âHow have you never been to Blue Plate?â When I first moved to Salt Lake City as a freshman at Westminster College, Blue Plate Diner was the restaurant that my peers shamed me the most for having never tried. Now, that Blue Plateâs owners have announced theyâre shutting down, after two decades in business, Iâm not sure if anything can replace it as the east sideâs how-have-you-not-eaten-here place.
Blue Plate Dinerâs popularity with college studentsâand really anyone seeking a hearty breakfast in Salt Lake Cityâmakes sense, even if itâs not apparent from the jukebox playing Johnny Cash, retro vibes and tiled license plates and other ephemera on the walls. It was easy enough to get to by bike or bus, and bottomless hot coffee and a mountain of home fries were the only way to start the weekend after a long night of âstudying.â Like many 18-year-olds, I was experimenting with going vegetarian or vegan (depending on the day) an