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Pick Your Picnic
Enjoy the outdoors with this curated list of picnic basket mainstays.
By Alex Springer

The only thing that can make your favorite outdoor spot better is spreading a thick blanket on the ground and laying out a spread that defines you as a human being. With all the great grab-and-go food options we have nearby, it's not too difficult to put together a picnic basket that reflects the nuance, style and taste that you and your particular crew have cultivated.

For the uninitiated, however, creating the ultimate picnic basket might be an intimidating process. Regardless of what kind of picnic you are going for, it's a safe bet that the eateries and grocers along the Wasatch Front can provide the makings for a memorable picnic basket. Whether you're a picnic veteran or new to the game, here are some ideas for planning picnics with a flavorful theme.

The Curry Fan: Thoughts of curry are never far from my mind. But taking those smoky, verdant flavors on a picnic is a bit trickier that I would like. Rice and curry aren't the most transport-friendly dishes, after all. Whenever I want to add a bit of curry to my picnic basket, however, the team at Biscotts Bakery and Café (multiple locations, biscotts.com) has my back. The savory puffs at Biscotts are excellent portable curry delivery systems, and they travel quite well in a Ziploc bag. I'm a fan of their chicken tikka puff for its traditional flavors, but the paneer puffs and egg puffs are awesome for a bit of variety. To finish things off, I like to pack a few slices of cake—mango and pistachio are great ways to keep that Indian flavor going strong on the picnic blanket.

The Plant-based Fan: There has never been a more exciting time to be a plant-based diner in Utah. Right off the top of my head, I'd say heading to Buds (509 E. 300 South, SLC, budsslc.com) for a pesto salad sub or a deli classic wrapped to go is plenty for a nearby picnic. Their sandwiches are enormous, and they have plenty of plant-based sides to go with their colossal offerings. But let's say you want to get extra meticulous and curate your plant-based picnic basket yourself. There's Vegan Daddy Meats (69 E. Gallivan Ave., SLC, vegandaddymeats.com), a local spot that prepares plant-based deli meat like smokey slices and steak strips for all your homemade sandwich needs. When you need dessert, you can always hit up City Cakes (1860 S. 300 West, SLC, 801-359-2239, citycakescafe.com) for delicious plant-based baked goods.

The Charcuterie Fan: There are two types of charcuterie fans—those who like to arrange their own sundries and those who favor a more pre-arranged adventure. For the former, Beltex Meats (511 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-532-2641, beltexmeats.com) should be your first stop. They have plenty of high-end options for cured meats along with a team that will gladly guide you through pairing meats with the other charcuterie options you're considering. Caputo's Market & Deli (multiple locations, caputos.com) is another fine destination as you can get pretty much everything you need for a stellar charcuterie picnic in one stop. If you'd rather have someone create a charcuterie board for you, check out Harvest and Honey Co. (7011 S. De Ville Drive, Cottonwood Heights, harvestandhoneyco.com). Harvest and Honey creates gorgeous custom charcuterie boards that include all the trimmings plus a few seasonal surprises. On top of that, their boards are available for pickup or delivery.

The Dessert Fan: For those who eschew the traditional rules of a picnic menu and want no savory items whatsoever, you'll want a bakery that offers enough variety to keep you and your guests entertained. Fillings and Emulsions (multiple locations, fillingsandemulsions.com) is always a good place to start—their masterfully crafted cruffins, cheesecakes, macarons and tarts look spectacular when arranged on a gingham tablecloth or similarly patterned picnic blanket.

There's also absolutely nothing wrong with simply packing a dozen or so doughnuts into a wicker basket and enjoying them in the out-of-doors. If you're looking for something on the fancier end, Chubby Baker (317 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-946-4491, chubby-baker.com) offers filled doughnuts with passionfruit cream cheese and the subtly sweet purple yam known as ube.

For something more orthodox, Donut Boy (2194 W. 3500 South, West Valley City, 385-528-0782, donutboyutah.com) and Donut Star (213 E. 12300 South, Draper, 801-790-2615, donutstarcafe.com) are great options for classics like maple bars and cake doughnuts, while also offering a wide range of special options from their rotating menu.

Small Towns with Big Flavors
Finding culinary gems while on your Utah road trips.
By Alex Springer

Another summer is upon us, good people of Utah. That means it's time to curate your finest road-trip playlists, pack up the SUV and hurl yourselves to the four corners of our beautiful state. Yes, there's next-level hiking, boating, fishing, spelunking, camping and glamping to be had once you venture off the Wasatch Front, and with all those outdoor adventures comes the opportunity to explore small town diners and eateries. Here are a few that I happen to love when I hit the road:

Garden City: Bear Lake is one of our most popular destinations for watersports and raspberry milkshakes—plus you can run up to Idaho real quick to snag a few lotto tickets if you're feeling lucky. Taking a trip into Garden City is a great way to cap off a day of waterskiing or zipping around on wave runners. You've got a lot of options for low-key eats on Bear Lake Boulevard, but Cody's Gastro Garage (88 S. Bear Lake Boulevard, Garden City, 435-946-3644, codysgastrogarage.com) should definitely be on your list. Cody's is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and is known for its lovingly excessive take on family meals. For example, the Cinna Block consists of a two-pound helping of homemade cinnamon rolls served with locally made raspberry sauce. What's not to love?

St. George: Whether it's hitting the links at one of the city's golf courses or getting some hardcore rock climbing in, St. George is just the ticket for a great summer road trip. When I'm in St. George, I often find myself craving a bit of Indian comfort food, which brings me to Red Fort Cuisine of India (148 S. 1470 East, St. George, 435-574-4050, redfortcuisine.com). Owned by the same family that runs Bombay House near Parleys Way, Red Fort excels at traditional Indian cuisine. Chicken tikka masala is always robust and flavorful, the lamb saag remains consistently rich and nuanced, and there is nothing more beautiful than a stack of freshly baked naan to go with the meal.

Moab: The home of Arches National Park, Moab marches to the beat of its own drum. As such, it's important to eat at a restaurant that does likewise. I'm talking about The Broken Oar (53 W. 400 North, Moab, 435-259-3127, thebrokenoarmoab.com), a Moab gastropub that goes all in on its signature sweet potato fries. At The Broken Oar, they revere their sweet potato fries to the extent of incorporating them into dessert. Yes, The Oar's Sweet Fries and Ice Cream is a savory/sweet combo that includes a bowl of sweet potato fries topped with ice cream. It's a decadent, melty must-try treat when visiting this part of the state. Don't overlook The Broken Oar's smoked offerings when you're in town—sticky ribs, pulled pork, chicken and brisket are all waiting for your pilgrimage to Arches.

Torrey: A visit to Capitol Reef is fun on many levels—beautiful views, invigorating hikes and plenty of local history. It also brings visitors to towns such as Torrey and Bicknell which are home to some of our state's most unexpected food treasures. In Torrey, you can check out Hunt & Gather Restaurant (599 W. Main St., Torrey, 435-425-3070, huntandgatherrestaurant.com), which took over the spot previously occupied by Café Diablo. It's a fairly young spot that opened in 2021, but it's already made quite a name for itself with its menu of locally sourced entrees. If you find yourself in Bicknell, you must check out Sunglow Motel and Restaurant (91 E. Main St., Bicknell, 435-425-3821). Not only does it provide a solid menu of rustic diner favorites, but this is one of the only places I know of where you can get pie varieties like pinto bean and sweet pickle. The pinto bean always edges out the latter in my book, but you're not a true Utahn until you try both at the same time.

Midway: Whether you want to soak in the toasty hot springs or simply take a tour of the Homestead Crater, a visit to this out-of-the-way town is a great way to spend a few days. Once you've soaked up the geological history of the site and absorbed the therapeutic minerals from the hot spring, you can hop on over to The Blue Boar Inn (1235 Warm Springs Road, Midway, 435-654-1400, theblueboarinn.com). Inspired by antique European hunting lodges, The Blue Boar Inn boasts a multi-course menu that provides seasonal favorites like schnitzel, goulash and carbonara. It's just the place to mark a special occasion.