Restaurants in East Millcreek

From the fresh trout caught in local waters to the piles of splintered logs, the chefs at The Wild Grape Bistro keep their kitchen fully stocked to craft New Western dishes that earned a Zagat-rating of good to very good and the title of Best Salt Lake City Restaurant from Salt Lake Magazine readers in 2010. The eatery’s talented chefs try to use locally made and sustainable ingredients as much as possible when slathering homemade steak sauce on Colorado bison burgers and tossing linguine noodles with grilled shrimp and heirloom tomatoes. Pork chops and elk patties take on rustic flavors while cooking atop the wood-burning grill or inside the authentic smoker.

The décor straddles a similar line between modern and rustic. Rough brick surfaces hold pieces of art and long green banquettes rest beside polished wooden tables. Post meal, diners can move to the copper-hued, V-shaped bar to sip some of their carefully chosen wines or imitate migrating geese.

Sharpen mouth muscles with the very veggie sandwich, stacked with spinach, tomato, avocado, carrots, pickle, cheddar cheese, and peppers, all dressed with mustard and balsamic vinegar. Or, opt for the cold tuna sandwich. All sandwiches are available in half ($6.59) or whole ($8.59) sizes, as are salads ($7.29 for whole, $6.29 for half). Try the citrus cranberry salad, a fruity blend of mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, almonds, and feta. Vasuvio's also serves homemade organic soups with freshly baked garlic bread.

Este Pizzeria’s sign bears an unmistakable resemblance to those found at New York subway stations—a fitting image for a pizzeria that slices up East Coast–style pies. The oversize, thin-crust triangles bear toppings as varied as ham, fresh basil, and housemade vegan meatballs. Their selection of 13 specialty pizzas includes entirely vegan disks as well as the Clay, a heaping of meatballs, pepperoni, ham, and sausage. In typical New York fashion, diners can also opt for strombolis and calzones and are permitted to yell, “I’m walkin’ here!” at other patrons when exiting the restaurant.

Caputo’s By Night's palate-perking menu serves up delectable deli fare and tasty casual Italian fare whipped up from Caputo’s Market and Deli’s wide selection of hearty eats. Patrons can dine on specialties such as the Atlantic salmon agrodolce ($14.95), chicken piccata sautéed in lemon and white wine ($13.95), and vongole pasta with olive-oil-based clam sauce ($10.95) in a casual atmosphere while enjoying attentive service, white tablecloth seating, a diverse wine and beer selection, and meatball jugglers. In between rounds of garlic bruschetta ($1.50), olives sautéed in pickled garlic, rosemary, and Marsala wine ($5.95), and branzino affumicato (lightly smoked sea bass with thin-sliced lemon and capers, $5.95), sip on a reasonably priced wine list ($4+ by the glass) while enjoying an atmosphere that's classy yet casual, like attending a gallery opening in a T-shirt tuxedo.

Whispers cafe's crew brews organic coffee and loose-leaf teas and whips up paninis and pastries. Diners can select hot, iced, or blended drinks from a chalkboard menu, which boasts 21 flavors of loose-leaf tea ($2+). Organic ingredients form the building blocks of dulcet brews—such as Milky Way mocha ($4.50+) and raspberry truffle ($4.50+)—to pacify demanding sweet teeth. Take the facemask off your football helmet to nibble a tuna-melt panini, an adhesion of white tuna and cheddar cheese between crisp slices of focaccia bread ($6), or silence vociferous, curmudgeonly bellies with a vegan sausage casserole packed with vegan cheeses, meat-free sausage, and robust seasonings ($6.50).

With its vibrant, modern décor and dazzling handcrafted nouvelle-American cuisine made from local, seasonal, and organic ingredients whenever possible, Metropolitan has earned a multitude of accolades. From the lunch menu erupts the metro bison burger, a galloping herd of mushrooms, onions, swiss, and truffled pomme frites ($10), and the Mediterranean sampler, a tantalizing tray of hummus, baba ghanoush, olive tapenade, stewed tomatoes, and seasoned Bluetooth ($8–$12). Adventurous options pepper the dinner menu, including the Metropolitan mushroom appetizer, flanked by truffle potatoes and red-wine sauce ($6 taste, $12 full plate); the Utah trout, decorated with fiddlehead ferns, radishes, pear, and a pistachio puree ($25); and the veal chop, donning an ensemble of green apple, celery root, quinoa, and mustard jus ($35). Find repose in the martini lounge to tackle the tasty bar menu, which includes entrees such as chicken pot pie ($12); appetizers come two-for-one during the bar’s “attitude adjustment hour” starting at 5:30 p.m.