The second oldest restaurant in Utah and crowd pleasing baked macaroni and cheese makes Ruth’s Diner the hot spot for all ages. Comfort food made its debut at Ruth’s Diner in 1949 when Ruth herself bought a trolley car and hauled it up Salt Lake’s Emigration Canyon, where it resides today. The newly renovated restaurant brings that home cooked taste to locals that won’t break the budget.
Erika Nelson, daughter of the current owners, says Ruth’s is known for its comfort food and old-fashioned home style meals. She was nothing but smiles when she learned of SLCC reviewing the restaurant. Being the only server there at the time, she balanced the fine art of serving tables, answering interview questions, posing for pictures and serving up plates of the infamous comfort food.
Ruth’s most popular item is Grandma Claire’s baked mac and cheese. Served in a boat dish this three-cheese macaroni is perfect for cold winter days or to satisfy a home cooked hunger. This cheesy dish was featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive In’s and Dives with Guy Fieri. He was able to snag the popular mac and cheese recipe and now you can have it too!
The macaroni and cheese isn’t the only thing that people are buzzing about.
Introducing the “Mile High Biscuits and Gravy”: it’s no surprise why it has adopted this name. This plate is unlike your traditional biscuit, in fact, it resembles a large wedge rather than the oval biscuit shape you’d expect. The savory gravy melts into the soft biscuit, where it runs off to form a surrounding pool of gravy, to the consumers delight.
Ruth’s has a loaded menu accommodating locals during the week and all weekend, with the newly renovated full-bar, beverage options include Bloody Marys and Mimosas. Pairing up breakfast and beverages is Ruth’s equation for booming business brunch.
Ruth’s is located up Emigration canyon just off to the side of a winding road. The restaurant was originally a single trolley car that had limited seating but new renovations made for a more comfortable ambiance and a lot more room.
Whether you’re looking to indulge in a comforting plate of a warm food, or want to be surrounded by the inviting canyon scenery, there really is never a bad time to visit Ruth’s diner!
Ruth’s Diner
Location: 4160 Emigration Canyon Road
Salt Lake City, Utah 84108
Ingredients:
(Recipe courtesy Erik Nelson, chef and owner at Ruth’s Diner)
3 cups uncooked macaroni noodles
1 cup diced onion
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups grated Cheddar
2 1/2 cups grated Monterey jack
1 cup cottage cheese
Top it off:
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup bread crumbs
Directions:
Cook macaroni, drain do not rinse.
In a large sauté pan, sauté the onions in butter. Add the flour to make a roux and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk, bay leaves, paprika, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, stirring often. Mix the 2 cheeses together in a small bowl. Once the mixture is at a simmer, add 3 cups of cheese mixture and the cottage cheese. Stir well, remove from heat, and remove bay leaves from mixture. Add macaroni noodles to milk mixture, mix well.
Pour 1/2 of macaroni mixture into a 2-quart baking dish, cover with 1/2 of the remaining grated cheese, add remaining macaroni mixture and cover with the remaining grated cheese mixture.
In small bowl mix together the topping ingredients and top the macaroni. Place into the oven and bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes.