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Cavalia

Some of you may have seen the giant white tents set up at the South Towne Mall, and if you haven’t, I’m betting you’ve at least seen one of the Cavalia billboards dotting the valley, but you might not know what it is. Well, I’ll tell you exactly what it is in one sentence: Cirque de Soleil, but with horses added to the show.

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I was invited by Cavalia to attend a performance, and was given two of their Gold VIP passes, getting me into dinner prior to the show, nice seats for the show, dessert break at intermission, a meet and greet with some of the performers after the show, and a chance to visit the stables to see the horses.

The VIP tent truly is a VIP experience, with an open bar, sodas, popcorn, and of course, dinner. My plate was a nice mishmash of steak, chicken, tuna tartare, hummus, and salad.

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The show itself was fantastic. It was truly impressive to watch how well trained the horses were, and how well they were handled by the trainers. The show features 11 different breeds of horses, which were featured in different acts according to their abilities. American Quarter Horses ripped through the arena at a full sprint, while a gorgeous Lipizzan and others handled the more delicate maneuvers. 

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Various dancers and acrobats also had their time in the spotlight, jumping, swinging, flipping, and so forth. But the highlight of the night (for me) was towards the end of the show when they flooded the arena for a dramatic ending flourish of equine exuberance.

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At the end of the show we had the chance to visit the stables and see the horses up close. Each horse gets a bath and their manes get braided at the end of each show.

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Cavalia runs through June 6th. You can buy tickets and get more information at their website here. SLCeats readers can get 10% off their tickets by going here and using the code SocialUT.

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HSL

A new restaurant has opened in the old Vinto space on 2nd South in Salt Lake. HSL is endeavor #2 for Chef Briar Handly, with #1 being his wildly successful Handle restaurant in Park City. Handly has brought Chef Craig Gerome as chef de cuisine. I don’t know Handly very well, but anybody smart enough to get someone as talented as Gerome has my respect. I’m a fan of Gerome ever since I met him when he was at the helm of Annex.

I was invited to a press preview event, and the photos that follow come from said event. “New American” seems like such an overused term, however, I love the breadth in food and presentation styles that such a category provides.

The restaurant was designed in partnership with Cody Derrick at CityHome Collective, so naturally expect your dining environment to be a bit darker and cozy, with plenty of floral print wallpaper to go around. Upon entering, you are greeted by a beautiful, bright bar, lounge area, and communal table, with regular seating throughout the remainder of the restaurant.

Mark my words: get in there now, because it’s going to get harder and harder to get a table at this place as word spreads. I’m especially thrilled as it’s only a five minute walk from my house. which is both exciting and terrifying all at once.

Expect to pay $20-$30 for an entree and $10-$20 for an appetizer. 

HSL
418 E 200 S, Salt Lake City
(801) 539-9999
website

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Some activity has been spotted at the old Bayleaf Cafe spot at 159 S Main St, next to Eva Boulangerie. Mollie&Ollie is slated to open Spring 2016, and judging by the extensive construction work, they are completely gutting the place and starting from scratch.

Julie Payne is the manager of the spot, and she gave me the low-down: ordering will take place at the counter either in-person, via tablets, or through apps on your phone. The menu is being developed by Chef Ryan Lappe (formerly of Cafe Niche), and will focus on fresh and healthy (e.g. wraps, bowls, scrambles, stir fries, salads, smoothies, etc). 

Mollie&Ollie will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, adding some evening dining options to downtown, which will seemingly work well with the new performing arts center right next door. The space will flow through all of the way back onto Regent Street, which is currently undergoing revitalization along with the 111 building and the performing arts center construction.

This is not a franchise (yet). This is the first location for this concept, and if they are successful, they plan on expanding along the Wasatch Front.

More to come as they get closer to opening! You can sign up for their mailing list by going to their site here.

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[Sponsored Post] Groupon Coupons

SLCeats is grateful to have the support of Groupon. Groupon Coupons is a new venture of Groupon which offers deals, discounts, and other promotions completely free to the consumer. Participating retailers include Macy’s, Travelocity, Canon, and many more. 

Some of the site I plan on checking out: Sur La Table, Columbia, and Gander Mountain.

Be sure to check it out (no signups or logins required), and thanks to Groupon for supporting SLCeats.

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I had the chance to try this heavenly blend of poblano peppers and pumpkin at a recent event in Salt Lake, and snagged some on the spot to play around with. A nice blend of mild pepper taste, contrasted with the robust, nutty pumpkin seeds. 

We tried the pesto along with chicken, eggs, and just as a dip for chips. 

Salsa del Diablo is a local company that sells at the various farmers’ markets, including the Wasatch Front Farmers market and the Holladay Plaza market. 

Stay up to date on where they’re selling on their Facebook page.

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This is the Sloppy Joe sandwich from Feldman’s Deli in Millcreek. When you think “sloppy joe,” get the hamburger concoction on a bun out of your head. This sandwich is the real deal and unlike anything else you’ll find in Utah.

At $14, it ain’t cheap, but this sandwich could easily feed two moderately hungry human beings. Or, take half home for dinner. Either way, if you polish this whole thing off in one sitting, I’ll be impressed. It’s $14, but it is worth every penny.

Slices of rye struggle to contain the mounds of pastrami, corned beef, cole slaw, and thousand island dressing. They mostly fail at their task (please refer to name of sandwich–you knew full well and good what you were getting yourself into), but they put forth a valiant effort to contain the heaping hordes of flavor.

Everything at Feldman’s is excellent. They make their own bagels, import their meat from one of the top delis in NYC (think Katz or Carnegie deli), and make everything fresh in house. I particularly love their fries, which are cut and prepped in-house. Try the matzo soup, make sure you get some potato pancakes along with a knish, and if you’re on the braver side of things go ahead and try the gefilte fish. Certainly not my cup of tea, but they say it sells well.

You won’t have room, but get a cheesecake to go. This is the richest cheesecake I’ve had–much denser that what you will find elsewhere. So rich that, again, you’ll want to split it or save some for later.

I have a running “last meal” list, and I’m confident saying that the sloppy joe would certainly be on it. I’m not kidding. Go try it.

Feldmans Deli
2005 E 2700 S
Salt Lake City

(801) 906-0369

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The eternal battle of carnitas vs carne asada rages on in the fair city of Salt Lake. The crunchy pork of the carnitas is hard to beat, but I tip my hat to the more flavorful asada this round. Until next time, El Toro. Until next time.

Tacos El Toro
Corner of 800 South and State St (the cart on 800 South–not State St)

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The Holy Cow banh mi from Mai Bun Mee, located at 850 South State Street.

Mai Bun Mee is owned by the same people behind the very successful Oh Mai in South Salt Lake and Cottonwood Heights. I was expecting to walk in and see the familiar array of menu items offered at Oh Mai, like the ever-popular S8 (garlic ribeye) or my personal favorite, the S12 (pho brisket), but between the different name and varied menu, it’s obvious that the owners are trying out a different concept at this location.

Rather than being a centerpiece of the menu, Pho is relegated to being listed as a “special,” and is not even printed on their regular menu. But not to worry–the pho is just as tasty as it is at Oh Mai, however at a slightly smaller portion size (no small size option, either, just the regular large size).

The banh mi also have a bit of a twist. Similar prices to Oh Mai, higher quality meat, but don’t expect to walk in and order the S12, for example, because they don’t have it here. The sandwiches here don’t translate directly from the other locations. Anna, the owner of Bun Mee and Oh Mai, explained that their sandwiches are a bit more substantial than those found at Oh Mai, with the sandwiches at Bun Mee featuring heavier sauces and ingredients, and higher quality meat. The S8 at Oh Mai roughly translates to the “Holy Cow,” and features different ingredients (seared tenderloin, romaine lettuce, chili aioli, sautéed mushrooms, cilantro, jalapeño, and house dressing). The next time I swing by, I have my sights set on The Sinner, which features pork belly, pickled carrots, and a garlic fish lime vinaigrette. Or perhaps the the Fisherman, featuring seared tilapia, mango slaw, and garlic aioli.

I guess what I’m getting at is don’t go into Mai Bun Mee and expect it to be an Oh Mai clone. But that’s certainly not a bad thing. For some reason, prior to stopping by, I had wrongly assumed it was the same stuff, different name. While not earth-shatteringly different, it is different. Anna, the owner, said they could change the name to Oh Mai and there would immediately be a crowd, but they want to try something a bit different and see how it works. Hopefully they don’t flip the switch on a concept change, though, because I’d like to see these creative sandwiches continue to have a home.

Mai Bun Mee Sandwich Shop
850 S. State Street, Salt Lake City
(801) 575-8888

maibunmee.com
Monday – Saturday 11am – 8:30pm