Summer’s here! When temperatures start rising, our thoughts turn away from wintry soups and hearty dishes and we crave lighter fare. Our palates yearn for the just-picked goodness from local farmer’s markets or if we’re lucky, from our own gardens. Local restaurants and chefs celebrate summer’s bounty and give a seasonal spark to their menus, adding lots of crunchy, flavorful salads and a multitude of fun fresh seafood options. Although Utah isn’t the first state you think of when dreaming of fresh fish, thanks to our proximity to the Salt Lake International airport, chefs are able to get creative and import a huge selection of sustainable seafood that is fl own in daily from all over the world. Take your taste buds from stale to stellar with these favorite fresh picks.
Head to Ruth’s Chris Steak House and treat yourself to the Chilled Seafood Tower, a menu staple that is as beautiful as it is delicious—Maine lobster, king crab legs and knuckles, colossal lump crab meat and jumbo shrimp served with both Sriracha-lime seafood sauce and classic cocktail sauce.
Co-owner’s Kevin and Bob Valaika opened Shabu over 14 years ago, and it has become a mainstay for “freestyle Asian fusion.” Located at 442 Main Street, you will love their fresh seafood sushi rolls; including the King’s Peak (salmon and king crab,) the Komodo Dragon (soft shell crab topped with tuna tartare,) and the Skywalker Roll (tuna, topped with hamachi.) Everything is fresh, bold and unique. Head straight from the mountain trails to this classic Main Street location and enjoy an evening of seafood bliss.
Prime Steak House & Piano Bar across from Main Street’s Town Lift Plaza is the place to go if you want to start an elegant meal with mouthwatering seafood appetizers. Try the Jumbo Crabmeat Cocktail, Scallops Wrapped in Bacon or the classic Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail—four chilled tiger prawns served with a zesty cocktail sauce.
Fuego Pizzeria is a great neighborhood trattoria that serves affordable Italian food, pizzas and salads in a family friendly atmosphere. Try the Caprese Salad—a house specialty—or their new Seared Ahi Tuna Salad, lightly seared fresh Ahi Tuna served atop a blend of spring mix, tomatoes, onions and mandarin oranges and drizzled with whipped balsamic dressing.
If you are a sushi aficionado or like fish recipes with an Asian flair, the Full House Asian Bistro, voted Best Asian restaurant four years in a row, is the place to go. Enjoy a full sushi menu or entrees like Sauteed Beef, Scallops with Asparagus, Smoked Squid Salad and the Sunomono Salad—octopus, crab stick and cucumber in rice vinegar sauce.
Get a sunny taste of Jamaica at 11Hauz. Enjoy family recipes like Jerk Lobster—a seafood version of their signature jerk chicken dish—a delicious, buttery treasure of the sea featuring shrimp and lobster bursting with traditional island flavors of pimento, garlic, Scotch bonnet pepper and spices. Or, perk up your palate with Jamaican Treasures, a jerk lobster and curry conch dish of fresh conch, lobster and butter, swimming in a traditional Jamaican curry-flavored broth, sprinkled with Jamaican spices and a big dash of love!
