Since I first saw the show I have wanted to visit the different places in Utah. After several attempts to get there I was finally able to make the trip. I arrived into Salt Lake City late in the evening after a stop in Denver.
After an all too short night's rest I headed out to start the journey. Usually I try to get the long drive to places done first. Most of the places Guy visited in the "Bee Hive State" (Utah's nickname but not sure why) are in the Salt Lake area but he did a few about 90 minutes north in the Logan area, so let's get busy! The drive north is very scenic. My first stop was in the small town of Garland. "Pie Dump & TL Catering" is a small café in what seemed to be a small farming town. The restaurant has a real western feel and seems to be as much a bakery as a restaurant. The café has a real rustic feel and has pictures and news articles about the town and it's residents They were doing a pretty big take out business, mostly their homemade donuts and pastries.
I decided to go small and ordered the Hot Bun and Gravy. The meal came very quickly and the bun was huge and crusty with butter melted in the center. The gravy was a brown dinner style gravy and tasted good, a nice dip for the crusty roll. I wasn't able to talk to the staff as it was busy.
The wait didn't' seem to long and soon I was seated on the back patio. Usually I prefer to sit inside but the weather was really pleasant. Herm's specialize in breakfast, although they do have a small lunch menu but breakfast is their real forte. They serve French Toast by the slice! Perfect for me since I prefer small plates. I chose their special of the day, Banana Bread French Toast served with candied walnuts and caramel sauce, it seemed more like a breakfast dessert!
The meal was decadent! The French Toast was not too sweet. It actually looked more like slices of pie, topped with caramel sauce and candied walnuts. I enjoyed it and if I ever get back to Logan I'd like to try some of their other specialties. My server signed my book. Herm's is a very nice place and well worth a visit, even with a wait!
I headed to my next stop but had to make a quick stop at Utah State to visit the book store to get my buddy Barry a T shirt, he loves small school shirts and even though Utah State may not be a small school it is not as well known as other universities in the area.
My next stop was a bit different, a classic Indian restaurant in a Sinclair gas station. "Tandoori Oven" seats about 30 and a gas and mini mart, which is owned by the same family. I was seated at a small table and decided to try the appetizer sampler.
The plate came out with 3 or 4 different items to sample. The platter included: a Vegetable Samosa, a triangle pastry stuffed with curry, potatoes and peas: Chicken Pakota, like a chicken tender; Vegetable Pakorta and Onion Bahji. All were good, but the Onion Bahji was the best, deep friend onions, I call it the Indian Bloomin' Onion.
As I was leaving I met the owner and his son, who is now the head chef, who signed my book. A really nice family owned place. My next stop was across town at a place that was supposed to be Carry Out only due to the pandemic, but when I arrived I was offered a seat at a very busy South American place called "El Salvador Los Primos". The restaurant was a bit dark and spartan but don't let looks deceive as the food here is excellent!
I ordered a Steak Sope, which is an open faced taco served on a thick tortilla shell with lettuce, tomato, Mexican cheese and a crema sauce. It was great, the tortilla was like a small savory waffle and very crispy. This is either a messy hand held or a fork and knife meal, I chose the latter.
They have a very large menu and it's a very popular place, there were a number of large families enjoying lunch, I don't think you'll be disappointed visiting Los Primos.
My last stop in Logan was a very lively Cajun inspired place called "MayMoes Cajun Grill". The place was packed when I arrived. The menus are presented on huge chalk boards. I was enthusiastically greeted by the manager who made everyone feel like a family as they entered. I wasn't sure what I wanted, they have on their menu some interesting items so I was at loss. I wanted to try the Gator Bites, but they had already run out so I chose to try the New Orleans Beignets (small fried dough topped with powdered sugar) and took it to go.
I got my dessert and was able to meet MayMoes owner and he would only sign my book if I got a picture with him for their website, I figured that was a fair exchange! I didn't try the Beignets until I got back to the hotel and they were delicious, they got Café DuMonde, the classic New Orleans café beat!
After another all but too short night's rest, my second day I headed to a few places in Park City, the ski resort area about 30 miles east of Salt Lake City, but on my way I had two places to try. I left the hotel and headed to South Salt Lake to a place that had been built in the 1950s as an ice cream shop. The building looked like it was in the classic art deco style of architecture. "Finn's Café" is a place that specializes in breakfast and lunch offerings. I sat at a table in the middle of the brightly lit restaurant, which had been rearranged for social distancing. They also have outdoor seating with a lot of natural greenery I was warmly greeted by my server who explained the different items and specialties on the menu.
I remembered that one of the items that they made for Guy on his visit was the Weinerschintzel, which is a lunch item but they do make it for breakfast on request, so that's what I chose. The meal took a few minutes to make but it was worth it. The breaded flat beef patty was covered with a brown sauce topped with a lemon slice and capers, along with hash brown and two slices of rye toast with homemade raspberry jam. It was a very good meal, the jam was awesome! Before I left I met the owner and chef and he asked me where my tricked out Camaro was, sorry I drive a rental! After signing my book he gave me a Finn's bandana! I really appreciated that!
I left Finn's and headed out for a short drive to my next stop. "Blue Plate Diner" is a classic place in a quaint neighborhood. There 's a lot of cool 1950s rock and roll memorabilia decorating the walls. The place looks like it may have been a gas station in an earlier life. I was seated at a booth. When it comes to social distancing these guys didn't mess around, if the table was out of service, they pulled the table out!
Blue Plate features hearty breakfasts, and I decided to try the Biscuits and Gravy which came out very fast. Two biscuits covered with sausage gravy with a huge portion of breakfast potatoes. All of their meals can be ordered for vegetarian and vegan eaters. The meal was pretty good. I was able to meet the owner who signed my book before I headed out.
From Blue Plate I made the 35 minute drive east to Park City, the ski resort area, home to the 2002 Winter Olympics Alpine Skiing events. The drive took me through canyons into the beautiful Park City area. I arrived at the "Silver Star Café " about an hour prior to it's posted opening but it was open. I decided to walk around the Silver Star resort and residential area before going to the restaurant. The café is at the base of a skiing area, along with a large golf course. I also noticed that biking is a popular pastime during non-ski season. It seems that the architecture of the area conforms to a western feel.
I went in and was given a seat at a small bar that faced into a window overlooking one of the nearby golf courses. Sliver Star also has a huge patio and has the western feel that most of Park City has.
I decided to go light and get a bowl of fresh fruit and Applewood Smoked Bacon. The wait was really short and sometimes, lighter is better. The large bowl had melon, grapes, strawberries, oranges, watermelon, which is my favorite! The bacon was crispy and really good, too. One of the servers signed my book before I headed to my next place.
The next stop was just about a mile away in a small strip mall. "Sammy's Bistro" is almost like a sports bar with both indoor and outdoor seating. I chose an indoor seat and decided to get an order of Jalapeno poppers. The ceviche I wanted was not available.
My last Park City spot was actually a place that I attempted to go to the night before in Salt Lake City. "Maxwell's East Cost Eatery" is in downtown Salt Lake City, but do to the pandemic was open only for call in, carry out with a limited menu. The staff told me that their Park City location was open for dine-in on the weekends, so I decided to go nd try their famous Guy approved Meatballs. Maxwell's is in a new resort area called Newpark and is really nice. I decided to try the Meatball sub.
The sandwich was awesome! The meatball was made with 2 or three meats, one of which must have been spicy sausage, there was spice bite. The sauce was a nice dip, but the best thing was the locally made roll, soft and delicious! I met the manager who signed my book before heading back to Salt Lake City.
After a sort break I headed out to continue the journey. My first stop was "Proper Burger Company" and as I approached the place seemed very quiet, even with 3 cars in the parking lot, then I approached the door and there was a sign stating the the place was closed due to a power outage. That was a huge disappointment because I had been told by a number of people that this was worth a try.
With that I headed to a place nearby that was listed as carry out only, but "Purgatory Bar" was open for dine in. I was seated at a small table inside, although the place is almost like an indoor/outdoor place with a huge patio courtyard. The place revolves around the huge bar and features a huge drink menu and serves upscale pub grub.
I chose the Pork Belly Bao Buns. The steamed buns were filled with a slice of pork belly topped with a hoisin sauce, pickle, crushed peanuts and cilantro. They were presented in a steamer box and were delicious, the buns were soft and the pork very flavorful, I could have eaten about 6 more!
I enjoyed my meal but it seemed that Purgatory's clientele seems more the younger crowd who are there for after work drinks. From Purgatory I headed to my last place of the day and a true Triple D classic. "Red Iguana" has been featured twice on Triple D and has classic Mexican cuisine. The place is very colorful and always has a wait. Mine was set at 25 minutes, but I lucked out and got a table after about 10 minutes! I was greeted and seated by a very friendly hostess who led me to my seat, I actually had my own room! The place is very colorful with Mexican memorabilia and decorations throughout the restaurant.
The menu is huge, over a hundred items! I decided to order the beef flauta platter. Prior to getting the meal I was served a basket of homemade tortilla chips and salsa. The salsa was really good and not very spicy. My meal soon arrived, two flauta's, which are rolled tortillas filled with beef (shaped like long cigars) and toped with guacamole and sour cream, with rice and refried bean on the side. The flauta's were excellent. the guacamole was pretty spicy but the sour cream helped cool it down. I was also able to meet the manger and she came over to chat for a moment and sign my book.
My third day in Utah started early. I headed out abut 6a to get to a place that had just aired as part of Guy's Triple D Nation series, so I knew it would be busy. I arrived at "Hruska"s Kolache's" just after it opened at 630a, open just for carry out. There was already a few people waiting. Kolache's are like a filled roll pastry with both sweet and savory choices. I had to wait to see which types were available as they were just making the first batches of the day. I had to wait abut 10 minutes until many of the different varieties were finished. I chose the Sausage Gravy Kolache, which was featured on their Triple D episode and the Maple Walnut Kolache. I took mine out and ate them in the car as the place was getting really busy with a growing line. The Sausage Gravy Kolache was really good, think of it as a deconstructed Biscuit and Gravy! It was spicy, although not very large it was very filling. The Maple Walnut Kolache was very good, too. The Kolache roll was not sweet, all the sweetness was from the maple walnut topping.
Ruth's features large hearty breakfast's but I knew I wanted something light (that's how I know I'm getting old!) so I chose the "Patio Parfait". It was delicious, a mix of granola, 4 or 5 types of berries mixed in yogurt and topped with whipped cream and served in a sundae glass. I really enjoyed it, not too sweet, the mixture of crunchy granola and fruit was very nice.
I have wanted to visit the Salt Lake area for a number of years because I really liked some of the places Guy visited here in the early seasons of the show. My next stop was one of those places. Located in the south end of Salt Lake City, "Moochie's Meatballs and More" is a throwback to the owners roots in Philadelphia. Moochie's specializes in Philly Hoagies. On their episode Guy really like the Meatball Hoagie, so that's what I chose. They also feature Cheesesteaks, the big sandwich of The City of Brotherly Love. The wait for the sandwich was short and although they asked me if I wanted their signature Jalapeno Sauce or Fry Sauce I like my Meatball Hoagies (one of my favorite sandwiches) pretty much plain. The hoagie had huge meatball halves smothered in tomato sauce on a Philly style seeded roll with two slices of provolone cheese. It exceeded my expectations, delicious! My only regret was that the owners weren't there to sign my book, but the manager on duty did.
Moochie's is a very busy place, mostly doing carryout probably due to the pandemic, but this place is one I would definitely visit again when in the area. I'd like to try their Cheesesteaks. I headed out to a carryout place close by. "Laziz Kitchen" is a small place that features Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. I decided to try one of the appetizers, Stuffed Grape Leaves. I had to wait outside and then eat them in the car, but the inconvenience was worth it. The order came with 4 Grape Leaves. I have had these at a number of places, but these were amongst the best I have had. Stuffed with a very tasty spiced rice mix that melted in the mouth, very good!
My next stop was actually a revisit to a place that I tried to visit the day before. "Proper Burger Company" had been closed due to a power outage, but after posting this on my Facebook page, one of the managers contacted me to say they would be reopening so I had to try and get back. Proper Burger is a very popular lunch spot in an industrial area of south Salt Lake, there are two patios, a small one in front and a large one in the back along with a few open tables inside. They do counter service and I chose the Plain Proper Burger, a 1/4 lb. burger with a homemade tomato ketchup and microgreens. It was very good, very tasty ground beef. The greens and ketchup really added to the burger. I'm glad I was able to get back!
My last place of the day happened to be just a few miles from the hotel in the town of West Valley City. "Curry Pizza" features all types of pizzas but specializes in Indian inspired cuisine. It is very much like the MOD pizza chain, where you order it and it's made and cooked right there. I decided to try one of the Indian pizza's called Butter also known as Makhani. The crust was made up of Indian Naan bread and topped with chicken, mozzarella, roasted onions, roasted garlic, ginger, cilantro with Indian spices and Butter or Makhani curry sauce. Let me tell you, it was delicious! The Naan crust really made it, I would choose Naan as a crust base for any pizza! I could have eaten it in the restaurant but the seating area was empty so I decided to bring it back to the hotel. I also decided to try a Mango drink with a yogurt base, it was very tasty. Curry Pizza is the real surprise of my trip, I was pleasantly surprised and is a MUST if you are in the area!
After a few days of going from one place to another I decided to take it easy and go to a place that I have wanted to see for a long time. I made it an early morning and headed for the 90 minute drive north out of Salt Lake City to Promontory and the Golden Spike National Park, the location where in 1869 the Transcontinental Railroad was completed when the engine Jupiter from the California Pacific Railroad met with the Union Pacific #119 engine, to create a faster way to cross the country. The one fact that amazed me is that when the rails were built south through Salt Lake City at the turn of the 20th Century this railroad was disabled and actually during World War 2 the rails were removed to use the metal in the war effort. They rebuilt about 5 miles of rail when the National Park was built in the mid 1960s. The musuem was closed due to the pandemic but they still ran the replica 191 recreating part of the spike ceremony. It was very cool!
From the park I headed down to Roy, a small town just outside Ogden. "The Burger Bar" is one of the main reasons I wanted to try the places in Utah. I have wanted to visit since I first saw their episode in the first or second season of the show, almost 12 years! The place has been family run since the 1950s and is a walk up place, no indoor dining, just take out, eat at the few benches out front or in your car. They feature burgers, fries, onion rings, drinks and huge milk shakes. One of unique things is that they also make Buffalo and Elk burgers and all the meat they use are from nearby farms. I chose the Buffalo Burger, which came with fries and a Cherry Limeade. The burger was tasty and buffalo is leaner than beef, but to be honest I don't think I would have been able to tell if it had been beef or buffalo, it wasn't gamey at all. I enjoyed it, like most in the car!
My last day in Utah was a slow one, I had just two places to try. I headed out to South Salt Lake to a place that Guy visited in one of the early seasons. "Pat's BBQ" is in an industrial area. I arrived shortly after they opened and was the first one seated, although the carry out business was busy. The building is unique, I think it might have been a store or office at one point. When you enter the carry out is a room off a hallway that leads to several dining area, the main one being in the back. The hallway is decorated with all kinds of cool decorations including tributes to rock music legends and of course the Guy poster. I was seated at a picnic style table in the large dining room that has a stage at one end for the many musical nights that Pat's hosts. I decided to try the 1/4 Chicken meal along with the Meaty Gravy and Rice side. I was surprised how fast my meal came, a huge thigh and leg. The Gravy Rice was loaded with shredded pork and very tasty. The chicken was meaty with a nice smoke flavor. I am glad I got there when I did as the place was filing up as I was left.
I headed out to a place just a few miles away. "Oh Mai Sandwich Kitchen" is a Vietnamese themed restaurant that despite the name has all types of Vietnamese cuisine including Pho, Noodles and of course the signature sandwich, Bahn Mi. Oh Mai was only open for preordered carry out. One of the staff saw me calling and took my order. I decided to try the Beef Bahn Mi and took it back to the hotel. It was really good. Due to the influence in Vietnam of France, the Bahn Mi had a crispy French sub roll which was very tasty. The sandwich was loaded with sliced beef, tomatoes, carrots, onions, Daikon lettuce and a sandwich length cucumber. I have had Bahn Mi's at several places and this one was really good. The roll really makes the sandwich great, the Bahn Mi is becoming a favorite of mine.
Salt Lake City and Utah had been a place I wanted to visit to try all the Triple D places that Guy visited and this trip did not disappoint. I'm so glad I was able to get here and hope that I can come back. Seeing Michele and eating great meals made this a great trip. As I left Salt Lake City, my Triple D count was 781.
Bill, you have visited more of Salt Lake than Me maybe haba or at least restaurants. I have only been to the Red Iguana. Thanks for the details and taking us along on this adventure! So glad you got to see Michelle! I'm sorry that our plans to visit didn't match up!
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