SL,UT + a few things I miss about Des Moines

SL,UT stands for Salt Lake, Utah. You put the comma in there so people don’t think you’re saying, SLUT.

I left Austin for cooler Salt Lake City temps which weren’t too bad. They definitely avoided the arctic blast that hit much of the rest of the country. Iowa had “feel like” temps of -40 degrees during that time. Hard pass.

Matt had a ski trip planned so I was being budget-conscious and watched Ava while he was gone and tacked on a couple days on each side. It was nice spending time with them and having a comfortable place to work all week.

I have been to SLC many times in the last couple years and each time I get to hit my faves and check out new places. I had a good tour this time and wanted to share some highlights:

Coffee

I spent a couple afternoons working at The People’s Coffee. It was a great place to work while people-watching through the windows on an active corner. A few people had their dogs in there and I wished I had brought Ava! Prior to getting a haircut over the weekend, I spent some time at Sunroom Coffee. It was buzzing the whole time and I was definitely the oldest person there.

Haircut/Beard Trim

I have always loved checking out barbershops on my travels but I have one go-to in SLC and that’s my girl Helen! I met Helen a few years ago through Matt’s friend group and have since been getting my haircut and catching up on the tea each time I’m in town!

Restaurants

I ate at a couple staples but tried a couple new places this time as well. We ordered in Bricks Corner on my last night. I love Detroit style pizza and they didn’t disappoint! We also had a great meal at Urban Hill which neither of us had been to before.

Dinner at Urban Grill

Bars

Salt Lake has unique rules around drinking. At restaurants, you have to order food with an alcoholic beverage. Most places, you can get a $1 plate of fries or some chips and salsa, but it's interesting. There are signs outside of "bars" that say "This is a bar" so you know you don't have to order food with a drink. Draft beer can only be up to 5% in bars and restaurants and on you can only buy one drink at a time - so you can't buy a round for your friends or pitchers.

I think my most visited bar over my various visits is the Green Pig Pub. Great place to watch sports and while the food is good, you don’t have to eat if you’re drinking! I of course hit up Red Rock Brewing to have my favorite SLC beer, the Elephino. That’s where I also watched some of the Chiefs game. I have overheard a lot of convos during my travels the last few weeks about Mahomes, the refs, T. Swift, etc. I love the chatter!

Prior to dinner at Urban Hill, we had drinks at Water Witch Bar. That was a highlight of the trip and just a random find! This isn't uncommon, but they have a “roulette” option where you can give the bartender your liquor preferences, profiles, etc. and they’ll make you a drink. Mine was a Black Manhattan and a perfect first drink of the night (before I switched to IPAs). When I found it online, I wasn't expecting it to be a little divey (which you know I love) but it's also a 2025 James Beard Award Semifinalist for Outstanding Bar Program.

And finally, Saturday was spent celebrating MILK+'s 3 year anniversary. You know if I see someone out with a Caitlin Clark jersey, I’m going to talk to them!

Contrary to what many people assume, SLC has a pretty good gay scene for a city of its size and considering the history of the area/city. Mormon? Or MoreMen? #moremenism

Another highlight of my trip was reconnecting with my college roommate, Nina! We lived on the same floor freshman year and then in an apartment sophomore year. The last time I saw Nina was in SLC during COVID and we sat outside on her porch and caught up. We shared a lot of laughs and I was glad to be able to hang with her family and a couple of their friends. 

Staying with Ava was priceless and I really enjoyed my time. Salt Lake holds a lot of memories for me. This was the view I got to see every day while working. Looking out and seeing the mountains never gets old and just brings a sense of calm.

I got to see Trinity for the 2nd time in a month! Grateful for his friendship and to Matt's friends for always being so inclusive and welcoming.

As I was departing SLC, I noticed the plane I was getting on was going to be a little delayed getting in so I found myself a spot at Uinta Brewing at the airport and waited for the notification that we were boarding. I’m usually pretty good with timing but I kept getting less confident as the app never updated. I was right next door to the gate and had cashed out and was just waiting for the notification before going over. Until my phone rang.

First…. I actually answered a random number! Granted it was a Salt Lake number and I assumed it wasn't Heather Gay. It was the gate agent asking if I was still getting on the flight to LAX. The app never updated and I didn’t get a notification. I was of course mortified and expecting to be greeted with a chorus of boos or dirty looks. It wasn’t that dramatic and I wasn’t that late, but I was glad for the call! I had a seat closer to the front, but since I was late and it was a small plane, I had to take my bag toward the back of the plane because every other overhead was full. I put my bag above 21C; even further back than Lisa Barlow’s favorite seat, 17C. "No one wants to be the last one to get off the plane."

A few things I miss about Des Moines

I have been asked if I miss Des Moines or certain things the most. I don’t know if it’s been quite long enough to actually kick in that I don’t have a home, but there have certainly been moments where I have felt the stress of being unsettled and living out of suitcases. And I really do miss my condo. I loved that place! I’ll be back in late March for work so I’ll get to see people then and I’m looking forward to catching up with everyone! 

In no particular order, a few things I miss about Des Moines:

1. Salon W: I got a pedicure at Salon W the day before leaving Des Moines. It was always such a fun, social vibe and the staff there was amazing. I always loved going in there!
2. Pancheros: Listen, I know my neighborhood Pancheros on Ingersoll was the worst-operated Panch in the franchise, but I needed it. I’m not sure if everyone knows, but the OG Panch was in Iowa City and opened in 1992. I’ve been a loyalist ever since going to school there. The Ingersoll location had about a 15% (generously) success rate of getting my online order accurate. As an operations guy, watching their process drove me crazy! But I’ll go through the pain for that queso when I’m back in March. 
3. Des Moines IPA: My favorite IPA. I just miss it.

Next Stops:

1. Phoenix to crash with my girl Kylie for a few days.
2. San Francisco to work and see the one and only xolp while she's there working!