SALT LAKE CITY — It might not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of global fine dining, but tucked inside South Salt Lake, a new restaurant is proving otherwise. It’s called Monte — a chef-driven tasting menu experience with roots that stretch to Uruguay.

It’s only been open about two months — but Monte is already turning heads. It’s more than a restaurant. It’s a chef-driven space built on tasting menus that challenge expectations, blending South American roots with ingredients rooted in Utah’s soil and seasons.

“I started cooking 20 years ago,” said Chef Martin Babio. “I remember my childhood when my grandma, great-grandma teach me. Trying different flavor, different kinds of food, they teach me everything I know.”

Those early lessons became the backbone of Babio’s p

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