While there are no Michelin restaurants in Utah, the state itself has actually received some for being a tourist spot. In 2018, the state received Michelin Stars reviews for its national parks. These include Arches, Bryce Canyon, and Canyonlands National Parks. When it comes to restaurants, however, the Michelin Guide doesn’t actually cover the state of Utah. There are very specific parts of the U.S. that the Michelin Guide covers. It has recently expanded to areas like Florida and Colorado. But, Utah is still not on the list for restaurant ratings. Still, the state can boast three Michelin Stars in the tourism department. If there are no Michelin Star restaurants in Utah, how are they ranked?
Another famous culinary award is the James Beard Award. The James Beard Awards started in 1991, named after the teacher, author, and chef James Beard. In the past few years, they went through a major revision of their awards criteria. These expanded to include the values of the restaurant, and the inclusivity of the kitchen alongside the critique of the food and presentation. Nominees go through a few rounds of judging for the James Beard award. There is a wide range of categories for chefs, restaurateurs, and restaurants. To make it to the semifinals or the final rounds of these categories is quite a big deal in the world of fine dining. In 2023, 9 Utah restaurants were nominated for the semifinalist round. We’ll discuss some of those eateries today, on this list of deserving of a Michelin Star restaurants in Utah.
Hell's Backbone Grill And Farm
20 UT-12, Boulder, UT 84716
- 4-serving meals starting at $3.77 per serving (up to 25% cheaper than HelloFresh).
- Incredible variety with 10+ weekly meal options, delivered directly to you.
- Easy to prepare meals ready in 30-minutes or less.
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Hell’s Backbone Grill and Farm received a nomination in the James Beard 2023 “outstanding restaurant” category. This restaurant has been open for some 24 years now. It has a Zagat rating as well as multiple James Beard nominations. The chefs and co-owners, Jen Castle and Blake Spalding, received nominations for the 2020 James Beard Awards season under the regional “best chef” category. A huge part of the Hell's Backbone restaurant is their farm. The farm provides most of the produce for the ingredients on the menu. The organic farm uses sustainable and no-waste methods in its food production. Alongside delicious vegetables and farm-fresh eggs, they also cultivate their fruit trees. The fruits get made into jams, chutneys, all kinds of butter, and preserves throughout the year.
The menus are seasonal, as so much of the Hell's Backbone ingredients come directly from the farm. Starters include their biscuits with whipped sage butter, and an award-winning house salad with toasted pepitas, dehydrated corn, apples, pears and an agave-chile vinaigrette dressing. Other starters include pumpkin apple soup, celery-sunchoke soup, green chile meatballs, and squash salad. Main dishes include lemon chicken, a beef braise, chipotle meatloaf, mac and cheese, and a veggie delight dinner for the vegetarians in the crowd. Save room for the chocolate chile cream pot, pear gingerbread, pumpkin almond bread pudding, and numerous other sweet treats. This restaurant's menu changes frequently, so check their website for the latest offerings.
Manoli's
402 Harvey Milk Blvd #2, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
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Manoli’s Restaurant in Salt Lake was nominated in the “outstanding hospitality” category of the 2023 James Beard Awards. This Greek-inspired eatery uses locally-sourced ingredients to create classic Mediterranean recipes. Manoli's emphasizes small sharing plates as a way to connect customers and restaurant-goers with the experience of dining in this sweet restaurant in Salt Lake.
The menu features vegetarian meze, seafood meze, and meat meze options, alongside main dishes and sides available to order. Start off with piquillo peppers, smoked feta, and seared cheese as a couple of veggie options. There's dolmas with Greek yogurt, butternut squash in crispy phyllo dough, and a combo of orzo and cheeses. Enjoy charred octopus, seared scallops, and grilled shrimp with a Greek coffee BBQ. Meats and mains include chicken wings, limb riblets, braised elk, pan-seared branzino, and a lamb burger. Sides feature braised seasonal greens, fingerling potatoes, and rice. Try their house soft serve ice cream or Greek donuts in spiced honey syrup.
- 4-serving meals starting at $3.77 per serving (up to 25% cheaper than HelloFresh).
- Incredible variety with 10+ weekly meal options, delivered directly to you.
- Easy to prepare meals ready in 30-minutes or less.
SLC Eatery
1017 S Main St, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
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This restaurant was also featured on our list of 6 Upscale Restaurants Worthy of a Michelin Star in Salt Lake City, Utah. Chefs Paul Chamberlain and Logen Crew of SLC Eatery were up for the regional “best chef” category in the James Beard Awards (via Salt Lake Tribune). Located in the heart of Salt Lake City, this nuanced American eatery offers a unique take on classic recipes. Try their oyster raw bar with a yuzu mignonette, or a togarashi cocktail sauce. Starters include cauliflower in a caper-date purée, beef bulgogi meatballs, jalapeño shrimp in a brown butter remoulade, smoked cheddar scones, buttermilk bleu cheese arancini, and a clam dip with tobiko fish eggs and potato chips.
There's grilled calamari, mushroom kabobs, and fresh salads. The main dishes feature spaghetti squash with pumpkin mole and burrata, seared swordfish, strip loin with broccolini, and ricotta cavatelli with miso pork Bolognese. No wonder SLC Eatery received such a prestigious nomination from James Beard. It may just be deserving of a Michelin Star in Utah if the guide ever comes to this beautiful state.
The Angry Korean
11587 District Main Dr #300, South Jordan, UT 84095
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Utah's restaurant The Angry Korean made it again to the James Beard shortlist in the category of regional “best chef”. Chefs Young-Ho Kang and Peter Kim were nominated in the 2023 James Beard Awards cycle. Their restaurant, The Angry Korean, started out as a food truck before opening up their first Utah location in South Jordan. The Korean fusion restaurant also has a location in Cottonwood Heights at 6945 South 1300 East. The menu features starters, japchae noodle dishes, Korean fried wings, rice bowls, and other Asian fusion dishes.
There are calamari rings, dumplings, a Korean cheesesteak, and a fried katsu sandwich. Try their beef bulgogi, salmon bowl, steamed pork belly buns, and an array of sweet and savory fried chicken wings. All of their dishes feature traditional Korean flavors combined with fusion classics and unique combinations. Their japchae sweet potato noodles include sides of grilled ginger chicken, spicy pork, and seared salmon. There's truly something for everyone on this menu, a gem of an eatery in South Jordan, Utah.
Handle
136 Heber Avenue, Park City, UT 84060
- 4-serving meals starting at $3.77 per serving (up to 25% cheaper than HelloFresh).
- Incredible variety with 10+ weekly meal options, delivered directly to you.
- Easy to prepare meals ready in 30-minutes or less.
©Tercer Ojo Photography/Shutterstock.com
Handle, a Park City, Utah establishment, serves new American food with inventive cocktail pairings. Chef Briar Handly received a nomination in the regional “best chef” category for the 2023 James Beard Awards. Co-created by Melissa Gray, “Handle,” is named for the process of handling food while they create their delicious cuisine; the menu ingredients are locally sourced, and organic when available. They are happy to accommodate gluten-free and vegan diners when the substitutions make sense in the dish.
The menu is divided up into “cold,” “hot,” “hearty,” and “sweet”. Overall, there are some truly amazing dishes. Start with oysters and grilled lemons, kale salad with Parmigiano-Reggiano, beetroot salad, hamachi crudo, and artisanal meats and cheeses. Hot dishes include cauliflower in a sweet chili glaze with sriracha, sourdough toast with morel mushrooms and pork belly, and a mushroom Bolognese with truffle mascarpone and chile oil. There's shellfish, bass, pork shank, and steaks. Finish your night with some whiskey caramel pudding, with a Chex mix streusel, ginger cake, a strawberry shortcake ice cream bar, or daily sorbet choices. It's no wonder this place has won some awards, and maybe one day it'll be one of the Michelin Star restaurants in Utah.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Wisanu Boonrawd/Shutterstock.com.