If you live in Salt Lake and have never tried the Sun and Moon Cafe, let me just tell you that you have been missing out! When Josh and I visited here this weekend the only thing we kept saying was, Why are we just now trying this place out?! Live jazz music 3+ nights a week, excellent and reasonable priced menu, large wine and beer list, and homemade cheesecake! Owner, Carl, just lives right next door and has a colorful history in the food business and a passion for blues and jazz music. You’ll probably meet him if you dine here. His love for good food is carried out in every selection on the menu from the Pulled Pork on a baked country roll to the Flat Iron Steak Sandwich. I tried the Blackened Chicken Sandwich with cilantro-lime aioli, avocado, and tomato with a side house salad. The house salad was anything but plain with mixed field greens, sweet Asian vinaigrette, Gorgonzola, and sweet & spicy walnuts. You can go wrong and most menu items are under $10.00. They also serve a full breakfast: Pancakes, French Toast, Eggs Benedict and more!! And with Ruth’s Diner closed for construction you have the perfect opportunity to try something new up the Canyon. The drive is beautiful and historic- Emigration Canyon is the path the Utah Pioneers took as they entered Zion. Some who knew better must have stopped along the way and set up their homes because there are a lot of old homes along the drive that look as though they may have been here since the Pioneers. Also, did you know that Emigration Canyon ALMOST became home to a “Summer Whitehouse” Presidential retreat? That an electric railroad ran the whole length of the canyon? That it was home to one of the largest breweries west of the Mississippi? That it was at least partly responsible for the demise of the Donner-Reed Party? Anyways, Back to The Sun and Moon Cafe, they have live Jazz and Blues bands playing Thursday through Saturday nights currently and most nights during the warmer months. Many national bands play here on their way to the West Coast and enjoy this smaller venue. This week John Lee Hooker Jr. is playing this week and the band just happened to be hanging out at the bar when we were dining. Apparently, it’s more than just a venue for them. They were all enjoying their favorite selections off the menu and chatting with the owner and patrons. I kept having Wizard of Oz moments…Are we in Salt Lake still?? Sun and Moon also has wine tastings and pairings. Truly, truly a hidden gem of Salt Lake.

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