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!

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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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Hokulia Shave Ice

Where: Hokulia Shave Ice, 1445 N Canyon Road, Provo (across the street from Helaman Halls)

Who Went: Chelsey & Kierea

Number of Visits: 1

What It Cost: $7.50

What We Ordered: 2 Small (Short Board) Shave Ice - Pineapple and Blackberry with Snocap, and Cotton Candy

What We Thought:

Why have I been wasting all my time this summer with frozen yogurt - I've totally missed out on the delicious awesomeness which is shave ice! I've always had kind of a negative attitude towards shave ice since growing up my mother never let me buy it because she said it was just expensive water with sugar poured on top. Though this may be partially true, I cannot think of anything more refreshing than one of these delectable desserts on a hot, hot Utah day. In the past, shave ice I've had was either too chunky or you run out of flavor in the first half and just end up eating plain ice by the end. No good. Hokulia makes shave ice the way it should be - finely shaved and melt-in-your mouth ice with rich, sweet, unique flavors.

They have over 60 flavors, including rare finds like red velvet, cinnamon, apricot, haupia (creamy coconut), horchata, wedding cake, lychee, and pink champagne! I got my blackberry-pineapple short board with the snocap, which is a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk that really brings this treat up to the next level. Oh, and did I mention that we both ordered the smallest size? Yeah, and they are freaking HUGE! At least three times the typical "small size" of shave ice you'd get anywhere else! You can also get the shave ice with some vanilla ice cream inside, which sounded like it would be amazing with something like coconut or root beer! Kierea loved her cotton candy flavor, and we were both shocked to see a small pool of syrup at the bottom of our cones when we finished - every bite was jam-packed with amazing flavor. Besides being the best shave ice I've ever had, the actual shack site had tables with a nice touch -- little holes cut into the table where you can place your cone without the risk of it tipping over. I don't know why, but this just made me really happy :)

What You Should Do: Definitely make it over to this little shack of heaven before the summer ends! They are only open seasonally (sadly), so you'll have to go soon! They without a doubt have the best shave ice I've ever had - a classic taste of the shave ice you love, times like a million. Go Go GO!

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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!

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Wild Ginger

Where: Wild Ginger, 366 N University Avenue, Provo

Who Went: Chelsey & Sidney

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Wonton Soup, Fried Dumplings, Sesame Chicken, Beef & Broccoli

What It Cost: $24.37

What We Thought:

What used to be a cheap and rather shady Chinese buffet has been transformed into a more upscale and delicious Chinese restaurant near downtown Provo! When you're in the mood for Chinese food that doesn't come from a paper box, Wild Ginger is a great place to check out. They have a huge range of menu options (seriously, the menu is like 20 pages or something), and lots of specials and also sushi choices, if that's your thing. Sidney and I decided to go with a couple classics, and were delighted with the results.

We both started out with the wonton soup, which was included with our entreé. I loved the plethora of soft wonton noodles in the light broth, and enjoyed the spicy soy sauce that could be mixed in as well. They offered a great variety of condiments and sauces that could be used to customize the soup to your tastebuds, and I thought it was a great way to start off the meal.

Though not necessarily the healthiest option, these fried dumplings were absolutely delicious. It was a huge portion, and definitely would have been enough food for an entire meal, and even though I tried to convince Sidney to eat some, we were both completely stuffed by the end of our meal. These dumplings were fried without being too greasy, and were full of delicious flavor. I tried making my own dumplings once and decided that they were way too much work so I always appreciate heavenly dumplings that someone else prepares :)

Just look at how perfect that sesame chicken looks. Yeah, it was pretty dang good. Just the right amount of sauce (not dry, not drenched), and perfectly sized pieces of chicken (I hate it when you get a piece of chicken that takes like ten bites to eat) helped make this sesame chicken dish perfect. Coated with plenty of toasted sesame seeds and a flavorful sauce, this dish is definitely a good choice. I usually prefer spicy foods, so I probably would have gone with the orange chicken or something with a stronger flavor, but Sidney was overall very satisfied with this dish.

I absolutely loved my beef and broccoli, which surprisingly came with much more than just these two ingredients. I thought the mixed in zucchini and carrots were a fantastic addition that enhanced the texture of variety of this dish. The beef was tender and savory, and all of the vegetables were cooked to perfection. I thought the sauce was great, and was pleasantly surprised by the fried rice I had on the side. There weren't any vegetables or anything mixed into the rice, which I was initially disappointed about, but this made it go really well with the beef & broccoli and completely the dish nicely.

What You Should Do: Definitely check it out! I think that Wild Ginger may be my new favorite Chinese restaurant in the area, which is a bold statement for me because it has taken forever to decide! They have a cool atmosphere, convenient location, reasonable prices, and delicious dishes.

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!

Bombay House

Where: Bombay House, 463 N University Avenue, Provo

Who Went: Chelsey, Owen, Devynne, Mom, Grandma, Uncle Lee & Aunt Sara

Number of Visits: 3

What We Ordered: Mango Lassi, Assorted Snacks, Vegetable Samosas, Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Makhani, Peshawari Naan, Lamb Vindaloo, Vegetable Briyani, & Regular Naan

What It Cost: ~$40.00 for two people

What We Thought:

Well, in the battle for best Indian food in Utah County, Bombay House takes the gold for us! We love their atmosphere, varied menu, and heavenly unique Indian flavors. My mother's never really been a huge fan of Indian food, but we took her here on one of her visits and now I think she's been converted! Bombay House delivers consistently delicious meals in gigantic portions, so even though some people may comment that it is a little expensive, we've always had plenty of food for at least two meals! The only thing I wish was different about this restaurant was the dim lighting, but only so I could take better pictures of their amazing food! 

Cool and refreshing mango lassi - a heavenly complement to the intense and rich flavors of Indian food. I love super spicy food, so I didn't find that Bombay House was ever too hot for me, but if you are a little more wary of spicy food, then ordering this drink could help balance things out for you!

Owen and I decided to try the "assorted snacks" appetizer, which is basically a platter of heavenly fried Indian food! It came with my all-time favorite, the vegetable samosa (if only I could eat these every day!), two onion bhaji (sliced and fried onions - like Indian-style delicious onion ring cakes), chicken pakora (fried chicken strips), and vegetable pakora (where yummy spinach was the highlight). Honestly, after eating these wonderfully fried foods, we were already pretty much full and could have called it a night!

The vegetable samosas are filled with a delicious mix of veggies - including peas, potatoes, chickpeas, and is served with mint and tamarind chutneys. I am obsessed with the tangy sweet tamarind chutney dipping sauce, and Owen prefers the mint, so it works out great!

Their chicken tikka masala is definitely the best I've ever tasted anywhere - creamy, flavorful, and rich. It doesn't look like much in the picture, but trust me, you've got to try it! This barbecue Indian classic will charm even the biggest Indian food doubters. We'll never be able to go to Bombay House without at least one person ordering this in our group because we never can get enough of it.

The chicken makhani was a similar dish to the tikka masala, but with the addition of cashews, ginger, and different spices. Though they may look nearly identical, the flavors of these two chicken dishes were completely different. The tikka masala was much more sweet, whereas the makhani dish had this unique smoky flavor. It wasn't my favorite dish that we've ordered at Bombay House, but it was still satisfying and tasty.

We ordered the peshawari naan as per recommendation of a friend, and were pleasantly surprised. I don't like raisins and my mom doesn't like coconut, but somehow combined with cashews in this dessert-like naan, it was delicious! We are definitely adding this to our must-order list of foods here at Bombay House.

My uncle ordered the lamb vindaloo, and although I didn't get a chance to taste it, he guarantees it's the best lamb vindaloo he's ever had. So there you go...

Now for my personal favorite - the vegetable briyani. If I was a vegetarian, I think I would eat Indian food every single day because the combinations of vegetables and spices is so delicious! Sometimes I prefer ordering vegetarian dishes to meat at Bombay House because the mixture of vegetables is more interesting and multi-dimensional. In this incredible basmati rice dish, there is an assortment of vegetables, garlic, onion, cashews, golden raisins, and ginger all mixed and cooked to perfection, and served with a large bowl of raita - an amazing cool cucumber-mint yogurt sauce that tastes good on pretty much everything. I would never expect that one of my favorite dishes would be a bowl of vegetables and rice, but this vegetable briyani was an unexpected delicious discovery.

What You Should Do: Definitely go. Even if you think you don't like Indian food, you've got to give Bombay House a chance. They have a ton of different options, and something to please everyone. I mean honestly, I've never met anyone who doesn't like their chicken tikka masala. If you are looking to have the traditionally very spicy Indian food, make sure to tell your server that you want it "actually hot" not just "Provo 'hot'." There's a difference :)

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Station 22 Cafe

Where: Station 22 Cafe, 22 W Center Street, Provo

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen, Chelsey & Katie

Number of Visits: 2

What We Ordered: Trip 1: Sage Fried Chicken & Waffles and Indian Summer Sandwich. Trip 2: The Ratatouille Sandwich and Tuna Tarragon Sandwich

What It Cost: $17.24

What We Thought:

I've got to admit - I have mixed feelings towards Station 22.

First off, I have mixed feelings towards paying around $8 for a sandwich. Sandwiches definitely have to be on the top 10 list of easiest foods to make, and sure you can throw on a bunch of fancy ingredients, but all you have to do is plop them on top of each other, and BAM - you have a sandwich. So it's going to take a lot to impress me enough that I feel like a sandwich is worth much more than the cost of the ingredients.

So let's start with the best of Station 22 --

Have you ever tried fried chicken and waffles? It's been on my food bucket list for the past couple of years now, and I was so excited to finally try it here in Provo at Station 22! Luckily for me, it lived up to all my wildest sweet & salty imaginations. The waffles provides a slightly sweet and sturdy base for heavenly fried, savory and juicy chicken, topped with crispy bacon and a creamy syrup. Are you one of those people who secretly dips their bacon into the leftover syrup from your pancakes? If so, this is a dish made for you! Every piece of this dish is executed with style and flavor, and it was a wonderfully hearty and soulful lunch. The only thing I was disappointed with was the fact that it was called "Sage Fried Chicken & Waffles," and there was absolutely no sage detected in my meal. Since sage is a pretty potent herb, I assume they just forgot to include it, which was kind of a bummer to me since I love a little sage here and there.

Owen ordered the Indian Summer sandwich which came with roasted pork tenderloin, a pineapple-tomato marmalade, and brie cheese. Unfortunately, this sandwich didn't come close to my chicken and waffles. Overall, we felt like it was way too sweet, the meat was too dry and not very flavorful, and the bread was disappointing. It just seemed like normal grocery store wheat bread, and didn't really add much or seem to go well with the sandwich. Brie cheese is best enjoyed warm, and sadly the brie on this sandwich cooled very quickly and was less desirable by the end of the meal. The sandwich was definitely unique and unlike any other sandwich I've ever had, but still wasn't that delicious to us.

I decided to go back with my friend Katie to see if I could make up my mind about Station 22. Lots of people rave about their vegetarian options, so I decided to go for the Ratatouille sandwich, which seemed to be missing the key tricky ratatouille ingredient - eggplant! I wanted to see if they would be able to incorporate this much-hated vegetable into a delicious tasting sandwich, but oh well. I did enjoy the sandwich, after I was able to devise a strategy of fitting it's hugeness into my mouth. It probably would have been equally delicious and much easier to eat with half the amount of fresh spinach, but I enjoyed the roasted vegetables, basil spread, and fresh ciabatta. I ordered the steak fries on the side too since many people seem to enjoy them greatly, and they were pretty good - a nice unhealthy addition to my somewhat healthy sandwich...Served with fry sauce in classic Provo tradition, they were hearty, flavorful, and served in a portion where you felt like it was worth the extra $2.50.

However, Katie's sandwich proved to be another disappointment. When it first arrived, it looked promising - a nice mix of fresh greens, tuna meat that didn't look like cat food (I am not a huge tuna fan, but Katie is :) and some interesting-looking herbs mixed in. But after the first bite, the sandwich was decidedly way too salty. To me, this is a carnal sin of tuna sandwiches, since tuna is already pretty salty to begin with, and Katie had to remove two-thirds of the tuna meat to even be able to complete her meal. Part of the saltiness culprit may have been the excess of capers mixed into the tuna meat - since capers have such a strong flavor, they really overpowered this sandwich.

What You Should Do: Go for the chicken and waffles. I'm 2 for 4 here at Station 22, but I keep finding myself wanting to like it so much - I like the interior decor, the creative sandwiches, the CHICKEN & WAFFLES, but have to issue caution when picking a sandwich here. I'd say either get the chicken and waffles (am I being obvious enough?) or go for a sandwich that looks like it's served on a good type of bread with vegetables (not the meat) being the highlight of the sandwich. I think I would go for the caprese sandwich next time, or chicken and waffles. Obviously.

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