Cafe Niche, Salt Lake City UT

Cafe Niche has proven it's dependability on more than one occasion. I recently took my mother in law here for a late breakfast and we enjoyed a peaceful meal on the patio listening to European tunes, and sampling some of their menu. We tried the Fruit and yogurt with granola and one of their scones. And coffee of course: a Cafe O'le! If any of you are tired of paying $4 for a latte, try ordering a a Cafe O'Le, its always cheaper and is basically the same except made with coffee instead of espresso (so the beans are not as finely ground).

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and I enjoy it any time of day and sometimes multiple times a day. Cafe Niche is a casual breakfast/ lunch/ brunch spot in downtown Salt Lake City serving light and fresh foods like quiche, scones, smoothies, granola, french toast, salads, and sandwiches. Their challah-bread french toast, served on the weekends, is especially good served with maple butter, and orange-infused creme anglaise and topped with fresh berries.

Sit outside on their patio and enjoy a peaceful setting with light background music, or sit indoor in the posh interior surrounded by art and interesting architecture. This visit we sat outside and I ordered the fruit and yogurt with granola. My mother in law ordered a scone and a Cafe O'le. All we tried was delicious, maybe a bit overpriced still but still a good experience. On the patio on this sunny day a cool breeze touched our shoulders as we spoke about life- it was a moment that won't be easily forgotten- engaging all of our senses in a very eternal and meaningful way. We sat for so long that we started to see lunch items being served and starting smelling the aromas fresh soups and sandwiches.

Cafe Niche is a special place to meet a dear friend, enjoy the taste of fresh foods, and the be reminded of the most important things of life.




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Maxwell's, Park City UT

Fat Kid Pizza: Ricotta cheese, spinach, pepperoni, fresh tomato sauce, and mozzarella all on top of thin New York style crust... Perfection at least in my world! I wouldn't add a thing to this pizza. Fat Kid pizza originated at the Sidecar Bar on upper Main Street in Park City but can now be found at Park City's newest Pizza spot, Maxwell's. I first tried this pizza at the annual Park City Arts Festival which is coming up this summer, August 1-2. The Arts Festival is super fun with tons of vendors from all over and its a good excuse to try some Park City food also. This is how we discovered the pizza at Sidecar! Recently, the owner of the Sidecar Bar decided to start a restaurant at Kimball Junction featuring his Fat Kid pizza recipe along with other favorites. Only a 25 minute drive from Salt Lake, Kimball Junction is the area right by I-80 when you exit for Park City. At Kimbal Junction you can also enjoy a movie, check out a few art galleries, or of course the outlets, so make an afternoon or evening out of it and garb some pizza along with some Park City fun. At Maxwells you'll enjoy a great casual atmosphere with good prices (for Park City). Watch your favorite team play on the big screens at the bar or enjoy a casual dinner with the family in a nice leather booth. The kids will enjoy the bean bag games outside and the adults will love the choice of beers and drinks offered at Maxwell's. Besides the Fat Kid pizza, you might also order a house salad with shaved parmesan or the bruschetta appetizer. Warning- the pizza is huge so plan accordingly!

5 comments

French Cream of Cauliflower Soup

A dear friend from my old work gave me several recipes, all of which I can't wait to try out. Her mother is French so she grew up with traditional French recipes. I'm not sure how this compared to its American counterpart but I found it more delightful thinking of it as a European soup. I love soup, if you haven't already noticed. Here are some older soup posts:

Split Pea Soup
Spicy Vegetable Soup
Green Minestrone
Curried Carrot Soup
Lemon Rice and Asparagus Soup

Now that it is getting warmer here in Utah I haven't had soup as often but usually I have it regularly for lunch. I made this one when our last cold front came but I imagine it might even be good cold. The recipe can lend itself as an easy way to make any creamy soup. So, you might try Asparagus, Celery, Broccoli, Tomato...endless possibilities with this recipe. I have also made a cream of tomato soup similar to this but with roasted tomatoes and basil- trying my best to imitate Le Madelines' Tomato Basil Soup! I will post a recipe for that soon as well, but if you are ever near a Le Madeline you should definitely make effort to stop by for some of the best creamy soup you've ever tasted. I have tried and tried to make good creamy soup at home and this recipe is definitely my best yet! I believe it will be a staple in house for years to come

French Cream of Cauliflower Soup

INGREDIENTS
2 TB butter (or you can use Olive Oil)
2 TB flour
4 cups of skim milk
1 head of Cauliflower- chopped
salt and pepper
optional: rosemary, parsley, or diced green peppers

DIRECTIONS
Melt the butter over medium heat then add the flour for the roux. Mix quickly with a whisk for about 3 minutes or until you can smell a bread type scent. Then add the four cups of milk and continue to whisk until completely mixed. The mixture will thicken quickly, then add the chopped cauliflower. Season with salt and pepper to taste. You may also add and additional spice like fresh rosemary! If you add any fresh herbs be sure to add them at the last minute. Top with parsley or diced green peppers.

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Zion National Park

Josh and I have lived in Utah for over 4 years now and this was out first time visiting Zion National Park. Some friends of ours were getting married and chose this perfect outdoor spot for their special day. It was totally fitting for their personalities since much of their years dating had included outdoor adventures like fishing, hiking, mountain biking, and camping. Several stories were told at the reception about their adventures dating like when Mitch, in efforts to impress Jenni, switched cars with his sister so he didn't have to pick her up in the family van. In his excitement he forgot to give his sister a call to warn her of the switch so when she came back to her car after hiking she reported her car stolen. Eventually the family figured out what he had done meanwhile he was love-struck and clueless of what stress he had caused the family. Its always fun to hear stories of young love! The reception dinner took place at Parallel Eighty-Eight, a new restaurant in Springdale, that was created by the old head chef from Spotted Dog. He just started this restaurant this year and has seen much success. We enjoyed ever bite of our 4 course meal: Jumbo prawns and soba noodles in a white wine cream sauce for an appetizer, then an Asian Pear Salad with edamame, slices pecans, and apricots in a white peach vinaigrette, Seared Chicken with roasted herd and pine nut couscous and asparagus in a chardonnay cream sauce, and the grand finale a flourless chocolate cake with milk chocolate mousse, dark chocolate ganache and berry coulis. We slept well that night for sure. The next day we enjoyed a drive through Zion National Park and were especially intrigues by the mile long tunnel that was built by miners around 1930 that takes you through the red rock mountains occasionally opening up with windows giving picturesque views of the canyons. We worked back up our hunger and found a place for brunch called Oscar's Cafe just off the main drag in Springdale. There I enjoyed an Egg White Spinach Omelet and fresh salsa. From Springdale we got back on the road to Vegas for a quick day of shopping, for Josh mainly- he loves H & M, then we headed to St. George to stay the night with our close friends Melissa and Phil. A packed weekend but filled with great food and memories. We definitely found Zion and the quaint town of Springdale to be a great spot to visit.

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Settebello, Salt Lake City, UT

I recently met up with some girl friends at Settebello for some Napoletana pizza, a traditional pizza which first made its debut in Napoli in the mid 1880's. This traditional Italian pizza, often called margherita pizza, has a thinner crust with fresh tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil. We tried several types but enjoyed the classic best, although the artichoke pizza was pretty amazing as well.

Settebello also have a great house salad and don't forget to leave room for some gelato! The gelato was exceptionally good. I haven't had good creamy gelato since visiting Spain, so I was stoked to find a local place to enjoy one of my favorite treats. I tried the Nutella flavor and loved every bite- you can never go wrong with Nutella anything! I tasted the Amaretto flavor which was also pretty amazing.

After visiting Settebello I met a foodie couple originally from New York, Keith and Sherry, who currently live in Park City but gladly drive to Salt Lake for the pizza at Settebello. They said that there are a few places in town that compare to the food in New York but Settebello is one of them. They also mentioned Aristos, Hong Kong Tea House, Takashi, Em's and Bambara. The only restaurant they said worth visiting in Park City was Riverhorse. After chatting with them for a bit I felt more confident in my favorite local spots because I love Aristos and have had some of the best food experiences at Riverhorse as well. I will have to try some of their other recommendations. So take it from me and if you don't believe me at least trust the couple from New York, Settebello is the place to go for a casual atmosphere and traditional Italian pizza.



Settebello
260 S 200 W
Open Mon-Thu 11am-10pm; Fri-Sat 11am-11pm


For another review check out Salt Lake City's Lunch Examiner.

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Lemon Icebox Cake

This is the reason I ventured into the realm of lemon curd! Of course after making lemon curd I have many new plans for using it but this was the original intention. An Ice box cake is really just a layered dessert usually with whipped cream and cookies (wafers) then its refrigerated. Left in the fridge overnight, the wafers absorb liquid out of the creme and take on a firm cake-like texture without getting mushy. The recipe originated in the 1920's when Vanilla Wafer company was trying to promote its product and created this dessert. It is a taste from my childhood because my grandmother in Texas made a version of Icebox cake. This recipe has a fresh twist with the lemon curd. I loved it. Enjoy.

Lemon Icebox Cake

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 C heavy whipping cream
3/4 C Lemon Curd to mix with the cream
3/4 C Lemon Curd to layer
1 box vanilla or lemon wafers

DIRECTIONS
Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add 3/4 cup lemon curd to the cream and fold it in gently with a rubber spatula.
In a 8 x 8 square baking dish or other suitable vessel, put down 1/3 of the cream and spread it around. Then put down a layer of wafers smearing the tops of each one with a good dollop of lemon curd. Repeat, finishing with a layer of cream.
Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.

I added strawberries to my layers but the cake by itself is pretty delicious.



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Baked Oatmeal

My mother in law is in town so I can finally cook something more girly for breakfast. We decided on Baked Oatmeal and we spiced it up a little with blueberries pecans and spices.

Baked Banana Oatmeal

INGREDIENTS
Dry ingredients
2 cups rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Cinnamon (to taste)
Nutmeg (dash)
Ground cloves (dash)
1 tsp splenda

Wet ingredients:
1 egg, beat
1 mashed banana
1.5 cups skim milk
1 tsp vanilla

Other optional ingredients
3/4 cup frozen blueberries
2 Tb chopped pecans
1 sliced banana
1 TB brown sugar (for a brulee top)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine dry and wet ingredients in a separate bowls then pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Mix well. Then add in blueberries and copped pecans. Line an 8″ pan (square or round) with parchment paper (for easy removal and cutting!). Layer some banana slices on the bottom. Pour batter into pan. Top with remaining banana slices. Bake at 375 for 26 minutes. Set oven to Broil. Then sprinkle brown sugar and broil in the oven for 3-4 minutes. Serve with warmed milk or cream.




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The Red Espresso, Salt Lake City UT

this Cafe is no longer open
Thanks to twitter and dirty clothes I came across a cute new coffee spot, The Red Espresso. I usually take my dry cleaning to Classic Cleaners on 500 East and 300 South because they've been around for years and know everything about cleaning. They really perform miracles there- like getting red wine out of an expensive dress after several home remedies didn't work out. And the same lady is always working and she knows most of her customers. But aside from good dry cleaning- also on the corner of 500 East and 300 South is this great new spot for espresso, tea, chocolate chip cookies, and light lunch items. This cute little cafe (and I mean little- there is only a couple of tables and a couch inside) is a great local spot for friendly service and quality drinks. We enjoyed tropical green tea and a chocolate chip cookie while sitting on their deck and enjoying the downtown scene. I almost forgot I was in Utah for a minute. There patio is spacious with lots of seating so if its a sunny day there is plenty of room to congregate. If it's raining or snowing you might just want to grab a drink to go because there might not be available seating inside. They have some great special flavors like their Peppermint Chai Latte. Some of their menu items the day we came were turkey walnut pesto sandwich and butternut squash soup. I especially liked my jumbo chocolate chip cookie- with just the right amount of saltiness with sweetness. Check out The Red Espresso on Twitter. A couple of tips- they are not open on the weekends and she also has several great gift ideas for sale inside.



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Caffe D'Bolla, Salt Lake City, UT

This place definitely has some cool factors to it but it is lacking in execution. The night we came in only one guy was working and he had a line of cups ready to fill people's orders- He just couldn't keep up. It didn't even look that busy. There were maybe only 5 people in the little cafe. We came for the Bubble Tea or Boba Tea, however you say it. I wanted to experience Bubble Tea with my friend, who is from Korea, so I tried to find a place that would be close to authentic. We decided to order our drinks and then head over to the top of the library to get a good view of the city. When we came back it looked like he had just finished out drinks. And at this point he had ran out of tapioca so we were lucky to get the last few scoops. I ordered Lichee flavored and she ordered the Peach. I thought the flavor was pretty nice and she also said she liked it but I noticed she only made it half way through her drink while I'll slurped mine down. She did comment that the tapioca was too chewy and in Korea and other Asian countries where Boba Tea is popular the tapioca is smaller and less rubbery. If you do decide to go here, go early in the evening to secure yourself some Boba Tea or try the espresso, I hear its legit. Also, while you're in the area don't miss trekking to the top of the library for a great overlook of the great Salt Lake City.

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Zushi, Salt Lake City, UT

What was I thinking?

Fast food sushi, really, could it actually taste good? The answer is no, definitely not. Zushi is the Hogi Yogi of Sushi. If you're trying to save money you're better off at Sushi Express, 7824 S 700 E, where the sushi is still made to order plus they have great miso and salad with a homemade Asian salad dressing. You'll spend about the same as you would as Zushi and get much better quality. The best thing about my Zushi experience was my edamame. The price wasn't even worth the quality of food. The tuna in my spicy tuna roll was processed and the salmon in a salmon roll looked like it was canned salmon. There were teenagers running the place and they didn't even know to give us wasabi with our rolls. So, I have to be honest with this one- don't even try it. It is a waste of time and money. After we had eaten I wanted a redo dinner and to be able to move backwards in time. If you want fast sushi go to Whole Foods or if you're looking to save some cash go to Sushi Express.



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8 comments