Restaurants in South Salt Lake

Thai Garden Restaurant's chefs carefully spice a menu of Thai cuisine awarded Best Southeast Asian fare by Salt Lake magazine in 2006 and 2007. In the dining room, ornate wood dividers stand stark against exposed brick, displaying intricate carvings of animals, workers, and Judd Nelson with fist triumphantly raised. Floor-to-ceiling front windows cast light on dishes of chicken, beef, pork, or tofu coated in flavors such as red curry and spicy Thai basil sauce, and customized to one of five levels of spice. Classic pad thai and pan-fried flat noodles conveniently fill entree-shaped voids in diners' stomachs with fresh sprouts, meatballs, and ground peanuts.

At Christopher's Prime Steak House and Grill, every piece of prime, corn-fed beef ages for 21 days before it's ready to be served. Chefs then hand-cut beef into kansas city sirloin, new york strip, or "cowboy" chops before locking in the painstakingly cured flavor with 1,500-degree broilers. In addition to steak, the menu also boasts seafood flown in daily from around the world, such as Scottish salmon and New Zealand barramundi. Locally sourced produce adds organic texture to every meal and linen tablecloths add softness to obstinately hard tabletops. The Zagat-rated "excellent" eatery can seat diners on the outdoor patio or in the dining room, which can fit up to 300 guests for wedding receptions, banquets, or corporate events.

Live trees grow inside Café Solstice, stretching their branches toward the sunlight that streams in through the high ceiling's skylights. The trees aren't the only things that are leafy and fresh, though; so is the spot's menu of vegetarian and vegan cuisine. Kitchen wizards fashion organic produce into dishes such as corn tacos with miso, sunflower seeds, and cheddar cheese beneath greens and cilantro dressing, or veggie burgers made from walnuts, mushrooms, and pumpkins seeds topped with tomato chutney and provolone. Visitors can also snack on fresh-baked goods that range from Kashi krispie bars to double-chocolate butterscotch cookies, and sip organic loose-leaf tea or drip coffee made with locally roasted beans.

For nearly 30 years, Rino’s Italian Ristorante's chef and owner, Rino, has crafted authentic Italian cuisine with ingredients from his own garden after researching dishes' historical and regional significance. Old-World ambiance pervades the dining room, where plated gnocchi, beef ravioli, and lasagna top cloth-draped tables surrounded by high-backed leather chairs. An extensive wine list supplies supple reds and crisp whites to pair with veal, steak, and seafood dishes. Wooden barrels, oil paintings, and stained-glass panels of vintners laze in guests' peripheries, and rustic charm spills from the dining room onto a grape arbor, where patrons can gaze at the stars or marvel at the waxing moon's smoothness.

Terraces of tortillas tower over simmering mole, a special recipe that has been passed down for three generations, on tables in the 15-year-old eatery with a family atmosphere. Here, in Blue Iguana's kitchens, Chef Castillo imparts the culinary arts of the Aztec empire to his team of cooks using his knowledge of Chihuahua, Mexico. In this province, families fiercely guard such traditions to honor their forebears and preserve their culture's legacy for future generations. Castillo specializes in mole recipes, which teem with rich ingredients such as chocolate, almonds, and pumpkin seeds. Guests seeking a lighter meal can customize tacos with a choice of more than 10 fillings, including grilled yellowfin, charbroiled sirloin, sautéed mushrooms, and spicy pork chorizo. The margaritas are mixed with the restaurant's brimming top-shelf tequilas such as Patron Silver and Don Julio. Diners can also visit the Park City location for breakfast dishes.

Fats Grill fills its space with all the ingredients of a good time, including a menu populated with burgers, pizza, and sandwiches, a fully stocked bar, 12 flat-screen TVs, and seven pool tables, a setup that has won the hangout City Weekly's Best Pool Joint 13 years in a row. Twelve is the number of its burgers, all served on toasted sheepherder rolls with toppings such as bacon, jalapeños, and pastrami. Toasted sourdough builds the foundation for the grill's sandwiches, and pizza crust keeps italian sausage, red onion, and pineapple chunks from gracing the floor with their presence. Fats Grill also houses a newly renovated basement concert venue, a place where local musicians take the stage every Friday and Saturday night to belt out the name game using every audience member's name.