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!

Mission Hill Burnt Ends from Costco reviewed

October 26, 2021May 31, 2021 by Stuart Melling

A random ramble through the aisles of Costco always turns up something interesting and new. My latest find – this eye catching BBQ product. The packaging is all red and …

Salmon in chilli oil with crispy skin

May 31, 2021 by Stuart Melling

This one uses beautiful wild salmon from the team at Sitka. Check out the links above and below for more info. I gently pan fried the salmon in a little …

Pork and beans in green tomatillo sauce

May 31, 2021 by Stuart Melling

This one came together out of ‘leftover necessity’. I’m sure you know the feeling, the pantry, freezer and fridge are endlessly piling up with a little of this, a little …

Gardein Ultimate Chick’N Tenders – the best yet?

July 4, 2021May 23, 2021 by Stuart Melling

Gardein Ultimate Plant-Based Chick'N Tenders

I wasn’t overly impressed by the the last product from Gardein that sported the Ultimate moniker; their Ultimate Burger was all promise and no follow through. I typically find that …

Hearty French dip sandwich

May 16, 2021 by Stuart Melling

I put this together using some Johnny’s French Dip Concentrate and a big ol’ piece of chuck roast. I loosely followed the Johnny’s recipe but liberally edited and tweaked as …

Birds Eye Buffalo Cauliflower Wings review

July 4, 2021May 16, 2021 by Stuart Melling

Vegetable based sides are the hot ticket item the last few years – cauliflower diced into tiny grains for ‘rice’, green beans repurposes as French fries – all the big …

Field Roast Plant-Based Nuggets review

July 4, 2021May 16, 2021 by Stuart Melling

When I come across them – I find Field Roast a routinely reliable brand that make a variety of solid plant-based products. Their corn dogs and burgers remain two of …

Great Value Breaded Chicken Nuggets – a solid buy

July 4, 2021May 16, 2021 by Stuart Melling

I’m always surprised by how many gems I find on Walmart’s Great Value label. For a budget grocer, and arguably their wallet friendly product line – they often shoot well …

365 Plant-Based Burger Patties – one to avoid

May 15, 2021 by Stuart Melling

These are from Whole Foods’ in house 365 brand and one of many in their plant-based meats product line up. In the past I’ve had some great experiences and not …

MorningStar Farms Italian Sausage Style Crumbles review

July 4, 2021May 15, 2021 by Stuart Melling

These are very much the same product as MorningStar’s regular Griller Crumbles – a product I’ve happily used for year after year after year. The key difference is the gentle …