Mexican$$north-templeSun-Thu 11:00-21:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-22:00
Red Iguana 2 on West South Temple, the larger sibling of the Cardenas family flagship, runs the same award-winning moles in a bigger room with a full bar.
Signature: Mole, Combination platter
Order: Whichever mole the original flagship is celebrating that week plus a margarita at the bar.
Tip: Use Red Iguana 2 to skip the original's hour-plus wait at peak; same kitchen, same family, full bar.
Wine bar$$$fifteenth-and-fifteenthSun 14:00-20:00; Mon-Thu 17:00-23:00; Fri-Sat 17:00-24:00
Casot on 1500 East next to Finca, the Pago Group's wine and craft cocktail bar at 15th and 15th, runs natural wine flights and chef-driven small plates.
Signature: Natural wine flights, Cocktails
Order: A natural wine flight off the rotating list and a small plate from the Spanish-leaning kitchen.
Tip: Reserve via Tock; quieter than Finca, opens in evening. The two rooms share staff and walk between is encouraged.
Mexican$$north-templeSun-Thu 11:00-21:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-22:00
Red Iguana on West North Temple, the Cardenas family's Mexican room since 1985 and Utah's most awarded restaurant, runs the state's defining moles.
Signature: Mole negro, Mole verde
Order: A combination platter with mole negro and mole verde plus a pomegranate margarita.
Tip: Wait can run over an hour; cross to Red Iguana 2 at 866 W South Temple or order takeout via the operator's site.
Japanese sushi$$$downtownMon-Fri 11:30-14:00, 17:30-22:00; Sat 17:00-22:00; closed Sun
Takashi on Market Street, chef-owner Takashi Gibo's downtown sushi room since 2004, runs Salt Lake's defining omakase at the bar plus a full Japanese menu.
Signature: Omakase nigiri, Tempura
Order: Omakase at the sushi bar; the menu's signature rolls plus sashimi for the table.
Tip: Walk-in only; arrive before 17:30 on a weekday or after 21:00 to skip the wait. Closed Sundays.
New American$$$downtownTue-Thu 17:00-21:00; Fri-Sat 17:00-22:00; closed Sun-Mon
HSL on East 200 South, chef-owner Briar Handly's downtown wood-fire-driven New American room, runs seasonal New American cooking from a multi-time James Beard semifinalist chef.
Signature: Wood-fired vegetables, Family-style plates
Order: Whichever wood-fired vegetable preparation the kitchen leads with plus a family-style entree to share.
Tip: Open Tue-Thu 17:00-21:00 and Fri-Sat 17:00-22:00; closed Sunday and Monday. Reserve via the operator's site.
Farm-to-table new American$$$ninth-and-ninthDaily 17:00-21:00
Pago on 900 East, Scott Evans' 45-seat farm-to-table flagship in 9th and 9th since 2009, codified Salt Lake's seasonal local-ingredient tier.
Signature: Seasonal vegetable plates, Wine pairings
Order: Whatever the kitchen is featuring from local farms plus a glass off the by-the-glass wine program.
Tip: Reservations on the operator's site open weeks out; the small room turns fast on weeknights.