectacularly disheartening graph from Downtown Alliance’s recent report on on Salt Lake City shows exactly what the “lobster trap” design of City Creek and the unbalanced liquor laws have fostered: A downtown nearly devoid of culinary excitement.
The vast majority of diners, the alliance study found, eat at Cheesecake Factory, Olive Garden, P.F. Chang and Blue Lemon, the latter being the only Utah-based restaurant.
This is not cause for rejoicing. These are anything but the kind of creative and idiosyncratic restaurants that will make Salt Lake a dining destination—unless you believe, like too many Utah leaders, that culinary excellence can be found in a suburban mall food court.
SLARA—Salt Lake Area Restaurant Association, tourism leaders and true food lovers in the city should be dismayed and begin the conversation on how the city can better attract and support local culinary talent.
What do you think?
Besides that I’m a snob. I already know that.
