A partnership between IRC, Salt Lake County, and the Utah Refugee Coalition, New Roots was developed to inspire and encourage the growth of small scale, urban farms and community gardens that increase food access for refugees in Salt Lake City.

This happens in a couple of ways.

Refugee growers involved in the New Roots Micro-Training Farm program have access to land, resources, training and technical assistance so they can grow and sell produce at the weekly Neighborhood Farm Stand and to local restaurants and grocery stores.

The Farm Stand improves food access and affordability through the Fresh Fund, which matches each dollar a customer spends in SNAP (food stamps) benefits at the Farm Stand up to $10 a week, allowing customers to purchase additional healthy, locally-grown produce. The Farm Stand is located at the Horizonte Instruction and Training Center.

In 2012, many farmers expanded sales beyond the farm stand to include local grocery stores and restaurants such as Southeast Asian Market and The Community Food Co-op.

Farmers also worked closely with local chefs to supply high quality, seasonal vegetables such as amaranth, long beans, rare varieties of eggplant, and okra.

At Caffé Niche, the 2012 summer menus often included dishes featuring okra grown by a New Roots farmer from the Darfur region of Sudan. At the Tin Angel, a stew featuring vegetables grown by Burundian farmers and inspired by Central African culinary traditions, made its way onto tables.

The Rose Establishment and Sea Salt both purchased spicy Thai chili peppers and featured them in their summer and fall menus. Ethan Lappe, the chef and owner of Café Niche was impressed by amaranth greens – a fast growing and highly nutritious plant with African origins – grown by New Roots farmers that he chose to cook them while a guest on a local morning TV show.

All of this interest and support for New Roots culminated in 2012 with growers earning roughly $4,000 through retail sales to grocery stores and local restaurants, and making an additional $12,000 in farm stand sales. For 2013, the farmers have set the bar higher.

Goals for 2013:

- Increase community gardening opportunities for refugee families, focusing on providing gardens to new arrivals.

-Increase productivity and income for refugee Micro Training Farm growers by helping them improve their production skills and access more local markets. In 2013, growers have identified a goal of $10,000 through retail sales at restaurants, and of reaching out and developing relationships with new restaurants during the 2013 season. In 2013 the growers have set a sales goal of $20,000.

-Pilot five new specialty ethnic crops, including: sweet potato vines, winter squash vines, fava beans, Aubergine de Burkina Faso eggplant, and green Thai eggplant

- Increase food access for refugee and immigrant community members by increasing the customer base at the market and increasing sales. In 2012, the Farm Stand opened in mid-July and 40-50 refugee families shopped at the Farm Stand each week. In 2013 New Roots hopes to open the Farm Stand on June 8^th, provide healthy food for at least 60 families per week, and provide $5,000 in Fresh Fund dollars for low-income customers.

-New Roots is reaching out to Salt Lake City community members by offering volunteer and internship opportunities for individuals, groups, ongoing volunteers, and volunteer work days and events. We will also be hosting awareness events in the spring and fall in order to encourage community members to visit our Redwood Road farm site, meet New Roots growers, and get involved in the program.

If you would like to learn more, please contact:
Grace Henley, IRC Refugee Agriculture Coordinator, at Grace.Henley@Rescue.org

Supreet Gill, Salt Lake County New Roots Project Coordinator, at Skgill@Slco.org

You can also stay informed by visiting them online or “liking” New Roots on Facebook.

My experience at The Paris Bistro all started when I made reservations online. Immediately I got an email confirming my reservation. Sweet, all was good to go. But shortly after the first confirmation I received a voicemail that confirmed my reservation. I soon became irritated, because I made the reservation online to avoid a such a phone call. Too bad the message required me to call back to confirm my party of three reservation. Really?! Why even have an online reservation feature if we have to play phone tag on what was an already confirmed reservation? Time to take a couple of breaths. Don’t worry, I got back to neutral and shook my annoyance goodbye.

But the bumps in the road crept up again: I recall an awkwardness as the three of us entered the bar entrance and hovered over diners searching for the hostess stand. I wish we knew to have entered through the door that is just north of the entrance we went through. Bummer. As we waited to “check in,” I was looking forward to sitting down and catching up with my friends. Too bad our evening turned out to be a less than ideal.

Yes, the local bistro was clutter free, decorated simply, yet elegantly, with a strategically placed mirror angled just so in the back of the dining room to watch over all the patrons. We were seated next to “restaurant main entrance” and right in between two tables. I felt peeved again – this is what a reservation got us even though there were plenty of other tables for three available? I regret not inquiring for another table. In addition it was quite noisy, and therefore we did not feel particularly comfortable, because we had to strain to hear what each other were saying. I am sure that half the restaurant could have seen my cleavage as I leaned over the table for the couple of hours we were there. Oh the memories were stacking up.

It took us awhile to get through the menus, which certainly is in competition with the infamous size of the Cheesecake Factory’s. Nevertheless our server was nice and friendly and attempted to be attentive, but wasn’t a fine dining pro. Several times, she could not answer any of our questions and failed to come back with an answer to one of them all together. She failed to chill our bottle of white wine, while scattered around the restaurant we could clearly see that other diners’ received coolers for their wine. Unfortunately we had a conundrum over the logistics of the billing, too. I could think of other less-than-professional examples, but I think I made my point – my expectation of great service ended up being mediocre. Isn’t this one of the finest restaurants in Salt Lake City or am I mistaken? Is it wrong to expect more?

Finally after navigating through the menu, that seemed more Italian than French, we all decided to try the vichyssoise soup. I was utterly disappointed. It seemed to be missing the main ingredients: potato and leek because the velvety texture was completely missing. Instead we were served an intense green soup that had more nettles and crunchy peas than I would ever want to remember. I was worried about what the rest of our dining experience would bring if this is what we were starting with.

One of my guest decided upon the Gnocchi a la Parisienne, which was a serving of pan-seared potato dumplings with mostly spinach and wild mushrooms stacked on top of the main ingredient. He describes it as, “attractively presented, well prepared, it smelled and tasted good, but was a bit rich for my taste.” Upon asking if he would order it again he retorted “Maybe, a bit rich, but while the menu was huge, this was one of only a couple items that appealed to me.”

My other guest ordered the “Poulet Rôti à L’estragon”. The menu describes this dish as an “all-Natural Wood-Oven Roasted Mary’s Chicken Breast, Mustard & Tarragon Jus, Wild Mushrooms, Fava & Pea, Roasted Root Vegetables.” Sure, it looked nice. It smelled fine. It looked incredibly delicious. My guest mentioned that the ingredients tasted fresh, but didn’t have a farmer’s market freshness. She doesn’t recall consuming any fava or peas so it might be worthwhile to have the kitchen put in a little extra amour into this dish, but the rest was reported to be perfect: “It was perfectly cooked and just the right amount. I was delighted with my plate.”

As for me, I am a sucker for butternut squash stuffed ravioli with a sage and butter sauce with hazelnuts. I know, this dish doesn’t sound very French either, but this is their best selling dish apparently…so I had to go for it! The beurre blanc was a great balance between too delicate and too thick. The filling was the perfect temperature. Yes, this dish was worth the wait, but the portion size left me grateful that I had some bread to munch on before it arrived. However I felt beyond rude eating so much bread in front of my friend who couldn’t eat the offering due to a diet restriction, especially since the Bistro didn’t have an alternative bread option. Tsk tsk.

Finally since two out of three of us were all still a bit hungry and looking for any remaining morsel on our empty plates, we decided to share the lemongrass creme brûlée. That is French with a Thai twist. Fortunately the dessert had a terrific crunchy top, but where was the lemongrass? If you can’t taste it why, advertise it as such? Too bad we felt like we just came full circle again with a less than ideal dining experience. I was really looking for the cat’s meow tonight, too. Sigh.

To sum it up, The Paris Bistro definitely does not get the top snobby rating. And all together we can’t say if we would return either, not unless we knew someone who was dying to go there and insisting on paying! Overall the food was good and interesting, but the menu can be tightened up, and the service and attitude can improve. It was our gamble to have chosen The Paris Bistro as the place to catch up. It provided an atmosphere that was nice and mostly comfortable, but too loud. Having said that, it obviously wasn’t a nightmare. Just looks like I need to realign my expectations if I ever go back.

Rating — I would be willing to return when I’m not the one picking the joint.
Edited by SELF

Wouldn’t ya know that you don’t have to travel half way around the world to go to Kathmandu? You can get a taste of it here in Salt Lake. Nervous about eating at a restaurant in a strip mall? You shouldn’t be, because Sprouts Market and McDonalds is Kathmandu’s neighbor. I assure you that such hesitation will quickly melt away as you walk into the warmly decorated Nepali and Indian-themed restaurant. The aroma, music, ethnic images on flat-screens, and service may hypnotize you into an eastern-themed trance that will allow you a culinary experience worth going out of your way for. The space is perfect for a business lunch, a date night, or to try something new. The seating is equally spaced around the restaurant, it’s fairly quiet, and the servers are literally at your service.

My guest and I started our evening off with an order of vegetable samosas stuffed with spuds and green beans. Of course by themselves they were bland, but these deep fried little numbers came to life once we poured the appropriate sauces over them. They weren’t the world’s best samosas because the pastry wasn’t as delicate as I like; however, I would certainly order these again, especially since they were served hot and made in-house.

My guest ordered one of her Indian go-to dishes, aloo tikka masala with a side of raita (traditional yogurt cucumber sauce). She says, “This is a vegetarian dish made with chunks of potato cooked with onion, tomato, nuts, cream, and spices. The color was a rich reddish/orange and the smell was something that I can’t describe but it seduced me to eat nearly EVERY BITE. The flavor was some of the best tikka masala I have had in Utah, leaving me very satisfied.”

And to tell you honestly, I don’t know what I ordered. I asked our shy, yet attentive, server to make the decision for me. Yes, he was a bit nervous, because it appeared that he has never been up against such a task! And wouldn’t you know it – I ended up ordering the most succulent chicken served with the richest tomato based sauce I have tasted yet. The naan and rice served with our dishes were perfectly warm and fluffy – on both counts! This Kathmandu specialty was out of this world. I would absolutely order this again. How would I do that? Who would like to find out what I ordered and report back here!?

By the time dessert was offered, my guest and I were already taking home doggy bags and were way too full to consider their amazing sounding kheer, jamun, or kulfi. Certainly there will be another time to test those offerings out.

Rating – I would be willing to return again, again, and again to order the mystery dish and learn a bit more about the owners.

Edited by SELF

Did ya know that Bruges Waffles & Frites opened a second location a few months back, in Sugarhouse – ain’t that sweet? If you didn’t know, now you do. So, once you decide to set out to this hot spot, know that the parking between the liquor store, gym, and Bruges is a bit hairy. In fact there was some shared concern about how much of a hassle it was to simply get a parking spot. Eeek. But, heck, in the end it was worth the risk to park in a spot not meant for Bruges customers. All worry melted away when we walked into the quaint little place.

The restaurant is a little hole in the wall: a small, local little bistro that offers savory and sweet items. Are you following? The space had some capricious things on display that gave it a little character, like the manneken pis fountain hanging out in a corner.

If you have never experienced Bruges, you might be a bit confused by the concept of this stomping ground. Some of the items may seem bizarre, like their torpedo waffle – a waffle stuffed with two entire chocolate bars – or sandwich stuffed with French fries. In retrospect I should have ordered one of each – dang it. Regardless, you might think that this would be a good place for a snack…until you start digging in.

As I was looking over the space some more, I noted that there is more seating here than their downtown location. Whew, we didn’t have to compete to get a table with anybody. In sum, it was a cool spot and although the food was “fast,” Bruges didn’t have any fast-food feel. And OMG, they have bathrooms here, too, which are not available at the downtown location or The Canyons location.

You order at the counter at this joint. The young lady taking our order was helpful and nice: after studying the menus on the walls for a few moments, we were offered a paper menu to survey what they offered. She helped us decide on a freak’n dog, liege waffle with toppings, and a machine gun sandwich.

The guest who ordered the freak’n dog declared, “It was a tasty sausage in an over-sized baguette with chopped onions and curry sauce, served with a side of fries [with his choice of samurai in-house made mayonnaise].” Alas, the verdict was somewhat of a disappointment, because the bread to dog ratio was too high. Sure, the frites were perfectly crispy, but overall there was just too much bread. My guest was left jonesing for more chopped onions and/or other accoutrements to satisfy his expectations. Therefore instead of ordering this at his next Bruges rendezvous, he would most likely order the freakendel, which should leave him satisfied, as it is a Belgium sausage equipped with the same topping, but sans baguette.

Another guest had a bit of the sweet tooth and decided to order a liege waffle, which had a thin caramelized glaze on it, topped with strawberries and crème fraîche. Sounds fancy, doesn’t it? Don’t let the vocab scare you – it’s more or less a tasty waffle with strawberries and whipped cream. It certainly satisfied her sweet tooth. Yup, it was a delicious little hearty goody that was more like a dense pound cake due to the special ingredients in the dough. What a perfect combination of tastes and textures: fresh strawberries, nice and fluffy crème fraîche. Yes, my guest would absolutely order this again. In fact, as I’m writing this, I am thinking about heading down the road and grabbing myself one!

And finally, I was the one who ordered the machine gun sandwich, a famous menu item, which has spicy lamb sausage (merguez) cradled by a wedge of a baguette, salty, yet tasty, frites covered with in-house andalouse mayonnaise. It took me awhile to find the merguez, but once I did, the spiciness and flavors presented themselves with a bang. But, just like my guest who had the freak’n dog I, too, was a bit frustrated with the baguette. Simply put it was a bit difficult to eat, and I ended up tossing the baguette because I was not going to wrestle with it and in the end embarrass myself by ripping off a piece with my teeth, inevitably creating a scene around the table. Fortunately there were more than enough frites and I left full.

All in all, Bruges offers a unique menu to those who visit either location in Salt Lake City by none other than a Belgium man himself. Still, I haven’t tried everything on their limited menu, and I do believe that the Sugarhouse location has other goods that are not available downtown, like the ricky burger, the dogs/sausages and some other ice cream dessert. Even though there was a waffle craze that passed through our town a couple of years ago, I do feel like Bruges is here to stay and I welcome it with open arms. I hope you will, too.

Rating — I would be willing to return when I get a salty or sweet tooth craving.

Edited by SELF

There I was in Sugarhouse advancing upon a well known modern landmark, the Dodo Restaurant. I was dreaming how my experience would play out, because their reputation seems to be secure around the dessert arena, but what about their dinner menu? As I walked into a crowded lobby, I noticed there were groups of families, dates, friends … and without a doubt it seemed clear that everyone belonged there. Yup, this is a place where my guest could see her husband and herself going out for a date night, or choosing as a girl’s night out destination. The dark wooden floors added a depth to the modern space and without diminishing the openness of the restaurant. Somehow the fluorescent hot pink lighting went well with the quirky dodo paintings and deep maroon walls. Staff members were all engaged at their tables – nobody was loitering around and soon enough we would acknowledge that even though the tables were close to each other, we didn’t feel like everyone around could listen in on our conversation. My guest and I felt comfortable.

In short, the chef had it going on the night we visited. Please allow me to explain, most of the time when I hear the word “special” I chalk it up to…we gotta get rid of these ingredients before they turn. Well, well, well… the Dodo proved that thought wrong. The chef satisfied my demanding palate. The presentation of the dishes was colorful, had clean edges, and featured fresh ingredients. The flavors of every dish boosted with pizzazz. The only knit-picky thing I walked away with is: I could have skipped the Denny style slice of cantaloupe on our appetizer’s plate.

Speaking of our appetizer, we first ordered the artichoke pie, and, as per a thoughtful suggestion from our server, we substituted the crackers for baguette slices. I can’t imagine this plate any other way. Indeed the bread offered a good balance for the rich combination of …let’s face it – basically cheddar cheese and artichoke hearts.

We both got a side caesar salad and  this sucker wasn’t a side: I could have been full with this and a cup of soup. It was beautifully dressed and the lettuce was prepared in manageable bite-sized pieces. If I were on a date, I wouldn’t worry about eating this salad. High five to the Dodo for knowing how to execute this basic.

My guest ordered one of the specials, which was a filet of beef topped with caramelized onion, blue cheese and crispy bacon. It looked out of this world. It came with a side of vegetables and mashed potatoes. My guest reports that, “The food was delicious!!!” Or did she mean the filet? Because she did feel that there were too many vegetables and potatoes, most likely used as plate filler. Even though I am a fan of veggies, I would agree – the Dodo could get away with smaller sized plates and/or small portions. Regardless, she mentioned that the sides were nothing to write home about. The potatoes could have used some seasoning or gravy of some sort. But the star of her dish – the filet mignon – was DIVINE!!! She later told me that, “the meat melted in my mouth. I’m not a big fan of blue cheese so I was somewhat apprehensive, but the flavors together were amazing!!!” No doubt she would absolutely order this again. Um, dear Dodo, can we find out when you are going to offer this as a special again? Or can you let us know if you are going to make this a regular item on the menu?

I was caught between the herb chicken and another special. So, I looked to our server for some guidance and she rallied. I was impressed how she owned her opinions about the menu instead of going for the defaulter, “It’s all good.” She dug into what I was after and voila – I ordered another special: cilantro marinated, bone-in chicken that was presented with a healthy dollop of guacamole and placed over the best tasting chipotle cream sauce. This was all served with a massive helping of jasmine rice and black beans. Again, were the sides a plate filler? My guest and I clearly would have been happy to have less of those items and still pay the same price. When will restaurants learn? Yet, I’m happy to report that the chicken was nice, tender, and juicy. Luckily they didn’t 86 the special before I decided on it and…whew…I got the last one. Again, this dish ought to be on the main menu and not just a special. Dodo, do I have to beg?

And then there was dessert. My meal defeated me, but the Dodo is known for their pies. How could I not have their signature tollhouse pie? Oh right, my stomach was too full, and even though I was considering pretending like it was Thanksgiving and unbuttoning my jeans, I decided to get a slice to go and wear a skirt next visit. My guest also ended up taking home a slice. I have yet to sink my fork into it, but I am looking forward to the opportunity.

The question now becomes, “Can any restaurant make these dishes or is this place one of a kind?” I’m sure another restaurant can give us what we wanted, but no restaurant would give up two meals worth of food for the price of one. Hello leftovers!

Finally, when it came to service, our server was clearly knowledgeable in the specials and all items on the menu that we inquired about. Because of that, I was able to trust her completely, and that isn’t something that happens easily. Again, the server rocked it and made our dining experience what it was – terrific. But, could something have been better for the overall dining experience? Wouldn’t ya know I’ve come up with something. Wanna hear it? It’s a small detail, but it would have been a nice gesture if the hostess were to offer something to drink while we waited for a table for 20 minutes. I mean, the bar was right there in plain view waiting to provide such service.

Rating – Damn, somebody needs to contact the Michelin Man, if they bring the specials onto the regular menu.

Edited by SELF

We thought we were at the main entrance to Finca, but when I tried to open the door, it wouldn’t budge. Hmmm. So my guest and I started to head down the steps to what we thought was the back door when someone opened the front door and greeted us, noting our stupidity – we just had to pull on the door. As we walked through the restaurant to the hostess stand, I noticed how clean and sophisticated Finca looks. It definitely has a “cool” vibe going for it. Plus all of the employees seemed hip and put together.Yet, it has a borderline sterile feeling to it with the grey and blue sharp lines decorating the entire place. My guest reassured me that Finca was able to pull off a clean, open and modern feeling. What didn’t fit was the storage rack for wood located in the middle of the restaurant that brought “warmth” to Finca. Hard to picture, yup – I agree and I was sitting near it.

As the hostess seated us, we recognized the semi-open kitchen and bar that outlined the area. It always feels neat to see the cooks in any restaurant. Once we were seated in one of the five or so booths, the restaurant seemed to become more bit more cozy and private. Indeed it is a small space, but Finca didn’t seem to overcrowd the space with too many chairs and tables.

Our server was happy and polite for the most part. He seemed to know and love everything on the menu. When we looked to him for advice and suggestions, he pretty much went through all of the items and told us how much he liked them all. As my guest noted: this guy couldn’t pick a favorite if his life depended on it, which was somewhat disappointing. Other than that, there were a few times that we just smiled and nodded because we had no idea what he mumbled to us. He could have spoken a little bit more clearly and slowly, but then again…should we have asked him to repeat himself?

We ended up ordering a few small plates that dished up quality ingredients of local products: awesome. Overall, the dishes were nice and clean – certainly not too fancy. Surprisingly, Finca offered more than just a bite size helping on their small plates. These were certainly dishes that you can do family style without feeling like you are getting gypped by sharing it with someone else. The food smelled delicious and appetizing.

For sure my guest and I were intrigued by the creative play on the brussels sprout salad (Ensalada de Bruselas). The flavors of the dressing presented a great marriage with the leaves of the brussels sprouts. Who could go wrong with honey and sherry? However, the cream sauce was a bit heavy on the mayo-tasting spectrum. The dried cherries presented a nice texture, but Finca totally could get away with replacing them with cranberries or some other dried fruit, because they didn’t have a distinguishing taste. Unfortunately, this was our least favorite dish. I’ll be honest: perhaps because it was the healthiest one!

My guest and I are potato lovers, and so it came as no surprise that we ordered their (Papas y Aioli) potatoes which were well-decorated with paprika and a generous drizzling of classic aioli. They were not overcooked, nor crispy. They could be described as fancy Arby’s french fries (without attempting to sound like an insult), but who would turn even those down? For sure we would order these again. In fact, we would most likely order our own individual small plate so we didn’t have to share!

The crispy flatbread (Coca de Ajo) was rich with flavors. The chives were delicately placed amongst heavy hitting ingredients, like the salty serrano ham, sharp manchego cheese, and caramelized onions…and yes, I might now smell like garlic. But, this flatbread was worth it. I would recommend it to Finca diners.

At this point it was time to move along to dessert. Since there wasn’t any chocolate dessert on the menu (my guest’s usual go-to), she didn’t waste any time deciding to try a classic. One order of the almond tres leches with blueberry and lemon sauce please. Even though she ate the entire portion, she felt that it was a tad dry. However, the flavor was good. One of the best parts of the dessert ended up being the toffee garnish on top of the slice of cake. I wonder if they can do a toffee dessert.

I had the spiced churros. Unfortunately I misread this and thought it read spicy churros. So my expectations were set up for a different taste when I drenched one of the four churros into the cacao sauce. The thing is – more is not always better. I think this dish could have been best if it only had three churros with various dipping sauces, like a spicy chocolate sauce, salted or burnt caramel, and a component that could be unique to SLC…maybe something, with honey. But certainly, I feel like I got a sugar high from this sweet dish.

I appreciate having Finca in town – a place where I don’t have to make a large commitment to something I may not enjoy completely. And yes, any restaurant should be able to provide a smaller size or side dish item, yet this is Finca’s specialty. Nevertheless, I think they could bring more of a cutting edge to the flavors of the dishes. Besides the flatbread that popped with flavor, the other dishes didn’t leave behind too much of a memorable impression – certainly not a bad impression, just a safe one.

As we wrapped up our meal, the energy of our server totally changed after he inquired about my camera. I wish honesty wasn’t my policy, because I would’ve liked to say that I was a tourist or something and that’s why I was taking pictures. Or maybe I should have said that I was doing an article to compare Salt Lake City and Spain tapas. But as our dialogue moved along, he seemed “put out” when I asked if I could see the manager. His mood changed even more and actually became a little sassy when he learned about this blog, which at that point he informed me that he was the manager and then changed his story and told me he was the assistant manager. Hmmmmmmmm.

Rating: I would be willing to return if and when a friend invites me to meet up there to experience some other items we didn’t have a chance to try.

Edited by SELF

Once we set foot into Najavo Hogan’s establishment, smoky from all the fried tacos they had been making, we were told that they were closing for the night. After seeing the shock on our faces and acknowledging that their (albeit outdated) website and Google listing said they stayed open until 8pm, not 7:00, the owner decided to allow us to order. Unsurprisingly, we were completely rushed through our ordering, curtly prompted by “yes” or “no” questions. Certainly there was no interest in up-selling any product – we were a burden, not valued customers.

So, what did we all order? We ordered the only thing that was truly being offered to us: fry bread tacos with our choice of chicken or beef. How did it look? The presentation wasn’t anything special. It was simple, almost what you’d expect on the side of the road taco stand, but with a thicker tortilla. To our relief, the Navajo taco looked exactly like the picture that was placed right next to the register – bubbly fry bread, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, some tasty looking salsa, beans and ground beef. I knew what I was going in for. Or did I?

The ingredients didn’t exactly taste the freshest. My guest felt like we got leftovers. Since Navajo Hogan was ready to close maybe they did bust out the day’s leftovers. The food was greasy, salty, and for the lack of a better word – blah. In fact, I should have been a horse, because I felt like I was licking a salt block. Where was this sodium coming from? No, not the bread. Nope, not the meat. Was it the beans? They didn’t taste canned, so…just too much of a generous tip into the pot? It was so salty that I didn’t even finish my taco. I left hungry. Major bummer.

The question now becomes: Did we get an authentic Navajo Hogan experience? Would we order a taco again? The verdict: we are toying with the idea to give Navajo Hogan the benefit of the doubt, return another (earlier) time to see if the tacos could be as good as we’d hope.

Even though I am a snob, I do admire places that are holes in the wall – when they have some grub that shouts out to the world, “We know what we are doing” and “We are dedicated to what we are making.” Without any hesitation, I would qualify Navajo Hogan as a hole in the wall, with its simple decorations that provide a little bit of Native American culture. However, the place could have benefited from a good scrub, straightening up, paint touch up, and the like. It would have been a nice gesture if the owner had stopped hovering around us and decided to take out the trash or something, instead of just calling it good after a shift. That being said, it’s difficult to want to return when it doesn’t seem like any new investment is going into this once “flourishing” place that has been “frequented by people from all over the world,” as noted on their website. Where did all the hard work and love go?

No doubt Navajo Hogan is unique. Simply put, I wish I would have been able to try some other goods that they offered, such as the sweet fry bread, but since I didn’t feel like I had a choice or even the luxury of time to inquire about it, my experience here was an all around disappointment. I’m trying hard to pretend that this wasn’t such a pushy and let down experience. Instead, I keep on daydreaming that Navajo Hogan is a worthwhile diamond in the rough to check out. But then, I am quickly reminded that it probably isn’t worth returning, as our favorite part of our visit was identifying money from around the world that was displayed on the counter, which had nothing to do with the food or service!

Rating – They should be the next contestant on Kitchen Nightmares.

Edited by SELF

It was a little hard to find, not because of the location, but because I have driven by it a number of times and never noticed it. The establishment is kept pretty discreet, but I believe that to be intentional to keep it feeling like the hidden treasure that my guests and I found it to be.

Upon arrival the staff took our winter coats and led us to our table. The dining room was comfortable and clean. None of the tables were too close to others, and we quickly observed that the seating is limited to a maximum of four persons per table. The temperature was cozy, especially for being such a cold night, and the lighting was low but certainly not dark. The space felt high class: simple, clean, uncluttered – sophisticated through and through. It was clear that Forage wants their guests to focus on the food.

Ordering was easy since Forage has a fixed menu – all selections are made by the chef, but they are very accommodating to guests who cannot or do not like to eat certain items. The food was incredibly fresh. In fact, some of the meat was raw, smoked, or cooked to rare, which normally scares both of my guests, but Forage pampered us with premium culinary products which were fresh and seasonal. This fact was key in our dining experience at Forage, because superior dining and culinary experiences start with quality ingredients. There were no mediocre morsels or bites consumed.

Every single dish that came out was art. Edible art. We had 20+ courses – all simple, sophisticated, and highly creative. With each dish, we all found ourselves anticipating what was coming out next. The menu only gave us enough information to identify the main ingredients in the dish, but how it was prepared and the complementary flavors were a complete surprise until the courses were presented. We were all hooked and intrigued to see what we were going to be given next. No doubt we all were beginning to experience a food euphoria. There is no restaurant in Salt Lake that compares to the quality of presentation: unique dishes included large glass bowls, stones, slat slabs, and so on and so forth. The plates themselves were heated or chilled, various utensils were offered. Forage presented itself was a combination of class and flair. Can any other restaurant compete with them?

If you are not an adventurous food eater, unwilling to try new flavors, or are dedicated to specific foods, you might not want to try Forage. Also if you expect to get in and out quickly, do not try Forage. It took 4 hours to finish the dinner served, although the entire experience was a lovely adventure and time flew by. Every single one of the courses had flavors that married well together. The temperature, textures, seasoning, and aroma were one hit out of the ball park after another. If Forage were a musical ensemble, they would get a standing ovation with “bravos” shouted out. The only courses that made me shake my head were a frozen horseradish dish paired with an apple butter and the trout skin. Yet, even with these dishes we tip our hats to the chef for being creative and pushing all of our palates to the limit. For example, my guests wouldn’t go out of their way to order duck liver and roe, but tried it and found it savory and refreshing. The entire menu encompassed the feeling of winter – the food was comforting, homey, and warm.

Nothing could have made these dishes better. In fact, I was in awe when a guest of mine stepped out of her culinary bubble to try trout skin, roe, and other courses that she typically wouldn’t ever attempt to eat. She certainly appreciated the accommodation to certain food restrictions and the alternative dishes the staff presented. How accommodating! All three of us would absolutely return to Forage. The only downer would be that since we believe each night offers a different menu there would be no guarantee that we could get the same dishes again. What happens if we are craving one!?!

The service was impeccable no matter where we were: staff courteously stepped aside while I walked to the restroom. At the table they didn’t create a hierarchy among my guests and me, as every dish was set down at the same time. Servers took turns explaining the dish being set in front of us, each showing detailed knowledge about the complexity of each dish.

No doubt my experience at Forage screamed,”We are here for a memorable, delightful, culinary experience where you are our royal guests.” At the end of our four hour meal, we were presented with our coats without asking which ones belonged to us: it was, simply put, very polite and respectful.

As you will notice, I have not uploaded any photos, because I do not want to strip away the integrity, the nature, and experience of what Forage does – you will just have to go and experience it yourself.

Rating: Damn, somebody needs to contact the Michelin Man.

Edited by SELF

A week past the new year and Lugano still had holiday decorations up – seemed a bit strange, and maybe even a bit tacky. But hey – tables were set up nicely, and the restaurant was pretty busy for a weekday evening. Surprisingly, Lugano did not seem noisy even with all the people dining there. Once seated, my guests and I felt relaxed and certainly didn’t ever feel hurried in any way.

To get our evening started right, Lugano supplied us with some pieces of foccacia, along with some tasty olive oil and an assortment of olives. As grateful as I was for the foccacia, the presentation was plain, and the bread had obviously been sliced prematurely, as some of the edges were not as soft as they could have been. Plus, a little bit more salt on top of the bread could have made the flavor pop out a bit more. The olive oil was certainly the highlight during this sampling, and the olives were a nice contrast to the oil, even though they were not pitted. All in all, the gesture presented us with enough time to make a decision on what starters and entrees we would order.

My guests each ordered a salad: two hits out of the ballpark. The baby spinach salad was decorated with dried cranberries, candied walnuts that I was prepared to steal off the plate, feta cheese, red onion and a perfect ratio of dressing. The beet salad was served with avocado, fennel, blue cheese and, again, a nice balance of dressing. There was some discussion at the table about if the avocado fit in the salad or not – we decided it just depended upon the simple fact of liking avocados or not. Both of these salads would certainly be ordered again. This was a great sign to the rest of our evening…or was it?!

Our final starter were pyramids of parma prosciutto, arugula, “torched pears”that incorporated a dabble of mascarpone, and a drizzling of balsamic vinegar. This was a dynamite dish in presentation. The nuttiness of the arugula complimented the sweetness of the torched sugared topping of the pears, and it just worked well. I still wish I had that taste in my mouth. The only disappointment to this starter was that the pear wasn’t as ripe as I would have liked it – it had a crunch to it, which is too bad, because the texture was just slightly amiss. Besides that setback, this starter dish was out of this world. The flavors really jumped out at me. I recommend the torched pears.

Did you know the house fettuccini is supposedly Lugano’s best selling dish? Upon learning that, I had to hands down go for this entree. Soon after ordering it, I discovered that it contained perfectly in-house made noodles bathed in an Italian sausage ragout, canned like mushrooms, and red onions in a tomato cream sauce. The presentation was as nice as I think this dish could offer. The noodles were fantastic and I was certainly impressed by the skill set of Lugano to make such a perfect noodle. Yet, I could have done without the mushrooms or at least a higher echelon of mushrooms, for example, a porcini instead of the white button canned like tragedy. The flavoring was what was to be expected, but could be comparable to an Olive Garden entree, unfortunately. It’s a wonder why this is the best selling dish. Maybe because the portions are so huge: it defeated me and I ended up taking leftovers home, after I shared the entree with one of my guests.

My first guest was the smartest of all three of us and ordered the osso bucco over risotto, which had a very rich taste and smoky smell. The plate was beautifully created. The risotto had an appropriate consistency, the meat was amazingly tender, and the squash wasn’t mushy at all. Her dinner tasted fresh and was prepared nicely. Hands down we would all order her dish again and scrap what we ordered. Thank goodness for people who share what they ordered AND allow us to steal bites here and there!

My second guest had ordered the fish of the day: sea bass. Again, the presentation was outstanding, but something was wonky. The aroma wasn’t right. Could it be? What was that awful smell? Was there a seasoning or spice that was just throwing us off? After everyone at the table tasted the sea bass we all agreed – the freshness of the fish was beyond questionable. After finally getting the attention of the server, we sent it back. The server informed us that all the bass was sold out, but offered up some suggestions on the menu to compensate for such a misfortune. We decided to just share the remaining dishes. Lugano, rightly so, took the bass off the bill. My guest said that if he could do it all over again, he’d skip the sea bass and go with the recommendations from the server. Drat.

Overall, the service was fast. The wine we ordered was promptly brought to the table while we were deciding what to eat. However, after I decided not to participate in any wine consumption, the server didn’t suggest other options. Therefore, I drank water as a default and even then no lemon or lime wedges were offered. Beyond that, the waiter was very friendly, knowledgeable, and mostly attentive, except when we had a problem with the bass – we found it tricky to summon him: this detracted from the most positive dining experience. Too bad American restaurants don’t have a call button to request a server to attend to the table without trying to give the wave, the nod, or some other indicator.

We didn’t end up ordering any dessert – nothing floated our boat. Doesn’t every restaurant in Salt Lake City extend a selection like this: chocolate flour-less cake, tiramisu, crème brulee, gelato, apple crisp, and pumpkin cheesecake? I wish to believe that it would all taste great, but it would be refreshing to have a dessert that would wow me and give me reason to call Lugano and get it to-go one night. No doubt we would have ordered a dessert to share if something sounded tasty; instead we all went home with a sweet tooth unsatisfied.

In conclusion, the walls by and inside the very cold and uncomfortable bathrooms are framed with accolades and other ego driven pats on the back; unfortunately Lugano didn’t show off what makes them so special tonight. I don’t think we experienced exactly what one ought to expect when reading such high fives. Why have these awards posted when the restaurant’s execution is inconsistent?

Rating – I would be willing to return for a salad or parma prosciutto starter and certainly not for the sea bass.

Edited by SELF

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