Recently I have been away on business, so the website had to take a back seat for a couple of weeks. I’m back now, so on with the show. First things first, the weekly round-up, which is a bumper crop this post due to a couple of weeks passing since the last.

Omar’s Living Cuisine in the Sugarhouse area serves up completely raw food, and Vanessa Chang is a big fan. The sound of a fully uncooked menu really doesn’t grab me at all, although it is certainly unique in the valley as far as I know. A further interesting point, is that the restaurant shares one of Mazza’s chef’s, so if raw food is your thing, Omar’s could be the place for you.

Omar’s Living Cuisine: 2148 Highland Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84106

It has been a long time since we last visited Pho Green Papaya, which is the next review from Vanessa. On our last and only visit we really loved the place, and Vanessa does too. It is really great to see them getting more local press coverage, and apparently doing good business. If we lived closer we’d be there all the time. If you haven’t been yet, I recommend you correct that.

Worthy of note, Vanessa mentions the “Self Roll”, which I don’t recall from my last visit. Essentially you are brought your own table top griddle and a bunch of proteins/veggies. From there you cook up your own meal as you see fit.

Pho Green Papaya: 2000 W 3500 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84119

The last Tribune review is from Lesli J Nielsen who investigates Creekside (Solitude Resort). Lesli is less than enthused with the food, lamenting that the views are much better.

Creekside: Solitude Mountain Resort, 12000 Big Cottonwood Cyn, Brighton, UT

Kicking off the City Weekly round-up, Ted Scheffler looks at two Japanese eateries : Suehiro and Tona Sushi Bar & Grill. Ted lauds Suehiro for their non-sushi selections. In particular Ted singles out Suehiros Tonkatsu for praise. Tona’s is mentioned only briefly and Ted isn’t overly impressed, branding it fairly average.

Suehiro: 6933 South 1300 East, Salt Lake City

Tona Sushi Bar & Grill: 210 25th St, Ogden, UT 84401

Next up, Ted looks at two new fast food joints in Midvale: Five Guys Burger and Fries and Jonniebeef’s Chicago Style Hot Dogs.

The national chain Five Guys has arrived in Utah to a good deal of heated debate. Some love the place, others are quite negative. As their name suggests, they primarily provide burgers and fries. Ted’s considered opinion is positive, great burgers and top notch fries. Just as soon as I am in the Midvale area, I will surely have to give the place a whirl. Heck, I can feel a Salt Lake City burger round-up coming on. Suggestions welcome!

On the opposite end of the scale, Johnniebeefs is a local business, serving up authentic Chicago style dogs. Never frozen hot dogs are available with a myriad of toppings. Aside from the slow service Johnniebeefs gets another thumbs up from Ted, provided you stick to the simpler options, gaining the full benefit of the great hot dog flavour.

Five Guys Burger and Fries: 1146 Fort Union Blvd, Midvale, UT 84047

Johnniebeef’s Chicago Style Hot Dogs: 7194 Union Park Ave, Midvale, UT 84047

Finally this week Ted writes about the local institution that is Caputo’s deli. The article concentrates on Caputo’s recent move to larger premises and some of their newer features. These include a 200 selection “cheese cave”, on site “curing cell” for speciality meats and a larger dining space. I believe Ted also alluded to Adam Kreisel maybe popping up here soon as a chef in the dining room.

For gourmet meats, cheese, olives, chocolates, pastas and much more, Caputo’s is the place to go. Don’t forget the ever great Aquarius fish market next door either!

Tony Caputo’s Market & Deli: 311 W 300 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

The first review from In Utah This Week is from Amanda Chamberlain, who falls in love with Siegfrieds Delicatessen. All the German classics are served in a relaxing atmosphere In addition to the authentic food Siegfrieds features a German market and a selection of European beers that you can sip while you take in the city going about its business.

Siegfried’s Delicatessen: 20 W 200 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Amanda next checks out the eternally popular Ichiban Sushi. Ever the self confessed sushi snob, I was a bit dismayed to see Amanda mention cream cheese on more than one occasion in the review. Amanda’s review is glowing to say the least, which would match up with the continually bustling crowds. It’s been years since I have visited, but what a dining space!

Ichiban Sushi: 336 S 400 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Amanda’s next review is of Big Ed’s, up at the U. Amanda details how the staff are super-friendly, almost like one big happy family. Details of the menu are very brief, it’s priced low and squarely aimed at the local student population: “The food’s cheap, which suits a struggling scholar’s budget. The most expensive item I recall was an eight- or nine-dollar dish. But the average entrée-and-side-dish meal is around six dollars”. I’d imagine if your a student up at the U you already know of Ed’s and probably frequent it. If your not a student, then you probably don’t.

Big Ed’s: 210 University St, Salt Lake City, UT 84102

Stacey Kratz of the Deseret morning news, also joins in on the Five Guys debate. Not only is Stacey in complete agreement with Ted’s positive review, so are all the commentators on the article as well. Now if only we had an In and Out burger here in SLC to compare!

Five Guys Burger and Fries: 1146 Fort Union Blvd, Midvale, UT 84047

Stacey’s next review is Bonsai Japanese Steakhouse over in Sandy. Bonsai is a fairly typical Japanese steakhouse operation, though Stacey notes the gimmicks are kept to a minimum. As a final comment however she does mention: “We shared our steaming, flavorful shrimp around the table, though of course the crowning shrimp moment of the night was our chef flipping bits into our open mouths.”. I guess I am too stuck in my ways, hot pieces of prawn being flung at my face doesn’t sound too fun to me.

Bonsai Japanese Steakhouse: 875 E 9400 S, Sandy, UT 84094 (other location in Holladay)

Two reviews from local blogger Sense and Memory. Best Chicken and Ribs and El Jaripeo are both covered.

Such was the great review of Best Chicken (especially the vibrant photos), I was compelled to eat there recently myself. I can fully concur with the review, they really do serve some great chicken. Our own review should be coming along shortly. The review of El Jaripeo is certainly intriguing, if a little brief. El Jaripeo would appear to serve up more than your average tex-mex fare.

Best Chicken and Ribs: 2700 S State St, Salt Lake City, UT 84115

El Jaripeo: 1600 W 3500 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84119

Another local blogger, Your Heart Out, reports on the Lone Star Taqueria. Lone Star’s fish tacos are routinely voted in various best-of polls. Whilst that usually doesn’t hold much weight for me, Lone Star is always recommended to me. Your Heart Out are also big fans, but do bring up a curious oddity: “Our only complaint is the $20-and-under cash-only policy. So bring some bills, or order enough tacos to utilize your debit/credit card.”

Lone Star Taqueria: 2265 Fort Union Blvd, Salt Lake City, UT 84121

Finally, this weeks mega round-up is completed by About.com’s review of Elizabeth’s Bakery & Tea Shop. Lyndsey Kocher experiments with the English fare of Elizabeth’s Bakery ranging from the savoury pies to the sweeter pastries. Despite not being a fan of English meat pies, Lyndsey is generally enthused with the other selections.

Elizabeth’s is getting an increasing amount of press lately. Let me just put the record straight regarding one of the items that always gets mis-handled, a pastry and a pasty are two separate items people! That missing r makes a world of difference. A pastry is the sweet dessert everyone knows. Take off that r though and you get the savoury pasty (pronounced PAH-STEE, not PAY-STEE). The most popular pasty is the ‘cornish pasty’, a thick savoury pie crust stuffed with potatoes, onions and ground beef. More details over at wikipedia.

O.k. rambling rant over, anyone who makes the mistake again, shall incur my wrath!

Elizabeth’s Bakery and Tea Shop: 575 S 700 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84102

Ted Scheffler of the City Weekly journeys on up to Snowbird, helping judge the first annual “Grill on the Hill”, a Kansas City Barbecue Society event. The first portion of the article tackles the intricacies of said judging.

While Ted is up at the ‘bird, he samples meals at The Aerie Sushi Bar, El Chanate and the Cliff Lodge Sunday Brunch. By a strange twist of fate, we ourselves happened to be up at Snowbird this weekend. Coming later this week from us, a thorough review of The Aerie restaurant for good measure.

The Aerie, El Chanate, Cliff Lodge Atrium @ Snowboird Ski Resort

A review close to my heart this week from Kelly Ashkettle of In Utah This Week. Kelly samples the delights of Elizabeth’s English Bakery & Tea Shop. Cornish pasties, meat pies and sausage rolls practically sustained me for a good 20 years of life, growing up back home. Kelly gives the thumbs up to this relatively new bakery and tea shop. I can’t believe I haven’t been down yet to run the rule over the authenticity of the place.

The article provides an encouraging quote from the chef however: “Duff, who prepares the food according to the preferences and family recipes of the owners. “My dad lives in England,” she adds. “He came and visited, and he said, ‘It’s just like an English bakery, Tara, except it’s just a bit too clean.’ ”

Sounds like a winner to me.

Elizabeth’s English Bakery & Tea Shop: Address: 575 S 700 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84102

Stacey Kratz reviews Woody’s Drive In, over in the Deseret Morning News. Woody’s is a classic American fast food joint. For the burger lovers out there: “I didn’t pay enough attention when I asked for a Super Woody burger with bacon. I thought he’d be getting a double cheeseburger with bacon, which it was. What I neglected to notice is that each of the patties of that burger was three-quarters of a pound, making the finished sandwich the size of a plate.”.

If Super sized burgers, floats and fries is your bag, Woody’s appears to be worth checking out.

Woody’s Drive In: 6172 S 1300 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84121

If your in the vicinity of Ogden you might want to spend some time at Sonora Grill, reviewed by Your Heart Out this week. From the brief review Sonora Grill looks to be a touch different to your standard Mexican eatery. Guacamole made table side, fresh Cevice and Marlin with pickled Poblano Peppers are just three of the delicious items mentioned in review.

Sonora Grill: 2310 S. Kiesel Avenue, Ogden, Utah

Finally Lyndsey Kocher of About.com checks out one of many a Utahn’s favourite chain eateries, The Old Spaghetti Factory.

Lyndsey mentions crowds are happy to wait for over an hour at the Trolley Square location. Wow. I often try to tell people I’m not a food snob, but in this case I guess I am. A full hours wait? I kinda feel sad for some of Salt Lake’s independently owned Italian restaurants.

The Old Spaghetti Factory: multiple locations

Lesli J Nielsen of the Salt Lake Tribune kicks off this weeks relatively small round-up. Lesli reviews the locally renowned Red Iguana. Endless reams have been written on the Red Iguana and the merits of it’s moles. I’d be surprised if there was a Salt Lake local who hadn’t already heard about their great food and infamous table wait times. Which is why I personally have never been, the queues outside always scare me off. Is the food so much better than everywhere else?

Red Iguana: 736 W North Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84116

Ted Scheffler of the City Weekly heads to The Tea Grotto for a cup of tea or three. Ted doesn’t cover any food items, so I presume it’s a tea only joint. That said, they do feature a wide variety of teas. Also worthy of note are the tea tastings. Conducted much like wine tastings these are held on Saturday afternoons.

The Tea Grotto: 2030 S 900 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84105

Finally, Kelly Ashkettle of In Utah This Week samples the delights of Mazza. Much like the Red Iguana (but possibly to a lesser degree), Mazza is another local favourite of much praise. Kelly gives Mazza a great write up, citing “Highs: Extraordinary use of spices, Lows: I have to rack my brain to think of any, but perhaps extending a carpeted area to cover more of the tile floor would add to the softness of the space.”.

We are also big fans of Mazza. We have only ever had one or two dishes that missed their mark, on the whole our experiences have been very positive. In particular I recall being so moved by a perfectly seasoned Lamb & Rice Dolaa, that I actually asked our waitress to compliment the chef. I don’t do that very often.

Mazza: 912 E 900 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84105 ]]> http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2008/07/05/weekly-round-up-070508/feed/ http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2008/06/30/weekly-round-up-063008/ http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2008/06/30/weekly-round-up-063008/#comments Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:39:42 +0000 Stu http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2008/06/30/weekly-round-up-063008/

The latest Salt Lake Tribune review is over at Chanon Thai Cafe. One of the first dishes Vanessa Chang samples are the Cream Cheese Wontons, that would normally set alarm bells ringing for me. Vanessa and her dining companion seem to be very impressed overall though, thoroughly enjoying the dishes they work through.

Chanon Thai Cafe: 278 E 900 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Ted Scheffler of the City Weekly checks out the Garden Cafe in the Grand America Hotel. Ted tries the “Summer Saturdays” attraction, effectively an up scale buffet.

Buffets are completely anathema to me. From the fanciest arrays of seafood, to the lowliest of the low, I cannot bare food-free-for-alls. That said, they do seem to be massively popular here in Utah. The Grand America’s offering is partly in response to the hotels main restaurant not faring too well. I’m not sure how well the buffet will fare at a hefty $45 per head.

Garden Cafe at Grand America Hotel: 555 S Main St, Salt Lake City, UT 84111

In Utah This Week sends Amanda Chamberlain to Fratelli Ristorante in Sandy. Amanda and her dining guests seem to be quite unimpressed by the food. Amanda’s opinion on the food are quite different to those of the last review I read by Ted Scheffler of the City Weekly. If I remember rightly Ted was mainly positive in his feedback, aside from a quibble here and there.

Amanda’s review is also sufficient to provoke a few website comments, notably one purporting to be from one of the restaurant owners, Pete Canella.

Fratelli Ristorante: 9236 Village Shop Drive in Sandy

Also with a review this week is Lyndsey Kocher, of About.com. Lyndsey dines at The Other Place noting of the name, “The Other Place used to stand next to a bar named ‘The Place.’ Now, the bar is renamed Andy’s and the joke in the name has been lost.”. One of these days I will have to run the rule over them also. I have quite the unhealthy obsession with Gyro’s.

The Other Place: 469 E Broadway, Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Still on the topic of spit-roasted meat, Your Heart Out are down in Provo, dining at Pastorero Taco Grill. Pastorero serve Tacos Al Pastor, which is essentially a gyro like meat, utilising Mexican seasoning’s. The last I read about this delicious sounding meat was in the Deseret Morning News, when Trompos Mexican Grill was reviewed. Given my gyro addiction I’d love to hear from anyone who has tasted al pastor meat here in SLC.

Pastorero Taco Grill: 1774 N University Pkwy Provo, UT 84604

Hot on the heels of their Cemita discovery a week ago, Sopes are the order of the over at Sense and Memory. The sopes come from one of their favourite Taco Stands (Tacos el Jaripeo), which they also talk a little about. It’s posts like this that make me wish I worked much closer to some killer street food vendors.

Sope @ Tacos el Jaripeo: 1850 S Redwood Rd, Salt Lake City, UT 84104 ]]> http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2008/06/30/weekly-round-up-063008/feed/ http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2008/06/20/weekly-round-up-062008/ http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2008/06/20/weekly-round-up-062008/#comments Fri, 20 Jun 2008 22:01:18 +0000 Stu http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2008/06/20/weekly-round-up-062008/

Various elements conspired against me last week, preventing the compilation of the usual weekly round-up. This week is a little less hectic, so roll on the bumper round-up…

First up is Lesli J. Neilson of the Salt Lake Tribune. Lesli takes in two meals at Mikado, one at the down town location and one in Cottonwood. Most notable is the change in ownership. The down town restaurant is changing its name to Naked Fish and at the same time, both are moving to the control of the Watkins Restaurant Group. Watkins has also acquired Ichiban Sushi and Hapa Grill of late. Is this the end of the Latitude Group? It looks like only Kampai and Ruths Chris are now theirs.

As for the food, Lesli has positive feedback for each location. Lesli’s main gripe is over service at the down town Mikado, noting her waiter did not even know Grey Goose was a vodka, seriously? It sounds like Lesli must have simply drawn the short straw and been served by a trainee. She does concede service at the Cottonwood location was much better. My own personal experience at Mikado was faultless, our waitress expertly guided us through the large Sake selection.

Vanessa Chang provides this weeks review in the Tribune. Vanessa must have been inspired by Lesli, as she also hits a Japanese restaurant, namely Sapporo. I’m not sure how the Tribune co-ordinate their food content, but two Japanese reviews in two weeks?

As for the review, Vanessa finds the staff “charming”, yet the food lacklustre. Vanessa states: “‘ll dare to spark the ire of many by saying that in my book, when it comes to sushi in Salt Lake City, there is Takashi and then there is everyone else”. I think this comment is personally a little OTT but the main point remains, Sapporo isn’t up there with the big guns, at least not yet.

Mikado / Naked Fish: 67 W 100 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Mikado: 6572 S Big Cottonwood Canyon R, Salt Lake City, UT
Sapporo: 111 E 300 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Ted Scheffler waxes lyrical on the topic of oysters. Ted details the selection at Market Street Oyster Bar. I would love to link to the article, but the City Weekly website is infuriatingly difficult to fathom, at least for content greater than a week old. Maybe I am missing something patently obvious. Suffice to say Ted really (no really!) likes his oysters, and he recommends you get yours at Market Street.

This week Ted tries out Tucano’s Brazilian Grill for a special birthday meal. Ted only briefly touches on the food quality, the main focus of the article is primarily on the general flaws in service.

Market Street Grill and Market Street Oyster Bar: 54 W Market St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Tucano’s Brazilian Grill: 162 S 400 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

In Utah This Week provides three reviews for this round-up. First is Amy Spencer and a review of Fiddlers Elbow. Despite Amy not enjoying her last visit, it seems she was pleasantly surprised by her most recent experience. Amy enjoyed the food and atmosphere, but did mention “Our experience was better than our friend’s, who mentioned that he got food poisoning here not once, but twice”. I hope the magazine consulted their legal team before printing such a second hand tale.

For the record I have never had a problem with Fiddlers Elbow. It’s decent pub fare, decent prices and decent service. I’ve been more times than I care to remember and spent the vast majority of the 2006 World Cup there, firmly entrenched with a pint of Guinness in hand. I don’t recall ever having a bad experience at Fiddlers Elbow.

Kelly Ashkettle is another local reviewer to sample Sapporo. Like Vanessa in the Tribune, Kelly is less than enthused with her food. I recall when we reviewed Sapporo how the restaurant was crying out for a little more focus. I hope they make some much needed changes, as have a great location, dining space and opportunity to thrive.

Finally Sam Vicchrilli checks out Tucano’s Brazilian Grill. Unlike Ted Scheffler’s review, Sam’s experience of Tucano’s goes without a hitch. Sam enthuses over the quality of the meat, the classy setting and the large array of tasty vegi options. The review brought something to my attention that I wasn’t aware of, that Tucano’s is in the former Samba Grill space (also Brazilian). Sam sums it up best with “it takes a lot of gumption to open a similar joint where one ostensibly failed”.

Fiddlers Elbow: 1061 E 2100 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Sapporo: 111 E 300 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Tucano’s Brazilian Grill: 162 S 400 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Stacey Kratz of the Dessert Morning News dines at Dooners this week. Is it it Turkish, is it South Western, is it German or is it all three? I’m not quite sure actually, but the meat-stuffed pita pockets look tasty if you are in the area.

Dooners: 2778 W 12600 S, Riverton, UT 84065

Finally Sense and Memory tries a “Cemita” from a new Taco cart in town. I’ve never tried a taco cart myself, I guess I am going to have to rectify that, the food looks downright delicious in this particular case.

Cemitas @ Taco Stand: 1600 W 3500 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84119

P.S. note to Mike, I didn’t use “whilst” once in this post ]]> http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2008/06/20/weekly-round-up-062008/feed/ http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2008/06/07/weekly-round-up-060708/ http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2008/06/07/weekly-round-up-060708/#comments Sat, 07 Jun 2008 22:54:49 +0000 Stu http://www.gastronomicslc.com/2008/06/07/weekly-round-up-060708/

Ted Scheffler of the City Weekly reports on Glitretind at the Stein Eriksen Lodge. Ted praises the evolution of chef Zane Holmquist’s cooking, indeed he seems down right bowled over. Some of the dishes do read quite mouth watering. I think I will have to add Glitretind to my list of Park City dining options for the summer months.

Glitretind: Stein Eriksen Lodge, 7700 Stein Way, Park City, Utah 84060

In Utah This Week’s Amanda Chamberlain provides another review of Baxter’s American. After 2 weeks and a flurry of 5 positive local reviews, there is little more I can add to what has already been said. So I won’t.

Baxter’s American: 400 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT

No review from the Salt Lake Tribune this week, but Stacey Kratz of the Deseret Morning News checks out Salsa Leedos. From Stacey’s review I can only infer that Salsa Leedo’s is your bog standard Mexican eatery e.g. ubiquitous sides of rice and beans as per a myriad of other restaurants. Stacey doesn’t seem overly thrilled with Salsa Leedos, nor do the on-line post commentators.

Salsa Leedos: 9155 S. Redwood Road, Salt Lake City, UT

Finally Your Heart Out get excited over Glaus French Pastry Shoppe. Glaus has apparently been around for 70 years and provides “pastries and sweets like Danishes, cupcakes, petit fours ($2.09 apiece, and our favorite), eclairs (94 cents apiece), butter wafers, thumbprint cookies and freshly-baked bread.”. For those with a sweet tooth it definitely looks like checking out.

Glaus French Pastry Shoppe: 3100 S. Highland Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah

Baxter’s American is the hot topic this week. Quickly following on the heels of Stacey Kratz’s review last week, both the Salt Lake Tribune and the City Weekly get in on the act. Heck even we were there on Tuesday night.

Whilst both reviewers find slight niggles, the overall reviews concur, Baxter’s American is a great addition to the Salt Lake City dining scene. Reader comments on both websites also chime in with generally positive feedback. The only worry I have is that Baxter’s American still seems to be on quiet side customer wise. This is based on our own experiences, aforementioned reviews and comments from both staff and other commentators on-line. Maybe the three mainstream reviews all falling in a 7 day period will help bolster clientèle.

Baxter’s American: 400 W South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84180

Sam Vicchrilli of In Utah This Week checks out West Valley City’s La 35. I recall the Tribune giving the thumbs up to La 35 last year. Sam also concurs, enjoying a sizeable meal at a great price. The place looks interesting for sure, I’m definitely adding it to my ‘to do’ list.

La 35: 1576 W 3500 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84119

Over in the Deseret Morning News Stacey Kratz reviews The Downtown Philly. To quote Stacey: “The Downtown Philly makes cheesesteaks, and there’s not a lot of fooling around with anything else.”. The authentic east coast subs are rounded out with a small offering of imported items from Philadelphia.

The Downtown Philly: 10600 S. Redwood Road, Salt Lake City, UT

Following on from cheesesteaks Your Heart Out sings the praises of Moochie’s Meatballs and their great subs. Moochie’s was also one of the local joints visited by the Food Networks Guy Fieri, so should be appearing on TV in the coming weeks and months.

Moochie’s Meatballs: 232 E 800 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Kicking off this week’s round-up is Vanessa Chang of the Salt Lake Tribune. Vanessa looks at Emigration Market’s new-ish patio dining area. Vanessa isn’t too thrilled reading between the lines. The food is hit and miss, the service “amiable” at best and the seating downright painful in the summer sun.

The Patio At Emigration Market: 1706 E. 1300 South, Salt Lake City

Ted Scheffler of the City Weekly checks out Holy Smoke BBQ & Grill. Ted seems very impressed by Holy Smoke, waxing lyrical over their side dishes in particular. Without the risk of starting another heated debate on the virtues of SLC’s BBQ joints, has anyone else had experience of Holy Smoke? The last time BBQ was mentioned here, it resulted in our conversion to Pat’s BBQ. I hope that’s still the champ as I don’t relish drives out to Layton for a ‘cue fix.

Holy Smoke BBQ & Grill: Address: 855 Heritage Park Blvd, Layton, UT 84041

Next up is Kelly Ashkettle of In Utah This Week, who heads on over to Vienna Bistro. Kelly seems to really enjoy the Austrian fare such as Schnitzel, Spätzle and Roladen. I’ve often wondered about visiting Vienna Bistro, I don’t think I have read a bad word about the place to date. That trip will have to wait until the Autumn I think. The food reads as though it is on the heavier side, more apt for the colder months.

Vienna Bistro: 132 S Main St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Tucanos is the focus of Stacey Kratz’s review in the Deseret Morning News. Tucanos is another addition to Utahs growing array of Brazilian Churrascarias. Stacey gives Tucano’s the thumbs up. Stacey highlights the odd fact that they have appetizers on their menu. These are in addition to the standard all you can eat hot/cold salad bar and endless array of meats. Tucanos have locations in the Gateway down town, Provo and NM.

Tucanos: 162 S 400 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Tucanos: 4801 N University Ave, Provo, UT 84604

Finally this week Lyndsey Kocher of About.com takes a brief look at Oasis Cafe. Not a very detailed review by any means, but it certainly reminded me of a restaurant I had carelessly forgotten about. I really must stop by again at some point.

Which leads me onto an idea that started to form this week. With an an ex-vegetarian in our household we have been musing on a round-up of Salt Lake City’s vegetarian options. Even though I am the son of a butcher, I think I am a pretty open minded carnivore. Off the top of my head I can think of Oasis, Sage’s Cafe, Vertical Diner and Long Life Vegi House. Any more worth considering?

Oasis Cafe: 151 S 500 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84102

P.S. Our own review is a little delayed this week due to ‘gremlins in the machine’. We should have our latest review up (Cafe Madrid) over the weekend.

First up this week, Lesli J. Neilson heads out to Sandy and takes a second look at Tiburon for the Salt Lake Tribune. The review is three years on from the Tribune’s previous visit. Lesli points out the price rises during that time: “When The Tribune last visited in 2004, halibut was $26; now it is $33. The house-speciality elk was $34; now it is $39.” and notes that Tiburon is now firmly playing in the fine dining league at this price point.

Lesli goes on to chastise Tiburon for its limited decor, dinnerware, glassware and plating technique. I have to say I concur with Lesli, my one and only visit to Tiburon years back left me with the same feeling. The food and service were on the whole great. But the whole package just didn’t come together for me.

Tiburon: 8256 S 700 E, Sandy, UT 84070

Ted Scheffler of the City Weekly investigates one of my favourite restaurants of late, Ganesh Indian Cuisine. I am surprised it took Ted so long to get out to Midvale, to run the rule over Ganesh. I am glad he did though as they deserve the exposure. Bar one dish Ted was very impressed by Ganesh Indian Cuisine.

In our own review a few months back, I touched on that the drive out to Midvale was perhaps a stretch for me. Well I have to take that back now, I have been back several times since the Gastronomic SLC review. After visits to other restaurants closer to home, Ganesh has grown considerably on me. It’s up there as one of the best in SLC for me. If you happen to stop by I recommend you check out the incendiary ‘Chicken 65′ appetizer.

Ganesh Indian Cuisine: 777 E. Ft. Union Blvd, Midvale, UT

Amanda Chamberlain of In Utah this Week checks out the Tapas-style fare of Martine. I’m a little confused by the review to say the least. Whilst Amanda praises the restaurant in her review, the synopsis to the right states: “Dishes look amazing but can taste mediocre”. As pretty a picture Amanda paints of the restaurant itself, the review left me with more questions than answers.

Martine: 22 E 100 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Over in the Deseret Morning News Stacey Kratz dines at Baxter’s American. Stacey thoroughly enjoys her experience. She finds the food, service and atmosphere all spot on. I hope the word is now out about Baxter’s, the place is like night and day compared to the previous occupants (Butterfly) and they deserve to do well. I’m looking forward to our own second trip (and followup review) later this month.

Baxter’s American: 400 W South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84180

Finally Your Heart Out praise emigration canyon’s Ruth’s Diner. There isn’t much more that can be said about this locals favourite, that hasn’t been said already. Its renown amongst locals is unrivalled. Indeed Ruth’s was visited this month by Food Network’s Guy Fieri for the popular “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” show.

Personally, I don’t get the fuss over Ruth’s Diner. Virtually every time I have been to Ruth’s (and I’ve been cajoled there a good few times) I have had to suffer some frustrating wait times. Service is pleasant enough but to be frank the food for me is average at best. I just don’t get it. I will confess I have never visited the oft-lauded patio dining area, maybe that’s more enjoyable in the summer? I still imagine its packed to rafters with crazy wait times though.

Ruth’s Diner: 2100 Emigration Canyon Rd, Salt Lake City, UT 84108

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!