Gourmet From Yesterday: Comfort Foods Reimagined

Craving those tastes you remember as a child? We don’t blame you. We’re never ones to pass up a hearty grilled cheese sandwich or a plate of french fries. Still, those dishes from your youth might not satisfy your adult preferences. Luckily, you can now unite your childhood favorites with your grown-up palate and enjoy the foods from your past with a gourmet twist.

Mac and Cheese

Burgers & Barley

Don’t let the name fool you — Burgers & Barley has a lot more to offer than just burgers and beer. The old-school mac and cheese is homemade, and it’s cheesy and creamy, just like you would expect. This burger joint has put its own spin on the childhood favorite with three expertly prepared varieties. The cheese sauce is made with white cheddar cheese, and a lot of cream and butter, of course. The dish is then baked to perfection. The barbecue mac is a combination of the traditional mac and cheese topped with pulled pork and a barbecue drizzle. And finally there is the buffalo chicken mac: delicious chunks of spicy buffalo chicken on top of the original creamy goodness, then topped with blue cheese crumbles.

Burgers and Barley

1890 Bonanza Drive

Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday

435-602-1170 | Burgers-barley.com

BLT

Tupelo

Tupelo’s chef Matthew Harris knows where to focus his energies. He is a master at taking a simple dish and putting a modern, delicious twist on it. The bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich has been around for generations, and you might not think you can improve such a simple sandwich with just a few ingredients, but au contraire, it has been done. This BLT starts with olive oil bread, is then smeared with the right amount of basil mayo and then generously stacked with thick-cut Niman Ranch bacon, avocado, sprouts and, finally, fresh tomatoes. It is the stuff of cravings.

Tupelo

508 Main Street

11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Thursday-Sunday, 5-9 p.m. nightly

435-615-7700 | Tupeloparkcity.com

World-Famous Buffalo Burger

No Name Saloon

There are five burgers on the menu at No Name Saloon, and all are crafted with a half-pound of 100 percent lean buffalo meat. If you have never tried a buffalo burger, you really should. Buffalo meat is naturally very lean and full of flavor, but it comes sans that gamey taste you might expect. There is a richness to it that makes each meaty bite a good one. Couple that delicious base with your favorite toppings and condiments, and you will wonder why you didn’t try a buffalo burger sooner. The burger selections on the menu range from the classic with grilled onions to the ever-popular barbecue bacon cheeseburger to the awesome no name burger. This creation starts with a fresh-grilled bun and buffalo patty topped with a mound of cream cheese and fresh sliced jalapeños, then layered with lettuce, tomatoes and house-made chipotle mayo. Each is served with the house-made buffalo chips — potato chips with no name southwestern-style salsa.

No Name Saloon and Grill

447 Main Street

10-2 a.m. daily

435-649-6667 | Nonamesaloon.com

Drafts_Tachos

Tater Tot Totchos

Drafts Burger Bar

These fried spuds were invented (and trademarked) by Ore-Ida as a way to reduce food waste, and became a staple in school lunches and TV dinners. There is good reason why we love them: they are fried, crispy, salty nuggets you can pop in your mouth in one bite. Drafts in the Westgate takes tots from their youthful cafeteria roots and turns them into totchos, Tater Tots with nacho toppings. The spuds are loaded with bacon, diced tomatoes, scallions, smoked Gouda cheese sauce and sour cream. Add buffalo chili or pork carnitas for an extra-filling meal that the kids will probably stay away from, leaving these bites all for the adults.

Drafts Burger Bar

3000 Canyons Resort Drive

Lunch and dinner, hours vary seasonally

435-655-2270 | Draftsparkcity.com

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Meghan de Bruijn

Eat, ride, sleep, rinse, repeat. That is Meghan's motto. If you don't spy her at a local Park City restaurant photographing, eating then blogging about an amazing local eatery, you will find her horsing around with her little Mustang pony Napoleon and black lab Dakota. A 30 year local, Meghan loves to follow the ever-evolving epicurean culture of Park City and the surrounding areas.
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