Food and drink

Leicester Productions’ delightful new short doc The Pho King chronicles story of SLC man’s efforts to connect community through a popular Vietnamese dish

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It is fitting that The Pho King, a new locally made short documentary film, will have its premiere today (Feb. 15, 2 p.m.) in the event space at Fisher Brewing Company in downtown Salt Lake City. Directed by Jeovanni Xoumphonphackdy and supported by the nonprofit documentary-focused Leicester Productions, The Pho King is an astute, snappy … Read more

Sundance 2023: Food and Country’s bounty of information takes viewers on a cross-country exploration of new approaches for chefs, farmers

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At one point in Food and Country, a documentary that truly puts agricultural economics and the impact on our nation’s food production system into a clear perspective, journalist and food writer Ruth Reichl sums up the precarious situation precisely. She mentions that it feels like a “terrible failure” because the problems were already being talked … Read more

Four Utah Museum of Contemporary Art exhibitions cover range of expressions on cultural identities, community, isolation, racism, social practices

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Four current exhibitions at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art comprise a broad segment of expressions about cultural identities, community, isolation, racism and social practices. Each of these are discussed below. The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA) also received two grants totaling $140,000 from The Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts and VIA Art … Read more

Backstage at the Utah Arts Festival 2022: 46th Utah Arts Festival set to return at full strength, fresh with innovative examples of creative expression

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EDITOR’S NOTE: The Utah Review begins its preview coverage today of the 46th Utah Arts Festival, which will be held June 23-26 (noon to 11 p.m. on June 23-25 and noon to 9 p.m. on June 26) on the Library Square in downtown Salt Lake City. As this is the state’s largest multidisciplinary arts and … Read more

With some new features, more than 90 cultural groups, 17 food vendors, Living Traditions Festival set for May 20-22 in downtown Salt Lake City

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There is no doubt that Utah’s population, especially within the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, is becoming more diverse and cosmopolitan. In the 2020 census, one out of every three individuals in Salt Lake County identified their ethnicity as other than white. And, a large majority of the state’s current population of more than 60,000 … Read more

Utah Arts Festival 2021: Slimmer, shorter but still state’s most comprehensive arts and cultural celebration of the year

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EDITOR’S NOTE: The Utah Review begins its preview coverage today of the 45th Utah Arts Festival, which will be held Aug. 27-29 (noon to 11 p.m. on Aug. 27 and 28 and noon to 9 p.m. on Aug. 29) on the Library Square in downtown Salt Lake City. As this is the state’s largest multidisciplinary … Read more

Spring theatrical news: Salt Lake Acting Company’s The Amberlee Fund campaign, SONDERimmersive’s The Lost Generation, Pygmalion Productions’ If This Wall Could Talk

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Spring 2021 news from three independent theatrical companies in Salt Lake City include a $1 million capital campaign, a fine update on the dinner theater genre and a video piece highlighting the multifaceted legacy of Utah women. SALT LAKE ACTING COMPANY: THE AMBERLEE FUND: ACCESSIBILITY ELEVATED   Capital campaigns can be a formidable undertaking for small … Read more

SONDERimmersive’s newest version of The Chocolatier deepens story-telling potential

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Earlier this winter, one of the most unconventional yet captivating productions to arrive on the Salt Lake City performing arts scene was Thank You, Theobromine, by SONDERimmersive. Set in The Chocolate Conspiracy shop, near the corner of 800 South and 300 West, the show immersed its audience members, kept always on the move, in dramatic scenes incorporating … Read more

Sundance 2020: The Truffle Hunters sumptuous, entertaining, artful celebration of rare Italian culinary treat

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There is a scene in the sumptuous documentary The Truffle Hunters, directed by Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw, that epitomizes the true terroir of Italy’s greatest culinary experiences. Paolo, a septuagenarian who is a respected authenticating authority for judging the quality of white Alba truffles, is seated at the table, with a glass of red … Read more

SONDERimmersive’s Thank You Theobromine is fascinating, enigmatic, captivating production

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The craft of making chocolate is a temperamental passion. Driven to capture all of its magical potential, a chocolatier pursues the creative process with an uncompromising attitude, even sometimes sacrificing what previously mattered as most familiar or cherished in their life. The chocolatier relentlessly pursues that perfect intersection of taste, texture, and purity of ingredients, … Read more