Teriyaki Grill

Shortly after giving birth last September, we discovered that the baby is allergic to dairy. Once we realized why he was crying incessantly, I did what any mom would do and cut everything dairy out of my diet. This also means I cut most restaurants out as well. After a couple regretful attempts at Mexican and American eating establishments, we decided to stick with what we know to be safe-- Asian food! Luckily for me, that's one of my favorites, so I had zero objections to trying out a new place: Teriyaki Grill.

Atmosphere 4/5

There was nothing really overwhelmingly special about how the small strip mall restaurant was decorated. It had a few pictures of Japanese/Chinese (is there even a way to tell between the two?) words on the walls, as well as a giant gong with the name of the restaurant cut out of it. One thing I did love was the tables. They were more modern in style, being a neat translucent green and white. I didn't look at them and think Asian restaurant, I just really liked them. The very best part, however, were three framed pictures of a few of the dishes they offer. If I were to guess, I'd say the manager had gotten a new phone with an 8 megapixel camera and wanted to show off his cool, new toy... *face palm * A "good quality" camera does not a photographer make...

Service 2/5

The kitchen and register were manned by two late teens/early 20's girls who, although nice, didn't seem to really be thrilled about being at work. One was slightly preoccupied by whomever she was texting, and the other looked like she just wanted to make it through the day (even though the restaurant had only been open for the day for literally 5 minutes). My biggest complaint, however, was the large plastic jar with the taped-on, handwritten "tip" sign. Tips are for people who go above and beyond their job description to make the experience pleasurable for their guests. These girls didn't even bring the food out to us. They simply shouted out across the restaurant our order and left it on the counter for me to pick up myself. Sadly, the empty tip jar remained that way.

Food 4/5

Matt ordered his usual: the Teriyaki Bowl with combination beef and chicken, steamed vegetables, and brown rice. I got the Teriyaki pulled pork with noodles and vegetables. We both agreed that the steamed vegetables were cooked perfectly. Even the cabbage was great, having a slight crunch to it! Matt was very satisfied with his meal. I really enjoyed the flavors of mine (though in the future I'll probably stick with my usual order of rice instead of noodles), but I did end up having to grab an extra fork so I could shred my "pulled" pork myself. Don't get me wrong. It looked like they had attempted at pulling it, but with their overwhelming lunch rush of exactly one other person, I can understand they were in too much of a hurry to thoroughly get the job done.

Conclusion 

Teriyaki Grill was exactly what I was hoping it would be: a nice lunch spot with a dairy-free menu for a reasonable price. The food was good, there was a lot of stuff to look at, and with my husband and son next to me, the whole experience was very enjoyable.

Waffle Love

Because this blog was getting to be just a bit too classy... Here's a food truck.

My wife and I were driving home this afternoon were blessed by a local phenomenon. After a quick double-take, I conducted two possibly illegal and dangerous U-turns and  pulled in to the parking lot of a random medical center where, at least for this fleeting few hours, a Waffle Love truck had decided to take up shop. 

Waffle Love, or @Waffluv if you prefer, owns three food trucks. One travels around Utah county, one in Salt Lake county, and one oddly enough in Arizona. They announce their locations for the day over their Facebook page every morning. 

The Atmosphere 1/5

Well, its a food truck... and it was REALLY cold. 

The Service 4/5

I have to give these guys some credit here. I had a great time. We talked about their business model and the menu.They were extremely friendly despite the long-ish line of people waiting for waffles.

I asked them what I should order and they immediately pointed to the Red Wonder, the most expensive item on the menu. 

The Food 3/5

So, This isn't a lot of food for $8 bucks. It was, however, a really fun experience and I would probably enjoy another waffle or two from them among friends. 

The kind of waffle they make is called a Liege Waffle, which is made from a batter that seems to be high in butter content. The result is a scone-like fried waffle that is both crispy and flaky. The Red Wonder tops this with a gigantic glob of thick whipped cream covered in red berries. Underneath the pile of lost New Year's wishes is a layer of Biscoff, a spread made from English coffee biscuits.

Conclusion

If you see a Waffle Love truck around town, you should treat it like the ice cream man and let your 10 year-old self run wild. 

La Frontera

My wife and I wanted to experiment going out to eat with our brand new, 6 day-old son. We've been to La Frontera many times before, but not in a long while. My experience in the past had always been pleasant and timely. We dined close to home at the Sandy location at 61 West 10600 South.

The Atmosphere 4/5

I've always enjoyed the over-the-top stereotypical Mexican decor of this place. Even though this is a strip mall unit, they've managed to find the room to fit a spacious dining hall dressed up like a wild west corral and saloon. They have recently cheapened the look, however, with poorly displayed laminated printouts of the latest so-called specials. 

The Service 3/5

Neither my wife nor I could hear our server. The music wasn't loud, our baby was silent throughout the meal (yay!), and the server's accent wasn't even that terribly thick. He simply spoke so quietly that, standing right next to me, we could not understand a word he said. We found ourselves directing the conversation from context and visual cues alone. 

The server was prompt and otherwise helpful, but we couldn't help the feeling that the restaurant had begun "nickel and diming" us. I don't recall them ever charging for chips beyond the first "complimentary" bowl or the horchata not having free refills or costing a whopping $2.75 a glass. 

The Food 3/5

As my wife is pointing out in the photo, the sour cream was served in a plastic tube which proved difficult to open as it had no "open here" slit. This made us laugh. The plates were both accompanied by the usual warning of "careful, the plates are hot." I have found this to mean the plates are very, very warm. Today, they were scalding. Literally. I actually burned my arm and my wrist trying to enjoy my meal. My enchiladas were a molten liquid of cheese and flavorless sauce. My wife's chimichangas were filled with fine ground beef with less flavor and worse texture than last night's proverbial casserole left-overs. The final straw was the beans and rice. I've had more spice out of a can. It felt like they'd boiled out any desirable character from the whole plate. 

Conclusion

As I mentioned, I've been to La Frontera many times at many locations, but after my surprisingly unpleasant experience, which had nothing to do with my new-family experiment, I fear they might be on a path for decline.  

Los Cucos Sandy

The Atmosphere 2/5

The last time we were in this building it was a peaceful, relaxing Italian restaurant. It’s been at least four years, but I couldn’t help comparing the atmosphere now to what it was then. There used to be warm, cream-colored walls covered with framed black-and-white pictures of Italian-American celebrities. The photos are gone now; the walls are painted a nauseating shade of green. And the noise level was what I’d expect from a high school cafeteria. Memo to me: This may be the place to bring my grandsons. No one will notice their racket.

The Service 4/5

I couldn’t fault the service. We were seated promptly and our wait staff was friendly, helpful and efficient. My glass never made it to half empty. 

The Food 3/5

I’d come to Los Cucos hungry for mole sauce; the deep, rich kind made with peanut butter, chilies and chocolate. If there was anything on the menu served with mole, I never found it. Instead we opted for the Parilla San Luis: a barbecue/fajita dish with sausages, chicken, beef carnitas, and shrimp. The menu said, “for two,” but this easily could have fed three or four hungry people. 

We’d been meaning to visit this restaurant for some time, if only to satisfy our curiosity. We found the food and service good, but certainly not on the level with the Red Iguana. With so many tastier (and quieter) choices nearby, we’re not likely to choose this spot again.

Training Table

I was on the fence about posting this review, but I've decided to put it out there. The Training Table was once a thriving chain of 9 or more locations in Utah. I suppose the times have been hard on them as they've lost all but 5 of them. Even their website is no longer hosted. Who knows how much longer we'll be able to enjoy this "Utah Original" restaurant. 

My family and I visited the Cottonwood location on 4828 Highland Drive on the 4th of July. The place was practically empty. We used to come here all the time when the Cottonwood Mall was across the street. Now there is simply a years-long empty field and a lonely Macy's with a sign declaring it is open during "mall construction". 

The Atmosphere 4/5

There is a lot of subtle, yet interesting eye candy in here. Sepia-toned pictures of turn-of-the-century athletes and icons. I particularly like the ceiling decor. 

The floor plan is not very friendly to handicapped guests. In an effort to make the dining room interesting, they've created several tiers of seating areas. This makes navigating the space with a wheelchair difficult. 

 

The Service 3/5

What makes this restaurant model unique is the way orders are placed. Each table has a phone that directly calls a operator in the kitchen. They take your order and ring the phone back when it is ready. As fun and different as it sounds, I found this to be a glorified way of eliminating wait staff from the restaurant. I wouldn't feel this way if the staff at the counter treated the few interactions they have with guests the same way a waiter/ess would. 

The two employees I encountered seemed indifferent and disconnected, hiding behind the counter as they did. The food came quickly and well-prepared, but its easy to miss the human aspect of dining here.

The Food 3/5

I wasn't very hungry, so I ordered the broccoli cheddar soup. I enjoyed it, but it was apparent the soup had been warming for a long time. 

Others at my table ordered a burger and sweet potato fries. Training Table is known for their cheese fries and Utahn fry sauce, so we thought they'd treat the sweet potato fries the same way. The fries were great, (I suppose it's difficult to fail at fries, but it's been done) but the sauce was the strangest thing. They served us a thin caramel sauce with the fries. It was as cloyingly sweet and about as viscous as straight sugar water. I had to awkwardly go back to the counter to ask for their reportedly amazing fry sauce. 

Conclusion

I will miss this restaurant if it ever goes under entirely, but even now it's a shadow of what it once was. They can serve large groups more easily than others because of their unique ordering model. The food was better than average, but not as well-made as I remember. 

Bombdiggitys

After a particularly enjoyable family event in South Jordan, we decided to enjoy a late dessert at a place we'd noticed on the way. The name was certainly interesting and it made us mentally salivate for, of all things, Beefalo burgers and frozen custard.

Bombdiggitys at 1481 W. 12600 S. in Riverton bears all the appearances of a local burger joint. Shakes, fries, sodas... even the picture board of Man Vs. Food survivors of whatever ginormous concoction they could invent. The twist of it all is that they do it with Beefalo, a hybrid invention crossing domestic cattle and the North American Bison. They boast a healthier burger of more than 70% protein.

The Atmosphere 3/5

I don't believe the small town grease-hut feel of the restaurant benefits its intended appearance. It is more special and has more to offer than it lets on at first glance. I imagine, however, that presenting themselves as a lesser quality eatery allows them the advantage of lower expectations. If you expect a $0.99 blackened puck of meat with american cheese between slices of wonder bread and receive a $6.00 sweet carolina barbeque burger, you'd likely walk away with a positive experience.

The Service 5/5

We were practically the only people there. It was their last operating hour on a Saturday, but places like these tend to be hotspots for the local high school kids. We had all the attention to ourselves. They were very helpful describing the restaurant and its menu. The food was made quickly and was delivered to us.

The Food 4/5

I ordered the special of the day, the "Hawaiin Burger" (I love public typos) with fries, drink, and a shake. This turned out to be far more than I should have. I was very full. The meat was great and I'd be inclined to have more of it at a backyard barbecue of my own. Actually, they sell the beefalo meat directly out of the restaurant in every variety. Ribs, Steaks, and ground beefalo. 

 I did have a problem with the rest of the burger, however. The bun was a thin white bread that soaked up the BBQ sauce and became too flimsy to support the sandwich. It began to crumble into a messy disaster. Also, the sauce itself pooled in the center of the onions which then created a pressurized liquid bomb that exploded on impact. 

Conclusion

This place is a great local burger joint to go to with friends and family. Beefalo is a fun and seemingly healthier alternative to the cow. The shakes are thick and stacked high. Bring an empty stomach. Enjoy!

Calypso's Cafe

What better way to spend an anniversary than at an aquarium? Thanks to a very generous mother-in-law and a fantastic Mother's Day gift, Matt and I used our annual passes to go visit the sharks, otters, and penguins. We also decided to get lunch at the in-house cafe. I was disappointed that they didn't take the potentially offensive opportunity to offer sea food of any kind :)

The Atmosphere 3/5

The cafe had a sort of nautical convenience store feel to it. There was nothing too flashy but the school of fake oceanic life strung from the ceiling did provide enough sub-par distraction to get us through almost the entire wait for our food. Almost.

The Service 5/5

I was actually pleasantly surprised and impressed with the service. Most restaurants of this caliber are run by high schoolers and college drop-outs who make it obvious that they are miserable being there. We were helped by a rather pleasant and helpful man who greeted us kindly. As he and his coworker prepared our food, they talked and laughed back and forth and appeared to genuinely enjoy what they were doing.

The Food 2/5

This smorgasbord of culinary brilliance kindly unburdened us of $15. On the left, we have Matt's selection: the Hot Italian. It consisted of spicy sausage, pepperoni, black olives, mozzarella, and roasted red peppers. He opted to get it in a combo meal, so he was also treated to a handful of greasy potato chips and an 8 oz cup of Sprite. In his words, the sandwich was having an identity crisis and, with each bite, would change its mind on whether it was an Italian sandwich or a Mediterranean one. Basically, too many flavors between two slices of Wonder Bread.

The sandwich on the right was the Pesto Chicken. It claimed to be made up of mozzarella, chicken breast and roasted red peppers with a pesto spread. I suppose technically the pre-formed meat patty could have once been the breast of a chicken, but the journey from cluck-cluck to Sysco's frozen meat selection was not a kind one. It was dry, tasteless and desperately needed the pesto to give it some life. This brings me to the most disappointing part of the meal: the pesto. If I had to guess, the recipe is 1 part canned pesto to 4 parts mustard. Personally, I'm of the opinion that mustard is a punishment sent from heaven for all the cruelty in the world. To add insult to injury, the sandwich came with pickles on the side.

Conclusion

In the end, the Calypso's Cafe did not disappoint because I didn't have terribly high expectations. We enjoyed our time together and left feeling like our hunger was satisfied. (You better believe I ate the $7 sandwich! Money doesn't grow on trees after all...) Had we decided to go with other items from the menu, their surprisingly low prices would've offset the disappointment I had from the meal. I suppose it was my own fault for going with the most expensive sandwich they had to offer.

I couldn't shake the feeling one might get when they compare Lagoon to Disneyland. One is fun and has good intentions, the other is heaven on Earth. I have not yet written off Calypso's however, because in about 6 months, the new, bigger, better aquarium will be open and will hopefully have more high-quality dining options available.