• John Taylor
• Taco Taco

Dine O'Round Town
The 13th annual Downtown Dine O'Round—presented by Nicholas & Co.—is now in full swing, and remains so through Sunday, Sept. 25. During the event, guests can enjoy two-item lunches for $5 or $10, or three-item dinners for $15 or $35, depending on the participating restaurant. The idea behind the event is both to encourage diners to try out new restaurants and to visit old favorites, all at lower prices. Customers also have the opportunity to win dinner for a year via a photo contest on Instagram; just upload photos from your Dine O'Round experiences to enter the contest. With some 60 restaurants participating this year—from Taco Taco and BTG to the New Yorker and J. Wong's—there's a dish for every palate. For more information and a complete listing of participating destinations, visit DineORound.com.

Celebrating the Bounty
Local First Utah's fall fundraiser—Celebrate the Bounty—takes place from 7-10 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 13, at Rico's Warehouse (545 W. 700 South). Local First's "buy local" mission is, according to its website, "to empower a movement to recognize the value and vitality of locally owned, independent businesses to our communities and our economy." During this event, the public is invited to enjoy delectable dishes provided by local eateries, including Blue Poblano, Dolcetti Gelato, Even Stevens, Frida Bistro, Manoli's, Porch, Tiburon, Red Iguana and many more, plus craft cocktails, wine from IG Winery and beers brewed by Squatters, Uinta and Wasatch breweries. The evening also features a silent auction, live band and a "Best of the Bounty" competition, in which yours truly is one of the judges. Tickets are $65 per person for food and beverage, or $55 for food only. This is a 21-and-over event. For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit LocalFirst.org.

SoCo
A new restaurant called SoCo (Southern-style comfort food) has opened at 319 S. Main in downtown Salt Lake City. Featuring "handcrafted Southern vittles," the menu includes dishes like fried chicken, shrimp and cheese grits, hoppin' John, po'boys, hush puppies and, of course, chicken and waffles. Check out SoCoSLC.com for more info.

Quote of the week: "I live on good soup, not on fine words."

—Molière

Food Matters 411: tscheffler@cityweekly.net