I do know the post-All-Star-Sport discourse between Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal left many locals in a tizzy, however I am not going to touch upon that; in the event you’re bored once you journey, it is your personal rattling fault. What did persist with me, nonetheless, was Shaq’s remark about solely consuming room service.
As I have been visiting extra lodge eating places, I spotted that they have a reasonably essential job to do. If a high-profile visitor visits our metropolis and would not have the wherewithal to smell out a great native restaurant—maybe by snagging a free alt-weekly and studying the eating column by its dashing and tasteful meals author—the lodge restaurant turns into an envoy for Utah’s whole culinary id. With that stated, I would like to speak about Adelaide (131 S. 300 West, 801-658-4600, adelaidesaltlake.com) throughout the new downtown SLC dual-pad area that features inns Le Méridien and Factor.
When contemplating a lodge restaurant, you have to consider the lodge itself. A hip-but-accessible area like Le Méridien and Factor requires a hip-but-accessible restaurant. Beneath the course of Chef Jacqueline Siao, that’s precisely what Adelaide has got down to do. Earlier than assuming her function as government chef at Adelaide, Chef Siao hung out overseeing meals and beverage for the Hyatt Centric in Park Metropolis in addition to W in Aspen, Colo. and the Lodge/Spruce Peak in Stowe, Vt. “Each place has its personal character,” Siao says over a Zoom name. “However I believe Adelaide is likely to be my favourite of all of them.”
Siao’s strategy with Adelaide comes from an affection for New Orleans by the use of French Canada and the West Indies. “The identify Adelaide comes from a socialite in New Orleans,” Siao say. “Every menu merchandise was closely influenced by her as an individual and by New Orleans itself. While you stroll in, we wish you to really feel like you are going to New Orleans.”
Situated simply left of the reception desk at Le Méridien, Adelaide succeeds at transporting the diner into Chef Siao’s wonderland of subtle, Southern-inspired eating. The enjoyable factor about Adelaide’s menu is that it lends itself to a culinary journey. You desire a seafood-centric dinner? Begin off with the Dungeness crab cake croquettes ($19) and transfer promptly into the bounty that’s merely referred to as plateaux de fruits de mer ($84), which mixes citrus-poached shrimp, oysters on the half shell, Alaskan king crab legs and tuna crudo. Feeling extra vegetarian? Take a look at the nice and cozy cauliflower vichyssoise ($12) with its white truffle and poached d’anjou pears and wrap up with the honey roasted squash ($15).
So far as the journey that my spouse and I took with Adelaide, we simply listened to our hearts. Although the immense fruits de mer platter was interesting, we determined to combine up some starters and entrees. To start, we tried the tuna crudo ($18) and the mushroom al ajillo—two diametrically opposed dishes on the flavour spectrum, however my spouse and I are all about consuming dangerously. The tuna crudo is a stunning method to kick issues off—it is a plate of thinly sliced tuna topped with a citrusy starburst French dressing, together with some cucumber gratinee and some slivers of Fresno chili for a spicy kick. This starter merely wakes up your palate and will get it psyched for the upcoming meal.
The place the crudo celebrates the colourful, sharp and acidic, the mushroom al ajillo is all about heat, richness and depth. It is the celery root crema that actually ties the savory mushrooms and blistered garlic collectively; this eats like pot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, so do not let its modestly arboreal presentation idiot you.
For entrees, we leaned into the savory richness that the mushrooms kicked off for us and received the Sea and Grits ($28) and the lacquered brief ribs ($36). I believe the latter barely edged out the previous; it is a decadent lower of brief rib that will get its signature “lacquer” from an hours-long cooking course of that leads to a savory delight that melts in your mouth. I opted so as to add a aspect of andouille mac and cheese ($9), which is precisely what you’d anticipate from a Southern-inspired menu—gooey, tacky and full of buttery love.
The Sea and Grits is a tackle the basic shrimp and grits that sees our acquainted crustaceans fried to a golden brown and served on high of grits made with Beehive cheddar. Conceptually, I am right here for the dish—fried shrimp which you could dip into some tacky grits is a superb concept. Whereas I believed the shrimp batter wanted a bit extra seasoning to liven issues up, I stay impressed with this recent tackle a basic.
After visiting a number of lodge eating places since 2023 started, I am fairly assured that they’ll rep for Utah’s culinary scene, and Adelaide is not any exception. Even when some former NBA star is on the town and would not reap the benefits of our personal distinctive eating tradition, they’ll at the very least get one thing native and scrumptious from spots like Adelaide.