Nuova Imagine

Guatemalan Abedelena Ibarra emigrated to Salt Lake City six years ago from Italy where she trained to be a stylist. Her salon is a bustling affair just off State Street, full of mothers and their children awaiting their turn. Whether it’s the Italian influence or just her own natural skills, Ibarra cuts hair so quickly, you’re done almost before you sit down. She has a way of sizing up your mop and then flowing over your scalp with her scissors with ease and precision. For those who want to practice their Spanish, Nuova Imagine offers the additional pleasure of Ibarra’s central American accent and her partner’s Mexican tones. It’s a simple, unadorned and charming establishment, lit up by the sheer passion Ibarra brings to her clients’ hair. 145 E. 900 South, Salt Lake City, 801-328-4511


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Mel Berry

A good contractor asks the right questions. He or she not only understands the drawings and the design intent, but is thorough, organized, thinks ahead, meets the timeline and payment schedules, handles change orders, listens to the client, and then says: “We’ll take care of it.” That pretty well describes licensed and insured contractor Mel Barry. So why is he the best? Because, in addition to all of the above, he shows up. Call him before the busy season kicks in.
801-455-7650

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The Beer Nut

It’s been legal for unlicensed beer enthusiasts to brew up to 200 gallons yearly of custom suds in their own free American homes since 1978—but not so much in Utah. A bill was introduced in the 2008 Utah Legislature to finally decriminalize the act of spending months brewing a couple of gallons of the perfect pale ale in your kitchen (not exactly a bootlegging epidemic), but it was held up and eventually allowed to go flat with no resolution. That said, The Beer Nut has all the supplies you need to make a nice batch of root beer without obtaining a license and a $10,000 state bond.
1200 S. State, Salt Lake City, 801-531-8182, BeerNut.com

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Kellee’s

Need a housekeeper who is detailed, fearless, willing to go where no broom has gone before—even clean your windows and wash your laundry if need be? Kellee is that person. Take it from the head of a very busy household with two-working parents and two-active middle-school kids. Kellee is family tested. Better get her while you can because she’s always in demand.
801-357-9003

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Stephen J. Warner, M.D.

When City Weekly circulation manager Larry Carter began experiencing chronic pain in his lower back, he went to see Dr. Stephen Warner. Carter suffered from a narrowing of the space around the spinal cord called spinal stenosis, and it required surgery. This is not a procedure any patient approaches lightly, knowing that one possible result of the surgery is paralysis. But in Carter’s view, nobody had his back better than Warner, a doctor whose specialty is spine surgery. The doctor tells it like it is, Carter says, and shines above the rest as an advocate who ensures his patients receive the best of care.
440 D St., No. 206, 801-408-2900, ESurgeon.com/Warner

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Mid City Salon

At any given time of day, Teresa and her team of Mid City stylists are busy resolving bad-hair days for Broadway denizens. It’s a salon well-suited for the impulsive among us who prefer to walk-in. Getting seen for a hair or beard trim, brow wax, manicure or pedicure is often easily accomplished. No brooding stylist will rain on your parade saying there’s a two-month wait to get in. But, conversely, don’t be surprised if your stylist cuts two heads of hair while you wait for your highlights to kick in. It’s always a busy day in the neighborhood.
44 W. Broadway, Salt Lake City, 801-363-3223

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Full Spectrum Clothing

Visit Etsy, the online retailer for handcrafted goods, and you’ll meet up with Clinton, Utah-based Full Spectrum Clothing. Sonja Evans’ hand-printed clothes, kitchen accessories and pillows are getting rave reviews. She started her business by brainstorming how she could stay home and raise her daughter. She began making wrap-style baby carriers and baby clothes, naming her line “beanchild,” after her “little bean.” She taught herself to manually screen-print in her garage and stretch her own screens. Look her up and dig her “random acts of creativity.”


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Framer’s Nook

Kathy Young and Gudrun Owen of Framer’s Nook, located around the corner from Carl’s Café in Cottonwood Heights, are knowledgeable about color and art trends. They truly care about what you’re having framed and take time to recommend matting and treatments to work with your image and your décor. Plus they can work with any budget. From prints and posters to shadow-boxed keepsakes, they know their stuff and can do justice to your objet d’art. With hundreds of moulding samples and matboards to choose from, the creative possibilities are endless.
2338 Fort Union Blvd., Cottonwood Heights, 801-733-0058

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Art’s Brewing

Lots of home brewers know about a certain shop on State Street where they can buy supplies. But not all are aware of another shop in town that keeps to itself and quietly provides just about everything needed to brew beer and wine at home. Shhhh … home-brewers are kind of a secret society in Utah. It’s OK for shops to sell brewing supplies but not OK for customers to use them to ferment grains and grapes with a license. So just pretend we never had this talk, OK? In the meantime, take a walk on the wild side to Art’s unassuming supply shop and you’ll discover why competition is a good thing. Not only is Art willing to share his expertise, but he’s a fun character to get to know and one of the city’s forefathers of brewing—after Brigham Young, that is.
642 S. Washington St., Salt Lake City, 801-533-8029, Users.Qwest.net/~ArtsBrew/
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Red Rock Inn Bed & Breakfast

Utahns have a primordial need to visit Zion National Park. It restores our sanity and reminds us why we live in Utah. And there is no place better to rest up and prepare for a day in the park than at this unbelievably cozy bed & breakfast in nearby Springdale. The inn, one mile from the entrance of Zion, features five cottages, all with Jacuzzi tubs and handmade quilts on the beds and breathtaking views of the red-rock cliffs of Zion. Breakfast baskets are delivered each morning, consisting of an egg dish, breads and muffins, seasonal fruit, juice and hot drinks. The office features a gallery with hand-crafted jewelry made by one of the owners.
998 Zion Park Blvd., Springdale, 435-772-3139, RedRockInn.com


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Willard Bay Gardens

Since 1988, Barney Barnett and his wife, Della, have operated this retail nursery in Box Elder County specializing in perennials. Their catalog lists hundreds upon hundreds of perennials, including Utah favorites like ornamental oregano, aster “Monch,” helenium, heliopsis, helianthus, hibiscus, Ceratostigma plumbago, Gaura, garden Phlox, Rudbeckia, fall sedum and fall aster. You’ll also find waterwise plants, ornamental grasses and hardy plants. Every March, you can visit Willard Bay and order your flower baskets. They’ll show you your options, sell you the plants and then plant them for you (or you can if you don’t mind getting your hands dirty). Then they’ll grow your baskets in their greenhouses until you pick them up in early May.
7095 S. Highway 89, Willard, 435-723-1834, WillardBayGardens.com


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L. Lorenz Knife Sharpening

The Ronco slices and dices, but do you know where to go to sharpen and grind? File and grate? Scrape and polish? L. Lorenz Knife Shop (aka The Grinding Shop) does it all. Sprucing up everything from garden tools to yo mama’s old steak knives, to thinning shears for your thinning hair, this is the place to cut a deal. Even on new knives, too. Now nearly 100 years old (98 to be exact), there are no more of the Lorenz clan at the shop. Owner Mark Woodward takes that proud tradition seriously—he’s not at all about being dull. He’s the sharpest knife in the drawer.
29 E. 400 South, Salt Lake City, 801-363-2821

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The People’s Market

The moniker of the 2-year-old summer market in Jordan Park sounds like something out of Russia before the wall came down. The attitude matches. While there might be a greater selection of vegetables at Salt Lake City’s older Farmer’s Market at Pioneer Park, the People’s Market is truly a local event. Begun as a yard sale, Peoples Market is formally dedicated to fostering local small-scale farming and small business entrepreneurs. You will find clothing made in a neighbor’s home or food grown in the back yard. The market also runs a “barter board” for people to trade needed services. It runs Sundays, June through October, at the Peace Gardens in Jordan Park.
SLCPeoplesMarket.org

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Biker’s Edge

After years of working for others, Biker’s Edge owner Zach Chatelain decided five years ago it was time to take matters into his own hands and open his own place at the—almost—top of Utah. This shop carries workhorse road bikes by Cannondale and Felt, as well as popular mountain bike lines Santa Cruz and Kona. Good selection, and top-notch service, including a full range of tuning and repair plans, ranging in price from $35 to $200. The staff is well-informed, always willing to chat up favorite rides and to give advice.
232 N. Main, Kaysville, 801-544-5300, BEBikes.com


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J. Shawn Foster

In an earlier life, Foster was a reporter for The Salt Lake Tribune. But he found his true career calling a few years ago after graduating from the University of Utah college of law and hanging out his solo-practice shingle. With the post-9/11 crackdown on people of Middle Eastern descent and the government tracking of their activity and whereabouts, as well as the whole rush to send anyone with brown skin packing back to Mexico, Foster keeps plenty busy. He says a full 20 percent of his immigration cases involve Muslims fighting to live and work in the United States, while everything else comes down to claims of torture victims seeking political asylum and federal cases over Latino immigration. Foster is bright and compassionate, and he speaks fluent Spanish.
10 W. Broadway, Suite 500, Salt Lake City, 801-363-3011


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Norm Albiston

Norm Albiston teaches the fly-fishing class at the University of Utah during spring semester. Too late for this spring, but there’s always next year. The course is open to nonmatriculated folks along with degree seekers. Albiston, who pays the bills by working for the LDS Church by day, devotes much of his spare time to this sport of kings. He is brilliant in his ability to make this complex sport simple. For example, he’ll tell you, “fish where the river changes,” and “fish the foam.” Albiston takes his charges at the end of the class to the lower Provo River, where they have an uncommonly great day and get chuckles as Albiston chugs madly through the current in his waders, lifting rocks to show how flies emerge, with childlike wonder and curiosity written all over his face.
Course: Parks, Recreation & Tourism 131, University of Utah, spring semester


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Western Rivers Flyfisher

You might find cheaper flies at a sportsman’s box store. You might even go online. But, if you enjoy the golden-hued moments of fly shop camaraderie, don’t miss spending some time at Western Rivers Flyfisher Shop. Fishing guru Steve Schmidt and his staff will spend as much time as you like rummaging through the bugs and suggesting what is hitting, what hatches are up, and water conditions throughout the West. Beyond fine service and pleasant surroundings, the shop puts 1 percent of profits into the environment, a movement started by Yvon Chouinard founder of Patagonia, a national firm featuring fly-fishing gear.
1071 E. 900 South, Salt Lake City, 800-545-4312


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Wasatch Beers’ “Devastator”

From the people who brought you Polygamy Porter with the classic slogan “Why have just one?” comes the 8 percent alcohol-by-volume Devastator, pictured with a raging ram barreling through an exploding downtown Salt Lake City with the temple and the capitol consumed in flames. Available in state liquor stores, this beer packs a whallop at 8 points but with a strong but smooth, bready flavor. The double bock variety here is not beer for any leftover Atkins’ followers, as this brew is pretty much like drinking a loaf of bread in a bottle.


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Shop N Go

Maverik it isn’t. Or 7-Eleven either. And we’re thankful for that. It’s a crowded little corner shop, dimly lit and stuffed with an inventory that clearly shows an understanding of the convenience shopper’s mind. Dave Smith has owned the gas station/convenience store for 15 years and can be found daily working the counter. Over the years, we’ve found the following items just when we least expected: Salt Lake Roasting Co. beans in bulk (and at grocery-store prices). Rolls of duct tape. Motor oil additives. A variety of shoelaces. Gorilla Glue. Tasty frozen yogurt. In the summer, you’ll find regular deliveries of Alaskan salmon through Dave’s connections (you’ll find it in a metal ice chest just inside the door), pine nuts and other seasonal delights. Plus, locals are always standing around the front of the store gabbing, and the counter help will offer a biscuit to your pooch tied up outside.
1702 E. 1700 South, Salt Lake City, 801-486-3146


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Harmon’s

Rather like Brigham Young’s original Salt Lake City streets, Harmon’s store aisles are wide enough to turn around an ox cart. But we’ll settle for the standard Utah family-size shopping cart. Another reason this locally owned chain is outstanding: Its huge selection of fresh produce, with growing attention to organic choices. The newer stores, and those that have been extensively remodeled, feature expanded gourmet-cheese departments and fresh bread baked on the premises. Those grinning Harmon brothers have also given serious thought to busy shoppers who have little time to cook, with an extensive “to-go” section that stocks tasty choices well beyond standard potato logs and fried chicken.
Multiple locations,


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Biograss Sod Farms

They don’t call it “Sandy” because the earth is rich and robust—and there are plenty of other places in the valley where the quality of the soil makes “how does your garden grow” less the question than “will your garden grow.” Peter Bell’s Sandy-based business designs its own combinations of soil, manure and composted bark to create a potent booster for Utah’s grim ground. When the fork lift delivers a 1,500-pound resealable bag of black garden soil, your harvest may be on its way to cornucopia-filling bounty.
9980 S. State, Sandy, 801-562-9090


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Emigration Market

Owner-cum-Salt Lake City Councilman J.T. Martin stocks more locally manufactured and marketed inventory in this cozy little historic store than seems possible. V Chocolates. Bath salts mined from the Great Salt Lake. Morgan Valley Lamb. Beehive cheeses. Winder Dairy products. Happy (free-range) turkeys. And of course, there’s always big baritone-voiced Jack the butcher in the back of the store cutting meat to order and sharing tips on braising, barbecuing and brining. You’ll pay more for the little extras, but sometimes you gotta have them. An on-site restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner rounds out the neighborhood feel.
1706 E. 1300 South, Salt Lake City, 801-581-0138


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Alaska Fur Gallery

Fur is murder … on your wallet if you don’t take proper care of the pricey garments. Those who choose to clothe themselves in pelts don’t need them during Utah’s summers, and the temperature and low humidity can reduce their lifespan. Take a seasonal trip to Park City, and stash your fuzzy over-things in a climate-controlled vault, where it will stay safe until the chill returns to the air.
537 Main, Park City, 435-649-1241

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Dogmode

Pet owners, we know you worry about leaving your special companion with just anyone, just like a parent wouldn’t trust a random babysitter. So wouldn’t you like to peek in on your pooch while taking that trip? This boarding spot offers all the amenities and a big off-leash common area. But it also provides a Webcam so you can check out that area and feel just a little closer to your animal friend in absentia.
4030 S. 210 West, Murray, 801-261-2665

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Rockpick Legend

Everybody needs minerals—sometimes to grow, sometimes for show. Step through the door of this lapidary’s lair and you’ll find a display case that provides a veritable museum of Utah’s mineral wealth, from malachite to gypsum. Browse through the bins of polished stones for something to create that special, unique piece of jewelry. Or if you’ve got your mind set on bigger things, outfit your own gold-panning adventure. Rock on.
1017 S. Main, Salt Lake City, 801-355-7952

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The Incense Sampler

Every aroma is unique, and you never know just which one might be in the greatest harmony with your world. And would you be surprised to learn that one of the largest lines of imported Indian incense is made right here in Utah? Quality ingredients are combined to produce more than 200 varieties of incense, with an environmentally conscious mission to recycle packing materials. All the more reason for that scent that works for you to put you at peace.
3326 S. 275 East, Salt Lake City, 801-363-3487

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House of Chuckles

It’s really the way every business should get things done: You want to see the product in action. If you’re thinking about trying out a little sleight of hand, check out this West Valley novelty retailer and its comprehensive catalog of tricks, instruction books and informational DVDs. And if you really want a sense for how it all works, just wait for the man behind the register to show off coin, card and wand tricks. They may be moving to downtown any month now—but they’re not planning to disappear.
3528 W. 3500 South, West Valley City, 801-966-0520


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Bingham Canyon Mine Copper Postcards

When you visit a unique locale, you’d like the “wish you were here” message you send to loved ones to last as long as your memories. So after a trip to Kennecott Utah Copper’s awe-inspiring deep-pit mine in Magna, visit the gift shop for a chance to purchase a postcard made out of pure copper. Sure, sending it out will cost you a little extra postage—even more come May—but chances are good that the shiny item won’t end up in someone’s recycling.
801-252-3234,


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Card Sharks

A soft-focus photo and a maudlin verse, or a simplistic gag—welcome to the greeting card options available at your local Wal-Mart. Aim a bit higher when you’re sending a message on a special occasion, with Card Sharks’ unique offerings. Individually or in box sets, they offer innovative designs by quality illustrators including Felix Sockwell, Steven Guarnaccia and Michael Bartalos. And while most are blank and ready for your own wit and/or wisdom, some are fairly clever in their own right (check out the reindeer series for next Christmas).
1797 Aintree Ave., Draper, 801-495-3061

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Artopia Gifts

Sure, you can buy incense, handmade glass and even coffee upstairs, but what really makes Artopia Gifts a must-stop on downtown Gallery Stroll nights is the art and the music down below. The basement doubles as a small gallery and performance space for bands and DJs; sometimes following a theme (hip-hop for a graffiti art installation, etc.) sometimes accompanied by another band or DJ upstairs. Owner Lee Cano is all about the art, and more shops like Artopia Gifts could help Exchange Place become the next Broadway.
60 Exchange Place, Salt Lake City, 801-486-6175

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Green Peas

We all know the reality that landfills are overflowing—yecchh—with disposable diapers. Green Peas is dedicated to baby products with an earth-friendly vibe. That means plenty of reusable diaper products from Drybees, Knickernappies and Monkey Doodlez. And they’re not just functional—look for the color or design that’s just right for your little one.

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Rowland Hall Ski Swap

It only comes once a year, but for all you legitimate powder hounds, illegitimate wannabes or Lycra-sporting old-schoolers, this is the place. It’s the largest ski swap in the state, and incredible finds can be discovered in all types of lightly used equipment. The skis alone nearly fill a high school gymnasium, while the boards take up nearly half of a cafeteria. It’s not just for skis and boards, however—there are plenty of new and used jackets, goggles, bindings, and snow wear. Not to mention the hunky bearded mountain men and bouncy little ski bunnies. Held every October.
843 Lincoln St., Salt Lake City, 801-355-7494

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Gift Basket Affairs

The fruit basket has become a holiday staple—but healthy though it may be, one cannot live by fruit alone. Gift Basket Affairs branches out from more conventional options to include specialized packages for new parents (plush toys, picture frame), movie lovers (candy and a movie rental gift certificate) and much more. And the Taste of Utah basket provides a terrific sampler of locally made goodies, including honey, snacks and salsa.
170 E. 800 South, Salt Lake City, 801-363-1251

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England Plumbing Supply

While not as urgent as a backed-up sewer pipe, a leak is like a bladder full of 3.2 beer. You can ignore it only so long. Trickles tend to turn into torrents. A better strategy is to drive to England Plumbing Supply, a Salt Lake City plumbing fixture for 60 years, where you’ll get a patient instructions on how to fix your leak along with the parts to do the job. Most of England’s business is do-it-yourself types—thrifty or intrepid or both—so they’ll stay with you from beginning to end. Unlike the wander-the-aisles Home Depot experience, the England staff engages you just inside the front door and escorts you though the small, unpretentious place, selecting parts while explaining how to use them to stop your leak.
1009 E. 3300 South, Salt Lake City, 801-485-3371

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George’s Architectural Salvage

In the floor-to-ceiling jumble of stuff salvaged from old buildings, you’ll discover things you didn’t realize you needed. Light fixtures, locksets, lead-glass, thingamajigs, whatchamacallits—all from the good old days—packed into a storefront adorned by a faded “Boyer’s Radio & TV” sign. The dark interior is a labyrinth filled with serendipitous delights for homeowners, This Old House fans, yard-sale junkies, craftspersons, self-styled artists and idlers of every stripe. Open for exploration on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bring a flashlight if you’re looking for doors.
470 E. 900 South, Salt Lake City, 801-539-1140


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Horner’s Service

A long, long time ago—when gas was 30 cents a gallon and doctors made house calls—corner gas stations were “full service.” Check the oil, fix a flat, wash the windshield, change the sparkplugs, adjust the points—services long-since eliminated by corporate efficiency and engines with electronic components. Horner’s Chevron station, a family business dating to 1964, is the exceptional exception, a place where full service remains the order of the day. Sure there’s a self-serve pump for those who want to fill their own tank, but a Horner will happily pump your gas, fix your brakes, change your oil—whatever you need. And, like doctors of yore, they’ll come to your house to minister to your sick car.
1688 E. 1700 South, Salt Lake City, 801-466-7571

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Atlas Tree Service

With a degree in English from the University of Utah, Johnny Atkin is not your ordinary chainsaw-massacre tree guy. His 4-year-old company Atlas Tree Service relies on the knowledge of a certified arborist, the skills of a free-climber and the poise of a dancer—all Atkin—along with a measure of Hemingway’s “grace under pressure” when power lines are close by. All that’s lacking is a tympani-and-horn soundtrack as Atkin ascends. In the crown of the tree—Baryshnikov balanced on a branch—he one-hands a snarling chainsaw. The tree yields piecemeal, its big limbs eased to the ground with nylon rope. You pay for the rigging, cutting, dragging and chipping. No charge to watch an artist at work.
412 E. 1700 South, 801-484-8733,

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Frosty Darling

Need a pair of button earrings, hip shoes or a hand-sewn apron so dainty you’re afraid to bring it anywhere near the kitchen? How about a finger puppet, a hand-painted suitcase or a cloth cupcake? If you answered yes, yes, yes, and yes, Frosty Darling is your one-stop accessory emporium. If nothing else, the granny candy on the counter is impossible to resist.
177 E. Broadway, Salt Lake City, 801-532-4790


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Maliheh Free Clinic

Staffed entirely by volunteer health care providers, the Maliheh Free Clinic offers impoverished Utahns free access to quality care. Named after Maliheh Abdollah—benefactor Koshrow Semnani’s grandmother—the clinic is funded by donations. Thanks to the Maliheh Free Clinic, preventive and proactive health care in Utah knows no economic boundaries. Are you taking notes, ’08 presidential candidates? Because you should be…
415 E. 3900 South, Salt Lake City, 801-266-3700

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Zotes

Sunflower seeds—they’re not just something to spit into the dugout during baseball games. This Salt Lake City distributor is convinced that the traditional salted snack is only the beginning of the possibilities. Why not spice things up with spicy nacho, jalapeño or hot wings flavor? Or if your taste buds prefer to walk on the milder side, perhaps dill pickle or bleu cheese sunflower seeds? And if you want to take a chance on tequila lime or beer roasted—well, we won’t tell the bishop if you won’t.
722 S. 5300 West, Salt Lake City, 801-746-0640


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Moda Italia

Tony Sciammarella has been a maestro of the suit business for more than 50 years. And, with 30 of those years in Salt Lake City, his downtown suit shop Moda Italia offers outstanding suits, jackets and ties, direct from Biella, Italy. These aren’t your typical warehouse missionary-style suits but include the finest in single- and double-breasted as well as classic pin-stripe suits. To really go all out, you can get your suit custom tailored, so that your dress fits as naturally as a glove, and as elegantly as a work of art.
105 E. South Temple, Salt Lake City, 801-355-8828

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Sil Lum Gung Fu Club Utah

This West Jordan martial arts academy brings to Utah a lineage of traditional Chinese gung fu dating back to the fabled Shaolin monks. Here, the emphasis is on rigor, discipline and conditioning. While the school teaches more accessible gung fu styles like Hung Gar, for the more dedicated student, lessons are offered also in Wing Chun and Hsing I—a more mystical brand that combines all five Chinese elements and 17 different animals for an advanced “internal” martial arts discipline. As tradition dictates, the Sil Lum school also performs the traditional lion dance throughout Chinese New Year. The school will relocate to West Valley soon; check the Website for details.
7879 S. 1530 West, West Jordan, 801-562-2277,


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Salty Peaks Skate & Snowboard Shop vs. The North American Union

Salty Peaks Skate & Snowboard shop has been staying out of the political fray for a long while, but finally decided it’s time to warn all its politically active clientele of the perils of looming one-world government. In a radio commercial, Salty Peaks warned of the North American Union that would open the borders of Mexico and Canada and submit us to the rule of a North American version of the European Union. Salty Peaks even offered a $2,500 shopping spree to anyone who could disprove this sinister theory and urged listeners to check out a similarly paranoid Website railing against “illegal alien anarchy” and how “bilingualism is subverting America.” No one claimed the prize as far as we’ve heard, but at least we know now where all the Minutemen’s kids get their snow and skate gear.
3055 E. 3300 South, Salt Lake City, 801-467-8000

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Kahuna Creation’s Big Stick

Sometimes a good idea doesn’t have to be a complicated one. Just ask Steve McBride, founder of the Ogden-based Kahuna Creations, and inventor of the Big Stick. The Big Stick is essentially a large “paddle” that longboard riders can use to help propel themselves along flat surfaces without having to stomp and kick their way around. The Big Stick, with its patented rubber grip also gives the user a solid upper-body and cardio workout, similar to paddling a canoe or kayak. And since the Big Stick can reach up to 6 feet, it doubles as an intimidating sceptre. All the skateboarders giving you s—t for riding a longboard? Just ride softly and carry a Big Stick.
375 Stewart Drive, Ogden, 801-627-0100


Sometimes a good idea doesn’t have to be a complicated one. Just ask Steve McBride, founder of the Ogden-based Kahuna Creations, and inventor of the Big Stick. The Big Stick is essentially a large “paddle” that longboard riders can use to help propel themselves along flat surfaces without having to stomp and kick their way around. The Big Stick, with its patented rubber grip also gives the user a solid upper-body and cardio workout, similar to paddling a canoe or kayak. And since the Big Stick can reach up to 6 feet, it doubles as an intimidating sceptre. All the skateboarders giving you s—t for riding a longboard? Just ride softly and carry a Big Stick.
375 Stewart Drive, Ogden, 801-627-0100

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Euro Treasures

You’ve probably zipped by the Euro Treasures building off the 600 south exit without ever having thought twice. But step inside the 85,000-square-foot warehouse and you’ll be treated to antiquer’s nirvana—treasures from Europe and Africa spreading out in every direction. An upstairs room contains more than 5,000 antique chairs, while the bottom floor is filled with Victorian dressers, armoires and mirrors punctuated by tribal masks, statues, carvings and even a 7-foot-long stuffed African lion overlooking the array of vintage treasures. Drop by and lose yourself for hours in one of the country’s largest antique stores.
470 W. 600 South, Salt Lake City, 801-364-6390

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The Front Climbing Club

A day at the gym never offered so many eco-friendly ways to break a sweat and bust the flab until The Front opened. The club’s centerpiece may be the 10,000-square-foot climbing wall. It also has weights, aerobics and complete yoga and Pilates classes and free Wi-Fi, all in a facility that purchases 100 percent of its power supply from wind energy. The matching energy purchased by The Front is enough to offset 91.2 tons of carbon-dioxide emissions a year. With competitive membership rates, it’s time to go green or go home.
1450 S. 400 West, Salt Lake City, 801-466-7625, FrontSLC.com


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Happy Valley Tattoo Parlor

American Fork’s one and only Happy Valley Tattoo Parlor might not have the world’s most renowned tat artists but they probably have some of the most conscientious. That’s because Happy Valley Tattoo is also a church, the Whole Life Ministries, where the Reverend “Doc” Lowery and wife Kita Kazoo consider tats and piercings a strong symbol of self-expression. These ministers of ink go out of their way to make sure clients feel comfortable and confident in the sometimes scary experience of getting a tattoo or piercing. “We don’t want our ministers bringing in negative attitudes that other places might have,” Lowery says. The church brings a refreshing kind of “judge not that butterfly tattoo lest ye be judged yourself” ethic to its business and the lives of its customers.
275 E. State Road, American Fork, 801-756-6642, Tat2Me.com

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XMission

Pete Ashdown is a man of the people. From his younger days promoting Utah’s first raves to a heartfelt underdog run for U.S. Senate, the local independent entrepreneur has put his best foot forward. It’s should come as no surprise, then, that Ashdown’s company, Internet provider XMission, offers top-notch customer service to its understandably loyal customers. Small business owners are particularly grateful to chat with someone who is located right down the street (as opposed to outsourced help in India) when their computer breaks down at 2 a.m. the morning before a major deadline. Besides employing techies with stellar interpersonal skills, XMission also helps to keep Salt Lake City engaged by spreading free wireless connections throughout downtown.

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Tower Theatre

The Tower Theatre is, of course, known for debuting independent and eclectic movies. It also has a unique film-rental concept. The theater has video collections with films organized by director as well as American and world cinema genres, so you can expand your horizons when it comes to less than mainstream films. The directors section is especially great. For example, you’re a Sam Peckinpah fan, but you’ve only seen The Wild Bunch and Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid? Well, peruse the Peckinpah section, and you’ll be pleased to pick up his more obscure works like Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia. Collections run the gamut from Coppola’s gangster noir to the classic samurai films of Akira Kurasowa.
876 E. 900 South, Salt Lake City, 801-321-0310


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Signature Books

Since 1980, Signature Books has been giving Mormon historians a chance to push the comfortable norms of the faith’s perception of itself, by giving authors the opportunity to publish works on LDS feminism, power, polygamy, folk magic and every other controversial element of a faith that would prefer to keep these things down to a whisper. The authors include an impressive roster of now-excommunicated Mormon scholars. From D. Michael Quinn’s writing of the folk magic of Joseph Smith or Simon Southerton’s questioning the DNA link between Native Americans and ancient Israelites, Signature Books has given ink to many a scholar who risked more than their jobs by shedding light on some dark corners of the dominant religion’s not so nifty thrifty past.
564 W. 400 North, Salt Lake City, 801-531-1483


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Lynette Nelson

Great comments we have a lot of food blogs here in Utah thanks for you help.

Becky O

this is a great list! all but a few are daily reads for me! (now i'm going to add the others to my list)

a few things:

•cafe johnsonia's peppermint bark brownies are killer! you must try them!
•phe/mom/enon is part of like every online baking group and she rocks! try the yeast doughnuts she made a while back!
•and..my husband keeps bugging me to make the peanut butter granola bars from Stephanie's Kitchen.
I love utah food blogs!

thanks!
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Cafe Johnsonia, Lindsey Johnson

Why it's HOT: Because it's sweet. This girl loves treats. Red velvet bonbons, anyone? This fun, little Utah food blog also showcases strong artistry and an economical use of language. Translation: "Oh, look at the pretty pictures."

This list of the Best Utah Food Blogs represents the opinions of the writer, Leo Dirr. You can reach him at ldirr@hotmail.com



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Meet Me in the Kitchen , Mary Ann Murray

Why it's HOT: Mary Ann is the Dr. Phil of food bloggers. She intuitively understands how folks feel about food. She also has written about zucchini-cranberry muffins. I just wanted to say that. Zucchini-cranberry muffins. Oops, I said it again

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Phemomenon, Holly Hanks

Why it's HOT: Honesty. It's the best policy and it's also Holly's policy. If she happens upon a new recipe, tries it, and hates it, she blogs it. Brilliant! I'd like to see Holly run for public office

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Stephanie's Kitchen, Stephanie Younger

Why it's HOT: Stephanie is a very kind and genuine person. Whether she's blogging about biscuits or pumpkin chocolate chip cake with a cinnamon cream cheese drizzle, she makes her readers feel right at home.

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She Craves, Vanessa Chang

Why it's HOT: Wit wins me over every time. Vanessa is probably the most graceful writer on this list. "God, I love it when sugar plays with heat. In one bite, it's like cake, custard, and candy." Her words, not mine. 'Nuf said.


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Delightful Delicacies, Jen Johnson

Why it's HOT: Because I say so, mostly. There is something refreshingly random about this blogger. It's hard to describe. All I can tell you is that she celebrated Halloween with "butterbeer and caramel corn." Nice.

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The Gourmand Syndrome, John Thomas

Why it's HOT: 100 percent, pure, unadulterated eye candy! Each carefully chosen photograph is framed by a stunning black background. Mesmerizing. This blog is so beautiful, I'm thinking about having an image of it tattooed on my lower back.


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3. Prudence Pennywise, Erin Renouf Mylroie

Why it's HOT: This blog will SAVE YOU CASH. Prudence Pennywise prides herself on thrifty recipes. Like her "year-long noodles," with an estimated price tag of about 3 bucks. Now that's what I call using the old noodle.

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Gastronomic Salt Lake City, Stuart Melling

Why it's HOT: A boy blogging about food? Ha! Must be a Brit. But the real reason this blog ranks so high is that it smartly serves up insightful reviews of Utah's best restaurants. And for that, Stuart, I thank you, and my family's family thanks you.

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. Kalyn's Kitchen, Kalyn Denny

Why it's HOT: Kalyn is the godmother of all Utah food bloggers. She's the most authoritative voice on this topic we've got. Plus, her posts radiate the angelic kindness of a third-grade teacher. Muah! That's me blowing kisses. But not the cootie-filled kind.

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Su Casa

The best Mexican food I have ever had.”

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3) Cafe Rio

Yes, this classic originated in St. George, Utah!”
“They offer a great variety of fresh and great tasting food. They are friendly and it’s one of my favorite places to eat. The pork is to die for.


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2) KFC

No one hates The Colonel.”

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10 Best Restaurants Created in Utah

1) Machu Picchu Peruvian Restaurant
“Many different plates to choose from such as rotisserie chicken, seafood, meat and vegetarian. Peru has from Japanese food to Italian food and best of all is all from the same country. Me and my family love it and they treat you with courtesy and respect.”

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