Corporate Cuisine Awards 2008.

We asked, you answered and the votes have been tallied. Utah Business is happy to announce the winners of the 2008 Corporate Cuisine Awards. Your responses to our 12 culinary categories highlight Utah's array of mouth-watering dining establishments. But beyond tempting our palates, your responses showed that these restaurants play an integral part of Utah's business core.

"There's probably more business done in restaurants than in any other establishment," says Melva Sine, president of the Utah Restaurant Association. "Utah's restaurants provide a great opportunity to take people out and add a social atmosphere to business. And, you know, the way to a person's heart is through their stomach."

Whether examining documents with colleagues during lunch or schmoozing clients during dinner, there's no denying that eating out and doing business go hand-in-hand. From the power breakfast to the late-night cocktails, Utah's restaurants continually go beyond good eats to provide thoughtful service and an atmosphere prime for business.

Best Steak: Corbin's Grill

A newcomer to the list this year, Corbin's Grill makes you fall in love with steak all over again. Cooking everything from steaks to seafood to asparagus over the one-of-a-kind grill, diners can taste the difference in each savory bite. As one voter said, "The only Utah steakhouse that fires their steaks over white almond wood--delicious!" With zebra-wood tables, culled red-hickory floors and a jaw-dropping, 25-foot indoor waterfall, the restaurant's lush decor adds flare to the diner's extravagant experience. As one voter put it, "Corbin's has beautiful, modern design and art ... [and] the Oscar-style filet mignon was incredible!"

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Best Place to Impress Clients:

The New Yorker

"Where the movers and shakers do business," wrote one voter about The New Yorker. Centered in downtown Salt Lake, this restaurant proves time and time again that it is the place to impress business clients. Award-winning Chef Will Pliler brings a mouth-watering touch to each plate, which may include the restaurant's famous premium steak that can be enhanced by adding a one-pound king crab leg on the side. As one reader wrote, "Always top service, impressive ambiance and great menu and wine selections." The restaurant continues to takes service to the next level, offering diners a complimentary shuttle service to downtown events. One reader sums it up with, "Even after 30 years, it is still the best of the best!"

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Best Ethnic:

Bombay House 

Just one foot in the door of Bombay House and you're suddenly a world away. An exotic experience envelopes each diner, as the restaurant features elegant Indian decor, intimate lighting and a rich aroma of foreign flavors. Mouth-watering meals are created with faraway flavors such as cumin, coriander and garam masala. Plates include vegetable samosas, chicken tikka masala and lamb coconut curry, each complemented by fragrant rice and flat bread, sure to leave your taste buds dancing. Summing it up in one word, one diner said, "Excellent!"

Best Power Breakfast:

Market Street Grill

Located in the heart of Salt Lake City Market Street Grill owns the reputation of serving the freshest seafood in Utah as each day, it flies in hundreds (of pounds of seafood) from around the world. Today the restaurant's reputation extends past its seafood to its one-of-a-kind breakfast menu. Beyond serving traditional morning favorites such as eggs Benedict, scrambled eggs and buttermilk hot cakes, this downtown restaurant takes breakfast to the next level with dishes like Dungeness crab and seafood omelets, salmon and smoked pork chops with eggs. As one voter wrote, "Market Street has the best breakfast and is the most reasonably priced in town!"

Best Hotel; Bambara

Housed in the posh Hotel Monaco, Bambara serves traditional American flavors with attitude. With Executive Chef Dave Jones in the kitchen, Bambara's menu teases diners with fresh, inventive food, while continuing to offer tried-and-true favorites. "Bambara has really delicious, inventive food, good service and a lovely, luxurious ambiance," said one voter. Palate-tempting dishes include cedar planked adobo salmon, cider glazed barbeque duck breast and grilled Angus New York steak, to name a few. Previously housing a conservative bank, Bambara's building has been transformed into a place full of flare and energy. And with scintillating aromas of prime meats, seafood and home-baked bread, your mouth is watering the moment you're seated.

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Best Kept Secret: Schneitter's

Nestled in the heart of Midway, this enchanting old-world retreat brings a taste of European flavor to the Rocky Mountains. With a lavish menu including oven roast rack of New Zealand lamb, macadamia nut halibut and shallot-marinated chicken breast and its extraordinary weekend buffets featuring a seafood night, a prime rib night and exceptional Sunday brunch, Schneitter's is proving to be one of Utah's finest dining destinations. Colorful decor adds to its European ambiance with traditional wood paneling, lead pane windows and hand-painted murals on the ceilings. "The dining is exceptional, a must experience!" wrote one voter. Another added, "One in a million!"

Best Business Catering:

Cuisine Unlimited

For the third year in a row, Cuisine Unlimited proves to be the company for Utah business catering. Known for creative presentation and unique catering concepts, Cuisine Unlimited is a true crowd pleaser. Whether planning a small, informal meeting or putting on an upscale business conference, Cuisine Unlimited's seasoned staff and menu are poised to handle any event from start to finish. Head Chef Steve Ulbarri leads a team of talented cooks, prep cooks, sous chefs and culinary professionals, combining quality and service in each event. As one voter wrote, "The staff and owners are so professional and the food is unbelievable!" Another wrote, "I don't use anyone else!"

Best Business Lunch:

Tucanos Brazilian Grill

Famous for its all-you-can-eat churrasco (Brazilian barbeque), Tucanos Brazilian Grill brings South American epicurean magic to the table. Featuring an assortment of succulent meats, such as top sirloin, Brazilian sausage and seafood selections that come at a nonstop pace, diners are sure to feel a bit of Carnival in each bite. Diners can also choose among grilled vegetable selections and tangy pineapple, tempting even the most discriminating palate. As one reader wrote, "Very fun and upbeat place to get lunch." Another wrote, "Nothing beats Brazilian-style grill!"

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Best Cocktails:

Oyster Bar

This downtown favorite holds its title for serving the best cocktails around. With ample selection of martinis, cocktails and wines, the Oyster Bar is sure to keep your spirits high long after the workday has ended. As one voter wrote, "Great martini list!" On top of serving the tastiest drinks in town, the Oyster Bar lives up to its name by offering eight varieties of fresh oysters daily including the Alaska Sterling oyster, which is offered exclusively in the western United States at the restaurant. And with a stylish atmosphere complete with showings of local artists, the Oyster Bar has proven to be a hit.

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Best Company Party Venue:

Zermatt Resort & Spa

Living up to its five-star reputation, Zermatt Resort delivers it all--atmosphere, presentation and taste--to the table. And people are noticing. As one voter wrote, "Unreal food, ambiance, scenery and service!" The menu adds true European flavor to each event, featuring steak, seafood and dessert options from onsite restaurants, including Schneitter's, Matty's Bistro and the Backerei & Eis bakery and gelato shop. Featuring more than 41,000 square feet of meeting space, the resort can serve groups of up to 500 people. "Their big event center is the best venue in the state for large gatherings," wrote one reader. Another wrote, "Hands down the best location for parties in the state."

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Best Coffee Break:

Beans & Brews Coffee House

Established 15 years ago by the Laramie family, Beans & Brews Coffee House puts quality, freshness and integrity into each cup of coffee. Featuring a mix of hot classics to original blends to ice-cold drinks, this coffee house proves to be a staple in Utah's growing community of latte-lovers. Boasting high altitude roasting techniques, Beans & Brews coffee has smooth, intense flavor that is unmatched by coffees roasted at lower altitudes. Customers can even brew their own steamy cup of joe, as Beans & Brews sells its signature blends online and in-house. With a loyal clientele and proven success, Beans & Brews now extends across the state with 17 locations, each featuring free Wi-Fi access.

Best Business Casual:

The Spur Bar and Grill

Housed in the core of Park City, this upscale, smoke-free bar and grill keeps Utah's western spirit alive. As one voter wrote, "Easy to get a table, with great food, excellent service and margaritas made with fresh ingredients." With a menu featuring red chili hominy soup, cowboy meatballs and jalapeno cheese Texas toast, this old-fashioned favorite brings sizzle and fire to the table. Featuring a country atmosphere, The Spur Bar and Grill adds cowboy character to every meal. And with live music from solo acoustic to rock, diners are entertained from the first to final bite.