Cafe Molise

Normally I just stick close to work when I go out for food, which normally means the fast food and better known restaurant chains in the food court at City Creek. Today I decided to take a crack at some of the smaller joints that line Downtown Salt Lake's city streets. I took a stroll around and found Cafe Molise.

The Atmosphere 5/5

I entered and was asked if I would prefer indoors or out. Since it was a balmy 73 degrees, I choose outside and was quickly seated. My drink order was taken and quickly delivered to the very pleasant outdoor setting.

The garden patio is quite lovely. It features a pool with a raised section for what I assume a band or musician could play which would set the mood even more for a romantic night out. The patio area has overhead awnings to keep the rain and sun out of your meal as well. In today's temperatures, it was perfect.

The Service 4/5

The service was as expected. I give them the benefit of the doubt as it looked like there were only three working the front while I was there and a group of 20 came in right after me. I also got there right before lunch, which seemed to only increase the load. My service was still fairly quick. My drink did get to the bottom and sat there for a bit, but was refilled within a minute or two by a young lady who looked like she was really trying. Everyone was courteous and very kind, offering suggestions.

The Food 4/5

The menu was about what I expected for a smaller cafe with a limited selection but a number of dishes that sounded great. My waitress, whose tag also said manager, told me of the specials for the day, one of which was the Chicken Panini, which I ordered. It didn't seem like I waited terribly long for it to arrive. The panini was good, though nothing really made me say wow. It had plenty of cheese and plenty of flavor. The salad appeared to have been a store bought mix and lacked much dressing, but was fine.

My waitress came back to pick up my plate and asked if I would be willing to have any dessert. The panini had left me pretty full, but I figured, what the heck. If I'm going to rate a place, I'd better get the full experience. She recited the dessert options and I went for the bread pudding. Now, I've had some wonderful bread pudding, and I wasn't expecting to have something that would wow me, but this one did it. It was smothered and covered in a delicious caramel sauce and the pudding was delicious, moist and fluffy. Absolutely delightful. I would recommend it to anyone needing a nice sweet spot hit as well as a taste bud extravaganza.

Conclusion

 This was a lovely place for lunch. I'm sure dinner would be nice as well, and will definitely consider taking a date here sometime. I may wait until it gets a little cooler, but not too much. I imagine their staff will be fuller in the later evenings due to this mentality as well, so I don't expect the standard to be different.

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. 

Lone Star Taqueria

Where do you go when you're hungry, bored, and feeling a little broke? The Lone Star Taqueria at 2265 Fort Union Blvd in Salt Lake City. This little taqueria (pronounced "talk-WHERE-ee-ah" by my GPS) is craaaaaaaaazy busy, but its ok. They know how to handle the traffic and their popularity is completely warranted.

The Atmosphere 5/5

I was worried as we drove up to the restaurant. The drive-through was lined out to the street and every single parking stall was taken. Oddly, I'd never even heard of the place and it seemed the whole town had the same great idea. There ended up being one single, solitary, parallel-parking spot available at the back of the tiny building, sandwiched between the parade of hungry drivers and a foreboding concrete wall that had made its mark on many cars who had foolishly attempted to park there.

The inside of the eatery is sensory overload. Every square inch of the place is decorated with colorful quirks and just plain weird. Masks... with lizards for noses, for example. And, oh yeah. It smells like fish.

The Service 5/5

Despite the long line, it moved really fast and I was worried we'd be herded like the unsuspecting cattle that had eventually become the meat I was about to enjoy. Luckily, they handle their popularity like pros. Our order was taken by a hurried, but very helpful man who directed us toward the reason everybody comes to the joint: Fish Tacos. I do not eat fish under most circumstances, so I ordered the 1/2 size Carnitas Burrito and my friend ordered both the shrimp taco and a fish taco.

The Food 5/5

Our food arrived very quickly, giving us barely enough time to procure utensils and peruse the salsa bar. My burrito that claimed to be "1/2 size" was as big as my face. $6 well spent and very filling. It was heavenly. This is one of the few times I would direct you to let the food speak for itself as my description probably would not do it justice.

Conclusion

Even for the "fish-smell adverse" among us, this place is entirely worth the trip. Think ahead and either brave the drive-through or consider parking elsewhere.