Traveling to new cities is always an exciting experience. From learning about the city’s history to meeting the people, exploring a new environment never disappoints. Being from New York City, I’ve been introduced to many different cuisines from numerous cultures; When traveling, I always try to find one place to eat that provides me a sense of NYC comfort. My favorite cuisine to search for is Italian.

While visiting Salt Lake City, Utah, I’ve come across so many Italian restaurants that it became difficult to choose where I’d want to eat. To make my decision more effortless, I enlisted the help of one of my closest friends, the internet. I recognized my desire for Southern Italian food to narrow down my options. I decided to turn to Tiktok to see genuine reviews by real people and see the dishes unedited.

Based on my search results, I pondered between two choices: Sicilia Mia and Antica Sicilia. Both of these restaurants were super popular and loved by locals. My final decision came down to three factors: atmosphere, portion size, and traditionality. I wanted to eat somewhere with a calm, warm, home-like ambiance with reasonably large portions and traditional recipes. While Antica Sicilia was beautiful and the food looked amazing, Sicilia Mia checked all the boxes for me.

As a New Yorker and frequent traveler, this process was very familiar. I’m usually always looking for a new place to dine. I realized the consumer-decision making process is something that I subconsciously practice daily. My preferences differ from most because many may want a more upscale experience or search based on their budget by looking for deals.