SLC Eats

Polly wanna cracker?

Interesting. May put it off for a week or two let the hype die down. I shared this with my coworker, and we agree that complaining about pricing on the internet is one of the lamest things, but yeah, 9.50 for a quarter bird is a bit steep. I get its Viet Pham, and a niche, but it seems as though SLC is creeping up and up on some of the food prices.

LOL $1 for a slice of bread? or do you get a "few" with that $1 order...and a $1 for pickles? Best be more than the 2 shown in milleb's pic...

Fuck over hyped, mediocre, overpriced food.

I too thought trad nashville hot chix was part of the batter itself not something added after..guess all chefs "years" getting it right still fall short.

Wont be rushing down there personally.

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Originally Posted by mbillie1

not to pile on (I enjoyed my food and will be going back) but at least ostensibly what is shown in my pic is an "extra" order of pickles. it was pretty chaotic in there so I'd expect some things to get ironed out, but not sure about that powdered spice business... or the heat levels

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wow thats a $1 worth of pickles? I am nearly 100% sure Chef is getting those from Sysco not making his own...the bread is obviously food service too...shame they have to cover costs that way....little to rich for my blood without an incredibly stellar review...Mbillie yours was not stellar.

EDIT: And fuck all with a $9 chicken thigh sandwich...thighs are the fucking cheapest parts to buy..thats some astronomical markup....

Another fantastic meal at Eva's last night. I've never had a bad meal there.

I ate at pretty bird the other day, it was good, but damn, $15 for a quarter chicken and fries? I don't think so.

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Originally Posted by basinbeater

I ate at pretty bird the other day, it was good, but damn, $15 for a quarter chicken and fries? I don't think so.

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Well you know it cost more when the guy who "won" iron chef is working the fry line.

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Originally Posted by mbillie1

^ haha did not know he was a reality tv guy. that makes it much less cool

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He "beat" Bobby Flay.

http://archive.sltrib.com/article.ph...00&itype=CMSID

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Tradition by liberty park was pretty good tonight. Everybody in our party like their food, and dessert was tasty as well. Place is a little noisy, but good food.

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Originally Posted by basinbeater

Tradition by liberty park was pretty good tonight. Everybody in our party like their food, and dessert was tasty as well. Place is a little noisy, but good food.

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Yeah new hip place. Have a decent mezcal cocktail iirc

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Originally Posted by mall walker

Ask and you shall receive. Fellow SLC Mags, I suffered so you did not have to. Waited like 40 mins outside today in line but finally got the goods. It was the expected opening-day-junk-show, busy and it seemed tense behind the counter.

Attachment 225124

The menu is small, you can get either the quarter bird (white: breast/leg or dark: leg/thigh) or the sandwich. There are 4 levels of heat mild/medium/hot/"Hot behind". I made 2 critical mistakes in my impatience, first I got the white bird, second I only went "hot".

Here's my dish:

Attachment 225125

The chicken was prepared perfectly as you might expect. And I know, always go dark meat (I didn't make the light/dark connection in my cold brain until after I had ordered). But the heat... now, I am not a huge spicy food guy. I like Tapatio in moderation, I use Sriracha in my Pho, and previous Nashville Hot Chicken that I had eaten was riiiiight at the limit of my heat tolerance. This was just sort of spicy. Honestly, having tasted it, nobody who actually likes Nashville hot chicken has ANY BUSINESS WHATSOEVER getting it LESS spicy than "hot", why the other shit is even on the menu (aside from for children or invalids) is beyond me. The pickles were a disappointing "just ok", it was served on a piece of white bread though which was good. Fries are fries (they were fine), I should've gone slaw but I was very hungry. But the "hot" was really not all that hot. I never needed to sip my water, which imo is a hallmark of a good spicy chicken, and the entire meal I just kept waiting in vain for the heat to come. My next order will definitely be "Hot behind."

So, if you go, I recommend either the sandwich "hot behind" or the thigh/leg combo "hot behind". I will be going back for leg/thigh combo w/slaw "hot behind" (and going back after their first hour of operation) before making any grand pronouncements. This visit? It was good, but didn't blow my mind.

Also a note on the spiciness levels: the chicken all comes out the same, then is basted and the spice is added via a spice shaker. To my knowledge this is not the traditional way Nashville hot chicken is made, and this seemed a surprising oversight to me. Viet Pham himself was manning the ordering counter, and the place was filled with uptight stuffy looking downtown deuchebags and people who probably call themselves "food bloggers" or whatnot, as well as a few bros and randos like me. The venue is SMALL, sitting perhaps 12.

Menu:

Attachment 225129

Attachment 225130

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I had Pretty BIrd for the first time yesterday evening. Got myself a Sandiwch and the 1/4 chicken because as as true conniseour I had to have it all.

I got everything "Hot Behind" because I'm from the South and thats just what you do.

I wasn't completely disappointed. Does it taste like real Nasvhille Hot Chicken? No. Even Atlanta Nashville Hot chicken blows it away. With that said it is the best fried chicken in this state and I will return.

6.4/10.

Also very astute observation, M Billie on the dry rub. True Nashville hot chicken is dredged in a lard with the cayenne pepper, spices etc already in there.

Its about as authentic as Mexican Food in Indiana but its what we have to live with in this cultureless void of a state we live in so C'est la vie.

Also had Red Iguana for the first time last week and I rate it a 6.2/10.

Mexican food is like pizza, or like sex, generally no matter the degree of execution its going to satisfy you. Red Iguana satiated that appetite but left me wanting more. There are hundreds of mex joints in ATL way better. Don't see the hype.

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Originally Posted by SirHeady

Also had Red Iguana for the first time last week and I rate it a 6.2/10.

Mexican food is like pizza, or like sex, generally no matter the degree of execution its going to satisfy you. Red Iguana satiated that appetite but left me wanting more. There are hundreds of mex joints in ATL way better. Don't see the hype.

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Did you get the mole? Tell me you got the mole. If you didn't, then you missed the entire point of Red Iguana. I have a hard time believing there are many places that do mole better in ATL - I've had it all over the country and Red Iguana does the best mole that I've tried. Not to say that it's necessarily the best in the US, there are lots and lots I haven't tried, but as of yet I haven't had better.

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Originally Posted by Pegleg

Did you get the mole? Tell me you got the mole. If you didn't, then you missed the entire point of Red Iguana. I have a hard time believing there are many places that do mole better in ATL - I've had it all over the country and Red Iguana does the best mole that I've tried. Not to say that it's necessarily the best in the US, there are lots and lots I haven't tried, but as of yet I haven't had better.

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Didnt get the Mole. That is what everyone else has said. Next time I'll get the Mole and I'll advise if it is superior to Nuevo Laredo's (Atlanta) Mole.

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Originally Posted by mall walker

yeah red iguana is overrated but the mole is bomb. I think the mole negro is my favorite, I've had a few and they've all been good... some better than others.

if you got tacos or fajitas or something yeah... that place isn't even good by SLC mexican standards for those sort of things imo. chunga, el menos, lots of better places

I have been back to pretty bird an embarrassing number of times since my initial review, including just now. chicken sandwich hot behind is my go to.

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Hey man, cool it with the bigoted remarks XD lololol


I got the red iguana platter consisting of tacos, flautas, a below avg Chile Relleno, and 2 taquitos.- As I said, totally servicable, but nothing to write home about.

I had Chunga about a year ago and it was good-although whats up with the fruit in the tacos- No thanks braj!

What do y'all think about Tres Hombres? I really wanted to like it but they put too much cumin in their salsa and the service aint great.

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Originally Posted by Pegleg

Did you get the cochanita pibil? Tell me you got the cochanita pibil. If you didn't, then you missed the entire point of Red Iguana. I have a hard time believing there are many places that do cochanita pibil better in ATL - I've had it all over the country and Red Iguana does the best cochanita pibil that I've tried. Not to say that it's necessarily the best in the US, there are lots and lots I haven't tried, but as of yet I haven't had better.

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FIFY.......

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Originally Posted by mall walker

it looks like a chichis and so I have never been inside... am I missing anything?

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I doubt it. Good analogy though. Its in the neighborhood so the Gf and i will go there when we're feeling lazy

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Originally Posted by SirHeady

I had Chunga about a year ago and it was good-although whats up with the fruit in the tacos- No thanks braj!.

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If you got Al Pastor, well, that is correct with pineapple. Did you get something else with mango salsa or something?

yea there was Pineapple in it-About as sadistic as putting Pineapple on pizza

Wrong...pineapple is traditional with al pastor.
I agree about the pizza, though.
Blech.

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Originally Posted by irul&ublo

FIFY.......

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Yep the conchinita pibil is bomb at red iguana, so is the mole..all of them.

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And even saying the mole is great isn't enough. Every other place I've been has one mole (usually a variant on mole negro). RI has what, 7 different kinds? Only one of which is comparable to the one kind that other restaurants have. And all of which are the bomb.

Yeah, "get the mole" cracks me up, seeing as how mole is the Aztec word for sauce.

The Pumpkin Mole is titties.

Get the puntas de filete and substitute in the mole amarillo. Enjoy.

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Originally Posted by Dantheman

Yeah, "get the mole" cracks me up, seeing as how mole is the Aztec word for sauce.

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Yeah, true, but on the RI menu it lists their different "moles" and that's how you order there.

It's like insisting that an enchilada made with mole negro must be called an "enmolada" instead. Yeah, that's technically true, but no one actually does it here.

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Originally Posted by basinbeater

Get the puntas de filete and substitute in the mole amarillo. Enjoy.

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solid advice.

mole amarillo is my go to

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Originally Posted by Dantheman

Yeah, "get the mole" cracks me up, seeing as how mole is the Aztec word for sauce.

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is mole not a sauce? salsa is spanish for sauce too. this could get very confusing haha

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Originally Posted by rideit

Wrong...pineapple is traditional with al pastor.
I agree about the pizza, though.
Blech.

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Agreed on both counts.

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Originally Posted by Skidog

Yep the conchinita pibil is bomb at red iguana, so is the mole..all of them.

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Yup. I almost always order a special, but if not, I’ll get either one of their moles or the cochinita pibil. But ordering a special has never let me down, even when I’ve stuck to it to the point of trying a strawberry mole. And if they have huevos motuleños on a Sunday brunch menu, don’t get anything else.

Dinner last night was with some RI mole that we brought home with us, actually.

Ate at a great and AFFORDABLE sushi/yakisoba joint in Orem last night called Asahi. Worth the drive from off the highway. I got crab/octopus/shrimp yakisoba for $14.
Ridiculous.

Sir Heady ordered flautas and taquitos - haha- yeah I bet those are better in ATL.

Was that off the kids menu?

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Originally Posted by rideit

Ate at a great and AFFORDABLE sushi/yakisoba joint in Orem last night called Asahi. Worth the drive from off the highway. I got crab/octopus/shrimp yakisoba for $14.
Ridiculous.

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Orem.... That's on the way to Vegas right?

buurrrrmp. after a trip to Vancouver, got the wife hooked on various types of asian food... looking for the best chinese in the valley. NOT east coast takeout style, preferably a place with a decent-looking interior... anything doing?

also would love to find a Malaysian place or anything with laksa... I saw Makan Makan in Sandy, anyone been?

randomly: had the nashville hot chicken at hops in ATL and frankly like pretty bird better. been going to pretty bird so often they know my first/last name and have comped me a meal... summertime getting fat ftw

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Originally Posted by mall walker

buurrrrmp. after a trip to Vancouver, got the wife hooked on various types of asian food... looking for the best chinese in the valley. NOT east coast takeout style, preferably a place with a decent-looking interior... anything doing?

also would love to find a Malaysian place or anything with laksa... I saw Makan Makan in Sandy, anyone been?

randomly: had the nashville hot chicken at hops in ATL and frankly like pretty bird better. been going to pretty bird so often they know my first/last name and have comped me a meal... summertime getting fat ftw

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My coworkers who are from asia swear by ho ho gourmet. I cant vouch for their interior the exterior isnt super inviting and location is pretty sketch. I have eaten a bunch of stuff from there at several chinese newyear parties that they catered and the food seemed legit. YMMV

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Originally Posted by TheFugitive

My coworkers who are from asia swear by ho ho gourmet. I cant vouch for their interior the exterior isnt super inviting and location is pretty sketch. I have eaten a bunch of stuff from there at several chinese newyear parties that they catered and the food seemed legit. YMMV

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Health Department just closed them down. Looks like they had a mouse problem, among other things. Food was good though, maybe it was the mouse dropping seasoning.

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Originally Posted by DeepHelmet

Health Department just closed them down. Looks like they had a mouse problem, among other things. Food was good though, maybe it was the mouse dropping seasoning.

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Traditional seasonings

lol

few to add / updated thoughts:

House of Tibet on 1300s near State, super good inexpensive Indian/Tibetan food. Not the best vibe if you dine in, be prepared for one sort of chanting song to play over and over the entire time (same song every time I've been there) but the food is great.

Makan Makan in Sandy is awesome. Totally worth going if you're down there. The Laksa is on point, big portions, inexpensive. Also a weird vibe but it is in some sort of strip mall so you take what you get I guess. Can't remember what the appetizer we got was, I think some sort of bread thing with a dipping sauce, that was great as well.

The Med on 33rd is good, didn't really blow my mind but they had a lot of Mediterranean / Turkish / etc and what I got was solid. Weird inside, but who cares. Also inexpensive.

Laziz Kitchen on 9th south is also good, but a bit suburban in the menu/spice/etc... for the money I'd go to The Med and get more/better food.

Trestle Tavern at 15th/15th has really underwhelmed me twice. Service way off, food just ok especially for the price, drinks way overpriced... probably a pass from me in the future. I kinda dig the patio ambience and the pierogis are good, so there's that.

Anyone been to Bhutan House in Sandy? Or Noor in WVC? Those two are next on my short list...

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Originally Posted by sgsbet86

The Kathmandu on highland is awesome. Nepali/Indian food. My mom lived in both Nepal and India and generally hates going out for this type of food as she thinks most restaurants do a horrible job. She demands to go to the Kathmandu every time she's in town. Everything I've ever got here was great, and it's the only Indian restaurant in SLC that can deliver on really spicy food. Nuan's is great and cheap, no beer sucks. I would pay for it if red iguana allowed reservations, waiting forever really keeps me from going there more often. I like cafe madrid but it's mainly nostalgic as I lived in Spain, realistically food is just above average. Lucky 13 has great burgers at good prices. Siragusas is pretty good, although I have a hard time paying for Italian as it's so easy to cook. Pat's BBQ I'd solid. Shahrazad Market is good middle eastern food and is way off beaten path. Jinya ramen house is a new place that's pretty good. Red rock is definitely best slc brewery for food and beer IMO. If you can figure out the real Chinese menu, Szechuan garden in sandy is a real suprise, their American Chinese is just ok. Lots of good food in PC if you have the bucks. All and all the food scene in slc has improved greatly in the 15 years I've lived here. I used to feel it was a gastronomic black hole, but it gets better every year. BTW I've been a kitchen worker for a while.

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I finally made it to Nuan's. Good call.

Campos coffee is downtown now, so far so good ordering a few food items off the menu. Coffee is stellar, one of the few cups I don't need a small dash of cream in it.

Finally went to Pretty Bird, it was delicious. I've never had chicken so good but I'm not a Nashville expert either. I do eat a lot of chicken though. Also went to Bagel project recommended somewhere in this thread, thanks it was worthy.

Best pizza honors still goes to Sugarhouse Whole Foods. Estes continues to be very mediocre .

Pissed Copper Kitchen took the soft shell crab and Bibb salad off the menu


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