Chelsey Eats

DELICATUS

2015-07-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Where: Delicatus, 103 1st Avenue S, Seattle

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 3

What We Ordered: BBQ Chicken Sandwich and Pavo Diablo

What It Cost: ~$20

What We Thought:

Everyone's gotta have their go-to lunch place, right? I used to have this aversion to becoming a "regular" anywhere, because I watched too much Monk and knew that if I was a regular somewhere, the murderers would know where to find me.

Paranoid, much?

Well, Delicatus may be the first place where the awesome flavors, friendly service, fresh tastes, and just DANG GOOD sandwiches will make me overcome that murder/restaurant regular fear.

I've only been to Seattle for two weekends so far, and we've eaten here three times...

Delicatus has the most amazing sandwich menu - I've never seen so many sandwich creations!! It's definitely inspired me to be more creative at home. The ingredients are super fresh - great bread, amazing cuts of meat, and inspired toppings. Man. I wish I was having this for lunch today. The bread and topping matches are all thoughtfully combined, each sandwich having the perfect balance of flavor and texture variation. It sounds silly to keep going on and on about a little sandwich, but we just really loved them!

The Pavo Diablo is my favorite -- loads of fresh turkey and spinach with sliced avocado, harvarti, spicy chipotle aioloi, roasted peppers on sourdough bread. Come on. Tell me you're not salivating right now. It's amazing, the flavors meld perfectly, and I could eat it every day. The Gypsy Rose Lee sandwich is also a personal favorite, with some of the best mozzarella I've had in a while.

Fresh, creative, fantastic sandwiches.

What You Should Do: Take your next lunch meeting here. It can get a little busy, but if you go a little early or late, no problem. And say hi to us while you're there ;)

Read other reviews here:

THE ROOF

2015-07-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

Where: The Roof Restaurant, Joseph Smith Memorial Building, 15 S Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah

Who Went: Chelsey & Devynne

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Standard Buffet

What It Cost: $97.17

What We Thought:

The theme of the day was Treat Yo Self 2015. I had just finished my very last day of actual classes ever, so my sister and I hit up Salt Lake with a treat yo self mentality, which of course needed include dinner with incredible views.

And what better way to treat yo self than STARTING WITH DESSERT? Yep, I did it. I mean, how can you resist an itty bitty eclair and tiny slice of your favorite pie, when its sitting on two GIANT tables of desserts? It's impossible, I tell you. And since it's time to treat yo self, go for it.

The menu options were quite expansive. On the chopping block the day we went were ham (meh) and slow-roasted prime rib. But if that didn't suit your tastes, there was poached fish, chicken roulade, pasta with a cream sauce and sundried tomatoes, and sooooo much more!

Basically it's the fanciest buffet you've ever seen, and this isn't even half of the desserts...by the way...

We thought that this little chocolate mousse was funny, because the chocolate piece had a cross on it, and we were at Temple Square (LDS joke..ha. ha...)

Um yeah, I was a bit too ambitious with my additional dessert plates. I basically was so full I only took one bite of each thing. But they were all FREAKING AMAZING. Especially that mini creme brulee!? I had two of them. The cheesecake was just okay, but the carrot cake was really moist and delicious, and the chocolate cakes were so rich!

Plus, I mean, can you beat this view?!

The other creme brulee, spotted here. Their interpretation of "salads" was interesting in the salad bar, but it was fun to try different combinations of "salad" and the fruit and cheese plates were pretty good too.

I know it might seem boring to end on a picture of soup, but this French onion soup was probably the best I've ever had, and I'm totally craving its simple, rich and wholesome flavor right now, even though its supposed to be 102 degrees today!!

What You Should Do: Yes, it's expensive. Yes, it's a buffet. But it's a dang good buffet, and can be a lot of fun if you go into it with that mindset. I'm not even a buffet lover (by ANY means) but we really enjoyed our visit at the Roof - it was special, the hot rolls were from heaven, the servers were fun, you got free unlimited soda, and THERE WERE SO MANY DESSERTS! I basically would have thought it was worth it just for the rolls + mini creme brulees + views. I would not take children here, but for a fun and special night out, it was awesome. I think maybe we caught it on a good night based on other people's experiences, but I would certainly try it again.

Read other reviews here:

CITY GUIDE NO. 3: DESSERT IN NEW YORK CITY

2015-07-01T09:56:00.001-07:00

Dessert in NYC is no joke.

There are so many options, so many wonderful places to visit, and just, please save room for dessert! Like after every meal...

First up, Dylan's Candy Bar aka a true mecca for all candy aficionados! This place is three stories, chock full of any type of candy you could ever want. Sure it's a little overpriced, but man it's fun. They have a sweet photo booth (always a major attraction in my eyes), and an extensive candy bar where you can mix and match many different candies. I was extremely partial to the mini cinnamon bears!

Balthazar bakery is for you more sophisticated (slash...less childlike...) dessert lovers. These chocolate sables are pure deliciousness, not too sweet, and a great little snack while you peruse around SoHo (or sneak them into MoMA like I did!)

Ah, Laduree. Bring me back to Paris please! This place is just as good as in Paris, and as you can see...I'm a bit Paris obsessed...My favorite flavors include citron vert (lime), framboise (raspberry), salted caramel, and anything floral! But really, you can't go wrong here, and you can really do some amazing shopping in the neighborhood while you munch on your new favorite treat!

Next up was another Paris favorite...Maison Kayser! I ate at Maison Kayser in Paris, so when I saw they had one in NYC, it was at the top of my itinerary for the UES! Honestly, my only regret was eating here only once!! They had one of my all-time favorite foods, choquettes, and the croissant and apple tartine totally transported me back to Rue Monge. Though it was also quite enjoyable to eat it in Central Park across the street!

Magnolia Bakery - cupcakes were meh (I've decided we are extremely spoiled with amazing cupcakes in Utah!!) but the banana pudding??? YUM!!! SO GOOD!!! WANT TO EAT IT EVERY DAY! I've since made a copycat recipe at home, but it just wasn't the same. Probably my favorite part of Magnolia Bakery was watching them frost the cupcakes…their technique was mesmerizing…

Serendipity 3: Honestly, I don't know if I'd go here again. Our experience was just…weird. The service was AWFUL (the host walked up a staircase and just expected us to follow, not saying anything, and then walked to our table and just waited for us to catch up. It was extremely weird). The frozen hot chocolate was good, but not amazing enough to compensate for the bizarre-o atmosphere. I'd probably say go to the location in Las Vegas instead - much more pleasant.

My only regret: passing by Momofuku Milk Bar without stopping in. I AM SO BUMMED I MISSED THIS PLACE! I'm a huge Christina Tosi fan, and this is like my number 1 regret from visiting NYC. If you are going soon, please bring me home some Karlie's Kookies and Crack Pie!! I'll pay you back :)

Don't forget to check out my other NYC post if you want to eat real food (i.e. besides dessert only.....)!

COW CHIP

2015-06-26T10:24:00.002-07:00

Where: Cow Chip, 102 1st Avenue South, Seattle

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Cow Chip with Walnuts + Peanut Butter Cookies

What It Cost: $4.50

What We Thought:

So, like I said, we are moving to Seattle. And actually, Owen is living/working there part-time right now, so we have started scoping out the neighborhood, trying to find some great places to eat! This cookie place had an adorable sign outside, and since I tear up instantly when I think about leaving Ruby Snap behind (honestly, a tragedy), I figured I need to find the best possible cookie replacement in Seattle (though nothing could ever truly replace Ruby Snap of course).

Owen passes this place every day on his way to work, so I thought we definitely needed to check it out.

On the surface, these cookies look fine. And in reality, they WERE fine. But they weren't awesome. They didn't change my life. All they did was make me think "Wow, that was an expensive cookie." And the customer service was quite terrible. I'm not a huge fan of feeling like I'm an inconvenience to whomever is working, and this place was super awkward and we just wanted to EAT OUR COOKIES AND GET OUT OF THERE.

What You Should Do: Yeah, skip it. I know, you thought a pretty cookie picture for a Friday sounds pretty good...sorry to get your hopes up. If you're still in the SLC area, go to Ruby Snap for me and cherish it, okay? Thanks.

Read other reviews here:

CITY GUIDE NO. 2: NEW YORK CITY

2015-06-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

Obviously, New York City is an amazingly huge city, and there is no way I could ever hope to put together a truly comprehensive and current guide to this wonderful place. However, I will share with you some of the can't-miss and the definitely-skip places (based on my experience, and lots and lots and lots of Google time....)!

First up: Shake Shack!

A great place for a dang good burger, and probably the cheapest meal you will eat in NYC. We visited the location on the UES, and there was no line, and it was absolutely delicious. It's just your basic, classic, wonderful American burger, and the SHAKES. OMG. So, so, so good. I got the black & white cookie one, and it was to die for. We almost ate here twice, we liked it so much (but you know me...) If they opened one in Utah or Washington, I would probably die of happiness.

Not the greatest photo, but hey - I was on vacation!

We also visited Mighty Quinn's BBQ, because my little brother's name is Quinn! It was pretty good - I liked the sweet potatoes on the side, and the crunchy cucumbers were good, but honestly, I would SO much rather have barbecue at Blue Smoke instead (pictured terribly below). The BISCUITS there basically changed my life, and it had a much cooler, less stoner atmosphere. Plus the most divine fried chicken with honey and OMG IT WAS SO DELICIOUS AND AMAZING. Go to Blue Smoke, for sure.

Artichoke Basille.

I guess we had just gotten used to NYC pricing, but we didn't balk when we thought about spending $30 for a pizza to share. Yeah, the server really should have warned us. This was literally the biggest pizza I have ever seen in my life. Use my mom's cell phone on the table to the left of the pizza as a size reference!!!!! We each ate one piece and were quite satisfied, then had a second and didn't eat the rest of the day. Luckily, you can order by the slice, so PLEASE DO THAT. This pizza was the bomb, probably the best pizza I've ever had (its all about the sauce), and you would be amiss to miss it!

Smorgasburg over in Brooklyn was definitely a fun experience! Tons of different food carts and stands with flavors from all over the world. We had Korean tacos, spicy chicken and cheddar cheese waffles (with the BEST pickles!) and these amazing ice cream sandwiches from The Good Batch that were so delicious on this hot day. They have other highlights like Dough doughnuts and the famed Ramen Burger - its definitely a fun place to spend an afternoon!

Eataly was incredible! I know if I lived in NYC, I would be SO tempted to come here all the time and would probably waste very much of my money… The options were incredible, and I wish that I didn't have to try to fit everything into a carry-on (darn liquid limits!) or else I would have come home with lots of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, tomatoes, and more! We ate at the Pasta place, it was the bomb. We had to sit at the bar because of a huge wait, but it was actually fun because we got to see into the "kitchen," and you know how I love that. The Nutella bar also looked like a dream come true, for those of you who are into that :)

Chelsea Market was not as amazing as I had hoped - don't get me wrong, it’s a fun place to walk around for a little while, and I would definitely go there for lunch instead of breakfast like we did. Skip the cupcake that so many people rave about at Amy's Kitchen - we thought it was dry and unexciting. Also Fat Witch Bakery was a let down…not much improvement over boxed brownies, and you should probably just make them at home (or with this recipe!)

DOUGHNUT PLANT OMG. Home of square doughnuts, and filled doughnuts where the filling goes ALL THE WAY around, this place was the bomb. Their seasonal flavors were delicious, and we especially flipped for the pumpkin and spiced pepita doughnut. SO GOOOOOOD!

Breakfast at The Smith was quite good, conveniently located to our apartment, and had really fancy ketchup. My pecan caramel pancakes were quite the indulgence, and incredibly tasty. A great option if you're in the area. Plus they supposedly have a photobooth in the bathroom downstairs, but it was out of order when we were there…

Locande Verde was one of our "NYC Brunch" experiences (in Tribeca, it felt quite appropriate), and it was totally worth it. The food was divine (my ricotta pancakes with lemon curd and blueberries were otherworldy, and my mom's french toast with toasted hazelnuts and grapefruit was inspiring) and it had a really fun atmosphere. I definitely would go here again!

Mary's Fish Camp - this one divided us. I really liked my lobster roll (my first one ever - it was rich, buttery, and divine!!) and my mom was not impressed with her dish (the daily special). It was in a pretty pretentious area in the West Village (Louboutin around the corner), and the service was not amazing, so I'd say only head here if you really, really want a lobster roll.

We didn't take any pictures at Babbo (it was way too dark), but this was our one total splurge option. Gwyneth Paltrow recommended it, so I felt pretty cool when we got a reservation. Honestly, it was good, maybe even great, but did it change my life? No. The saffron panna cotta was definitely the bomb, and I would recommend this place if you want something fancy but still with a cozy atmosphere.

Tal Bagels has dang good bagels, with lots of options. This was where we went to get our "authentic" NYC bagel, and it definitely lived up to the hype. I'm sure there is somewhere else that the real bagel experts go, but this was in our neighborhood and was delicious, so I was satisfied.

Other NYC must-dos:

Sail around the Statue of Liberty: This was the classiest and most awesome thing we did in NYC, and it wasn't even that expensive. Skip all the lines on Liberty Island and see the Lady herself in great style.

New York City Ballet: Even if you're not a huge ballet fan, you have to appreciate their dedication and incredible talent. Lincoln Center is gorgeous, and its just a beautiful thing to do in a busy, busy city

Kate Spade New York Madison Avenue: If you're a girl, you're going to love this place. Trust me.

Met Museum: Duh. Not overrated. Must do. Wish we could have stayed there for three days.

Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge: This was totally fun (surprisingly busy!) and a great way to enjoy the Manhattan skyline! Take the subway over, and watch out for bikers on your walk back!

Where we stayed: POD51 Hotel

It was tiny (so tiny), but met our needs, was in a great location, and was not expensive (by NYC standards). I'd probably stay here again if I was traveling on a budget.

OLIVE GARDEN

2015-06-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

Where: Olive Garden, 504 W 2230 N, Provo

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 2

What We Ordered: Two Italian Sodas, Tortellini al Forno, Steak Gorgonzola-Alfredo, Ravioli di Portobello

What It Cost: $48

What We Thought:

Man. What is it about Olive Garden that seriously sucks people in? I mean, there are almost 400 restaurants in Provo and Orem, and yet somehow, there is always at least an hour wait at this place! So, though I had visited an Olive Garden a couple of times in the past, we decided to give it another go with as much of an unbiased opinion as possible, trying to get the whole "Olive Garden Experience."

So, when we got there, we were told that the expected wait would be an hour and a half. Cool!

Luckily we had some friends who were also waiting in line, and we weren't in any hurry, so when we were finally seated, we were still in pretty good spirits. We OF COURSE started with the free soup and salad and breadsticks -- isn't that the big draw of this place? Owen got the Zuppa Toscana (translated: Tuscan Soup), which in theory had potatoes, sausage, kale, bacon and creaminess. It was alright -- pretty heavy, oil a little visible on top, but it wasn't bad.

We also got some Italian Sodas. Not memorable. Moving on.

This little starter was actually our favorite part of the meal -- it was cheese and prosciutto stuffed ravioli with a parmesan cream sauce, bacon crumbles and bread crumbs. Crumb. Anyway, the ravioli was surprisingly flavorful, soft and creamy with nice contrasting crunch. Pretty salty of course, but actually pretty good!

Then the salad and breadsticks arrived. Such a big bowl for a one-person salad :) The salad is nothing amazing, pretty pale vegetables, but I really think that its the dressing that makes the salad pretty dang good actually. Like in the kind of way you could just eat a million of these little salads. In fact, I weirdly want some right now...

Those breadsticks. Please, just Google Jimmy Fallon + Olive Garden breadsticks. You won't regret it.

Owen's pasta was actually pretty decent. The meat was a little overcooked and challenging to slice, but there was an appropriate amount of blue cheese, and all of the flavors meshed together pretty well. I thought the sharpness of the blue cheese counteracted the typical SALT taste you get at Olive Garden, and I would definitely replicate this dish at home.

My ravioli on the other hand was HEY-YO SALT CITY! (Different than Salt Lake City of course....) I was nervous about the mushrooms because I'm actually not a huge mushroom fan, but the flavor of salt and cream totally overpowered it, so no problem there. There were oddly a ton of green onions (healthy?) and the dish was satisfying but not anything to write home about.

What You Should Do: For the love of Italian food, please just skip this place. It's not really the food, its the whole concept that really drives me nuts. People say they like Olive Garden because its affordable and convenient and reliable. Well, nearly $50 for two people doesn't seem like that great of a deal for the quality of food we got, and I could NOT believe how long we had to wait. And it wasn't even a busy time of night! We were waiting to be seated for OVER AN HOUR, which seems literally insane when we could have walked to several other decent restaurant options in a quarter of that time. Olive Garden is Olive Garden. They have it everywhere, so you probably should enjoy some of the more unique and special (and family-operated!) places here in Utah County while you can instead!

Read other reviews here:

DINNER PARTY GUIDE NO. 2

2015-06-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

It's almost officially summer!

My birthday is actually June 21 - first day of summer, and I have to admit, it's truly my favorite season right now. Fresh fruits and vegetables, berries finally being in season - it is a good time to eat, my friends (very important comma...).

So if you're planning on having a little party this weekend, or just want to impress a certain someone...here is another dinner party guide!

Starter: Grilled Tomato Toasts

Fresh, home-grown summer tomatoes may be one of my top three favorite foods of all time.Glory in that seasonal tomato taste with these fantastic grilled tomato toasts, and you may never want to move on to the first course.

Salad: Avocado and Pineapple Salad

Keeping it fresh with a fruity and simple salad, this unique combination is sure to please. This salad is a super tasty way to start off the meal and is surprisingly refreshing.

Main: Key West Grilled Chicken

I am a lime fanatic, and going to Key West, I absolutely loved all of the Caribbean flavors! It was actually our mission on that island to try as many key lime pies as possible - a very worthy mission indeed. This Key West grilled chicken recipe is super simple, super delicious, and a nice, light summer dinner to utilize that grill now that the suns out!

Side: Sticky Rice and Grilled Red Peppers

No recipe for this one - just make sure to buy calrose (sticky rice) at the store, and cover your red peppers with some olive oil and seasoning salt (Slap Ya Mama is the best!!) and toss them on the grill while you are cooking your chicken. You want to cook them (either whole or sliced) over a medium flame until they feel softened and are slightly charred.

Dessert: Homemade Ice Cream

Take your pic - there are SO many amazing recipes out there! My all-time favorite ones come from David Lebovitz - his salted butter caramel ice cream is from the gods, and the chocolate recipe on his blog is divine and infinitely adaptable. I don't know about you, but one of my goals this summer is to use my ice cream maker more (seems reasonable), and this weekend seems like the perfect time to get started!

(Top Photo from Rocket News 24)

CITY GUIDE NO. 1 - WHERE TO TAKE YOUR DAD IN PROVO

2015-06-15T02:00:00.000-07:00

Hey! Father's Day is next weekend! And if you forgot to get a gift (dads are THE HARDEST to shop for! They are always so selfless and don't want anything!), and don't want to be a schmuck, treat Dad out to a dinner as a thank you for teaching you knife skills and how to change the oil on the car.

And cherish your dad. You don't know how long he'll be around for.

Cubby's

This place is the bomb, and the giant, ultra satisfying sandwiches are even decent on the budget. Dare him to the get the extra spicy :)

Buffalo Wild Wings

Okay, this one is definitely a stereotype, but if your dad is into sports, this is my favorite Utah County place to go. There are so many screens filled with so many sports (even tennis, yay!) and it’s a lot of fun to try a bunch of different wing flavors! Skip any of the sides or appetizers - the wings are really the main attraction here. The best flavors (in my opinion) are Salt & Vinegar (sounds weird, but you gotta try it), Jammin' Jalapeño, and Asian Zing.

The Smoking Apple

If your dad's into barbecue, then you can't go wrong with The Smoking Apple. Their meats are always super juicy and flavorful, they don't run out of stuff as frequently as (ahem) other BBQ places do, and their sides are the bomb. My two favorites are the cornbread and the baked beans, but you really can't go wrong here!

El Mexsal

Pupusas = life. That's all. Oh, and everything else here they have is amazing.

Firehouse Subs

If you're taking Dad out for lunch, these sandwiches are sure to satisfy, and are definitely a treat!

Joe's Café

And of course, Joe's Café is the most excellent choice for ALL occasions -- hopefully it won't be closed, and you can treat Dad to the most incredible breakfast in his life. Trust me, this is far above those banana pancakes you were planning to bring him in bed…

Me & my dad - can you tell we're related?

PARK CAFE

2015-06-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

Where: Park Cafe, 604 E 1300 S, Salt Lake City

Who Went: Chelsey & Devynne

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Migas Special, Michigan Hash

What It Cost: 18.95

What We Thought:

Park Cafe is one of those "buzzy spots" according to my phone (I love how my phone sounds like a grandpa sometimes...) that everyone seems to be talking about, a place to see and be seen. So, obviously, I needed to see.

We went on a Monday morning at 10, which felt like a random day and time, but it was definitely hopping already. Luckily we were seated quickly, but I could see how this place would get packed in no time. The place is decorated in your typical hipster fare (I secretly loved the stickers on the condiments), and had a pretty decent selection of options for breakfast. I ordered the breakfast special - some Mexican migas (mmmm), and my sister got the Michigan hash.

This place would definitely be a good place to go for brunch - the dishes were hearty and portion sizes generous (seriously - four pieces of toast??) Our favorite part was the homemade jam at each table - it was totally good, and I kept wanting to sneakily steal other flavors from the other tables...

My migas were pretty good, though definitely not the best I've ever had. They were a little dry, but the really great salsa helped with that. Normally migas has corn tortilla chips cooked inside with the eggs, so I thought it was a little weird that they served it with corn tortillas, and it could have used some sour cream maybe? Overall, it was a dish I would eat again, but maybe not one I would order again.

Devynne's Michigan hash had high and low points as well - the sausage and eggs and cheese were all good. We actually liked the way their potatoes were cooked too - they seemed crumbly at first, but were quite delicious to eat that way. The only thing that had me like "really??" was the use of only green peppers - blech. We all know those are the worst bell peppers, and my sister is still on the fence about bell peppers, so I would have liked to see a mix at least with some red. And the bread just tasted like white bread, not sourdough.

What You Should Do: It's a fun place to meet with friends, and I bet it would be super nice to sit outside on the patio in the summer. If it's a nice day and you've got lots of spare time, you could give it a try for brunch. I'm always sad at the paucity of weekend brunch places around here, so this one's decent.

Read other reviews here:

DINNER PARTY GUIDE NO. 1

2015-06-10T16:00:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things in the world is having people over for dinner. I admit, sometimes I like to be a bit of a show-off (acknowledging the problem is the first step, right?), but mostly I love to find great recipes and share them with others to make for a special evening.

You know that age-old advice of never try a new recipe on guests? I'm the worst at that! I almost exclusively try new things whenever we have company - I guess I like the gamble? Sometimes you totally win, and sometimes it’s a huge flop, but at least then you all have something to laugh about!

But if you don't feel like being as risky as me (probably wise), or if you just want to get some great ideas, I'm going to be pulling together some weekend dinner party guides for you all - a little menu, and maybe some tips, playlists, or decoration ideas! These recipes have all be tried by yours truly (I wouldn't send you out there to fail!) and are guaranteed to make your guests happy and your night awesome. Lots of people ask me how I got good at cooking, but I'm telling you - it's not about the skills, it's all about the internet. Anyone can learn to cook from the internet! (Or how to do anything for that matter….things Dr. Google has taught me: how to change oil on the car, how to beat box, how to fishtail braid, how to replace a broken iPhone screen…it's amazing!)

Without further ado, we'll start off with a menu that I shared with some friends just this past weekend!

Starter: Cheese Plate

You can almost never go wrong with a classic cheese plate to start off the meal and to entertain people while you sometimes run around like a crazy person. What's Gaby Cooking puts together some of the most beautiful cheese plates of all time, so I look at her pictures for inspiration, and then go to Trader Joe's to find affordable and amazing cheese. When making a cheese plate, you've always got to have at least three options (a blue, a soft cheese, and a hard salty cheese), and here are some of my favorite things to include: fontina cheese, gorgonzola (softer for those who don't like blue cheeses), cornichons, jalapeño jelly, fig preserves, dried unsulphured apricots (TJ's again), and obviously cute little cheese knives!

Salad: Watermelon Salad

The theme of our party was going to be summer (more on that later), so obviously watermelon had to be involved. This slightly savory take on watermelon from Cup of Jo was a total hit - I changed it a little by subbing pecans for walnuts, using a basil-infused olive oil, and adding balsamic vinegar as well. Get creative with what you've got!

Main: Grilled Salmon

Like I said, it was supposed to be a summer theme, which of course means GRILLING, but then an hour before the party, it started to POUR and HAIL and FLOOD OUR STREET! Yeah, so the grilling situation was out. But I had already marinated the salmon using this recipe from All Recipes, so I just used my old standby, all-time favorite way of cooking salmon from The Pioneer Woman, and it turned out amazing. Use this recipe for non-fish lovers, and you may convert them!

Side: Garlicky Spinach

Another classic from The Pioneer Woman - when I look for sides, I want something I can either prep in advance, or put together in less than five minutes. This one was of the latter, and it was good. It was a little too garlicky for some guests, so use you own judgment :)

Dessert: Brownies with Fresh Strawberries

Okay, I had to beg for this recipe, since its from my friend Jessica, who in my book, is the ultimate QUEEN of brownies. In the past, I have been strictly a "brownies-from-the-box" kind of girl, and homemade brownies sucked, but THESE CHANGED EVERYTHING. Add some fresh macerated strawberries on top or vanilla bean ice cream, and it’s a classic end to any meal.

BEST BROWNIES EVER

1/2 cup butter

1 c white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Frosting:

3 tablespoons butter, softened

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8-inch square pan.
In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.
To Make Frosting: Combine 3 tablespoons softened butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 cup confectioners' sugar. Stir until smooth. Frost brownies while they are still warm.

** She doubles the recipe and puts it in a 9x13 pan, and you should too.

(Top photo from Domaine Home)

CHELSEY EATS

2015-06-10T08:50:00.003-07:00

Who's Chelsey?

scary Hawaii beach hair, giant burger, and everything

Hey, it's me!

As I'm sure you'll notice, there's been a bit of identity change over here, and I want to welcome you all to my new site, Chelsey Eats!

Yes it looks the same. But I've got to ask you - have you ever wondered why I am still in college after five years…? Confession time: I'm in graduate school. At the University of Utah (I know!) I still live in Provo (and love to cheer for our ever-disappointing teams at BYU!!!), but my time in my program is swiftly coming to an end (HALLELUJAH!!) I have to admit, I was pretty sad to think about leaving the blogging world behind when I announced here that I am going to be moving in December. And I've always wanted to bring a bit more of me into the blog, so here we are!

Not only do I love eating out at restaurants and giving you all the insight here (like, really love it), but I also love traveling, trying new recipes, and sharing good food with people I love. So, look forward to some fresh new content (coming soon…this afternoon!) in addition to the good ol' restaurant reviews, and I hope you like the change!

SWIG

2015-05-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Where: Swig, 1523 N Canyon Rd, Provo

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Strawberry Bliss Soda, Dirty Coke with Cherry, Sugar Cookie

What It Cost: ~$9

What We Thought:

In essence, we like Sodalicious better. It's not as close, but I like their predetermined flavor combinations better (don't make me make too many choices here, please), the sugar cookie seemed better there, and the seating at Swig was just awkward.

What You Should Do: Go to Sodalicious to get your drink fix instead. This place is fine, but it made me think too much, and I need to save my brain power for chemistry, not sodas.

Read other reviews here:

THE MOUSE TRAP

2015-05-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Where: The Mousetrap Food Truck, Various

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: Many...

What We Ordered: Nicolas Cage, Dave's Spicy Crack, the Odd Father, and more

What It Cost: $16

What We Thought:

GUYS GUYS GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Since its been so long since I've posted, I kind of have forgotten how there are some true gems that I have now visited several times without informing you all! You probably are sick of these places already if you follow me on Instagram, but for those of you social media-savvy, I just HAVE to tell you about this one.

When I eventually leave the warm embrace of Utah County, this blessed food truck is on the top 3 list of places I will miss. Do you think I could convince them to move with me? If you're reading this, please comment below (I'm planning on going to Seattle, if that helps...?)

The first time we tried this place, we were instantly hooked. In fact, we were so obsessed, that we actually kind of stalked them the next day...it was awkward.

The above sandwich is my personal favorite - Dave's Spicy Crack. First off, the name. It's just hilarious. This sandwich is loaded with pepper jack, sriracha sauce, spicy chicken, tomatoes and jalapeño chips. I was one of those kids who always put plain potato chips inside of their sandwich, to add some crunch, so this obviously was right up my alley. The bread, so good. The spicy factor, divine. The whole thing, a revelation.

The Odd Father, above, is Owen's favorite. Grilled chicken again, with sautéed onions, harvarti cheese, goat cheese, spring mix and a balsamic glaze. OH MY GOSH I LOVE THIS THING. Yeah, its a little messy, but heck, you're eating outside, so no one's going to judge. Man. I wish I was eating this right now. Crispy, crunch, gooey and amazing.

The Nicolas Cage also deserves an honorable mention. This clever concoction pairs pulled pork with sharp cheddar, green apple, spring mix, and a brown sugar glaze. For those of you who like sweet + salty + tart all in one, you HAVE to try this one. Well, actually, even if you don't like that combination particularly, you should probably try it anyway, and have your mind changed. Its so dang delicious.

What You Should Do: Become stalkers like us. Track this truck, and enjoy. Repeat. Several times. If it's Friday when you're reading this, they are probably at the Scera Food Truck Roundup in Orem, so now you have a head start.

EL AZTECA

2015-05-08T01:30:00.000-07:00

Where: El Azteca, 46 E Bulldog Boulevard, Provo

Who Went: Chelsey, Owen and Aaron

Number of Visits: 2

What We Ordered: Carne Asada Burrito California Style, Salmon Tacos, Enchilada & Taquito Plate, and Chips

What It Cost: $28

What We Thought:

I remember the very first time I went to El Azteca. I was fascinated by the fluorescent painted walls and sort-of dingy-exciting-atmosphere. The burritos were bigger than could be believed, and it was a distant happy memory from freshman year.

Then they got a new location, and you know how I've got a weak spot for Mexican food, so I thought it needed another try. Unfortunately we were in a huge hurry, and of course I forgot my good camera, so you'll have to bear with me.

Though we all know how well burritos photograph anyways, right? Well sadly this time, the photo was equal to the burrito. The carne asada was dry, the "california style" was not worth the $$ (weak amount of sour cream and guacamole was sort of, old tasting. On the plus side, it was still quite as large as my memory suggested. So that was good, I suppose.

The enchiladas had a nice sauce, but the shredded iceberg and unmelted cheese kind of detracted from the overall experience. I like how they have an expansive salsa bar with many topping choices and salsa flavors so you can personalize your tacos or whatever, though none of them really sparked my interest.

We also got the salmon tacos, which were a brave choice considering...where is the nearest place that salmon live around here anyway...? Anyway, the tacos were alright - I actually found the guacamole more fresh than in the burritos, and though the onions were a little strong in the pico, the tacos were overall pretty good. The tortillas were my favorite part!

What You Should Do: I hate to be one of "those people," but I really feel like the old location was better. Cliché, I know. The flavors weren't as good as I remembered, though if I was required to go again, I'd probably stick with the tacos. But, there are lots of other Mexican restaurants around, so try to convince the others to head to 180 Tacos or something instead...

Read other reviews here:

ALAMEXO

2015-05-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

Where: Alamexo, 268 S State Street, Salt Lake City

Who Went: Owen and Chelsey

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Guacamole en Molcajete, Carne Asada Tacos, Enchiladas Barbacoa de Res

What It Cost: $63.76

What We Thought:

Expensive, quite tasty, artisan Mexican food.

Mexican food in Utah certainly is of no shortage (thank goodness).

I have to make a confession to you - there are no other guacamoles in my life anymore. I've given them all up in complete devotion to this perfect, amazing, wonderful guacamole. The servers surely hate it, since they are required to mix up all the perfectly chopped ingredients in the molcajete right by your tableside, but it is so fresh and creamy and ripe and amazing that I will have to have to inconvenience them longer. It has inspired me to make molcajetes my new gift for newlyweds, because if it is the secret to Perfect Guacamole, everyone needs access. STAT.

Alamexo focuses on fresh, flavorful, and inventive Mexican flavors, and each dish shines in a unique way. The food is very filling and satisfying - definitely work up an appetite before going here!

Even the side dishes are divine - flavored rice with pepitas and slow roasted black beans with cotija. The beans were so delicious, I wish I could eat them every day!

I ordered the tacos de carne asada, so I'm sure you could imagine my surprise when this "DIY" plate appeared in front of me :) In the mini skillet, there was melted Oaxaca and adobe marinated bistek topped with pico de gallo, which I was to pile onto fresh tortillas. Though the flavors were quite delicious, THERE WAS SO MUCH CHEESE. The cheese was really rich, and I have to admit, it was a big intense and a little indigestion-prone...

And then, churros con chocolate. WOWZA. It has redefined churros for me, they were so amazing. This almost led to challenges in our marriage, since I tried to sneak it from my husband's plate...

What You Should Do: I would totally go again, just for the guacamole. It was definitely filling enough for a meal! I just wonder two things -- 1) Would they be totally pissed? and 2) Will I still get the churros? It is a little expensive, but for a special Mexican treat, you can't beat this place!

Read other reviews here:

OFF DUTY

2015-01-21T09:42:00.002-08:00

If you haven't noticed, I'm out of commission. This semester is just crazy, and "ain't nobody got time for that."

I may come back in May, I may not. We'll see.

For now, if you want to see some of my food and commentary, follow my instagram @EatBYU, where I am not yet lazy enough to take pictures of my food, at least.

CHIPOTLE

2014-12-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

Where: Chipotle, 1011 E 2100 S, Salt Lake City

Who Went: Chelsey, Kierea, and Hallie

Number of Visits: 5

What We Ordered: Chicken Salad, Sofritas Salad with Guacamole, Carnitas Salad (three girls, three salads. I know.)

What It Cost: $7.60 (for one person)

What We Thought:

Of all restaurants that Provo is lacking, Chipotle is the one I hear brought up the most. Like, seriously. Why isn't there a Chipotle in Provo? (it has something to do with liquor licenses, parking, blah blah excuses! #chipotleinprovo) Alas, there isn't one yet, so I'm going to give you the lowdown so you can determine if it is worth the approximately 35-minute drive to the nearest one.

In short, yes.

Chipotle is a nice mix of organic and Fresh Mex tastes, that are pretty dang good, despite them being a chain. They aim to provide the most fresh and flavorful ingredients, which come together in a couple great options -- burrito, bowl, salad, or tacos, all with the same meat options. They have chicken (my favorite, a little spicy, and totally great), barbacoa (Owen's favorite), carnitas (Hallie's favorite), sofritas (seasoned tofu - Kierea's favorite), steak (Tim's favorite), and veggies (no one's favorite. Just kidding. It's actually quite good also). The rest of the line-up seems kind of similar to our fave Mex chain, Cafe Rio -- cilantro lime rice, black or pinto beans, four types of salsa (including a corn salsa, which I really like!), cheese, sour cream, romaine lettuce, cilantro. It's a similar assembly-line set-up as well, which is always great because you can customize your plate as they are making it. I tried the spiciest salsa this time for the first time, and thought it was great - left my mouth with a little bit of the burn! We've had the burritos, probably their most famous item, and found them to be excellent and more than filling. I was glad that the salads and everything actually is all the same cost - I hate it when I order a salad, and it's more expensive, so I feel double cheated...

The guacamole is an extra $1.95, which I thought was a little lame-o, but after seeing Kierea's salad, I do have to admit that a) it looks really good and b) at least they give you a LOT. A LOTTA GUAC. Which is how guacamole always should be.

What You Should Do: Join a group like this one. Tweet the mayor. Come on people. We are a group of highly motivated, hungry students, and we need a Chipotle. Sadly, they don't franchise, or else I would have already opened one up here myself. Chipotle isn't the best Mexican food you'll have in Utah Valley, but its a delicious option when you're in the mood for a quick, healthy, and scrumptious meal.

Read other reviews here:

TACO AMIGO

2014-11-28T03:00:00.000-08:00

Where: Taco Amigo, 1395 N State Street, Orem

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Three tacos -- one flour, one soft corn, one hard corn, a "chimichanga," an a raspberry milkshake

What It Cost: $17.96

What We Thought:

You are going to have to forgive me for two major things here today with this blog post. And I am really sorry.

1. I forgot to take a picture of our milkshake, which is sort of "THE" item at Taco Amigo (that everyone talks about)

2. This is probably going to be the most racist post I've ever done. And for that, I am truly sorry.

But seriously, this is the LEAST Mexican Mexican restaurant I've ever been to. You know that you are going to get completely wrong Mexican food when there isn't a single Mexican individual eating or working at the restaurant.

Okay, okay. Enough of that. Let's talk about the food.

First up, my chimichanga, as shown above. I know. You were probably as confused as I was when this came out. A chimichanga, according to Webster's Dictionary (and I type this with the utmost irony), is a deliciously deep-friend burrito (in more or less words). This thing was just a soggy smothered burrito, if it had been fried, it was a couple days ago because there was literally no crispiness to the burrito at all, and it was just swimming in the most flavorless, bland tomato sauce, with exceptionally pitiful toppings. Sad iceberg lettuce, canned olives, and piped sour cream, all trying to mask which wasn't even that good of a burrito/non-chimichanga. I didn't even finish it.

Owen got three tacos, because he was in a taco mood and couldn't decide if he wanted a flour, soft corn or hard corn tortilla. So, all three it was. They were all filled with the famed American-Mexican mystery meat (presumable some ground beef of sorts), that weak-sauce iceberg lettuce again, and shredded cheese. Your bare bones. Granted, the meat was certainly more bearable than its competitors, like Taco Bell or Del Taco, but it was really just kind of sad.

The best part of this whole experience was that we found a new talent of Owen's -- taco hand modeling! I mean, come on, that looks really nice how he's holding it.

We eventually found some "taco sauce" which made the totally dry tacos a little better, but the sauce was nothing exciting, and the whole thing was just underwhelming. If you're going to do the cheap, American Mexican food thing, fine, just don't charge prices that are similar to what I'd pay at Cafe Rio for food that is actually delicious.

We got the fresh raspberry shake, and yeah, it was good. You could tell there were actual fresh raspberries in there. It wasn't blended a bunch, so every now and then you'd get a big ol' chunk of frozen berry, which was a little unpleasant, but I'd be willing to go back and try the peach shake, since that sounds pretty good.

What You Should Do: People. We live in a mecca of Mexican food, in all its varieties. I appreciate that this place is family-owned and local and all that jazz, but we have SO many other places that are way better, and better priced. 180 Tacos. Maria Bonita. Laura's. El Gallo Giro. El Mexsal. In fact, the next two blog posts I have are Mexican restaurants (go figure). The list goes on. And so should you. We were so disappointed after this meal that we wanted to go and eat a second dinner to make up for it. We didn't of course. But we wanted to.

Read other reviews here:

PENNY ANN'S CAFE

2014-11-21T01:00:00.000-08:00

Where: Penny Ann's Cafe, 1810 S Main Street, Salt Lake City

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 2

What We Ordered: Pork Chili Verde Skillet and Penny Pot Potatoes, both with sides of Pancakes.

What It Cost: $23.28

What We Thought:

Ohhhh Joe's Cafe, I hate to do this to you, but I may have a new favorite breakfast place!!!!

Of course, this one is in Salt Lake, so maybe we can still be friends?

Penny Ann's Cafe is a tiny little place hidden in the base of a sorta-ghetto apartment complex that you would definitely miss if you blinked. Is this the secret to excellent breakfasts? Not sure, but I definitely see a trend.

They have these skillet breakfasts, which are basically everything good about breakfast, chopped up and pan-fried together. YUM. I looove their Mexican-inspired breakfast foods, and this place sure knows how to make a mean chile verde. Their eggs are always perfectly cooked, and you can definitely plan on bringing some home for breakfast tomorrow.

I mean, just look at that burrito! These are the things that burrito dreams are made of, my friends. And the flavor definitely matches up to the size -- it is seriously so good. And good luck eating all of it!

The best part of all of these meals is that they come with a side of the best dang pancakes you've ever had EVER. They are sour cream pancakes, and are somehow so much lighter, fluffier, and tastier than any pancake you've ever had. It is truly a mystery, and one that I would like to spend my whole life solving. This side of pancakes could definitely be a meal on it's own. But why would you limit yourself like that? But please, at least get the pancakes. I love them so much!!!!

And this one's my favorite -- breakfast nachos! Oh yeah. It's true that the sauce seems to be the same between the burrito, skillet, and nachos, but when you have a good thing going, why mess it up? The nachos are on these homemade tortilla chips that rival Lone Star's, and the chile verde sauce is just sublime. Plus - NACHOS FOR BREAKFAST!!

Penny Ann's is also known for their spectacular pies, and though pie for breakfast is a little intense, even for me, we got one to-go once (lemon raspberry), and can indeed confirm that it was truly divine. Can't wait to try the others. It's Thanksgiving season after all, right?

What You Should Do: Best Brunch Place Ever. I would say breakfast, but there is so much food with each serving, that you should probably count it for both breakfast and lunch. But it's reasonably priced, ultra friendly, and MAN THE FOOD IS GOOD. Especially the pancakes. Oh heavens, those pancakes.

Read other reviews here:

THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY

2014-11-14T01:00:00.000-08:00

Where: The Cheesecake Factory, 65 Regent Street, Salt Lake City

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 2

What We Ordered: Tex Mex Egg Rolls, Macaroni and Cheese Burger, SkinnyLicious Factory Chopped Salad, Wild Blueberry White Chocolate Cheesecake (not pictured), and Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Cheesecake

What It Cost: $57.36 (excluding price of salad)

What We Thought:

Keeping in the tradition of overpriced restaurants lately (sorry, I promise to get some cheap stuff on here soon!) we decided to venture to the well-known and oft-debated Cheesecake Factory. We went to the one at City Creek, though I am pretty sure they all get their food shipped in from the same provider and that it all tastes exactly the same no matter where you go so...yeah. Apply as you may.

We started with the Tex Mex egg rolls, because you know my weakness for these special/weird egg rolls from CPK. Mmmm.. Look at that grease pile. And sooooo much sour cream. Yeah. It's all a fat bomb up in here. The egg rolls were filled with chicken, black beans, cheese, peppers and onions and were certainly flavorful. And filling. I was totally full after the bread and appetizer.

And what else did we have look forward too -- more fat! Oh yeah! I know Cheesecake Factory gets a bad rap for being calorie-loaded and this mac & cheese burger totally lives up to that reputation. I mean, it's not like we were expecting anything else when we ordered this, but it was still pretty funny. On top of an actually decent burger, they placed a fried wad of mac & cheese, and then drizzled it with cheese sauce on top. Hahahhahahaha oh man. This thing is nuts. It actually tasted pretty good (I really liked the bun!) and the fries were quite tasty, but yeah, you can't eat anything else for a week after this not-so-little guy.

I went and ordered something off of the SkinnyLicious menu, and can I just say, it is SO embarrassing ordering off that menu. I mean, can you imagine if you were a guy ordering off the menu? Not to be sexist, but even as a female, it's totally humiliating. ANYWAY. Got the SkinnyLicious Factory Chopped Salad, which is supposed to have chicken, avocado, corn, bacon, tomato, apple and blue cheese. Immediately I was put off because, as you can see, the hunks of blue cheese were gigantic - and blue cheese is something that's better as an accent, not a mouthful! But I decided to start into the salad anyway, only to find that the taste was just...off. I'm not sure if it was the lettuce or the dressing or what, but it was bitter and weird tasting, and it totally made me lose my appetite. So I sent it back (I'm becoming quite the complainer I guess...) and then was done for the meal. YUCK. Couldn't eat it, not sure why but the ingredients were not very fresh and it was just all kind of gross.

The cheesecakes were obviously pretty good. I do have to say that I am a sucker for all of the flavors they have - it's so exciting. I really like the peanut butter one, and cheesecake is way hard to make at home, so this part is pretty good. They were both a little dry, but overall, tasty cheesecake with fun and unique flavors.

What You Should Do: The server told us that she would take the cost of the salad off our bill, so I was surprised when it still came out to be $60! It would have been closer to $75 with the salad! I don't know about you, but that is totally not worth it to me. There are a LOT of other much more delicious restaurants out there (just click here for some excellent choices!) that you can go to for special occasions. The Cheesecake Factory is just too cookie-cutter now (excuse the really lame dessert pun) and the food all tastes just kind of tired. And expensive! I'd probably only go here again for the cheesecake, and even that can have better options elsewhere. You won't have to order from an embarrassingly-named menu, you won't have to wait an hour to be seated (you may even be able to make a reservation!), and you won't have to be ashamed of all the calories you mysteriously consumed.

Read other reviews here:

GLORIA'S LITTLE ITALY

2014-11-07T01:00:00.000-08:00

Where: Gloria's Little Italy, 1 E Center Street, Provo

Who Went: Owen and Chelsey

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Butternut Squash Ravioli with Side Salad and Gnocchi with Rosata Sauce and Tomato Basil Soup

What It Cost: $44.71

What We Thought:

For some reason, I keep trying Italian food even though you know how I feel about it...But hey! Let's see if this one was worth the cost! Gloria's in downtown Provo is like one of the nicer restaurants in the area, but it's looking like it could use a little refresher. I don't know. The accordion player was kind of fun, but the girl clearing tables in basketball shorts and flip flops kind of ruined the mood...

Plus the accordion player never came to our table and asked what we wanted him to play! Totally bummed. I had a great song picked. Also a bummer - this salad. Why do restaurants insist on putting unmixed salads in bowls that are reallllly hard to mix in? Beats me. But the salad was boring, and I didn't really even eat it because, well, I'm already bored talking about it. Let's move on.

Owen started with the Tomato Basil soup, which was much more exciting. In fact, yeah I stole it from him. The soup was creamy and wonderful, and may even be better than Zupas. I know, hearsay. But it was really great! Definitely the highlight of the meal for me!

I got the butternut squash ravioli with sausage and four cheese sauce. The sauce did look like it had kind of been sitting a while, but the ravioli were really flavorful and delicious. It was a little weird though, because it totally reminded me a LOT of this pasta...Not sure who the original is, but our server assured us that they make all of the pasta in house, so I don't know...anyway, it was good. The sausage was flavorful and the sauce was certainly cheesy, and it was just a good all-around comfort meal.

Owen's dish was also high on the comfort-meal scale - I guess that's kind of an Italian food thing? I don't know. But he got the gnocchi in their signature sauce -- a creammmmy tomato sauce with cream cheese mixed it. Wowza. It was hearty. The gnocchi was pretty good. I think it was boiled and pretty sfot, and I really like it pan-fried for a bit of texture contrast, but that's getting nit-picky. It sure was a lot of pasta, and we took a good amount home, which is always nice.

We thought about getting dessert, but tried some of the gelato and found it to be icy and weirdly-flavored (and I normally totally dig gelato...), and the other desserts looked like they had been on display for a while, so we opted out.

What You Should Do: Pretty good, but $45 worth? I don't know. I think we probably made some of the best choices (I know, I sound super full of myself here...) with our meals -- ordering Italian options that can't be made as easily at home, which made the cost seem more justifiable. But still, it's a pretty expensive choice. I definitely think this would be more tasty on one of those chilly winter nights when you just want some comfort food, and make sure to order the tomato basil soup and put in an accordion song request for me, would ya?

Read other reviews here:

CHEF'S TABLE

2014-10-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

Where: Chef's Table, 2005 S State Street, Orem

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 2

What We Ordered: Cheese & Charcuterie Board, Macadamia Crusted Halibut, Rack of Colorado Lamb, Bananas Foster Cheesecake, and "Chocolate Dream Dessert"

What It Cost: $118.44

What We Thought:

It's so funny -- probably one of the "nicest" restaurants in Orem is really in not so nice of a location -- across the street from D.I. and next door to PC World...ANYWAY. Since it's won so many awards (lots of Best of State, Zagat, etc), we of course had to check it out. The first time we had a Groupon (scout these out -- so worth it here!), but we actually kind of liked it, so we had to go a second time...

You know those nights when you're just feeling like, I want to go somewhere nice and expensive! Okay, okay, it's rare (we are students, after all), but when you do, Chef's Table totally fits the bill (literally). Though it's in a really weird location, it has a pretty view of the mountains, and a very pretty dining area. We started our meal with the cheese & charcuterie board, and you know that song "These are a Few of My Favorite Things"? Well, this board is that song to me...Tartufo Salami, Soppressata, cornichons, gorgonzola, merlot-soaked sharp cheddar, crostini, prosciutto, and kumquat marmalade? These are a few of my favorite things! In all seriousness, this charcuterie board was a great mix, and a super delicious start to the meal. The only things that could make it better -- 1) More crostini (it was a little awkward to eat the cheese & meats without a good carb base) and 2) The server didn't know who made the meats - I thought it was Creminelli, but it would have been nice to know for sure :)

I mean, is there anything that makes you feel more sophisticated or like this is an Important Meal than a lemon sorbet to cleanse your palate? I think not.

Now...for the entrées...YUM! Owen got the rack of Colorado lamb, which was served over the creamiest polenta, with a roasted tomato sauce and green beans. The lamb was cooked perfectly medium rare, and was sooooo juicy and tender. I would eat this every day if I could afford it haha.

I ordered the macadamia crusted halibut, which was served over a delightful risotto with asparagus and beurre blanc. The risotto and sauce were AMAZING, and the halibut would have been really great except for the fact that I am totally picky and the fish was a little overcooked for me. It was still all really good, but when I mentioned to the server that the fish was a little dry/overcooked, he offered to make up for it with some free dessert. Yeah, you know I couldn't turn that down...

And WOW am I glad we didn't! First off, it is rare that more than one dessert sounds even remotely appealing after, you know, a full meal. But at Chef's Table, literally every dessert sounded super intriguing. I ordered the Bananas Foster Cheesecake, and Owen got what the server described as "It's really chocolate-y - chocolate brownie topped with chocolate mousse and chocolate wafers and chocolate sauce...yeah, it's a lot of chocolate." Of course we had to try that. The cheesecake was divine - I looooove bananas foster AND cheesecake, so I knew this would be a win for me. The flavor was phenomenal, and I loved the brûléed banana - it was perfectly cooked and the bananas weren't mushy at all! I was surprised with the raspberries on top, but it was a perfect bit of tartness on a dessert that could have been overwhelmingly sweet. I WANT THIS RIGHT NOW.

I can't even describe this chocolate dessert except...best thing ever/I love chocolate/so intense but so good/you gotta try it/never take this off the menu

What You Should Do: Like I mentioned before, Chef's Table is a great place for those special occasions where you really feel like splurging! The service was really excellent and they want you to have a wonderful dining experience. My only advice is hey, if you're going to be spending more than $100 on a meal, let's dress a little nicer, okay? Just a personal thing... :) I would probably give this place four stars, but it is pretty expensive in reality, and I'm not recommending going here every day!

Read other reviews here:

HIRES BIG H

2014-10-24T01:00:00.000-07:00

Where: Hires Big H, 427 S 700 E, Salt Lake City

Who Went: Owen and Chelsey

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Fish & Chips, Blue Cheese Burger, and Raspberry Milkshake

What It Cost: $24.90

What We Thought:

An old, classic Utah establishment with retro decor, friendly service, and seriously good food.

Also, can I just say this is like one of the least expensive halibut fish & chips I've seen in Utah?? And it's totally a good value because the fish was excellent (moist and not too fishy), the tartar sauce was the bomb (as tartar sauce usually is), and the fries were top notch. Fish & chips can easily go down the "way too greasy" road, but this managed to be just right. YUM!

The burger had all of the components of a classic, old-school burger (fresh, local bun, great tasting patty, etc.) but was pumped up with the blue cheese and bacon. I was stoked that they used gorgonzola, which gives a great mild blue cheese flavor without overpowering everything. The bacon was thick and crispy, and altogether, it was just a great burger.

And this milkshake was just one of the best I've ever had. Fresh raspberry, but without any annoying frozen berry chunks. It was the perfect consistency (not so thick that it's basically ice cream, but not soupy), and seriously the best end to our meal. Although, let's be honest, it was the first thing we tasted...

What You Should Do: I was totally surprised with the mixed reviews with this place -- we had such a great experience! The owner personally greeted us as we came in, rang out our check, and thanked us sincerely for coming. The food came quickly and tasted great. We will definitely be coming here again!

Read other reviews here:

HRUSKA'S KOLACHES

2014-10-17T01:30:00.000-07:00

Where: Hruska's Kolaches, 434 W Center Street, Provo

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 3

What We Ordered: Raspberry Cream Cheese and Jalapeño Sausage Egg & Cheese Kolaches

What It Cost: $4

What We Thought:

If you're ever in the mood to check out the farmer's market downtown on a Saturday morning, this place is an AWESOME breakfast stop! Of course, it is also awesome every other day of the week too...

I had never heard of kolaches before this place popped up. Apparently it's a Czech breakfast item, kinda like a doughnut/muffin/danish type of thing (though they have savory ones too!) and they are really popular in Texas. And now, they are really popular in our household!

I love how this is just a little family-operated joint that is just bringing flavors they love from Texas here to share with us. And the kolaches are seriously good -- fresh baked rolls with crisp exteriors and soft chewy insides, with scrumptious flavors to go! We loooooove the jalapeño/egg/sausage (or bacon!) ones - a little kick in the morning that comes with a serious flavor punch. The dessert ones are all fantastic too. We are definitely partial to the fruit + cream cheese combos. YUM.

What You Should Do: Follow the advice of me and your friendly Provo City mayor, and give this place a try! It's such a fun breakfast alternative, and make sure you ask them to heat them up for you! Man...I want some right now!!!!!! We've tried a bunch of flavors, and the spicy sausage one is definitely intense (you've been warned) and for some reason the cinnamon roll wasn't my favorite. BUT EVERYTHING ELSE SERIOUSLY ROCKS!

Read other reviews here:

COSTA VIDA

2014-10-10T00:30:00.000-07:00

Where: Costa Vida, 1200 N University Avenue, Provo

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 3

What We Ordered: Pork Salad and Steak Burrito

What It Cost: $16.45

What We Thought:

Costa Vida. Or, in my mind "the other Cafe Rio." Finally. After much deliberation, the results are in.

Reasons Costa Vida is better than Cafe Rio:

1. More flavor options for meat (including raspberry chipotle chicken, which is kind of exciting)
2. Usually much shorter lines
3. You can order a half salad (though it's only like $1 or $2 cheaper, but if you really are working on portion control, this could be advantageous)
4. They serve it at BYU Football games

Reasons Cafe Rio is better than Costa Vida:

1. The sweet pork just tastes better
2. Better salsa (2 of 3 visits, my salsa has had a weird, fishy taste??)
3. Better tortillas (at least when they are made fresh)
4. Bigger burritos
5. Better atmosphere (right next to the bowling alley just doesn't do it for me...?)
6. It's at the airport
7. Sauces taste better (and more of it on the smothered burrito)
8. Everything just seemed to taste fresher...maybe because Cafe Rio goes through so many customers, they have to get fresh new food more frequently? Not sure...

What You Should Do: Go to Cafe Rio instead. Join my petition to get Cafe Rio at the BYU football stadium. I'm sorry, I tried. Both are better than Bajios, however.

Read other reviews here: