Formally kicking off the launch of the brand new, $200 million Post District development set to revitalize downtown Salt Lake City’s long-vacant Granary District with 13 acres of retail, office, recreational, and residential space, Park City, Utah–based, family-owned restaurant group, Leave Room For Dessert Eateries, is pleased to debut an upscale, wood-fire restaurant concept Urban Hill. Created to usher the area into a new era with a chef-driven dining experience, the 7,200-square-foot New American eatery anchors the entire first floor of the development’s Post House at 550 South/300 West, advancing the community’s mission to shape the neighborhood into the city’s center for creativity, gastronomy, and local business.
Imagined by LRFDE co-owner Brooks Kirchheimer and team, the fine-dining restaurant joins its two award-winning Park City “Hill” forerunners Hearth and Hill (Park City’s Best Family Restaurant, 2019–2022; Salt Lake Magazine: Blue Plate Award, 2021) and Hill’s Kitchen cafe and catering (Park City’s Best Chef, 2022), marking Kirchheimer’s highest profile undertaking to date. Following the group’s past successes trailblazing burgeoning neighborhoods like Park City’s Kimball Junction, LRFDE joins several of the nation’s top developers, Lowe Property Group and BCG Holdings, as they breathe new life into the rapidly-growing Salt Lake region following a pre- and post-pandemic boom in the tech and creative sectors.
“Salt Lake is one of the country’s most vibrant, fast-growing cities, and we’re eager to provide a fun, energetic gathering spot for locals and visitors alike. As a homegrown group, we’re excited to bring the community an upscale hospitality experience that blends local sourcing with traditional and innovative dishes and beverages. We want to help SLC stake its claim as a serious culinary city, and for the Granary District to join the ranks of Denver’s RiNo and Chicago’s Fulton Market as a major hub for culture and commerce,” Kirchheimer says.
Designed to be an inviting destination where “every dining experience is a special occasion,” Urban Hill’s timeless, high-design, 190-seat dining room crafted by Denver-based firm Semple Brown imparts a sophisticated atmosphere that showcases commissioned paintings by local artist Samantha daSilva, an open kitchen, an energetic quartzite-topped bar area, two private dining rooms including one with a soapstone-clad fireplace, plus a 90-seat, 1,500-square-foot patio. The restaurant presents innovative regional American cuisine centered around an expansive, custom wood-fired grill, along with a curated 2,400 bottle wine room featuring Old and New World labels hand-selected by Sommelier Bijan Ghiai (Pallet, Copper Onion, La Caille), local craft beers, innovative craft cocktails, and raw bar.
At the helm of the culinary program is Executive Chef Nick Zocco (Tupelo, SW Steakhouse at Wynn Las Vegas), who draws from his past experiences operating high-end steakhouses in America’s West to serve thoughtfully refined takes on comforting dishes, including locally farmed steaks and game cuts along with fresh seafood imported daily and a range of small plates like Beef Tallow Potato Pavé and Peekytoe Crab Ravioli. Together with Hearth and Hill and Hill’s Kitchen’s Executive Pastry Chef Jessie Rae Nakoneczny (Stein Eriksen Lodge, Sundance Resort, The Saltry), who leads the pastry program, Zocco brings his culinary prowess rooted in sourcing locally and operating sustainably to his home of Salt Lake.
