About one-third of the premiere edition of the "Zagat Rocky Mountain Restaurant Survey" is an exhaustive listing of Salt Lake and area resort favorites. Published in mid-January, the 150-page guide includes Denver and major ski resorts in Utah and Colorado. More importantly for boosters of the local economy, the guide carries with it the prestige of the internationally recognized Zagat organization.
While Salt Lake restaurants have been profiled in two other locally published guides just a few years ago, notably "Bruce and Jerry's Excellent Restaurant" (an imitation of the Zagat format) and "This is the Place to Dine," neither caught on. The co-author of the latter guide even complained that he was shut out by some of the local agencies responsible for travel and tourism promotion.This will hardly be the case for the "Zagat Rocky Mountain Survey," which was recently mailed to those of us who filled out the extensive questionnaire last summer and fall. In addition to the complimentary copy of the survey's results, we also received a letter of endorsement from Salt Lake Mayor Deedee Corradini who echoed the sentiment most of us local restaurant junkies have known for quite awhile - Salt Lake's dining-out scene is worth this kind of attention. The mayor also played a key role in bringing Tim and Nina Zagat to Salt Lake City for a visit with local foodies this past summer and marshaling local gastronomes to help formulate and respond to the survey.
Given the patrician caste that propelled the local effort, it is no surprise that such upscale hangouts as the New Yorker, Cafe Mariposa, La Caille and the Glitretind made the top 10. But each of the Zagat surveys relies on a variety of consumer responses beyond the narrow view of critics, chef's associations and elitist dining-out fraternities.
Other local favorites more in keeping with moderate expense and reliable quality such as Al Forno, the Peery Cafe, Le Pari-sien, Helen's Garden Restaurant and the Dodo also share the spotlight of the top 20.
In total 161 restaurants are profiled and cross-referenced in the Utah section, with categories and listings such as "Top spots by cuisine," with subheadings that include top breakfast (Lamb's), top eclectic (Chez Betty), top Greek (a curious but noteworthy Cuisines Unlimited), and top Mex (La Puente) to name a few. Top 20 rank-ings include outdoor, romantic and views as well as service.
The best "bangs for the buck" lead with Snelgroves (a true Utah tradition considering that ice cream just may be, along with scones, our truly indigenous cuisine).
I was pleased to see out-of-the- way places like Cannella's, Crompton's, El Farol and Lupo's make the list. Somehow Hire's was never mentioned, though the Training Table gets undeserved recognition in the top 10 bargain lists. A sub-culture favorite like the Red Iguana is noticeably absent from the list of Mexican places. And somehow the chanting of the staff at the truly vegetarian Park Ivy Cafe didn't resonate with the respondents who list unlikely places like Salt Lake Roasting Company and the Irish Camel but leave out Salt Lake's most avant-garde veggie shrine.
Perhaps Ogden wouldn't qualify as a resort, but not adding the state's best German restaurant, the Bavarian Chalet, should be remedied in upcoming editions.
Additional indexes include just about every service or amenity from fireplace, children's menu to wheelchair entry.
The alphabetical listings indicate each restaurant's average cost and 0 to 30 rating for food, decor and service. Editorial comments are taken from the questionnaires, giving them a breezy, con-ver-sational style. For example, Adolph's in Park City is described as both "European excess . . ." or "reminiscent of TV dinners." One comment about the Barking Frog wonders "what they are trying to do." Visitors to EIBO's are warned to "don a slicker" because of frequent "grease spills." Some of the pot shots are as fun as the overall responses are balanced.
If you find yourself on a diet or recovering from the stomach flu but have a yen for a voyeur's view of the ever-growing dining-out scene in Salt Lake and the surrounding area, then this handy and readable guide should hit the spot. And we local gastronomers now have another guide to chart Utah's culinary constellations.
"The Zagat Rocky Mountain Restaurant Survey" is available in major bookstores and newsstands for $9.95 or may be purchased directly from Zagat Survey, 4 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019 for $12.95.