My wife and I essentially never eat out...

[statman]

We occassionally meet somewhere for lunch - Cafe Rio, Olive garden (for soup & salad, I can't stand anything else there), Chili's, etc. But, for the most part, the obligatory, dining-out on our weekly date night is a thing of the past. Too many disappointments that cost too much money. One of us just takes one for the team and makes something at home...

Why go out when (1) I can make food that's similar, if not better, at home, that's, (2) cheaper, and, (3) I can enjoy it in my own home that's much nicer than most restaurants.

If we do go out to eat, it's for some kind of celebration - our kids like to go out to eat, so we sometimes indulge them. We occassionally go out to eat to someplace very nice, where the food is actually better - we've been to Ruth's Chris (before it closed) and to Spencer's a few times, and several times we've made the trip up to Bountiful to go to The Mandarin.

What other places are there are in SL/Utah counties that are really worth eating at?

[Jeff Lebowski]

wait for it....

[TripletDaddy]

For me, eating out IS the experience. Over the years, I have persuaded my wife into adopting this philosophy, as well.

Food tourism is much more memorable (even locally) when compared to traditional tourism.

If you are truly stumped, you should specifically engage in an attempt to discover local places that do little things exceptionally well. KatyLied started a thread dedicated to local Utah triumphs. Begin by checking those things out. Driving all the way to Heber for root beer may sound like a w.a.s.t.e. of time, but spend the drive talking, having fun conversation, etc.....the root beer is the destination, but enjoy the journey.

Some of the best date memories with my wife consist of our adventures in dining....driving around lost looking for the hole-in-the-wall burrito joint....hanging out eating tacos off the korean BBQ truck near westwood, then walking over to Diddy Riese for dessert....stuff like that.

I agree that going to Olive Garden, Chilis, cafe rio, etc is uninspiring. Not necessarily because the food is pedestrian (which it generally IS)....but because the behavior is pedestrian. I submit that you are not bored with the food. You are bored with the routine.

Go forth and find new food. It is all around you. Return and report.

[UteStar]

What other places are there are in SL/Utah counties that are really worth eating at?

I think the list in the other thread is pretty good about which restaurants to eat in Salt Lake is pretty solid.

Indian
Himalayan Kitchen and Bombay House

Italian
Faustinas and for funkiness and history, Cinnegrill.

Middle Eastern
Cafe Med is nice. Mazzas and Cedars of Lebanon are both fun (with mixed reviews on this site)

American Burgers
Eat-a-Burger in Holladay, Training Table for the cheese fries. And, then you have some solid chains in Fuddruckers, in-n-out and Red Robin.

Mexican
Taramuhara in Midway is a nice getaway. And FmCoug would recommend Cafe Rio.

Five Alls is a french place on Foothill and though not as fabulous as it once was, it is still a good tasting, albeit rather expensive, restaurant.

[WashingtonCoug]

I would highly recommend Glitretend at Stein Erikson Lodge in Park City. Their duck is the best I've ever had. Duck can be pretty tricky to cook on your own. It's a fun experience too, in a very pretty setting.

[falafel]

I would highly recommend Glitretend at Stein Erikson Lodge in Park City. Their duck is the best I've ever had. Duck can be pretty tricky to cook on your own. It's a fun experience too, in a very pretty setting.

I've never had duck. If you were explaining it to a person who's going to have it for the first time (i.e., me), how would you describe it?

[Green Lantern]

For me, eating out IS the experience. Over the years, I have persuaded my wife into adopting this philosophy, as well.

Food tourism is much more memorable (even locally) when compared to traditional tourism.

I think that's a great attitude and it leads to some fun adventures. My wife and I, along with a few friends, once braved a huge snowstorm to drive to the Shooting Star Saloon in Huntsville for what we had heard was the best burger in Utah. It took us nearly 3 hours to get there, but the burger was good and we all still talk about the experience.

[TripletDaddy]

I think that's a great attitude and it leads to some fun adventures. My wife and I, along with a few friends, once braved a huge snowstorm to drive to the Shooting Star Saloon in Huntsville for what we had heard was the best burger in Utah. It took us nearly 3 hours to get there, but the burger was good and we all still talk about the experience.

Bingo. this is the essence of food tourism....and you can do it right in your home town. You don't need to fly to Paris, France.

There are loads of places to try out there.

One example.....this past weekend I was running errands for my MIL to help get ready for my SIL's wedding Sat night. My MIL sent me off to Lehi Bakery (I think that is what it is called) to pick up a few hundreds rolls that she had ordered. It smelled so good in there that after I dropped off the rolls, I bundled up the Puffy CHeck and we drove back to the bakery. We bought some apple fritters, some milk chugs, and sat outside on the curb and ate them. we even had the classic pink box action going on...the kind you get at a bakery. My son said, "dad, these are good! I want to eat here for dinner!"

I will bet you anything that he remembers that for years to come. That cost me about $8 and now we have a memory to last a long time.

Food is fun.

[WashingtonCoug]

I've never had duck. If you were explaining it to a person who's going to have it for the first time (i.e., me), how would you describe it?

Tastes like chicken... JK

I would say it's really moist. Duck is usually a lot more fatty than chicken. I'm not really sure how to explain it other than more moist, it almost melts in your mouth. Sorry I wouldn't be the best food critic. Not very good at explaining it.

[Pheidippides]

For me, eating out IS the experience. Over the years, I have persuaded my wife into adopting this philosophy, as well.

Food tourism is much more memorable (even locally) when compared to traditional tourism.

If you are truly stumped, you should specifically engage in an attempt to discover local places that do little things exceptionally well. KatyLied started a thread dedicated to local Utah triumphs. Begin by checking those things out. Driving all the way to Heber for root beer may sound like a w.a.s.t.e. of time, but spend the drive talking, having fun conversation, etc.....the root beer is the destination, but enjoy the journey.

Some of the best date memories with my wife consist of our adventures in dining....driving around lost looking for the hole-in-the-wall burrito joint....hanging out eating tacos off the korean BBQ truck near westwood, then walking over to Diddy Riese for dessert....stuff like that.

I agree that going to Olive Garden, Chilis, cafe rio, etc is uninspiring. Not necessarily because the food is pedestrian (which it generally IS)....but because the behavior is pedestrian. I submit that you are not bored with the food. You are bored with the routine.

Go forth and find new food. It is all around you. Return and report.

This is my complaint about chain restaurants generally. Some are bad (I'm looking at you, Appplebee's) and some are just fine (Texas Land & Cattle, for example). But they are all packaged in a manner that is calculated to bring in the most people. It's the McDonald's theory of selling stuff. Also, I find that many of these places overemphasize the flavors in order to make people think they are good. Sure, they taste fine, but there is no subtly, no true genius. Just prepackaged sufficiency.

Food tourism is awesome. I love finding the random places here in Houston that are serious shacks by the side of the road every bit as much as I love going to the high-end places. IMO, it is the shacks, not the high-end dining, that makes a town's food scene so great. This is what makes NYC so wonderful. Towns where mom & pop shops with good food can survive and thrive are the best to live in.

I will freely admit that I was an uncultured boor when I lived in Utah, and as such was not aware of most of the dives around. I have been making a list, and will be trying some out the next time I am in town. Just because a good chuck of the population thinks CPK is the best thing ever doesn't mean that the real best thing every is not around the corner.

Oh, btw, Granny's sucked. Soft serve icecream mixed with gummy bears does not a shake make. That's from a local.

[Donuthole]

If you're looking for a decent meal and a scenic drive, head up to Taggart's Restaurant in Taggart, Utah. Good, home-cooked food, and a pretty unique atmosphere. The restaurant is right off I-84 up against the mountain, about 5 miles east of Morgan. If you miss the exit, you can turn around at Devil's Slide.

I recommend the dutch oven pot roast. Also, pretty much all of their desserts are delicious.

[Katy Lied]

and several times we've made the trip up to Bountiful to go to The Mandarin.

I know by your reputation that you're a really good cook, and I've saved several of your food posts, but... The Mandarin???

[falafel]

Tastes like chicken... JK

I would say it's really moist. Duck is usually a lot more fatty than chicken. I'm not really sure how to explain it other than more moist, it almost melts in your mouth. Sorry I wouldn't be the best food critic. Not very good at explaining it.

Thanks for trying....

[Fiyero]

I've never had duck. If you were explaining it to a person who's going to have it for the first time (i.e., me), how would you describe it?

I would say it's really moist. Duck is usually a lot more fatty than chicken.

That is a fair description. I've had duck at Thai and other Asian restaurants.

Have you ever had a steak or pot roast that had much more fat than usual? Not along the ends, but throughout the whole cut? I find duck to be like that: poultry with a softer, fatter twist.

[woot]

wait for it....

<snicker>