Column: The Skyroom reopens with elevated flavors
In the top of the Utah State University TSC sits the Skyroom, the university’s ritziest restaurant. On Sept. 29, The Utah Statesman news editor Malory Rau and I got the opportunity to dine there before the official reopening.
Closed since late 2024 for renovations, the restaurant now has a new look. My only experience there pre-makeover was during Casino Night: Vivas Los Logan watching partygoers get fake married in thrifted wedding dresses.
The atmosphere post-construction on a Monday afternoon was different than that night — and much classier. Sitting at a table next to the large east-facing windows offered a view of the University Inn and the mountains beyond. However, much of our view included the pebble-covered roof of the TSC, which could potentially use some greenery.
Many staff members informed us it was their first day. Despite this, I found the service wonderful. Our waiter was patient when we sent him away multiple times, not ready to order due to fawning over the wooden menus. Options for appetizers included an artisan charcuterie plate and cremini mushroom risotto, but we opted to go for dessert after our meals instead.
Like at many restaurants, we were given some bread to snack on while waiting for our meals. Slices of white with a crisp brown crust were paired with oil and balsamic vinegar to dip. Typically, I don’t like balsamic vinegar, but I found myself enjoying the combination.
As a pescetarian for almost a decade, I usually check menus before going to a restaurant to ensure there are meals I can have. Although there is no menu currently available online for the Skyroom, I was pleasantly surprised to find different options for alternative diets. A page near the back of the menu claims to offer gluten-free substitutions, but cross contamination may be possible.
Vegetarian options were marked with a small green circle and included dishes like a garden focaccia sandwich and a classic margherita pizza. They also offered some seafood options, and I ended up choosing the seared Atlantic salmon. The description of the salmon explained it included sauteed spinach, cannellini beans and white wine topped with garden relish and seasonal vegetables on the side.
Rau chose the NY strip steak which was topped with garlic-herb butter and served with risotto and seasonal vegetables. She thought it was delicious.
My salmon was cooked just right. I had never eaten “garden relish” before, and found I didn’t completely appreciate the conglomerate of vegetables covering and distracting from my fish, but that might have been because I really like fish. I did finish my whole meal, which is a good sign.
To top off our meals, we each chose a dessert. I went for the brownie sundae featuring vanilla Aggie Ice Cream. Rau chose the cheesecake, which is gluten-free and included strawberries, blackberries and blueberries.
The overall vibe of the restaurant was classy, but it remained obvious that it’s on a college campus, especially with the white and blue theme. In order to get to the Skyroom you either need to take the TSC’s old elevator or walk through the whole building. I’m not someone who spends much of my time in upscale areas, but I imagine those who do wouldn’t completely appreciate this fact.
I do not imagine this to be a place you’d take your True Aggie kiss but somewhere you’d ask your parents to take you to when they come to visit. None of the entrees were more than $25, but it was a step up from Olive Garden in the elegance factor.