THE ROOF

Where: The Roof Restaurant, Joseph Smith Memorial Building, 15 S Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah

Who Went: Chelsey & Devynne

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Standard Buffet

What It Cost: $97.17

What We Thought: 

The theme of the day was Treat Yo Self 2015. I had just finished my very last day of actual classes ever, so my sister and I hit up Salt Lake with a treat yo self mentality, which of course needed include dinner with incredible views. 

And what better way to treat yo self than STARTING WITH DESSERT? Yep, I did it. I mean, how can you resist an itty bitty eclair and tiny slice of your favorite pie, when its sitting on two GIANT tables of desserts? It's impossible, I tell you. And since it's time to treat yo self, go for it.

The menu options were quite expansive. On the chopping block the day we went were ham (meh) and slow-roasted prime rib. But if that didn't suit your tastes, there was poached fish, chicken roulade, pasta with a cream sauce and sundried tomatoes, and sooooo much more!

Basically it's the fanciest buffet you've ever seen, and this isn't even half of the desserts...by the way...

We thought that this little chocolate mousse was funny, because the chocolate piece had a cross on it, and we were at Temple Square (LDS joke..ha. ha...)

Um yeah, I was a bit too ambitious with my additional dessert plates. I basically was so full I only took one bite of each thing. But they were all FREAKING AMAZING. Especially that mini creme brulee!? I had two of them. The cheesecake was just okay, but the carrot cake was really moist and delicious, and the chocolate cakes were so rich!

Plus, I mean, can you beat this view?!

The other creme brulee, spotted here. Their interpretation of "salads" was interesting in the salad bar, but it was fun to try different combinations of "salad" and the fruit and cheese plates were pretty good too.

I know it might seem boring to end on a picture of soup, but this French onion soup was probably the best I've ever had, and I'm totally craving its simple, rich and wholesome flavor right now, even though its supposed to be 102 degrees today!!

What You Should Do: Yes, it's expensive. Yes, it's a buffet. But it's a dang good buffet, and can be a lot of fun if you go into it with that mindset. I'm not even a buffet lover (by ANY means) but we really enjoyed our visit at the Roof - it was special, the hot rolls were from heaven, the servers were fun, you got free unlimited soda, and THERE WERE SO MANY DESSERTS! I basically would have thought it was worth it just for the rolls + mini creme brulees + views. I would not take children here, but for a fun and special night out, it was awesome. I think maybe we caught it on a good night based on other people's experiences, but I would certainly try it again.

Read other reviews here: 

CHEF'S TABLE

Where: Chef's Table, 2005 S State Street, Orem

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 2

What We Ordered: Cheese & Charcuterie Board, Macadamia Crusted Halibut, Rack of Colorado Lamb, Bananas Foster Cheesecake, and "Chocolate Dream Dessert" 

What It Cost: $118.44

What We Thought: 

It's so funny -- probably one of the "nicest" restaurants in Orem is really in not so nice of a location -- across the street from D.I. and next door to PC World...ANYWAY. Since it's won so many awards (lots of Best of State, Zagat, etc), we of course had to check it out. The first time we had a Groupon (scout these out -- so worth it here!), but we actually kind of liked it, so we had to go a second time...

You know those nights when you're just feeling like, I want to go somewhere nice and expensive! Okay, okay, it's rare (we are students, after all), but when you do, Chef's Table totally fits the bill (literally). Though it's in a really weird location, it has a pretty view of the mountains, and a very pretty dining area. We started our meal with the cheese & charcuterie board, and you know that song "These are a Few of My Favorite Things"? Well, this board is that song to me...Tartufo Salami, Soppressata, cornichons, gorgonzola, merlot-soaked sharp cheddar, crostini, prosciutto, and kumquat marmalade? These are a few of my favorite things! In all seriousness, this charcuterie board was a great mix, and a super delicious start to the meal. The only things that could make it better -- 1) More crostini (it was a little awkward to eat the cheese & meats without a good carb base) and 2) The server didn't know who made the meats - I thought it was Creminelli, but it would have been nice to know for sure :)

I mean, is there anything that makes you feel more sophisticated or like this is an Important Meal than a lemon sorbet to cleanse your palate? I think not.

Now...for the entrées...YUM! Owen got the rack of Colorado lamb, which was served over the creamiest polenta, with a roasted tomato sauce and green beans. The lamb was cooked perfectly medium rare, and was sooooo juicy and tender. I would eat this every day if I could afford it haha.

I ordered the macadamia crusted halibut, which was served over a delightful risotto with asparagus and beurre blanc. The risotto and sauce were AMAZING, and the halibut would have been really great except for the fact that I am totally picky and the fish was a little overcooked for me. It was still all really good, but when I mentioned to the server that the fish was a little dry/overcooked, he offered to make up for it with some free dessert. Yeah, you know I couldn't turn that down...

And WOW am I glad we didn't! First off, it is rare that more than one dessert sounds even remotely appealing after, you know, a full meal. But at Chef's Table, literally every dessert sounded super intriguing. I ordered the Bananas Foster Cheesecake, and Owen got what the server described as "It's really chocolate-y - chocolate brownie topped with chocolate mousse and chocolate wafers and chocolate sauce...yeah, it's a lot of chocolate." Of course we had to try that. The cheesecake was divine - I looooove bananas foster AND cheesecake, so I knew this would be a win for me. The flavor was phenomenal, and I loved the brûléed banana - it was perfectly cooked and the bananas weren't mushy at all! I was surprised with the raspberries on top, but it was a perfect bit of tartness on a dessert that could have been overwhelmingly sweet. I WANT THIS RIGHT NOW.

I can't even describe this chocolate dessert except...best thing ever/I love chocolate/so intense but so good/you gotta try it/never take this off the menu

What You Should Do: Like I mentioned before, Chef's Table is a great place for those special occasions where you really feel like splurging! The service was really excellent and they want you to have a wonderful dining experience. My only advice is hey, if you're going to be spending more than $100 on a meal, let's dress a little nicer, okay? Just a personal thing... :) I would probably give this place four stars, but it is pretty expensive in reality, and I'm not recommending going here every day!

Read other reviews here: 

Tiburon

Where: Tiburon, 8256 S 700 E, Sandy

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Ahi Tuna, Beef Tenderloin, and Boysenberry Cheesecake

What It Cost: ~$75 (we had a Groupon, so I can't remember exactly)

What We Thought:

Tiburon is one of the few expensive restaurants I've been to here in Utah where I really felt like the high price was worth the bill and I would definitely want to return here again. If you are really looking to impress someone with exceptionally delicious food, Tiburon would be a great place to make a reservation. The only thing I did not enjoy about this restaurant was the other restaurant attendees - come on people! If you are going to be spending $50+ on a meal, please wear something nicer than jeans and a baseball cap! But that's just a personal issue...

The service at Tiburon was very cordial, and we started out our meal with the standard bread basket. I have to apologize ahead of time - these are probably the worst pictures I've ever taken at a restaurant, but I just had to share Tiburon with you! It was a very dark restaurant inside so the pictures are not good, but the food was very delicious!

We started out with the standard bread basket, and the bread was very fresh and soft. Instead of just serving normal butter, we received a sundried tomato herb butter, which was exceptionally tasty and surprisingly sweet. I really didn't want to fill up on bread before our real food came, but it was very good!

I heard someone commenting at a table next to us that they will come to Tiburon just for their house salad, and I can certainly see why! Their delicious house salad was served on a bed of baby mixed greens with Granny Smith apples, a house dried Roma tomato, fontina cheese, candied pecans and a shallot balsamic dressing. It had just the right balance of sweet, salty, sour, savory - you name it. This was one sexy salad, and I definitely look forward to having it again! The only problem with it was that my Roma tomato seemed like it was really cold on my salad, but Owen's salad didn't have that problem, so there must have just been something weird going on. 

This little cup may not look like much, but it was a delightful little sorbet that was served in between our salad and entree courses. I especially loved the seasonal raspberry sorbet, with its piquant tartness and rich color. A lemon sorbet was the bottom scoop, and it was a nice way to prepare for our main meal.

Owen received a cut of medium rare beef that was drizzled with a balsamic reduction and creamy peppery sauce. Owen loves pepper, so naturally he found this wonderfully delicious. It was served with some roasted vegetables and I had one delectable bite, but honestly, I was way too distracted and involved with my own meal to pay much attention to what was going on over on his pretty plate...

Man, I wish this picture did any justice to how incredibly amazing this dish was! It was fresh ahi tuna, seared to the most tender rare cut of fresh fish you've ever had in this state of Utah. It was encrusted with black sesame seeds which were so fun to eat when contrasted to the soft, melty meat. It was topped with soy and honey marinated shredded carrot, which helped to freshen up the plate, in addition to some roasted vegetables and pineapple fried rice. The pineapple fried rice was so good, I would order it on it's own! It tasted so light and crunchy, the pineapple was so fresh, sweet and tangy, and I was so full but I had to keep eating it because it was so so so good!

Since I'm from the Pacific Northwest, I get really excited about anything that is boysenberry, marionberry, or huckleberry flavored and we knew we had to order this cheesecake. I don't know how to fully describe it fairly, but this was, without a doubt, one of the best traditional cheesecakes I've ever had. A lovely creme anglais was served with a berry compote atop perfectly prepared cheesecake. It's so unfair that dessert is served at the end of the meal. I always feel like I am too full to enjoy it as much as I should!

What You Should Do: Tiburon is a big YES in my book. Pricey places are so dangerous - you don't want to risk spending so much if it's not worth the cost. But luckily, you have me to guide the way, and I would certainly recommend trying out Tiburon for a special occasion! And make sure to wear something nice!

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!!

The Chocolate

Where: The Chocolate, 212 S State Street, Orem

Who Went: Chelsey & some girls at a bridal shower, then Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 2

What We Ordered: Kitty Katrina cake, Cazookie with half peanut butter and half white chocolate macadamia nut, Cannoli

What It Cost: $16.00

What We Thought:


We decided to check out this dessert café after it was recommended to us on our Qualtrics survey - I had been there once before for a cute little bridal shower, but it was catered just with sugar and chocolate chip cookies, so I felt like I needed to try more options to get a better perspective.

We started out with the Kitty Katrina cake - one of their most popular options with what they proclaim to have "the best buttercream" frosting ever. As we were ordering, I thought to myself that it better darn be the best frosting I've ever had, because a little slice of cake cost almost $5! You have to pay even more if you want the traditional ice cream with your cake, so I said no thanks to a $1.79 scoop of ice cream, and went for the cake straight. The cake was good, moist and full of vanilla flavor. But was it worth the heavy price tag? No way. If I'm paying almost $5 for a little dessert, it better at least fill me up or be something incredible I would never make myself. Vanilla cake that doesn't even come with ice cream? Not good enough to me.

Then we got a cazookie -- an oven-heated, slightly uncooked and gooey cookie with vanilla bean ice cream on top. We chose to get half peanut butter cookie and half white chocolate macadamia nut (also as per recommendation). Though Owen found this to be way overpoweringly sweet, I think it was actually my favorite dish of the evening. At least you felt like it was satisfying, and it was certainly large enough for two people to share. I really like gooey cookies, so this was right up my alley. The macadamia nuts in the one half were a little too big, but at least I didn't feel like they were skimping out on anything there. If I was ever to go there again, I would probably just order this for two people, and get half peanut butter and half chocolate chip.

We also got a cannoli, which was Owen's favorite. A crunchy almond-flavored pastry with ricotta and chocolate chips inside, and some smashed pistachios on the ends. It was pretty good, tasted better chilled, and at least was something unique and fun. I thought that the chocolate chips inside were a little weird and disturbed the smooth texture of the filling, but Owen was a fan.

What You Should Do: If you're out of dessert places (like we almost are!) and want to try something new, I guess you could give it a try. They do have more options than your typical dessert place, but a surprising lack of chocolate things for a place called The Chocolate...I would recommend the Cazookie to share (though the Sasquatch at Brick Oven is a little cheaper and has a brownie inside too...mmmm), otherwise your dessert option could quickly add up to the same cost as dinner! Overall a cute location but too pricey and not entirely unique.

Read other reviews here:

La Jolla Groves

Where: La Jolla Groves, 4801 N University Avenue, Provo (in the Riverwoods)

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 2

What We Ordered: Trip 1 - Hazelnut Italian Soda, Watermelon Cucumber Salad, Pesto Chicken Pasta, Chicken Marsala, Lemon Cake; Trip 2 - Blackberry Italian Soda, Watermelon Cucumber Salad (again!), Oven Fired Salmon Filet with Cilantro Butter, Cheese Tortellini with Grilled Garden Vegetables, Orange Crème Brûlée

What It Cost: $65.00 (including tip)

What We Thought: 

Want to go somewhere a little nice without completely breaking the bank? La Jolla Groves is your best bet in the area near BYU. They have a wonderful atmosphere with fake lemon trees covering the tables in the main dining area -- okay so that sounds kind of lame and cheesy, but I really like it and think that it is fun. The service is the best. This year, I let Owen plan Valentine's evening. He thought that La Jolla Groves would be a great place to go, but of course, so did lots of other people in Utah Valley, and he didn't realize that we would need to make a reservation. When I realized that he hadn't made a reservation, we called the restaurant around 5:45 and asked how long the wait was. They said it would be about a half hour, so we figured we'd give it a try. When we arrived at the restaurant, we put our name down and the hostess said that we probably would not be seated until around 8. Surprised, we told the hostess that over the phone 5 minutes ago, someone had told us that the wait was 30 minutes, not 3 hours. The restaurant was pretty busy, of course, but she said she would try to fit us in as quickly as she could. 15 minutes later, we were seated! It was awesome! I was so glad that the staff at La Jolla Groves were able to make our Valentine's dinner still perfect even though we didn't have a reservation! 

Let's talk about the food.

Owen is a huge fan of Italian sodas, and they make some of the best. Last time we went, our server recommended his favorite, the hazelnut Italian soda. It was a little strange flavor-wise, but still the best Italian soda I'd ever had. This time we got the blackberry flavor, and it was even better! They make these delicious sodas just perfectly.

 The watermelon salad is my all-time favorite. Keep in mind that this is just a half-salad - they split it for us without even having to ask! Even though it's not really in season, the watermelon was juicy and crisp, and I love how it is paired perfectly with the mint dressing and cucumber. So refreshing. So wonderful. I could eat this every day.

The one thing I would change about La Jolla Groves is the fact that their menu does not change that much. They claim to use fresh, seasonal ingredients, but last time I checked, watermelon is not in season in February (though it was still delicious, don't get me wrong!) We came here for the first time last summer, and from what I can tell, the menu has not changed all that much. They still offer the same entrées, same pastas, same everything, which can get boring if you plan on coming here more than twice. I also would never order a sandwich for dinner, so that knocks off a big portion of the menu for me. They have a lot of different pasta options, but you've heard me rant about pastas before -- it is rare for me to find a pasta where I don't think, "Hmm...I could have made that so easily at home. For way less." That sentiment was true when I ordered the Pesto Chicken Pasta last summer, and was sadly true again with Owen's tortellini. While the tortellini claimed to hold inside its little shell a variety of cheeses, including ricotta and mascarpone, it was hard to detect anything beneath the tomato sauce. At least the sauce was enjoyable -- it tasted like it had flavors of bell pepper as well, and was not too heavy. The vegetables were a little limp and weren't super vibrant, but at least they didn't overdo it with the applewood bacon like so many other places tend to do.

I definitely got the better of the two entrées between the two of us -- the salmon was perfectly cooked, very fresh, had a wonderfully crisp crust, and was a good portion size. I also loved the cilantro butter sauce it was served with, and the basmati rice was cooked to perfection as well. The vegetables it was served with looked vaguely familiar...I'm pretty sure that it is the exact same (or super close) mixture of vegetables that was mixed into my pesto chicken pasta last summer? Last summer, Owen also got the chicken marsala, which was a good choice, even to me, the mushroom hater.

Along with my (not-so-) secret obsession with hot wings, another food love of mine is anything citrus flavored. I've always asked for lemon cake on my birthday (much to the despair of all my other family members), and La Jolla Groves has the ultimate selection for fresh, delicious citrus desserts. On our first visit, we ordered the La Jolla Groves Lemon Cake, a little lemon bundt cake served with crème anglaise, a little caramel dome, and berries & mint. Wonderful. It was incredibly moist, sweet, and adorable to boot. This time we ordered the orange crème brûlée, since Owen never has had it before, and I have to convince him of why I should purchase a kitchen torch. It had great flavor, but I was a little disappointed because in the custard portion of the dessert, there were lots of little pieces of orange zest which disturbed the creamy texture I was hoping for. Owen still loved it, but when I order crème brûlée, I want smooth and luscious bites, not little chunks of whatever in it. But if you're not as big of a texture freak as me, you will probably still love it anyway. I still want to try their lemon tiramisu and lemon rolls...never enough lemon for me!

What You Should Do: Go here for a big date. It's too expensive to eat here all the time, but has a lovely romantic atmosphere, great service, and you're guaranteed to feel like it was a special evening. Although it would be impractical to eat here every day, you can take a little bit of La Jolla Groves home with you all the time -- they have a little bakery attached to the restaurant on the east side (you can enter it from a separate door in the main area in the Riverwoods) where they sell soups, desserts (including the lemon rolls!), and their famous bread for ridiculously good prices. Normal loaves of bread are either $4 or $5, and they have a shelf of day-old bread that they sell every day for half-price! It is an incredible deal! The bread is still very fresh and lasts a long time (trust me, there's only 2 of us, and we can eat it before it goes bad!), and they have a wonderful range of delicious flavors. The service in the bakery is just as great -- I told the cashier I was giving someone a loaf of their amazing-looking cinnamon bread as a gift, and she wrapped it up in a lovely ribbon for me! This is probably one of my favorite little secrets of Provo, and you should go there to make sure they stay in business forever. But please don't buy all the good flavors out before I get there :)

Read other reviews here: