DELICATUS

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:

PARK CAFE

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:

THE MOUSE TRAP

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

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:

CHIPOTLE

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

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:

HIRES BIG H

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: 

COSTA VIDA

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: 

SPICY THAI

Where: Spicy Thai, 3230 N University Avenue, Provo

Who Went: Chelsey, Owen, Kelsey, Daniel, Scott & Hayley

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Green Curry, Pad Thai, Pineapple Red Curry, Pineapple Yellow Curry, Mango & Sticky Rice

What It Cost: $27.25 for two people (2 entrees + dessert)

What We Thought:

Decent curry, not the cheapest prices, kind of Americanized dishes.

None of the dishes were anything to go crazy about, but none of them were bad. This meal left me full, but not really excited, if you know what I mean? I thought their heat meters were pretty accurate - I was satisfied with the spiciness of my dish, without having my taste buds burned off. But for those of you who like your Thai food REALLY spicy, Spicy Thai may not be your best bet.

The Pad Thai was pretty good - not as peanut-y as I normally like, and the sauce was pretty acidic. Of course this didn't stop me from eating the whole thing with Owen, since Pad Thai is my new favorite meal of 2014, but I've had better. I liked how you could choose what type (or if) of meat you wanted.

Cute rice container! There was plenty of rice for everyone's curry, which was nice. Nothing worse that shortages of rice! I thought it was a little odd how much they charged extra if you want sticky or brown rice though...I love sticky rice, but I definitely wouldn't "upgrade" to it here.

Normal yellow pineapple curry. Nothing too crazy here...

I ordered the red pineapple curry, and thought it was pretty good. It was actually my first red curry (I usually stick to yellow), and I was surprised to find I like it more! Nice pepper flavor coming through, which was tasty with the pineapple to mellow out the heat.

I always have to get mangoes & sticky rice! This one was much more soup-y than others I've had - it kind of seemed like the coconut sauce was just poured on top instead of cooking the rice with any coconut flavor. But mango was in season, so the fruit was absolutely divine.

What You Should Do: It's not a bad choice, but it definitely wasn't my favorite Thai place we've been to. I've heard they are really good for take-out, but I don't know if we'll be back, since it wasn't that cheap for the portion sizes.

Read other reviews here: 

CHEDDATRUCK

Where: CheddaTruck, Food Truck

Who Went: Chelsey, Owen and the Interns

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Ole' Faithful Burger, Mother Hen Burger, and The Nasty Burger

What It Cost: $8 per burger

What We Thought: 

And the food truck details continue! I wonder how these food trucks will survive during the winter....do they just shut down until summer comes around? If anyone has details on this, I would greatly appreciate it! 

Anyway, I've been wanting to try CheddaTruck for a while now, since they park overnight across the way from my house and I looked at their menu online....it's pretty exciting. Let's just say, one of the burgers is served on a Krispy Kreme doughnut (to be tasted...)

I was not feeling quite so incredibly gluttonous this day, so I went with the Mother Hen burger, which is still pretty intense! Okay, it's really intense. A burger, served on an English muffin, with bacon, muenster cheese, a fried egg, sriracha aioli, and a spring mix of greens. Wowza. It was TOTALLY worth all of the calories I saved up all day! The English muffin was a little small to hold it all in, so it was totally messy, but the flavor of the muffin went great with the breakfast twist of eggs & bacon, and the sriracha aioli was mild, but still interesting enough to give it some pizzazz. The muenster was a nice salty cheese, which was balanced by the greens, and this thing was just a few moments of messy burger happiness.

Owen got the Nasty, which has braised onions, pepperjack cheese, sriracha buffalo sauce and tarragon dressing. Here I got to try the CheddaTruck's regular bun, which was fresh and heavenly. MAN THIS PLACE MAKES GOOD BURGERS. This one was spicy and just plain awesome.

Finally, we tried the Ole' Faithful, which is their basic, "traditional" burger (with braised onions, roasted tomatoes, and the tarragon dressing of course). It was of course fabulous. Hands down, one of the best burgers I've ever tried, and definitely the best one I've ever had from a truck! The regular burger was amazing, but how could you ever get a traditional burger when you have choices like these:

The Green Mile Burger - Mac & Cheese, Roasted Peppers, Bacon, Whole Grain Mustard

The Hipster "Burger" - Brat Haus Veggie Patty, Roasted Tomatoes, Brie, Corn Pudding, Arugula

Kill Me Softly Burger - Bacon, Blue Cheese, Arugula, Cranberry Gastrique, and Krispy Kreme Donut Bun

What You Should Do: Meet me down at the Provo Food Truck roundup, where you can try these guys, and a bunch of other fun places! The roundup is every Thursday from 5-9 at the Startup building in Provo (near the FrontRunner station). Just follow the lines of cars :) But it's so worth it! I definitely recommend trying the CheddaTruck, and you can follow them on Instagram to get updates on where they will be throughout the day!