Inside a red sandstone building that has stood at 22 East 100 South since 1888, diners can now order a $35 crab and lobster ravioli or sip a martini in a space where bank tellers once counted cash. Brownstone 22, the new restaurant from Richard Romney and Chef Travis Herbert, has opened in downtown Salt Lake City, bringing a fresh concept to one of the city's most storied commercial addresses.
The building was constructed in 1888 as the home of the Utah Commercial and Savings Bank, and its original vault has been repurposed as a wine storage area, according to Utah Stories, which first reported on the new restaurant. The Richardsonian Romanesque structure, also known as the Village Brownstone Building, now houses Brownstone 22's ground-floor main dining room, a lounge-bar area, and upstairs mezzanine tables spread across three distinct dining areas. Designers Gary Vlasic and V. Project handled the redesign that transformed the historic interior into its current form.
A Space With Decades of Restaurant History
Long before Brownstone 22 arrived, the address had already cycled through several dining identities. Café Dell' Arte opened in the space in the mid-1990s, per the same Utah Stories account, and was run by wine broker Francis Fecteau before he went on to found Libation Inc., a fine boutique wine and spirits brokerage based in Salt Lake City where Fecteau now serves as proprietor. Martine, a long-running bistro, later occupied the building for over two decades starting in 1997 before closing in 2020.
The building's architectural pedigree also links Brownstone 22 to Romney and Herbert's other downtown venture. Architect Richard K.A. Kletting, who designed the 1888 Utah Commercial and Savings Bank building, also designed the historic Felt Building, according to Gastronomic SLC — the same building that now houses the pair's original restaurant, Felt Bar & Eatery, which they launched in 2024 at 341 South Main Street. Kletting also designed the Utah State Capitol, cementing his imprint across several of the city's most recognizable landmarks.
What's On the Menu
Brownstone 22's food and drink program spans raw bar and cold bar items, a chilled seafood tower priced at $70 for a half portion or $120 for the full size, and a soft shell crab po' boy for $24. The kitchen also serves onion au gratin soup for $10 and a rotating soup of the moment, currently a gazpacho with melons and cucumber. Wine is offered by the glass, carafe, or bottle, priced at $16, $30, and $75 respectively, while the bar pours signature martinis, classic cocktails, and a $9 mocktail roulette. Kayley Yearley serves as chef de cuisine, running the kitchen alongside Herbert's broader culinary direction. Murals painted throughout the restaurant by artist Jessalyn Brooks, finished ahead of schedule, add another layer of visual identity to the historic interior.
Stone Sessions Brings a Global Tasting Menu
Brownstone 22 is also hosting a special event series called Stone Sessions, a seven-course cocktail pairing dinner designed to showcase innovative cuisine and beverage experiences at the restaurant. The second installment, Stone Sessions Vol. 2: World of BBQ, is set for August 26 at 6 p.m. and celebrates international barbecue traditions with dishes including Indian tandoori lion's mane mushrooms with pineapple yuzu chutney, Japanese robata grilled miso eggplant with smoked uni foam, and Mozambique peri-peri grilled seafood, according to Gastronomic SLC. Each course is paired with a custom-crafted cocktail, and the dinner costs $140 plus tax and gratuity, with limited seating and reservations required.
Herbert, who serves as partner and chef of cuisine for the series, said barbecue is interpreted differently by every culture. Romney, a partner in Stone Sessions as well, said the series lets the team push creativity and offer unique experiences, adding that the first Stone Sessions dinner featured cuisine from Spain's Basque region.
A James Beard Finalist Behind the Kitchen
Herbert's culinary credentials extend beyond Brownstone 22's opening menu. He was named a 2026 James Beard Award finalist in the Best Chef: Mountain category, a distinction Hoodline previously reported he shares with fellow Salt Lake City chef Nick Zocco. That recognition adds weight to Romney and Herbert's expansion beyond Felt Bar & Eatery into the newly opened Brownstone 22, which the pair have described as a new downtown dining destination.
The timing places Brownstone 22 within a broader shift underway in downtown Salt Lake City's dining scene. Legacy institution Market Street Grill permanently closed on June 30 after nearly 50 years inside the historic New York Hotel, as Hoodline reported earlier this summer. Even as older establishments shutter, chefs with growing national recognition are stepping into historic footprints, and Brownstone 22's arrival inside the 1888 bank building fits that pattern of reinvestment in the city's core.
