10.29.2012

Apple Spice Bakery



About
1545 N. Main St - map it!
Apple Spice Bakery & Cafe is a cute new restaurant in Logan. They have multiple other locations throughout the US and offer cafe-style seating, delivery, and box lunches. There are in a convenient location but be wary of eating in their outside seating area, as it could get quite loud due to traffic.


Menu - view menu!
They have a great variety of soups, sandwiches (including paninis), and salads, as well as baked goods such as dessert items or freshly-baked bread. There is something for everyone, which is great because it's a healthy and delicious alternative to having lunch at common fast food places around, like Taco Bell or McDonalds (hey- I love those too, but sometimes a girl craves something healthy!). Apple Spice Bakery has an incredible selection of sandwiches and salads, so every visit there is something to discover!

Granny Apple Turkey on Honey Wheat Bread with (half-eaten) Pasta Salad
Price Range - $5-9
The cheaper items in the $5 range are breakfast items, which they serve until 10:30am. Other than the lone Mac n Cheese or the Garden Salad options at $5.99, all other menu options fall in the $6.99-8.99 range. A little pricey for lunch, but you pay for the creative options and unique variety you wouldn't find much else of in Logan. They do offer free delivery which is a great deal!

Freshly sliced turkey, havarti cheese, crisp apples, and lettuce on gloriously mouth-watering bread.
Verdict - 4.5 stars
The food was great and the atmosphere inviting, my only complaint is that it was a bit pricey for portion sizes (which is rightly justified by the creativeness and rarity of menu items but we were still kinda hungry after). But all the menu items seem thoughtfully crafted and delicious! I would definitely come back here again even without the "Buy one menu item, get one free" option from our Cache Valley Club Card.

10.22.2012

Pecan Pie




Pecan Pies
Makes 3 pies

16 oz. pecans (Stone Mountain Pecan Company)
2 sticks margarine (Parkay)
16 oz. package light brown sugar (Domino or Dixie Crystals)
1 heaping tablespoon (serving tablespoon, not measuring spoon) self-rising flour (White Lily)
16 oz. bottle light corn syrup (Karo)
1 tablespoon (serving tablespoon, not measuring spoon) imitation vanilla
6 eggs
3 regular size (not deep dish) frozen pie crusts (Pet-Ritz)

Melt margarine in the microwave for about 2 minutes or until melted and set aside.
Prepare your pecans. Remove any unwanted brown pieces from the pecan crevices and shake out pecan crumbs in a colander.
Place brown sugar in a large bowl. Work out any lumps with the back of a spoon. If the brown sugar is too hard, you can loosen it up in the microwave. Heat it for a few seconds and it will be fine.
Add a heaping serving tablespoon of self-rising flour and stir until the flour disappears into the brown sugar.
Add a bottle of light corn syrup. Then add 1 serving tablespoon of vanilla and stir until thoroughly combined.
Add melted margarine. Fold carefully into the mixture so it doesn’t splatter. Fold until the margarine is thoroughly worked in and disappears.
In a separate bowl, crack open six eggs. Remove the “roosters” and loosely beat the eggs with your spoon.
Fold the eggs into the pie mixture until they disappear.
Add pecans and stir until completely coated.
Remove three pie shells from the freezer at this point and check for cracks. If you do have a crack, thaw and knead the crack together and refreeze.
Pour the mixture evenly into the three shells. You’ll probably have a little bit leftover in the bowl. Tap tops with a spoon to check consistency and make sure there is the same amount in each pie. Redistribute pecans if necessary to make equal.
Bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 350. Cook pies until they swell and then fall. At that point they are done.
Remove and cool for about three hours. Store on the counter or in the refrigerator depending on how you like your pie.

10.07.2012

Garlicky Cream of Broccoli Soup



Excellent for beginners, great for people who are on a time crunch to savor that lusciously rich, slow-cooked taste with only 15 minutes of work. Serves 2-4.

Ingredients:
1 cup small broccoli florets
2 cups chopped broccoli stalk and bigger florets
1/2 small onion, quartered - optional
4 giant cloves of garlic
1 pint half and half (or whole milk, but it's only 99 cents and well worth it!)
1 can (10 oz) condensed cream of celery soup
1 cup grated extra sharp cheddar (or really, any cheese)
salt and pepper to taste
a pinch of nutmeg (seriously)

To start, bring a well salted pot of water to a boil and toss in the 2 cups of roughly chopped broccoli, the chopped onion, and 2 cloves of garlic. Boil on high until the stalk pieces are fork tender and scoop out and blend in a food processor until smooth. Save 2 cups of the pot water and dump the rest.

In the same pot, mix the can of cream of celery and the carton of half and half. Add the blended vegetables and stir on medium heat. Mince (don't food processor it- no matter how tempted you are) the other two cloves of garlic and toss in. Add in the cheese and stir. As it bubbles away, periodically add the saved pot water to keep it from getting too thick. I used about a cup and saved the other cup to add when I boiled the soup again later for leftovers.

Remember to keep tasting as you stir so you can flavor it with salt and pepper accordingly. I did add quite a bit of salt and pepper, but I find broccoli usually requires more salt than most veggies do and I just plain old love pepper. Add the nutmeg and cover and let simmer on very low heat for however long you want. I let mine sit on low for 45 minutes since we were in no hurry and it was amazing. Serve with crusty sourdough bread!

Look Paula Deen, no butter! I love butter, but why add it when you can't even taste it in the end? This soup is plenty rich and flavorful without any. The nutmeg saves the soup from tasting too vegetable-y and gives it the right amount of fall spice. You can't taste the nutmeg too much, but it definitely makes a difference.

8.23.2012

Call of the Wild

There's no question that I live for food. If food was taken away from me, I would seriously reconsider living. What about your significant other, you say. Food is my significant other (no offense, B). It is the reason I breathe, the reason I get out of bed in the morning, the reason I live. And this meal, is what I dream of.

No, not this salad, however yummy and oriental.
No, not this drink which deceives you into thinking it's beer (it's rootbeer, mom, chill out)
THIS. All you can eat, freshly caught off the shore, dungeness crab. Where's my portion? I ATE IT ALL before everyone else could pick up theirs and I'm impatiently waiting for the server to bring me my next victim.
Homemade daily, topped with a sauce made from wild Alaskan blueberries. Yet it still wasn't the best part.

That is one happy girl. And if she could, she would throw it all up so she could fill her stomach with juicy bites of buttery crab all over again.

I don't wanna brag, but crabs scuttled for their lives away from us for weeks.

3.16.2012

Art City Trolley Restaurant

About
256 N Main St, Springville
Art City Trolley is a cute restaurant that opened in 1995 that features a real 1931 trolley built into the front of the restaurant that you can dine in (I definitely suggest it for spring-fall), and their menu boasts lots of delicious creations. Their baby back ribs won Zagat's Dining Guide's "Best BBQ in the State" and their salads (can you say huge portions?) won "Utah Valley's Best Choice" for salads. And you can get their famous salads as a catering option, as well as whole cakes (be prepared- they're giant) and cheesecakes, dressings, wing sauce, and salsa.

Menu
view menu!
The menu is sectioned off into Salads, Sandwiches, Burgers, Quesadillas, "Basket of Goods"(fried chicken and fish), and "Off the Grill," where you'll find the wings and ribs. And of course, appetizers and dessert. I've had the Oriental Express Salad and Trolley Chicken Sandwich (soo yummy, get the "Lip-Sweatin' Hot!" sauce- not too spicy but has a Wingers-like tangy-ness to it). Hubs has had the Fish and Chips and the Bleu Bacon Burger (he ordered it "Build Your Own" to get it cheaper and without tomatoes).

(for mouth-watering foodie goodness, right click on pictures and open in a new tab)
Bleu Cheese Burger (doesn't normally come with fry sauce but the hubs slathered it on before I took take a picture)

Trolley Chicken Sandwich with "Lip-Sweatin' Hot!" sauce

Trolley Chicken Sandwich

Bleu Cheese Burger (not real bleu cheese, but a bleu cheese sauce... still delicious)

Price Range - $7-14
The menu has good variation and is fairly priced for the generous portions and quality of ingredients. The chicken is juicy and seasoned well, never dry. And the cod for the fish and chips were fresh and flaky. The salads are enormous, so if you're not planning on sharing or taking it home to eat relatively soon, I'd order a half salad. The burgers are a bit bigger than your normal burger. So in summary, a little pricey for a casual lunch (or decently priced for dinner) but worth every penny for the quality and creativity.

Verdict - 4.5 stars
Hubs said this might be one of the best burgers he's ever had. The salads are a repeat favorite of mine and the mother-in-law. The chicken sandwiches are to die for (if you're a chicken sandwich fan, you have to try one here) and the fry sauce is one of the best in Utah. The service is awesome and attentive. This place is my favorite place to eat in Springville! A must-try for anyone.

2.09.2012

Kabuki Japanese Sushi & Hibachi Grill

About
461 N Main St  - map it!
Kabuki is located on main street where a Chinese restaurant used to be. They are a hibachi grill, specializing in chefs who put on a little entertainment and conversation while they cook your food on a grill. There is also a sushi bar and several booths surrounding the hibachi grills. There is sometimes a wait, as this place is a popular weekend spot and only hibachi grill in Logan. The food is executed well, but aside from the hibachi grill, which tends to be a little pricey compared to most, but bear in mind this place uses the best ingredients and it is the only hibachi within miles.

Gyoza - not worth it. For a couple bucks more, you can get 50+ of these in a bag at the Korean store.
Russian Roulette Roll - amazing! Could be a bit spicier, but then again I love spicy.

Menu
(right-click and open in a new tab to view larger, sorry for the poor resolution)
If you plan on doing hibachi, call in and make a reservation, these fill up quick and have a long wait!



Kabuki offers basically two groups of food, hibachi and sushi. If you're a fan of neither, there is a small selection of udon and yakisoba (noodle dishes), and "kitchen entrees" where you'll find tonkatsu (pounded and panko fried cutlets) and teriyaki, which both come with miso soup and steamed rice. The sushi menu covers all the basics and features some creative rolls, a good variety for both beginners and sushi lovers.

Pork Tonkatsu - good, wish I had less pork and more veggies.
Shrimp Tonkatsu - also good.

Price Range - $8-$35
The "kitchen entrees" are very filling and moderately priced. The sushi is very fairly priced and they definitely don't skimp there. Lots of fresh fish and thickly cut slices on the rolls. The hibachi grill tends to be a little pricey compared to most hibachi grills, but the quality of the ingredients are phenomenal; NY strip, filet mignon, and lobster for hibachi? This place is doing hibachi right.

Chicken Teriyaki - okay, but got sick of it halfway through. Doesn't come with veggies.

Verdict - 4 stars
I've eaten at tons of hibachi grills, and while Kabuki is the new kid on the block (and our hostess didn't know what or how to say hibachi- forgivable, it was her first day), they are certainly very detail oriented and meticulous about their food. If they could lower their hibachi grill prices by a teensy bit and put a little more effort into their other entrees, this place is certain to become a permanent hotspot in Logan. I'd definitely go back for the sushi, though.

Kabuki Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar on Urbanspoon

2.07.2012

Cafe Sabor

About
600 W Center St - map it!
Cafe Sabor is a mix of American and Mexican, resulting in crave-able flavors and generous portions of satisfying Tex-Mex food. The complimentary homemade salsa is very addictive and you'll find yourself wanting to put it on everything. The restaurant itself is located in an old train station and is well lit and spacious as well as interesting.


Burrito Supreme - marinated meat, rice, and beans, covered with amazing sauce.
Menu
view menu!
The menu is vast; from spinach and artichoke dip and table-side guacamole to fish tacos and Baja chicken pasta, the menu encompasses hearty and healthy foods for every palate. They've got salads, burritos, pasta, seafood, quesadillas, fajitas, tacos, and chicken dishes.

Fajita Burrito - marinated meat, grilled onions, bell peppers, and zucchini, covered in red sauce.
plate size perspective by soda glass and free chips n salsa!


Price Range - $6-15
The pricing is very fair and the portions are generous. Chips and salsa are complimentary and our server always refilled when they got low. They have different specials for several days of the week, so call in advance or go check it out! And if you have a Utah State Brainy Joe card, Cafe Sabor offers a "Buy an entree, get a fried ice cream free" deal.

Verdict - 4 stars
The portions are well sized for day-later lunch or a big appetite, and the food is definitely soul-satisfying. Hubs and I sometimes crave Mexican-but-not-Mexican food, so this place hits the spot! Open til 10pm on weekdays, this place is nice to go to for those pesky late-but-not-too-late night cravings.

Cafe Sabor on Urbanspoon