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WRR: Dickey’s Barbecue Pit

September 8, 2012 by 1 Comment

Everyone needs a little barbecue in their life. With football season upon us, you might need a little more.

Stop by Dickey’s to get a quick fix that is a step above. I’ve reviewed barbecue in here before (Pat’s here and Firehouse here), but Dickey’s takes restaurant served barbecue to a new high, and I’ll tell you why.

  1. Great meat. It’s true. With an eye on my health, I’ve been moderating how much meat I eat recently. One bite, though, and I was about ready to order an extra serving. Served on a toasted bun and tender and moist, it was delicious.
  2. Sides. I’m not usually that jazzed by baked beans or the other sides that most barbecue restaurants serve up almost obligatorily. They taste like an after thought, maybe even something out of a can. Not so at Dickey’s. My bowl of baked beans was fresh and yummy, and my bowl was empty when we left.
  3. Service and Soft Serve. Where other local barbecues felt like amateur operations, Dickey’s staff were pleasant, fast, and delightful, reflecting a professional level of training. And, to boot, they had free soft serve ice cream to top off the meal. How do you beat that?

Where others are shooting from the hip, Dickey’s takes barbecue to the next level. Check it out soon, and order some barbcue for your next football tail-gate party.

They cater, too, so if you’re looking for BBQ for your party, be sure to call up the South Jordan location (where we ate).

Food: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Atmosphere: 8/10

Check out my other restaurant reviews here. If you have a restaurant suggestion for me, please contact me by sending an email to SLCWeekendReviews@gmail.com.

Find other reviews of Dickey’s Barbecue Pit here:
Dickey's Barbecue Pit on Urbanspoon

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WRR: Beerhive Pub

July 2, 2012 by Leave a Comment

I ate lunch at Beerhive Pub today, and I can’t say much about the beer there, so don’t ask.

I had a sandwich called “the Beerhive” and was piled high with so many cold cut meats, I had to wonder what wasn’t on the sandwich (I know, Mitch, even after we talked about this last night).

That said, the bread was fantastic, and only when I noticed that the three others at my table were done eating, their plates gone and their cups empty, did I notice how LARGE the sandwich was. And worth every bite.

For the rest, the atmosphere felt like a upscale bar, with a hoppin’ jazz melody playing over head that made me want to get up and shake what my momma gave me.  A great way to start a week with two Mondays in it. Prices were decent, and I spent about $13 for a sandwich and carbonated beverage.

Food: 6/10
Service: 7/10
Atmosphere: 7/10

Check out my other restaurant reviews here. If you have a restaurant suggestion for me, please contact me by sending an email to SLCWeekendReviews@gmail.com.

Find other reviews of Beerhive Pub here:
Beerhive Pub on Urbanspoon

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WRR: Blue Nile Ethiopian Cuisine

June 29, 2012 by 1 Comment

I don’t always eat Ethiopian, but when I do, I eat at Blue Nile Ethiopian Cuisine.

Ok, so let’s get down to business. Sitting just across the street from a fantastic taco stand next to the old Sears on State Street, the Blue Nile Ethiopian is a quiet little restaurant that I might otherwise have never found, but for the suggestion of a friend, criminal defense attorney and food blogger Marco Brown.

The Blue Nile is not your typical restaurant. I was greeted and seated, and the first thing I noticed was that there wasn’t any conventional table. Marco and I sat facing each other with a low, woven, basket-type table on the floor between us, with a smaller table slightly to our right that held our drinks and napkins. The waitress, after asking whether I had eaten Ethiopian before, explained that one does not eat with utensils or at a table in Ethiopia, and so they were trying to keep the experience as authentic as possible.

Because we were new to Ethiopian, we ordered a mixed order of the meat combo and the vegetable combo, and, to be honest, I have no recollection of any of the names of the samples that were in each. All of it was served on platter over a spongy flat bread was reminiscent of a sour dough. The meal was also accompanied by several rolls of the bread which we ripped and used for dipping and scooping the food. I enjoyed the samples, so in spite of not being able to name them, let me see if I can describe regardless. Using the picture (nearby left), I’ll go clockwise starting at the top with the salad.

Salad: really, this is probably the least Ethiopian thing on the platter, and I think served the purpose of a cleanser.

Item 1: Some kind of lentil, boiled and mashed with some curry.

Item 2: Boiled vegetables that I didn’t mind, but really didn’t eat of lot of.

Item 3: This slightly spicy beef was good, if a little dry. I especially liked the sauce it was cooked in.

Salad 2: Same as salad above.

Item 4: This dish was the favorite, and Marco and I gobble it down.

Item 5: More lentils, or split peas. I don’t recall Marco being a huge fan, but I liked them. Not sure the spice that they used, but I wouldn’t have minded more.

Item 6: Another lentil, or split pea, or something like that.

Middle: The middle dish is an egg, hard boiled, and a leg of chicken. The chicken fell off the bone and was moist and delicious. I can’t imagine how long it was cooked or how to make it taste that way.

All in all, a good experience. Not sure how to describe better–but it’s been a few days, and the names were unpronounceable. I did enjoy, though, and I would return again.

Food: 7/10
Service: 9/10
Atmosphere: 6/10

Check out my other restaurant reviews here. If you have a restaurant suggestion for me, please contact me by sending an email to SLCWeekendReviews@gmail.com.

Find other reviews of Blue Nile Ethiopian Cuisine here:
Blue Nile Ethiopian Cuisine on Urbanspoon

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WRR: Café Seoul | Korean with a personal touch.

May 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Apparently, everyone loves this place, and it’s easy to see why. The food was delicious and the hostess/owner/cook was fantastic.  Not only did I leave feeling well fed, but also satisfied, happy, and eager to return.

I heard about Café Seoul from a friend (shout out to John: Hey!). He met me there for lunch, and I felt like a guest of honor when Sooni (who also happens to be John’s mom) met us behind the counter and came out to greet us.  I thought I was getting special treatment, until I read reviews on Urban Spoon and realized that Sooni treats every customer like they are a special guest. Check out these comments from Urban Spoon:

We were greeted by Sooni, the owner and chef of the place. We told her that it was our fist time eating Korean food and she said, “don’t worry, I will tell you what most people order the first time.” She walked us through the menu[...]

 

The owner and chef is so kind and generous you can’t help but enjoy your visit.

 

Sooni is the best a wonderful host that cooks fantastic Korean food….

 

The food was great, but you’re gonna love Sooni even more!

Add me to the list of true believers. The food was great, so let’s talk about it.

To be sure, I’ve not had a lot of Korean in my day. I was surprisingly pleased, though, with what Café Seoul offered.  At John’s suggestion I ordered dahk galbi, Sooni’s specialty. Apparently, most people–strike that–most westerners order the bulkogi, a sliced and marinated beef dish. This was a variation on that, but with chicken. It was impressive. Sweet and tender, I realized that the heaping portion was gone before I stopped to notice how much I was eating. Sprinkled with sesame seeds and accompanied by a bowl of steamed rice, it made for an excellent and lean lunch meal.

Sooni provided side dishes of kimchi and turnip kimchi and explained that she made them a little lighter than typical, primarily because western tastes tend to prefer it. There were also small bowls of bean spouts, cucumbers, and cooked potatoes to garnish the dahk galbi. Rounding out the meal were several slices of orange to cleanse the palate.

Found in an office park close to IHC’s main campus in Murray, the restaurant had plenty of parking and is well situated for lunch if you’re at IHC’s medical center in Murray. Again, the service is stellar and the food is fantastic. I recommend it fully.

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Food: 9/10
Service: 10/10
Atmosphere: 7/10

Check out my other restaurant reviews here. If you have a restaurant suggestion for me, please contact me by sending an email to SLCWeekendReviews@gmail.com.

 

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Cafe Seoul on Urbanspoon

 

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WRR: Inferno Cantina | It’s Mexican, duh.

May 4, 2012 by 1 Comment

I admit it. I picked out the Inferno Cantina for lunch solely because of its name. I really did expect to walk in the doors and find the poet Virgil waiting to guide me through nine circles of, well, lunch.

Apparently, Virgil had the afternoon off, however, and we were left to guide ourselves.

Arriving mid-day, it was clear that the Inferno Cantina must make most of its money in the later hours. Empty when we arrived, the spacious Mexican themed restaurant/bar/nightclub (that we visited in the middle of the day) clearly had plenty of space, not to mention more than  few large televisions strategically situated across the walls of the restaurant. Tile was just as prevalent, if not more so. Tables, floors, walls…tiled.

Since we were the first to arrive for the afternoon (other groups came in shortly after us, so don’t let me give you the impression that the restaurant isn’t popular), our waitress was quick to seat us, quick to take our orders, and quick to fill our glasses, which she did promptly throughout the meal.

Strangely, instead of chips for an appetizer, the Inferno Cantina serves what appears to be toasted or fried tostada along side the obligatory bowl of salsa. We broke up the tostadas and dug in. The salsa was a bit runny and not too spicy, which I could always enjoy more, but it was good enough to finish up the chips.

I ordered a tamale and a chile relleno, and the result was both satisfying and filling. The relleno was soft and mild, and I enjoyed the cheesy filling of beef, picadillo and queso fresco. I’m not typically a tamale fan, but the “homemade” pork caught my eye and I found it to be warm and tender. I’d order it again.

Sided with a full load of rice and beans, Inferno Cantina serves up an excellent Mexican plate.

Food: 7/10
Service: 9/10
Atmosphere: 7/10

Check out my other restaurant reviews here. If you have a restaurant suggestion for me, please contact me by sending an email to SLCWeekendReviews@gmail.com.

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Inferno Cantina on Urbanspoon

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WRR: Thai Orchid | Quaint, but Authentic

March 2, 2012 by Leave a Comment

When our first pick for lunch turned out to be closed, we took a look around and saw two restaurants. One had a full parking lot of cars in front of it, while the other looked like it, too, might be closed. We picked the restaurant less  visited…and it made all the difference.

With a proprietor who clear spoke English only as a second language and enough Thai art (elephant sculptures, multi-armed goddesses and the like) to fill a crate, I knew we were going to get authentic Thai cooks,  if not also authentic food, and we did get authentic food.

For my first meal at Thai Orchid, I chose a classic: pad thai. In response to our waitress’ broken English question about spiciness, I said that I liked spicy. She smiled a grin that seemed to be half laughing at me. I could tell why as soon as I started into the sticky, sweet pasta–it was spicy. Add to that a pepper I had sprinkled over it, at the host’s suggestion, and it was a meal that cleaned out my sinuses.

I don’t, however, regret it. The dish was excellent, and I left little on my plate. Among the many Thai restaurants I’ve sampled over the years, this is one of the better pad thai recipes I’ve enjoyed. I’ll be back again soon.

Food: 9/10
Service: 9/10
Atmosphere: 7/10 (not much to shout about)

Check out my other restaurant reviews here. If you have a restaurant suggestion for me, please contact me by sending an email to SLCWeekendReviews@gmail.com.

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Thai Orchid on Urbanspoon

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WRR: Midvale Mining Company| Breakfast Comfort Food

January 29, 2012 by Leave a Comment

If you’re going to get breakfast in Midvale, you might as well go to the Midvale Mining Company. There is an abominable dearth of breakfast eaters in this world, with the masses switching to nutritious yogurt “drinks” and fortified granola like bars in lieu of the traditional breakfast.

You know what I’m talking about–you ran out of the house this morning with one of them in your hand (if you ate anything at all), and you let the hash-browns, pancakes, oat mill, cereal, waffles, fruit, bacon, sausage, orange juice, and a myriad of other God-given gifts on the table, cupboards and fridge. Because seriously–what is a morning if it doesn’t include at least a pound of bacon grease?

But seriously, folks, let’s get back to basics. Let’s get back to breakfast (can you tell that I ran out the door without anything this morning? My belly’s giving me no end of grief, right now).

Midvale Mining Company might be just the place to start. No mines, but lots of great breakfast food, including a plate of crispy hash-browns and easy over eggs that I enjoyed for breakfast one day a week or so ago.  So worth it. And I so wish it had been this morning. [grumbling stomach]

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Food: 7/10
Service: 8/10
Atmosphere:7/10

Check out my other restaurant reviews here. If you have a restaurant suggestion for me, please contact me by sending an email to SLCWeekendReviews@gmail.com.
Midvale Mining on Urbanspoon

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