Despite all the “that’s what she said” jokes you could make about the name of this establishment, it’s actually quite a wonderful establishment. Being a chain, hopefully you can find it in your neck of the woods. With the winning tastes and food I am sure plans for expanding into more states is on the docket.
Mama Chu’s is a diamond in the rough, as some might say. A culinary rarity in the sense of the fact that it is one of the most consistently good Mexican restaurants I’ve ever been to.
If you haven’t been to Cafe Rio yet, I’m wondering if you live under a rock. I guess you could be living in a state without Cafe Rio, but I prefer to sound more judgmental. For those of you who haven’t heard, Cafe Rio is a great Mexican Restaurant that serves the best salads around.
If you’re hungry in Salt Lake and its getting pretty late, there’s a restaurant you need to go to- the Pie Pizzeria. Heading east up 200 south, you’ll find it nestled in the strip of shops just across the street from the U of U campus.
Last week my date and I went to Gloria’s Little Italy in downtown Provo on the northeast corner of University Avenue and center street. The atmosphere of a historic downtown feel gives the place some charm along with its several dividers and wooden columns webbing through the restaurant.
Traveling through Orem the other day my girlfriend and I decided to try a restaurant my sister had recommended to us called Maria Bonita. It’s a little Mexican restaurant located on the South East corner of the intersection of 800 North and State Street. Walking in, the atmosphere is great. Not fancy, not ritzy, but completely charming. In the corner you have the TV playing telenovelas, while pictures of the Pope adorn the western wall. It feels like a Mexican restaurant should.
We were seated almost immediately by one of the most lovable waitresses I’ve ever had. We didn’t catch her name, nor did she catch ours, but upon meeting us, she immediately began referring to my girlfriend as “My Princess” while calling me “My Champion.” Once she got us to the table it took a little while for her to get to our order but the wait wasn’t bad.
I ended up getting the steak chimichanga. I have to say, it was one of the biggest helpings of food I’ve been served at a restaurant. The meal was stacked high with lettuce and tomatoes, beans and cheese while the chimichanga itself seemed to take up half the plate. Though it was huge, it wasn’t the best tasting chimi I’ve ever had, I will say that it was still delicious. But for the sheer amount of food you got, I felt very satisfied with my purchase.
My only qualm would be the frequency of service. There were only a few waitresses who had to spread the entire restaurant floor so it was a little difficult getting their attention sometimes, but when they did, they were great. Overall, I really enjoyed myself. Good times and good food makes me willing to recommend Maria Bonita to anyone. So if you’re looking for good taste, huge servings, and charming characters, put Maria Bonita on your list of restaurants to visit.
The other day I drove about and hour and a half to go to an old friend’s wedding reception. On the way was my childhood home. On my way back, I decided to take a trip down memory lane. I drove past my old elementary school, my old neighborhood, and the house that I grew up in. The roads I used to walk down everyday were now narrower and more compact. Had I ever been that small? I saw the houses of old friends and the bastions of old enemies, like neighbors who wouldn’t let me play on the hill in their backyard. It was rather surreal. But while I was in town I decided to stop and eat a restaurant my family used to frequent back when I was little. It was one of those places the parents went when they felt like being fancy. The restaurant was called “The Mandarin.”
To my delight, it was still there. It’s feels good to know some good businesses stay alive. The exterior was more decorative than I remembered it, the grounds trimmed and kempt like a zen garden with little trees and iconic statues. Inside, the atmosphere is fantastic. Along the walls and ceiling is wood relief, adorned with Chinese symbols painted red and gold. Ornate lamps hang over every table, bathing the red cushioned seat in a soft orange glow. All this authentic looking decor was quickly overshadowed when we met the Greek-American owner, Gregory Skedros. Although Mr. Skedros is Greek and all the waiters I saw Caucasian, reading about the restaurant, I learned that the chefs in back are all from Hong Kong or San Francisco to ensure all the food is authentically Chinese.
My date ordered the Satay Chicken while I ordered the Mediterranean lamb. (I’m worried about the authenticity and I order Mediterranean lamb?) Since the owner was Greek, I figured they knew what they were doing. Both were fantastic. The lamb was like nothing I’ve ever tasted. The meat was doused in peppered-brown sauce and piled under succulent water chestnuts, carrots, onions, and beans. Topping it off was a generous crumbling of feta cheese. I ordered it to be adventurous, and it was a platter I won’t forget.
Thankfully, my girlfriend let me try her Satay Chicken as well. After the first bite, I almost wished I had ordered that. Piled high with noodles, onions, and strips of chicken the meal was capped off perfectly with the satay sauce. The rich brown sauce tasted sweet yet hardy and wholesome. She let me have her leftovers too, what a good friend right?
Not only is the food great, we got a rather substantial serving. The plates are massive and the food is almost falling off. For so much food, it also comes at a great price. I got out of their without having to spend over $30 for the two of us. So if you’re looking for something delicious, well priced, and a place with great atmosphere, I can’t recommend the Mandarin enough.
Sushi seems to be a real craze right now. Not only is it cool with the downtown hipsters, it’s starting to boom among the not-so-cool suburbanites as well, me being on of those not-so-cool kids. To many, “sushi” is still a bad word. If it’s not the “fishiness” of it that turns people off, it’s yuppie stigma that surrounds. Believe me, I used to feel the same way until I was converted. I have never had sophisticated taste in food. Enamored with restaurants like Carls Jr. and Wendy’s, I guess you could say I am an All-American-burger-loving-boy. Just the word “sushi” would put my stomach in a knot. But that all changed when my friends dragged me to a place called Sushi House. Until that point, I thought the ultimate all-you-can-eat experience you could have was at Rodizio’s or Tucanos. But my mind was soon changed. At first I was reluctant, but as I let myself relax and start trying the food, I found myself completely surprised. I didn’t even notice that fishy taste I had been dreading. Instead my palate was flooded with an array of tastes and textures I had never experienced before. It was blissful.
I’ve been to several sushi places in my neck of the woods since, but the Sushi House remains my favorite. Their service is great, prices are reasonable, and their food is the best. All the employees are extremely pleasant and accommodating.
Top Five Rolls:
1. The Rocky Mountain: Topped with raw salmon, this might be a little too fishy for some. But if you can get past the texture, it tastes great.
2.The Vegas Roll: Though some think sushi is over-healthy yuppie food, the American in all of us can appreciate the fried varieties. The Vegas Roll is one such roll. Without the fishy taste, this is a safe entry roll for anyone trying sushi for the first time. It comes covered in a sweet honey like sauce and is filled with cream cheese, rice, and meat.
3. Crystal Shrimp: This roll is also safe for beginners. The crystal shrimp roll is rice and seaweed wrapped around fried shrimp. It’s one of the smaller portioned rolls, but it is so satisfying.
4. The Godzilla: For the spicy food lover, the Godzilla is a great choice. Topped with fiery red sauce, this fried roll tastes out of this world and can even please the adamant fish-hater in your crowd.
5. The Hurricane: This has to be Sushi House’s best roll. Everytime I go, I feel like I need at least two. Its rice and seaweed wrap is filled with crab, cucumbers, and chives. Though the menu labels this as spicy, it’s really not. It’s covered in a sweet dynamite sauce that really sets it apart from the other choices on the menu.
So if you’re new to sushi or are just looking for a new place to try, I have no reservations about recommending Sushi House. For $20 bucks you can have as much of the best sushi you could want. It’s a great deal and a fun experience. Let me know what you thought of them.
First off, as you know me, I am not about making food sound like a piece of art. I try to tell you exactly what you are going to be seeing and experiencing at a restaurant. My purpose is to give the exact experience that I had at the restaurants and give you any insight and background that I can provide.
So on a week night, I went out to Rodizio’s in Salt Lake City, UT. It’s been there for several years. It was not packed to the rim, but three quarters full (which I think is pretty busy for a week night). I was there with a party of 9 and they put 3 tables together to accommodate our party.
Named after the famous style of restaurants in Brazil, Rodizio is a steak buffet where the waiter brings skewered meats directly to your table where they shave off cooked meats throughout the meal until the customers signal they are full. The process of servers coming to the table with skewered meats is called churrascarias.
There are several choices, if “all-you-can-eat” is not your style, you can order a la cart, get the salad bar, or get the full on buffet. Of course, I am not going to a meat buffet just to eat the salad bar (although it is a good bar).
So if you have been there before, they skip the introduction, but for new comers they explain the whole churrascarias process. They had over 10 waiters hauling skewered meats. They carefully watch for a wooden painted stick on your table. Signal green to come feed me and red to stop.
Once you’ve got that down, you are let loose. The salad bar was my first choice. A salad bar made up of 30+ items including a fruit salad station, pasta salad station, fresh mozzarella, variety of dressings, hearts of palm, turkey, pastrami, olive trays, beets, quail eggs, and other various cold Brazilian dishes. There were also 10+ hot dishes on the salad bar with rice stations, soups, a few stewed meats, potatoes, and collard greens.
Let’s face it, I started with the salad bar and it was okay, not great. Who goes there for salad? The fresh fruit was amazing. The small chewy bread was great. Everything else, simply good to use as palate cleansers in between the times that you are stuffing your face with meat…
I went for the meats! I remembered getting the top sirloin, garlic sirloin chunks, pot roast, beef tenderloin, turkey wrapped with bacon, Teriyaki beef, BBQ chicken thighs, chicken heart, Brazilian sausage, and filet mignon.
I loved the filet mignon and teriyaki beef dishes. They was tender, flavorful and delicious. The most interesting dish were the grilled pineapple and chicken hearts. They were surprisingly good. Overall, I really enjoyed it. A clean, fun atmosphere with good food.
In comparison to other restaurants I could have gone to, it was a bit pricey at $25 per person. If I got a $25 steak, I am guessing you would have had a better steak, but with all the different variety you get, I think it’s a good experience. You can eat yourself silly, and the service was quite friendly.
When you go during the busy times, you can get ignored a bit and there can be lots of down time, but during week days they seem to take good care of you. I give this place the six and half burp award (best out of ten burps). I had a fun time, decent food, but it was a bit over priced. For what you get it is a good meal at a fair price, BUT if you can afford the $25 per person meal (some folks on a budget may not agree). Either way, it is one place you should give a try. For meat lovers, this may be your paradise.
