Today's post will be on the state of Utah. As a corrections officer told me once "Utah is known for the three "M's" Mormons, Minivans and meth." This is mostly correct but I like a lot of people here need to eat and there are people who want what they eat to taste good. I can sum up the food situation with this story.
I was on a date with a girl who will remain nameless to protect her safety. This was a couple of years ago when I was in high school (go P.G. vikings). We were talking about going and getting something to eat we discussed burgers, Mexican food and Italian. That's when she said "I could go for some rely good Italian food lets go to Fazoli's." This was the last date I went on with this girl. Ok not the last date but I at that point realized that food in Utah is mostly crap.
If you ask most people in Utah to direct you to a good place to go get burgers the will tell you where the closest McDonald's is. If looking for good Mexican food most people will tell you about dell taco or taco bell or the fifty other chains with taco in their name. You want good Chinese food we have a thousand Panda Expresses.
Their is hope however there are places to eat in Utah that don't suck that don's sacrifice time for flavor. We do have places that are worth driving an hour and zig zag through streets because you can't remember how you found the place the first time. Places that are a beacon of hope in a wasteland of corporate shit holes. I will be talking about four such establishments today. These are in no particular order.
The first is in my home town of Pleasant Grove. To get to this place take I-15 get off on the Pleasant Grove exit its between Lindon and American Fork. Turn toward the mountain with the big "G". Drive until you see anyone walking on the street it doesn't matter how old they are what they look like just any random person on the street. Ask that person "How do you get to the Purple Turtle from here?" They will be able to tell you from wherever you are exactly how to get their. This place this beautiful place has the largest shake menu I have ever seen. The burgers and fries are awesome and the fry sauce is high quality (if you don't know what fry sauce is that's ok neither do I it's pink its called fry sauce and you can put it on anything and its awesome).
The second place is also a burger joint but its America we love our burgers. Sammy's Famous Pie Shakes this place is in Provo at 27 N 100 W. The building looks like it used to be the guard house for the parking garages that it is surrounded by. The Pie shakes are famous for a reason I cant ever remember how to get her but I will drive up and down the streets of Provo until I run out of gas. Get out of my car leave it on the side of the road start walking until the soles of my shoes fall apart. Take them off walk bare foot on a hot street over broken glass only finding the place after they close sleep on the street waiting for them to open to get a pie shake. The shakes are not pie flavored they take a pie cut a peace out of it and put it in a shake and then blend it.
For number three let me introduce you to Diego's Toco Shop also in Provo at 45 W 300 N. The tacos are the best I have had as good as any place I have been to in Mexico. Everything is made fresh to order and is fantastic. I can't tell you how many times I have told friends that we are going to go get some tacos and they get confused when I stop here. They do however never want to go to a fast food taco joint again this place will make you hate taco bell and your welcome.
Last but not least is an actual authentic Chinese hot pot restaurant called Four Season's Hot Pot and Dumplings this is at 236 N University Ave Provo, UT 84601. I know most of these places are in Provo but its where BYU us so students from other countries are looking for a taste of home and so these places do well here. This place is almost indescribably good its not to expensive and its all you can eat. I have been known to sit down with a group of two or three friends and eat for hours. They have hot plates on all the tables you chose the type of broth you want. My broth of choice is half miso half hot and spicy, they do this by having a pot with a separator in the middle to make sure the broths don't mix. You then go to the bar they have pick what you want its raw so don't eat it yet put it in the pot wait for it to cook and then eat it and repeat until you fall asleep. I leave this place wanting a nap every time that's how good it is.
Now I leave you with this plea anyone who has any pull any power what so ever in the food industry help me. Help me make sure that the people in Utah start to sit down and enjoy what they eat. We need places to eat that make me proud to live in Utah places that I can tell someone that is not from Utah about and have them say "I have herd of that place its awesome."
That's all for today and 's Zaphod Beeblebrox (Andrew)
I was on a date with a girl who will remain nameless to protect her safety. This was a couple of years ago when I was in high school (go P.G. vikings). We were talking about going and getting something to eat we discussed burgers, Mexican food and Italian. That's when she said "I could go for some rely good Italian food lets go to Fazoli's." This was the last date I went on with this girl. Ok not the last date but I at that point realized that food in Utah is mostly crap.
If you ask most people in Utah to direct you to a good place to go get burgers the will tell you where the closest McDonald's is. If looking for good Mexican food most people will tell you about dell taco or taco bell or the fifty other chains with taco in their name. You want good Chinese food we have a thousand Panda Expresses.
Their is hope however there are places to eat in Utah that don't suck that don's sacrifice time for flavor. We do have places that are worth driving an hour and zig zag through streets because you can't remember how you found the place the first time. Places that are a beacon of hope in a wasteland of corporate shit holes. I will be talking about four such establishments today. These are in no particular order.
The first is in my home town of Pleasant Grove. To get to this place take I-15 get off on the Pleasant Grove exit its between Lindon and American Fork. Turn toward the mountain with the big "G". Drive until you see anyone walking on the street it doesn't matter how old they are what they look like just any random person on the street. Ask that person "How do you get to the Purple Turtle from here?" They will be able to tell you from wherever you are exactly how to get their. This place this beautiful place has the largest shake menu I have ever seen. The burgers and fries are awesome and the fry sauce is high quality (if you don't know what fry sauce is that's ok neither do I it's pink its called fry sauce and you can put it on anything and its awesome).
The second place is also a burger joint but its America we love our burgers. Sammy's Famous Pie Shakes this place is in Provo at 27 N 100 W. The building looks like it used to be the guard house for the parking garages that it is surrounded by. The Pie shakes are famous for a reason I cant ever remember how to get her but I will drive up and down the streets of Provo until I run out of gas. Get out of my car leave it on the side of the road start walking until the soles of my shoes fall apart. Take them off walk bare foot on a hot street over broken glass only finding the place after they close sleep on the street waiting for them to open to get a pie shake. The shakes are not pie flavored they take a pie cut a peace out of it and put it in a shake and then blend it.
For number three let me introduce you to Diego's Toco Shop also in Provo at 45 W 300 N. The tacos are the best I have had as good as any place I have been to in Mexico. Everything is made fresh to order and is fantastic. I can't tell you how many times I have told friends that we are going to go get some tacos and they get confused when I stop here. They do however never want to go to a fast food taco joint again this place will make you hate taco bell and your welcome.
Last but not least is an actual authentic Chinese hot pot restaurant called Four Season's Hot Pot and Dumplings this is at 236 N University Ave Provo, UT 84601. I know most of these places are in Provo but its where BYU us so students from other countries are looking for a taste of home and so these places do well here. This place is almost indescribably good its not to expensive and its all you can eat. I have been known to sit down with a group of two or three friends and eat for hours. They have hot plates on all the tables you chose the type of broth you want. My broth of choice is half miso half hot and spicy, they do this by having a pot with a separator in the middle to make sure the broths don't mix. You then go to the bar they have pick what you want its raw so don't eat it yet put it in the pot wait for it to cook and then eat it and repeat until you fall asleep. I leave this place wanting a nap every time that's how good it is.
Now I leave you with this plea anyone who has any pull any power what so ever in the food industry help me. Help me make sure that the people in Utah start to sit down and enjoy what they eat. We need places to eat that make me proud to live in Utah places that I can tell someone that is not from Utah about and have them say "I have herd of that place its awesome."
That's all for today and 's Zaphod Beeblebrox (Andrew)