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!

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Farr's Fresh

Where: Farr's Fresh, 1073 S 750 E, Orem

Who Went: Chelsey, Devynne, Jessica, Robert & kids

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Self-serve frozen yogurt & custard (I got a mix of pineapple, and something else fruity with gummy worms and vanilla wafers)

What It Cost: ~$4/person

What We Thought:

Attention all crazy Disneyland fans out there! You MUST go to Farr's Fresh as soon as possible!

One of the best things about Disneyland are those heavenly, amazing Dole pineapple whips. They are one of those foods you wish you could eat for the rest of your life. And no trip to Disneyland is complete for me without at LEAST three trips to the Dole Pineapple whip stand! 

Fortunately for all of us poor college students out there who can't afford to go to Disneyland anymore, Farr's Fresh brings the wonderful flavor of Dole Pineapple Whips here to Utah County!

Farr's Fresh is a fun alternative to your normal Utah County frozen yogurt joints because they also offer custards, sorbets, normal ice cream, and DOLE PINEAPPLE WHIPS. Yeah, you heard me right. The same pineapple pleasure can be found at Farr's Fresh and it is seriously so good. Plus you can top it with some fresh strawberries or mangoes...life is good.

What You Should Do: I think it's pretty clear - go to Farr's Fresh ASAP and get yourself some pineapple whip! If they stop carrying this, I will probably cry.

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Tenney's Pizza

Where: Tenney's Pizza,  282 East Sr 73, Saratoga Springs

Who Went: Chelsey & Devynne

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Medium Backyard BBQ Pizza 

What It Cost: $8.62

What We Thought:

If you decide to go up to those new outlet malls and need a quick bite on the way home, Tenney's Pizza is a great choice for some fast and delicious pizza nearby! 

We decided to go here because I was seriously craving pizza and Tenney's was the closest place. We took the scenic drive there through some interesting country roads to find this place, but the good news about a place that is a little harder to find is that they were not busy at all! We got a hot and fresh pizza in about ten minutes, made especially for us. It had all of the delicious flavors of your typical BBQ chicken pizza - sweet barbecue sauce, diced pineapple, thinly sliced red onion and green onion, plenty of chicken, plus something new...sweet white corn! It added some nice textural variety and a delicious sweetness. I originally didn't think I would like the crust when he brought it out to us, but it ended up being more delicious than we expected!

What You Should Do: If you happen to be in the Saratoga Springs area (or Sandy where they have another location), I would definitely recommend checking out Tenney's Pizza! They have a special gourmet flavor every day, where you can get a medium sized pizza for five dollars, and the medium pizza was definitely large enough to feed three people. They have some delicious other flavors, like buffalo chicken, pesto, and taco pizza, that I will definitely want to try in the future!

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IKEA Restaurant

Where: IKEA Restaurant, 67 West Ikea Way, Draper

Who Went: Chelsey, Kirsten & her neighbor

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Kid's Chicken Strips and Fries, and Meatball Plate

What It Cost: ~$5 per person

What We Thought: 

IKEA has a special kind of attraction - cheap, cheap, cheapness! Not only is all the furniture and decor cheap, but they have a little cafe that also serves inexpensive food. 

We ordered the chicken strips and fries for Kirsten's son, and they were pretty much about what you would expect for cheap chicken and fries - the fries crispy and a nice thickness. The breading on the chicken was pretty thick and covered all chicken flavor you might get. The chicken was a little dry and nothing great, but for a two-year-old, it wasn't too bad.

The meatball plate is the iconic IKEA dish, served with mashed potatoes and jellied lingonberries, which basically taste like cranberries. Though it was a good amount of food for the price, the food was not really the best. The meatball was too small and a bit dry, and the potatoes were a little too sticky and gluey for me. The little drop of lingonberries was almost laughably small, but at least there was enough gravy for all of the meatballs to give it enough flavor.

What You Should Do: If you are at IKEA and forgot to have lunch, you won't be incredibly disappointed if you stop by their cafe for a quick lunch. They have a few healthy options like salads (though I was stray away from scary-looking smoked salmon....) and everything is really inexpensive. Is it fabulous cuisine? No. Would I come here just for the food? No. But will you get fed for a low price and quick service? Yes.

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Marley's Gourmet Sliders

Where: Marley's Gourmet Sliders, 4801 N University Avenue, Suite 860

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 1.5

What We Ordered: Bacon Jalapeño Burger Slider, Chicken Avocado Slider, Onion Rings

What It Cost: $6/person

What We Thought:

These little mini-burgers seemed to have popped into popularity out of nowhere lately! It's a clever idea I suppose - make the burgers smaller so you feel less guilty about eating them, and then you end up eating even more! Plus everything that is mini-sized is by default cuter, and what could be cuter than itty bitty burger? Well I'm not sure if Marley's is going for the "cute" angle, with their biker-themed decor and everything, but we decided to give them a try anyway. 

I think Marley's is one of those restaurants that some people love and others will hate. If you like a large, fluffy bun to be the star of your burger, then you should give Marley's a try. For me, the bun is not very important, and only is there to keep all the juicy goodness together. I thought the thick rolls that are used as buns here were much too large, especially compared to the thin patty you can see inside. The bun overpowered all burger flavor, and if I was in a burger mood, it wouldn't really satisfy the craving.

Their onion rings were sliced nice and thick, which I enjoyed. It has a nice and flavorful coating, and they were pretty good overall. My only complaint is that they cooled off really quickly, and did not taste very good once cold (they got pretty soggy). The fry sauce was about what you'd expect - nothing too different here.

The chicken slider was actually my surprise favorite. I felt like there was more meat on this sandwich, and the avocado spread helped moisten up the thick bun. The chicken was nicely charred which gave it some good flavor, and overall I thought it was pretty good.

What You Should Do: As far as burgers go, Marley's isn't really one of my favorites in Utah County. The idea of sliders could be good, but overall I thought the buns were too thick and the patties too thin. When you order enough food that would be the equivalent of a regular burger, it ends up being pretty pricey too. One thing that Marley's has going for it is the great variety on the menu - lots of different burger flavors, in addition to chicken, turkey, and breakfast options. If you are the type of person who can never decide what type of burger you want to order, and you like thick buns, then Marley's would be a good choice for you.

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Wild Mustang

Where: Wild Mustang, 860 West 1250 South, Orem

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Six-Stack of Ribs with side of Vegetables and Sweet Potato Fries, Beef Brisket with New Potatoes and Baked Beans, Chocolate Meringue Pie 

What It Cost: Free...((on accident!))

What We Thought: 

We were originally planning to ride the new FrontRunner train to Salt Lake on the free train day, but like all free Utah things, it was super crazy and packed. So with the evening's plans ruined, we drove back towards home on University, when I noticed that the sign was turned on for the Wild Mustang. I'd seen it before and knew it was a new restaurant, so with last-minute decisiveness, we decided to pull into the parking lot! 

When we arrived, there was a little bit of a wait, and the hostess kept mentioning how she was surprised at how full the restaurant was. We were seated, and then proceeded to wait a good fifteen minutes until our server arrived.

When she finally did come around and ask if we wanted drinks, we were each given one of these sad looking rolls. I had thought that this restaurant was going to be similar to Texas Roadhouse (with hopefully shorter lines!), and they did give us some honey butter, but I was just so put out by this poor little roll. So ugly, so haphazard.

After taking our order, she gave back in another 15 minutes and brought this basket of rolls -- much better! A whole basket, beautifully shaped, and much prettier! The honey butter was soft and spreadable on the warm rolls, and my hopes were lifted again.

It took probably another twenty minutes or so for our food to arrive, so when it did, we were absolutely ravenous. My dish was probably the highlight of the meal - these were some of the best ribs I've ever had in a restaurant. The barbecue sauce was tangy and had just the right amount of smokiness and sweetness, and the meat was perfectly prepared. Sometimes restaurants manage to make "slow-cooked" into "super dry and awful," but not here! They were easy to eat, superbly flavorful, and if I'm ever in the mood for ribs, I'm going to come to Wild Mustang! The side of vegetables was alright - not really a variety of vegetables, but it was nice to have something relatively healthy to try (though I'm pretty sure they were cooked in loads of butter....)

My first side option didn't arrive with the meal because they were all out (the soup of the day), so I decided to try the sweet potato fries. Of course it took another ten minutes for them to arrive, but they were pretty good. They were out of ketchup, so I went with ranch - a viable option.

Owen ordered the beef brisket, which was served on a slice of country toast. We thought the toast was a little weird, but it ended up being pretty good if you ate the meat on top! The brisket was a little drier than we had hoped, but was still overall fairly tasty. We had to laugh at the side of "new potatoes," which were literally just two baked red potatoes, completely plain. When our server asked if he wanted butter with the potatoes, we said yes, and were brought another little container of the honey butter. I'm not sure if this was on purpose, but the honey butter on the potatoes was a little weird (but not horrible). The side of baked beans was the smallest portion of baked beans I've ever seen, and they were definitely unique - full of meat chunks and different types of beans. They weren't our favorite baked beans ever, but they weren't bad.

We decided to go for a piece of chocolate meringue pie, and she ended up bring us out two! It wasn't the prettiest pie, but it had pretty good flavor. I especially liked the meringue and thick buttery crust.

When we asked for the check, she told us that everything was on the house because tonight was the Friends & Family soft opening event! We were totally surprised and honestly awkward, but that totally explained our "complaints" about any service or lacking menu items! They didn't even have their registers up and running yet, and they were super busy (if you're going to have a lit-up sign on University on a Saturday night, people are going to come in!) with probably a not-full staff, so I completely forgive them of all service issues we had! Not to mention -- free food! Yeah, we totally lucked out on this one...!

What You Should Do: I would definitely recommend checking out Wild Mustang...now that they are open for real! Wild Mustang is like a less busy Texas Roadhouse, with better ribs! Though they were quite slow, I really can't blame them, and the service was still all very friendly. As far as the food presentation and side dish size complaints go - I'm sure they were also due to the soft opening craziness, so all in all, pretty good! We hope to be able to visit again some time when they have been up and running for a while!

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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!

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Also, Merry Christmas!!

Banbury Cross

Where: Banbury Cross, 705 S 700 E, Salt Lake City

Who Went: Chelsey & Monica

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Butterfly Donut, Maple Bar, Twist Donut, Chocolate Sprinkles, Lemon-Filled, and Maple Cake Donut

What It Cost: $6.49

What We Thought: 

"Better than Krispy Kreme" many have claimed. I'm not a huge doughnut person, but when I get one and decide to waste that many calories on one food item, it BETTER be good!

Fortunately, Banbury Cross lived up to all the raves and review for us! We went there on a Friday morning right before 9 and it was very, very busy. Since they are so popular, they were sadly out of THE best doughnut flavor, aka Boston Cream. Though definitely disappointed to miss out on that chocolate and creamy goodness, the other doughnuts were absolutely delicious.

I would definitely recommend the raised doughnuts over the cake doughnuts - they were served warm and had that wonderful soft, fluffy, light texture that you always look for. I especially loved the maple bars. The frosting flavor was divine, and they were so good that we almost ate them all before I could bring any home! 

What You Should Do: All doughnut lovers must make this a top destination, and make sure you get there early! I think you can pre-order doughnuts, which may be a good way to go if you want to make a large order or are looking for a specific flavor. They have some fun and interesting ones, like blueberry or sticky bun, and a pretty speedy service despite how busy they are! 

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Finals Week

Hey Everyone!

It's finals week so I'm not sure if I'll have time to do a post today. Hopefully everything will go well and I'll be seeing you later this week!

Good luck to all those studying :)

Banana Leaf

Where: Banana Leaf, 409 N University Avenue, Provo

Who Went: Owen & Chelsey

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Avocado Juice, Sri Lankan Lamprice, and Sri Lankan Chicken Kothu

What It Cost: $37.00

What We Thought: 

I've been hesitant to write my post on Banana Leaf for a while because I know a lot of people are really passionate about their food. I was very excited to try this restaurant after I had heard about their unique menu and atmosphere, and though it was certainly very different than anything else in Utah County, I didn't really love it. The service was exceptionally slow (it took us over two hours to have our meal, and we didn't order any appetizers or desserts), it was fairly expensive for what we got, and some elements of each dish just tasted sort of off to us.

We started out with the avocado juice which obviously sounded very interesting. It was more of an avocado smoothie than juice, which I thought was fine, and it had a very mild flavor and smooth, creamy texture (**Looking back at their menu online, I see that they have now changed the name to "Avocado Shake," which is appropriate). The whipped cream on top was nothing special, and it was served with a chocolate sauce. This would have been a great addition, except for the fact that it tasted exactly like Hershey's chocolate syrup (which I'm pretty sure doesn't contain very much real chocolate at all). We decided to forgo the syrup and just drink the smoothie plain, but it really would have been nice with some chocolate undertones. Since it was also very thick, it didn't really do much to quench your thirst after you ate something spicy, like you might find with a mango lassi and Indian food. But I don't know anywhere else in Utah where you can get an avocado beverage, so at least it had that going for them.

The one thing I absolutely insisted on was ordering something that came in a Banana Leaf. Their menu was surprisingly limited (usually I find that ethnic restaurants have very large menus), so I decided to go with the lamprice (one of two options served inside a banana leaf) which sounded more unique and original.

It certainly was unique and mixed flavors I'd never had before. There was seasoned rice with curried chicken and baked potatoes, topped with a mango chutney and spicy chili sauce. The thing that really threw this one off for me was the fried eggs inside - there was a hard boiled egg that had been deep-fried and cut in half inside of the banana leaf concoction. Visually, it was unappealing, and when I tried to eat the egg with the rest of the dish, it had a very strange flavor. At least I enjoyed playing with my banana leaf while waiting for the check!

Owen got the chicken kothu, which also came with different sambols (chili sauces) and chutneys. Of the sauces, we only really liked the flavor of one, which was a little disappointing. The actual meal portion was rice and chicken mixed with melted cheese, vegetables, egg, shredded roti (the unleavened flatbread), and masala curry spices. Once again, this dish provided us with an exotic flavor. The melted cheese mixture gave a singular briny taste, and the chicken, though seasoned nicely, was a little dry. We weren't planning on finishing it, but our server took so very long to return with our check that we ended up slowly picking at it over the course of a half hour.

What You Should Do: If it sounds interesting to you, and you really like trying new, unexpected food, then it may be worth a visit to Banana Leaf - but only if you aren't in a hurry to get anywhere else that night. I understand that it is a family-run business, and the hostess was very friendly and kind to us, but it's just not the place to go if you are on a tight agenda. I do not think that we'll be returning to Banana Leaf because we felt like it was a bit overpriced, and nothing on the menu is anything that we ever would crave or really want to try again. However, this restaurant is a great place to go if you are on a vegan or gluten-free diet, as many of their menu options can be customized to fit these dietary needs.

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