The Elements

About
640 S 35 E at the Riverwoods - map it!
Self described as Contemporary American cuisine, Elements is a culinary powerhouse when it comes to beautifully crafted dishes, in terms of presentation and taste. It may seem like a big fish in a small pond, but the chefs that run the kitchen are truly talented and compete on the levels of any city's best restaurants. Elements is spacious and stunning on the inside with its modern, loft-like architecture and soft lighting. Surprisingly affordable and with its own pub-style bar addition, this restaurant will definitely change how you eat in Logan.

Menu - view menu!
Hubs and I have ordered several options from their menu and here is what we think:

Gaufrette Potato Chips - PASS.  We thought they meant 'chips' as in potato slices but they were literally fried waffle chips. Really heavy and not a great way to start a meal. Sauce was heavy and soaked through the center chips in minutes, leaving the other chips bare. We ate like 5 chips and called it quits. Great presentation though.



Firecracker - B  The standard hummus and chips (hummus not pictured, sorry! It was a decent serving but really unphotogenic). The chips and bread were great but the hummus was a bit lacking, like grocery store hummus. Unless you really have to have hummus, stick with the complimentary bread basket for your starch.

Thai Lettuce Wraps - A+  Always delicious and worth every penny. The bok choy salad is so good and the flavor profiles are spot on! Super impressed! The sauces are pretty good but the only one hubs and I keep reaching for is the chili garlic sauce as the curry one is a bit strong and the peanut sauce was just okay. Pretty messy but our waiter dropped off hot towels with the appetizer (so thoughtful of Elements!) Really filling so we think 3-4 people could share this and still be good to go for the entree course. After the complimentary bread basket and this, the hubs and I were pretty full.

Baby Spinach Salad - A-  We've only ever had this as a side and it's HUGE. The salad itself is amazing but it always has way too much dressing on it. Can easily share this side with another person (or two) due to the size. I definitely appreciate the chefs giving us more bang for our buck, but it doesn't let you savor your last few bites and longingly look at your now-empty plate. Size down the portion by half and scale back on the dressing and it'll soon become a crazy favorite.

Sorry! Hub's iPhone picture bc someone forgot her phone and her camera...

Shrimp Platter - A  Great variety and worth the money. Shrimp lovers rejoice!  (Cold Weather Special)

• Chilled Prawn Cocktail - A  I love shrimp cocktail so this was awesome. Great sauce with a nice kick from the horseradish. Prawns were really fresh and chilled at the right temp.
• BBQ Tiger Shrimp - B  Didn't love this compared to the other options. My least favorite as the BBQ sauce wasn't anything special.
• Cajun Rock Shrimp - B+  It was pretty good, but definitely got out-staged by the coconut shrimp which I felt was too similar and got its butt kicked by coconut-y goodness.
• Coconut Shrimp - A+  I feel sometimes a perfect coconut shrimp is the end-all of favorite foods lists. There is simply nothing better than a perfectly executed coconut shrimp. And admittedly, it's hard to perfect. The batter has to be perfectly cooked so as not to overcook the coconut and avoid fryer-taste, while thoroughly cooking the shrimp, but not overcooking it. And then the sauce as to be equal parts sweet and citrus-y. If you have been searching for said coconut shrimp, you have found it. At Elements. 

BBQ Chicken Woodfired Pizza - A-  Their woodfired pizzas are seriously amazing and a straight up deal at the $8-10 range offered. So good, hubs orders it every single time we're at Elements. Not the best BBQ Chicken pizza ever, but pretty dang close.

Lobster Ravioli - A  So, so good. I would have liked something to cut the lavishness of this dish (like chopped asparagus maybe? capers?) but on a winter night, it seriously hit the spot. Can't really distinguish the lobster as its ground into the filling and not lumps of lobster like I would have liked, but at $23 in Logan, I really can't complain. Beautifully crafted dish and the fragrant saffron risotto was everything I dreamed of and more. Plus, it comes with lots of little shrimp for an added seafood boost. Yum! Comfort food at its best!



Turkey Chop - A+  If you like turkey at all, you will love this dish! An unexpected gem in their vast menu, this dish is brilliant; the turkey is so perfectly cooked- juicy and tender and mind-blowing and goes well with the marmalade/reduction (peach and orange, I think?). The filet-mignon-like bacon wrapped turkey is finished with butter and does not have the weird gamey taste that it usually has. If you said this was hearty chicken, I would have believed you! The french beans are cooked with bacon and compliment the Thanksgiving theme perfectly. And as always, the sweet potatoes here are a must-have. So good you will want to wrap yourself up in it and give in to the food coma that will surely ensue.

Price Range - $8 - 29
Surprisingly affordable and worth every penny! There's something for everyone here in their smartly curated menu and full size salads and soups go for as cheap as $5! Whether it's a causal lunch (even cheaper prices) or a romantic night out, Elements will never disappoint!

Be sure to check out their Cold Weather Specials for their daily special offerings!

Verdict - 5 stars
Whenever the hubs and I want to have a nice night out or have a thoughtfully prepared meal, this restaurant is it. The chefs deserve medals for opening a place like this in Logan. Everything on the menu is so well put together and the effort really shows. From this happy foodie, please never change the quality!

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.

Happy Sushi

About
20 W 400 N - map it!

Happy Sushi is located in a tiny, gray building in downtown Logan. Hubs and I were a bit hesitant our first time there, but we know some of the best gems can be in the most unlikeliest of places. Repeatedly one of the highest reviewed sushi restaurants in Logan, Happy Sushi is a clean, tastefully decorated sushi joint that rarely disappoints and always delivers on the freshest fish in Cache Valley.

Menu
view menu!
Happy Sushi offers a variety of Japanese classics such as teriyaki, katsu, tempura, donburi, and udon, but its specialty lies in sushi. It boasts a large variety (and I mean a large variety- its menu rivals some of the more expensive sushi places in SLC) of nigiri, sushi rolls, and sashimi options. Everything is meticulously made and delicious. 

image via Yelp: Double-Dash C.

Lunch Special: Spicy Tuna + Chef's Choice (image via UrbanSpoon: Chip Royce)

Price Range - $10-$15
The prices are pretty fair for sushi and the bento boxes are a good deal. Happy Sushi is always fresh and you don't have to worry about sketchy sushi with cheap cuts and questionable shelf life. Nigiri is a little pricey, the rolls are delicious and filling, and the lunch specials and non-sushi entrees are the dishes to order to get the most bang for your buck. Hubs usually orders a dinner box or an entree and we share 2 rolls (1 if we got an appetizer), and I get a bunch of different nigiri. It usually runs us about $50 (incl. tip) a night out, but I love sushi, and when we go I splurge a little.

Verdict - 4.7 stars
Happy Sushi is a great place for a sushi fix and higher quality than a lot of sushi joints I've eaten at. They have a certain appetizer made with halves of jalapenos stuffed with minced tuna, deep fried with tempura and topped with this amazing teriyaki sauce (or is it eel sauce?) and finished with nori. I can't for the life of me remember the name, and it's going to bug me forever. If you don't know what to get as an appetizer and don't mind a little spicy, I highly recommend that.

Le Nonne

About
129 N 100 E - map it!
Le Nonne is a cute little house right around Center St. It's a tiny, authentic Italian restaurant that brings a little class to Logan. The chef, PierAntonio Micheli was born and raised in Tuscany off the northern coast of Italy and learned to cook from his mother and grandmother. With an impressive culinary background like that, you just have to try Le Nonne. ("leh noh-nay" - "grandmother" in Italian) If you want some helpful tips on how to pronounce basic Italian dishes, this website is pretty handy. [Basics: "ch" is our "k" ("Bruschetta" = "broo-SKETT-ah"), "cc" is our "ch" (Carpaccio = "car-PAHCH-ee-oh"), always pronounce the e's at the end of a word ("penne" = "PEN-nay"), and "co" is a long e (like "oh"), not a short e.]

Handmade Crab Ravioli - amazing.

Menu
view menu!
The menu is carries a lot of basic Italian dishes, components that are rarely found in Logan but recognizable. I had the Pollo ai Funghi, Chicken with Champignon Mushrooms in a Marsala Wine Sauce. So delicious and even better the second day. I also ordered the Bruschetta con Mozzarella but it had more of a grill/charred taste than I like and the bread was a bit soggy from the fresh tomatoes. Hubs had the Ravioli di Pollo alla Marinara, Chicken Ravioli in a Tomato Sauce which was really good, considering I'm not a big fan of tomato-based sauce. The olive tapenade they serve you is to die for and I literally ate it by the spoonful when I thought no one was watching. Caesar salad is hard to do wrong, of course and I've heard really good things about their Spinach Ravioli and their Beef Gorgonzola. I've recently had the Pollo al Limone e Capperi, Chicken with Lemon and Capers- so good. And hubs had the Ravioli di Granchio, Stuffed Crab Ravioli in a yummy cream sauce, although it wasn't very filling. The food is always cooked with care and precision and those homemade raviolis are so addicting!

Chicken with Lemon and Capers - good, but a bit too lemony. Good to order once.

Price Range - $10-$20
The price is a bit on the expensive side, averaging around $12-15 a plate, $20+ if you want to go fancy. The dishes are generous and could feed two with an appetizer if you want to split a plate for an additional $2. Although it is pricey, I would say Olive Garden is just as pricey for lesser authentic Italian cuisine. It's definitely worth a try, if not for lunch, then for special occasions. Our bill always comes to around $30 before tax/tip.

Spinach Ravioli - amazing. I could eat this again and again.

Angry Pasta - good, better the next day, huge portions.

Verdict - 4.5 stars
I love Le Nonne, and would like to try all of their offerings. Unfortunately hubs is not a big fan of Italian so I don't get to go as often as I'd like. It's definitely the closest you're going to get to authentic Italian around these parts and once you've tried it, Olive Garden just won't be the same anymore.

Hamiltons Steak and Seafood

About
2427 N. Main Street - map it!
Hamiltons is set up with tables and booths in a very open, lodge-style building. It has a huge fireplace right in the center and big, exposed wooden beams in the ceiling and I aspire to live in it one day. They serve everything from seafood to steaks to chicken. It's a great environment for a nice date or a refined family outing and especially great for weddings. Hamiltons is where we had our wedding rehearsal dinner, so it's held in a special place in our hearts. That being said, let's pick it apart.


Menu
view menu!
Their caesar salad is ordinary, but their candied apple salad was fresh and playful (the sweet caramel vinaigrette is creative and delicious). The potato chowder is a must-try. It's not all all thick and chowdery but very like a soup and comforting. I preferred the miso glazed salmon over cedar plank salmon and my husband loved the chicken cordon bleu more than the herb chicken (I don't quite agree, but then again I'm not partial to chicken cordon bleu like he is). The steak was tender and everything it should be, but it is a steakhouse right? The desserts are simply the best, the sorbets are exactly what I imagine if eating perfume would be like in the best sense possible (airy, sweet, flowery, you get what I mean), and the german chocolate cake is so rich, the two of us couldn't finish it. The cheesecake was fantastic, although simple. And whenever you see an apple crisp on the menu, you know it's good. The creme brule made me sad because it was grainy and not custard-like as it should be. But if you crave it like I do, order it! It's still good (Haagen Daz makes an amazing creme brule ice cream by the way).

Price Range
Hamiltons is definitely on the pricier side from a college student's point of view, but the work they put into it goes above and beyond the standard. The menu is very well thought through and they use great ingredients. If you're looking to feed more than 10 people, going with the catered reservation is the cheapest way to go. It's just like the normal setting, you just get to pick the food people will want to order 48 hrs+ in advance.


Verdict - 4.3 stars
I love Hamiltons. It's a beautiful environment that makes you feel at home with great stick-to-your-ribs food and definitely an accessible fine dining option without being snobby. There is something there for everyone, no matter how shy or adventurous, picky or gluttonous.