Podcast
Small Lake City
Hosted by Erik Nilsson · EN
Small Talk, Big City
Join host Erik Nilsson as he interviews the entrepreneurs, creators, and builders making Salt Lake City the best place it can be. Covering topics such as business, politics, art, food, and more you will get to know the amazing people behind the scenes investing their time and money to improve the place we call home.
Follow along for more!
55episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
S2, E23: Angie Amundsen Risked Everything to Build Utah's Most Instagrammable Brunch Spot
4d ago01:08:40Tap to summarizeA pink, flower-filled brunch cafe in Woods Cross sounds like it came from a mood board, but the real story starts with something way less glamorous: an 18-year-old handing out flyers and landing 27 house cleaning clients. Angie, the founder of Plated Dreams, walks us through the long road from early responsibility and nonstop work to building one of the most distinctive brunch experiences in Utah. If you care about small business, restaurant entrepreneurship, or creating spaces that pull people together, this conversation gets refreshingly real. We dig into the behind-the-scenes decisions most guests never see: why Utah restaurant hours and closed days matter more than you think, how a 1031 exchange creates a do-or-die timeline, and what it takes to look at an old McDonalds and a Wells Fargo and see a community development instead of a mess. Angie also shares the pivot from a children’s play center concept to a retail hub, plus the hard lesson she watched play out with tenants: you cannot open a business and not be there. From there, we get into Plated Dreams itself: designing a London-inspired space that feels like you “left Utah for an hour,” building a from-scratch brunch menu that evolves with customers, and pricing food honestly when you are buying raw ingredients and making everything to order. We also talk about the emotional side of hospitality, handling harsh reviews, and why giving a team the chance to make things right matters. Angie closes with what she’s building next with the Brunch Club and a wild Mother’s Day win: 421 guests on 35 tables in five and a half hours. If you enjoy founder stories, Utah food and drink, or practical lessons on running a restaurant, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.Have a Question? Ask it here!Check out the DLX 313 at Via313 today!Questions about buying or selling a home in Utah? Email Spencer spencer.ford@vuere.com or use the contact form here to get in touch Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod
Transcribe →Your Salt Lake City Guide To Pioneer Day And Pie And Beer Day
1w ago00:12:08Tap to summarizePioneer Day week is almost here, and Salt Lake City is about to hit that uniquely Utah blend of tradition, chaos, and genuinely great summer energy. We’re one week out from July 24, so I’m laying out a clear game plan for the Days of 47 Parade downtown, the Days of 47 Rodeo nights at the fairpark, and the alternative tradition that keeps getting bigger every year: Pie and Beer Day. If you’re new to the city, consider this your cheat sheet for what’s happening, when to show up, and how to actually enjoy it without getting overwhelmed. There’s also a brand-new reason to be downtown: the Salt Lake Art Museum (SLAM) grand opening. It’s free, it’s inside a beautifully restored historic building, and it’s dedicated exclusively to Utah artists, past, present, and future. We talk about why this museum matters, what the opening exhibitions highlight, and how it fits perfectly into a July 24 afternoon before or after the parade. Then we pivot to the headline that lit up every Utah group chat: CNBC ranking Utah among the worst states for quality of life. We break down the criteria and the numbers behind it, including air quality on the Wasatch Front, primary healthcare access, childcare availability and cost, and other factors that shape daily life here. To round out the week, we hit quick local stories like Cherry Peak Resort listing for $22.5 million, a hopeful Main Street redevelopment after last summer’s fire, current Utah wildfire updates, and a standout Salt Lake City Summer League performance that has fans excited. If this weekly Salt Lake City update helps you plan your week, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it.Have a Question? Ask it here!Check out the DLX 313 at Via313 today!Questions about buying or selling a home in Utah? Email Spencer spencer.ford@vuere.com or use the contact form here to get in touch Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod
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S2, E22: Detroit-Style Pizza Done Right with Sean Ladle
2w ago00:49:02Tap to summarizeDetroit-style pizza doesn’t just travel well, it exposes weak restaurant habits fast. If the dough is off, if the timing slips, if the team phones it in, the whole thing falls apart. That’s why I wanted to sit down with Sean from Via 313 and talk about what happens when a sharp, specific food concept grows up and scales without losing the edge that made people care in the first place.We get into the Via 313 origin story, starting with two brothers from the Detroit area, a trailer on 6th Street in Austin, and an opening night problem that feels impossible until you solve it (yes, they forgot the pizza cutter). From there, we unpack how a cult following gets built, why Detroit-style pizza is often confused with deep dish, and what makes the style so addictive: crispy edges, cheese to the corners, sauce on top, and a texture that hits different when it’s done right.Then we zoom out to the Salt Lake City food scene and the broader Utah restaurant market. We talk about the “Utah has no good food” stigma, why it’s outdated, and why hospitality and experience matter more than ever when people spend real money to dine out. Sean shares what he looks for in great service, why authentic brands win, and how standards and consistency make scaling possible. We also shout out local favorites and drop a practical ordering roadmap for your first Via run, plus where to find locations and how to follow what’s coming next.If you like smart food talk with real operator insight, hit subscribe, share this with a friend who argues about pizza, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s the one restaurant you’d be genuinely sad to lose in your city?Have a Question? Ask it here!Check out the DLX 313 at Via313 today!Questions about buying or selling a home in Utah? Email Spencer spencer.ford@vuere.com or use the contact form here to get in touch Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod
Transcribe →Wildfires Surge As Salt Lake Preps For July 24
2w ago00:12:00Tap to summarizeUtah summer can feel like two stories happening at once: the mountains and red rock are calling, while wildfires and heat keep raising the stakes. We start with a clear update on the state’s biggest blazes, including the Babylon Fire in San Juan County crossing 100,000 acres and becoming the largest active wildfire in the United States. I break down what “containment” really looks like on the ground, why conditions have been so brutal, and what the growing list of closures means for anyone planning time in Canyonlands, the Manti LaSal National Forest, or BLM areas near Indian Creek and Dark Canyon.Then we pivot to something Salt Lake City does better than almost anywhere: making a holiday your own. July 24 is coming fast, so I lay out the essential guide to Pioneer Day, the Days of 47 Parade and rodeo, plus the alternative tradition that has become a true local classic, Pie and Beer Day. If you’ve ever wondered how to experience the day without forcing yourself into one lane, this is your roadmap for downtown, the Ballpark celebration, and the neighborhood events that make the city feel connected.We wrap with a genuinely big win for the West Side: Salt Lake City lands an $11.5 million Bezos Earth Fund grant to bring shade and water-wise green space to the 9 Line Trail and to remake the Fleet Block brownfield into a public oasis. I also hit quick updates on Jazz summer league standout Darren Peterson, Salt Lake City School District enrollment declines and possible school closures, the shutdown of Provo Canyon School’s girls campus, and a key development in the Charlie Kirk murder case. Stay with me to the end for a preview of my upcoming conversation with Sean Ladle from Via 313 on why Detroit-style pizza from Austin is making a serious bet on Utah. Subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find local reporting that actually fits the way we live here.Have a Question? Ask it here!Check out the DLX 313 at Via313 today!Questions about buying or selling a home in Utah? Email Spencer spencer.ford@vuere.com or use the contact form here to get in touch Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod
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S2, E21: More Than Dinosaurs, Inside Utah's Most Fascinating Museum with Jason Cryan
3w ago01:07:53Tap to summarizeA museum director who still gets asked “What’s your favorite dinosaur?” might sound like a dream job, but Jason Cryan’s story is more surprising than that. Jason leads the Natural History Museum of Utah in Salt Lake City, and his path runs from a Vermont childhood shaped by the outdoors, to tropical entomology, to building genetics labs and advocating for teams of scientists inside major natural history museums. The throughline is curiosity, and the willingness to change course when the “right” career ladder stops feeling right.We talk about what makes NHMU a true science museum: two million plus specimens, real research programs, and exhibitions grounded in evidence. Jason shares how systematics works in plain language, from taxonomy and biodiversity discovery to phylogenetics and DNA sequencing, and why asking better questions matters more than having fast answers. Then we zoom out to museum leadership, grants, public trust, and why informal science education can be one of the highest-impact forms of STEM learning.You’ll also get a tour of what makes the Natural History Museum of Utah unique in the Intermountain West, from dinosaurs through time to the Great Salt Lake gallery, plus the strategy behind rotating special exhibitions like the immersive Bug World collaboration. We close with behind-the-scenes research happening right now, and a reminder that discovery can happen anywhere, even in a Salt Lake City backyard.If you enjoy conversations about science, museums, Utah history, and how curiosity shapes a life, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.Have a Question? Ask it here!Check out the DLX 313 at Via313 today!Questions about buying or selling a home in Utah? Email Spencer spencer.ford@vuere.com or use the contact form here to get in touch Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod
Transcribe →Cottonwood Fire Updates And What To Do Before July Fourth
3w ago00:10:33Tap to summarizeThe biggest story in Utah right now is fire, and it’s changing how all of us should think about summer. We break down the latest on the Cottonwood Fire near Beaver, now stretching across an area that puts it in the conversation with the most significant wildfires in Utah history. You’ll hear the real-world impacts, from closures and evacuations to the early estimate of structures lost, plus why officials say this wasn’t a surprise after an exceptionally dry winter and low snowpack.We also get into a moment that should be a statewide public service announcement: a private drone flight over the fire area reportedly forced crews to ground helicopters. That’s not a minor inconvenience, it’s a safety issue that can cost property and lives. If you’re planning weekend trips, we talk about what to avoid, how to stay flexible with smoke and changing conditions, and why backyard fireworks are a bad bet this year.Then we shift gears to sports and momentum. Utah Mammoth GM Bill Armstrong makes a move that signals the rebuild is over by acquiring Vincent Trocheck, a proven two-way center with face-off strength, penalty-kill value, and championship-level experience. We dig into what it means for the roster, the young core, and why expectations should rise heading into the October opener.Finally, we share a surprisingly moving engineering update from Temple Square: the Salt Lake Temple’s seismic base isolation system is complete, letting the building move during a major earthquake while reducing damage from ground shaking. We wrap with a quick July Fourth weekend guide, World Cup watch party vibes across the valley, and a preview of our upcoming conversation with Natural History Museum of Utah executive director Jason Cryon. If this helps you, subscribe, share the show, and leave a review so more people around Salt Lake City can find it.Have a Question? Ask it here!Check out the DLX 313 at Via313 today!Questions about buying or selling a home in Utah? Email Spencer spencer.ford@vuere.com or use the contact form here to get in touch Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod
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S2, E20: How Eli McCann Became Utah's Favorite Story Teller
4w ago01:26:20Tap to summarizeA lot of people leave a high-demand religion and end up with either a scorched-earth break or a lifetime of quiet resentment. We wanted a third option, so we called up Eli: a gay, ex-LDS writer and lawyer who somehow keeps deep, loving ties with a still-practicing Mormon family while staying honest about why he left. The result is a Salt Lake City conversation about faith, identity, and what it takes to choose peace without pretending the past did not shape you.We talk about coming out with intention, protecting your story from being “used” as an example, and how the emotional arc can shift from anger to something closer to grounded indifference. Eli shares a framework that’s helped him and a lot of us in Utah: separating the church as a corporation from the people you love and the culture you still understand, whether that’s fry sauce jokes or the weird nostalgia of general conference weekends.Then we go deep on creativity and modern media. Eli traces his path from early blogging to a wrong-number text that went viral, to living in Palau, to building a storytelling podcast, to becoming a Salt Lake Tribune humor columnist and author of We’re Thankful for the Moisture. We also unpack the reality of content creation and social media: why “going full-time” can kill the joy, why authenticity beats audience-guessing, and how story-driven TikToks can move people to action without a hard sell. That same storytelling muscle shows up in LGBTQ advocacy with Equality Utah, including the strategy that helped pass a unanimous conversion therapy ban.If you like thoughtful Utah culture talk, ex-Mormon perspectives, LGBTQ stories, writing advice, and the behind-the-scenes mechanics of going viral, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves a good story, and leave a review with the line that stuck with you most.Have a Question? Ask it here!Check out the DLX 313 at Via313 today!Questions about buying or selling a home in Utah? Email Spencer spencer.ford@vuere.com or use the contact form here to get in touch Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod
Transcribe →Utah Wildfires, Air Quality Warnings, And What’s Still On For July 4
4w ago00:10:46Tap to summarizeSmoke is hanging over the Salt Lake Valley, the mountains are barely visible, and it’s not just “summer haze.” We break down what’s behind Utah’s rough early wildfire season, which major fires are driving the worst of the air right now, and what Stage 1 fire restrictions actually mean for real life. If you’ve been wondering whether it’s safe to run outside, take your kids to the park, or hit the trails, we talk through how to use the Utah DEQ AQI, who needs to be extra cautious, and why this moment deserves more than a shrug.Then we pivot to something the city can genuinely celebrate: the Utah Jazz making the No. 2 pick count by selecting Darryn Peterson. We dig into what kind of guard he is, why the scoring upside has people dreaming, and how quickly “I don’t want to be there” draft chatter can flip once a player sees the opportunity and the young core taking shape. Draft night in Salt Lake felt electric for a reason, and it’s worth sitting with that even while the state deals with fire and smoke.We also give you a clear, practical Fourth of July weekend guide with options across Salt Lake and beyond, including drone shows, downtown events, baseball, and the big caveat everyone needs to hear: don’t be the person lighting backyard mortars during a tinder-dry summer. We wrap with quick hitters on the Twilight Concert Series lineup, Bonneville Shoreline Trail closures near the University of Utah, Utah Mammoth NHL free agency movement, and why this year’s FanX is the last chance to catch it at the Salt Palace before renovations. If you missed last week’s conversation with ski icon Tom Wallisch, we point you there, and we tease next week’s guest: Eli McCann.Subscribe for weekly Salt Lake City news and culture updates, share this with a friend who needs plans for the Fourth, and leave a quick review if the show helps you stay plugged in.Have a Question? Ask it here!Check out the DLX 313 at Via313 today!Questions about buying or selling a home in Utah? Email Spencer spencer.ford@vuere.com or use the contact form here to get in touch Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod
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S2, E19: How Tom Wallisch Changed Freeskiing Forever
Jun 2201:12:39Tap to summarizeA lot of people see the highlight clip and assume the rest is luck. Tom Wallisch doesn’t. From lapping small hills outside Pittsburgh to becoming one of the defining names in modern freestyle skiing, Tom breaks down the unglamorous parts that made the glamorous moments possible: repetition, confidence built from community, and learning how to evolve when the sport evolves.We talk about the early Newschoolers and YouTube era, when a one minute edit and a comment section could change your entire trajectory. Tom explains how style trends like the Park City tall tee wave weren’t random, they were a choice to stand out, then a willingness to own the lane when people started paying attention. From there, we get into the real shift from filming to high level slopestyle and big air competition, what sponsors expect, and how even small things like picking up poles can be the difference between being “different” and being scored fairly.The conversation goes deeper into longevity: the mindset behind progression, the story of building and hitting a Guinness verified world record rail, and why film segments often outlive medals in your memory. Tom also shares how he transitioned into ski film production and creative ownership with Good Company, and how announcing at X Games and the Olympics became a way to keep freeskiing accessible and respected for new audiences.If you care about freeskiing, terrain park culture, X Games history, Olympic skiing, or how athletes navigate an action sports career transition, this one is packed with lessons you can actually use. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves the mountains, and leave a review with your favorite moment or question you want us to dig into next.Have a Question? Ask it here!Check out the DLX 313 at Via313 today!Questions about buying or selling a home in Utah? Email Spencer spencer.ford@vuere.com or use the contact form here to get in touch Visit www.luxeautomotive.com or use this link to request a quote Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod
Transcribe →Salt Lake City Budget Hikes Explained With Gondola Land Shock
Jun 1800:10:54Tap to summarizeYour costs in Salt Lake City are changing fast, and the numbers are finally on the table. We walk through the newly adopted Salt Lake City budget and translate it into what residents actually feel: a 12.5% increase to the city’s portion of property taxes, utility rate increases that can add more than $32 a month for a typical household, and the end of the discounted Hive transit pass. We also explain the argument City Hall is making about inflation, rising equipment costs, and why officials say the alternative would be layoffs or service cuts. Next, we head up to Little Cottonwood Canyon for one of the most eyebrow-raising moves of the week: UDOT spending $7.95 million on land meant for a gondola base station. The project isn’t funded, it’s still tied up in lawsuits, and the state’s own timeline suggests it might not be built until the 2040s. We talk through the case for “land banking,” why critics think the price looks high, and what it means for canyon traffic that’s already a problem right now. We close with a public lands update that breaks in a rare direction: the attempt to use the Congressional Review Act to overturn the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument management plan fails after a missed deadline, buying time for protections that tribal nations, local businesses, and many Utah voters support. Then it’s a rapid-fire summer roundup: Twilight Concert Series dates, the Utah Arts Festival’s 50th anniversary, Utah Mammoth NHL draft and free agency notes, and a Salt Lake Bees weeknight that still feels like the best deal in town. Subscribe, share this with a friend who cares about Salt Lake City, and leave a review with the one issue you want us to dig into next.Have a Question? Ask it here!Check out the DLX 313 at Via313 today!Questions about buying or selling a home in Utah? Email Spencer spencer.ford@vuere.com or use the contact form here to get in touch Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time Support the showJoin the Small Lake City Discord: https://discord.gg/TYNzMhCxeKSubscribe to the Newsletter! https://www.smalllakepod.com/newsletter-landing-pageInstagram: @smalllakepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcastTikTok: @smalllakepod
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