SaltLakeUnderGround • Vol. 26 • Issue #317 • May 2015 • slugmag.com Publisher: Eighteen Percent Gray Chris Kiernan, Gilbert Cisneros, Cody Kirkland, Dean O Hillis, Gavin CONTRIBUTOR LIMELIGHT: Editor: Angela H. Brown Gilbert Garcia, Jake Vivori, John Hoffman, Gavin Sheehan, Henry Managing Editor: Barkiple, Johnny Cowan, Logan Glasheen, James Bennett, James Scott Farley Alexander Ortega Sorenson, Martín Rivero, Matt Brunk, Orme, Jimmy Martin, John Ford, Senior Staff Writer Junior Editor: Christian Schultz Matthew Windsor, Megan Kennedy, Jordan Deveraux, Julia Sachs, Justin Office Coordinator: Melissa Cohn, Michael Portanda, Gallegos, Kia McGinnis, Lauren Gavin Sheehan Russel Daniels, Scott Frederick, Ashley, Mariah Mann Mellus, Megan Digital Content Coordinator: Talyn Sherer, Weston Colton Kennedy, Mike Brown, Mike Riedel, Henry Glasheen Videographers: Peter Fryer, Ricky Vigil, Ryan Hall, Fact Checker: Nic Smith Andrew Schummer, Brock Grossl, Scott Farley, Sean Zimmerman-Wall, Copy Editing Team: Alex Cragun, Candida Duran, Lexie Floor, Perry Shawn Mayer, Stakerized!, Steve Alexander Ortega, Allison Shephard, Layne Decker-Tate, Ryan Dearth, Goemaat, Steve Richardson, Christian Schultz, Cody Kirkland, Slugger Thomas Winkley Henry Glasheen, John Ford, Jordan Community Development Monkeys with Computers: Deveraux, Julia Sachs, Laikwan Executives/Advertising Sales: Adam Fratto, Alex Coulombe, Alex Waigwa-Stone, Maria Valenzuela, John Ford: [email protected] Cragun, Alex Gilvarry, Ali Shimkus, Mary E. Duncan, Nic Smith, Nick Angela H. Brown: Allison Shephard, Andrea Silva, Kuzmack, Shawn Soward, [email protected] Ashley Lippert, Ben Tilton, Carl Now known textually as “Heck Fork Grief,” Scott Traci Grant SLUG HQ: 801.487.9221 Acheson, CJ Morgan, Connor Brady, Farley started at SLUG in 1995 when former Edi- Editorial Intern: Kathy Zhou Marketing Interns: Ben Juell, Dan Vesper, Darcy Wouters-Russell, tor Gianni Ellefsen ran the magazine, and was Digital Interns: Davis Pope, Kolton Smith, Rosemary Saycich, Davis Pope, Dylan Evans, Eric U. the “acting General Editor”—as he puts it—for Julia Sachs, Nick Kuzmack Paige Emond Norris, Erin Moore, Gregory Gerulat, a period of time. Farley has had a long tenure Content Consultants: Marketing Team: Jamie Stott, Jeanine Carmichael, with the magazine, including his authorship of Jon Christiansen, Matt Hoenes Alex Topolewski, Ashley Kinser, Jeremy Cardenas, Jesse Hawlish, the popular “Serial Killer of the Month” column, Cover Illustration: Ben Juell, Carl Acheson, Cassandra Kamryn Feigel, Kathy Zhou, Kendal in which he profiled serial murderers throughout Christian Broadbent Loveless, Cassie Anderson, Janie Gillett, Kenny Tadrzynski, Kristal history, each month from ’95–2000, under the Lead Graphic Designer: Greenberg, Jono Martinez, Kolton Starr, Kristyn Porter, LeAundra Jeffs, pen name of St. Feltcher. His favorite was an Joshua Joye Smith, Lindsay Clark, Paige Emond, Lizz Corrigan, Madi Smith, Mame April Fools’ joke about the fictitious Pilar Sofol! Graphic Design Team: Rachel Roller, Rosemary Saycich, Wallace, Matt Brunk, Michael Farley also takes pride in initiating SLUG’s cover- Chad Pinckney, Lenny Riccardi, Sabi Lowder, Skye Galley, Zac Sanchez, Nancy Perkins, Nate age of the Nova Chamber Music Series, and he Freeman Housley, Nic Smith, Nick Kuzmack, Mason Rodrickc, Paul Mason presently writes food reviews. Through grappling Social Media Coordinator: Nicole Stephenson, Rachel Jensen, Ad Designers: Brad Barker, with each review, Farley ultimately finds content- Catie Weimer Randy Dankievitch, RGB Robb, Brighton Metz, Christian Broadbent, ment in the act of writing and forming a critical Devin Wakefield, Dianna Totland, KJ Distribution Manager: Rebecca Frost, Rheanna Sonnichsen, opinion about local restaurants—and we continu- Jackett, Maggie Zukowski, Nicholas Eric Granato Sara Bezdjian, Seeth McGavien, ally adore his poetic prose with each piece. Dowd, Nick Ketterer, Sumerset Bivens Distro: Andrea Silva, Daniel Some Cop Dude, Taylor Hoffman, Alexander, Davis Pope, Eric Granato, Timo H., Trevor Hale, Trey Sanders, Website Developer: Kate Colgan ABOUT THE COVER: May is National Illustrators: Brighton Metz, John Ford, Jordan Deveraux, Julia Tyson Call, Xkot Toxsik Bike Month, and simple tattoo flash inspired Brooklyn Ottens, D. Bradford Sachs, Maria Valenzuela, Michael SLUG Magazine’s Official the cover for SLUG’s third annual Bike Issue. Gambles, Eleora Nelson, Lenny Sanchez, Nancy Burkhart, Nancy Podcast: SLUG designer Christian Broadbent em- Riccardi, Maggie Zukowski, Manuel Perkins, Lucas Goodrich, Ryan SLUG Soundwaves Aguilar, Natalie Edwards, Paul Worwood, Tommy Dolph, Tony Producer: Gavin Sheehan ployed bold line work to evince the geomet- Frame, Phil Cannon, Robin Banks, Bassett, Wesley Peterson, Xkot Toxsik Executive Producer: ric and holistic synergy of the bicycle and its Ryan Perkins, Sean Hennefer, Steve Senior Staff Writers: Angela H. Brown mythos. Take a look at more of his work at Thueson, Timm Paxton Alex Springer, Alexander Ortega, Associate Producers: madetrue.com. Amanda Rock, Ben Trentelman, Alexander Ortega, Christian Schultz, Photographers: Ben Melini, Bob DISCLAIMER: SLUG Magazine does not Brian Kubarycz, Brinley Froelich, Henry Glasheen, John Ford Plumb, Chad Kirkland, Chris Gariety, necessarily maintain the same opinions as Bryer Wharton, Christian Schultz, those found in our content. Content is property youtube.com/user/SLUGMagazine of SLUG Magazine—please do not use without @SLUGMag written permission. 4 SaltLakeUnderGround slugmag.com 5 TO THE HOUSEWARMING PARTY EAST LIBERTY TAP HOUSE East Liberty Tap House’s Hand Cut Fries, Sloppy Lamb and Elk Chili make for a hearty By Heck Fork Grief • [email protected] meal with a beer. 850 E. 900 S. SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 84105 T. 801.441.2845 OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK NOON TO MIDNIGHT EASTLIBERTYTAPHOUSE.COM East Liberty Tap House sits at the sunset end of 9th East and 9th South. It started as rumors—initially conceived as a neighborhood bar, a symbol of Salt Lake’s Sherer Photos: Talyn progress. Here it is, not a full bar, but a tavern tucked inside a bright, tightly furnished, little restaurant. A tavern just serves tap beer, which is the stuff you can buy at the grocery store strength-wise, but the choices, like the food here, are better than average. We drinkers can have a beer in the tavern area without buying food. The majority of the tables are in a more traditional restaurant area where you must buy a bite to get a drink. This restaurant is not one person’s lifelong dream—it is The Cheddarwurst Corndog The first time I tasted it, my a new business from Scott Evans, who brought you Nuggets ($8) offers a bad-for- thought went, bite by bite: Pago, Finca and the new Hub & Spoke Eatery. He’s a you-but-so-good option for those 1. “Wow …” 2. “No. ...” 3. busy man, and ELTH feels the lack of concentration. It who miss going to amusement “Really?” 4. “Yes.” It stayed in the has not arrived with an already beating heart and a parks and state fairs. Crispy and loud “Yes” category from then on. full sense of itself. That’s OK. Though it is still a little corn flavors break down the oily savor of wobbly on its feet, time will shake that “new, out of sausage, and the house horseradish mustard keeps Several people have mentioned the Sloppy Lamb the box” feeling. The food, though, is confident, made me eating more. ($10) with tremendous enthusiasm. It’s an exciting from locally sourced and select-imported ingredients. idea, comfort and foodie all in a bun—locally sourced The menu is bar food with a twist, which is reasonably The Hand Cut Fries ($3 small, $5 large) are old-school lamb, ground and topped with chèvre and flavored priced and pleasantly surprising. The space is fairly and served on a mesh-edged tin. They also come on with rosemary and honey. The flavor of lamb meat is spartan with white walls, wood accents and orange a larger baking sheet as a side with sandwiches. For distinct and quite enjoyable, and it is not comfort food: Eames-style chairs. It looks like a set for a mid-Century, me, they say Wyoming diner, 1975. They’re definitely The flavors are too intense to glide over. The Sloppy guy-themed fashion ad—not quite sussed-out, not fresh-made, definitely American and perfect with a Shrooms ($10) should be, pardon the pun, beefier quite inhabited. The beer selection is small, but full Wasatch Chocolate Rye Stout. than it is. Like its lamb twin, it, too, is a good idea, but of a rotating cast of always interesting choices—add it eats fast. Mushrooms are often fascinatingly flavored wine and a selection of house cocktails, and the The Elk Chili ($4 cup, $10 bowl) is the star of the and meaty, but here, they are not. housewarming party starts. show, but eat it after a minute, and then quickly, because it is at its very best when it is very hot but The Trout Tartine ($12)—an open-faced sandwich with The Pickle Plate ($3) is small but super potent. also needs the bed of crisps to sop a bit. It’s served a generous steak of salmon-colored trout draped with Cucumbers, cauliflower and beets share a Gameboy- over Fritos like a rich man’s Frito pie, rich and deep, celery root and hardboiled-egg slices—is a success. sized dish with spills of spice and brine. The beets and emphasizes the smoulder of chilli peppers rather Simple and sunlit with inland flavors, it suggests the finish peppery but slightly sweet, as do the cauliflower, than their flame. There are no beans here—just a lime familial earthiness of the fresh asparagus with butter with mustard seed and fennel singing along. The crema, cheddar, scallions, Fritos and a big fistful of and eggs on toast that I ate in Minnesota as a child. cucumbers recall my grandma’s fresh bread-and-butter delicious elk meat in some of the most thoughtful chili The trout doesn’t taste of fish at all, and the light pickles from long ago.