Salt Lake City/Park City Olympic Bar Scene???
 

OK, don't laugh but I am wondering if there are any fun bar areas in downtown Salt Lake City or nearby. At the Olympics it looks at night as if they are always showing the Park City area. I will be in Salt Lake City next week staying right downtown (Marriott City Centre) and am looking for any fun sports bars or places where people might be congregating (is that an interesting choice of words) for the games. Also, does anybody know what my odds are of getting tickets for the evening awards ceremonies and concerts.<BR><BR>Thanks in advance,

To paraphrase WC Fields, I spent a year in Salt Lake City one night.<BR><BR>There are some places downtown, a couple of brewpubs. But---you will be behind the Zion curtain. You have to join a "club" to have a drink, that is, unless the legislature passed some special exemption covering the period of the Winter Games. Who know---they seem to be pretty flexible, like making the airport a sovereign nation or something so there could be bars.<BR><BR>A couple years ago a business associate and I were in town overnight. We decided to have dinner and after spending an hour and a half looking for a decent steakhouse where you could *actually* have wine with dinner, settled on this so-so spot. We watched the server, a 20-something woman, fumble with the bottle for about a minute before we realized she had never opened a bottle of wine before! The corkscrew might as well have been a space shuttle control panel. We opened it for her. She fled back to the kitchen and we figured she was on her knees praying (not for us--we were already doomed to hell) but for herself, since she had to touch a bottle of liquor.<BR><BR>Anyway, tough sledding in SLC. Clearly, the scene at Park is far superior and worth going there instead.

There are lots of bars in Salt Lake to congregate - Budweiser has a venue setup with entertainment also. There are plenty of scalpers selling tickets to the medals plaza concerts. Also there is a ticket exchange at 200 South Main Street where tickets are available to trade and purchase. Have fun!

Hi Paul! Yes, there are lots of fun bars in SLC & in Park City too! You can get a bottle of wine (or bring your own purchased in UT to any restaurant) and have it opened by a professional server. The poster above, if his/her experience really happened, is one of those sad people who make generalized assumptions about a place or people based on a very limited experience.<BR><BR>You might enjoy Greenstreet's Social Club at Trolley Square, Ports O'Call downtown right in the middle of the Olympic action, or the Zephyr Club for live bands also downtown.<BR><BR>Park City has too many options to mention. After all, we started out as a mining town and have morphed into a ski town. Some of our better restaurants are in historic buildings that used to be brothels....<BR><BR>The party is on and believe me everyone is having a great time - except the Canadian pairs skaters! Enjoy - this IS the place! <BR>

No I believe the story about the woman that was afraid she was going to hell because she touched wine. Mormons are very strange indeed. A related story:<BR><BR>I worked in a group that included 6 Mormons. One holiday season the vice-president of the group took us all (along with spouse/guest) to a VERY nice and VERY expensive dining establishment. It was a very enjoyable evening, and those of us that chose to do so had some cocktails, very nice wines with dinner, etc. Of course the Mormons and their spouses did not, and that was OK. After dinner was complete, dessert was served. Dave, one of the Mormons, ordered a dessert that everyone else (non-Mormon that is) knew was made with brandy. He had never been in a nice place like this and had no concept of these kind of desserts. No one said anything, but we all wondered what he was doing. Dessert was served, and Dave proceeded to dig in. After a few bites, he was bragging how good it was and was wondering what was in it. I said, "Well, Dave, it is an alcohol based dessert, using brandy as the main ingredient"...he turned white as a sheet, gagged, and then PUKED all over the white table cloth and everyone around him. He shook, cried, and begged God to forgive him and he knew he was doomed to hell for letting brandy touch his lips. Sick eh????<BR><BR>Ah those Mormons.....

Yep they are a strange bunch OK

If you even smell wine you will go to hell, and don't even think about coffee oh my God that will surely condemn you to the flames of Hades.

Where is the best place in Utah to buy MadDog 20/20 or Ripple or Night Train Express?

As a non-Mormon living in PC for over 20 years and working in downtown SLC, I can aver that the negative stories and perceptions of liquor laws, lack of bars, and nice restaurants in SLC/Park City are grossly over stated. <BR>I have noticed that in this forum that Dayle usually has some sage wisdom regarding any questions regarding Park City or Salt Lake. <BR><BR>Paul if you are staying at the Marriott City Centre it is the new one and is located on 2nd South and State and overlooks the Galivan Centre which is where the Budweiser Pavillion is hosting parties each night during the Olympics.<BR>You would be withing walking distance to several sports bars and at the very least a light rail ride to others. <BR>Green Street used to be a whoop it up place but I have not been there.<BR>Port-O-Call is very popular as is a new place called Splash. There is a new Sky Club Bar in the new Gateway Plaza near the Delta Center.<BR>While it is true that most of the "drinking only" venues which serve drinks more than just beer are referred to as Private Clubs and hence require a 'Membership'. It is not all that difficult to get in. Most sell a 2 week membership for $5, but the easiest way is to just ask the hostess to ask someone to sponsor you. Believe me it will be no problem and they will be glad to ask someone to sponsor you, as it is a lot easier for them to do that than to try to explain the idosyncratic quirks in the laws. Make no mistake, drinking in SLC or PC is alive and well.<BR>Also, any of the nicer restruants will have alcohol and wine. And because they are serving food, do not necessarily come under the baliwick of a Private Club...although all of the Private Clubs are also restrauants. If you are now confused Dayle will explain it better..

meant to say. Have not been to Green Street since it changed ownership a few months ago. Also, the Sky Club I believe is called the Sky Box. <BR>thats a rap !!

Bob: How cruel are you & the other non-Mormons not to tell him that the dessert he ordered had alcohol in it? My sister is a recovering alcoholic and when my dumber than a rock sister-in-law gave her an alcohol-based appetizer, I let her know that she should pass. Why would you let him eat this? (And no I am not Mormon.)

Shelly,<BR>I let him order because I hated him since he was a total ass and I wanted to see him puke his guts out.<BR><BR>Seriously, I don't think any of us really thought to say anything, though we did think it odd. We did not know him that well except that he and the others were Mormons, and for all we knew he was not adverse to eating a dessert with alcohol in it - after all most of the actual alcohol is dissipated when the food is cooked you know - all that usually remains is the flavor not the actual booze. So, no, we were not being cruel or spiteful. His obscene reaction was totally unexpected and not called for at all. After that little experience I really did think that ol' Dave was a total ass!

Bob, I don't know what is, but there is just something about you that I really like. I love it that you let him puke on you and the other dinner guests. Jolly good show old boy.

Could someone explain the theology that maintains that alcohol, caffiene, etc is sinful? Why is it bad to use those but OK to have multiple wifes? Why is it bad to use those but condone the use of weapons to kill people? Why is it bad to use those but OK to limit what women are allowed to do? <BR><BR>Now, before all you Mormons flood the place with your faulty theology, I ain't buying it.

What is a Mormon?

A member of a cult that is based in Utah and sends out its members on recruiting trips...

what's with all of the hostility toward Mormons? if you don't like their religion, don't become one.

Mormonism is not a cult. It's a Christian religion that has millions of members, more outside the U.S. than in the U.S. There are 16 members of Congress that are Mormons, not just from Utah, obviously. Some members of the church from Utah are a bit fanatical, which is why I wouldn't want to live there, though I find it hard to believe that anyone would react as strongly as the weird stories on this thread have indicated just because they accidentally "ate" liquor. God would judge us on our intent. I occasionally cook "carbonnade a la flamande" (with beer), though I know many of my church friends would frown on using alcohol in cooking. I was once served a pretty-looking dessert: ice cream with chocolate sauce and a delicate drizzle of something green on it. As soon as I took a bite, I knew it was alcoholic, but I wasn't positive, so I ate it all before I asked, then discovering that it was creme de menthe. Yum! That was 30 years ago and I haven't had creme de menthe since, but I didn't cry or pray in public or throw up (I just repented fast!). <BR><BR>We don't drink or smoke because we have been advised (more than 150 years ago) that it is not good for our health. As I have seen many friends (not Mormons) try to quit smoking, or quit with great difficulty, I have thought how lucky I was to know not to start. Everybody knows how much trouble can be caused by drinking, from drunk driving to aggravating health problems.<BR><BR>I think you will find that the Mormons in S.L.C. are not pushing their religion on the visitors at the Olympics. They are probably being considered particularly friendly and hospitable. Can anyone who is at the Olympics comment on this? Decent people, I mean, not Mormon haters.

Diane, are you being hypocritical or funny? (You weren't positive, so you ate it all before asking). What about the recent discovery that a glass of red wine is good for your health?

Diane also forgets to say that Mormons were instructed that Caffeine was bad, but that multiple wifes, not husbands, was good. She also forgets to mention that you shouldn't work on Sundays, unless you are a Mormon football player. Oh yeah, how can you forget that you should require all young people to go out and "spread the word" and then wonder why everyone else thinks your religion is weird.... Mor(m)ons!!!!

A club membership to have a gin and tonic?! Come on!<BR><BR>I have been to Salt Lake City and I don't discount some of these stories. I have also been with what I guess you would call foxhole Mormons that tow the line among their crowd, but when out and about with the heathen set all bets are off. They call them "jack mormons" there. There are a bunch out in Tooele, maybe where Dayle comes from.<BR><BR>Anyway, not a cult? What would you call it when its founder dug up a set of gold plates containing the script that became the basis of the book of Mormon?? And the mystical creature that told him where to dig was a salamander, no less. In the past ten years, original letters from the founder were quietly purchased (ransomed) from an individual and supressed by the church. The letters, in his own handwriting, talked about the salamander that appeared and how it gave instructions for where to dig.<BR><BR>sure would like to get in touch with that lizard. Would beat playing Lotto.

Well put Mr Smith. The Mormon church is, plain and simple, nothing but a large cult. The way it was founded and the way it brain washes it members is no different than what Rev. Moon and the Moonies do. I find it astonishing that any person with a drop of common sense could be part of it.

Diane<BR>You are full of poopoo. You belong to the largest and richest cult in the world, and no matter how you sugar coat it, it is a flawed religion and has no basis in theology. A salamandar showed him the golden plates?????? Get a life lady and think about that a minute...

and Moses parted the Red Sea and a snake, disguised as a devil tempted Eve to eat an apple, and Mary somehow became pregnant without having sex.<BR><BR>the point is different religions sound somewhat ridiculous to different people. to denigrate one religion because you think its beliefs don't make sense, shows your lack of respect for other people.

Jimbo<BR><BR>The difference is that biblical scholars acknowledge the broad use of allegory and metaphor in the bible. Most educated people don't treat the bible as a literal, eyewitness account. More like fables with some moral message. There are no handwritten, authenticated letters in any archive from Jesus Christ. However, the roots of the Mormon church are of better historical record, with documents written by its founder that speak of magical salamanders, spading the earth for gold plates and visions. To argue otherwise is a wist for revisionism, while the same principle cannot be applied to the often fantastic (and dubious) accounts in the bible authored by a myriad of persons (with an array of agendas) over an eon of time.<BR><BR>Anyway, this is a travel forum. Time for some more posts about where to find the best cheesecake in the US.

wow. i bet it'll come as a surprise to millions of christians that the stories in the Bible are "fables" with moral messages. but i guess those would be the "uneducated" christians.<BR><BR>you miss the whole point - it is not up to you to decide for others what is believable, not believable, dubious, etc. My point is - the fact that we may not agree with the tenets of a particular faith or we may personally find certain beliefs "fantastic" or "dubious," should not be the basis for an attack on that faith or its followers.<BR><BR>I do, however, agree that since this is a travel forum, we should get back to travel topics. So, I promise not to post to this thread again.<BR> <BR><BR>

WELL. Where can one find the best cheesecake? I like mine drenched in Creme deCacao, and always drink a glass of good Ice Wine with it. Where in Utah is the best place for that?

I was trying to ignore the unkind comments and not post again, but when someone says I am "full of poopoo," how can I resist the challenge? Maggie, I was trying to be funny--and also show that all Mormons are not so uptight and humorless as all the anecdotes implied. Regarding working on Sunday, we try to follow the Commandment that says to keep the Sabbath holy, but if you are injured on a Sunday while at the Olympic Games, you will find the hospitals full of Mormon doctors and nurses. Others that routinely work on Sundays are police, restaurant employees, real estate agents, etc. Some members of the church might take the commandment seriously enough to avoid occupations where they would have to work on the Sabbath, but no one condemns those who do.<BR><BR>This salamander business is something I heard vague rumors about years ago--it's certainly not part of our beliefs. Jedediah, could you be a disaffected descendant of our founder who invented that story to discredit the church?<BR><BR>Seriously, Mormons are fun-loving people who try to live Christ-like lives and help other people. Every year we collect and send TONS of clothing, blankets, medicine, etc., to victims of floods, tornadoes and earthquakes all over the world. I am full of love and forgiveness, not poopoo!

To get back to the original question. There are many bars within walking distance in downtown SLC. Baci, Lazy Moon, Dead Goat, Oyster Bar, New Yorker, Red Rock, Port O Call, Murphy's, ... Just got back from the Swiss house for lunch. Watched the Swiss television production of a snowboarding downhill ?? event with them, had some fondue and wine. They handed out boxes of Lindt chocolate. It's $20.00 cover charge for dinner but you get $20.00 in drinks free. Walking up Main street I was approached by several people handing out information but nothing about the LDS church.

diane<BR><BR>I didn't invent the story. It is documented fact. If you check into it, unafraid of the truth and don't receive a church sanctioned sanitized version, you will see. The fact that you heard "vague rumors" about it is not surprising. Great pains (at great expense)were taken by the LDS leadership to supress it.<BR><BR>Anyway, I know there are many, good, caring people that are Mormons and I manage quite easily to separate the obvious flaws in the theology from my belief in the redeeming qualities of people.<BR><BR>I also think Salt Lake has done a fabulous job with the Winter Games so far in all respects.

Diane, how do you make carbonnade a la flamande? Sounds like my kind of dish! And what does that name mean?

Ok, I'm not a big fan of mormons...however, I will say that the guy who threw up all over the dinner table was an idiot. I was out at the olympics, staying with my parents at their ski house. We had a dinner guest (Mormon) who was informed that dessert consisted of rum cake. He was happy to eat it since all the alcohol dissipates during the cooking. He was one of the most serious and devout Mormons I know; he has faithfully served his church on a mission...yet he still ate rum cake. Maybe he should be shot!<BR><BR>My point? To show that not all Mormons deserve to be grouped in the non-fun-loving category. You can find a beer and a good time in downtown Salt Lake if you open your eyes and look (although I prefer Park City).

There is a new sports bar in slc named Natalie's. Right in the thick of things for the olympics. Give it a try.