The Tin Angel Café

WHAT I HAD:
Tapa- Espresso Crusted Beef Tenderloin
Appetizer- Spiced Almonds with Bleu Cheese
Entree- Pimenton Pork Loin
Dessert- Bread Pudding with Cranberry and Orange


Address: 365 West 400 South, Salt Lake City

I'm sure most of you have driven past the The Tin Angel Café, and it is easy to miss. It is right across from Pioneer Park on 400 South on your way to pretty much anything, but if you never make the stop you are heading the wrong way. Tin Angel Café is TINY, or should I say Cozy? and it has a slight tattoo parlor vibe going. Maybe there is an association there. It would seem they treat their food like a tattoo artist treats an arm– like art. The food was so un-complex and natural. They just let the flavors of the food do the talking. They are big on buying local ingredients when they can or anything organic and they will sacrifice low prices for it– and that is meant as a compliment. Even big namers like Coke or Pepsi are nowhere to be found, they use an all natural cola which I think tasted way better.

I couldn't shut up about the decor while we were there. I swear they must raid D.I. regularly to build their very eclectic serving-ware collection. They had vintage table runners, local artists adorning the walls (mostly of skeletons and devils), and their tattooed, chain wearing waiter even joins in and wears a vintage frilly apron.



The menu has sections you don't find on every restaurant menu– tapas, small plates, a wine list (just kidding). So there is the fun element of trying lots of different dishes and not being overly full. Unless you do what ES and I did and order lots of plates, an entree, and a dessert, then you may be rolling yourself out of the restaurant.
A note: when they say "one bite-" or "two bite-" tapa, it really is.

The food was wonderful, the atmosphere was dark and cozy but this isn't a restaurant you would take home to your mother.

The Robin's Nest

WHAT I HAD: The Natural- Portabello Mushrooms, Sweet Roasted Red Peppers, Artichoke Hearts, Red Onion, Spinach, Provolone, a Roasted Garlic Spread all on Ciabatta

Address: Heart of downtown Salt Lake. 311 South Main.

Many times at lunch I am starving (well that is everytime) but I can't put my finger on something I want to eat. Cafe Rio? Just had that. 5 guys? Too fattening. McDonalds? I'm not that starving. Once I visited the Robin's Nest I found my muse for lunch. Something intelligent, not too greasy, and not too ordinary.

You walk in and there is a wall of people. I would like to describe the decor/atmosphere. But being 5'3" all I saw was hair and coats. I think that had something to do with it being noon. Robin's Nest is deli style where you order, pay, they call out your name and you pick it up. For having so many people inside, I thought we'd be waiting forever, but they were surprisingly fast. We even found a seat. Their menu is mostly sandwiches, but I think they had a few salads and maybe a soup of the day. I ordered the Natural (they all have cheeky names) and that came with a side and a cookie. And that is not potato chips and some thawed out chocolate chip cookie. I had a delicious orzo pasta salad with a Mexican wedding cookie. My sandwich was vegetarian, but it had tons of flavor and great texture. I just ordered a half sandwich and ate every bit of it. A perfect amount of food for relatively cheap ($8).

I can finally end this quest for a cheap, fast, and most importantly, delicious, lunch.

Em's

WHAT I HAD:
Appetizer: (The Special) Blue Chees Stuff Figs wrapped in Prociutto
Entree: Free Range Chicken Breast stuffed with Goat's Cheese & Pine Nuts
Dessert: Pecan Bread Pudding with Home-made Caramel Ice Cream

Address: 271 Center St, Salt Lake City

So ES, the babe, and I were driving around downtown running errands when we realized we needed to get some dinner. I had heard of this place called Em's from co-workers, Salt Lake Magazine, and such so it's been on my mental list of places to try. It took a GPS to find it, but it wasn't to bad. They are located up in Capitol Hill amongst a neighborhood, so if you weren't looking, you could miss it. The building was charming. I mean check out this photo from their website.


Just darling.

So we entered, babe and all, the second we stepped in, I felt like everyone was thinking "Oh please, don't let them sit next to me". So I asked if we could sit outside. Luckily we weren't the only ones requesting a high chair. But I seriously felt like we had just busted in on party we weren't invited to. Even the waiter just seemed like,"You guys think you can eat here?" He wasn't rude or anything, just seemed like he felt a little mightier than he should be when he really is just a waiter.

One weird thing is they didn't have straws. Is using a straw weird? I have sensitive teeth, so I like a straw, but I managed. Not a big deal, but a little weird.

We ordered one the special's for the appetizer. Mostly because I like to order anything with blue cheese or prosciutto, but I was sorely disappointed. It was too sweet for my taste. The house salad was disappointing as well, it was only mixed greens with some cheese and a vinaigrette. I know it is just a house salad, but Faustina throws on beet chips at least.

The chicken was good. The pine nuts and goat cheese were great together. ES' meal was much better than mine though. I mean, chicken meals are never amazing anyway. ES ordered the tenderloin off the specials menu. Which I failed to mention was what I first mistook for the actual menu it was so large. The mash potatoes were amazing and actually one of my favorite parts of my meal.

I normally never order bread pudding because it is just way to heavy, ES always wants to order it, so this time I succumbed and am grateful because the bread pudding was so delicious and the home-made caramel ice-cream was so refreshing.

So to sum it up, the food was good, but not spectacular. The thing that turned me off the most was the stuffy atmosphere. Wanting to give them the benefit of the doubt, I concluded it might just be an off night, but after talking to a few other food connoisseurs they've confirmed that they too got the same vibe we did. We enjoyed our meal enough, but probably won't be returning.

Tasty Thai

GUEST BLOGGING TODAY: One of my favorite eating partners, my one and only, ES.



WHAT WE HAD: Gang Dang (red curry), Pad Thai, Pad Phed (Red Curry), & Veggie Dumplings for appetizers.

Address: 1300 South 500 East, Salt Lake City

Tasty Thai! The name says it all. Among all of the Thai restaurants that I have eaten at, Tasty Thai is both the most authentic and delicious. It is a small family-run restaurant, that uses only the freshest of ingredients. Located near Liberty Park at 13th South and 5th East, Tasty Thai boasts delicious entrees and appetizers at an extremely reasonable price. The staff at Tasty Thai are extremely friendly and the atmosphere is low-key, with an open kitchen and several window views of the park. And whether you prefer curry options (which are fantastic), or are in the mood for soups or vegetarian dishes, Tasty Thai will not disappoint. Either way, I look forward to many more meals at Tasty Thai!

Dine O'Round

WHEN: September 11- 27

I look forward to this event every spring and fall. It is the time where I always try restaurants I might not normally try. They have two set prices $30 or $15 depending on the scale the restaurant claims to be and you get a three course meal. Sometimes they will do $10 lunches too. Check out the list of participating restaurants here.

Cafe Niche

WHAT I HAD: The 'Dame' - a sandwich on sourdough with goat cheese, grape tomatoes, and arugala.

Address: 779 E 300 S, Salt Lake City

You know those days where you just want something light and fresh and savory? Like a really good sandwich or a garden fresh salad? That seems to be the case for me almost every day during the summer. If I were to create a menu of all the meals I crave, but can't quite picture in my head, it would probably be found at Cafe Niche. Niche has the type of menu that I could not decide what to order only because I wanted every single thing available. Hummus platters, turkey and brie sandwiches, things with arugala on it. All of my favorites, so you can see my predicament. I did finally settle on a goat cheese, tomato, and arugala sandwich. It was divine.

I checked out their dinner menu online thinking I could take ES there someday, but it is pretty slim. Hopefully they have A LOT of specials.

Their patio is okay, if you like a nice view of the street, but it is all in the shade and that is a plus. The inside looks pretty hip, so eat inside if you need the atmosphere to enjoy your meal.

Moochie's

WHAT I GET: Meatball Sub or Philly Cheese, Potato Salad, Bread Pudding

Address: 232 East 800 South, Salt Lake City

Anyone from Salt Lake has probably been to Moochies. They are famous for their Philly Cheese and their Meatball sub. If you watch Diner's Drive-Ins and Dives, you may have seen them on tv. I'm telling you, famous.



I would suggest it's best to get your sub to go, the furniture consists of a card table and some old metal folding chairs. But they are definitely a diamond in the rough. Their potato salad is mysteriously divine. I would love to get my meatball-sticky-hands on that recipe. I think it could easily over-shadow their subs if potato salad could ever do such a thing. The bread pudding is a surprise with a zing of lemon zest and cinnamon. I wouldn't ever think that was a good combination, but dang. I don't even really like bread pudding. It's usually heavy and too sweet. Moochie's bread pudding is light and fluffy like Tiramisu and well, just as good.

Faustina

WHAT I HAD: House Salad, Spinach stuffed chicken with roasted red bell peppers and feta, served over soft polenta, asparagus and a chorizo broth, Crème brûlée and Strawberry Sabayon

Address: 300 South 454 East, Salt Lake City

After trekking several blocks through downtown Salt Lake trying to find a nice outdoor eatery, we finally came across Faustina. They have a lovely covered patio with a tiny waterfall and crisp landscaping. A perfect setting for the wonderful 70 degree evening we wanted to continue to enjoy.

If you have ever done Dine O'Round, you will recognize the flat rate three-course menu Faustina offers. It makes it easy to order and I also didn't mind being obligated to have my own dessert.

The meal premiered with foccacia bread and oil and vinegar. Nothing out of the ordinary for an Italian restaurant. Then I had my house salad with these beet chips and a simple dressing. It was so light and delicious with a nice salty, crunchiness added by the beet chips. It was a perfect start.

I did have a difficult time ordering. The menu isn't too large and nothing really stood out to me. I am a picky eater (one reason why I could never be an effective restaurant critic) and there were quite a few dishes that had seafood, which I don't do, there were a few pasta dishes, but they just sounded too heavy for a summer dinner at the moment, the beef medallions with gorgonzola and mushrooms sounded really good, but ES was ordering that. I finally settled on the Spinach stuffed chicken with feta, roasted red pepper and a chorizo broth with the help of the waiter. I was very surprised at how good that was. I never order chicken at a restaurant. Besides the fact that the chicken came out in the shape of a fallacy, it was moist and flavorful. The sauce was complex with multiple flavors revealing themselves one by one.

There are two desserts that come with the three-course menu, crème brûlée or strawberry sabayon. Other desserts are offered, but with a small price ($3?) to upgrade. ES and I decided to just get one each of the first mentioned. I usually don't order crème brûlée at restaurants because I can just make that at home, but it was very good and even better that I didn't have to make it. The sabayon tasted like anyone could make it. It was just a bowl of berries with a little sauce on it. The sauce was super mild, and not too much flavor. So we hurried and ate that one so we could enjoy the crème brûlée even more.

I think this place had much more to offer than the outdoor patio that brought us there. We will definitely come back, even in the winter.


Addendum:
We've gone back for several more visits and I have managed to contain myself and not eat my meal before I take a picture. Here is a picture of what we were eating the first one is the one that I said was ahm..."shape[ed] of a fallacy".


Spinach stuffed chicken with feta, roasted red pepper and a chorizo broth

Beef medallions with gorgonzola and mushrooms

Bruge's Waffles

WHAT I HAD: Cinnamon Waffle, Fresh Strawberries, Crème fraîche

Address: 336 West Broadway, Salt Lake City


Have you ever had a Belgian waffle? Oh you have a Belgium Waffle Maker you say? Well I'm sorry to say that doesn't mean you've had a Belgian Waffle.

Don't worry, you don't have to travel all the way over to Belgium to get an authentic waffle, Bruge's Waffles and Frites has some pretty authentic and definitely delicious waffles waiting for you only as far as Broadway.



We stopped by Bruge's on the way to the Farmer's market and enjoyed walking through the market almost as much as our cinnamon waffle, with fresh strawberries and crème fraîche. It was a steep $6 each, but the toppings were worth it. It was made the second I paid for it. They also have freshly made fries (or Frites) with a long list of gourmet toppings like Garlic Aioli, Beef Carbonnade, and of course Fry Sauce. I intended to post a picture of this delectable morning treat, but I ate it faster than I could say "Cheese". Guess I will have to get another one this Saturday!

Addendum: Lovely to have an excuse to get another! The third time I went back for another I finally remembered to take a picture!

Le Nonne

WHAT I LIKE-
App: Carpaccio (and seafood makes me squeamish)
Entree: Ravioli di spinci e burro e salvia
Dessert: Tiramisu

Address: 129 North 100 East, Logan

If you want a restaurant to ruin Italian restaurants for you for life, try Le Nonne. And I mean that as a compliment. Le Nonne is so good, I am now completely bored (and sometimes disgusted) by places like the Olive Garden.

I went to Le Nonne back when it used to be located on Main street in this tiny eight table sized location. Now Le Nonne has grown and is located in this charming old house near the tabernacle in Logan. I've always thought Logan has been overlooked when it comes to Utah cuisine, and that is mostly to the credit of Le Nonne. The Chef is actually from Italy and learned to cook from his Grandmother (or le nonne in Italian).

All meals begin with fresh Crumb Brothers Ciabatta bread and an olive tapenade, which is delicious. I always have to tell myself to stop eating bread and save room for the entree. They always have wonderful specials, but my favorite meal on the menu is the Ravioli di spinci e burro e salvia or Spinach ravioli with a sage butter sauce. He hand makes all his ravioli so they are just light and delicate. And then how can you go wrong with a butter sauce that has sage grown right in the front yard of the restaurant? The tiramisu is amazingly delicious. It even topped the tiramisu I had in Rome.

They have a lovely patio, where on weekends you can hear local live music. My only complaint is the tables are pretty unstable and wobbly. They don't have much of a waiting area, and Logan and get pretty cold to wait outside in. If you get a sat along the benches on the wall the bench sits pretty low. It gets pretty busy so you will most definitely have to make a reservation on weekends.

Fresco Italian Cafe

Address: 1513 S 1500 E, Salt Lake City

ES and I went to dinner to Fresco Italian Cafe the other night for the very first time. It is located near a couple of our other favorite restaurants Mazza and Paris. So we've been meaning to try it sometime. It had the loveliest outdoor patio surrounded by a vines and trees. With cute little birds popping out every now and then. A gorgeous Utah summer night serendipitously added to the ambiance. The service was impeccable, I felt like we were her only table but a little on the stuffy side. She wasn't rude by any means, but she described the food to be "gorgeous" and "brilliant". Which I took note of as I am running out of adjectives for all these blog entries.

The chef, Mikel Trapp, has a seasonal menu, so it might not help to suggest what we had, but I will anyway. ES had the Lamb in this earthy rustic sauce. The lamb was cooked so perfectly and the sauce just complemented it so well. I think I ended up eating all of his. I ordered the strip steak. Me, trying to be more sophisticated, ordered the rarest I could handle, which was a measly medium. So of course that was also cooked perfectly and of course, it then grossed me out. So after eating around all the edges, ES ended up eating the rest of mine.

The dessert seriously was the most 'brilliant' thing I have ever eaten. As usual ES and I just ordered one to share, but I was totally regretting it. It was three small desserts, one was a banana beer budino (italian pudding) with an almond creme sauce, the next was this chocolate cake with candied almonds and a cinnamon cream sauce, and the last (my favorite) was a cinnamon gelato with dark chocolate coffee crumbles. If I wasn't surrounded by all tables occupied by well-bred, higher society, I would have grabbed the cake with both my hands and rammed it in my face, and then lick the whole plate clean. It was that good.

No More Soup for you! - A lesson on buying local

My favorite spot for soup is now closed for good according to Salt Lake Magazine. Although it was a little pricey, they still couldn't keep up with a down turning economy. Let's prevent any more of our favorite restaurants from going under and eat local!

I'm going to miss you Chicken Curry soup!

Pizzeria 712

WHAT I HAD-
App: Braised beef shortribs, anson mills polenta, horseradish sauce
Entree: Spec, sopprasata, mozzarella, garlic pizza
Dessert: Cookie sandwich, spotted dog ice cream, chocolate sauce

Address: 312 South State Street, Orem or go here for a map.

Although it was a little tricky to find (it's located in the midst of some unfinished condos) Pizzeria 712 was well worth the scout around the large, otherwise empty, building. The atmosphere was intimate and unpretentious with local art adoring the walls and ikea dinnerware. We went around 6 on a Saturday night and it had quite a few people already there, so we were glad we made reservations. By the time we left there was a a wait.



We started out with complimentary hummus and house-made pita bread that was unique to me for a restaurant's filler bread and I quite enjoyed it.



Then we had the braised shortribs. yum. It was so tender we ate the whole thing with a fork, but I bet a spoon would have even sufficed.


We shared the pizza. The sauce was vaguely familiar of the sauce we had on a pizza in Rome. Very basic tomato. No fuss. It was light and delicious. I thought the portions were perfect.


Then we had the cookie sandwich dessert. It was pretty much what you would expect. Chocolate chip cookie with ice cream sandwiched between and chocolate sauce on top. Nothing special. I kind of expected the cookies to be warm, that would have made it better. It was very small, but all I need when I'm done with a meal is a little bit of sweet, so that didn't bother me. I was wishing we would have ordered the panacotta instead. I left not feeling full or hungry. Just satisfied. ES felt the portions were small for him (mind you we did share everything) and left feeling a little like he needed more. Overall, we had a good time, good food, and would probably go there again if we ever had to eat in Utah county again.

India Fusion

WHAT I HAD:
App: Garlic Naan, Vegetarian Pakora
Entree: Shahi Paneer, Palak Paneer, Chicken Tiki Masala
Dessert: Rice Pudding of course

Recently, ES and I discovered a new Indian Restaurant close to our house called India Fusion is located over in Jordan Commons over in South Jordan. But don't be fooled by the strip mall location. When you walk in it has authentic Indian Restaurant decor, belly dancers included. We ordered a ton of food. Not that we were starving, we just wanted to try a bunch of different entrees to see what they tasted like. (I promise we took home a lot of leftovers!) We have had Indian food a few times in the past, but never really knew the difference between all the dishes. Now I feel I am a little more well acquainted with an Indian menu and can order more confidently. I haven't had it in enough restaurant to be too discerning on quality, but everything I had at India Fusion tasted good.

Adolph's

WHAT I HAD:
App./Entree: Châteaubriand

We like to eat at Adolph's on for special occasions. I can't really say it is my favorite restaurant, because I've only had one entree, but that one dish is probably the best meal I've ever eaten. Ever had Châteaubriand? I had it once in Germany, and I about melted right there on the floor. When we left I was devastated believing I would never have it again and yet here it is right in Park City.

The decor isn't held to the same standards they set for their menu. The walls are filled with pictures of the owner with various celebrities/friends, and they have unmatching furniture and cheesy tablecloths, but it kind of reminds me of a lot of the family owned restaurants in Europe.

You'll first get the house salad (I think it comes with most entrees) and some so-so bread. But the salad seems to come out of nowhere, it's surprising how good just a "house salad" can be. The house-made dressing is fabulous and then he puts these shredded carrots on it that seem to make the salad so good that it seems wrong to call it a salad.

The Châteaubriand is made for two people. It is also pretty pricy. It's probably the only meal I would ever pay $80, no definitely the only meal. It is the most delicately cut of meat served with a Bernaise sauce, the creamiest, butteriest mashed potatoes, and plenty of roasted vegetables, including these breaded tomatoes that are so yummy. Adolph's also has plenty of other excellent meals I would love to try sometime like Wienerschnitzel and Raclette, if only the Châteaubriand was not haunting the menu. I've never had enough room to get dessert, but I hear their house made desserts are to die for.

Stoneground

One thing about going out with friends for dinner for the first time is you don't know their eating out habits, how much they are comfortable with spending, what food they like, how far they are willing to drive...That is why whenever me and ES go out with new dining friends we always feel comfortable taking them to Stoneground. It is right in the center of Salt Lake, right across from the library. So it's close and easy to find. The prices are right there in the middle. Two can eat out easily for under $30.


The atmosphere is super casual. Exposed ceilings, cement tables, local modern art, give it a hip urban feel. Plus, I've never had a bad meal there. Italian is pretty universal, most people like it. Don't get me wrong though, this is no Olive Garden Italian. They put their modern twist on it.


Some of my favorites are the the bruscetta, a toasted baguette, topped with garlic, basil, marinated roma tomatoes, topped with asiago cheese and mixed with baby greens. Even the House Salad is awesome. Mixed greens tossed with a honey-balsamic vinaigrette, then topped with a trio of caramelized grapes, warm goat cheese, and candied walnuts. The Lemon Caper Linguini is also excellent.


But don't leave Stoneground without trying their pizza. It has that hearty artisan style crust and house made marinara sauce, so with whatever toppings you decide, it is sure to be delicious. As for desserts I have only tried their Tiramisu with a Raspberry sauce. Tiramisu can never be disgusting, so of course it was good, but it was no Le Nonne Tiramisu.