Under the Influence 

• Jacklin Slack Photography

In my time as a local journalist, I've come to the realization that Utah is adept at mixing business with pleasure—as long as that pleasure is rated PG, anyway. Since food and drink represent the pleasures that currently occupy my journalistic interests, I'm starting to see some parallels between Utah's entrepreneurial spirit and the current state of our hospitality industry. It's too early to tell whether these parallels are going to make things better or worse for our restaurant scene, but this week's dining adventures have made me want to at least pause, reflect, and get something down on paper before the winds of change start rearranging the furniture.

My first stop was Flanker Kitchen + Sporting Club (6 N. Rio Grande Street, Ste.35, 801-683-7070, flankerslc.com), a recently opened restaurant/nightclub/karaoke bar/VR sports arcade. I like to think that Flanker will maintain a competitive but healthy relationship with the Dave and Busters on the opposite end of The Gateway complex—though I think Flanker was conceived with a more discerning demographic in mind. If the live music, private karaoke rooms, and rentable VR golf simulations seem like a lot of hats for one destination to wear, knowing that it comes to us by way of the Las Vegas-based Carver Road Hospitality might explain a few things.

Flanker definitely feels like a Vegas import, but not in a bad way whatsoever—SLC is just a few liquor law amendments away from being just as debauched as its Nevada neighbor. I do like that Flanker has set itself up as whatever diners want it to be. It can be just a cool place to grab some food and drinks with friends or it can be the centerpiece to the karaoke and virtual golf-themed night of your life.

The food at Flanker is on par with what you'd expect from a place where socializing is the name of the game. Lots of great shareable appetizers that pull from the upscale gastropub playbook, but there are a few creative bites for those just here for the food. The lobster fritters ($17), for example, arrive dusted with powdered sugar beignet-style, which helps accentuate the sweetness of the lobster and corn within. The truffled beef carpaccio ($17) is also a nice touch for those after something a bit more refined, though that ginger-soy marinade can tend to overpower the black truffle.

Later in the week I checked out a pre-opening event for The Crack Shack (912 E. 900 South, 385-715-0250, crackshack.com). This Southern-California fried chicken franchise comes to us by way of Savory Restaurant Fund, a local investment group that specializes in restaurants—they're a big part of why R&R BBQ, Swig and Mo' Bettahs are so abundant across the Wasatch Front. Savory has welcomed The Crack Shack into its ranks, so there's a good bet we're going to start seeing plenty more Crack Shacks opening their doors in the near future.

There are things I like about The Crack Shack so far. It's cool that the restaurant will feature beer from local breweries and proceeds from the grand opening event will be donated to local LGBTQ+ nonprofit Encircle. I also like how their menu features the ubiquitous fried chicken sandwich—there's the Coop Deville ($12) with pickles and napa cabbage and the Firebird ($12) that borrows from the Nashville hot chicken school of thought—but isn't beholden to it. There are lots of other chicken and egg-based dishes happening here, and their bowls like the Downward Dog ($11) with its pickled beets, quinoa and hummus, are quite refreshing.

On the quality spectrum that I use to judge these new fried chicken ventures, The Crack Shack's birds are in the mid to top-tier range. Everything I tried was juicy and flavorful, but the place struggles a bit with their spicier offerings. Lots of promise within those fiery bites, but, at the moment, there's a bit too much cayenne involved—it hits the back of your throat before you can even take a bite.

The Crack Shack's Ninth and Ninth location—it's right where Mazza used to be—will ensure that it gets a lot of traffic from its walkable neighborhood, but I do feel like the proliferation of chicken places is starting to wear thin. I absolutely love chicken in all its forms, but these days I'm to the point of constantly asking myself, "What came first? The chicken or the trend?"

Regardless of where your foodie soul lands on hospitality-centered investment groups like Carver Road and Savor, they are going to play a major part in the future of our local food scene. I can give you a hundred reasons why I am not the right person to predict whether that's good or bad—all I can really say for sure is that it's happening, dear readers. It's happening.