The beef bourguignon at Copper Kitchen may have been the best meal I had in 2015. Correction: It DEFINITELY was the best meal I had in 2015. I still have warm, fuzzy feelings about it. Bless you, Copper Kitchen!
Pardon the low-quality photo above. Actually, you should be grateful I even took a photo because I almost slurped that whole beautiful thing down as soon as I laid eyes on it.
Love the location in the newly renovated downtown Holladay – cute, upscale little neighborhood and a welcome respite from the busy-ness of downtown SLC. The designated lot behind was full so we parked on the street but we were seated promptly on a weeknight. Solid service from our server – not overly friendly or chatty (which is what I prefer) and attentive and professional. Cool industrial, upscale-bistro vibe – a more grown-up version of Copper Onion’s dining room.
We ordered the garlic bread with shaved pecorino as a starter, which was simple but en pointe – crispy and delicious.
My vegetarian friend ordered the arugula pesto – house-made tagliatelle, baby arugula, pine nuts, grana padano – and devoured the whole thing.
And then we come to the beef bourguignon. Oh, my. Loved the presentation – it arrived deconstructed, to be tossed gently together. Perfectly cooked, house-made, thick pappardelle. Rich, classic flavors of wine and mushrooms with a welcome kick of creamy mustard in the traditional sauce. Generous chunks of tender pork belly. It was comforting but not overly heavy, silky and fully-dimensioned like you always imagine bourguignon to be.
My only critique was the arrival of our appetizer at the same time as our food. Just an oversight, but just the teeniest bit disappointing as this looked to be the best dining experience in Salt Lake that I’ve had in awhile. The pacing of the rest of the meal was good, if a little rushed, but I can overlook all of that because of the quality execution of our dinners.
One of my last memorable meals was the burger at Copper Onion – how can a burger be so memorable? Go try theirs and find out – so I was really looking forward to what Copper Kitchen would deliver, and they have exceeded my expectations once again.
