Pizza Pie Cafe

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.

JCW's enters California Burger Wars

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.

Rubio's Returns to Utah Valley

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.")

Ono Kaukau

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.

Gandolfo's

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.

Chocolate-covered Cinnamon Bears at the BYU Candy Counter

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.

Orville and Wilbur's--the hot dogs

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.

Nina's Original NY Pizzeria & Juice Bar

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.)

Ella Good Shave Ice

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.

Sandwiches: Shirley's Homemades vs. Kneaders

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

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

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.

Tommy's Burger--Famous by noon tomorrow

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

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

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).

Pizza Factory

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.

Del Taco

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

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

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

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).