😋 New places to eat in December

What’s Next for Smith’s Ballpark?

Salt Lake City officials have proposed three options for Smith’s Ballpark after the Salt Lake Bees’ departure: preserving the stadium for community sports and events, partly demolishing it to create a mix of open space and a cultural center, or fully tearing it down for green spaces. Residents and business owners at a recent public meeting preferred the partial demolition. [KSL]

• Related: We caught up with one Ballpark resident earlier this year about their dreams for the stadium. [City Cast Salt Lake 🎧]

Global Games Face Off

Salt Lake City’s 2034 Winter Olympics may have some competition as the FIFA World Cup is expected to take place around the same time (January or February) in Saudi Arabia. Both events attract billions of global viewers. [Salt Lake Tribune]

• Related: Can Salt Lake really pull off another Olympics? [City Cast Salt Lake 🎧]

Two New Laws in 2025

A couple significant laws take effect after the new year that could impact your life. One removes the requirement for a front license plate. The other mandates filters on devices used by minors to block obscene content, holding manufacturers responsible for compliance. [ABC 4]

A Salt Lake Gift Guide for Procrastinators

There are 14 days until Christmas and Hanukkah, which starts on Dec. 25 this year. Need some local gift ideas? Here’s a guide to giving at every price level, from $5 to $200. [City Cast Salt Lake 🎧]

Welcome to our rolling list of all the best, new restaurants opening around Salt Lake!

December 2024

The newest to arrive in Salt Lake’s food and drink scene are fantastical and fun and even … dangerous?

Thieves Guild Cidery

Now that Utah’s medieval-themed Evermore Park is closed, where doth one go for fantasy-themed adventure? Enter Thieves Guild Cidery. It’s a new bar in the Central 9th neighborhood that the owners call “chaotic wizard maximalism,” with 3D-printed wall sconces and skulls and a “waterplace” (that looks like a fireplace but is made with LED lights and water vapor). It’s the ideal backdrop to play Dungeons & Dragons.

Girls Who Smash

A sapphic smashburger pop-up? Sign me up! They were last spotted at the Dyked Y2K event on Nov. 16. Keep a close eye on their Instagram for the next one.

Dangerous Pretzel

Sometimes you just need to eat pretzels for dinner. Stick with the classics (salty or sugary), or try a fun flavor like Gingy (gingerbread, obvs) or Bootlegger (bourbon maple bacon). Don’t forget the dip!

Note: They’re closed Sundays and Mondays.

Melancholy

Another addition to Salt Lake City’s Post District, Melancholy is a cozy bar featuring two levels and creative cocktails. Try the “Dirty Work,” with gin and house pickled pepper brine (say that three times fast), or “Right to the Core,” a non-alcoholic cocktail with verjus (a sour grape juice) and green apple and fennel oleo. And don’t miss their book club in January. They’re reading “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow.”

HandoSake

This cool hand roll sushi restaurant opened on Main Street in downtown SLC. Try the salmon hand roll and wash it down with an ice cold Sapporo. Save room for the matcha creme brulee with candied lychee.