EGGS IN THE CITY

Where: Eggs in the City, 1675 E 1300 S, Salt Lake City

Who Went: Me + a bunch of classmates

Number of Visits: 1

What I Ordered: Huevos Rancheros and Hot Chocolate (me), Eggs Benedict, Eggs Florentine with side of French Toast, Meaty Omelet with side of Pancakes, and something like Mexican enchiladas...

What It Cost: $15.48 (for the Huevos Rancheros and Hot Chocolate) 

What We Thought: 

Ah brunch. What a leisure and luxury. If you've made enough time out of your day for a belated breakfast, you want to make sure the food is worth it! Word of mouth led me a group of classmates to Eggs in the City one morning for breakfast, and I'm here to tell you all about it :) 

One of my all-time favorite splurge breakfast dishes is Huevos Rancheros -- eggs on tortillas with tasty sauce, beans and salsa. YUM! Obviously the portion sizes here at Eggs in the City are enormous, so it has that going for it, and my dish was reasonable in flavor. I've definitely had better, and I've also definitely had worse, it was just kind of middle of the road for me.

Mmm saucy. This was another twist on Huevos Rancheros, with a verde sauce instead. I like green sauces a lot, so I kinda wished I had ordered this one instead!

They have a couple versions of eggs benedict, including the florentine with spinach and tomato. A nice lighter twist on a delicious dish!

Ummmm talk about a meaty omelette -- I think there is more meat than eggs in this dish! It was pretty intense, but for those who are super meat-lovers, I really can't see any better options than this for you!

Oh, and did I mention you can order a side of pancakes? Ummm yeah -- this pancake above is the SIDE DISH. It kind of looks like a main dish, but if you're into that kind of thing, you can definitely get two breakfasts for one!

They also have regular eggs benedict, if you're into that kind of thing :) The eggs were poached perfectly, and everyone who went with the eggs benedicts were totally satisfied.

Also you can get a side of French toast - yep, another side dish!

What You Should Do: If you're in the neighborhood, Eggs in the City could be a decent choice. It's a pretty small restaurant and we definitely had to wait with such a big party (I couldn't believe how busy it was on a weekday at 10!), and the flavors were pretty decent, so it could be okay, especially if you're in the mood for eggs benedict, which seemed like the best prepared dish in my opinion. The dishes were pretty large, but definitely not on the cheap side, and I don't know about you, but every breakfast food seems weird to take home and reheat (microwaved eggs? bleh) so I don't know if I'd really want leftover breakfast.

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California Pizza Kitchen

Where: California Pizza Kitchen, 575 University Parkway, Ste B28, Orem

Who Went: Owen & Chelsey

Number of Visits: 3

What We Ordered: Avocado Club Egg Rolls, Pear and Gorgonzola Thin Crust Pizza, and Habañero Carnitas Pizza 

What It Cost: $36.00 including tip

What We Thought: 

I've hesitated writing about CPK for a long time now because I am positive that it will ruin my credibility as any sort of blogger who knows things about food, but I cannot hide my love for California Pizza Kitchen any longer! I know its a chain and that it is slightly overpriced, but they have a few menu items that have just won my heart and will keep me coming back for more. 

Even thought it's located at the mall, California Pizza Kitchen is really good about getting you in as fast as they can. If you don't want to wait at all to eat, they are usually quite open if you get there before 6, and if there is a wait, then they will give you a pager and let you go shopping all over the mall until your table is ready! Much better than sitting on that patch of grass outside Olive Garden, which I've seen way too often... Every time we've been there, we've had fairly good service, even when they are super busy, and the wait is just about what I would expect. 

Even though it will surely lead to a heart attack one day, we always have to start with these avocado club egg rolls. They are SO GOOD! Stuffed with tomato, chicken, cheese, bacon, and large slices of avocado and deep fried in a wonton wrapper -- these babies are the stuff of my dreams people. They are served with this "ranchito" sauce...I have no idea what that means, but it's heaven when drizzled over these egg rolls. My arteries are probably getting clogged just by looking at this picture, but I seriously can't help myself with these.

One of my favorite parts of CPK pizzas is their crust. It's pretty thin, but still chewy and flavorful and almost has this unique tangy taste - I don't know what it is, but I love it! Sadly, this thin crispy crust pizza was, well, crispy, and wasn't as amazing as the normal pizzas to me. I liked the flavor of this pizza however. The gorgonzola cheese wasn't too overpowering, and the pears paired nicely with the arugula on top. I was worried that it would be too difficult to eat and that leftovers would be no good because the arugula would get soggy, but neither of these two things turned out to be a problem. The pear was a little drier than I would have personally liked, but overall, it was a fun deviation from the normal pizza options.

We love spicy food, and Owen almost always orders the Spicy Chipotle Chicken pizza, but this time I convinced him to try something new and we were not disappointed! The carnitas were succulent and in good supply on this pizza, and even though our waitress warned us about the spiciness of the habeñero salsa that was served on the side, we found it to be just right. The cilantro pesto base added some nice flavor to the pizza, and we thought it was delicious! 

What You Should Do: Even though it's a chain and many people may turn their noses up, I definitely think California Pizza Kitchen is worthy of your time and money. We've tried a variety of items here and have been satisfied and happy after every visit. Though I normally prefer the original crust pizzas, if you want to go thin & crispy, I would recommend the Jamaican Jerk Chicken pizza too! I love all of their unique pizza flavors and can never get enough of those darn avocado egg rolls...they've got me hooked. I've never tried any of their pastas or salads, so I can't vouch for them, but the pizzas are great and if you order two, there is almost always enough left over for lunch the next day - awesome! 

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Screen Door

Where: Screen Door, 2337 East Burnside Street, Portland, Oregon

Who Went: Chelsey, Devynne, Lyvia, Charles, Quinn, Mom

Number of Visits: 1

What It Cost: A lot....$100+ (gratuity included)

What We Ordered: Blackberry Lemonade, Fried Chicken, BBQ'd Beef Brisket, Pecan-Encrusted Trout, Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwich, Two Screen Door Plates - one with Mac & Cheese, Thin-Sliced Fried Pork Chops, and Red Beans & Rice, the other with Smoked Chicken and Andouille Jambalaya, Fried Catfish, and French Fries, Creole Pecan Pie, Ban-offee Pie, Mississippi Mud Pie, Hummingbird Cake, Upside Down Rhubarb Cake, and Strawberry Shortcake

What We Thought:

Of course I typically write reviews for restaurants around Utah County, but I thought I'd throw in an extra review this week for a fun out-of-town visit I've taken recently. For my birthday at home in the Pacific Northwest, I requested one of the most talked-about Portland restaurant, the Screen Door. This was before my experience with chicken and waffles at Station 22, and the Screen Door receives a lot of press for their famed chicken and waffles, as well as their famed line out the door! They are only open for Saturday and Sunday brunch and dinner everyday at 5:30, so we got there around 5 to start waiting in line! There were already people there of course, but at least we were let in with the first round of diners, even with our large party. I was impressed with how quickly they got our food to us, even though the restaurant was absolutely packed and incredibly busy. Unfortunately, when we looked at the menu, I discovered that the chicken and waffles are only served during the weekend brunch! NOOOOOOOO! I decided I would settle for the regular fried chicken and just overly compensate with tons of desserts. (I also thought it was hilarious that in addition to their traditional Southern-style plenty-of-fried food menu they had a separate menu with organic and vegan options...so Portland).

I started with the blackberry lemonade, which was heavenly sweet and flavorful. We were lucky enough to get to sit outside with the perfect Portland weather and missed out on the hustle and bustle of the indoor restaurant, which I was kind of grateful for. It was nuts in there!

I staked the first claim on the fried chicken, and being the annoying restaurant blogger that I am, I i̶n̶s̶i̶s̶t̶e̶d̶ encouraged everyone else to try something different. I absolutely loved my fried chicken - divine crispy buttermilk exterior with moist, juicy chicken inside. It is definitely at least 10 degrees better than that at Station 22....sorry. It was served with mashed potatoes which were decent and some collard greens - turns out I'm not a huge collard greens fan. But nothing on the side mattered, the real star of this plate was the huge pieces of fried chicken, and they really shone. There was so much chicken on this plate that I even gave in and shared some with everyone at the table, despite the fact that I'd really rather have eaten it all myself!

The Screen Door Plates are a fun choice for those of us who can't ever make up their mind about what to order - you get to choose three separate "sides," most of which could really be a complete dish on their own! On this plate, I was actually a little disappointed with the red beans and rice - it's one of my favorite Southern dishes, and this one was just under the expectations I had for flavor. The macaroni and cheese was good of course - cheesy, oozy, intense, and with a tasty crunchy top crust. And the fried pork was a little dry but had a nice salty crispy profile and it was all an overall enjoyable plate.

The pecan-encrusted trout was probably our least favorite plate - the fish had a little bit of a dirty taste and the pecans did not add much of a flavor-punch. The potatoes and asparagus were fine but a little boring, and there wasn't enough sauce to add enough pizzazz to the trout.

The beef brisket on the other hand, was absolutely delicious. Huge slabs of tender meat, doused in a sweet and spicy sauce was complimented with twirls of crunchy fried onions. Yum! Devynne ordered this plate and it was hard to pry a single bite from her, but I greatly enjoyed the little taste she spared :) The potato salad was a nice refreshing touch to the savory meat, and there were some forgettable greens that upped the healthiness factor at least.

Our second Screen Door Plate was ordered by someone who's not actually part of my immediate family, so I tried not to be too awkward about wanting to try everything, but he was surprisingly compliant. He greatly enjoyed the fried catfish and I was impressed with the jambalaya - since I'm not a huge shrimp fan, I thought the slightly different combination of meats was a delightful change.

This pulled pork sandwich was probably my second favorite dish that we ordered - I've never had my coleslaw actually piled on top of the sandwich, and it has changed my life! Now I always slap some slaw on top of my pulled meat sandwiches. It is so good!!! The pork was tangy and delicious, and some of the best peppery coleslaw I've ever had on a toasted tasty bun. If I ever could convince myself not to order some of that amazing fried chicken, this would be an excellent second choice.

Now on to desserts! We went a little crazy and ordered every.single.dessert on the menu! They just all sounded so good that we couldn't exclude any of them...well, we were going to say no to the strawberry shortcake, but we just couldn't leave it out. They brought out this Ban-offee Pie to me with a little birthday candle, oh-so-festive. I've never had Ban-offee Pie before - apparently it is a traditional British dessert, and it is a dessert that I am definitely going to add into my rotation! A crispy shortbread crust, tender bananas mixed with delicious toffee, all topped with a caramel-infused whipped cream. AMAZING! I may need to move back to Portland just so I can eat this EVERY SINGLE DAY!

This was the Mississippi Mud Pie, and honestly, it was gone between Charles and my brother before I could even get a bite! I was lucky to even get a picture...I'll take that as a good thing :)

The pecan pie was cute, but a little too much crust and not enough filling for me...though still delicious.

We probably should have just said no to the strawberry shortcake. You know, I've never really had a strawberry shortcake that I've been super impressed by. With this one, the biscuit was too dry and crumbly, and there were not enough strawberries or sweetness. Definitely our least favorite of the desserts.

This cake definitely made up for it though! A mix between a carrot cake and pineapple cake, this Southern classic with cream cheese frosting was absolutely delectable. I hate raisins and love pineapple, so this baby was right up my alley. In fact, I don't think I'll ever be able to have carrot cake without pineapple again! It was just too darn good this way.

Finally (I know, you thought it would never end) was the upside down rhubarb cake. Not too much to say here - the toasted almonds were a nice touch and the cake had a good flavor and texture, but I really could have gone for more fruit in the cake itself. The rhubarb flavor was more of an accent than the leading role in this cake for us.

What You Should Do: Well, if you ever find yourself in the Portland Oregon area, I'd definitely recommend going there! But if you don't mind doing me a small favor, try to go for brunch and then report back to me if the chicken and waffles are worth all the hype (and the line out the door and around the block)! There were a couple of misses in our meal, but probably just because I forced everyone to try something different - if I was a little nicer and less selfish (hey, it was my birthday at least), then probably everyone would have ordered the fried chicken and we all would have gone home as happy as me!

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Red Robin

Where: Red Robin, 1200 Towne Center Blvd, Provo (in the Provo Towne Center Mall)

Who Went: Chelsey, Owen, Tim & Megan

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Mozzarella Sticks, Original Cheeseburger, Honey Mustard Chicken Sandwich, Bacon Cheeseburger with Pepper Jack and Fried Jalapeños, and Bleu Ribbon Burger

What It Cost: $25.00 for 2 people (including tip)

What We Thought:

I've never really understood the whole Red Robin thing - I think people go there because it is a reliable place with usually friendly service and a menu where they know what they're going to get. I've never really been to Red Robin for anything other than a milkshake before, so I never realized before that they are actually not very cheap! $10 for a burger is more expensive than you'll pay at most places, including delicious choices like Cubby's, Legend's Grille, and JCW's, so I wanted to see if the meal was really worth the surprisingly high bill.

We started out with mozzarella sticks because hey, we were feeling pretty gluttonous, and you really can't go wrong with fried cheese. We only were able to eat a few since they were so intense, but they tasted like fried happiness and a future heart attack :) The marinara sauce it was served with was tasty, and it probably would have been a good appetizer to share with more people.

Tim and Megan enjoyed their regular cheeseburger and chicken sandwich - not much commentary from them, but both seemed quite satisfied and Tim mentioned that the combination of honey mustard and guacamole (which I've never had before) was surprisingly good, and the wheat bun looked like a nice touch.

Owen is obsessed with bacon jalapeño burgers with pepper jack, so he asked if they could add jalapeños to his bacon cheeseburger. It turns out that they cost an extra 90 cents to add an additional topping, which would have been nice to know before ordering, and they only had fried jalapeños (as opposed to regular), which was a little unhealthier than we anticipated but of course tasty and Owen liked how they kept in the heat. I don't really have any great pictures of the steak fries that were served with each of our burgers, but we really didn't want any of the "bottomless fries" offer after being so full from the burger! The fries weren't amazing, needed extra salt, but weren't awful either - just your average fried potato slices.

I ordered the Bleu Ribbon burger, which came with blue cheese and fried onions. The blue cheese flavor was really mild, which is probably good for most people, but I was hoping for a stronger presence. I liked the crunch of the fried onions and the onion & poppyseed bun, which was a nice deviation from a regular bun. I was a little disappointed with how charred the exterior of my burger was, and found that it was a bit overcooked and not juicy. We were going to see a movie right after dinner so I wanted to finish my whole meal and not take home any leftovers, which was a big mistake because I had a huge stomachache the whole rest of the evening.

What You Should Do: The meals at Red Robin are very large and heavy, so I'd recommend either coming on a very empty stomach or planning to take part of your meal home. I think if I was to visit Red Robin again, I would order a grilled chicken sandwich because it seems like it would be a little lighter, and they have a couple of options. I felt like Red Robin was overpriced for a chain restaurant that serves typical burgers and fries, and even though in theory you could get all the steak fries you want included in that $10, I doubt many people go back for more than one refill because the rest of the food is so heavy. If you're a die-hard Red Robin fan, I'd recommend branching out and testing one of the other restaurants I mentioned - who knows, you may find something else you like!

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Lone Star Taquería

Where: Lone Star Taquería, 2265 Fort Union Blvd, Cottonwood Heights, UT

Who Went: Chelsey, Devynne, and Owen

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Burrito de Carne Desebrada, Burrito de Pollo Asado, Lone Star Nachos with Chicken, Piña and Tamarindo Jarritos Sodas

What It Cost: $28.73 for all three people


What We Thought: 


I've once said that one of the hardest questions I get from writing on this site is "What is the best Mexican food around?" Mexican food is so subjective, and there are many different variations (authentic, Tex-Mex, fresh Mexican, etc.) that I've had a hard time deciding on an official favorite.

Well, thanks to Lone Star Taquería, that difficult predicament has become easy to solve!

After reading lots of reviews on Urbanspoon.com, I decided we needed to check this place out. Tons of people say that you HAVE to get the fish tacos, but somehow, none of us were in a fish taco mood so Owen and Devynne both got a burrito and I got the nachos.

The place was TOTALLY packed and busy, so we had to sit outside. Of course, this was one of the first "nice" days that spring, so I had worn just a t-shirt and was freeeeeeezing after about 10 minutes outdoors. So I sent Owen inside to do the "BYU parking lot technique" where he basically hovered like a creepy person until someone started to pack up their stuff, and then he slid into their seat and signalled for us to come inside! I guess we have learned something at this university after all!

Our drinks were served with a slice of lime, which of course just made them infinitely better. I do love my Jarritos with Mexican food, but this just brought it to a whole new level! Plus they had a strawberry flavor, which I've only ever seen a few times...I will definitely have to get it on the next visit.

When we first received our meals, I was shocked at how HUGE the serving sizes were! For the pretty low prices, we definitely got our money's worth. And just to prove how big these nachos were...

this was how much was left after 30 minutes of eating it!!! Next time we go here (which will hopefully be soon!) I think I will just get the nachos to split. They were SO good. Best nachos, in the world probably. The chips were freshly fried and thicker than usual, which made them a fabulous base for all the nacho toppings. There was a ton of fresh and creamy guacamole on top, which they didn't even charge extra for, like most Mexican places do. The grilled chicken was exceptional well-seasoned and there was so much of it, and I loved the rice and beans as well. The only thing I regret about this meal was that it did not fare so great as leftovers the next day...but I still inhaled it anyway! Great fresh flavors, and a great deal as well.

Both Owen and Devynne got the burritos, which pretty much looked the same on the outside. According to their reports, the burritos were also spectacular, though it was hard to get a report from them because they were too busy eating and were completely immersed in the food experience.

There is a lot of good stuff going on in there. Even though the burritos were, as one Urbanspoon reviewer stated, "big enough to fit a small child in," both Owen and Devynne were compelled to finish their entire burrito because each bite was just as good as the first one!

They also have a salsa bar at the front of the restaurant, so you can load up on as much salsa as you want! Not that the burritos or nachos really needed any extra flavor, but it was fun to experiment with the different choices. We liked all of the salsas, but I think the pico was our favorite.

What You Should Do: Go immediately. This my friends, is the best Mexican in Utah I've found so far. They have amazing prices, amazing flavors, amazing service, and amazing options. I was completely blown away with how delicious their food was, and will definitely be returning soon. Though next time I think I will certainly have to try the fish tacos and bring a jacket or go on a warm summer night!

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Bruges Waffles & Frites

Where: Bruges Waffles and Frites, 336 W Broadway, Salt Lake City

Who Went: Chelsey and Devynne

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: 1 small order of Frites with Brasil mayo, Torpedo Waffle, Waffle Monster

What It Cost: $20.49

What We Thought:


I have to admit -- I was skeptical about this place. I've never really been a huge waffle person, only spent $2.50 on a crappy waffle maker from Walmart on Black Friday to satisfy my husband's repeated requests, and definitely don't want to spend lots of money on what I viewed as a glorified breakfast food. When I heard about Bruges Waffles and Frites, I thought -- "Really? They just serve waffles and fries?" I had looked at pictures of different orders on Urbanspoon, thought that the portion sizes looked totally dinky and overpriced, and figured it was just a fad thing. What's the big deal about Belgian waffles anyway?

Well the raving reviews haven't stopped, and I decided that during a recent trip to Salt Lake, I needed to find out for myself what the big deal was after all.

Let's start with the shop itself. There really is only one word to describe this place -- TINY. There is only a 6-seat bar for people to sit, approximately 2 feet away from the register. Luckily we came on a weekday at 11, so it was pretty empty, but rumor has it that this place fills up quick and can have crazy lines. Go during the off-hours! The owner has a delightful accent and is very friendly - apparently he and I have the same car, so we chatted about gas mileage and snow capabilities for a while. He also encouraged us to taste of the store's crunchy Specaloos spread. I also have been skeptical of this supposedly imported spread, since I can find it at my local grocery store (the brand name is Biscoff spread), but I've only ever been able to buy the smooth variety -- this crunchy kind took it to a whole new level for me! We ordered 2 waffles and some frites of course, though they do have a couple other options (the intimidating Machine Gun sandwich and some stew?), and got our food pretty quickly.

The fries were good. They were served hot, were nice and crispy, and were just the right width and consistency. I liked them with the fun flavored mayo we got (the Brasil mayo had flavors of pineapple, curry, and more!) and ate every last crumb. But would I make a 45-minute drive just for these fries? Probably not.

Now, the waffles...these are a totally different story. 

As I was reading up about this place, I learned that there are actually two different kinds of Belgian waffles - Brussels waffles (which are thinner, crisper, with deeper holes and rectangular shape), and Liège waffles (made with a thick dough more like bread, with chunks of pearl sugar that melt and caramelize on the outside of the waffle and form a crispy coating). Bruges serves Liège waffles, and they were one of the most heavenly things I have ever partaken of.

The imported pearl sugar forms the most delicious crispy exterior of the waffles, and is still melty and amazing when they serge it to you. The waffles are thick, but not overwhelming, and perfectly sweet. The Torpedo waffle, which was stuffed with Belgian chocolate bars, was wonderfully indulgent. The crème fraîche on top was the best I've ever had, and helped counterbalance the intense sweetness of the chocolate and waffle. This waffle was so mind-blowing that it inspired me to make my own crème fraîche for an apple pie I made, following this recipe -- it is so much better than regular whipped cream!

The Waffle Monster, shown above, was a waffle split in half, with warm crunchy Specaloos spread inside, along with sliced strawberries and vanilla bean ice cream. Wow. Wow. Wow. I don't think that there are words that can sufficiently how breathtaking the combination of sweet Specaloos, tart fresh strawberries, and creamy delicious vanilla bean ice cream were inside this perfect little waffle sandwich. All I can say, is you gotta try it. And I totally get what the big deal about Belgian waffles is now!


Waffle Sources: 

- A woman's experience in Belgium with both types of waffles
- An authentic Liège waffle recipe
- Wikipedia's input
- Another traveler's experiences


What You Should Do: 


Get in the car, and drive there right this minute! Seriously. Your life is not complete until you have tried this incredible Belgian treat. If you're feeling extra carb-hungry, then you can get the frites too, but definitely be sure to get a waffle. Or two. Or three. Or more... If you're daring, try the machine gun sandwich -- I think that when I get up there again with my husband, I'll try to convince him to get it. Some love it, and some say it's WAY too heavy. All I know is that these were the most life-changing waffles I've ever had, and you know, I think I may be a waffle person now.

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