Smoked by AI · Salt Lake City · people
Stuart Melling
Critic · Journalist — The whole Utah dining scene, seventeen-plus years of it; the longest continuous memory of this city's restaurants in print.
Listed with the critics and writers in Salt Lake City.
Stuart Melling founded and edits Gastronomic SLC, wrote restaurant reviews for the Salt Lake Tribune, and broke Utah's MICHELIN selection on the night.
Their own reviews and picks.
Their own judgment, in their own words, by the piece it appeared in.
- Gastronomic SLC ↗their review · 2026-06-12
- Caputo's Market & DeliDowntown
“For me that's the highlight of the sandwiches, but everything here is great, from their zest muffuletta through their hearty meatballs.”
- Caputo's Market & DeliDowntown
- Gastronomic SLC ↗their review · 2026
- Chunga'sWest Side
“Tacos are available ala carte for just $2.50 and are worth every penny.”
- Chunga'sWest Side
- Gastronomic SLC ↗their review · 2026
- Ruth's DinerEmigration Canyon
“Every meal at Ruth's starts with complementary 'mile high biscuits', fist sized, fluffy slices of buttery biscuit.”
- Ruth's DinerEmigration Canyon
- Gastronomic SLC ↗their pick · 2025-06-12
- AkerDowntown
“Come for the sushi, stay for a few skewers.”
- AkerDowntown
- Gastronomic SLC ↗their review · 2025-01-09
- Drunken KitchenSouth Salt Lake
“Drunken Kitchen’s fried chicken is some of the best in the state, no question.”
- Drunken KitchenSouth Salt Lake
- Gastronomic SLC ↗their review · 2024-10-19
- PareaNinth and Ninth
“The wraps arrive on substantial house-made pita, wonderful stuff.”
- PareaNinth and Ninth
- Gastronomic SLC ↗their review · 2024-08-28
- Bhansa GharSouth Salt Lake
“The jade green sauce relies on sorrel (gongura) to power proceedings, the leaves imparting a tongue-arresting sourness to the curry.”
- Bhansa GharSouth Salt Lake
Pieces they wrote about these places.
Reporting, openings and roundups. Kept for the trail, and not read as their endorsement — a writer relaying someone else's award is not recommending it.
- Salt Lake Magazine 2026 Dining Awards, 20 Best (Melling judges) ↗roundup · 2026-02-24
- Copper CommonDowntown
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- JunahCentral Ninth
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- Copper CommonDowntown
- Valter's OsteriaDowntown
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- Valter's OsteriaDowntown
- Water WitchCentral Ninth
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- Water WitchCentral Ninth