Breakfast hotspots: Utah eateries cater to healthy dining desires.

• Author: Penrod, Emma
• Position: Living Well

January is a time for new beginnings, and so are mornings. And any chance you have to start anew, you want to start on the right foot. That's why many of Utah's top breakfast eateries say they're adapting to new customer expectations. Increasingly, Utah's diners request a breakfast that will fuel their busy day, but won't weigh them down. Three such restaurants, the Left Fork Grill, Niche and Cafe Soleil, are determined to meet that call--all while proving there's more to a healthy breakfast than just fruit and grains.

Left Fork Grill

The Left Fork Grill in Salt Lake City is an old-fashioned corner diner reincarnated by chef Jeff Masten as, well, an old-fashioned corner diner. "We're a diner, but we're not just a diner," Masten says. "Everything is made from scratch." It's not just that cooking from scratch costs less, or that it helps maintain the diner's golden-days charm, he says. Food made from scratch is also better for your health.

The resulting menu juxtaposes hearty classics like the prime rib hash next to modern creations such as the spinach, bacon and gruyere omelet--which is not only one of the most-requested items at the Left Fork Grill, but also Masten's favorite.

If you're feeling less adventurous, Masten recommends his specialty lemon or raspberry pancakes, which he claims are the best pancakes in the valley. As a former chef from the popular Roof restaurant in Salt Lake City, he has the credentials to back it up.

In his restaurant, Masten likes to keep things casual, like the cafes he remembers from his childhood in New York. "It's like a diner back East--like Cheers',' he says. "Everybody knows everybody. It's a pretty relaxed atmosphere. It's not stuffy at all, but we still pay big-time attention to the food."

www.leftforkgrill.ipower.com

Niche

Like the Left Fork Grill, Niche was once a corner coffee shop in a past life. But unlike its Salt Lake City neighbor, founding chef Ethan Lappe decided to take his revival in a different direction. Today, Niche is a full-service restaurant that strives to strike a balance between straight-forward, sustainable food and the artistry Lappe learned while working at notable Utah restaurants like Em's, Zola's and Squatters.

Lappe likes to keep things traditional, but his interest in elevating each dish with a healthful twist makes each meal at Niche unique. The biscuits and gravy, for example, are made with skim milk, jalapenos and...