MORE SALT LAKE CITY DINING

Downtown Salt Lake City has many restaurants in nearly every food category you can name, including Afghan, Peruvian and Thai. You may want to dress up a bit (meaning a buttoned shirt and khakis instead of a T-shirt and jeans) for the finer establishments. It will help to read an explanation of Utah's liquor laws and the description of "private clubs" which some of these restaurants are.

Metropolitan (173 W. Broadway, 364-3472; $$$–$$$$; above left) is Utah's most-awarded restaurant and has world-class New American gourmet cuisine that rivals some of the best of any other major city. It also serves vegetarian entrees. There's live jazz here on Saturday evenings. Open only for dinner.

Bambara (202 S. Main St., 363-5454; $$-$$$), another of Salt Lake's award-winning best restaurants, specializes in fresh, seasonal foods with Italian, French and Asian influences in a nouveau bistro setting in the Hotel Monaco.

Casually elegant Italian dining can be found at Baci' Trattoria (134 W. Pierpont Ave., 328-1500; $$; right), where you'll be surrounded by friendly diners and murals painted by Utah artists. Mikado (67 W. 100 South, 328-0929; $$) known for its fresh fish and sushi, has been in business for four decades. Golden Phoenix (1084 S. State St., 539-1122; $$) in downtown Salt Lake has been recognized as one of the top Chinese restaurants in the city.

There are a wealth of choices for steak and seafood. The award-winning New Yorker (60 W. Market St., 363-0166, $$$–$$$$) is elegant, though you'll see people dressed in just about anything, including jeans. American cuisine is beautifully presented and service is outstanding. Don't be surprised if you see the mayor here, it's the "in" place to dine. It's a private club so call to inquire about details for reservations. Its more casual neighbors, Market Street Grill (322-4668; $$) and the chatty and colorful Market Street Oyster Bar (531-6044; $$; below) focus on fresh seafood, but also serve steaks and pastas. (Market Street Grill, which is also a private club, has great breakfasts, by the way.) For understated elegance, go to Christopher's Seafood and Steakhouse (100 W. Broadway, 519-8515; $$). Big appetites will love the Radizio Grill (459 Trolley Square, 220-0500; $$$), an authentic Brazilian-style steakhouse. The menu includes free appetizers, a gourmet salad bar and skewered beef, chicken, pork and seafood sliced at your table by Brazilian gauchos. Kids younger than 9 eat free. Lamb's Grill Cafe (169 S. Main, 364-7166; $$) is Utah's oldest restaurant, dating to 1919, showcases fine art photography by Utah artists.

The Garden Cafe (555 S. Main, 258-6708; $$$) at the chic Grand America Hotel is known for its American Seasonal Cuisine using fresh produce, seafood and game. The Sunday brunch here is an occasion you won't want to miss.

At the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon is La Caille (942-1751; $$$-$$$$), which gets rave reviews for its French cuisine, staff and setting, the latter built to look like a French chateau surrounded by gardens filled with swans, peacocks, rabbits and other animals. Make reservations; this place is tres chic.There's a B&B on premises.

Red Iguana (736 W. North Temple, 322-1489; $-$$) gets lots of rave reviews from locals for the top Mexican featuring a half-dozen moles and a great chile verde.

Cafe Pierpont (122 W. Pierpont Ave., 364-1222; $–$$) is a festive, noisy Mexican restaurant reminiscent of a town square with wandering Mexican guitar players, women making tortillas from scratch near the entrance and people of all ages enjoying the fun. Portions here are huge so don't be shy about asking for a doggie bag. The crab enchiladas suiza are fabulous. Rio Grande Cafe (270 S. Rio Grande, 364-3302; $) in the historic Rio Grande Train Station is another of downtown's best bets for good Mexican food.

Salt Lake City has three brew pubs and they're all worth checking out. Squatters Pub Brewery (147 W. Broadway, 363-2739; $–$$) offers a broad, eclectic menu on which everything sounds delicious. Select one of their dishes with beer as an ingredient. The grilled stout salmon is cooked in their Millcreek Cream Stout and the mixture of flavors is tantalizing and delightful. For some extra fun, order the beer sampler so you can taste all of this brewery's excellent beers. High wood ceilings absorb the noise from this hopping restaurant and service is quick and excellent. You'll also find good pub fare and beer at the Desert Edge Brewery at the Pub (273 Trolley Square, 521-8917; $), in an old trolley building, and Red Rock Brewing Co. (254 South 200 West, 521-7446; $–$$), in a converted warehouse with many meals cooked in a wood-fired oven.

Crown Burgers has grown to include seven locations throughout the area, but there's nothing chain-like about it. For one thing, the company is run by a family, not a big corporation. For another, the owners pay special attention to the food, whether it's the popular Crown Burger—a man-size patty topped with pastrami, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and a special sauce—or the gyros, taquitos, broiled chicken, burritos, salads, fries, or shakes. Every outpost is always packed at lunch, but you never have to wait long for your order. Information: 3190 S. Highland Dr., 801/467-6633, Crown Burger from $5, closed Sun. Richard Miles, Tooele, Utah, from Budget Travel 2008.

This is just a small sampling of what's available in the Salt Lake City restaurant department. For a more complete list, pick up a free copy of This Week Salt Lake.