McMenamins in Oregon

After Josh played at a church in Hillsboro some friends took us to a McMenamins, a unique chain restaurant of Oregon. These beloved local restaurants are located all over Oregon and each have their own style and menu. McMenamins restaurants are all housed in historic buildings and some even have hotels and movie theaters alongside the restaurant. A fun spot for families and special gatherings, this restaurant is obviously all about the experience. The food, I would say, is average American fare but the atmosphere is leaves you wanting to try all of their unique locations. Check out all of their venues here.

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Mother's Bistro in downtown Portland

This cute spot was recommended to us by some Salt Lake friends who used to live in Portland. Mother's Bistro has a great breakfast, lunch and dinner menu. We stopped by after a concert to enjoy a slice of Black Bottom Peanut Butter Pie. And it was delicious!! The ambiance of this bistro is especially fun with chandeliers and garden room decor. If you're ever in downtown Portland you must check this place out.

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Portland Saturday Market

Our first stop in Portland was to the Saturday Market. We picked up some falafel from a popular food cart and walked around for a bit. The owner of this Beirut cart shared with us that he also owns restaurant in town, Bumblekiss, serving breakfast and lunch. It was probably the best falafel I've tried. I have tried making falafel from scratch once, which ended up tasting pretty good but not as legit as this food cart.

Sunday Josh was playing music at a church in Hillsboro and today we hit the coast. More to come.

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Caputo's by Night, Classic Italian in downtown Salt Lake City

One of my favorite Salt Lake City companies, Tony Caputo's Market and Deli, just opened a new venture, Caputo's by Night. As soon as we heard the news we made a reservation and blocked off a date on our calendar to try it.

I think they've found the perfect match for their demographic with this classic Italian restaurant. Lasagna, Meatballs, Linguini, Chicken Parmesan. Caputo's simply knows good Italian food.

I think they've found the perfect match for their demographic with this classic Italian restaurant. People who love Caputo's just want more Caputo's! Lasagna, Meatballs, Linguini, Chicken Parmesan. Caputo's simply knows good Italian food and can make any classic dish superb!
I've recently been on a quest for quality classic Italian in Salt Lake that is also affordable and so far I've only found a few. I recently shared with you my good experience at Michelangelo's on highland Drive, and a few not a classic Italian favorites: Nuch's and Vinto. But I really think Caputo's takes the cake. With this family run business, full of long-standing family recipes and quality ingredients, you can't go wrong ordering from their menu.

On our first visit, we tried the half and half pasta dish, where you can choose a entrée and pasta dish from a variety of options. We tried their wild mushroom stuffed ravioli with garlic olive oil sauce. For the half and half dish, I chose the Chicken Piccata, and a penne pasta with a spicy tomato sauce. What I like about the menu is that it opens up the patron to create their own experience. With a variety of pastas and sauces you can simply create a dish that is exactly what you are hungry for that evening.

The atmosphere is comfortable yet special with white table cloths and candles and the openness of the market around you. The service was exceptional; our waitress was very knowledgeable and we never had an empty water glass.

I especially loved their spicy tomato sauce and I would highly recommend the ravioli. But everything was delicious, even the sweet/spicy peppers in the salad were tasty.

As most of you know Caputo's is a sponsor of this blog, to read about my blog sponsorship program click here. Sponsors do not pay me to write positive reviews for their restaurants but simply pay to place their logo on my site. I share that with you so you can understand that this is a fair and unbiased review.

I must say that my experience at this new Caputo's is exactly what I think Salt Lake needed, a friendly and affordable, classic italian restaurant enjoyed in the evenings in the heart of downtown.

Caputo's by Night
314 West 300 South
(801) 531-TONY
Tuesday - Saturday 5:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Deli operations are available daily:
Sunday, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.,
Monday 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday - Saturday 9:00 a.m. to closing.

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Baby Shower and an evening of Crepes

I had the pleasure of being one of the hosts for my dear friend Diana's baby shower. Recently, I have been a part of another baby shower which I shared with you here. At the previous baby shower we had a soup bar, traditional games and some great desserts. For this baby shower, Diana wanted more of a social evening for the atendees, so we decided to make dinner together.
I decided the menu, so crepes it would be. Selfishly, I love crepes, and I thought it would be a perfect girly meal. Two salad varieties and two types of crepes seemed about right. I printed out a few recipes, altered them a bit and put everyone to work.

The menu:

Appetizers of brie, vegetables, fruit, and dips
Mozarella and Tomato Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Fruit and Fut Salad with Mango Dressing
Chicken & Sauteed Spinach Crepes
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Dessert Crepes: a variety of topping and fillings for sweet crepes (of course lots of Nutella)

Luckily we were in a huge kitchen (not mine) with beautiful bay windows overlooking the valley. There was plenty of room for all the girls to cook and not feel crammed.



It was a beautiful evening full of blessings for the mother-to-be and lots of eating and chatting. I will leave you with a recipe from the evening for the Spinach and Chicken Crepes.
Chicken, Mushroom and Sauteed Spinach Crepes
feeds 15

INGREDIENTS
2 bags of spinach
4 cups cooked chicken shredded or cut into small bite size
2 cup sliced mushrooms
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (for a lighter version you can use more olive oil and less butter)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, lightly smashed
2 cup heavy cream (use milk to lighten the sauce)
2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
We made two versions of this using the above ingredients. One vegetarian and One with chicken. Using two large skillets. Heat half the butter and oil in each skillet over medium-high heat and add the mushrooms and garlic to each pan(half the garlic in each 3/4 of the mushrooms in the vegetarian pan). Saute the mushrooms for 4-5 minutes. Add the spinach (using 3/4 of the spinach in the vegetarian pan).   Cook, turning frequently, until the spinach has wilted down evenly. Toss in the cooked chicken into the non-vegetarian side and cook with spinach until warm.

Add 1 cup of cream to each pan then season with nutmeg, salt and pepper; cook until it reduces a bit, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately wrapped in warm crepes. I use this crepe recipe from Alton Brown.

Serve with Salad and Mashed Sweet Potatoes.

Other baby shower recipes from VintageMixer
Baby Button Cookies
Pumpkin Crunch Cake
Hot Cocoa Cake
Chocolate Dipped Macaroons

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Michelangelo's Italian in Salt Lake City

When chatting with a fellow Salt Lake City foodie the other day I told her that there simply aren't that many good Italian restaurants around. She then reminded me of the many Italian options we do actually have: Settebello, Fresco, Vinto, Tony Caputo's, Buca de Beppo, Cucina Toscana, Roasted Sun Pizzeria, Nuch's, The Pie. The Pie. I guess I wasn't thinking of the pizza shops as traditional Italian restaurants. So, overall we really do have several places to get a great taste of Italian food. But one in particular sticks out for me as true, traditional Italian fare: Michaelangelo's. It stays true to the legacy of simple, delicious Italian foods.
We recently ate there and were delighted to find such a great spot. Thankfully, we have friends who also enjoy delicious foods with whom it is a joy to try new restaurants and tastes.

The friends we went with are chemists at the University of Utah. It is so fascinating that chemistry and cooking go hand in hand. I am so grateful for our chemist friends who have opened our eyes to countless new foods and restaurants in the area. We have explored Forage near Liberty Park in Salt Lake. And we have had many first experiences with them like sampling foie gras, hanger steak, duck confit, and sauternes dessert wine.

It just feels good to be known and understood by your closest friends. And I'm not sure if anything is better than sitting down for a good meal with friends with whom you can just be yourself . Such friendships are rare..
What we tried at Michelangelo's:
On this trip we tried Mussels for the first time and loved them. We also sampled Carpaccio Di Carne, a thinly sliced filet mignon with arugula and parmesan cheese in lemon oil dressing, pictured beside the wine. I ordered the gnocchi in a gorgonzola cheese sauce and Josh ordered Fettuccine Bolognese. Everything we tried was fresh and deliciously flavored.



Michelangelo Ristorante
3005 Highland Drive
(801) 466-0961

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Trip to Idaho and new-old cookbooks

I recently went to small town Idaho with Josh as he was playing music for a weekend conference. There wasn't much to do or explore in this small rural town and the food isn't worth mentioning but I did find a cute little book & coffee shop on their main drag. While there I picked up a 3 beautifully vintage cook books. Even the titles of the cookbooks were enchanting to me:

The Perfect Hostess Cook Book
Lessons in Gourmet Cooking
Look No Further

As many of you already know, I enjoy old things and not only material things but old fashioned ideas and style. From enjoying a long meal, to wearing my grandmothers old boots, there are something that are just worth bringing into the modern times. And these cook book will be a reminder of that as they sit on my kitchen shelf.

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Skinny and Spicy Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

A great Chicken Alfredo recipe is just simply a must in your recipe repertoire. I used to avoid alfredo like the black plague knowing how many calories I was potentially consuming. But when you make it at home, you have the option of altering the recipe to make it light and still full of flavor. With the added red pepper in this recipe you still have tons of flavor with less fat. Also, the added vegetables includes some actual nutrition unlike the traditional Alfredos you see on many restaurant menus. I hope you enjoy light chicken alfredo as much as I do!

Skinny & Spicy Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Inspired by My Columbian Recipes
(4 to 6 servings)

INGREDIENTS
6 oz dried fettuccine, half a box (I usually a high fiber pasta- such as Dreamfields)
2 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 bunch of asparagus or broccoli cut into bite size pieces
2-3 cups chicken shredded rotisserie chicken
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1 tablespoons butter
1 TB flour
1 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
Red pepper flakes (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, tender but still slightly firm.

Meanwhile in a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil onions and garlic, sauté for about 2 minutes. Then add the asparagus or broccoli and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Remove the vegetable and onion mixture and set aside.

In the same pan, melt the tablespoon of butter, add flour, mixing constantly with a wire whisk for about 30 seconds. Add the milk a little at a time, while continuing to whisk to make sure the flour/butter mixture doesn't clump. Once all milk has been added, give a good squeeze of lemon juice into the sauce and bring to a simmer. Heat until sauce thickens 5-8 minutes.

Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken, pine nuts and vegetables. Drain the pasta in a colander and reserve some of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the cream mixture and toss with the cheese. If the pasta mixture has become thick, thin it with some of the reserved cooking water. Add red pepper flakes and serve immediately.

Another pasta favorite of mine is this recipe for Pasta Primavera which has a creamy white wine sauce and loaded with fresh seasonal vegetables and basil.

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Beer Hive, a bar in downtown Salt Lake City

A special post written by my husband:
Few things inspire me more than an afternoon beer with friends I truly love and the Beerhive in Salt Lake City offers the perfect room for such imbibing. I'm no lush, but 3pm is certainly not too early for a pint or two, especially on a Friday, especially if they serve Desert Edge's UPA on tap. Especially.

Several factors go into a good experience. First, if the company sucks, the beer follows closely. No matter if it's Chimay Grande Reserve, Traquair House or Jacobite, Desert Edge's entire beer menu, Odell's 90 Schilling or Stone's Arrogant Bastard Ale, a poor conversation wastes good beer. Second? Atmosphere. I want a place that's clean but well inhabited, knowledgeable and slightly snobby about their selection. The Beerhive is all of these. Their liquor selection intrigues, but their beer menu warrants experimentation and perhaps a second visit.
Gather Nate, Nick and Mike around a table of pint glasses and prepare for exaggeration, a touch of vulagarity and April Fool's jokes in February. The kind waitress raised her voice to match the volume of ours and graciously kept our glasses full as we went on about our fish stories. Beer is merely the engine that drives our conversation this particular afternoon, but we're inclined to talk about the dark corners of our hearts even outside the familiarity of a good pub, because we are in a bible study together also.
It's a shame that religious culture now condemns the drink that once blessed it. I know my friends and I certainly connect well over a few drinks around a wood table in the corner of the room. Through the course of the afternoon we talk about our marriages, our jobs, our frustrations and wants. The beer slightly loosens our pride to tell of our inadequacies and longings. But regardless of the conversation, we stand confident in our friendship and find fulfillment by simply sitting together over a beer.
The Beerhive offers a uniqueness only known in the elitist beer culture of Portland: the bar's frozen ice strip. A stretch of ice extending the length of the bar cools your drink and reminds you of the beer's value. Yeah, some cultures look down on the refrigerated beer. But that's not my culture. I love my beer, no matter that variety, slightly chilled. I've never seen anything like the Beerhive's bar. They tell me that Portland's Henry Weinhard's Tavern is the only other bar with such digs. I feel like a beer at the Beerhive is more of an honor than debauchery.

I think we'll go back once a month, at least, to chat and try new beers and old favorites. Regardless, the Beerhive is reviving the lost art of good drink in a fine room.
written by Josh Rosenthal, husband of SLCfoodie and local beer connoisseur.

Beer Hive Pub
128 South Main Street

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Saying Goodbye to a local favorite

In case you haven't heard the news on twitter yet, Elizabeth's English Bakery and Tea House is closing up shop. One of my favorite spots in Salt Lake City. My husband and I would meet here for tea and crumpets and feel very distinguished and British, while still maintaining our Southern roots, of course. I'm still unsure on the exact reason of their closing but here is what I know. Thanks to Gastronomicslc for spreading the word and being so up to date with the latest happenings in the Salt Lake dining scene.

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Fashion at Apt 202 in Salt Lake City

One of my favorite local clothing stores to browse is Apt 202 at 9th and 9th. Beautiful 'new-vintage' styled dresses, unique accessories, and mix and match favorites for your wardrobe, all with the flavor of a local shop. As the daughter of a former fashion designer, I have the blessing and curse of loving beautifully made clothing. I am sure my mother and I could walk around this shop just talking about the details of the designers and enjoy their creations together.
The ownerowner, Ashley Rothwell, is most commonly the person to greet you and help you. As an ex-advertising exec in New York, Ashley, excellent artistic direction of the shop is seen in every detail, from the displays of jewelry to the filagree font on the walls. As you enter the shop you are surrounded by beautiful things and lovely sayings.
"Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication"
"Fashion Fades, but Style is Eternal."
And such a classy friendly place is not complete without the comforting welcome of a shop dog. The owner's sweet lackadaisical dog often sits and stares out the window at the passers-by.
This boutique shot resembles my favorite, Anthropologie, but I'd rather support a local business. As a higher-end boutique, it is the perfect spot for buying a dress for a special occasion, a fun new top for a date on the town, the perfect earrings to go with an unusual outfit, or a unique gift for a dear friend. Ashley Rothwell simply brought a slice of the big city to Salt Lake. Here are some of the views of Apt 202.


And while, you're around the 9th and 9th area I recommend you checking out Mazza for a fantastic middle eastern meal, or Coffee Garden for a great cup of coffee. If you're still in the shopping mode, check out Emilie Jayne, a great antique store just around the corner.

Apt 202
850 East 900 South
Monday-Saturday 10-6pm
twitter @apt202boutique

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St Patrick's Day Lazy Grasshopper Dessert

I'm warning you, this dessert is serious. I made it for New Year's Eve but it would be absolutely perfect for St. Patrick's Day. I found the recipe in a dust covered old cookbook sitting in the corner of my mom's kitchen (Pillsbury's Creative Cooking in Minutes). I actually think it belonged to one of my grandmothers and probably hadn't been opened for decades. I tripled the recipe for a larger group and added a bit more of the two liqueurs. The recipe is insultingly simple but I'm telling you, you may not be able to stop eating it.

Lazy Grasshopper Dessert Pudding
makes 4 servings
adapted from Pillsbury recipe

INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup crushed chocolate wafers (Oreos):
2 cups vanilla pudding (1 box)
2 Tablespoons creme de menthe
1 Tablespoon creme de cacao
Whipped Cream

DIRECTIONS
Spread 1/3 cup of the chocolate wafers evenly over the bottom of the 1 quart dish.
Reserve remaining crumbs for the topping. In a small mixing bowl, combine remaining
ingredients, fold gently but thoroughly. Spoon pudding mixture on top of crumbs.
Top with whipped cream then the remaining 1/3 cup of chocolate wafer crumbs. Chill in freezer for 30 minutes
or until serving time.

Here are some other local food blogger St. Patrick's Day foods:

A Review of Cafe Normandie's Key Lime Pie from Food Finery
Avocado Key Lime Pie by Delightful Delicacies
Whole Wheat Soda Bread by Kalyn's Kitchen
Andy's Mint Cookies by Crazibeautiful
Lucky Green Velvet Cupcakes by Picky Palate

My recommendation for a St. Patrick's Day Restaurant in Salt Lake City: Mac Cool's
They have two locations, one in Foothill Village and the other in Daybreak. I've been to both a few times and enjoy their Finn's Skins appetizer, Guinness Stew, Split Pea Soup, and Shepherd's Pie. They have a fun Pub feel and often have live music and local brew.

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Always a beautiful experience at Silver Fork Lodge

It seems like many special moments in my life have been shared at Silver Fork Lodge. This cozy log cabin up Big Cottonwood Canyon has been the meeting place for a close friend's engagement, one of the first dates with Josh, my wedding day brunch, a special dinner with my dad, and most recently a breakfast with a dear friend who is moving away.

Silver Fork Lodge is a bed and breakfast but also a restaurant serving hearty breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you are looking for a common meeting place for skiers or just wanting to get a beautiful view of the mountains, Silver Fork is just the spot.


In the summer you can sit out on their beautiful deck and enjoy the aspens and crisp mountain air. Then in the winter you can cosy up near the fire and enjoy the warmth inside while viewing the beautiful snow covered mountains through the windows.

Their specialties include, sourdough pancakes served with hot apple compote for breakfast, the Reuben Classic for lunch, and their Canyon Pepper Steak for dinner.

Since I am a huge breakfast fan, I have mainly hit up their morning fare. I have enjoyed their Banana Pancakes, Hot Oats, Benedict Florentine, and their Homemade Cheddar Grits (not all at one visit of course). Their coffee is also good, which is from Salt Lake Roasting Co. I have also enjoyed their dinner which you can read about here.

My most recent visit, I went with my friend Diana along her mother, grandmother, and aunt. Her grandmother and aunt hadn't been around snow much, being from Costa Rica, so it was so joyful to watch them get excited to touch and taste the fresh flakes. We were celebrating Diana's pregnancy and also enjoying favorite spots in Utah before she moves. It was incredibly special to see the generations of women in her family and hear their stories of life and pregnancy. Another momentous occasion at Silver Fork Lodge and many more to come I'm sure!

So, if you are celebrating a special occasion or just want to get up in the mountains for some fresh air and scrumptious food, try Silver Fork Lodge. You could even make a night of it and stay at their lodge. But don't leave without trying their breakfast!

Silver Fork Lodge
11332 East Big Cottonwood Canyon Road
Brighton, UT 84121
(435) 649-9551


More of my favorite breakfast spots around Salt Lake City:
Les Madeleines Bakery
Cafe Niche
Tulie Bakery
Ruth's Diner
Wild Grape Bistro
Gourmandise
Finn's Cafe

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