This week's food guide comes from Tim Haslam. Tim is currently the Director of Operations for Utah lacrosse, and he used to run UtahLaxReport.com and the Utah Lax Report podcast. Tim knows the area as well as anyone. Not only that, he got some input from PLL pros who also know the west well. Adam Ghitelman, Will Manny, and Bubba Fairman all have some food recommendations for you in here as well. If you make the trip, there's plenty of spots to try out west in the final weekend of the PLL Regular Season. You can follow Tim on twitter at @TimHaslam.
Technically the PLL is in Herriman, a suburb south of Salt Lake City, but if you’ve been following the PLL for the last few years, you already knew that. Zions Bank Stadium, home of the 2020 “PLL Bubble”, is a gem of a facility that provides great views and is a fantastic venue for lacrosse. If you’re coming to The Beehive State this weekend, let me be the first to welcome you.
With the stadium being in a residential area, the options near the stadium are sparse. Redemption Bar & Grill is the closest to the venue and boasts some quality appetizers including Porter’s Jalapeno Poppers, Fried Mac-N-Cheese Balls and of course any of the drinks on tap.
A few miles north of Zions Bank Stadium is Mountain View Village, which just completed its second phase. The Village has several great pregame type options like Super Chix, The Crack Shack, R&R BBQ, Zao Asian Cafe, Saffron Circle or Stack 571 Burger and Whiskey Bar. If you want to spend a little more time in the area, Kokonut Island Grill, Via 313 Pizza or Santorini’s Greek Grill are solid choices.
This is only a small portion of the food offerings available at Mountain View Village. Along with these restaurants, there are unique offerings for those who after eating all that food, missed hitting their sweet tooth. For example: Craving a donut? Try Hello Sugar. Want to try some ice cream rolled up and served in a waffle cone flavored taco shell, go visit Rolled Tacos.
Just a city north of the stadium, Salsa Leedos in Riverton has outstanding Mexican food. The Molcajete or Grilled Chick Mac-n-cheese Tacos are a hit and the Green Chile Baby Back Ribs are as tasty as ribs get.
If you’re staying in downtown Salt Lake City, you’re going to have a slew of options at your disposal within walking distance. Some of the more famous stops are Red Iguana where you’ll find delicious Mexican dishes but beware, the lines can get long so give yourself plenty of time. There are two Crown Burger locations downtown, whose name comes from its classic pastrami burger. I personally prefer the bacon burger but the Gyros are another popular item. Don’t forget the fries with your meal so you can try the legendary, Utah-famous Fry Sauce.
Also downtown is the best sushi restaurant this side of Boston. Yes, you read that right. Once you try Takashi you’ll be finding ways to return. This will sound crazy, but try the Strawberry Fields. The idea of strawberry or any fruit on sushi doesn’t make sense, but this roll will have you saying otherwise. If hot and spicy is your thing, try the T&T roll or my personal favorite: Ramon’s Roll. Other great spots for great drinks and food downtown are Oquirrh, Handle Bar or White Horse Spirits & Kitchen.
If you’re looking for some pizza, Este, Slackwater or Litzas Pizza will treat you right. If time is on your side and you don’t mind tasting garlic for a few days, The Pie is your spot. They are home to the 23” Giant Pie and if you’re really looking for thousands of calories in one meal, try The Vesuvius Zappi which consists of spaghetti and meatballs inside a calzone.
I reached out to Utah residents and PLL Pros Adam Ghitelman (Cannons), Will Manny (Whipsnakes) and the pride of Utah Bubba Fairman (Cannons) to see what they would recommend and all three of them gave the same answer: Vessel Kitchen. So for those trying to eat healthy in case a roster spot somehow opens up this weekend, be sure to stop by Vessel. This restaurant is owned and operated by Nick Gradinger - yes, the Nick Gradinger of Cornell/Denver fame who thought of the idea for a healthy restaurant while coaching lacrosse at Park City High School. Every dish is fantastic and with several locations around the Salt Lake Valley, stopping at Vessel should be on your to-do list.
Another favorite of the PLL Pros is the Jinya Ramen Bar. Some say the Spicy Chicken Ramen Bowl is the best dish for lefty attackmen with quick releases.
Another lacrosse-friendly establishment, The Brickyard Bar is home to several great food and drink options. It’s not uncommon to see lacrosse on their big screens whether it be PLL, NLL or college.
In the middle of the valley towards the mountains, a handful of great restaurants are all within a few miles of each other: Lone Star Taqueria, Market Street Grill & Oyster Bar and Porcupine Pub & Grille. You can’t go wrong at any of these fine establishments.
I tried to stay away from national chains, but if you ever wanted to eat at a pink Raising Cane’s, now is your chance. It was designed by Post Malone and features many custom tributes to Posty you won't see anywhere else.
The forecast is looking hot so stop by one of our famous soda shops and get yourself a dirty Diet Coke or whatever other combination of soda and flavored syrup you prefer. You’ll likely pass a Thirst, Sodalicous, Swig or Fiiz no matter how you get to the stadium.
Regardless of where you end up, enjoy the last weekend of the regular season.
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