Perry said he trained in San Francisco and Seattle, and he wanted to create the feel of restaurants from those cities.

"I expected our lunches would be our bread and butter, but we've been fortunate to have a good following for dinner." (Evaslc.com or 888-314-8536)

Quick quality

The Olive Bistro, 57 W. 200 South, is just a few doors down from the Olive Garden chain, but might as well be worlds apart.

Owner Hassan Salami serves a dozen different Mediterranean-style panini sandwiches and a few tapas such as a bruschetta and a cheese and olive plate.

The former chemical engineer is well aware of the recession, but adds, "What people don't realize is this is actually a perfect time to open, because I don't have as much competition. If you wait until everyone has lots of money to spend, there will be a lot more restaurants."

The menu reflects Hassan's upbringing in Paris and Morocco. The best-selling sandwich is the salmon basil provolone panini, at $9.96. Customers order at the counter, and can be served tableside, sit on the sidewalk patio or get take-out.

While managing eateries in Salt Lake and Park City, "I realized the dining process has the potential for a lot of mistakes," said Hassan. "I designed mine to eliminate them. The cook is right there at the counter, so he hears the order as it's placed, and there's less chance of it getting mixed up." (801-364-1401 or www.theolivebistro.com)

Open 24/7

Bayleaf Cafe is slated to open the second week of June at 159 S. Main, a spot that's been empty for nearly five years.

"The recession doesn't really frighten us, because we have something that's sorely needed," said owner Seth Radford. "Downtown is crying out for somewhere that's open 24 hours on the weekends. There are people who want somewhere to go for breakfast after the bars close."

Monday through Thursday, the restaurant will be open 6 a.m.-6 p.m., but on the weekend, it will stay open continuously until Sunday at 6 p.m.

Radford said he was raised in the South, and his wife in Asia, and they are including some of their favorites on the menu. So you will find chicken-fried steak with grits, hoppin' john and collard greens, as well as spring rolls and rice bowls (www.bayleaf-cafe.com or 801-359-8490).

There's more

Other new restaurants to watch for: Simply Sushi, on the corner of 200 West and 400 South; Donovan's Steakhouse, a high-end steakhouse chain in the building formerly occupied by Ruth's Chris and Baci at 134 W. Pierpoint Ave.; the Sandbar, a beach-and-beer themed Mexican spot in the former Cafe Pierpont space, 122 W. Pierpont Ave.; Bruges Waffles, a take-out spot at 336 W. Broadway; and The Last Samurai Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi, 214 W. 600 South.

E-mail: vphillips@desnews.com