Axios Salt Lake City

October 07, 2025
It's Tuesday and National Propane Day — a good time to visit Wasatch Propane and admire one of the most incongruously awesome Halloween displays in town.
- It's also National LED Light Day.
- And it's National Taco Day. More on that in a sec.
☀️ Today's weather: Sunny with highs in the upper 60s.
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Today's newsletter is 1,013 words — a 4-minute read.
1 big thing: 🤤 The best tacos in SLC
It's National Taco Day and we're sharing some of our favorite spots to get this hand-held Mexican staple.
Why it matters: You can find tacos all over Salt Lake City, but a great one is harder to come by.
Here are the tacos worth seeking out:

We love a taco joint that keeps it simple.
- This new eatery on 1427 S. 300 West only serves al pastor on a vertical spit, known as a trompo, and carne asada.
- Their yellow corn tortillas — handmade off-site, according to co-owner David Noriega — have a rich, earthy bite, and their salsas pack serious heat.
Why we love it: The pork — marinated for about 48 hours — is among the best in the city.
Street Tacos SLC
This downtown staple offers more than a dozen taco filling options, from tripe and chorizo to cactus and battered shrimp.
Why we love it: It's a reliable, no-frills spot that stays open after a night out or late shift.

The South Jordan business that opened in March serves Tijuana-inspired tacos with thick corn tortillas and a dollop of guacamole.
Why we love it: The Baja California-style battered fish tacos are unbeatable and worth the drive from Salt Lake City.
- I also enjoyed their array of hand-crafted aguas frescas.
My go-to food truck after concerts or events also has brick-and-mortar digs on Regent Street and in Draper.
Why we love it: The carne asada taco is everything you want — smoky, juicy and bursting with flavor.

Though the Main Street fire destroyed their downtown location in August, the restaurant's cheesy offerings live on in Salt Lake City's Fair Park neighborhood.
Why we love it: Just try the classic quesabirria tacos dipped in consome.
2. Lawmakers pick GOP-favored redistricting map
The GOP-controlled Utah Legislature yesterday chose a new congressional map to send to Third District Court Judge Dianna Gibson ahead of a court-imposed deadline during a special session.
Why it matters: The vote follows weeks of political maneuvering after Gibson ordered lawmakers to redraw boundaries to comply with Proposition 4 — a 2018 anti-gerrymandering measure approved by voters.
State of play: Days before the special session, the Utah Republican Party urged members to back map C over other options, calling it the "only proposal that protects Utah's legislative boundaries."
Driving the news: Under map C, three cities — Millcreek, North Salt Lake and Pleasant Grove — and three counties — Davis, Salt Lake and Utah — are split. Salt Lake County is divided into two districts.
- State lawmakers also passed a bill, which Gov. Spencer Cox signed yesterday, that would require future maps to pass three tests to avoid "partisan bias."
The other side: Plaintiffs behind the anti-gerrymandering lawsuit on Monday announced they submitted two of their own maps for Gibson to consider.
- "These maps were submitted because the map enacted by the Legislature ... fails to abide by and conform to Proposition 4's requirements," per the plaintiffs' statement via the Campaign Legal Center.
What's next: Gibson will decide whether to accept the Legislature's map or the plaintiffs' version.
3. Fry Sauce: A new path to practice law
⚖️ Utahns who want to practice law will be able to skip the traditional bar exam under alternative qualifications approved last week by the state Supreme Court. (Utah News Dispatch)
- Candidates must pass a written performance exam, along with law school and 240 hours of supervised legal practice.
🎭 The Murray Theater has reopened after more than a decade of renovations to the 1938 building. (KSL.com)
🎢 Lagoon plans to open a new thrill ride in 2026, promising speeds of nearly 70mph — but releasing few other details. (FOX 13)
🕯️ Thousands of mourners attended a public viewing yesterday for Russell M. Nelson, the late president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (Church Newsroom)
- Nelson's funeral will take place at noon today, about a week after he died at age 101.
4. 🎥 Old News: The infamy of "Troll 2"
Thirty-five years ago this week, Utahns were on pins and needles waiting to see themselves and their home state in a major achievement in horror cinema: "Troll 2."
Why it mattered: The film, released Oct. 12, 1990, would go on to be widely lauded as the worst movie ever made.
- This is Old News, where we stitch together clips from the cutting room floor of Utah history.
How it worked: Italian director Claudio Fragasso descended on Park City in 1989 to hire an amateur cast of locals.
Yes, but: The crew didn't speak English, so the actors couldn't understand their instructions — or, they said, the script itself.
The other side: Rossella Drudi, the film's writer (and Fragasso's wife), has told Vice that: "The script was translated by a Utah-born American. It is true that some strange English is spoken in Utah, but to say that they didn't understand it is ridiculous."
Reality check: The movie is about vegetarian cannibal goblins.
Zoom in: George Hardy, a Salt Lake City dentist with almost no acting experience, auditioned at the urging of his patients. He was given a leading role.
- He moved (fled?) to Alabama the year after the film's release. But his dental practice there still promotes his thespian chops.
What they said: "Let me give you some advice, you dwarfs. Get out of here or you're going to be in a lot of trouble," one character declares at his first glimpse of the goblins.
- Later: "Oh my God, what's happening to her? And why can't I move? There must be a logical reason for all of this."
💿 Kim can't wait for Marìa Zardoya's new solo project to drop this Friday.
🎃 Erin is so excited to see everyone's Halloween decorations.
This newsletter was edited by Gigi Sukin.
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