Urban Hill Opens in Downtown Salt Lake City
Urban Hill, a new upscale restaurant at 300 W. 500 South in downtown Salt Lake, is officially open. Instead of doing the usual ribbon cutting last week, father-son owners David and Brooks Kirchheimer had chef Nick Zocco fired up wood-burning grill.
Urban Hill is a sister restaurant to Hearth and Hill, as well as Hill’s Kitchen, both located at Kimball Junction near Park City. But, as David Kircheimer explained to me, Urban Hill is a higher-end concept, the top tier of the three restaurants. And it’s only open for dinner (4-9:30 p.m.).
Indeed, when I looked at the menu, the entrees were more on par with Park City’s prices. The least expensive entree was fire-roasted squash ($29), and most entrees are in the $36-60 range. The highest-priced item is a 22-ounce dry-aged ribeye steak, for $110.
The restaurant is large, with 190 seats spaciously spread out. And I’m glad, because when you’re paying that kind of money, you shouldn’t be squeezed elbow-to-elbow with the group next to you! There are floor-to-ceiling windows so you can see the city views (even though the views are mainly of the traffic headed to I-15). Lots of warm wood, comfortable chairs, and an overall urban charm.
There’s a quartzite-topped bar area, and two private dining rooms, which will be handy for private events, Brooks told me.
Also, the restaurant has a 2,400-bottle wine room, as well as Utah-made craft beers and speciality cocktails. Even so, the staff offered to make me a non-alcoholic mocktail — which tasted lemon-y and ginger-y, with a hint of honey.
Oysters and mussels appear to be a signature item on the menu, and they were served as an hors d’oeuvre at the grand opening.
They also served a shrimp appetizer, with some of the largest shrimp I’ve seen in landlocked Utah. I’m not sure if this is the shrimp cocktail listed on the menu, but I wouldn’t mind ordering it to find out.
The restaurant is the first tenant in the newly developed Post District, a $200-million-dollar revitalization of the city’s Granary District.
About the owners: Brooks Kirchheimer earned a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from the University of Denver, then worked his way through the restaurant world, including the Montage Beverly Hills, Montage Deer Valley, Zoom, and Merriman’s in Maui.
Brooks’ father and partner, David Kirchheimer, has worked in the financial industry, and mentioned that he retired to go into the restaurant business.
The Kirchheimers chose Leave Room For Dessert Eateries as their company name because they wanted something a little quirky, not stuffy, Brooks told me. “Our family has always loved dessert,” he said. “Growing up, we always had six to eight different pints of ice cream in our freezer.”
David told me that the three different restaurant concepts, with three different price points, is similar to that of Merriman’s in Hawaii, where Brooks used to work. Hill’s Kitchen, in Kimball Junction just outside of Park City, has lots of bakery items, grab-and-go sandwiches and salads. Hearth and Hill, also in Kimball Junction, has lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. Then Urban Hill is the dinner-out-on-the-town kind of place. So, let your wallet be your guide!
Contact info: (385) 295-4200 or urban-hill.com