LEATHERBY'S FAMILY CREAMERY

Where: Leatherby's Family Creamery, 1872 W 5400 S, Taylorsville

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Amy's Hot Fudge Brownie with Mint Cookie Ice Cream and Jill's Cookie Concoction 

What It Cost: $15.46

What We Thought: 

Let's just start with the pictures...

I need to make a disclaimer -- we only came for the ice cream, and didn't try any of the other food. So this review is ONLY ABOUT THE ICE CREAM.

And wow, the ice cream! I mean, just looking at the photos above is enough to get me salivating all over again. The restaurant is a very vintage, retro style ice cream parlor, with unflattering lighting and pretty crammed seating, but the staff is so friendly, that you totally feel comfortable and ready for a good time. I can totally see this place as being the awesome reward for scoring a home run in your baseball game as a kid or something - it just makes you feel good. Well, until you eat WAY too much ice cream...!

These ice cream sundaes, though a little pricey, are amazingly over-the-top, gorgeous, and a LOT of ice cream! It is such a fun treat, and the ice cream is all homemade :) Owen thought his mint cookie ice cream was a little too intense -- the flavor was super rich, especially considering how much ice cream they served! I love both of my flavors -- one was a classic cookies and cream, which was super smooth and delicious, and the other was peanut butter ice cream with caramel and cookie dough! Talk about indulgent! The cookie with my sundae was surprisingly soft and tasted SO good, and wow, the hot fudge. If I hadn't been in a total ice cream coma after our experience, I would have bought a bunch of this to take home! What an amazing and scrumptious treat!

What You Should Do: We went here for Owen's birthday, and it was the perfect place to go for a special occasion treat! The ice cream was super delicious, the presentation amazing, and the brownie/hot fudge/cookies were incredibly good as well. The only recommendation I have (besides, obviously, you should go!) is the first time, you might want to share! Neither Owen nor I could even make it through half of our sundaes, so if you can agree on a flavor, you may want to save the money :)

BRICK OVEN PIZZA

Where: Brick Oven Pizza, 111 E 800 N, Provo, UT (just east of the tennis courts on BYU campus)

Who Went: Chelsey, Owen, Devynne, Mom, everyone from BYU...

Number of Visits: Many 

What We Ordered: We've tried a bunch -- buffalo pizza, meats-a-pizza, BBQ chicken and pineapple, make-your-own. Also, spinach & artichoke dip, lasagna, and something amazing which we will get to later...

What It Cost: ~$40 for three people

What We Thought: 

Brick Oven - a BYU-classic since 1956! I know a lot of people think that Brick Oven isn't that great, and that's it's a little overrated and just has a good location. Though they may not have the best pizza in the whole world, I love the classic and cozy environment, friendly staff, consistent food and great memories at Brick Oven.

Um yeah, a pile of cheese and spinach and artichoke. YUM. I have to be honest, I don't think that there has ever been a spinach and artichoke dip that I ever didn't like, so this may not be the most discretionary dish to order. But if you're looking for comfort food that's close to campus because that organic chemistry test didn't quite go as you were hoping...yeah, this fits the bill.

I normally refuse to order any type of pasta at a restaurant because it's so easy to make pasta and always seems insanely overpriced. But lasagna is the one exception, since it's such an ordeal to make at home! Their lasagna is pretty great - I mean, it has mushrooms (not a personal favorite), but I still like it! Also, look how much lasagna that is. Yeah, definitely good for dinner and lunch the next day.

One thing I like about Brick Oven is their flexibility and how nice (usually!) their staff is. They are always willing to substitute out a topping if you don't like mushrooms (or anything else :) and the service is generally pretty quick, even though it can get super busy. They have a great blend of cheeses on their pizzas, the sausage is super flavorful, and I'm a big sucker for fresh tomatoes on pizza!

Obviously none of these pictures are very great, since I took them on my phone, but this one above especially does not do proper justice to the amazing dessert that it is. So on their menu, they have a baked cookie with ice cream on top (a pizookie, for those who like the funny term), and it's pretty good. But, after talking with a friend who used to work at Brick Oven, I learned about the Sasquatch, a secret menu item which is the ultimate dessert -- two cookies with a brownie baked in between. Yeah. Its so, so, so amazing. And super intense, so get it to split!

What You Should Do:  Like I said before, I'm not going on the record saying that Brick Oven Pizza is the best in Utah County, but I have to admit, every now and then I get a craving that can only be satisfied by this classic BYU campus establishment. Even though its so close to campus, I love that it's big enough that you can almost always get a table within 15 minutes, even on a busy Friday night. They have a ton of cozy booths, they don't ever rush you, and they have great options if you want to share a meal (check out the pasta and pizza meals for two -- it's enough food for at least two meals!). Another perk -- nearly everyone knows where it's located, so it's super easy to meet here with friends! Plus, the Sasquatch. I'm telling you. I have dreams about the Sasquatch.

Read other reviews here:

Pizza Pie Cafe

Where: Pizza Pie Cafe, 2235 N University Parkway, Provo

Who Went: Chelsey, Owen, Devynne, many cousins & other family members

Number of Visits: 5

What We Ordered: Pizza Buffet

What It Cost: $8.25 per person

What We Thought:

All the Utah County culinary snobs are probably going to disown me forever after this post, but I have to get it out in the open - I like Pizza Pie Cafe!

I know, I know.

NO, I do not think that it is THE BEST pizza in Provo. But I do think that it has a fun atmosphere, is great for families and large groups, and is certainly the best pizza buffet I've ever been to! 

I normally try to avoid buffets (the whole germ thing kind of worries me....) but Pizza Pie Cafe is moving through pizzas so quickly that you really have little to fear for here. If you are trying to feed a picky group on a budget, Pizza Pie Cafe is great because they have so many different options that are sure to please everyone. They have a decent salad bar, always at least seven types of pizza, and a pasta bar as well! The pasta and salad bars are included in the normal buffet prices, and you can pay for access to the soda machines as well. Good luck restraining yourself is all I have to say. Shown above are two white pizzas - chicken ranch and white chicken supreme. Yum to both!

I've never actually wasted stomach space on the pasta bar, but Owen decided to try it this last time we visited and was pleasantly surprised. They have at least four different sauces (which all are great as dipping sauces for your leftover pizza crusts!) and various pasta that are all pretty decent. Still, I'd go for the pizza...

My weakness here is definitely the cheese sticks. When I was growing up, my mom never allowed us to order cheese sticks as any restaurant because they were so easy to make at home on our own. But when they are free?? I can't help myself. Cheese and bread...does it really get any better? They also have a tasty barbecue pineapple pizza that is one of my favorites.

Dessert pizza? Um, yes please. Most places that offer dessert pizzas usually have one or two pathetic choices, but Pizza Pie Cafe is well equipped with six different choices, including three fruit (I am especially partial to the peach crumble!). They also have an Oreo pizza (soooo indulgent), cookie dough pizza (perfect for super-sweet lovers like me), and a simply delicious cinnamon pizza with cream cheese frosting. Really, where else can you get salad, dinner, and dessert for under $9??

The one complaint I have about Pizza Pie Cafe is their excessive use of bacon. I know it's a "thing" right now, but they put bacon on too many pizza for my personal liking, and it is always a very strong flavor presence. Usually I just shake off some of the bacon crumbles, and then I am much more satisfied. I like Pizza Pie Cafe because they try to keep it interesting, with fun options like this pizza with potato slices on top - I've never heard of such a thing, but it's surprisingly good!

What You Should Do: If you're feeling indulgent and have a pizza craving that must be satisfied, or if you're taking your football-playing cousin out to dinner, or if you are taking a large party of picky individuals (especially kids!), then Pizza Pie Cafe is a fun and delicious choice. I have to warn you - you will probably regret your stomach for the rest of the evening, but it will be worth it! Just please eat one of those silly cheese sticks for me!

Read other reviews here: 

Cannella's

Before we begin...let's announce the Rubio's giveaway winners! 

Winner 1: Pauline Grayson

Winner 2: Adriana Westover

Winner 3: Laura Bean

Congratulations! Please email me at chelsey@eatbyu.com so we can arrange the details of your free meals!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Where: Cannella's, 204 E 500 S, Salt Lake City

Who Went: Chelsey & Mom

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Lunch Special Sandwich with Side Salad, Bruschetta 

What It Cost: $16.75

What We Thought:

I normally hate basically every Italian restaurant I ever eat at (why do I keep going to Italian restaurants??), but a quick visit to Cannella's has given me hope for family-owned Italian joints in the future! 

I stopped by here for a quick lunch after picking up my Mom from the airport - we were planning on having an early dinner but didn't want to be starving before then so we tried to eat light (though it still ended up being quite filling!). We ordered the turkey cranberry sandwich, which came with a starter salad. The salad was interesting - it had cucumbers, pepperoncinis, chickpeas, thickly shredded mozzarella, beets, and a creamy dressing. It wouldn't really be my first choice of ingredients for a salad, but it worked for us, and I was so hungry that it tasted good anyway!

I love bruschetta, so I was delighted when we were served these pretty little bites! The crostini were nice and hearty, the basil was sliced just right, and I loved the pretty little swirls of goat cheese. I was glad that they chose to use a balsamic reduction on top of the bruschetta of straight balsamic vinegar - it gave it a little more body and a more subtle flavor.

We had ordered the turkey cranberry sandwich, and unfortunately they put in our order incorrectly and we ended up with the club sandwich, which was the special of the day. Also unfortunately, we didn't realize this until halfway through eating the sandwich, so it felt a little late to ask for the other one. Fortunately however, we didn't even think about it, because the sandwich was so good!! Cannella's make all of their best fresh on site, and it was so thick and fresh and delicious. There was a huge pile of turkey, perfectly crispy bacon, and smeared avocado, that all came together in one exceptionally tasty sandwich!

What You Should Do: Though we didn't order anything that was super Italian, Cannella's has restored some of my faith in the potential for Italian restaurant food done right. I definitely am adding it to my list of places to when I crave an Italian dinner, and I would recommend you do so too! And if you happen to be nearby at the library or something, they make an incredibly enjoyable lunch too.

Read other reviews here:

Maria Bonita Mexican Grill

Where: Maria Bonita Mexican Grill, 171 W 800 N, Orem 

Who Went: Owen & Chelsey

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Agua de Piña, Mole Enchiladas, and Carnitas Tacos

What It Cost: $28.50

What We Thought:

There are so many Mexican restaurants here in Utah County, so it's fun to see how each one sets themselves apart! At Maria Bonita, it's all about the atmosphere. A warm, super welcoming atmosphere with cozy chairs and a lovely hostess who greets you with great enthusiasm and vigor! 

We started out our meal with agua de piña (pineapple water), which was surprisingly good. If you are planning on ordering something spicy, I would definitely recommend getting this drink! It was very refreshing, and served in a huge glass that would certainly get you through the meal (though they still offered free refills).

Prior to our food being served, we received this little bowl of broth. It had some rice and onions inside, and was actually a nice way to start off the meal, especially if you visit there on a cold winter night! The best part of drinking this up before our food came was that it helped me to not overeat - a good thing if you are still working on that New Year's goal!

I ordered the chicken mole enchiladas, since I feel like I've yet to find a mole as flavorful or amazing the Red Iguana, but I don't want to have to travel up to Salt Lake every time I'm craving spicy Mexican chocolatey goodness! Though it wasn't as life-changing as the moles up north (or far down south, surely...), it was one of the better mole sauces I've ever had and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also liked how it was served with a nice plop of guacamole - the avocado really helped balance the intense spice flavors of the sauce and was just what I needed! The only downside was that the chicken was a little dry inside and the rice wasn't my favorite, but it was still pretty good altogether.

Owen's carnitas were pretty delicious. With fresh squeezed lime juice and the creamy avocado sauce they served on the side, the tacos were moist and tasty. There was quite a bit of cilantro on each taco, so if you are one of those people who are genetically predisposed to disliking cilantro (it's a real thing!) then I probably wouldn't recommend ordering these tacos. But I liked the corn tortillas, the meat was very flavorful and juicy, and the roasted jalapeño it was served with was an exciting touch.

What You Should Do: Though there certainly are lots of options for Mexican food out there, I would definitely recommend adding Maria Bonita's to your list. They have a lovely atmosphere, lots of menu options (especially seafood, if you are interested in that), and good food. After receiving our bill, I felt like it was a little overpriced for what we got, but you won't be disappointed if you head here for tasty Mexican food!

Read other reviews here:

Harvest Restaurant

Where: Harvest Restaurant, 3003 N Thanksgiving Way, Lehi

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Warm Apple Cider, Curried Butternut Squash Soup, Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Butternut Squash Ravioli

What It Cost: $51.00

What We Thought:

Most of the time at expensive restaurants, I leave the place thinking, "Oh sheesh. How many hours am I going to have to work to make up for that? Why did I spend so much on a meal that was not much better than something much cheaper??" 

Fortunately, Harvest Restaurant was not the same.

I don't remember what was going on (probably I finished a big test or something), but I wanted to celebrate! With plans of heading to the new outlet malls in Lehi, we decided to splurge on this exciting-looking restaurant at Thanksgiving Point. Entering the restaurant from a cold winter night, I immediately loved the warm and cozy ambience. The decor was a little cheesy but still very nice, and we were lucky enough to be seated next to the crackling fireplace. 

We started out with some warm spiced apple cider, which was perfectly warm and delicious on a cold night. We especially loved the cute little teapot it came in, though it was a little hard to pour from...

Prior to our meal, we received this cute little loaf of bread. It was served fresh and hot, and was absolutely adorable of course. It was quite a lot of bread for just two people, but we thoroughly enjoyed it - light airy honey wheat bread with some sweet butter on the side.

I was a little bit on a butternut squash kick for the night - I couldn't help it, it just sounded so good! I was a little disappointed because the soup didn't actually arrive until the rest of my food had come. It would have been nice if it had arrived earlier as a starter like I thought it was going to. Nonetheless, it had a delightful flavor - the sweet squash balanced out by the savory curry flavor. I liked the toasted pepitas on top, which added a little textural variety to the smooth and creamy soup. It was pretty filling; on a night when you're not as hungry, it could definitely be a meal in itself!

Owen ordered the buttermilk fried chicken (with my encouragement), and it was exceptionally gratifying. The chicken was a nice thick cut, which made me a little nervous, but it was cooked all the way through while still remaining succulent and juicy. We liked the flavor of the buttermilk coating, and the buttered green beans were fresh and crisp. The mashed potatoes were a little too gluey for me, but they still had a nice flavor and went well with the chicken.

The butternut squash ravioli was the highlight of the meal for me. I should have taken another picture, but the ravioli pastas were individual little works of art - they were made from this bright red and orange stripe patterned pasta that was really amazing.  Once I could get over their prettiness, I bit into an incredibly savory and scrumptious ravioli pasta that was coated in a creamy sage sauce. Grated pecorino gave a nice tangy flavor that helped cut the creaminess, and the toasted pecans were a unique and innovative touch that really enhanced this dish. I liked the little chunks of butternut squash that were mixed in, and I wished that I wasn't so full from the soup so that I could keep eating it!

What You Should Do: I would definitely recommend Harvest as an excellent choice for a quality night out. I only wished the service was a little better (getting my soup out late/she was not very attentive), but altogether, we really enjoyed our meal here. The food was all absolutely delicious, and we definitely want to go back again!

Read other reviews here:

Also, Merry Christmas!!

Old Towne Grill

Where: Old Towne Grill, 295 W Center Street, Provo

Who Went: Chelsey & Devynne

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Flash-Fried Artichokes, Chicken Roulade, Old Towne Burger, Brownie Bottom Pie

What It Cost: ~$40.00 for two people (including tip)

What We Thought:

A new restaurant located underneath a dance club on Center Street, Old Towne Grill has a delicious menu and fun atmosphere. My sister and I lucked out and it was a beautiful evening outside, so we chose outdoor seating and enjoyed the ambience of a less-busy corner of Center Street. It was a surprisingly busy Thursday night at the restaurant - we were seated pretty quickly but some of the service was a bit slow, probably because the staff was still very new and it was a popular night. The menus are attached to large wooden boards, which is kind of cute, though awkward to actually hold up. Water was served in mason jars, but you can ask for straws, which makes it much easier to drink from.

We started with the flash-fried artichokes. They were pretty intensely salty, but with a spritz of freshly-squeezed lemon juice and the lemon-garlic aioli that accompanied them, they were just right. I've never had fried artichokes before, but they were a pretty good food to fry! It reminded me of that show "Can You Blend It?" but with frying food - "Can You Fry It?" It turns out that the answer to many foods, including artichokes, is yes!

I ordered the chicken roulade, which was described on the menu as "stuffed chicken breast with asparagus, roasted red pepper, + mozzarella + vegetables + tortellini + basil cream sauce." As you can see from the picture above, my dish did not appear like a typical stuffed chicken breast - they had taken the liberty of cutting the chicken and arranging it on the plate, with the tortellini and vegetables surrounding it. Devynne was immediately turned off by this ("It's not stuffed chicken!") but I actually liked it. It was still like stuffed chicken in that I could get a taste of everything in one bite, but they saved me all of the work of man-handling an awkwardly large chicken breast. Plus it looked good on the plate! Everything was prepared deliciously, with a seasonal selection of vegetables that were so fresh and a heavenly basil sauce. The tortellini were a nice touch, and there were some bright red tortellini in the mix - I've never seen pasta with such vibrant color! All in all, a delicious and hearty dish.

Devynne's burger was, in one word, INTENSE. A huge patty served with melty blue cheese and FRIED bacon - yes, as if bacon wasn't unhealthy enough, they flash-fried it for good measure! Of course this was delicious, and the overall combination was sinfully gratifying. The bun was fresh and toasted, and even though Devynne mentioned that the blue cheese flavor wasn't very strong, we both agreed that it was one heck of a burger. It was served with a heaping pile of skinny fries - I think I may be jumping on the skinny fry boat soon, because these were fantastic!

As if we hadn't eaten enough, we decided to go for a dessert as well. On the menu, our choice was described as a "brownie bottom pie," which sounded awesome and I could only imagine what the filling of such pie would be. Unfortunately, it was basically just a big brownie, very un-pie-like, but at least it was one of the most delicious brownies I've ever had! It was served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (boring), cinnamon ice cream (unique and surprisingly good with the brownie), and raspberry sauce (which actually tasted like raspberries, not artificial flavors!) We inhaled it in 0.5 seconds, and were more than satisfied.

What You Should Do: Definitely give Old Towne Grill a try! I would probably wait until they have been established a little longer so that the servers have more experience, or go at a time where they will not be very busy because our meal did take quite a long time and by the end of the night, it was dark outside and I'm pretty sure I got two bug bites. But the food was good and they have so many other things on the menu that I want to try!

Read other reviews here:

The Blue Iguana

Where: The Blue Iguana, 165 S West Temple, Salt Lake City

Who Went: Owen & Chelsey

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Chicken Burrito Ahogado, Horchata & Fajitas Gringas

What It Cost: $37.00 (including tip)

What We Thought:


The battle of the "iguanas" in Salt Lake is a showdown of delicious Mexican food - Red vs. Blue with plenty of supporters on both side. Being true lovers of the Red Iguana, we decided that we needed to be fair and test out the Blue Iguana as well. Though I think we may still be on Team Red (awkward thing to say for a blog that's got BYU in the title...), the Blue Iguana proved to be a delicious alternative with shorter lines, a fun atmosphere, and tasty authentic Mexican food.

Normally chips and salsa aren't that exciting, but I think that we have decided that the Blue Iguana has the best salsa of any Mexican restaurant we've ever been to! It has incredible flavor, with a great texture that isn't too thin or too chunky. They give you a huge bowl of the salsa, and we were tempted to lick the bowl after inhaling it all in 5 minutes. I only wish that this salsa was available for purchase or something, because it really was the best salsa I've ever had.

While placing our order, we were surprised to find out that the menu here at the Blue Iguana seemed to be nearly identical to that of the Red Iguana. Many of the moles were the same, they had a huge menu as well, and lots of the specialty items were really similar between the two restaurants. We decided to try to order foods that seemed unique to the Blue Iguana menu.

Our second favorite part of the Blue Iguana was the huge pile of guacamole, sour cream, and fresh pico de gallo served on the side of each entreé. Owen's chicken burrito ahogado was smothered with a chile colorado sauce and cheese, which was incredibly tasty. It wasn't too spicy or too salty, and the free sour cream and guacamole were necessary and delicious compliments to this appetizing dish. There was pretty much just meat inside the burritos, but they were rolled loosely enough that you could add in whatever lettuce, pico, rice, beans, etc. that you wanted inside.

The fajitas were served a little differently than I've had before - rather than serving the tortillas separate from the meat, the two fajitas were already assembled for me. Though this in theory could save some time for those who are super hungry and potentially prevent burn wounds from the hot, hot food, I actually had a hard time figuring out how to eat them, since the back side of the tortilla was covered with beans and rice, and they were hard to pick up. The flavor was really delicious - the "gringas" fajitas were full of savory charred steak, flavorful grilled peppers, and sweet tangy pineapple. But I couldn't figure out if I should use a fork, or just dump out the meat and roll it up like a normal burrito, hoping not to get refried beans all over my hands.

What You Should Do: If you're not interested in waiting in 45-min+ lines at the Red Iguana, the Blue Iguana is a gratifying substitute that usually is less busy. We liked the salsa and restaurant environment better at the Blue Iguana, but preferred the unique flavors (and those freakin' Tacos don Ramon) at the Red Iguana. Nonetheless, the food was still tasty, similarly priced, and they make a mean horchata as well!

Read other reviews here:

Pizzeria 712 - Update

Where: Pizzeria 712, 320 S State Street #185, Orem 

Who Went: Chelsey & Devynne

Number of Visits: 2

What It Cost: ~$35.00

What We Thought:

I have to admit, I am primarily doing this review for very personal reasons -- I am so embarrassed by the horrible photographs from my first review of this restaurant that I just had to redo it. Plus I think Pizzeria 712 is delicious, so any excuse I can come up with to justify the price is good for me! 

The fact that they serve pita bread as a starter for pizza still makes me laugh a little bit (Team Carbs!) but just because I'm anticipating more bread later on does not mean that I can restrain myself from the delicious hummus and pita bread they serve. The hummus has a delicious texture, rich flavor and vibrant color, and is irresistible with the soft fresh pita bread. Plus, you know, anything served on a slab of wood just automatically tastes better if you ask me. 

This little dish is probably in my top three favorite plates ever. Tender juicy braised beef short rib is served on top of a little polenta cake that is more delicious than any polenta I've ever had! The polenta is sourced from the local Anson mills, prepared to perfection, and then sautéed so there is a crispy top that is incredible. It is all served with savory au jus and a spicy amazing horseradish cream that brings it all together. Normally I'm not a huge horseradish fan but it paired so well with the luscious and appetizing short rib that I just couldn't get enough!

Their pizza was delicious as usual - this specific combination of toppings is no longer available, since they typically rotate their menu seasonally. This particular pizza came topped with toasted walnuts, kalamata olives, and fresh parsley, and our server recommended that we try it topped with speck (smoked prosciutto) as well. I wish she had told us that there was an additional charge for the meat - I guess I should have assumed there would have been, but the casual way she suggested it made me surprised when I saw the bill. Nonetheless, it was delicious and left us feeling great after the meal -- good quality food = good feeling afterwards!

The dessert met mixed reviews at my table - it was a bread pudding served with honey almond granola, lavender, and a homemade crème anglais. I liked the crème anglais but thought the overall dessert was kind of bland and that the granola gave it a weird texture. Devynne, on the other hand, thought it was amazing. She loved the delicate lavender flavor and consistency of the bread pudding. So I guess you can decided if you want to take the risk on this one - for us it was either a love it or leave it dessert.

What You Should Do: Well, I think my opinion of Pizzeria 712 has been sustained during this visit - they consistently produce tasty food, have a fun and trendy atmosphere, and are still pretty pricey. I don't think that I want to spend around $14 a person when going out to pizza all the time, but for a special occasion or treat, Pizzeria 712 brings fresh and wonderful flavors right here in Utah County. So check them out!