2 Best Restaurants in East Side and Sugar House, Salt Lake City

Families love the gussied-up old railcar that serves as Ruth's dining room and the best creek-side patio in the city—you just have to navigate your way up gorgeous Emigration Canyon to find it. Breakfast (served until 4 pm) has been the diner's trademark since 1930, and it starts with 3-inch-high biscuits followed by massive omelets like the King of Hearts (artichokes, garlic, mushrooms, and two cheeses). In summer the barbecue fires up every Thursday night for ribs, fish, chicken, or whatever the chef concocts, with live music on the patio. Watch the road for deer, moose, and some of the top cyclists in America, who train here much of the year.

Sample small boldly flavored plates of yakisoba noodles, hamachi crudo, eggplant yakitori, and miso-glazed salmon at this airy, high-ceilinged Japanese restaurant in Sugar House. Ozora also offers a nice range of sushi rolls and sashimi. Save room for a slice of strawberry-and-yuzu cheesecake.