Cougar Eats

Julie & Julia--movie review

2010-01-02T10:34:00.000-08:00

This movie reflects screenwriter Nora Ephron's attempt to bring together two memoirs: Julia Child's My Life in France and Julie Powell's Julie & Julia. Julia Child, of course, needs no introduction. She revolutionized American cooking and pretty much launched the TV cooking show. Julie Powell, as a young writer living in a tiny apartment in NYC, decided to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in 365 days. What she called "the Julie/Julia Project" became a popular blog that turned into a book and then into this film.

Ephron (When Harry Met Sally ... and Sleepless in Seattle) does a masterful job of revealing two parallel lives separated in time and space but joined by a love of cooking. I'll be surprised if Meryl Streep doesn't win an Oscar for her remarkable portrayal of Julia Child. She is the main focus of the film, and her performance is the main reason to see it. She actually transforms herself into Julia Child. She has the voice and mannerisms down pat. Wow. How can she play such disparate roles as Miranda Priestley (in The Devil Wears Prada), Donna Sheridan (in Mama Mia!) and Julia Child? Here's the most amazing thing. Meryl Streep is only 5' 6" and Julia Child was 6' 2". Yet Meryl Streep comes across looking "tall." How did they do that? One trick is to surround her with even shorter actors. At 5' 8", Stanley Tucci is a good choice for her husband, Paul (and he gives yet another solid performance). The other trick is to choose the right camera angles--and really high heels for Streep. In some shots, they are obviously using a stand in. Actress Jane Lynch, who plays Julia's sister Dorothy, is 6' tall, yet somehow when she stands next to Streep, they appear to be about the same height. (Jane Lynch was relatively unknown when she made this film, but now she has a cult following as Sue Sylvester on Glee.)

Amy Adams plays Julie Powell, and although she is certainly a fine actress, she is overshadowed by Streep. This isn't entirely Adams' fault. Julie Powell's story just isn't as compelling as Julia Child's. Child wasn't much of a cook at all, but she knew that she loved to eat (who doesn't?). She started taking cooking lessons at the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then her larger-than-life personality took over. With Streep and Child, you get two legendary figures.

This is a great film, and I would recommend it as a good "date night," but I have to give a PG-13 warning. Movie ratings now allow one use of the "R-rated" swear word (in a none-sexual context) before the film receives an R rating. There are so many movies now that have little objectionable content except for the one use of this word (Stranger Than Fiction is a good example). Without this and a few other remarks, the film would probably be rated PG.

A warning, however, about Julie Powell's blog and book. These both have many uses of strong language (she is a New Yorker, after all) and some pretty explicit sexual content. Just a heads up before you select this book for your Relief Society book circle. Stick with Julia Child's My Life in France or one of several biographies about her. If you want a book that is not as daunting as Mastering the Art of French Cooking, check out Julia Child's *Julia's Kitchen Wisdom* (only 160 pages).

What did Julia Child think of the blog? Judith Jones, Julia Child's long-time friend and publisher reported that Julia didn't consider Powell "a serious cook" and thought the blog was a flimsy stunt. She also objected to all of the harsh language (and rightly so). Jones wrote, "Flinging around four-letter words when cooking isn’t attractive, to me or Julia."

Pizza Pie Cafe

2009-12-22T09:22:00.000-08:00

A bit of Rexburg has found its way to Provo. Pizza Pie Cafe, a pizza buffet, opened recently in what used to be a Chi Chi's Mexican restaurant (hence the Aztec-looking building), then a Tony Roma's, then another BBQ place that never got reviewed here. I was starting to think that this was another of Provo's retail "black holes." But I'm predicting that PPC will become a Provo tradition.

PPC is modeled after Craigo's Gourmet Pizza in Rexburg. This began as a student pizza dive just off the campus of Ricks College. Then it went upscale (as upscale as a pizza buffet can) and moved to the north end of town on the highway. Now there is PPC in Provo. Inside, the restaurant is all shiny and new--the expensive remodeling really paid off. There are flat screen TVs (thankfully with the sound turned down) in strategic locations--even in the bathrooms.

PPC offers a wide variety of pizza and pasta, and it's always hot and ready. The crust is thick and chewy, and I think it's a sourdough. Sometimes the crust tastes kind of sweet. Pizza purists may not be happy with it, but it's a great family place. (Much better than Doc's Pizza Buffet, which is now out of business. Doc's started to get a little run down towards the end.) You know you've got a bit of Idaho when you try the Spud-o-licious pizza--pizza with sliced potatoes on top. (Hey, purists, when I was in Italy this summer, I also had authentic Neopolitan pizza with sliced potatoes. So is it Idaho or is it Italy?)

Pizza purists will still want to walk over to Niccoitalia for authentic east-coast pizza, but if you want to feed a crowd of hungry teenagers, PPC is the place.

The In-N-Out in American Fork is Now Open

2009-12-18T20:51:00.001-08:00

Two questions:

1. Who has been?

2. How have they managed the crowds in that parking lot?

Eating Out for Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T17:16:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving we drove to Arizona to visit family. It worked out best for us to eat out for Thanksgiving, which was a first for me. We ate at Bill Johnson's Big Apple in Mesa, AZ, one of the few places where we could get a reservation. Bill Johnson's is a Western-style restaurant chain with locations all over the Valley of the Sun. It's mainly famous for steak, BBQ, and breakfast. The Thanksgiving menu was just OK, a step above cafeteria food. However, the wait staff was very friendly.

But we did have some excellent food elsewhere on the trip. On the way down, we stopped in Las Vegas ($29 rooms at Circus Circus), but we decided to forego the LV buffet. We had heard good things about The Egg and I (aka The Egg Works) for breakfast. They have great pancakes, waffles, and eggs served about every way you can imagine. We tried the mashed potato omelette, which sounds a little strange, but tasty and very filling. It was kind of like an loaded baked potato in an omelette. (The fact that there were garlic mashed potatoes made it even better.) The Egg and I (Las Vegas) should not be confused the The Egg and I chain based in Colorado (with a location in St. George and a new location opening in SLC). (I wonder if the Colorado chain is why the other locations in LV are called Egg Works.)

In Arizona, we were sad to see that Mama's Pizzeria (by ASU) had closed down. We used to hang out there when I was a student. We had dinner at Monti's La Casa Vieja (now run by Michael Monti). This place is on the National Register of Historic places. Still the same great steaks, but we're pretty sure that the spaghetti recipe is no longer Leonard Monti's family recipe. (It tastes like generic food service sauce.) And Monti's is much more expensive than I recall. We also stopped at The Golden Gate, a Henrichsen family favorite. This is a decent and affordable family-run establishment with the best hot and sour soup I've had anywhere (and we've looked).

The biggest surprise was The Queen Creek Olive Mill, Arizona's only olive farm and mill. We stopped here for breakfast on the day we returned to Utah. Here the Del Piero family produces locally grown artisanal olive oils using sustainable farming methods. (Yes, you'll feel like you're in Napa Valley. But it's Queen Creek.) Their "Tuscan-inspired" menu includes fresh fruit waffles, a variety of breakfast sandwiches, and eggs benedict. You can also buy a several olive products and other locally produced food products. If we lived in Queen Creek, everyone would be getting olive oil for Christmas.

Fratelli

2009-11-20T08:46:00.001-08:00

Finally, something besides hamburgers. Salt Lake has always had a pretty strong Italian influence. The first Italians who came to Utah were protestants from Northern Italy who had converted to the Mormon church, but the bulk of Italians came in the huge wave of Italian immigration from 1890s to 1920s. These Italians came to work in the mines and on the railroads. Utah's "little Italy" is small relative to other big cities, but it has always been centered on the area between Pioneer park (which still has a farmer's market) and the Rio Grande station. That's where you'll find some true gems: Tony Caputo's Deli/Market and the fabulous, but somewhat expensive Cucina Toscana. (If you've got a special occasion, it's worth the money, and actually not a whole lot more for some dishes than Macroni Grill or other chains.) If you go to CT, you may never be able to go to Olive Garden again. In Salt Lake City, you will also find Settebello, certified Vera Pizza Napoletana. Downtown, by the Library, you will also find Cannella's, a Zagat-rated Italian restaurant in about the same price range as Macaroni Grill (family owned and operated since 1978).

This brings us to Fratelli (brothers). I was attending some meetings at Snowbird, and my wife and daughter and I drove down Little Cottonwood looking for a place to eat. We discovered Fratteli in the Quarry Bend Shopping Center (located at the old gravel quarry near 9000 South and about 1000 East). This restaurant is owned by Pete and Dave Cannellla (the brothers), whose uncle runs Cannella's. They have real-deal Italian food in a casual, family friendly environment (cups on the lids for the little kids). So although SLC has great Italian food, you can also find it in the South Valley, and a shorter drive from Utah Valley. (Check the Deseret News review.)

Burgermania Begins

2009-11-19T07:43:00.001-08:00

I drove past the Orem In-N-Out on my way to work today, and the line was already starting to form--two hours before opening. I'll be waiting a few weeks before I get in line, but stay tuned for my In-N-Out/Chadders burger challenge.

First Casualty in the Burger Wars

2009-11-17T07:57:00.000-08:00

In-N-Out is here. So if Five Guys. EZ Take Out in Orem closed. Will Chadders survive In-N-Out?

It's Official

2009-11-17T07:56:00.001-08:00

In-N-Out Burger opens in Orem on Thursday, Nov. 19th at 10:30. They expect to sell over 10,000 burgers in the first week. I wonder how this will affect my morning commute?

JCW's enters California Burger Wars

2009-04-29T10:45:00.000-07:00

I've covered pretty extensively in this blog the In-N-Out/Chadders/Route 66 battle to establish the best "California-style" burger here in Utah. (Just follow the "hamburgers" tag.") Now JCW's is in on the game, although in a pretty modest way. Now the JCW's menu includes a "single single" or "double double," a cheeseburger with American cheese, grilled onions, toasted bun, fry sauce (of course) and tomato/lettuce on the bottom. I tried this recently and thought it was OK, but it comes in fourth behind In-N-Out (#1), Chadders (#2), and Route 66 (#3). (The bottom bun was falling apart--too much fry sauce?) Besides, why would you order such a burger at JCW's when you can get either a guac/bacon burger or their pastrami burger. JCW's compares favorably with what I call the "Greek Burger" establishments (Crown Burger, Apollo Burger, Burgers Supreme), not with the California style.

Chadder's is opening a new restaurant on 9th east in Provo, across from Stan's (the previous home of Hogi Yogi). I think you would drive past it to get to a McDonald's tucked behind it.

Utah Food Bloggers

2009-04-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

Cafe Johnsonia (primarily a recipe blog) has put together a useful list of food bloggers in Utah. Cougareats gets a (modest) shoutout.

Holy Molé!

2009-04-18T17:50:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we were watching my daughter at a Winter Guard competition (color guard without the band) at West High School. These things usually last several hours, and we had enough time during a dinner break to drive around the corner on North Temple to the Red Iguana. It was tough to drive past Crown Burger, but I had something particular in mind--molé.

It's not a perfect analogy, but molé is to Mexican cuisine what curry is to Indian cuisine. "Curry" isn't just a single spice, but a blend that draws heavily on tumeric, red pepper, and cumin (or not). Just as a "curry" can be any number of spiced dishes with a blend of various spices, "molé" refers to any number of sauces used in Mexican cooking. And like a curry, a good molé is a mixture of spices and flavors that can be best described with one word--complex.

I first heard about molé when I was in college and a friend who had served a mission in Mexico described a disgusting chicken dish with a sauce made from chocolate. Several years ago, when I was in San Antonio (Mi Tierra), I decided to give it a try. It's not disgusting, and although Mexican chocolate is an ingredient in some sauces, it's more like the Aztec Xocolatl than a Hershey's bar.

The Red Iguana is famous for their molé sauces. They offer seven different kinds: amarillo, coloradito, poblano, verde, red pipian, negro, and almendras. Your seventh-grade Spanish should reveal that some of these are named after the color of the sauce and some after the ingredients. As with curries, there are strong regional variations and individual family recipes (closely guarded). I had the molé negro emolada, which includes chile mullato (like an ancho), negro pasilla (chilaca chile), Mexican chocolate, raisins, peanuts, walnuts, and bananas, plus a bunch of other stuff that isn't listed on the menu (including avocado leaves).It's hard to say that it tastes like any one of these ingredients. Individual ingredients are tough to pick out. It's just complex. My brother suggested asking for a sample of each of their sauces before you order. If you ask nicely (or perhaps in Spanish), they may bring out a small spoonful of each one.

The Red Iguana was featured on the Food Network's Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives. In a video excerpt, you can see how they make the very thing I ordered.

The Red Iguana recipes come down through the Cardenas family. This family also started The Blue Iguana downtown, but the Cardenas family is no longer associated with it--so don't expect the same food. The Blue Iguana is what I would describe as "upscale American bistro." Watercress salad? Breaded chicken palliard? Ginger almond crusted salmon filet? These all sound good, but they aren't based on authentic Mexican recipes lovingly handed down from one generation to the next.

If you go at dinner time, expect to wait. I've heard that it's a little easier to get in at lunch. The Red Iguana attracts a mixed crowd, so you'll find convention visitors mixing with the local hipsters.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

2009-04-10T14:41:00.000-07:00

The first thing you notice when you walk into Five Guys is the bags and bags of potatoes. They form a little wall that you walk by as you go up to the counter to place your order. (I went to the Fort Union restaurant.) And there is a sign on the wall that indicates where "today's potatoes" came from. (The potatoes I had were from Rigby, ID--home of the Rigby High School Trojans.) I guess this is for those who understand the subtle nuances of regional tuber varieties (like wine or single-malt whiskey or single origin coffee, I guess. Perhaps we could set up a potato tasting. "This is a fine Rigby potato, so much better than an Idaho Falls variety. I hear that they may have a rare Swan Valley tomorrow. Have you tried the Moses Lake?" (Actually 5 Guys only uses Idaho potatoes. Sorry.)

$10 will get you a regular cheeseburger, regular order of french fries and a regular drink. This sounds like a lot for a "combo meal," but you need to put this in perspective. The "regular" cheeseburger is two large patties (1/3 pound). The cheeseburger is at least as tall as it is wide. You can also order a "small," which is just one patty. Most places ask if you want to make your hamburger bigger. I kind of like the attitude of a place where the "regular" is large, and you have to "mini-size" it. Looking at their nutritional chart, I figure the regular cheeseburger has easily 1000 calories--more if you add bacon. The hamburgers come with your choice of toppings. I ordered mine "all the way" with their suggested list, just to see how they imagined the ideal burger: mayo, mustard, ketchup, tomatoes, lettuce, Mt. Olive kosher pickles, grilled onions and grilled mushrooms (this last one is a little unorthodox, but a nice touch). On request, you can add fresh onions, Mt. Olive kosher relish, jalepeno peppers, hot sauce, A-1 sauce, or Cattleman's BBQ sauce. They pay a lot of attention to the patties here (each one is hand formed and never frozen), so there is the danger of too many toppings. Next time I might just get the mayo and the relish.

A regular order of french fries is actually a "small" (as is the drink). However, to create a regular order of fries, they fill a 10 oz styrofoam cup with hand-cut fries, and then dump at least that much again into the bag. There are easily more "bagglers" than official fries.

They are an efficient team at 5 Guys, so even though they make everything to order, you don't have to wait very long. But while you wait, you can help yourself to bulk peanuts in the shell--a nice bit of Virgina. (The nuts are not allowed to leave the restaurant--but I smuggled a few out in my bag.)

Five Guys began almost 25 years ago in Arlington, VA--basically the DC area--but it has now spread throughout the country. There are currently over 300 restaurants, with Utah locations in Bountiful, West Valley, Fort Union, Sandy, and Orem (the newest). 5 Guys has an east-coast feel (kosher ingredients, anyone?) and provides an nice, meaty alternative to all the California burger clones in the area. Its primary decor consists of signs praising itself. It does have a Zagat Survey rating for best hamburger in DC--the only chain to receive this honor. 5 Guys serves up fry sauce in addition to ketchup. Is this an accommodation to the local culture, or is this also the case at their other restaurants? This raises again the question: Will In-N-Out offer fry sauce when it eventually opens in Utah Valley?

It's the same every year: They come, they eat, they leave.

2009-04-04T20:23:00.000-07:00

It's general conference priesthood session again. This means that hordes of men and boys in white shirts descend on the local eateries at about 8:05 (except for those few who skip out before the closing prayer). I always feel sorry for any women who haven't cleared out by then--or those poor folks driving by on I-15 who think it might be good just to stop off at the Cracker Barrel in Springville. It must look like a convention for 12-year-old IRS agents.

Unless you want to be seriously standing in line, you need a strategy. First, you need to arrive early--not to get a good seat but to get a good parking spot. Parking parallel on the street is best, as long as you don't have to walk very far. Otherwise, park as close to the door as possible, facing out. On principle, we stay through the closing prayer and always stay to put away a few chairs before dashing out the door. There are always those who leave right after the last speaker. Not only does this violate my sense of fair play--we also end up putting away their chairs!

We make our way quickly to our car and head out, careful to drive safely and courteously and to observe all traffic laws. Don't even think about JCW's. It's not only popular, but across town, which means you have to somehow get there sooner than those whose church buildings are actually closer. Also, forget Chili's. I guarantee that it is still overrun with women at 8:05. (Zuppa's is way out--on many levels. "Guess where we're going, boys!") We tried Arctic Circle once, but then we were battling the Lehi crowd.

Our tradition (having been there twice now) is Asian Buffet in American Fork. We're trying to keep this to ourselves, but apparently word is out. It was crowded, but they were prepared. They had us all seated quickly, and since it's a buffet, everyone gets their food right away. We even had a coupon. And the food is really good too. The signs over the buffet items are handwritten on 3X5 cards in both English (sometimes "Engrish") and Chinese--always a good sign. Every one who works there is also Asian, and there is a fair amount of chatter in Chinese. It looks like they actually cook the food on site, rather than having a Sysco truck drive up with generic Chinese American. In addition to a wide range of Chinese options, there is a decent sushi bar and Mongolian barbecue. They have excellent pastries, and ice cream. One of my sons had nine desserts. And even though it was crowded, the service was great. They keep your drinks filled, and I've never seen anyone clear a table so fast. They obviously make their money on volume.

There were a few confused folks who must have been from out of town, but mostly it was a sea of white shirts (in a range of sizes).

I wonder what the folks who work there think. Have they figured out the semiannual nature of this horde of Mormon crickets? Or does it just look like every man and boy in town decided to get dressed up and eat out at exactly the same time? Whatever it was, by 9:00 it's all over. (We would have still be in line at Chili's.)

Wei to Go

2009-04-02T19:00:00.000-07:00

One of the popular trends in dining out is what some call "fast casual dining." This lies somewhere between "fast food" (McDonalds in its many incarnations) and sit-down casual restaurants such as Chili's, Applebee's, or TGI Friday's. A fast casual dining restaurant typically offers restaurant-quality food but without a table service. These are particularly popular here in Utah, where diners are notoriously bad tippers.

Fast casual includes popular places such as Noodles and Co., Rumbi Island Grill, or one of my favorites--Pei Wei (pronounced "pay way").

Pei Wei is a fast-casual version of P. F. Chang's China Bistro. The food is good, but a lot faster and less expensive than it's full-service sister. Most dishes range from $6.75 to 8.25--$9.00 at the top end if you're having shrimp. With a combo meal at the local fast food place running about $5.00, you can upgrade your meal considerably by checking out a fast casual place.

I like the Orange Peel Chicken or the Spicy Korean Beef. I've also tried the Chicken Pad Thai. AnneMarie usually gets the Dan Dan Noodles with chicken. (She needs to find something between mild and medium on the spiciness scale.) As starters, they offer the lettuce wraps that everyone seems to want to get at P.F. Chang's. We haven't tried those for some reason, but we usually get an order of spring rolls.

Right now the closest P. F. Chang's is in Sandy, near the South Towne Center.

Rubio's Returns to Utah Valley

2009-03-31T10:16:00.000-07:00

I should probably mention that I'm on a quest for the best fish taco. Like most quests, this one has a certain pointlessness and an indeterminate end date. What it means is that when someone offers a fish taco on their menu, I usually try it. So far, I've been pretty disappointed (but not deterred). Most restaurants either have good fish (McGrath's or Magleby's) or good tacos (the now defunct Rosa's), but rarely do you find both. The best I've found is at the Lone Star Taqueria, a Cottonwood Heights legend, but more on that another day.

The best "fast food" fish taco I've found is at Rubios, which has finally returned to Utah Valley. Rubio's began in 1983 as a walk-up taco stand. It was started by Ralph and Ray Rubio in San Diego, CA. As a young man Ralph Rubio had enjoyed fish tacos on his frequent trips to San Felipe in Baja. Provo used to have a Rubio's at the current site of L&L, but when it closed, I had to travel to the Rubio's at 700 East between 300/400 South (by Wild Oats). Now Rubio's has opened at the Meadows in American Fork (just off the Main Street exit). I have to admit that I've been spoiled by some of the better tacos I've had. Sometimes, the Rubio's taco does taste a lot like a big fish stick. It can depend on how well it has been deep fried and how carefully it has been assembled. Remember this is fast food. The Chili-Lime Salmon taco offers a bit of an upgrade, and they also offer a Mahi Mahi taco. (Mahi Mahi sounds a lot more exotic and appetizing than "dolphin fish.") I actually liked the Rubios Carnitas taco best of all. (Perhaps a new quest?) It comes with a really good chimichurri sauce (which is more Argentina than Baja, but it still tastes good).

At their grand opening, Rubio's offered a year's supply of tacos to the first 50 people in the door. Unfortunately, I had to work that day, or we would be "livin' large."

Rubio's is part of the "Fresh Mex" movement that I usually associate with California but that can now be found throughout the country: Rubio's, Bajio, Cafe Rio, Costa Vida, Chevy's (no longer in Utah), Baja Fresh, Qdoba, Taco del Mar, Barbacoa, and Chipotle. If you want some Sonoran food (by way of contrast), try Mi Ranchito at one of its several locations. (But even Mi Ranchito has adjusted its menu to be a little more "Fresh Mex.")

Nothin' Could be Finer . . .

2009-03-30T16:07:00.001-07:00

Charlie Boy's Pit BBQ in Springville advertizes itself as "authentic Carolina BBQ." There are certainly signs that it is authentic. You can see the smoker and smell the rich BBQ smoke everywhere. Also, you can buy meat in bulk. That's always a good sign.

What makes it Carolina? There are several distinct regional barbecue traditions. The Carolinas are rich enough to have several of their own. Charlie Boy's provides an eastern-style Carolina BBQ, which means pulled pork, slaw, and a vinegar/hot pepper sauce. (They also offer a beef sandwich, but it is pulled brisket rather than the sliced brisket more common to Texas style.) I didn't find as many sides as I expected, but they did offer up a pretty good potato salad (a little on the sweet side) and good beans. Carolina usually means "whole hog" barbecue, which apparently CB's sponsors on occasion. I thought the sauce was great, on either the pork or beef. (The pork is more authentic Carolina, but I actually like the beef better.) Next time, I'll check into getting a bottle. I'm a big fan of slaw, and I like theirs a lot. And do you suppose you could just get a dozen of their soft rolls?

Charlie Boy's is on 1400 North Main Street in Springville, on the site of the old Brand X Burger (which I never had a chance to sample). There is no indoor seating, but some nice shaded outdoor seating for when things warm up again. (There is a second Charlie Boy's in Lehi.) I'll definitely be back in the summer.

In-N-Out is Coming to Utah--in a big way

2009-03-27T09:43:00.000-07:00

All right, it's true that In-N-Out is already in Utah, but it's in St. George, which always feels a little more like Arizona or Nevada to me than Utah. Now it's coming to northern Utah in a big way. Locations are approved an under construction in Draper, American Fork, and West Jordan, and plans are under way for Orem and Layton. The American Fork location has garnered interest because of Chadder's, an In-N-Out knock off. (It's like In-N-Out, but with fry sauce.) Will In-N-Out but Chadder's out of business? Or does have Chadder's have enough of a local following that it can stand up to the California chain? (By the way, Chadder's has just opened a new location in West Valley. Let the battle begin!) Now we can settle the debate about which is better by doing a side-by-side comparison (something that would have required an airplane before).

The Orem location is also interesting because In-N-Out will compete with two other out-of-town chains: EZ Take Out (another CA product) and Five Guys (which originated in Washington, D.C.). Anyone up for the local legends meets out-of-towner burger throwdown? We can try Chadder's, Parker's, Burger Supreme, Apollo Burgers, and Crown Burgers and compare these to In-N-Out, EZ Take Out, and Five Guys. (Then we can all check into the cardiac unit.)

Parker's Drive-Inn

2009-03-27T09:29:00.000-07:00

Somehow Parker's Drive-Inn has managed to survive the proliferation of fast-food places in American Fork. There are other "indie" hamburger places in the north valley (JCW's, Purple Turtle, Chadder's), but Parker's is one of the originals. Lillian Parker has owned and operated Parker's for 55 years, and you can still find her working the grills in the back. As I've said in another entry, "Parker's is what Arctic Circle was 50 years ago." I like the fact that you can get a "stake sandwich" there (it's taste that matters, not spelling) as well as some truly "old school" burger joint extras: lime rickey, foot-long hotdog, brown topper, and some great shakes. The only setting at Parker's is outside (at one of the busiest intersections in American Fork), so plan on carry out. You should also be prepared to stand in line, not because they are slow, but because they are busy. They do a brisk call in business (why don't I ever think of this?), and woe to you if you get caught behind the call-in order from Cabela's or Doug Smith Autoplex. (I've had both experiences.) In an age of mass production of food, I'm not sure how long Parker's will stick around, but given the following it has, Parker's might occupy the corner of 500 East and State Road for a long time. (Check out the Herald Extra story on Parker's.)

Luck + Cash = Girl Scout Cookies

2009-03-14T19:12:00.001-07:00

Girl Scouts never come to our door selling cookies, which is too bad, because we buy just about everything that some kid is selling--football, cheerleading, Boy Scouts, and especially band. (But for some reason, I don't buy anything from those kids who are part of some program to "keep them off the streets"--obviously not working.) We're only able to score GS cookies once every few years, and it's usually by chance. I got some several years ago because someone at work was selling on behalf of her daughter. My son and his friend happened upon some in the parking lot at The Canyons ski resort.

Leaving work on Friday, I found a few girls selling boxes at on the corner across from the bottom of the Maeser hill, just off BYU campus. Knowing the city of Provo, this is probably illegal. Let's hope that if they police did show up, they bought some cookies before moving the little girls along.

The other amazing fact was that I actually happened to have some cash in my wallet--enough for two boxes. ($3.50 per is the going rate.) My favorites? Thin Mints and Do-Si-Dos.

A word to moms and other adult leaders who help with the cookie sale--let the girls actually do the selling. When I got to the little card table, I asked the girls if they had Thin Mints. The adult accompanying them took over immediately. Remember, Courage, Confidence,and Character. Girls will learn this by taking the responsibility themselves. The adults should just be kicking back in a lawn chair nearby.

Licorice

2008-09-28T09:38:00.000-07:00

What we normally think of as "licorice" flavor is really anise, a plant closely related to the carrot family, which includes dill, fennel, coriander, cumin and caraway. (The leaves, stems, seeds, and bulb of the fennel plant are used in all kinds of cooking, and they all add a licorice flavor.) Only recently did I learn that the true licorice plant is entirely different. It a legume (think peas and beans) used in a lot of European black licorice candies. The common ingredient in anise, fennel, and licorice is anethole, the chemical that gives all three that "licorice" smell and taste. But licorice also contains glycyrrhizin, a sugar 30-50 times sweeter than sugar.

Twizzler's Black Licorice, as an example, has a trace amount of licorice extract, but most of the flavor comes from anise. If you want to try authentic licorice (made from the extract of the plant), I recommend Kookaburra Liquorice (imported from Australia), or RJ's Licorice (imported from New Zealand). Both are available at local grocery stores. (I bought mine at Macey's.) Both companies also make licorice allsorts, but the classic allsorts are Bassett's, made by Cadbury.

On my mission in Denmark, I also discovered salt licorice, or salmiak, truly an acquired taste. (In Denmark, it's called saltlakrids.) Salt licorice doesn't actually have any salt. The salty taste comes from ammonium chloride, or sal ammoniac. The name salmiak derives from this compound. If anyone knows where you can buy this stuff locally, I will be much obliged. (The great thing about developing a taste for salmiak is that you usually don't have to share.)

Red licorice, of course, isn't licorice at all, but it's the most favorite variety of the candy. Black licorice was originally just "licorice," but when red licorice came along, black licorice got its name. This linguistic change is called a "retronym." (For example, some people refer to "Rocky" as "Rocky I" to distinguish it from all the other movies. World War I didn't get that name until World War II.) The red licorice topic raises another important question: Red Vines or Twizzlers?

Applebee's Makes it Up to Us

2008-09-10T09:32:00.000-07:00

After my long rant against Applebee's (and an email to corporate), I got a call from the manager of the store in American Fork. She explained that what I experienced is not their normal level of service, and they wanted to make it up to me somehow. So she agreed to send me a voucher for two free meals including entree, dessert, and drinks. (It turned about that it didn't include dessert after all, but that was all right.) She also made a particular point of saying that I should call ahead so that they would know I was coming.

But what is the point of announcing that you're coming? Of course you'll get good service that way. AnneMarie and I stopped by without advanced notice because I wanted to get the same service that regular folks get and also because I didn't want everyone fawning over us to make sure they got everything right. The food and service were fine. When we gave the voucher to the server, the manager came over to make sure that we had had a good experience.

Overall, I feel that they're at least trying harder over at Applebee's (although I still like Chili's better for consistently good food and service).

Sorry about that . . .

2008-05-17T20:11:00.000-07:00

I heard this phrase several times at Applebee's tonight. I'm not sure why we keep going to the one in American Fork. I like some of the menu items, but usually it's disappointing, and the service tonight was terrible. You would expect the A team on a Saturday night. If this was it, then I can't imagine what it would be like on a Wednesday night.

1. The Wait. I don't mind waiting 30 minutes on a Saturday night--in fact I have come to expect it. But while we waited, I counted 14 empty tables, just waiting to be cleared and wiped down. And the two hostesses were having a hard time figuring out how to match tables with customers. They kept talking about the need to get people seated, and yet . . . . For some reason, they kept running out of menus too. Obviously, they were short handed.

2. The Wiping. When we were finally seated, they still hadn't wiped down the table, so we had to wait even after we were shown to our table.

3. Napkins and utinsels. We only noticed that we didn't have these when we got our food and had nothing to eat with. We had to flag down our server to get some. I couldn't even swipe any from another table.

4. Bruschetta Burger. AnneMarie and I both like this dish designed by celebrity chef Tyler Florence, but if Tyler could see how they were preparing them lately, he would probably take his name off the menu. These are supposed to come with garlic fries (fries with olive oil, garlic, and shaved parmesan cheese). But they didn't. And every time we order a "broosketa" burger, the server "corrects" our pronunciation to "broosheta." I don't mind if people want to go with the Americanized pronuncation, but it bugs me when they consistently correct the proper pronunciation. At least they get "fajita" right.

5. More water, please? We got one glass of water each and the server kept threatening to bring us more. When she finally realized that she hadn't, it was time for the check. (She probably should have brought some anyway.) The receipt had the manager's cell number on it. I kind of wanted to call right then.

I would like to say that it was just an off night, but I've had similar experiences each of my last visits to Applebees. So if you're in the neighorhood of the Meadows in AF, then check out Chili's.

Women and Girls Out by 8:15

2008-04-06T17:38:00.000-07:00

I've often thought it must be an odd experience for anyone just traveling through Utah to pull off the freeway at a local eatery about 8:15 pm on the first Saturday in either April or October. They would find themselves surrounded by famished hordes of men and teenage boys wearing white shirts and ties. It's a semi-annual male-bonding experience.

Unless you want to be waiting for a long time, you need a plan. Some eat dinner before the meeting and go for treats after. We like to go for dinner afterward. We've tried different strategies. When we went up to the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, we stopped afterwards at Crown Burgers on North Temple. Here we met a shoulder-to-shoulder crowd of hungry men and boys with a handful of bewildered out-of-towners. I think CB served about 15,000 people in an hour. The next visit to the Conference Center, we stopped at the Denny's just off the 4500 South exit. Here there was no crowd at all, but some suspicious looks from the few people there. (Don't people in Murray go to General Priesthood meeting? Or to they just not go to Denny's?) Getting out of the downtown certainly makes a difference. (You'll be dining late either way.)

Here in American Fork, we've tried Arctic Circle in Lehi (moderate crowd), Quiznos (moderate), JCW's (ridiculously crowded), and Gandalfo's (our little secret). In the race to your chosen place, a few minutes can make a huge difference. We've decided against going to a church closer to where we want to go, but we quickly learned that it's a good idea to back into your parking place and plan a route that involves mostly right turns. It's bad form to leave during the closing song, and you should at least put away any folding chair that you sat on, but otherwise, it's quickly out the door. Remember to drive with courtesy and caution, but also with purpose.

Don't even think about some place like Chili's, Applebee's, Cold Stone, or Maggie Moo's. These are probably still occupied by the mothers and daughters who basically own the town between 6-8 pm. But there oughtta be a rule that all girls need to clear out by 8:15. Ladies, it's in your best interest. Otherwise, you'll find yourself surrounded by deacons and their dads. (The only real difference between these two is the size of their bank account.)

Willie Mae's Scotch House

2008-04-06T16:04:00.000-07:00

Willie Mae's Scotch House is old-fashioned Southern cooking at its best. This restaurant lies on St. Anne's Street in the Treme neighborhood just outside New Orleans' French Quarter. New York City's Ed Levine ("the missionary of the delicious") describes Willie Mae's fried chicken as the best he has ever had. After a recent trip to New Orleans, I have to agree.

For $10 you get three pieces of chicken. The chicken has a light flour coating that leads to a crisp skin (so crisp that it has a light "snap"). There's also a bit of heat from ground red pepper and whatever other spices they use. It's not overbearing, but it does sneak up on you a little. The chicken is moist and juicy and has probably been soaked in buttermilk. You get your choice of several sides: French fries, red beans and rice (my favorite), butter beans and rice, green beans and rice, potato salad, or green salad. You could also choose the breaded pork chop, which is about as good as the chicken. They have bread pudding for dessert (if you have room).

In 2005, after cooking chicken for nearly 50 years, Willie Mae won an "America's Classic" award from the James Beard Foundation, an award given to "down-home eateries that have carved out a special place on the American culinary landscape." Later that year, along with much of New Orleans, Willie Mae's restaurant was destroyed by Katrina and the flooding that followed. With only the clothes on her back and her Beard award in her purse, Willie Mae fled before the storm. When she returned, the restaurant had been ruined.

Led by the Beard Foundation and the Southern Foodways Alliance, volunteers stepped in almost immediately to rebuild and restore this legend. It's now run by Kerry Seaton, Willie Mae's great-granddaughter, who follows the original secret recipe.

The inspiring story of this rebuilding has been told in Gourmet Magazine, on the Travel Channel, on CNBC, and on Food Network's Good Food with Dave Lieberman.

If you're planning a trip to New Orleans, take a taxi out to Willie Mae's. The area right around the restaurant is safe, but it's a long walk from the French Quarter beneath the I-10 freeway (where you will still find dozens of tents housing those still displaced by the storm). The restaurant will gladly call you a cab for the return trip. Allow some time, because they take their time to get it right. You also want to get there earlier in the afternoon because they start running out of popular items (such as a the delicious Creole-style red beans and rice). They are open for lunch, 11-5.

Here is a great video telling the story, but it's several minutes long.

Crown Burgers--The Tastiest Parking Downtown

2008-03-30T15:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we ventured downtown Salt Lake to see the Video Games Live! concert with the Utah Symphony. Crown Burgers on North Temple/300 West seemed like a good place to grab something to eat. Little did we know that it would also pay for parking. If you spend at least $14 for food you can get an event parking pass for the Crown Burgers lot for the evening. From there it is a short walk to Energy Solutions Arena, Conference Center, the Gateway, or Symphony Hall (our destination).

Crown Burgers is a downtown legend which has now become a small chain. The original CB is on 200 South and 400 East, but the North Temple location is well know to thousands of men and boys who have crowded the joint following General Priesthood meeting. Unfortunately, there are no restaurants in Utah Valley. Like Astro Burger, Apollo Burger, and Burgers Supreme, Crown Burgers was started by a Greek family, so in addition to hamburgers, you can also get gyros and souvlak i (kebabs). As far as I know, CB is the first Utah Greek burger diner.

AnneMarie got the chicken gyro, which has a great tzatziki sauce. I got the Crown Burger, which is a 1/4 pound hamburger with hot pastrami stacked on top. They have thick-cut fries and their own variation on fry sauce. Because each CB restaurant is owned separately (by a different branch of the Katsanevas family), each one has slightly different menu items and decor.

EZ Take Out Burger

2008-03-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

For years, people have speculated about when In-N-Out Burger might finally open a place in Utah. This place has a cultish following, and with so many former Californians in the state, Provo would seem like a gold mine for In-N-Out. There are those who say that In-N-Out is anti-Mormon (but aren't there plenty of church members in So. California?) I suspect that they haven't opened a joint in Utah because they only use fresh ingredients. Apparently, Las Vegas and Phoenix are about as far as you can ship the fresh ground beef from Baldwin Park, CA. I'm sure that part of their desire to keep the chain relatively small is to maintain the "aura" surrounding it (in the same way that Harley Davidson does with their motorcycles).

There are conflicting reports of In-N-Out coming to Washington (near St. George), but according to the Dixie Sun, In-N-Out will open there in May.

The desire for In-N-Out also fueled the craze about Chadder's in American Fork which was well documented in this blog (look under "hamburgers").

Now along comes EZ Take Out, another hamburger place that seems oddly familiar. This California chain first got started in 1969 in Upland, CA, and it competes directly with In-N-Out (which got started in 1948). Sometimes, these may even be across the street from one another. They offer a simple menu: hamburger, cheeseburger, "double take" (which is a double cheeseburger) and a couple of chicken sandwiches. You can get your any of these "monster style," which is like In-N-Out's "animal style.) Interestingly enough, they also have breakfast burritos.

I know that people get pretty fanatical in the California burger wars (don't even try to talk to fans of Tommy's), but I think EZ is a pretty close approximation of In-N-Out, and probably a bit better than Chadder's. But it looks like if you crave the real thing, your drive down I-15 will become a bit shorter in May. (St. George is still technically Utah, right?) Too bad we can't just buy a fresh one of each and do a true side-by-side. (This would be a bad day to get your cholesterol checked.)

The Whistle Wok

2008-03-15T18:34:00.000-07:00

The Whistle Wok may be the world's only Chinese take-out/dine-in restaurant with a railroad theme.

The Whistle Wok actually began life as The Whistle Stop, a sandwich and ice cream place. As in the Dairy Keen in Heber City, there was a model train than ran around a track at the top of the walls near the ceiling. There were also pictures of trains on the wall.

I don't remember ever going to the Whistle Stop, and it didn't last long. But the Chinese place that replaced it has become an American Fork institution. I suppose it was to save money, but the new owners just changed the name from Whistle Stop to Whistle Wok and kept the train theme. (The pictures on the wall and the model train and tracks are still there, but I've never seen the train running.) They also continue to serve ice cream.

The Whistle Wok does a brisk business. The food is typical Chinese American fare: garlic beef, sweet and sour pork, General Tso's chicken, orange chicken, cashew chicken, egg rolls, won tons, etc. Occasionally, they'll have something a little unique (like the sesame-paste pineapple dumplings they were handing out tonight). But most of it is just what you would find at similar places (including Panda Express or Smith's in AF). And it's cheap. In addition, where else can you get hand-scooped ice cream to go with your kung pow chicken? With ice cream, trains, noodles, and finger foods, it's a great place for kids.

We go on occasion when AnneMarie gets a craving for hot and sour soup. Their soup needs to be hotter and more sour, but it's still pretty good for $1.69. It's the perfect remedy for when AM has a cold. It also brings back fond memories of going with her mother to the popular Golden Gate in Mesa, Arizona, which has great hot and sour soup. (I also liked their lemon chicken.)

The Whistle Wok tried to open a second location on the west side of American Fork over by Sears in what would seem like a better location, but perhaps one Whistle Wok is enough.

Pizzeria Seven Twelve

2008-03-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

On a chalkboard mounted on the wall of Pizzeria Seven Twelve is the following quotation from Alice Waters: "When you have the best and tastiest ingredients, you can cook very simply and the food will be extraordinary because it tastes like what it is."

This quotation identifies the roots of 712 in California cuisine and also demonstrates their commitment to excellence. They take pizza to an art form.

712 takes its name from the proper temperature needed to cook pizza dough. Their name suggests an attention to detail that is evident in the food. The chefs, Colton and Joseph, came from the Tree Room at Sundance, which has long set the standard for fine dining in the Utah Valley area. But unlike the Tree Room, 712 is affordable. The pizza here costs about the same as pizza at California Pizza Kitchen, but at 712 you don't feel like you're eating at a chain restaurant. And I'm going to say that the pizza is better (even though I really like CPK).

712 reminds me of those small neighborhood restaurants you find in New York City. It may only have a dozen tables. As a result, you may find yourself waiting for a table at busy times (although we went about 1:00 pm and were seated immediately). This may also not be the best place to take young kids. Also, they don't do take out. But who would want to "take out" one of these pizzas when you can eat it hot out of the wood-fired oven in such a nice environment. (If you're really looking for take out, drive on down to CPK.) We found the service there to be great. If you're not sure what some of the ingredients are, just ask. Need a recommendation on a pizza? They're more than happy to oblige.

I visited 712 with Ed, a friend from work. While we waited for our pizza to cook, we polished off the complimentary handmade hummus with pizza crust cut into triangles.

He had the pizza margherita, a Neapolitan classic (which the server casually referred to as "our Marg"). It is tomato sauce, hand-pulled mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil. I had pizza with speck, sopressata, garlic, and mozzarella. Readers of this blog know that my favorite kind of pizza is cheese pizza (which I would expand to include a good margherita). I normally don't like sausage on pizza unless it's really good. And soppresata is really good. (I asked the server about it.) It's an Italian dry-cured salami, but a long way from the greasy, waxy salami you get at the grocery store. Speck is a cured and smoked prosciutto from the South Tirol area of Austria (near the Italian border). The smoking is what sets it apart from regular prosciutto, which is typically dry cured. I think we both liked this second pizza better. Ed's pizza was $9.50 and mine was $11.50. These 10 inchers were more than enough for one but probably wouldn't have been enough for two large guys to share (unless we had ordered salads are some other accompaniment.) These prices are comparable to CPK. In fact, although I haven't checked, I think 712 may be slightly cheaper.

We decided against dessert, but their offerings look pretty enticing: apple cobbler, panna cotta, and chocolate cake with premium vanilla ice cream. (AnneMarie and I will make a trip back for dessert.) The dessert menu shows their commitment to high quality local ingredients. The panna cotta is made with creme from local Winder Farms, and the premium vanilla is from the Spotted Dog.

Here's the only problem with 712. It's kind of hard to find. It's located on the ground floor in one of the buildings in the upscale Midtown Village commercial/residential development at about 400 S. and State Street in Orem. (Since I blog about food, not architecture, I'll just say that you can't miss it.) It's much easier to turn in coming from the North, or perhaps from Orem Boulevard (State Street's parallel universe). But perhaps it's all right that 712 requires a bit of work to find. The more for the rest of us.

Joseph and Colton are also fellow food bloggers. Check them out.

Ono Kaukau

2008-02-29T13:34:00.000-08:00

Utah has a pretty strong connection to the Islands, to Hawaii in particular. It seems like everyone you meet there (whether they're LDS or not) has an auntie who lives in West Valley City. As a result of this, Hawaiian places here in Utah have come and gone, particularly in strip malls, where rents are relatively cheap.

Opening a restaurant has been an important part of the immigrant experience in this country, but I've noticed that if you want to try out one of these places, you have to be quick, because many are gone pretty quickly. (A good example is Tiki’s Island Eats, which I happened to visit for lunch before it disappeared. I think it's now a Thai restaurant.)

Here's the real Hawaiian experience. Last summer I was on a long bike ride with the Scouts from our troop. On a Saturday afternoon, we were riding on Geneva Road down by the Provo boat harbor and road past a place where a family had set up a grill and was selling "plate lunches" in their own driveway. (I didn't have time to stop, so I'll have to see if I can track them down this summer.)

What is a plate lunch? It's a traditional Hawaiian take-away lunch that includes some kind of meat, a couple of scoops of rice, and a scoop of either macaroni salad or potato salad. These were historically prepared for workers in the field. In Hawaii these are often served out of a little shack with a couple of picnic tables out in front (painted white). Made to travel, they are usually served in a styrofoam clamshell container.

In addition to someone's driveway, Provo offers a few other options. The Aloha Grill is a relatively new Hawaiian place located in the huge retail area on the Southwest corner of State Street and University Avenue in Orem. It's in the location of the former Durango Grill (home of the "burango" and some pretty good chicken tortilla soup). This is a local place where they offer traditional Hawaiian plate lunches. There are handwritten signs taped to the walls ("soda" or "restrooms" with arrows making sure you don't confuse the two). They kept the original Mexican decor and just added some pan-Asian/pacific island tchotchkes. The food was OK, not great, but it did come served on a banana leaf, and the people working there were friendly. But I was surprised to see that kalua pork was an off-menu item. We had kalua pork with cabbage and some deep fried Mahi Mahi (with two "shrimps"). Their menu offered several other barbecue selections along with saimin, a Hawaiian variation on ramen.

The Bamboo Hut in Provo has a pretty loyal following, but my favorite is L&L. Although this is a chain, it's a Hawaiian chain, found throughout the islands (at 52 locations). And the older L&L restaurants offer some local variety. This is where you'll find the real deal. (If you're visiting the temple or BYU-H in Laie, make sure you stop off at the L&L.) In addition to plate lunches, you'll find laulau, BBQ short ribs, loco moco, chicken katsu (one of my favs), saimin, and spam musubi (a Hawaiian variation on sushi). For dessert you can get malasadas, the Portuguese-style doughnuts that are usually sold out of vans or trailers. For those without a sense of adventure, they have hamburgers.

Want to have your own luau? Bamboo Hut and L&L offer catering, and you can also order items from BYU catering's "islander buffet": kalua pork, shoyu chicken, long rice, sweet and sour chicken, lomi lomi salmon, and guava sheet cake. Now that's ono kau kau ("oh no, cow cow," which means "delicious food").

We've also learned that you don't need an imu (underground oven) to make kalua pork at home. Just buy a couple of pork shoulders, add lots of salt and some liquid smoke and wrap these in foil. Stick them in a roaster oven for several hours, pull the meat, and add more liquid smoke and sea salt (as needed, to taste). Eat some for dinner and put the rest in the fridge or freezer. This is a good use of your turkey roaster after Thanksgiving.

Maybe this summer I'll start selling it out of my driveway.

Rooibos

2008-02-27T16:33:00.000-08:00

I first tried herbal tea on my mission to Denmark. Once they let you in the door (which wasn't very often), the Danes were very hospitable, but it was difficult for them to find something to serve us. "Would you like a cup of coffee? A beer? Some tea?" The easiest answer was to suggest herb tea.

I'm not sure what the first herbal blend was that I tasted, but I thought it tasted like weeds. Then I got to where I really liked herb tea--particularly peppermint tea. (I used to eat that Ricola granulated tea right out of the can.)

Recently, I've been turned on to rooibos (roy-boss), or African "red tea." I first learned about rooibos by reading the No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith. The main character, Mma Precious Ramotswe, prefers the native African red tea, or "bush tea," to the imported green or black tea. Red tea is naturally caffeine free and high in antioxidants. Those who know tell me that it preserves some of the qualities of regular tea. As a result it's occasionally used as a substitute for tea or even coffee. (You can buy an "Earl Grey" variety, which is red tea with oil of bergamot, an essential oil extracted from the bergamot orange.)

My kids were a little disturbed when they saw me mixing up a cup of rooibos. "Dad," they asked, "I thought you weren't supposed to drink tea." This led to a lengthy discussion about what is really "tea" and what the Word of Wisdom means by "hot drinks." They were finally satisfied when I pointed out that just like "rootbeer" doesn't really have beer, not everything that is called "tea" is really tea. (In the world of French cooking, an herb tea is technically a "tisane," a word describing any herbal infusion.)

Red tea will taste best if you let it steep for a longer time than you would regular herb tea. Pour boiling water on the tea bag and let it sit for at least five minutes until it is a dark, rich red. I sweeten mine with sugar or honey. In Africa, milk is often mixed into the tea. Red tea also makes a good iced tea.

There are a few retail varieties of rooibos. Republic of Tea (which I haven't tried) offers several flavor blends. Kalahari offers a pure red tea along with several blends, including the "Africa Grey." You can also find varieties from Celestial Seasonings, Taz o, Lipton, and Twinings (which is my favorite). But nothing from Bigelow that I can find.

If you're going to drink herbal teas, you need to be a careful reader of labels because sometimes herb teas have regular tea blended in. I avoid green tea, black tea, and white tea (oolong). Although church members drink it in Argentina, I would also avoid yerba mat e. This isn't tea, but it's got pretty strong stimulants (as does guaran a).

Gandolfo's

2008-02-26T18:37:00.000-08:00

If Jared Fogle had eaten two meals a day at Gandolfo's instead of at Subway, he wouldn't have lost all that weight, that's for sure.

Gandolfo's is a Provo original with authentic New York roots. The founder of the chain, Craig Gandolph, got started with a deli in New York, but after he moved to Provo, he opened the original Gandolfo's in 1989. Gandolfo's now has stores throughout the West.

Subway began as Pete's Super Submarines in Bridgeport Connecticut. It is now the third largest fast food chain in the world.

Both stores offer a New York theme, but Gandolfo's feels more like a New York deli. (My favorite NY deli is the famous Carnegie Deli--right by Carnegie Hall--where they offer ridiculously huge sandwiches and cheescake. Can't make it to New York? You can now find a Carnegie Deli at The Mirage in Las Vegas. But as the name of the casino indicates, it's not the same.) Gandolfo's also offers a wider selection than Subway does. They have good pastrami and corned beef, a variety of hot and cold subs, and authentic Nathan's hotdogs, both in the original coney dog style and a "second city" (Chicago) style.

Subway is probably healthier if you get the low fat meat and forego the mayo, but looking for a New York experience close to home? Skip the subway.

Danishes at Flour Girls and Dough Boys

2008-02-20T17:28:00.000-08:00

Most "Danishes" bear little resemble to the pastry (wienerbrød) that I came to know and love on my mission in Denmark (I ate it every day--and gained about 40 pounds). Most Danish pastries are just bread with filling and a glaze. As a general rule, anything that calls itself "a Danish" isn't.) A true Danish pastry has flaky layers, like a croissant. In technical terms, Danish pastry is made from a "laminated dough." A laminated dough is created by alternating thinly rolled dough with thin slabs of butter. This type of preparation is common to croissants, brioche, Danish pastry, and baklava (which may be the ultimate source of this family of pastries). Most bakeries just don't take the time to do it right.

I've only found a few places outside of Denmark that have true Danish pastries: Larsen Brothers Danish bakery in Seattle, bakeries in Solvang, CA, a place we visited in Elk Horn, IA, and a few really nice bakeries in New York. Basically, where you find large concentrations of Danes, you typically find good Danish pastry. (Some day I need to try O & H bakery in Racine, WI. I've also heard good things about Andersen's in Santa Barbara.) The Danes claim that the pastry requires a certain technique, but they also claim that there is something about the Danish climate--the humidity, the altitude, the latitude. (In a similar way, New Yorkers claim that the secret to their pizza dough is New York's famous water--and the coal-fired ovens.) Seattle has the fortunate combination of good climate and a large concentration of Danes.

This is a roundabout way of saying that on the way from getting my hair cut to gassing up the car, I stopped off at Flour Girls & Dough Boys in American Fork to try their "baked from scratch" Danish. I saw these last time I was in, but only after I had already bought a brownie. Although the dough wasn't quite as flaky as the best I have had, their Danish pastry is certainly a cut above most and has the layers you would expect to find in a laminated dough. If you can't make it to one of the other places on the list, then give FGs&DBs a try. They obviously have the skills (Those chocolate croissants looked pretty good, and they use a similar technique.) They just need a more authentic Danish recipe (and perhaps a more conducive climate).

Pirate O's

2008-02-19T18:56:00.000-08:00

Every few months or so, AnneMarie and I make a trip up to Pirate O's gourmet food store in Draper. Pirate O's is a Utah original but should remind some of Trader Joe's. I like Pirate O's a lot better because it seems a bit more eclectic. Wonder where to go to get some squid ink pasta? Running low on pickled walnuts? Need some imported stollen for Weihnachten? Got the jones for some Jones Fufu Berry soda? Down to your last can of treacle? Looking for some single origin chocolates? Then Pirate O's is the place.

Here is a list of what we bought:

Dutch gouda cheese (all cheese was 30% off)
Danish havarti cheese
Jacob's Cream Crackers from England (You'll recognize the packaging if you're a fan of Wallace and Gromit.)
Haribo gummi bears (Germany)
Haribo "happy cola" gummi cola bottles
Chocolove raspberries and dark chocolate
Twinnings Rooibos (red tea)
Jones Fufu Berry carbonated candy

We could have bought more. I was eyeing the Sprecher's cream soda (bottled in Wisconsin), we passed on the Leibniz Butter Biscuits (Germany) because we still have some in the cupboard. We searched in vain for dark chocolate HobNobs. (They only had the milk chocolate.)

Salt Lake has some other great food stores:

Tony Caputo’s Market & Deli (downtown SLC)
Jade Market (downtown SLC)
The Store (Sandy)
Emigration Market (SLC)
Dan's Foods (Foothill Blvd and Park City)
Good Earth (also in American Fork and Orem)

In Utah County, check out Many Lands Market.

Wendy's Premium Fish Sandwich

2008-02-19T13:24:00.000-08:00

Wendy's is probably my favorite of all the fast food chains, primarily because it offers some variety. (I like the salads. Sometimes I like the chili and potato. Occasionally, I get a hamburger or chicken sandwich.) Recently, we took the family there to cash in some Christmas gift cards. (My oldest son loves Wendy's. It's the hangout place for him and his friends--a place where everyone knows your name.)

This time I tried a new menu item, the premium fish sandwich. "It's all cod!" they promise. Sure enough, it's a complete fillet of Northern Pacific cod breaded in panko (Japanese bread crumbs). (It's hard to imagine Dave Thomas coming up with a menu item that uses panko. I'm guessing this would be a little too much Food Network for him. He was a traditional burger and fries kind of guy. I guess Wendy's is trying to go upscale.) The cod is a delicious whitefish, comparable to a halibut. It tasted pretty good, although not as good as the fish and chips combo over at JCW's. But it was pretty small for what you had to pay.

But here's the real shocker. I guess I was under the impression that the fish sandwich would be healthier than the Wendy's single hamburger, but it has more calories (450 to 430) with less weight (177 grams to 226 grams). The fish sandwich also has more fat (22 grams to 20 grams), although less saturated fat. It has less protein, more carbohydrates, and fewer vitamins. It does have less cholesterol, but more sodium. The hamburger even has more fiber.

I appreciate Wendy's efforts to make their menu a little more gourmet, but if you're going to go to Wendy's, go Dave's way and get the hamburger. You get more for your money--and it's actually a little healthier.

Every wonder why Wendy's hamburgers are square? My oldest son slaved away in the Wendy's "burger mine" last year. According to him, Dave Thomas used to say, "Wendy's doesn't cut corners."

Old Spaghetti Factory is Slipping

2008-02-15T19:28:00.000-08:00

The Old Spaghetti Factory has been a favorite with our family over the years. We all have our favorites, although everyone seems to like the mizithra brown butter pasta. We went tonight to the University Mall OSF to celebrate our tax refund and were disappointed with a few details.

First, we ordered the tapenade as an appetizer which used to come with toast points. Now it comes from some kind of flat bread (a little like a big saltine cracker with no salt) which is OK as a delivery device, but not for the price you pay. Also, there was less of the tapenade itself, and, no boiled egg on top.
Second, I like to get the meatloaf at dinner, but they've changed the recipe. The meatloaf used to have a cheese and Italian sausage filling. I couldn't really taste the sun-dried tomatoes either. Now it's just uniform meatloaf. I'll have to figure out how to make my own.
Third, my daughter got spumoni with no pistachio. (The OSF spumoni has chocolate, cherry, and pistachio--the real "Neapolitan" ice cream.) I realize you can't always get equal amounts of each, but you hope for a mixture.
Fourth, the top layer of cheese on the lasagna was a little hard--as if it had sat too long.
Fifth, no mints. They used to have these great chocolate/spearmint starlight mints.

I'm sure we'll go back again because it's one of the few places we can all agree on, but I won't be ordering the meatloaf any more.

Chocolate-covered Cinnamon Bears at the BYU Candy Counter

2008-02-15T10:18:00.000-08:00

Those visiting BYU from other universities are often surprised to see a candy counter at the heart of our campus bookstore. Other university bookstores typically sell books, sweatshirts, mugs, and other college paraphernalia. Not only does BYU have a candy counter, but it's in the center of the bookstore.

And since yesterday was Valentine's Day, the place was hopping with men of various ages desperate to find something that would meet the high expectations of Valentine's Day. (A student in one of my classes yesterday asked all the men in the class what men want for Valentine's Day. There was pretty universal agreement that men don't care what they get. Anything she got for a guy would be great--because it would be coming from her. Well, anything but flowers.)

For the students in my afternoon class, I picked up a couple of bags of chocolate-covered cinnamon bears--a Bookstore tradition. The chocolate coating is what you might call "grocery store chocolate," but I still find these strangely addicting. And it's a tradition. (They had a whole table full of them, which I take as a sign that they're a big hit. But while writing this, it occurs to me that you could see the table full on Valentine's Day afternoon as a sign that they're not.)

I guess I shouldn't assume that everyone likes these because I like these. (I assume that everyone loves Neapolitan ice cream--three flavors in one!--but I have learned that that isn't the case.) I sent the bag around the room, and it came back mostly full. I guess students are more discerning than I thought. Eventually, most of the first bag disappeared with a few students (all guys, now that I think about it) declaring, "These are great!" New converts.

So I brought the second bag home. I showed it to family, and AnneMarie said something like "ewwww" and then "how much did you pay for those?" Apparently, just as I am the only one who likes Neapolitan ice cream, I am also the only one who likes chocolate-covered cinnamon bears. At least Kristan and her friends get it.

We've got a get-together this week with the extended Hatch family. Maybe some of my siblings and their kids will help me polish them off.

Pancake Tuesday

2008-02-13T08:26:00.000-08:00

Last night we took the family to IHOP to celebrate national pancake day. On the Internet, there seems to be some disagreement about when national pancake day should actually be celebrated.
Some sites list September 26. Most sites list Feb 5, 2008. This is Pancake Tuesday, or Shrove Tuesday as it is called in England. This is the day before Ash Wednesday, which traditionally marks the first day of Lent. (Yes, this is also Mardi Gras, but the more restrained British and Canadians celebrate by eating pancakes.) The tradition began because people would try to cleanse their homes from all eggs, milk, and fats. The most efficient way to do this was to mix up a batch of "all you can eat" pancakes. In England, this day also involves pancake races, particularly in Olney, in Buckinghamshire, where the pancake racing tradition goes back to 1445.
The date of pancake day changes with the Easter calendar. The US Navy (that's right) has a calculator to figure out when Ash Wednesday/Easter fall in any year. So you can plan your pancakes ahead.

Those keeping a careful eye on the calendar will notice that IHOP celebrated a week late this year. They didn't want to compete with Super Tuesday.

At the NPD celebration at IHOP, you get a free short stack, but we also got a couple of sides of bacon and hash browns. Two kids wanted chocolate milk. We left a tip for the server (based on what we would have paid) and made a donation to the Children's Miracle Network. So our free pancakes cost just a little over $30.

Parker's and JCW's (and Arctic Circle)

2008-02-09T11:15:00.000-08:00

I went up to Sundance to do a little skiing recently and decided to stop off at Parker's on the way home. This gives me a chance to compare American Fork's two hamburger institutions: Parker's and JCW's.

A recent article from the Daily Herald breaks down the burger scene valley wide. JCW's came out on top, but there were plenty of good comments for Parker's too.

JCW's always brings in a crowd. They offer a wide variety of hamburgers and other grilled sandwiches. I usually order the All-American burger. AnneMarie usually gets the avacado bacon burger. I also like the pastrami burger and the bacon blue cheese. (Bacon is a pretty common feature here.) The steak sandwich is pretty good, too. The meat they use tastes to me like flank steak. They have good fries (including cheese fries), onion rings, and over-the-top shakes. None of this is health food, but they do offer soup and salad, too. And the two-piece fish and chips (with halibut--the prince of white fish) at least feels a little healthier than a burger.

Parker's Drive-Inn is a more traditional drive-in, reminicient of the old Arctic Circle. This connection is no accident. Parker's used to be an Arctic Circle. The Range Burger is a little like the Arctic Circle Ranch burger. But Parker's has put its own twist on everything. They buy all of their beef locally and mix up their own fry sauce fresh every day. They offer some classics like the lime squeeze and the brown topper (a soft-serve ice cream cone dipped in chocolate sauce, forming a hard chocolate shell). Fans of Artic Circle will recognize all of these as AC specialities. There is definitely an influence there, but Parker's is what Arctic Circle was like 50 years ago before AC turned into a fast-food chain. (Parker's doesn't have a "play place," and the only setting is outside.) Parker's also offers the "stake sandwich," which could answer either of the following questions: "What does a vampire never order at the restaurant?" or "What should we order for the high priests social?" Their burgers are better than their spelling.

If I had to choose one or the other, I would choose JCW's for the hamburgers and shakes. Both have good fries. Parker's might be the place to stop if you just want to pick up a bag of cheeseburgers on the way home from work. Both have loyal followings here in American Fork. With JCW's, Parker's and Chadder's, could we say that American Fork is the burger capitol of Utah Valley?

La Vigna

2008-02-04T09:23:00.000-08:00

It's hard to imagine that they would name a restaurant La Vigna (the vineyard), in Utah County, but that the name of the Italian restaurant that was once Ottavio's in American Fork. Charlene Winters hits it right on in her review of this restaurant in the Deseret News--it's hit and miss. Some of the dishes are very good and others disappointing. The Daily Herald offers a similar opinion--fine Italian dining, but not as fine as one would hope.

AnneMarie and I have been there twice, once for lunch and most recently for dessert. At lunch we had the buffet, which included some pretty good Neapolitan-style pizza (cooked over gas, not wood, in their brick oven) and some pasta dishes, which were a mixed bag. For dessert, I had the creme brulee, which I thought was very good. A good creme brulee should have a hard sugar glaze--it should crack when you break it with your spoon--but not be burned. The custard should be creamy and smooth. AnneMarie was looking for something chocolaty (no surprise), something like the Ottavio's chocolate cake. She had a small cake with a creme anglaise topping. (This sounds pretty fancy, but you can create your own pretty quick and easy version with melted premium french vanilla ice cream.) It turned out to be a chocolate sponge cake, which tasted OK, but not for $6. Here's one problem with La Vigna: everything seems pretty expensive for what you get. Even the dishes that taste pretty good seem overpriced. This restaurant is also pretty low on the authenticity scale. Some dishes look authentic Italian, but "Surf and Turf"? Sometimes it's just the name that is authentic. I do like the focaccia at La Vigna.

Based on the crowds, La Vigna seems pretty popular, but so is The Olive Garden--which offers inauthentic Italian food at a much lower price.

La Vigna is close by, so we may end up there again, but for good Italian, we'll probably stick with Ottavio's, Macaroni Grill, and (for inexpensive family dining) The Pizza Factory.

Say it ain't so, Joey--More on the ketchup and hotdog debate

2008-01-30T17:41:00.000-08:00

Recognize this actor? It looks like some New Yorkers like ketchup on their hot dogs after all. Actually, Matt Le Blanc isn't a real New Yorker. He only plays one of television. According to Wikipedia, "Matt has said that with the one ketchup commercial he was able to buy a house, a car, a motorcycle, and a wardrobe full of clothes."

Orville and Wilbur's--the hot dogs

2008-01-28T08:40:00.000-08:00

Last summer, the Daily Universe ran a story on the Orville and Wilbur's, the "secret snack bar" at the bowling alley at BYU (basement of the WSC). They offer hamburgers (which didn't look very special), chicken wings (which give the place its name), and the Cougar Dog, which some people claim to be a rip-off of J-Dawg's. I dropped by one day to investigate that claim, but first I want to comment on this sentence from the article:

"If a Chicago-style hot dog with sauerkraut and tomatoes, is what students want, the staff can make it. If a New York style hot dog with mustard and ketchup would please the palate, that option is available too."

First of all, sauerkraut and tomatoes don't make a hot dog a Chicago dog. True Chicago dogs don't even have sauerkraut. They have that radioactive green relish that you can apparently only get in Chicago. In addition to the relish, the distinctive features are really the tomatoes, the hot pepper, and the celery salt. For the true Chicago experience close to home, visit The Hotdog King on South State in Orem.

Second, ketchup on a NY hot dog? fuggetaboutit! That's hot dog heresy. (In NYC, ketchup is for kids--or french fries.) There is a famous scene from one of the "Dirty Harry" movies (which I confess not to have seen) where Harry and his partner investigate a scene where some guy has just been gunned down. They're looking down at the guy eating hot dogs. Harry remarks, "That is absolutely sickening." The partner replies, "Yeah, the guy was in the prime of his life, and now look at him." Harry responds, "No, not him, you just put ketchup on a hot dog!" (Anyone got a source for this one?) In Sudden Impact (1983), the writers return to this gag. After confessing that this job is starting to get to him, Harry indicates that it's not the blood or the violence--it's the fact that his partner keeps putting ketchup on his hot dog. He says, "Nobody, but nobody, puts ketchup on a hot dog."

By the way, I had the Cougar Dog with barbecue sauce and onions (the same way I order the J-Dawg). It bears only a slight resemblance. I think the BBQ sauce was probably KC Masterpiece (which is still a good bottled sauce, but not J-Dawg's homemade). And the hot dog was Vienna beef cut the way the J-Dawg's cuts theirs. The Cougar Dog also has a really good bun, but the whole combo isn't as good as the J-Dawg. The Cougar Dog bun would be really good for a cheese steak.

Baked Olives

2008-01-28T08:25:00.001-08:00

Karen Pierotti, a friend and co-worker here at BYU, recently brought to work a great Mediterranean side dish--baked olives.

This dish had two kinds of olives, small black olives and large green olives. (One recipe suggests nicoise olives and kalamata olives. I think you could use any combination you like.) There was a mixture of Italian herbs (thyme?), some sliced garlic, orange peels (without the pith) and a some olive oil sprinkled over the mixture (probably with some of the orange juice squeezed over the top). Bake this on medium heat and serve, or prepare in advance and then reheat.

You could do a lot of variations on this. The point is olives, citrus, herbs/garlic, all heated up.

Here's a recipe for a version of this from the BBC. This version adds a bay leaf (which you should remember to take out).

"No thanks, I ate bugs for lunch . . . ."

2008-01-24T11:24:00.000-08:00

In one of the few really good scenes from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Kate Capshaw's character dines on some exotic and extreme (but not very realistic) Indian food. When one of her fellow diners asks why she isn't eating, she replies, "I ate bugs for lunch."

I'm currently reading Christa Weil's Fierce Food: The Intrepid Diner's Guide to the Unusual, Exotic, and Downright Bizarre. This is an alphabetical listing of extreme foods from Armadillo to Yuba. (Armadillo is apparently tasty, but a major carrier of leprosy--caveat omnivore.)

Weil is a London-based fashion journalist, whose other books are Secondhand Chic and It's Vintage, Darling!. As far as I can tell, this is her first foray into food writing.

These are brief and interesting discussions of exotic food from around the world, most of which just sound too disgusting to eat but a few of which might be interesting. Weil has developed an interesting rating system for each item, indicating for example whether the item "has eyes," "tastes like chicken," or "may cause pain/disease/death."

This book provides good bedtime reading because each entry is only a page or so long, but you might end up with some strange dreams. (You can buy the book used on Amazon for 1 cent plus shipping.)

Fish and Shrimp Tacos at Cabo Grill

2008-01-23T07:48:00.001-08:00

Cabo grill is an American Fork original, but it's been facing some tough competition from Cafe Rio and Bajio (which have both opened on the West Side of town over by Walmart). But we're determined to keep them in business. I usually get a taco (either pork, chicken, or steak) but with no rice or beans. This time I decided to try a fish taco and a shrimp taco. I've had these before at Cabo, but these were better than I remember. The fish taco is halibut (not pollock, an inferior fish found at most other places). It is lightly breaded and deep fried with the traditional shredded cabbage and light mayonnaise sauce. The shrimp taco had a lot of shrimp with a great guacamole. Most guacamole around here is pretty bland (I'm talking about *you* Los Hermanos), but this had minced jalapenos to give it a little bit.

I'm on a quest to find the best fish taco in Utah, and for a long time, I had favored Rubio's. (I know it's a chain, but I still like the fish tacos.) But I think Cabo has been working on their recipe, because it tastes a little like Rubio's. (There used to be a Rubio's in Provo on 1320 North--where the L&L is now--but now the only Rubio's restaurants are in Salt Lake City, one on 400 South and 700 east and the other in Sugarhouse.)

According to Sunset magazine (March 2000), some of the best fish taco in the West are found at the Lone Star Taqueria at 2265 Fort Union Blvd in Salt Lake City. I've driven by, but never stopped in (more's the pity).

Easy Bread Sticks

2008-01-23T07:43:00.001-08:00

The other night we had spaghetti with some easy bread sticks made from a recipe that AnneMarie got from her sister Susie. Here it is:

1 1/2 cups water, warm
1 T dry yeast
2 T sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups flour

Mix all the dry ingredients together (including the yeast) in a large mixing bowl. Then add the water. Knead in the bowl for about three minutes, adding additional flour as needed. (The dough will be a little stickier than bread dough.) Press the dough into a greased pan and cut into desired lengths. Drizzle with 1/2-1 stick of melted butter and sprinkle with garlic and parmesan cheese. Let rest for 10-20 minutes and then bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Flour Girls and Dough Boys

2008-01-20T15:35:00.000-08:00

A new artisan bakery has opened in Utah Valley, Flour Girls and Dough Boys, at 35 N. Barrett Avenue, a location that was previously the Naborhood Bakery, which looks like has moved to Gardner Village, and before that Bryson Bakery, which has moved to Orem.

Before the run of bakeries, this was the site of Barrett's Hardware.

I haven't been there yet, but AnneMarie and her friend Cheryl went there for lunch. This looks like a great place, and it's getting rave reviews on various blogs. Cheryl had tried some of their bread at the Farmer's market at Thanksgiving Point.

AnneMarie had the turkey, swiss, and cheddar panini on the asiago bread. Cheryl had the cranberry walnut, turkey, brie (which is probably what I would have had. She took home to her husband Dale the ham & swiss panini on rustic country. AnneMarie also reports that they have monster brownies, mint or regular, for just $1.50. (Brownies are my weakness--along with chocoloate milk.)

Two Great Tastes . . .

2008-01-11T14:35:00.000-08:00

I don't know who first thought of combining chocolate and peanut, but it was genius. Maybe it really was accidental (as in those old Reese's PB cup commercials). Yesterday, I work I bought a Twix PB out of the machine. Apparently, the Twix PB replaces the peanut butter Twix, which has been around off and on for several years. Like the Peanut Butter Twix, the Twix PB replaces the caramel with peanut butter, but PB has a chocolate cookie base, instead of the sugar cookie. A quick Internet search shows mixed reviews, but I liked it.

Little Caesar's Hot N (Hardly Ever) Ready Pizza

2008-01-09T17:24:00.000-08:00

I may come across as a bit of a pizza snob, and I do confess that I do have strong preferences, but I understand that part of the appeal of pizza is its convenience. There are some nights when you just want to get everyone fed in a timely manner. This need is answered by Little Caesar's Hot-N-Ready pizza, guaranteed to be ready for pick up.

But when it's not ready, it starts to lose its appeal. Little Caesar's has an adequate taste, but it's only really worth eating because it's cheap and fast. When it's not fast, then what's the point?

AnneMarie says that there has always been pizza ready whenever she has gone--except for the time she went with me. Perhaps I'm the problem. Tonight I only had to wait about ten minutes (someone had just come in and bought 17 pizzas for a Church youth night activity. It does say "no limit.").

Once I made the mistake of going in on a Friday night, when it was raining hard, and there was football on TV. That all adds up to no pizza. They told me I would wait for 20 minutes, but it ended up being 1 1/2 hours. (I stuck around because I had already paid. I was trapped.)

Part of the problem (apparently) is that some people confuse the Little Caesar stores in American Fork and Lehi. They'll call in one place but try to pick up in the other. I imagined on this night stacks and stacks of pizzas at the Lehi store with a bewildered crew wondering where all the customers were. It's Friday. Raining. Football. Why not make a whole bunch more pizzas? Although the service at LC's is usually adequate, this night it wasn't exactly the "A Team."
Let me try to explain this. They would run out of cheese pizzas, so they would start cooking a bunch of cheese pizzas. Then they would run out of pepperoni, so they would start cooking more pepperoni. They never seemed to have both cheese and pepperoni at the same time. I like cheese, and my kids say they like pepperoni (but then sometimes they eat my cheese pizza). On top of this, if someone came in just wanting cheese or just wanting pepperoni, the LC's crew would move them ahead in the line, ensuring that those of us who wanted both would never get our pizza. (While you're making all them there pepperoni pizzas, would it hurt anything to throw in a cheese pizza or two? Just in case? I only need one.)

So although the pizza is never ready on time, at least it's always hot.

Food Memories--Jeno's Pizza Mix

2008-01-09T07:54:00.001-08:00

I got off the phone with my mom last night, and she was talking about how she had an upset stomach from eating pizza at lunch--the pepperoni is just too spicy for her. I gave my standard speech on the virtues of cheeze pizza (now my favorite kind--particulary in New York). And then I had a food memory of eating Jeno's pizza as a kid. This was the pizza that came in a box. You mixed the flour with the dry yeast, spread out the dough, put on the sauce and seasonings, and then added the cheese. It came in two varieties: cheese and sausage. But because my mom was feeding a family of hungry boys (and one girl), she added hamburger and cheddar cheese (including additional parmesan from the green container). My mom used to spread out the dough on a rectangular cookie sheet, so you ended up with rectangular pieces. And the pieces in the middle had no crusts. (Later, pizza companies would call hamburger/cheddar pizza "cheeseburger pizza.")

My taste in pizza has certainly matured, and we never buy the paramesan in the green container. Good parmesan cheese is something worth spending extra money on. It doesn't have to be the fancy reggiano, but it shouldn't be somthing that looks like sawdust either. (I have to admit, however, that I used to eat handfuls of Kraft cheese out of the can when I was a kid. I think I liked the saltiness.) But I still have a fondness for hamburger and cheddar cheese on rectangular pieces--just not out of a box.

And did you know that Luigino "Jeno" Paulucci, the food entreprenuer between Jeno's and Totonio's pizza, begin his career with the Chun King brand of "Chinese" food? He said, "When I started Chun King, my mother said to me, 'What are you doing in the Chinese food business? We're Italian.' I told her some day I'd pack her sauces." His tribute to his mother is the Michelina's line of frozen Italian food.

Dippidee

2008-01-05T07:49:00.000-08:00

Ever since Dippidee opened, I've wanted to stop by and check out the "sweet surprises," but I was afraid they might go out of business before I have a chance. (If a new food place opens in Utah county, you better get there quick, because some don't last very long.) But Dippidee is still around, and it's easy to see why.

Dippidee specializes in made to order desserts, particularly wedding cakes, and these are the real deal. But if you stop by their shop, you can also get really good cupcakes (very trendy at the moment, associated in particular with New York's Magnolia Bakery) as well as other pastries and chocolates (including a Ghanaian single-origin chocolate that I'll talk about later). Dippidee is by the Costco in American Fork.

AnneMarie and I split a chocolate cupcake with vanilla filling and chocolate frosting. (They also have a really nice website.)

Getting Caught Up

2008-01-05T07:32:00.000-08:00

I got pretty busy in November and December and fell behind on the blog. Here are a list of topics that I need to cover:

Good Earth store opening in American Fork
Almond butter machine at Good Earth (as well as ideas for making your own nut butters)
Toaster Oven restaurant opening in American Fork
Checking out the Chicago Dog at Hot Dog King in Orem
Dagoba Xocolatl bar
Single Origin Chocolates
Pirate O's
Lon's Cookin' Shack (with the deep-fried pickles)
Cinnamon-roasted almonds at the BYU basketball games
Mo's Seafood Restaurant in Newport, Oregon
Shoot's Chinese cuisine in Provo
The Orange Chicken wars (Panda Express claims to have the original orange chicken. Now there is orange chicken at Rumbi's and Applebee's. But isn't OC just a variation on General Tso's chicken?)
Trip to NYC (including the Brazil Grill, the Morning Star Cafe, the Moon Rock Diner)

Soy Salsa

2007-11-10T18:34:00.000-08:00

Tonight we picked up some food at Panda Express in Pleasant Grove. I've noticed that most of the people behind the counter at this and other Chinese restaurants in the area are hispanic. I heard the nice young man who helped us ask one party if they wanted "soy salsa."

This reminded me of the comic strip Baldo. Baldo says, "I like this Chinese restaurant because it is very authentic." The next panel shows that they probably serve soy salsa. Baldo says, "Authentic . . . with a Latin flavor."

California Pizza Kitchen

2007-10-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

As I've gotten older, my favorite kind of pizza is cheese pizza. And increasingly I like vanilla ice cream--especially if it's premium vanilla. I'm not sure what this says about me. But I'm warming up to the idea of exotic toppings on pizza. When you're talking exotic toppings, you're talking California-style pizza.

For a long time here in Utah the only pizza you could get that was really "California style" was Canadian bacon (or usually regular old ham) with pineapple. (Some people call this "Hawaiian pizza," but it doesn't come from Hawaii. (Some claim that Britain's Pizza Express invented Hawaiian pizza, but this seems unlikely.) The Brick Oven serves my favorite version of this this sliced almonds. Now you can get the real taste of California pizza at California Pizza Kitchen at the University Mall. There are also stores at the Gateway and SLC Airport. (The Brick Oven obviously shows the influence of CA pizza.)

You should know that "California" pizza is an oxymoron to pizza lovers in Chicago and New York (who believe that they have the only true pizza). But it has a legitimate pizza heritage. Like NY pizza, CA style is a thin crust pizza, so it traces its heritage back to Naples. Also, like NY pizza, CA pizza is a soft, tender crust (unlike true Neapolitan pizza, which is crisp like a cracker. You can get Neapolitan style at CPK.) Unlike NY pizza, CA pizza isn't floppy, and at least the usual CPK pizza doesn't look authentically hand tossed, but these gourmet pizzas are usually pretty small. They look rolled to me.

Pretty much all California-style cuisine traces its genealogy to Alice Waters and her legendary Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA. Waters was a fan of Tommaso's Italian restaurant in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood. She combined Tommasos ideas with her own ideas gathered from Italy and her own vision of California cuisine to create a unique style of pizza. (Imagine pizza with local organic goat cheese, fresh, handmade duck sausage, and local, organic arugula.)

At the same time Ed LaDou ("the Prince of Pizza") was experimenting with exotic pizza recipes at Prego Restaurante, also in San Francisco (Cow Hollow neighborhood). This Bay Area contribution to pizza went Hollywood when Wolfgang Puck, inspired by Alice Waters, opened Spago, a trendy Beverly Hills restaurant that provided pizza for the stars and turned Puck into one of the first celebrity chefs. Puck brought LaDou into his pizza kitchen, and between the two of them, they turned out over 250 varieties of pizza. LaDou later helped develop pizza menus for CPK, Sammy's Woodfired Pizza (currently only in CA and NV), and Hard Rock Cafe (you'll find one at Trolley Square).

Sure CPK is a chain, but it has a Bacon number of two connecting it to legendary North Beach pizza and Alice Waters. Consider it a "poor person's" trip to Spago (relatively "poor" that is, CPK pizza is about $12 for an 11" pizza).

Most of my experience with CPK has been while I'm traveling. I've had the Thai Chicken pizza at both LAX and Reagan National (and probably a couple of other places I forget). That's become my favorite. Just Saturday night I tried a new variety: mango with curry sauce.

Nina's Original NY Pizzeria & Juice Bar

2007-10-09T17:12:00.000-07:00

New York pizza is a variety of Neapolitan pizza (thin, crisp crust, cheese/tomato sauce/herbs, cooked in a wood-fired oven). This pizza followed Italian immigrant to New York in the early 20th century. Unlike it's Italian cousin, New York pizza uses mozzarella made from cow's milk (rather than water buffalo) and originally began with coal-fired ovens rather than wood. (The coal gives a wetter heat which gives NY pizza its famous droop. This is why you can fold it in half and eat it as you walk down the street--"Hey, I'm walkin' here!") New Yorkers also claim that their famous water gives the pizza a distinctive taste.

You can get some pizza at New York's original pizzeria, Lombardi's, or any of it's famous descendants: Patsy's, John's, Grimaldi's, Di Fara, Nick's, and Totonno's. Now Provo has Nina's Original.

I won't say that Nina's is in the same universe as these New York legends (you really have to go to New York), but I will say it is authentic New York pizza and as good as I've had at merely good places such as Ray's or Famiglia. Tourists dig these places, but it's not where the New Yorkers eat.

How can you tell Nina's is authentic? It's thin crust, but with that NY droop. You can only buy cheese pizza by the slice. Everything else, you have to buy a complete pie. (Some NY places only sell pizza by the pie.) They put it in the oven to warm it up after you order it. They serve it to you on a thin piece of foil. On a counter against the wall you can find chili flakes and onion powder to shake on your pizza (Did someone steal the shaker of Italian herbs?) The slices are huge, but you can fold them in half and make your own pizza sandwich (as you walk back to class. "Hey!") It's hand tossed. (You can tell because the crust is thinner at the middle and gets thicker toward the edges.) And it's got a certain smokiness that's hard to describe but is distinctly New York.

If you can't get to New York, jaywalk down to Nina's. They also offer a variety of juices, pastas, and desserts. But it's about the pizza.

Looking for the authentic Neapolitan kind? Only Settebello in Salt Lake City receives the approval of the Verace Pizza Napoletana Association. (Save this for your Homecoming date.)

Poutine, and Other Things Canadian

2007-10-07T17:40:00.000-07:00

This last weekend, Cougar Eats hit the road (or the "air" actually) on a business trips to Calgary, Canada. I only had about 36 hours, so I wanted to make sure I had some authentic Canadian food.

My plane got in about 12:30. To start off my Canadian food quest the right way, I grabbed a maple doughnut at the airport Tim Horton's, the Canadian version of Dunkin Donuts. This wasn't much different from what you would get here, but it was Canadian, and it was maple.

I picked up my rental car and started hunting out lunch. After passing McDonald's (several), Wendy's, Arby's, and other American joints, I started to wonder if Canadian cuisine had been completely overrun by its cousin to the south. I finally got hungry enough that I decided to stop at a Wendy's near the University of Calgary. (Wendy's offers better choices than most fast food places.)

As I pulled into the shopping center, I spied the Billingsgate Seafood Market (named after the famous London market). I also say the sign "fish and chips." Although Canadian provinces tend to mirror the culture of whatever states lie to the south, they also reflect the cultural influence of Britain and the Commonwealth. This means good Indian food, good Chinese, and good chip shops--although I was surprised to find a chips shop in Calgary. I decided to skip Wendy's for whatever adventure this shop would hold.

One side of the shop is the market and another is a British style chips shop. And this is the real deal. It's been in business (although not at its current location) for an amazing 100 years. The shop began in 1907, when a British emigrant settled on the plains of Canada and brought his love of fish and chips with him. I've had fish and chips at several shops in England, and Billingsgate is honestly as good as any I've had. The batter was light and not greasy at all, and the fish was fresh and flavorful. (I splurged for the halibut instead of the pollock, which is what usually passes for halibut here in the States.) They have their own special batter, which you can buy in the market. I also picked up some inexpensive imported Spanish saffron ($4.50 can.).

My hotel was next to Calgary's Chinatown (who knew?), and I apparently missed an opportunity to get some great Chinese food. Some friends ate at the Golden Inn, which is apparently a Calgary institution.

My true Canadian experience came at Harvey's, sort of a Canadian A&W (minus the root beer). Here I discovered poutine, which is french fries with white cheese curds and brown gravy. This is a traditional French Canadian dish and may possibly be the most unhealthy dish ever invented. Apparently, in Montreal and Quebec City, you can get an upscale version of this dish, but the Harvey's version was just a little much. One source told me that the best poutine is actually at KFC, but I have my doubts. But it's Canadian comfort food, and lots of Canadian stranded in Provo yearn for it. (Maybe the next time I go to KFC, I'll bring some cheese curds along and ask them to put gravy on my fries.)

Granny's vs. The Dairy Keen

2007-10-07T17:07:00.000-07:00

Returning to Provo from the Uintas through Heber presents you with two possibilities: Granny's and Dairy Keen. Both are famous for hamburger and super thick shakes.

Granny's occupies an old house on main street and 500 South. During the summer months, particularly on weekends, the line goes out the door. It's pretty cramped inside, but there is limited seating outside. Granny's "over the top" shakes and malts are so thick that you're practically eating ice cream. They have good hamburgers, fries, battered fish, onion rings, fry sauce, the usual.

The Dairy Keen offers a similar menu, but with a wider selection. Dairy Keen began life as a Dairy Queen, but when it was sold, the new owners, who were short on money, just changed the "Qu" to a "K." It became so popular that in 1998, the owners built a new building. Like Granny's, DK is also ridiculously crowed, especially on summer weekends. DK also has the added attraction of a model train that drives throughout the restaurant on a track up by the ceiling. (DK is officially the "Home of the Train.") When I visited in late August, I had a fresh peach and raspberry shake. It was thick and over the top. My friend Dale had a chocolate shake, which he didn't care for (and didn't eat--I'm still trying to figure this out. I think he's choosier about his calories.)

Both offer excellent shakes, burgers, and fries, and both have a devoted following. Some make claims for each having the best burgers and shakes in the state, but having tried both, I give the slight edge to DK. But Heber City is obviously blessed with an abundance of burger riches. (Why would anyone stop at McDonalds in Heber? Oh yeah, the shorter lines.)

Chadders is Back in Court--But is There a Settlement in Sight?

2007-10-01T08:19:00.000-07:00

This is just the latest in the continuing drama of Chadder's and In-N-Out.

Substantial Grub in Cedar City

2007-08-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

This last week, I went with my oldest son to the Shakespeare festival in Cedar City, an annual tradition (since this is our second year--if we do it twice, it's a tradition). Traveling with a 17-year-old means you need to find some substantial grub, and this means meat.

Last year, we hit a restaurent close to the hotel, the Cedar Creek Restaurant. Nothing too fancy here: it is as promised "homestyle comfort food." They offer a nice selection of hamburgers, sandwiches, grilled chicken, steaks, soups, salads, and desserts. The grilled items are the speciality, but they also offer some interesting pasta dishes. As I recall, they had pretty good homemade rolls, too.

Then we went up the canyon to Rusty's Ranch House. It's dinner only at Rusty's, and they're closed on Sunday (that's the Mormon influence). They offer substantial portions of steaks, chicken, and ribs with salad, rolls, and sweet potatoes on the side. They offer a pretty good cobbler among the desserts. We went there as a family several years ago when we were staying in a cabin at Duck Creek Village with AnneMarie's family. Her dad's nickname is "Rusty," so we had to stop there. This was the summer before AnneMarie's mother died, and the last time (really) that her entire family was all together before her mother's death. So it has some particular memories as well as good substantial food.

This year, we stopped off at the Branding Iron Texas Bar-B-Que. It's excellent stuff at good prices. Since this is Texas style, the emphasis is on the beef. They offer brisket, tri-tip, and beef ribs, but they also have pretty good sausage, chicken, and pork. We had a really good peach cobbler for dessert. I really liked the spicy beans on the side--and they were spicy. This is just off the freeway (Exit #59) on the south end of town at the Providence Crossing Center (just look for the lighthouse). Some of the best barbecue I've had in Utah.

We had intended to try an interesting place called the Market Grill. This establishment is on highway 56 out by the airport (and the dump). The Market Grill is attached to the Cedar Livestock Market (where you can watch live auctions every Thursday). Originally, it was intended to feed the ranchers who came in for the auctions. Now it is a favorite among locals. And talk about getting food close to the source.

But there was a change of plans. We met up, by chance, with my brother and his family, and ended up at Sizzler, which is a much better place for kids because they have a salad/dessert bar. I usually find Sizzler disappointing. The food seems not as good as it should be for what you pay. So I just got the salad bar. My son ordered a ribeye steak, which is usually a good choice--one of my favorites. This was an OK steak (cooked medium rare), but it could only loosely be called a ribeye. It probably came from the same neighborhood on the cow, but it wasn't the real deal. This makes mean sound like a food snob, but I'm just pointing out how when at Sizzler, you usually have to lower your expectations.

Next year, Market Grill and Milt's Stage Stop.

Ella Good Shave Ice

2007-08-20T19:34:00.000-07:00

I finally made it over to Ella Good Shave Ice on 700 East in Provo, just south of campus (down the street from J-Dawgs). This is the real deal. They even mention Matsumoto Shave Ice on their menu.

It wasn't a very busy day over at Ella's and I had to tap on the glass to get some service. But it was nice to sit by the little shack under the misters.

I ordered a medium melona flavored shave ice "Hawaiian style." This begins with a spoonful of sweet azuki beans in the bottom of the cup, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and the "light as a cloud" shaved ice. I was suprised to find between the shaved ice and the ice cream a little gummi bear. Nice attention to detail.

There are cheaper shave ice stands around where the shaved ice itself is just as good, but nothing around here approaches Ella Good for authentic Hawaiian style. I could imagine that I was a few thousand miles away.

Exotic Candy Bars

2007-08-16T18:40:00.000-07:00

When I'm on the road, I like to pick up (i.e. purchase and eat) candy bars that aren't normally in the stores in this area. Usually, these are exotic East coast candy bars like Mallo Cups, Charleston Chews (which you actually can get around here), SkyBars, Zagnuts, or Five Star bars. But today it's exotic candy bars from Idaho.

On the way to Cedar City, I stopped off at the Chevron just off the first Fillmore exit (Exit 167)going South. In addition to their "world famous chicken," I picked up an Owyhee Idaho Spud, "the candy bar that makes Idaho famous" and a Farr's Cherry Cordial. The Idaho Spud is a product of the Idaho Candy Co. (The word "Owyhee" describes a river, mountain range, and county in Idaho. It comes from three native Hawaiians--Owyhee is an older spelling of Hawaii--who were part of the Hudson Bay Co. of explorers.) The ICC makes several products, including the Old Faithful Bar and the Cherry Cocktail bar, but they are most famous for the Idaho Spud, which is a cocoa flavored marshmellow center covered in dark chocolate and coconut, and formed into the shape (roughly) of a potato. The Spud is so popular that it has its own fan club with several recipes for cooking with the Idaho Spud, including Idaho Spud fondue.

Farr's Cherry Cordial is less famous and comes from the Farr Candy Co. of Idaho Falls (since 1911). The Cherry Cordial is hand dipped chocolote with a whole cherry in a fondant center, rolled in roasted peanuts. To me, it tasted a little like a "no bake" cookie with a cherry inside. Farr's also makes the Mallo-Nut, Peanut Cluster, and Black Walnut.

Next time you're in Idaho (or parts of rural Utah), support your independent candy makers. (For an interesting history of independent candy makers, read Steve Almond's CandyFreak (2005).

Sandwiches: Shirley's Homemades vs. Kneaders

2007-08-16T18:31:00.000-07:00

I've written before about the excellent sweet rolls available from Shirley's Homemades, but I though I would stop by the other day and try out the sandwiches. They are made to order with fresh ingredients (they even cut up a jalepeno to put on my egg salad sandwich). But although the bread was really tasty, I found it a little flimsy to hold all the toppings. I guess one solution would be to have less in the way of toppings, but who wants that?

Kneaders' bread ("It's all about the bread") is a little heavier and stands up better to toppings, but I would still recommend Shirley's.

Smokehouse Pizza and Barbecue

2007-07-24T14:37:00.000-07:00

Here's the dilemma you face at Smokehouse Pizza & BBQ, do you order a pizza or get BBQ? I typically get the barbecue, which includes brisket, chicken, pulled pork, ribs, and sausage. I would generally describe the place as a combination of Texas style and Southern style. They offer three sauces: sweet BBQ, hot BBQ, and sweet mustard. But the BBQ itself comes "naked," which means that you add the sauce yourself. The meat comes from right here in Utah, and they smoke it on site. (I wouldn't describe this as a great BBQ place, particulary because BBQ is such a regional dish, but it is certainly good Q, and among the best Utah has to offer.) They offer some typical sides. (beans, corn, cole slaw, homemade chips), and some unique choices, like garlic knots (little knots of bread dough with olive oil and garlic).

But the pizza is good too. It's New York style crust (they know their NY pizza history) with some California style toppings. They call it "Neo-Neopolitan Old School." I can go with that. So you can get a classic Pizza Margharita or Pizza Bianca, but also a trendy Sweet & Spicy Thai or Buffalo Chicken.

They have also added salads to the menu, but you might want to start with a half salad because they are huge. They also have some great desserts: cobbler, peanut butter pie, carrot cake.

You really can't go wrong here because most dishes are in the $5-7 range. It's a pretty busy place around lunch time, but the service is pretty fast. You can also get take out and catering.

Smokehouse offers two locations. The original Orem location, which is in what I call "Mormon corner" just off University Parkway. This is where you find the Distribution Center, Missionary Mall, Emergency Essentials, Kneeshorts, and Deseret Book. There is also a Provo location on University near Center street (where the Underground used to be).

J-Dawgs

2007-07-23T20:30:00.000-07:00

I like a place that has a sense of its own identity.

I finally made it over to J-dawgs, the hotdog shack just south of campus on 7th east. The nice young man at the counter said, "What, you've been here before? You're kidding. Today's a day for a journal entry." Or a blog entry. There's a first for everything.

J-dawgs is literally a shack. It's about 10 x 10 with a corrugated tin roof. The do a pretty brisk business at lunch time. To save time, realize that there are two windows. You order at the first and then move down to the second to pick up your order ("like Seinfeld," explained one student, referring I think to the "Soup Nazi" episode.)

I got the beef hotdog with their special sauce, onions, and pickle spears. The special sauce is a sticky sweet (in a good way) Southern barbecue sauce. The hotdogs are good, and the soft over-sized buns are baked fresh at a local bakery every day. And the buns are big enough to hold everything (unlike most hotdog buns). Great food at a great price. Next time the Polish.

Costco Ice Cream Bars

2007-07-23T19:16:00.000-07:00

Costco food court has three frozen things that are worth mentioning: the berry smoothie, the berry sundae, and the dipped chocolate ice cream bar. The ice cream bar is pretty big, so you probably need two people. It's vanilla ice cream on a stick dipped in chocolate coating and nuts. Sometimes, they can be a little melty and messy, so grab a fistful of napkins.

Mimi's Cafe

2007-07-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

Normally, Mimi's Cafe is a lunch spot for me, but a couple of days ago we took my mom there for Mother's Day (a couple of months late, obviously). I like the bread basket there, particularly the carrot raisin bread. I've found the french onion soup to be reliably good, and my favorite is the pot roast sandwich. This time I tried the split pea soup, which was OK, but not great. AnneMarie had the meatloaf sandwich, which was huge. Pretty good, but I would stick with the pot roast (which is a chuck roast).

Mimi's has kind of a New Orleans theme, but it's really broadly American with some European influence.

Chevron Bakery in Kamas

2007-07-13T21:13:00.000-07:00

A Chevron station may be an odd place to find a bakery, but the Chevron in Kamas, UT (at the intersection of Center and Main) is famous for excellent doughnuts, particularly the apple fritters, which are about the size of a catcher's mitt (no exaggeration--really).

We picked up a fritter on the way to Scout camp last week, and it served several people. Next time you're on you're way to the Mirror Lake Highway, gas up in Kamas and load up on doughnuts.

Shave Ice vs. Shaved Ice

2007-07-07T20:11:00.000-07:00

Nothing cools you off in 100 degree weather quite like a shaved ice, or is it a "shave" ice? If you want the real deal, drop the "d." It may not be good grammar, but it's good eats.

The authentic shave ice comes from Hawaii. Perhaps the most famous stand is Matsumoto Shave Ice in Haleiwa on Oahu's north shore. This is a classic surfer town, but also famous for Matsumoto and for one of my favorite pizza places, Pizza Bob's (but more on that later). You can also find good shave ice in Honolulu. I particularly liked Waiola Shave Ice and Bakery. (We went to the store on Kapahulu.) It may sound a little odd, but along with all the rich tropical flavors, you can add sweetened azuki beans, a favorite in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean cooking.

So we do you find shave ice here in Provo. I'm eager to try out Ella Good Shave Ice, on the corner of 700 East and 820 North. You can tell it's authentic because they drop the "d" and serve up the azuki. Also, look for Hawaiian Style Shave ice with locations in Lehi, Lindon, North Orem, and Spanish Fork. As I recall, there is also a shack called Aloha Shave Ice in Lindon right across from the Pizza Factory. As far as I know, these are Utah originals, but with a strong island influence.

Now, I suppose you can still do all right with a "shaved ice" at your local Snowie or Sno Shack. But if you want the real taste of the islands, drop the "d," brah.

Snow cones have their own appeal, but should not be confused with a shave ice.

Scandinavian Eats at IKEA

2007-07-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

AnneMarie and I finally made it up to the IKEA in Draper. AnneMarie was interested in furniture, lighting, window treatments--that sort of thing. I mainly wanted to check out the food. Having served as a missionary in Denmark, I have an abiding interesting in things Scandinavian. Because AM was with me, I decided to skip the gravad lax and the herbed salmon (AnneMarie can't stand fish) and settled on the meatballs. These weren't great, but they were OK. I liked the creamy brown gravy and the red potatoes. (These are very Skandinavisk.) The ligonberry jam is good, but I wouldn't have thought of just serving it along with the meatballs. The Swedish food market is the real place to go for Scandinavian eats. You can get herring in various marinades (but watch out for the herring in aquavit!), Marabou chocolates, flatbread, gummy candies, "saft" (fruit juice), cookies, and of course the meatballs, gravy, and ligonberry jam. Too bad that they don't serve real Scandinavian hotdogs. They're just the regular old cheap hotdogs, but at least they're only 50 cents. The lingonberry soda was interesting. AM said she thought it tasted like cranberry.

Two days after checking out IKEA, I read a review of their restaturant in the Deseret News.

Chadder's Can Stay Open--For Now

2007-07-05T11:12:00.000-07:00

The judge finally ruled in the Chadder's/In-N-Out civil case. Chadder's can stay open, but it can't use any of the trademarked menu names, such as "Animal Style," "Protein Style," "3x3 Burger," "4x4 Burger," or "Double Double." (Chadder's doesn't actually *use* these names, but if customer's used these names, Chadder's would at least in some cases provide them with an item similar to the In-N-Out item.) In response to the lawsuit, Chadder's has also changed the colors of the uniforms and the trim on the building and menu. They have also added additional items to the menu that were formerly part of a "hidden" menu. But Chadder's may not be off the hook yet, because In-N-Out is still pressing the litigation. David v. Goliath. Chadder's still remains pretty busy.

I hope now we can move on to other food topics . . . .

Read the complete article from the Daily Herald.
http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/227573

At Least One Utahn Asks, "What the Heck?"

2007-06-25T10:39:00.000-07:00

Alison Moore Smith, on the blog "Mormon Momma" asks, "What the heck?" in relation to Chadder's. She writes, "Overall, Chadder’s provides a decent meal, but I can’t for the life of me figure out what all the fuss is about. I’ve heard the draw is that it reminds some of In-n-Out Burger. There’s just no accounting for what Californian’s will go for." Ooooo, a little CA bashing. But obviously it's the similarities with In-N-Out that are drawing the crowds. BTW, JCW's has better hamburgers and is closer to the temple.

Chadder's in Court Today

2007-06-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

Watch KSL news for updates. Chadder's finds itself in court today (June 25, 2007).

Chadder's Gets Sued By In-N-Out

2007-06-25T10:27:00.000-07:00

I guess it was only a matter of time, but Chadder's is currently the target of a lawsuit by In-N-Out. Here's the story from KSL TV. The Daily Herald offers an even more detailed account, including comparisons between the two restaurants.

Blogger Tim Schreiber gives the best coverage of this issue, and he has obtained copies of the actual legal documents (the restraining order). Thanks Tim for the nice work.

Blogger Mike Stratford finds Chadder "all too familiar." And this is someone who has ate at In-N-Out over 100 times while serving a mission in CA.

Get down to Chadder's while you still can.

Stevenett's Malt Shoppe

2007-06-07T10:58:00.000-07:00

It's currently just called "The Malt Shoppe" and I'm pretty sure there is a different set of owners (although The Malt Shoppe refers to itself as an "icon for ages"). But back when I was a student it was just Stevenett's (1984-1992?). (Did it become something else after that? Before it became The Malt Shoppe?) I don't ever remember eating any of the food there, although we must have had a burger or fries or something. But I do remember the shakes and the root beer floats. This is one of the first places I remember having thick shakes with mix-ins (which you can now find everywhere). Big thick Oreo shakes, or Butterfinger shakes. And on Monday nights, they would have root beer floats or 99 cents. When we were first married, AnneMarie and I would save up our spare change, and when we had enough, we would head for Stevenett's for a root beer float. I'm sure the people at the counter hated getting all the loose change, but it's what we had (and it's still acceptable as money, right?).

The Malt Shoppe offers half off shakes on Wed nights for BYU/UVSC students. I wonder if it's the same.

Tommy's Burger--Famous by noon tomorrow

2007-06-04T20:43:00.000-07:00

Before all you Californians get too excited, you need to know (as many of you do already) that this is not the "Original Tommy's," which is a California chain with the original Tommy's "shack" in Santa Monica.

Tommy's Burger in Provo does a brisk business, and obviously models itself after the California original.

Smart Cookie--It takes one to know one

2007-06-04T20:21:00.000-07:00

Smart Cookie is the ultimate snack shop just south of BYU campus--certainly a favorite during Education Week and Women's Conference. These are big cookies baked from scratch and made with care. They offer over 20 varieties, so you could have one every two weeks and not repeat a cookie for almost a year: Milk Chocolate, Semi Chocolate, Milk Chocolate Toffee, Semi Chocolate Toffee, Triple Chocolate, White Chocolate Macadamia, White Chocolate Coconut, Milk Chocolate Walnut, Semi Chocolate Walnut, Double Chocolate Fudge, Mint Chocolate Fudge, White Chocolate Fudge, Snickerdoodle, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Chocolate, Oatmeal Raisin, Oatmeal Chocolate Coconut, Oatmeal White Chocolate Cranberry, Ginger Snap (seasonal), Pumpkin Chocolate (seasonal), & more. In the mood for a cookie? And at 50 cents each, these are cheaper than a doughnut or a muffin.

And here's the good news for us in the north valley: there's a Smart Cookie opening soon in American Fork (between Pier 49 and Ottavio's, over by the movie theater).

Kneader's--All You Can Eat French Toast

2007-06-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

If you're a student at BYU and you're not eating breakfast at Kneader's at least a couple times a month, then you're missing out.

Kneader's is a great place to buy some European style bread and also has good soup and sandwiches. But my wife and I keep coming back for the all-you-can-eat Chunky Cinnamon French Toast. (They also have all-you-can-eat pancakes, but these aren't all that special.)

The french toast is thick-cut cinnamon bread with whipped cream, strawberries, and caramel syrup on the side ($3.99). There are locations in Provo (just west of BYU campus on 1230 North) and north Orem (1990 North State Street--near the Lindon border).

Chadders Back in Business

2007-06-01T07:29:00.000-07:00

After the long Memorial Day weekend, it looks like Chadder's is open again. And the lines are just as long. I drove by yesterday during the lunch rush and it looked like there were 30 cars in line with about a dozen people standing outside the door waiting to get in.

Having to wait too long to get your food: that's part of the In-N-Out experience, too.

Chadder's Closes for Memorial Day Weekend

2007-05-25T15:46:00.001-07:00

It was strange to drive by Chadder's on a Friday afternoon and see absolutely no one in the drive up line. Usually the line is several cars long. Curious, we drove by to see what the paper on the door said. (I wondered if a law suit from In-N-Out had finally caught up with them.) Put the paper said that due to overwhelming demand over the past week or so, they had to close for the weekend to make new arrangements with their suppliers. In other words, they ran out of food. Remarkable.

Another rumor. My daughter tells me that a friend at school told her that Chadder's is actually owned by In-N-Out. Perhaps so. But it's strange that they have no web presence or new coverage. But lots of "word of mouth."

Pizza Factory

2007-05-22T12:57:00.000-07:00

Lunch today at the Pizza Factory. I usually get the half pasta with half Caesar salad, but today I went for the calzone. This place makes their own breadstick twists. They have pretty good salads and a good mix of pizza, calzones, and sandwichs. It's a good family place. Unfortunately, the took caffeine-free diet Coke off the menu. You would think in Utah value, you could still get caffeine free, but it's all or nothing. (By the way, look at the label. Diet Coke actually has more caffeine than regular.)

I particularly like the Pizza Factory in Lindon because it's in a remodeled older home with beautiful original glass (some of it stained glass). Check it out. 291 W 400 N Lindon, just off State Street across from Los Hermanos (which is also in a beautfully restored older home). There are other locations in Salt Lake City, Provo, Spanish Fork, Cedar City, St. George, .

The Pizza Factory is a Utah original, not to be confused with The Pizza Factory restaurant in Beaver, Utah, which is part of a chain based in California.

Hooray for Pizza Day

2007-05-20T20:20:00.000-07:00

I love this song by the Aquabats:

Pizza Day

Well I remember my first day of public school
I was very scared of getting pummeled
And sure enough I did at first recess
I got pegged in the head by a big red ball
And stumbled, my head hung
Back to class with a bloody nose and soon it was lunch time
Mom said I should ask about how poor kids there get fed
So I got a book of tickets and a scedule and it read

(chorus)
Momday: hotdogs
Tuesday: Tacos
Wednesday: hamburgers and chocolate milk
Thursday: sloppy joes and burritos in a bag
Friday was pizza day, the best day of the week
All the kids would line up super early just to eat
Momday: hotdogs
Tuesday: Tacos
Wednesday: hamburgers and chocolate milk
Thursday: sloppy joes and burritos in a bag
Friday was pizza day, the best day of the week
It always came with salad and a side of pork and beans
Hooray for pizza day
Hooray for pizza day
I miss pizza day
The best day of the week

Well i remember my first day of Jr. High
I had hairspray in my hair and my pants were way too tight
And all the breakers and new-wavers and the rockers and the preps
Would all be in their places on the front lawn or the steps
I hung out with some punker kids who used to make me laugh
Got thrown in the dumpster by some rich kids near the caff
As time went on we figured out it was totally uncool
To eat the welfare lunch
Provided by the school
So in poser punker fashion we just mooched off all the kids
And lived off eating candy bars and bags of nacho chips

(chorus)

Well now I'm out of school and i don't have a job (you're a slob)
I just sit around all sweaty and lethargic
And I'm just thinkin' 'bout where it all went wrong
Why I can't concentrate on anything but reruns
I wish i had some more stability and
I wish I had somebody makin' lunch for me
I guess I miss the simple things in life
The thought of pizza day
I thought it stupid then but I wish I had it now
I just want

(chorus)

Hooray for pizza day
Hooray for pizza day
I miss pizza day...

More on Chadder's

2007-05-20T20:10:00.000-07:00

There are two theories about Chadder's. One story is that it was started by Californians who missed the In-N-Out experience and wanted to recreate it here in Utah. The second theory is that is was started by people at the highest level of In-N-Out who were forced out but allowed to start a second chain through a legal settlement. (In-N-Out is a private held company that does not franchise.) There is apparently some precedent for this. The Apollo Burger/Burgers Supreme split here in Utah as well as the Kneader's/Picasso's split (are there any Picasso's still open?). The second theory about the origins of Chadder's is supported by the Wikipedia article about In-N-Out. It doesn't mention a second chain, but it does mention some "legal turbulence" in the company in 2006.

The food is good, and they appear to also have the In-N-Out secret menu.

However, KSL news reports in an interview with the owners that there is no connection to In-N-Out burger. But does that mean no "official" connection? So why is it so similar? The mystery continues.

Pizza Night, the Best Night of the Week

2007-05-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

King Of Queens - Pizza Night - Watch more amazing videos here

Del Taco

2007-05-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

I don't speak Spanish, but I think that "Del Taco" means "of the taco." Kind of a strange name for a restaurant, but no more so than "Der Wienersnitzel," which should be "Das Windersnitzel" and actually has nothing at all to do with hotdogs (I guess the "wiener" part sounds like it should).

Del Taco has a few things going for it. First of all there is the "Del Scorcho" sauce, which is hot, but flavorful. Better than the sauces at Taco Bell. Also, there is "half price Taco Tuesday," a Del Taco tradition for over 40 years. That's why Tuesday is taco night. Locations in American Fork, Orem, Provo, Springville.)

Jerry's Hamburgers--Gone but Not Forgotten

2007-05-18T22:12:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago, we stopped by Jerry's Hamburgers (1151 N. Canyon Road) because we had a little time before a BYU ward activity (where I was in the bishopric). Then we found that it was closed for good. My kids were pretty upset. My little daughter cried. We had some great times and great food at Jerry's. My wife liked the chili burger, and my sons and I went for the Jerry's Burger--cheeseburger with bacon and a fried egg on top. That's packing a lot of protein. I guess the egg made it unique. (We still call hamburgers with a fried egg on top a Jerry's Burger.)

Jerry's also had great fries, fry sauce (a Utah original), mix-your-own flavored sodas, and small bags of doughnuts with a "surfer" diner atmosphere. I guess they just didn't get enough business (not for a lack of effort on our part). Now it's a Leatherby's ice cream parlor.

Wingers

2007-05-18T22:02:00.000-07:00

My oldest son had to work tonight (at Wendy's) so we took the younger two to Wingers. The kids like it because they get free popcorn, and they have pretty good meals for kids. But I always find myself a little disappointed. AnneMarie and I split a mango chicken salad with a poppyseed dressing. It sounds like a good recipe, but the mangos were still a little cold.

You're probably safe if you stick with their wings and ribs. I like their Amazing Sauce, but AnneMarie finds it too sweet. As I recall, they used to have a sweet sauce (the Winger's sauce), and a spicer BBQ sauce, but they've gone to a new menu, so some things have changed (such as no celery with the wings. How can they be Buffalo wings without celery?)

But spending just more than $20 we got free dessert, so that worked out all right. Wingers isn't unique to Utah, but it started here, and most of the restaurants are here too. There are Wingers in Orem, Provo, American Fork, Lehi, and several other places in Utah. They are also found in WA, OR, ID, WY, NV (but not California). There are also restaurants in Germany on the military bases. What's the story there?

Shirley's Homemades Bakery

2007-05-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

This morning for a meeting we ordered the cinnamon rolls and raspberry rolls from Shirley's Homemades in Provo (684 North Freedom Blvd). These may be the best breakfast rolls I've ever had. I like the flavor of the cinnamon better at Cinnabon's, but these are better rolls. Oddly enough, I've never actually been to the bakery, but BYU orders through them all the time. In fact, I've heard that a lot of the baking that used to be done at BYU is now ordered through Shirley's (including, I think, BYU's great Parkerhouse rolls, now Shirley's--$3.39 a dozen through BYU).

Jason's Deli

2007-05-17T14:49:00.000-07:00

When Jason's Deli first opened in Orem (771 University Pkwy), I didn't realize it was a chain. But these are all over the country. (My assistant at work is from the mid West and is a big fan.) The two in Utah are in Murray and Orem. Jason's has ridiculously huge sandwiches (as you would find in a NY style deli). In New York, you find different kinds of delis (Jewish, Italian, German). Jason's combines some of each. I'm a big fan of their Muffaleta (a creole sandwich with ham and olive spread) with the spicy shrimp gumbo as an accompaniment (it's actually pretty spicy). I also liked the NY Yankee, which has both pastrami and corned beef. These meats aren't up to NY standards, but still better than what you get from the supermarket. Jason's also has a pretty good salad bar, free muffins, and free soft serve ice cream. Come hungry.

Where I Come From . . .

2007-05-16T19:48:00.000-07:00

At BYU, you often here folks complaining that the food here just isn't as good as "where I come from," whether it's the pizza, the hotdogs, the ice cream, the doughnuts, or whatever. I don't want to enter into these debates. I'm happy to admit that barbecue tastes better in Kansas City or Memphis or wherever. But sometimes you can find places here that are pretty close.

So I'm looking for places outside of Utah that just can't be found anywhere else as well as places here that might just tide you over until you can get back home.

Chadder's

2007-05-16T19:09:00.000-07:00

OK, it's not In-N-Out Burger, but it's reeeally close. In fact, I wonder how long before In-N-Out decides to sue. They serve fresh burgers wrapped in paper with fresh cut fries and shakes. Even the inside layout looks the same. Nothing approaches the hipness of In-N-Out (with their logo, Chadder's won't be selling a lot of t-shirts), and Californians will surely argue that it isn't the same at all. Still, it's a long drive to California (or even Las Vegas).

Chadder's is located in American Fork at State Road and Pacific, just by Smith's and across from Appleby's. It's easy in and out. Can I get an amen? http://indyfoodcritic.blogspot.com/2007/05/in-n-out-nope-itschadders.html.

Brick Oven

2007-05-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

If you're in a college town, then that means pizza. The place just south of campus is The Brick Oven, formally known as "Heaps" or "Heaps of Pizza" (ask your parents--or grandparents). The Brick Oven features a thick crust pizza. My personal favorite is the ham and pineapple, primarily because it is topped with slivered almonds. http://brickovenprovo.net.

Even the folks in Salt Lake like the Brick Oven. Read a review by Ted Scheffler at Salt Lake City Weekly. http://www.slweekly.com/article.cfm/peerlessprovopizza.