For decades, Trolley Square has been an iconic bit of downtown Salt Lake City real estate. From its historic water tower that presides over the block to its slate of unique local businesses, this shopping center is positioned on one of the most quintessentially Salt Lake street corners in the city.
Just across the road from Trolley Square is Trolley Cottage Cafe, which is one of the best spots from which to fully appreciate said street corner. This cozy little restaurant sports a spacious cobblestone patio and a European-inspired menu, both of which combine to create a perfect spot for a downtown meal.
Open for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, Trolley Cottage Cafe takes full advantage of its proximity to one of downtown’s finest local hangouts. During the day, the restaurant’s menu of classics like eggs benedict ($16), buttermilk pancakes ($14) and a wide range of sandwiches and salads makes it a nice spot for a lunchtime pick-me-up. The restaurant’s dinner menu includes decently-priced steak frites ($28) along with some classic pasta dishes like salmon piccata ($23) and meatball spaghetti ($22). The restaurant also has a full liquor license, so wine, beer and mimosas are also available.
I visited just before last week’s record-breaking heatwave hit, so my wife and I passed through the patio on our way inside. Having partaken of my fair share of patio dining, I can say that something like this in the middle of downtown Salt Lake City is an absolute treasure. It’s a walled-off courtyard that makes tremendous use of its existing space. Watching the Trolley Square traffic live and breathe around you while sipping mimosas and nibbling on homemade pancakes is going to be a must for the spring and summer months.
Gorgeous patio aside, the inside of Trolley Cottage Cafe is absolutely adorable. We sat at one of the larger wood-plank communal tables at the back of the restaurant, which imparted some rustic, countryside vibes to the experience. My wife went with the croque madame ($15) from the brunch menu, and I ordered the grilled chicken and baked brie sandwich ($16) from the lunch side. Both dishes demonstrated a proper reverence toward the bread involved, which I think is a good foundation for the cottage concept that is on display.
The croque madame is a fine representation of this classic dish that combines a grilled cheese sandwich with biscuits and gravy as only the French can. The dish arrives overflowing with melted gruyere cheese and thinly sliced ham. The gruyere and the bechamel combine to form the rich texture and savory flavors that make a croque madame such a brunchtime legend. The fried egg on top is cooked to perfection, and letting the yolk work its luxurious path across the melty sandwich ties the dish together nicely. Nothing quite screams brunch like a gooey croque madame slathered in egg yolk, and this is definitely a highlight of Trolley Cottage Cafe’s pre-dinner menu.
As enamored as I was with the croque madame, I thought the grilled chicken and baked brie sandwich struggled just a tad. The toasted ciabatta was excellent—it’s light, crispy and sporting an almost fry-bread textural experience. The pesto, arugula and tomato were also fresh and flavorful, but I thought the grilled chicken was a bit overdone, to the point of becoming chewy. It was also very lightly seasoned, which didn’t really leave it much room to assert itself over the herbaceous flavors of the pesto and arugula. I also noticed a pronounced shortage of baked brie. Where I figured the sandwich would be oozing with brie in the same way the croque madame oozed with gruyere, the experience came a bit short of my expectations. It wasn’t a bad sandwich by any stretch, and it is a great lunch option for those after something a bit lighter.
The fries that accompanied the sandwich were excellent—perfectly crispy and tossed in plenty of herbs and salt. The plate also comes with a good-sized portion of them, so there’s a slim chance that you’ll walk away from this plate hungry.
Trolley Cottage Cafe is working with a great menu, but I think expanding the dessert menu to include some classic French pastries for the breakfast and lunchtime crowds would be a win. The ability to pop in for some coffee and a pastry would really mesh with the restaurant’s cozy cafe aesthetics.
Based on my overall experience, I think Trolley Cottage Cafe is at its best when it works within the classic French cookbook. These dishes demonstrate a true affection for the francophile staples of melty cheese, fresh butter and classic techniques. Luckily, there are plenty of these items on the menu, regardless of when you pay this restaurant a visit. Ordering up a heaping plate of pain perdu ($16) with its Grand Marnier butter sauce while enjoying the Trolley Square crowd is going to be a lovely way to spend a few hours of your time.
Trolley Cottage Cafe
703 E. 600 South
trolleycottagecafe.com
Dining and Cooking