First up this week is Ted Scheffler of the City Weekly. Ted heads over to West Valley City and checks out Five Star Cuisine. Vanessa Chang of the Tribune also covered this Chinese restaurant several weeks back.

Ted agrees with Vanessa’s favourable assessment. Five Star Cuisine offers an array of authentic dishes, 150 in total offered ala carte. More exotic ingredients from the menu include Abalone, Sea Cucumber and Jellyfish. I’d wager these aren’t doused in sweet and sour sauce…

Also interesting are the prixe fixe options, “$68 for six courses or $98 for eight, served family style”. I have previously touched on how I miss great Chinese food since moving to SLC, Five Star Cuisine is increasingly sounding like a possible solution for my cravings. I would love to hear from anyone else who has tried this restaurant.

Five star Cuisine: 3361 S. Redwood Road, Salt Lake City, 84119, Utah

A bumper crop from In Utah This Week, who focus on Patio dining. I think they might be jumping the gun a bit, as I write this the weather outside looks anything but summery. The In Utah reviewers briefly cover one eatery each and then list their favourite patio picks around town.

Amanda Chamberlain picks the Bayou: “The Bayou’s food can be bland, but that doesn’t matter when you’ve got a beer selection like this.”. If your hungry, I would beg to differ with that statement. I have tried the Bayou a number of times and I would concur with Amanda on the food, the beer is definitely the main focus here. Their appetizers are pleasing enough though.

Sam Vicchrilli has an enjoyable meal at Café Trio. I have only ever managed to get to Trio twice and both times were excellent. I guess that’s more because the place is always teeming and doesn’t accept reservations. That always puts me off a place. Does anyone work in the industry and know why some places don’t like to take reservations? Takashi are another culprit, it seems insane to me, but there must be a reason?

Amy Spencer gives the thumbs up to Barbacoa and begins her piece with a good dose of hyperbole, “Barbacoa serves what is arguably the best burrito north of the border”. I’m sure some would like to debate that with Amy, but this local chain seems decent enough.

Finally, Kelly Ashkettle goes to Tucci’s. A bit of a mixed bag according to Kelly, although their patio does look rather nice.

The Bayou: 645 S State St, Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Café Trio: 680 S 900 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84102

Barbacoa: 859 E 900 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84105

Tucci’s Cucina Italiana: 515 S 700 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84102

Stacey Kratz of the Deseret Morning News heads up to Sandy and Smoky Mountain Pizza & Pasta. From what I can tell from their website, the restaurant is an expanding chain out of Idaho. The restaurant’s focus is on family friendly dining, offering a number of nice touches if you have kids in your dining group.

Smoky Mountain Pizza & Pasta: 1850 E 9400 S, Sandy, UT 84093

Finally, local blog Your Heart Out gives a very short review to Gloria’s Little Italy in Provo. It isn’t often I come across foodie delights from Utah County, so its always good to mention when one crops up, even if only briefly. Gloria’s offers a surprising selection, from deli sandwiches through to fresh pasta and home made sauces. Gloria’s even has it’s own bakery and market for cheese and meats. By the sounds of things, they have everything you need under one roof.

Gloria’s Little Italy: 279 E 300 S, Provo, UT 84606

And that ends another week. As I finish writing the sun has just started to peak through the clouds. Maybe summer here is after all, perhaps time indeed to check out some outdoor dining!