1. Two Words: Fry Sauce
Utahns aren't content with ketchup. When it comes to French fries, fry sauce is the condiment of choice. This tangy combo of ketchup, mayo and spices will have even mayo haters asking for extra.
2. Making Sandwiches Out Of Scones
In Salt Lake the sweet, pastry-like bread normally consumed with coffee in the morning is sliced to become sandwich bread served with deli meats and cheeses piled between. It only makes sense when it's done right, like at local fast food chain The Sconecutter. They serve fry sauce on the side, of course.
3. Watching The Utah Utes Beat The Living Daylights Out Of BYU In The "Holy War"
Utah's big college football rivalry between BYU and the University of Utah (the U. to locals) is called the "Holy War." The U. is the hometown team for Salt Lakers and fans are fond of watching their Fightin' Utes beat up real good on the Cougars from Provo to the south.
4. Having The Best Ski Resort In The World Right Outside Their Doorstep
Many locals agree: Snowbird is the greatest ski resort in the world. Those with perfectly good jobs in the valley line up to take part-time seasonal jobs at Snowbird just so they can ski for free. The resort is 30 minutes from downtown up beautiful Little Cottonwood Canyon.
5. Getting Hopped Up On Locally-Brewed Beer
SLC has some great breweries and brewpubs where craft beer lovers can get their fix. Two of the biggest breweries in town are Unita and Wasatch.
6. A Street Layout That Only Makes Sense To Them
SLC's elongated checkerboard street grid may have boring names and addresses with lots of numbers and directionals, but it makes getting around town easier. Visitors can't seem to make sense of it, but those who live in the city long enough are thankful once they figure out the simple numbering system.
7. One-Stop Date Nights At Brewvies
Dinner, a movie and drinks all in the same place. Date night decisions are made easy at Brewvies, a longtime favorite film house in town. Tons of craft beer is on tap along with screenings of current hits and cult classics.
8. Enough Ice Cream To Give You A Brainfreeze For A Year
Folks line up for dessert in this desert city. There are more ice cream and frozen yogurt stands in Salt Lake City than bars. Chalk that up to the number of Mormons and families with young children who don't drink alcohol but still need a vice of some sort. What would normally be called a beer belly elsewhere is an ice cream belly in Salt Lake.
9. Going Subterranean At The Pie
Salt Lake has plenty of pizza joints, but heading down the staircase at the Pie pizzeria near the University of Utah campus is like walking through a time tunnel back to your college days. It's below street level but the pies are above average. The crowd skews young because it's affordable and the Pie serves beer, but families dine here too.
10. The Twilight Concert Series Every Summer
Held every summer in Pioneer Park, the Twilight Concert Series brings top acts to town to perform for throngs of locals and tourists. Previous bills have included such notable acts as the Flaming Lips, the Roots and Calexico among many others.
11. Canyons Leading Up To Mountain Bliss
Its location in a wide valley surrounded by the high mountains of the Wasatch Front means Salt Lake City has ample canyons. Within minutes of leaving your doorstep you could be in a canyon heading up, up, up to discover all kinds of natural wonders.
12. Getting The Heck Out Of The Valley During Inversions
Enough said.
13. Biking And Hiking The Shoreline Of An Ancient Ocean
The Great Salt Lake is the remnant of an ancient inland ocean known as Lake Bonneville that once covered much of the Intermountain West. Today that shoreline sits above town and is home to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, a favorite exercise and sightseeing spot for locals.
14. Having The Nicest Neighbors Around
Salt Lake City is used to being made fun of as a goody-two-shoes place full of Mormons, but that shtick is as overplayed as Seattle's rain. Still, people are really very nice here and that’s a point of pride for residents.
15. Spotting A Celebrity On Their Way To The Post Office
Thanks to folks like Robert Redford and the Sundance Film Festival, Utah has become a hotbed of filmmaking. Celebrity sightings are common in Salt Lake City, and not just in January when the film festival takes place.
16. Having The Opposite Of Road Rage
If someone honks their horn or gestures rudely while driving in Salt Lake City, chances are they're from someplace else. Drivers, in general, seem to be more courteous here. Might have something to do with that easily navigable grid.
17. Feeling Like They're In Southern Europe At Tony Caputo's
A gourmet market and deli specializing in Italian and southern European foodstuffs complete with an old-world butcher shop, a "cheese cave" and one of the largest selections of ultra-premium chocolates in the U.S. What's not to love?
18. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Salt Lake is home to one of the most renowned choirs in the world, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, or MoTab (yes, some people actually call it that) is based in Temple Square downtown in what is said to be the most acoustically perfect building in the world.
19. Chowing Down On Mole And More At The Red Iguana
No matter what time you go to this legendary Mexican restaurant, there will be a wait. It may be 5 minutes, but during prime lunch, brunch or dinner hours it will likely be much longer. There's a reason why: great service and authentic Mexican food. Be sure to order the mole.
20. The Public Transportation Glory That Is TRAX
SLC’s public transit light rail system--TRAX--connects the suburbs to downtown. But what’s really special about the system is the fare-free zone downtown. It costs nothing. That’s right: zero, zilch, nada.
21. A Parks System Other Cities Would Envy
Not many cities have city parks where you can go canyoneering, mountain climbing and take in significant historic sites along with all the other regular city park stuff like relaxing, exercising and picnicking. This Is The Place Heritage Park, Pioneer Park and Liberty Park are a few of the favs.
22. Seeing The Mountains Of The Wasatch Front Every Day And Not Getting Sick Of It
It never gets old seeing 9,000-foot-plus mountain peaks minutes away from your porch, while stuck in traffic or from the office window at work. A view of the Wasatch Mountains is inescapable in Salt Lake City, thank goodness, and provides the inspiration for a lot of daydreaming while going about the business of an ordinary day.
