Mimosas Made in Mormontown

I love Mimosas. It is a standard that is widely consumed and liked by many, perhaps because it has refreshing citrus flavors and celebratory associations. When I have had a weekend of over-the-top partying, typically spent out of town, it is a requirement of mine to find a breakfast spot that serves this Sunday hangover remedy. Last Sunday, I had not necessarily reached my party limit over the course of the weekend, nonetheless, drinks were required this particular morning. The Mountain Man and I had been half-heartedly planning to hang out since I’ve been back stateside for two months. We pondered where to go – Ruth’s? A favorite but usually packed. The Tin Angel? It serves local produce and features local artwork in the restaurant not to mention has a fun drink menu, but is unfortunately closed on Sundays.

We landed at the Wild Grape, a place I’ve been to a few times but the MM had not yet experienced. This restaurant has been in business for two years and they also offer local produce like cheese from Beehive Cheese and keep their dishes seasonal. They also have wine events where big players in this industry, like Robert Mondavi, stop by to offer his opinions on the matter of his expertise. Impressive he came through actually. I encourage you to check out upcoming events they are hosting, typically wine related. Next Wednesday, December 29th, the winemakers behind the company Donkey & Goat will be present between 6:30-9 to speak about their product and select Syrahs will be paired with a meal. You can bet I will be there before I jet off to California to celebrate the coming of the new year.

It was also a pleasant surprise to discover from a placard at the entrance that The Wild Grape was voted “Best Mimosa” from The City Weekly. After seated, my friend and I browsed through the culinary offerings but the real fun came when we spotted the Mimosa selection on the menu… nine different Mimosas are featured! Not knowing which to choose, we asked that we be served each one of them. Unfortunately, drinks can only be served after noon and we had to be served one glass at a time. Really Utah lawmakers.. stop trying to be a pain for libation lovers! We began breakfast at eleven and enjoyed conversation over coffee and a just-right runny eggs Benedict (mine made vegetarian) with disappointingly over-seasoned hash browns. We also enjoyed the view of some of the hottest boots I have ever seen sported on a confident, edgy and, might I add, just plain sexy woman sitting across the restaurant. The restaurant has large windows which adds such great natural light into the capacious space. Noon came and our friendly waitress knew we were eagerly awaiting our version of Sunday sacrament and jutted out of the back two flutes filled with nitid colored bubbling beverages. We had the following flavors: Strawberry, Prickly Pear, Pineapple, Mango, Peach, Pomegrante, Blackberry and Kiwi. There was one flavor which we forgot to try which was the Blood Orange. I guess I will just have to come back one Sunday to try them all again….darn. Now for the ranking:

Mildred's picks:
1. Strawberry
2. Peach
3. Mango
4. Kiwi
5. Blackberry
6. Pomegrante
7. Prickly Pear
8. Pineapple

The Mountain Man's picks:
1. Peach
2. Kiwi
3. Strawberry
4. Mango
5. Prickly Pear
6. Pomegranite
7. Blackberry
8. Pineapple

While our rankings differed, we did like the same drinks in general opting for the drinks that were not as sweet tasting. The drinks that we did like, oddly enough, were made mostly with syrup while the sweeter drinks, like the Blackberry, were made mainly with fresh fruit puree. The pineapple was bland, hence why it received the lowest score from both of us. The sparkling wine used was Andre, a California extra dry variety. It is a cheap standard but I admit was a good choice which complimented these particular versions of a classic drink. My favorite of this type of beverage is Pierrier-Jouet. I have also tasted Don Perignon once and it tastes surprisingly well with or without orange juice after not having been refrigerated after an all night drinking fest (ahem NYE 2008). That particular New Years, I went to the Bubble Lounge in San Francisco which is one of the only places that you can order DP by the glass. But I also had an open bottle waiting for me at the flat in which I was staying and worked on finishing it the next morning alongside my dark, unflavored coffee. Perhaps on my next visit to France, I will stop getting wasted in Paris and will take a day trip to the Champagne region and further educate my palette for this drinking varietal.

But back to the present story at hand. The Mountain Man and I questioned the waitress if anyone else has been so bold to order every single Mimosa on the menu and she said she has only seen it done one other time where a fun gay group ordered a rainbow spread of Mimosas (since there were 8 people they could order all of the Mimosas at once). I will definitely need to come back with a group and replicate this event. We were feeling really swell after this outing and soon after brunch, I took a nap to recover from all of the work of drinking and judging the various Mimosas. I especially like that I spent the following Sunday downing 8 Mimosas as well! I am agreeable to the idea of keeping this newly found tradition of drinking not only one, but many Mimosas on a Sunday morning.

Sushi in the Desert

I admit that for the past week, I have visited too many drinking holes to have time to jot down a few reflections on those experiences. I have some catching up to do. Last Thursday, “The Girls” and I met for sushi. Interestingly, Utah has quite a tally of sushi restaurants given that we are in the desert and are land-locked. It seems to me that there are at least 100. Contrast this with other major land-locked cities like Dallas and Denver which have over 200 while sea-faring cities like San Francisco and New York have sushi restaurants in the thousands. But considering the population comparison… I'd say we have a fair amount of sushi restaurants in the area. Some have faded away, others are strong contenders, then there are the trendy spots and of course those that are cheap and satisfy a craving on the go. Well for “The Girls” night out, we tend to go on the higher end of the scale. In the past, we have met at other acclaimed sushi restaurants Mizumi, Tsunami, Ichiban and Mikado. I wanted to try something new so I did some research on Yelp and Takashi showed as the #1 reviewed restaurant. With everyone’s approval, we were off to Market Street which hosts some of the most highly reviewed restaurants in Salt Lake like the New Yorker and the eponymous Market Street Grill.

Takashi is an intimate restaurant that seats about 80 people by my assessment. It has a modern, chic atmosphere created by Rothko-meets-Warhol type paintings on the wall and a large, mesh fish sculpture hanging from the ceiling complimented by Ikea-like bubble chandeliers. The sushi chefs are visible from the brightly lit bar working rapidly and efficaciously on their award-winning concoctions. There isn’t any music lulling in the background which I appreciate so as not to distract from any interlocutions. The crowd consists of range from hip, 30 somethings to a select amount of business folks. It doesn’t seem to have an air of pretension – the staff are professional, prompt and staying busy. Valet parking is available or you can park in the lot across the street for $5.

It is important to note that your whole party needs to be present to be seated. One may conveniently sit at the bar and order appetizers and drinks while waiting for your party. Take a look at the cocktail menu which features some unique mixtures and ingredients; it is clear that the Mixologist is adventurous. One of The Girls ordered the Shima Saketini which is “inspired by Caribbean painkillers”. I just love that description. It has an odd but still appetizing combination of Saketini with orange, coconut and cinnamon. I ordered a drink which was basically spiked salsa. I’ll update the blog later once I find out the name of it. It had jalapeno, cilantro and Japanese rice vodka. The rolls which are equally experimental as the drinks as they are a fusion of unlikely culinary marriages.




I was in a punchy mood so I wanted to continue the spicy theme from my drink to my food. I ordered the Shishito peppers (the sauce has fish so I just ate them with soy sauce). Now they aren't really that spicy, although this is coming from someone who originates from cajun country and has a higher tolerance for heat than the average Utahn. I am vegetarian, not a pescatarian mind you, but can always find some great veggie rolls at any sushi restaurants. Takashi is no exception as they feature some great options for those of my eating persuasion. My favorite roll was the the Buddha, a fried roll containing sweet potatoes which was flavorful and hearty. Takashi features a number of spicy entrees including their hyped “Strawberry Fields”, located on the Beatles section of the menu which has other famous tunes you can eat like “Yellow Submarine”. "Strawberry Fields" has the obvious ingredient of strawberries but what you might not expect are the other food pairings of chili peppers, almonds and eel sauce. One of The Girls interjected throughout the conversation calling out the spiciness of the roll.

For you non-vegetarians, the fish eaters were very pleased with the meal and said they would come back again. Takashi has fish flown in daily – although I hear that fish just does not taste the same after 6 hours from being caught. Takashi cooks a sizeable amount of their menu offerings, however, and indicated which rolls are cooked with an asterisks; this proved helpful for the pregnant women at the table. I went back to Takashi two nights ago with some co-workers visiting from out of town, one of whom used to be an experienced sushi chef from Cleveland via the Bay area. Given that he offers a thumbs up and comes back consistently when in town, sushi goers can be rest assured that Takashi has received rave reviews for a reason.

How does Takashi compare to others sushi restaurants in Salt Lake? Well I used to frequent Ichiban on a weekly basis and while their rice is incredible, their rolls are unimaginitive in comparison. It can house a lot of people though and is therefore a good option for large parties. Tsunami tastes great and has creative rolls and I would put it just below Takashi. But remember, I am vegetarian and have a limited opinion on this matter of sushi restaurant rankings. I like Mikado for their sake samplers and Mizumi has good Purple Haze but I think Takashi takes the cake for creative cocktails and a variety of good sake. But there are some places I have yet to try like Shamu Shamu and the Naked Fish which are also acclaimed by locals.

Readers, if you would, place a comment stating 1. Your favorite sushi restaurant 2. Why you like it 3. Which has the best drink menu/and or sake offerings and 4. Best cheap and/or quick sushi. Also, how do you think sushi in Salt Lake compares to that of other cities? Where is the best sushi you have ever had in your life?

The Girls and I do this at least once a quarter to catch up on our lives as they have changed through the years and our conversations typically revolve around dating, marriages, babies and work, which is where we all met some years ago. I am the only single one of the bunch so I think they invite me along to hear lively tales about my travels, encounters and my sometimes outlandish behaviors. While I travel to a fair degree, it’s nice to have some exotic places to go to in my own back yard and I place Takashi in the category of a nice getaway in one's own city.

A Night of Nostalgia

So many things about this last Friday night brought back memories of my past… and I am talking about my toddler past… before I was able to drink and have on my slate sins worth any merit. After resigning from our work life for the week, Rudy and I went over to the house of our friends, “The Hippies” (and I mean that very lovingly), who invited us over for some vegetarian chili with Fritos. During dinner, it somehow came up in conversation that The Hippies play Skip-Bo every night. So did I as a youth! I had not played in years but the concept of the game came back quickly and before I knew it, I was laying cards down from a mechanized learned behavior and not out of any conscious thought. After downing three local beer bottles (Dead Horse Ale), we headed out to the Lazy Dog Saloon. The Hippies recommended it because it is close to their house and work and therefore was a convenience factor, not to mention a factor of curiosity for the unknown. Throughout the week, I told my friends where the next pub crawl would be held and all of them seemed to have been there and said it was a good place to check out. It sounded a bit dodgy and like a redneck bar from the way people were describing it... I was intrigued.

Well their descriptions were not off by one mark. We arrived and noticed that the joint truly looked like a bar one would find in a movie about a country town in nowhere, USA. Upon entering through the backdoor, we instantly felt out of place. Let me put it this way - the type of regulars should not have been any surprise to me since I saw a demolition derby take place just down the street not too long ago. While I could already tell that I would not be a regular and maybe never visit again as there are far more interesting bars, I am glad I came. The bar, or rather open to the public double wide trailer home, was dim and lined with fake wood panels from the very early 80s/late 70s. The TVs were not too far from that period either, except there was one upgraded flat screen playing a local high school football match. I actually liked this setting. It reminded me of my house growing up and strangely, it gave me a comforting feeling. Looking around at the crowd, it was mainly full of older men who were legitimate cowboys in their jeans, white mustaches and full brim hats. These are the kind of men I would have encountered in my own hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana. I think even used to find this look appealing. A highlight was when a regular brought by two large golden retrievers. They were friendly and had a knack for beer.

I walked up to the bartender's counter thinking a shot of Whiskey would sit well with me right about now. I was informed by the bartender, who by the way was sporting a fine female mullet, that this was only a beer bar. What?! Better yet, the only beer on tap from which I could choose was Bud Light, Budweiser and local Ruby River Hefeweizen made up in Ogden. We opted for a pitcher of the Hefeweizen, which was pretty decent. Make note that the saloon also carries beers in bottles like Heineken. We then decided to liven up the atmosphere and put $10 in the jukebox and picked some tunes for the night. Not wanting to get beat up or kicked out, we chose our selection carefully. The tunes ranged from “Witchy Woman” by the Eagles (which my mom listened to endlessly during my youth) to the Grateful Dead and Bob Marley (of course The Hippies would chose this) to the Mamas and the Papas, Steve Miller Band, Van Morrison and we could not resist throwing in some Willie Nelson. I also put $10 in a poker machine. What was I thinking? Utah is not a gambling state so I could not get any of that money back. Stupid. After bringing this fact up with someone who seemed to be in charge, I decided we needed more alcohol. I was ready to embrace my inner redneck and this time, ordered a pitcher of Bud Light. I then had an idea to conduct a taste test to determine which was the most drinkable and added a pitcher of Budweiser to the mix. Well big surprise, the Hef won over our taste buds. Budweiser came in second and Bud Light came in dead last. Even though most of you reading this weren't able take part in the judging, you may still state your opinion and take a poll off to the side of the blog. Please, help us unravel the mystery as to which is the best of the cheap (or worst) beers.







When we downed all three pitchers between the 4 of us, we decided to fulfill our munching cravings and headed over to Jim’s Family Restaurant. Jim’s actually used to be Shoney’s, which I happened to frequent as a small girl. Again, the night was eerily reminded me of a past that seems so distant that it’s not my own. I inhaled my fries and "fry sauce" (an original Utah concoction) alongside a large Greek salad. The food was sufficient for people who were buzzed and hungry. We decided it was time to head home. The night of nostalgia ended quite perfectly with us watching “Back to the Future”. What an oddly fun night.



If you care to reenact any of these experiences or check out the places mentioned for yourself, the Lazy Dog Saloon is located 12755 S Redwood Rd, Riverton, UT. Jim's is on the other side of the street.

A Vegas Style Night in Salt Lake

I have never been to The Metropolitan in all of my nine years living in Salt Lake area until tonight. This restaurant and bar is a modern, chic and expensive looking place positioned on the well trafficked 3rd west next to Squatters. The Metropolitan has advertisements in the City Weekly wherein it propogates the various awards received since its inception 15 years ago. This particular locale always seems to be frequented by successful, attractive people and it wasn’t a place that necessarily had pull for me as an angsty, anarchist vegan in her early 20s. But like the idealist protagonist in the movie SLC Punk, I changed drastically from my early 20s to my late 20s and now have a palette for this type of dining experience.

I reached out to my friend, Tosha, who had just posted on Facebook that she was newly single and asked if we could meet up and talk. She responded saying that she wanted to go to Vegas. Being that it was already mid-day Saturday, I decided that Vegas was off the table for this weekend but we could do SLC Vegas style. The Metropolitan was the best match in terms of look and menu offering. They serve nothing but American cuisine. A smart move on their part – it makes them stand out amongst a panoply of ethnic restaurants in the SLC valley, particularly sushi restaurants that I swear are taking over every corner. So Tosha and I got dressed up in our fancy pants suit attire because girls night out deserves nothing less.

We drove up together and took the valet parking option (I’ve learned to carry cash on me after traveling to many major cities over the past year). We were going to be seated in the back of the restaurant and I asked if we could be seated in a more centered area. After the hostess consulted with the gracious enough Maitre d', we were led the front table looking out at the street – much better! Court, our waiter, was composed and engaging. We discovered that The Metropolitan was offering a great fall menu that ranged from pumpkin soup to roasted hen, which Tosha ordered. I requested the Semolina pasta and it was just a delight – al dente fresh American pasta and tome de chevre, dates, toasted almonds, orange zest, sage. Brilliant combination.

Court recommended two wines to compliment our meal and Tosha chose the Helfrich Guwerztraminer 2005 from Alsace. It was described as a normally sweet wine that is more dry than most of this variety. Tosha noted its crisp pear taste and other reviews mention notes of lychee, a berry which originates from China that I have never tried. I do believe Court was right, that this wine was a great pairing for our seasonal meal. We drank a bottle between us and discussed not only the challenges of a relationship but we expanded to subjects like travel, human conflicts and literature. A decent wine can really make for enriching conversations. We also talked back and forth with our waiter about some of our favorite spots in San Francisco since he used to live there and Tosha and I spent an adventurous and memorable weekend there recently. For the finale, we both ordered ice cream made in house in three flavors: chocolate, espresso and cream. The ice cream was a bit dry but it was edible nonetheless. I have decided that I will be a returning patron as The Metropolitan has the whole package and they also have a fall tasting menu paired with an add-on for wine tasting that I want to try. Honestly, the food was a great price and so was the wine. In fact, it was shockingly affordable. Reservations are needed and you can book using Open Table on their website.




The night wasn’t over as that is typical for a Vegas style outing. We went over to the SkyBar which does not have the best reputation amongst my crowd since there is a fear of seeing someone from work picking someone up at random (it has happened before). While the Skybar touts itself as being the only Vegas style club for no other reason I can think of than in your face cleavage, scary drugged out blonde in a corset look and the VIP bottle tables, the hipper-than-thou audience and the vibe is not equal to that of the only true city of neon. Perhaps if the owners made the bar look less like inside of the Stratosphere, that would be a step towards transplanting the Vegas ambience to Salt Lake.

At the bar I asked “What is your cocktail recommendation for someone who has just broke off a relationship not 24 hours ago?” and Tosha ordered for me “What’s a drink for someone who is twitter-painted”? Tosha's order turned out to be a large mixed drink with a melon flavor and slightly sour aftertaste which perfectly emulates how one feels after a break up. I received a sex on the beach which is fitting for someone in the beginning stages of a fairy-tale romance. Tosha followed her drink with a tasty, girly shot of Hypnotic, another first for her (each place and drink was a first for her tonight… she tends to have firsts with me). After the waitress went to put our drinks on the tab and forgot to ask our name, we decided it was time to close out and perhaps never visit this side of Vegas in SLC again. But not before dancing practically alone on the dance floor to Michael Jackson's "Rock with You" which is a moment that I think will stick with me for a while. Tosha and I will be doing Vegas early next year and be rest assured that the edited commentary will make its way on to this blog.

Tonight just affirmed my knowledge that the places you visit are truly memorable based on the people you bring along on the journey.

Under the Influence of Squatters

Wow! Just got back from this fancy dive in Salt Lake called Squatters with my good pal Mildred. I'm slightly inebriated right now so I can't be really held liable for anything that I write down. What kind of name is Squatters anyway? I didn't see any homeless bums squatting inside though I was approached by one outside after we parked who wanted $15 for housing and probably booze. All I had in my pocket was $1 which they took and walked off. Getting damn cold her in Salt Lake these evenings...colder than a witches ti...uh never mind. Yeah, anyway back to Squatters Pub. I was thoroughly impressed though Mildred wussed out of drinking tonight. Something about the Word of Wisdom and how Baby Jesus cries whenever anyone drinks booze. Just kidding Mildred though next week you better be off that wagon. We got seated and perused the menu. Mildred had her heart set on  Fried Pickles and a Big Pretzel which kinda reminded me of the one she got in Germany. Jazz were playing, people were chatting, atmosphere buzzing..wonderful vibe there at Squatters and then the food came out and Mildred's face lit up like someone had started karoakin' Celine Dion's 'Power of Love'. Proof below!

Can't say I blame her though because not only did it look great but tasted equally good.

Each mouth sized bite was full of pickle tasting goodness! A definite recommendation for any of you reading this blog and decide to check out Squatters....anyone out there....hello? Mildred ordered a Root Beer while I decided to check out the Spirits and first ordered myself a Full Suspension Pale Ale I think it was called, I think it had a dude riding a bike or something...uh Mildred can you help me out with this one. (Hiccup) Now I'm not really a man of much words when it comes to the intricacies of what makes a beer good  so I'll leave it it was very tasty. I think I even heard the muffled sobs of Baby Jesus with each hearty gulp that I took. Rudy approves! The main appetizers came out and me being an Aussie at heart decided to get Fish and Chips. I tell ya that if Heaven was a Fish n Chip buffet I would do the unthinkable and go back to Church.

Mildred decided to get a wrap......

I'll let Mildred explain what she thought of her plate but since there were no expressions of pain and disgust I'm gonna assume that it was a rather tasty meal for her. To accompany these delicious plates there was also lots of fantastic conversation with Mildred. She is not only a great friend but also an awesome person all round. She's got the luck O' the Irish. Speaking of Irish, I wasn't quite done drinking yet and next on the agenda was a drink called Hell's Keep Ale or something like that. My memory is a bit dodgy right now so here's a photo.

Two shot photo of Beer and me. My Uncles in Peru would be so proud of me right now.

(TBC)

Mission Statement

Hello foodies and alchies! Join the adventure of Rudy and Mildred as we frequent a new bar each week. I know this sounds like a beer enthusiast's version of Dives, Diners and Drive Throughs or the ever popular Three Sheets but those shows are successful for a reason... people are intrigued by new tastes and places. What better place to dabble in the unkown than Salt Lake City, an area founded by pioneers who were looking for unchartered territory (and wanted people to stop harrassing them for being sexual deviants). Our weekly pub crawl is easily achieved by the recent passage in July 01, 2009 of a bill which allows sinners like ourselves to travel freely from pub to bar without paying a membership fee, a pesky requirement imposed on SLC for the last 40 years. Incredible that this law stood for so long but people in this state are not quite rabble rousers.

Another reason for the creation of the blog is one of us is a moderately experienced attendee of the SLC bar scene and the other is pretty much a new born and has a hungry appetite for this recently revealed world of debauchery. Lastly, we both went to Oktoberfest in Munich for the first time (but there will be many more we will attend) and we want to keep the spirit of drunken follies with us until that blessed event rolls around again. Each week, we will highlight the food and drinks consumed at the lucky place of our choosing and will follow with our opinion, as alcohol induced as that may be. In short, we just really like food and spirits and hope that anyone who has a likewise inclination gains some sense of enjoyment from the words written within.

Prost! First Post!