Hello again my friends!
Can we please get back to the above average temperatures we enjoyed all fall here in Utah? This roller coaster of low pressure systems is killing me....and my skin.
It is this time of year I start to think about visiting Utah's Dixie, St. George. Always running about 15 degrees warmer than the Wasatch front I long to play some of the great golf courses that stay green year round. Some of my favorites in that vicinity are Sand Hollow, Sky Mountain, Coral Canyon, Green Springs and Sunbrook. Awesome!
But this isn't a golf blog. It's all about food here so here are some of my recommendations for your next visit to this golfing mecca.
Paula's Cazuela Mexican Restaurant:
http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/312/1300976/restaurant/Utah/Paulas-Cazuela-St-George
This is one of the coolest Mexican restaurants out there. It has an awesome view of St. George as it sits up on a hill. I have enjoyed almost every dish I've had there but I love their Steak and Chicken Fajita Quesadilla and Paula's Special Burrito (Enchilada style). You can't go wrong with either of these. Of course their chips and salsa are excellent. There are Mexican restaurants popping up all over but this is one of the oldest and the best. Pancho & Lefty's is a close 2nd and a favorite of my in-laws and their Huntsman Senior Game posse.
Pizza Factory: http://pizzafactory.com/main.html
These are popping up all over Utah, and we have one in Syracuse now, but nothing beats the one in St. George. I think it's because it's the warmest one in the state and that must makes the food taste better. What makes their pizzas is the crust. Light and flaky but holds up no matter how many toppings you pile on it. They have great subs (I recommend the Sausage Sub especially after 18 holes of golf) and their salad bar is as good as Sweet Tomatoes or Sizzlers.
Painted Pony: http://www.painted-pony.com/st_george_restaurants.html
When you want to go nice go here. That is after you have cleaned up after those 18 holes of golf. It's been around for over a decade but I recently discovered it from a tip of a co-worker. It's a great place to take the Mrs.'s and thank her for letting you go golfing. The Seared Ahi Tuna was awesome with the sweet mango sauce. Go with the asparagus in season as your side as they tasted like they were just picked. You'll never forget the Painted Pony!
Beijing Buffet: http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-52708009R-beijing_buffet-i
If you don't want to drive down to Mesquite or Las Vegas for a great buffet give this place a try. Out of the 5 or 6 dishes I tried at least 5 of them were excellent. The key with a buffet is to watch which dishes they just brought out and hit those. I never get the last scoop of any tray as the meat is usually tougher and the veggies get a little soggy. I've tried a few others but keep coming back here. Nothing beats a good Chinese buffet after 18 holes of golf.
I guess I need to go golfing don't I.
As St. George continues to grow please let me know your recommendations as I'll be down there in a few weeks visiting my extended family and I'm always open to something new and exciting.
Did I mention I'm going to golf?????
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Heber Valley, UT.
Wow! a whole month has gone by. You would've thought I had given up eating out. NOT!
It seems like the last quarter of a year is eaten up with one holiday after another. The kids are in fast forward from all of the treats and even though it's a crazy time I do like the company, family and neighborhood parties however and there are plenty of opportunities to eat out at some new restaurants with these gatherings.
Over the past month I visited the Heber Valley (Heber City and Midway) a couple of times and I have a few places to recommend. You don't even have to be Swiss to enjoy them. However if you ever get the chance to attend Swiss days in Midway I highly recommend it. It is the closest thing to visiting Switzerland without the high cost of air fare.
Let's start with Midway:
Tarahumara Comida Mexicana: http://www.tarahumara.biz/
Have I mentioned you have to have good chips and salsa to be considered a great Mexican restaurant in my book. Well how about 20 fresh salsas made fresh every day. You can spend at least a half hour trying all of them but a few of my favorites are the mango and green chile salsas. Try mixing a few of them together as well as some are really hot so you might need to cross the streams to tame them a little. I recommend the Pork Loin Chile Verde. They are large tender chunks and the flavor is excellent. They give you a hearty portion of all of their entrees so try to lighten up on the chips and salsa. Their desserts are killer as well so save room to share one. The fruit tart I've had was huge and very flavorful.
Cafe Galleria: http://www.cafegalleriapizza.com/
I spent a few weeks traveling through Europe after graduating from college and during our three stops in Italy I was able to eat a lot of nice Italian dishes. I remember the pizza most of all. It was really thin and it didn't look like there was much to it but man did it have a lot of flavor. This little joint has the pizza that I remember eating in Florence. I usually get the Americano pizza which has pepperoni. Again it is flat and not much to look at but their wood fire stove captures all of the flavor and holds onto it. You also have to share a few of the giant meat balls in their excellent marinara sauce.
Heber City:
Dairy Keen: http://www.dairykeen.com/
No stop to Heber is complete without a stop here. This is one of the coolest places you will ever eat. Of course it is complete with train motif to pull the Heber Creeper tourists in but the diner food is 2nd to none. Now let me make a confession. I'm a mayo guy. Not a miracle whip guy. I have never liked the sweet taste of miracle whip. So the first time I visited this place a lot of their sandwiches had miracle whip on them. I was leery to say the least. But I tried their turkey sub, with miracle whip, and it worked. I was as shocked as any one. They also have a killer Ranch Burger and of course you will need to try the original Train Burger. Get one of their shakes as well to wash it all down and then go run a mile or two for the guilt you will feel afterwards.
So there you have it. When you are fed up driving up and down I-15 all of the time take time out when your traveling between Salt Lake and Provo to take Hwy 40 through this quaint little valley and tell me if you agree with these selections. Make sure to let me know your favorites up there as well.
As the Swiss say "We like our chocolate and cheese with holes in it!".....I'm sure some Swiss person has said this before.
Enjoy!
It seems like the last quarter of a year is eaten up with one holiday after another. The kids are in fast forward from all of the treats and even though it's a crazy time I do like the company, family and neighborhood parties however and there are plenty of opportunities to eat out at some new restaurants with these gatherings.
Over the past month I visited the Heber Valley (Heber City and Midway) a couple of times and I have a few places to recommend. You don't even have to be Swiss to enjoy them. However if you ever get the chance to attend Swiss days in Midway I highly recommend it. It is the closest thing to visiting Switzerland without the high cost of air fare.
Let's start with Midway:
Tarahumara Comida Mexicana: http://www.tarahumara.biz/
Have I mentioned you have to have good chips and salsa to be considered a great Mexican restaurant in my book. Well how about 20 fresh salsas made fresh every day. You can spend at least a half hour trying all of them but a few of my favorites are the mango and green chile salsas. Try mixing a few of them together as well as some are really hot so you might need to cross the streams to tame them a little. I recommend the Pork Loin Chile Verde. They are large tender chunks and the flavor is excellent. They give you a hearty portion of all of their entrees so try to lighten up on the chips and salsa. Their desserts are killer as well so save room to share one. The fruit tart I've had was huge and very flavorful.
Cafe Galleria: http://www.cafegalleriapizza.com/
I spent a few weeks traveling through Europe after graduating from college and during our three stops in Italy I was able to eat a lot of nice Italian dishes. I remember the pizza most of all. It was really thin and it didn't look like there was much to it but man did it have a lot of flavor. This little joint has the pizza that I remember eating in Florence. I usually get the Americano pizza which has pepperoni. Again it is flat and not much to look at but their wood fire stove captures all of the flavor and holds onto it. You also have to share a few of the giant meat balls in their excellent marinara sauce.
Heber City:
Dairy Keen: http://www.dairykeen.com/
No stop to Heber is complete without a stop here. This is one of the coolest places you will ever eat. Of course it is complete with train motif to pull the Heber Creeper tourists in but the diner food is 2nd to none. Now let me make a confession. I'm a mayo guy. Not a miracle whip guy. I have never liked the sweet taste of miracle whip. So the first time I visited this place a lot of their sandwiches had miracle whip on them. I was leery to say the least. But I tried their turkey sub, with miracle whip, and it worked. I was as shocked as any one. They also have a killer Ranch Burger and of course you will need to try the original Train Burger. Get one of their shakes as well to wash it all down and then go run a mile or two for the guilt you will feel afterwards.
So there you have it. When you are fed up driving up and down I-15 all of the time take time out when your traveling between Salt Lake and Provo to take Hwy 40 through this quaint little valley and tell me if you agree with these selections. Make sure to let me know your favorites up there as well.
As the Swiss say "We like our chocolate and cheese with holes in it!".....I'm sure some Swiss person has said this before.
Enjoy!
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