Feast of Five Senses
Those who have never had the opportunity to attend Slow Food Utah's Feast of Five Senses should take advantage. Slow Food's event organizers go to great lengths to evoke an almost religious sense of reverence to the food and wine produced in Utah's backyard, and it's a spectacular evening for people who take their savoring seriously. Not only are some of the state's most talented culinary minds present to showcase food tailor made to please your sensory receptors, but proceeds also benefit Slow Food's micro-grant program that helps small food-based businesses and educational programs get off the ground. The Feast of Five Senses takes place at the Masonic Temple (650 E. South Temple) on Sunday, Oct. 21, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $125 with an optional $25 wine paring. Purchase them at slowfoodutah.org

Utah Cheese Awards Medal Ceremony
You might not know, but Utah makes a ton of cheese. I honestly wasn't aware of the sheer volume of cheese from Utah dairies until I ate a lot of it as a judge for this year's Utah Cheese Awards. The ballots have been tallied, and the medal ceremony can officially take place. Local cheese fans can purchase a ticket to the awards reception along with a cheese plate complete with samples of the competition's contenders. In addition to cheese, vendors like Chocolate Conspiracy and Creminelli add some sweetness and spice to the menu, and Shades of Pale provides craft beers to complement the spread. The cheesyness takes place at Shades of Pale Brewing (154 W. Utopia Ave.) on Saturday, Oct. 20, from 4 to 8 p.m., with the medal ceremony starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $16 and can be purchased at utahcheeseawards.wordpress.com

Mod Pizza Opens
In the wake of its successful nine locations along the Wasatch Front, Seattle-based fast-casual pizza joint Mod Pizza (modpizza.com) is hatching plans to open more stores in Utah. Mod's newest location in Riverton's Mountain View Village Shopping Center (4578 W. Partridge Hill Lane) opens its doors on Friday, Oct. 19. During the two days prior to Mod's grand opening, the restaurant is hosting sneak previews of its build-your-own-pizza concept. All proceeds received during this time benefit the Bridge Fund and the Jed Foundation, two nonprofits that fight homelessness and teen suicide across the nation. The sneak previews go from noon to 2 p.m. each day.

Quote of the Week: "Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese."

—Gilbert Keith Chesterton

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