Well, I did it! I’m finally here in my new home and slowly but surely navigating my way around the city to work myself up to a real “local.” As of now, Google Maps is still my very best friend and I probably would have driven into another state by now getting lost without it. I’ve been here since the middle of January and have definitely locked down some of my favorite eateries, stores, and places to visit. Still have A LOT of bucket list items to check off but I’ll make it through more of those as summer comes. If you ever visit Salt Lake, here’s a few good places to check out that I’ve loved so far. 🙂
- Yoko Ramen SLC
Coming from small-town Iowa, there were no authentic ramen places and your girl here LOVES ramen. SLC offers so, so many ramen restaurants but Yoko Ramen SLC is definitely my top pick. I get the ramen bowl with chicken and everything about it is just so delectable and addicting. I crave it every single day. Yoko is tucked away in a cute corner of downtown SLC where I’ve always felt safe driving and walking to the restaurant; perfect for you ladies visiting alone or in a small group. The inside is small, quaint, and cozy so it may be difficult to find a table for a large group at times and even for a few of you during peak hours. There’s a park connected to Yoko where you can take your ramen to enjoy as well. I haven’t done that yet but I’m positive the ramen is just as good eating on the bar side as it is on the restaurant side.
![](https://graceerickson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/yoko-ramen-1.jpg)
![](https://graceerickson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/yoko-ramen-4.jpg)
![](https://graceerickson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/yoko-ramen-2.jpg)
2. Red Iguana
As soon as I moved into SLC, I was quickly told that I couldn’t consider myself a true Utahn until I had Red Iguana, a local Mexican restaurant. I’m a sucker for queso and chicken enchiladas so I was ready to claim my official Utahn status by eating here. Red Iguana initially was only one restaurant but the word quickly spread, driving in hundreds of locals every day and overwhelming the staff. Lucky for us, they opened up Red Iguana 2 (this is the one I went to) just a couple blocks away from the original one! No matter the day of the week or time of day, Red Iguana always has people waiting for tables outside. But trust me, this authentic Mexican food is worth that wait. My mom and I ordered queso (there’s two kinds on the menu and honestly, I’m not sure which one we ordered but it was AH.MAY.ZING.) We almost filled up from that small bowl right away and forced ourselves to stop in time for our entrees. I ordered the Red Iguana Traditional Enchiladas with chicken and they were so yummy. I could eat them everyday, full stop. Both locations are near downtown so if you’re ever in the area, I highly recommend carving out some time to try out their authentic dishes!
![](https://graceerickson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/red-iguana-2.jpg)
![](https://graceerickson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/red-iguana-1.jpg)
3. Capitol Hill Cherry Blossoms
I’ve been dreaming of walking amongst cherry blossoms for years now and I had NO idea that the Utah capitol building would have so many sprinkled around the area. Here’s a fun fact about me: I had planned a spring study abroad semester to Seoul, South Korea in 2020 and chose spring specifically so I could attend the cherry blossom festival. After COVID sent me home 6 days of landing, I had been heartbroken to miss out on these beautiful, pink trees. I truly felt like I was living in a dream while walking on the pathway between fully-bloomed cherry blossoms. This was also the perfect sight-seeing adventure for me because I love being active, even if it’s an easy stroll. If you’re in Utah during April, you MUST make time for this stop. The views are great all-around.
![](https://graceerickson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/img_4373.jpg)
![](https://graceerickson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/img_4369.jpg)
![](https://graceerickson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/img_4371.jpg)
![](https://graceerickson.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/img_5560.jpg)