Stuart Melling

Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC - Utah's biggest and oldest online food magazine; I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune. I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV shows. I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have covered the Utah dining scene for the better part of fifteen years. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. I started Shop Smart to catalogue my adventures in the grocery store and kitchen. Follow along on Instagram too!

Banquet Original Crispy Fried Chicken review

July 24, 2021July 24, 2021 by Stuart Melling

The promise of fried golden crispy chicken, direct from the convenience of the freezer on demand; the promise of this product from Banquet is a powerful one. Inside the cardboard …

Lingcod over chana masala

July 24, 2021 by Stuart Melling

Looking for something to do with that frozen curry in the back of your freezer? You know, the one that’s been sat there for months, without ever really convincing you …

Budweiser Pulled Pork review

October 26, 2021July 24, 2021 by Stuart Melling

While the manufacturer here is Coleman Natural – Budweiser is the brand emblazoned all over this package; from the iconic logo to the fire engine red color that leaps off …

BeLeaf Vegan Hot Dog review

July 24, 2021 by Stuart Melling

My local grocery store has been leaning hard into their plant-based game of late, and recently a range of new products have appeared; BeLeaf was one such name and I …

Beyond Breakfast Sausage Links review

July 13, 2021 by Stuart Melling

The Beyond Meat line keeps on expanding and expanding, which is good news as far as I’m concerned. When it comes to plant-based options, the brand is one of the …

Tyson Batter Dipped Chicken Breast Tenders review

July 30, 2021July 13, 2021 by Stuart Melling

Another day, another chicken nugget/tender, another step closer to the cardiology department. These battered cylinders from Tyson come in a big old freezer bag, that while promises a resealable experience, …

Foster Farms Breast Nuggets review

July 13, 2021 by Stuart Melling

Given the number of plant-based chicken nuggets I’ve been testing of late – I’ve been having something of a get to know you again moment, with regular chicken nuggets. To …

Neptune Pub Style Halibut review

August 21, 2021July 13, 2021 by Stuart Melling

Shopping at Costco can be a sometimes infuriating experience. Products seem to appear and disappear from shelves with no real explanation. This battered fish from Neptune falls somewhat into that …

Trader Joe’s Thai Sweet Chili Veggie Burger

July 5, 2021 by Stuart Melling

These veggie burgers are very much in the old school vein. There’s no mad science at work here, these are the veggie burgers from yesteryear – that you either love …

Trader Joe’s Chicken Fried Rice – one to skip

July 14, 2021July 4, 2021 by Stuart Melling

I remember being quite enamored with the veggie fried rice from Trader Joe’s – a brand which can be oh so mercurial. Sure there are some gems on the shelves …