About Salt Lake City

Ready for Black Friday?

2009-11-24T23:35:04Z

I know the super-organized among us have had their Christmas or other holiday shopping done since Halloween, but for most Salt Lakers Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, represents the beginning of the holiday shopping season. I actually enjoy Black Friday and get a kick out of getting up early to join thousands of other bleary-eyed shoppers in search of the Great Christmas Bargain.

Most malls and discount stores will be opening before dawn Friday, and in some cases shopping starts Thursday night. Major malls in the Salt Lake area will make a party out of Black Friday, with giveaways and entertainment.

Here's a list of Black Friday events in the Salt Lake area. Happy Shopping!

Photo by Getty Images

Ready for Black Friday? originally appeared on About.com Salt Lake City on Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 at 23:35:04.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Amazing Win for RSL, Plus Rivalry Week Continues

2009-11-23T14:30:27Z

It's Real!

Real Salt Lake became unlikely U.S. Major League Soccer Cup champions last night in Seattle, beating MLS glamor squad L.A. Galaxy 5-4.

The game was tied after two overtimes and came down to a shootout. The winning goal was kicked by RSL's Robbie Russell. RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando was named the game's MVP. The victory gave RSL their first ever league title, while the L.A. Galaxy have appeared in the MLS Cup finals six times and won three.

RSL barely made the playoffs with more losses than wins during the regular season. L.A. Galaxy includes the league's most famous, glamorous and highly paid player, David Beckham.

If you have time this afternoon, you can greet the team at the Salt Lake airport Terminal 1 baggage claim area at 1:30. Tomorrow there will be a celebration rally at Rio Tinto Stadium at 5:30 p.m.

Click here for an image gallery of RLS's amazing championship victory.

What's the Most Memorable Utah-BYU Rivalry Game?

A lot of fans have responded to my Utah-BYU score prediction poll, and most are predicting a big win for BYU. I'll publish the poll results on Friday, so make sure to add your vote.

The Utah-BYU football rivalry has a century-long history with a lot of exciting games, especially in the past 20 years or so. What do you think is the most memorable Utah-BYU football game? Is it "LaVell's Last Miracle"? BYU's back-to-back last-minute wins in 2006 and 2007? Utah's 1988 blowout with Scott Mitchell, the first Utah win over BYU in ten years and only the second in 20 years? Utah's 2004 and 2008 wins to clinch undefeated seasons? Vote for your favorite game below.

Amazing Win for RSL, Plus Rivalry Week Continues originally appeared on About.com Salt Lake City on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 14:30:27.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Rivalry Week Begins

2009-11-22T10:17:11Z

The University of Utah Utes crushed the San Diego State Aztecs yesterday 38-7, lessening the sting of last week's overwhelming loss to TCU. For 23 seniors on the team it was their last game at Rice-Eccles Stadium. "The TCU game left a bad taste in our mouths. We wanted to come out and finish strong for the seniors," said senior linebacker Mike Wright after the game.

However, the Utes' seniors still have to face their biggest rival, BYU, next Saturday at 3 p.m. in Provo. "The seniors now get their last regular season game at BYU, and there is not much extra motivation necessary," said Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham.

The BYU-Utah rivalry has all the elements of a classic college football rivalry, but with a twist. The two teams have played each other every year for 100 years, give or take (it depends on whether you count the games between the University of Utah and Brigham Young Academy). They're in-state rivals only 40 minutes driving distance apart. Both schools are huge with passionate fan bases. For the past decade at least, both schools have had extremely strong football programs, and frequently the conference championship has been decided by the rivalry game.

And then there's religion. Even though BYU has some non-Mormon fans and the Utes have even more Mormon fans, the rivalry taps into deeply-rooted divisions in Utah's culture and has come to be known at Utah's "Holy War."

I love the Utah-BYU football game, because the fans' and players' passions run so high. I hate it, too, for precisely the same reason. At all the Utah-BYU football games I've attended over the years, I've seen fans scream, curse, sob, throw things at the field and each other, throw punches, break bones and get arrested.

Can't we all just get along?

Follow Aboutslc on Twitter

Read College Footbal Guide Tim Hyland's list of the ten biggest college football rivalries

Rivalry Week Begins originally appeared on About.com Salt Lake City on Sunday, November 22nd, 2009 at 10:17:11.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Register for Sundance Locals Single Screening Tickets

2009-11-21T01:00:00Z

Utah residents can register now through Friday, Dec. 4 for a time slot to purchase tickets for individual screenings at the Sundance Film Festival to be held Jan. 21-31. Getting tickets to Sundance screenings is a little more complicated than walking up to the ticket window at your neighborhood Megaplex, but if you jump through the hoops you'll get a chance to see some innovative films and soak up some of that star-studded Sundance ambiance.

After you register online, you'll be assigned a time slot to buy tickets in person in Salt Lake City or Park City Saturday or Sunday, Jan. 9 or 10. Time slots are assigned at random, so it doesn't matter how early or late you register. You'll receive an e-mail notifying you of your time slot on Wednesday, Dec. 9. Registering doesn't guarantee you a time slot; if there are more registrants than time slots some people won't get a slot.

After you receive your time slot, start researching films that appeal to you. Sundance organizers promise to have a detailed online guide in December, and they'll also mail you a printed guide. A lot of the films at Sundance have their own websites or have already been shown and reviewed at other festivals, so by doing a little online research you can find out if the film is really something you'd be interested in. Have a few options in mind, because a lot of screenings might be sold out by the time you get your turn.

If the film you really wanted to see is sold out, you cal always try for waitlist tickets at the theater before the screening. Click here for details on the waitlist process and lots of other tips on getting Sundance tickets.

Click here to register for a time slot to buy Sundance locals single screening tickets Jan. 9 or 10 (Utah residents only)

Photo by Getty Images

Register for Sundance Locals Single Screening Tickets originally appeared on About.com Salt Lake City on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 01:00:00.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

In-n-Out Opens in Draper and Orem

2009-11-19T15:44:41Z

"It's a new era in Utah," In-n-Out Burger fans told me as they waited for cheeseburgers and fries outside the California-based restaurant chain's new Draper location, which opened today. The walk-up line stretched around the building, and the drive-up line stretched around the block as hordes of hungry Utahns converged on the state's newest and most highly anticipated fast food restaurant. In-n-Out opened both its Draper and Orem locations today, and several more Utah locations will open in the next few weeks.

Walk-up customers waited in line about 30 minutes to order and another 15 minutes for their food to be prepared when I visited the restaurant at lunchtime, and the counter and kitchen staff seemed to be working at full capacity. "We're very ecstatic at all the customers that are here," said Kristi Calmy, In-n-Out's Utah divisional manager.

Three girls who were "taking a break" from a nearby middle school told me their food was "so good," and that they had waited in line about half an hour. The Holton and Saunders families, who had come to Draper from Highland to visit the new restaurant, said they had fallen in love with In-n-Out while living in San Diego and were very excited to see it come to Utah. "In-n-Out is just bigger than life," they said.

Follow Aboutslc on Twitter

In-n-Out Opens in Draper and Orem originally appeared on About.com Salt Lake City on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 15:44:41.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Dine Out This Thanksgiving

2009-11-18T01:36:22Z

A few days ago I asked a teenage male acquaintance if he was looking forward to Thanksgiving, and he replied, "I don't know. We always have a lot of people over, so it's just a lot of extra cleaning for us. Plus it makes my mom cranky." Traditions like Thanksgiving dinner at home can help bind a family together, but sometimes it's nice to try something new. Or maybe you'd like to start a tradition that doesn't involve a week's worth of cooking and cleaning. If dining out sounds appealing to you this Thanksgiving, I've put together a list of top restaurants serving Thanksgiving dinner, some in the Salt Lake Valley and some at nearby resorts.

Photo by Getty Images

Dine Out This Thanksgiving originally appeared on About.com Salt Lake City on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 01:36:22.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Fall and Winter at the Zoo

2009-11-16T14:30:57Z

Before the snow fell Saturday, my children and I had a wonderful visit to Hogle Zoo. Visiting the zoo is one great way to get out and enjoy a sunny winter day. Many of the animals are more active and playful in the cold weather, and if you haven't seen Hogle Zoo's adorable baby elephant Zuri, born August 10, you might want to see her before she loses that baby cuteness. Winter zoo hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

The zoo has some fun holiday events coming up, including Feast with the Beasts on Thanksgiving Day, Zoo Lights Nov. 28-Dec. 31, Breakfast with Santa Dec. 15-23, and Dinner with Santa Dec. 12, 13, 19 and 20. See my lists of Thanksgiving events and Holiday events for more details.

Photo courtesy of Hogle Zoo

Fall and Winter at the Zoo originally appeared on About.com Salt Lake City on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 14:30:57.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Fierce Frogs: Utes Lose Big in Ft. Worth 55-28

2009-11-15T13:05:31Z

An almost perfect performance by the TCU Horned Frogs combined with a sup-par performance by the University of Utah Utes combined to create a nightmarish loss for the Utes last night in Ft. Worth. You'd have to go back to 1990, Ron McBride's first year as head coach, to find a game in which an opponent scored more than 55 points against the Utes. That year the Utes went 4-7 and were beaten by San Diego State 66-14.

Unfortunately, most of the time the Utes looked like boys playing with men last night, committing costly errors on offense and unable to touch TCU on defense. The game was essentially over after an amazing 2 minute, 31 second period in the second quarter in which TCU scored three touchdowns. On the bright side, the Utes scored 28 points, the most TCU has allowed this year.

The Utes have probably played above their talent so far this season, which is a credit to the quality of their organization. I'm amazed that in the aftermath of last year's perfect season there haven't been many references to the Utes having a "rebuilding year." The Utes could still finish 10-2, a record that would have thrilled that 1990 Ron McBride team.

Photo by Ronald Martinez, Getty Images

Fierce Frogs: Utes Lose Big in Ft. Worth 55-28 originally appeared on About.com Salt Lake City on Sunday, November 15th, 2009 at 13:05:31.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Utes Face Toughest Test Tomorrow

2009-11-13T15:55:30Z

I'm on pins and needles waiting for the #16 University of Utah Utes to take on one of their toughest opponents of the year, the #4 Horned Frogs of Texas Christian University, tomorrow at 5:30 MT in Fort Worth.

ESPN's "College Game Day" will be broadcasting from Ft. Worth tomorrow beginning at 8 a.m. MT, and this will be the first time "College Game Day" has visited TCU. It's the second time a Utes game has been featured on "College Game Day," and the second time for the Frogs as well, since the ESPN program was broadcast from Provo a couple of weeks ago when TCU took on BYU.

Utes players and coaches are a little surprised to be 16-point underdogs for tomorrow's game, since they are the defending Mountain West Conference champions and last year's #2 team in the nation. TCU is unbeaten this year and has looked amazing on both offense and defense. However, the Utes have beaten TCU in five of the six games the two teams have played.

Last year's "Blackout" home game against TCU was one of the highlights of the season and was won in a dramatic last-minute fashion. After the Utes offense was stalled for most of the second half, quarterback Brian Johnson threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Freddie Brown that proved to be the game winner with 48 seconds left in the game. The pass came at the end of an amazing series many Ute fans simply call "The Drive." If you've forgotten "The Drive," or you just want to relive the glory, click here to watch it on YouTube.

Speaking of Brian Johnson, he writes an interesting Utes football blog for the Deseret News, with an insider's view of the team. Johnson speculates that with so much pressure to win, the Horned Frogs might be at a psychological disadvantage when they play the Utes this week.

Utes Face Toughest Test Tomorrow originally appeared on About.com Salt Lake City on Friday, November 13th, 2009 at 15:55:30.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Astro Burgers #1, Plus an In-n-Out Update

2009-11-12T13:00:01Z

The results are in, and Astro Burgers was number one in the About.com Salt Lake City burger poll with 37 percent of the vote. Astro Burgers serves Mexican and Greek dishes as well as their famous pastrami burgers, and obviously they have a loyal following. Congratulations, Astro!

Astro was followed by "I'm waiting for In-n-Out" at 25 percent and Crown Burger at 18 percent.

Speaking of In-n-Out Burger, I talked to a company spokesperson yesterday, and she told me that In-n-Out's Orem and Draper locations will probably open next Thursday. In-n-Out was mobbed when it opened in St. George last year, and I expect the same will happen for its other Utah locations.

I've eaten at In-n-Out twice in the past couple of months, both in St. George and in California, and their fresh burgers and freshly cut fries really are good. They are similar to Five Guys Burgers and Fries, but I like Five Guys a little better. Five Guys lets you customize your burger with lots of different toppings, and at their Utah locations Five Guys has fry sauce.

Photo by Getty Images

Astro Burgers #1, Plus an In-n-Out Update originally appeared on About.com Salt Lake City on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 13:00:01.

Permalink | Comment | Email this