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Dinner at ZY

Well, I didn’t get around to many restaurants for the Dine O Round, but I knew there was one I couldn’t miss: ZY. ZY serves upscale, yet approachable modern American cuisine. Luckily they extended their Dine O Round deal an additional week, which gave me time to wrangle a group of buddies together to check it out.

They changed the interior around slightly, mainly by adding some walls made out of wood slats. Miles, the general manager, explained that the redesign was partially due to the Zion Curtain laws, and partially because they were ready to change things up. I can’t say I’m a huge fan of the new walls–I’ve always though of ZY as having a modern, hip atmosphere, and adding walls made out of rough-hewn timber didn’t exactly fit, in my opinion. 

On to the food. Chef Lake treated us to an amuse-bouche that was really fun. He wouldn’t reveal much about the dish, so when we all dug in and half of us said “pear” and the other half said “potato,” we began to seriously doubt each others’ sanity. Turn out this dish had two potato balls and two pear balls sitting atop a delicious pumpkin sauce. It was a really nice, well-executed dish.

For the appetizer, I went with the buttermilk fried oysters. After trying oysters on the half-shell in the Ferry Building, I swore them off for good (gotta try things at least once, right?). However, the allure of cooked oysters was too much to resist. These oysters were indeed tasty, with just a hint of spice and a nice crunchy texture on the outside. I was really pleased with this dish.

On to the main course. Beef short ribs served with grits and collared greens. One thing that’s always impressed me about ZY is that Chef Lake understands the value of presentation. The short ribs were presented in a very fun, if not a bit over-the-top manner, with the servers carrying the dish out, topped with a glass container. As they lift the container off the dish, you immediately smell the beautiful scent of smoked wood, which lightly carries through the dining room.

The short ribs were cooked to perfection, fork tender and deliciously moist. The sauce which topped the ribs is a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce that brings the whole dish together. This one is a winner. I asked Chef Lake if he’d be willing to share the recipe, and he said “of course.”

I went with the lemon cake and huckleberries for dessert. The cake had a lovely consistency, almost shortcake-like, and the tart berries were a nice counter to the sweet cake and sauce.

Chef Lake surprised us with a fun drink at the end of the meal. It was simply hot apple juice with a bit of honey, grilled grape, and rosemary. Four things I would never think of to make a drink out of. But it really worked well. The rosemary would waft into your nostrils as you sipped the drink, creating a sweet, yet savory experience. 

Service was excellent as usual. Brady, our server, was very knowledgeable about the menu. The pace of the meal was steady, and it seemed he always stepped in at just the right time throughout the evening.

ZY Restaurant on Urbanspoon

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Yelp’s Thirst Quencher

Yelp is at it again, coordinating what sounds like another fun event the week of October 15th-20th.

This event is all about the beverages, with various local businesses hosting the events. CO2 Cafe, Tea Grotto, Squatters, and Rubio’s are all participating. I’m hoping to go to the CO2 event.

You need to RSVP for the event by going here. If you don’t have a Yelp account set up, you’ll need to do that prior to RSVP’ing.

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Penny Ann’s Café

Penny Ann’s makes me happy. I won’t lie–I’m a sucker for any business that remembers my name. And Penny and her family have remembered me from day one. I walked in for lunch today, and Penny immediately says hi, followed with “I was thinking about you today!” Welcome home.

I love that their restaurant is a family business. Penny can be found up front serving guests, and her brother, Warren, is the chef. Sisters, brothers, and parents are all present, clearing tables and prepping food. 

They have a large selection of items on their menu. You’re not going to see Korean tacos, lavender-infused pork belly, or anything that could be described by the word fusion. Penny Ann’s offers the epitome of comfort food. You’ll find chicken parmesan, turkey melts, meatball subs, fish and chips, and Philly cheese steaks gracing their menu.

Nine times out of ten, however, I go with the Reuben. They make their corned beef in-house, and it shows. Ever since I had a Reuben in New York (thank you Katz!), I regularly crave it. And I go to Penny Ann’s to satiate the craving, because it is a near-perfect rendition. Tender, peppery corned beef is sliced thin and partnered with sauerkraut and just the right amount of Thousand Island dressing. The bread is crisped to perfection. One of my favorite dishes in SLC. 

Their fries are delicious as well, but if you’re an onion ring fan, I’d highly recommend you swap the fries for onion rings. You won’t be disappointed. They have just the right amount of breading, and they serve it along with their tasty version of fry sauce. 

And don’t think you can leave Penny Ann’s without ordering a piece of pie. The pies are made by Penny’s mother, I believe. They have banana cream, coconut cream, key lime, and lemon raspberry cream in their regular rotation, among many others. My wife particularly loves a special pie they make from time to time with blueberries. I believe it’s called blueberry paradise. I never dare leave Penny Ann’s without a slice of blueberry paradise in a to-go container. A portion of their peanut butter chocolate pie usually comes home with me as well. It’s such a rich affair that even this sugar junkie can only eat about half before throwing in the towel.

I’m just going to say it: their prices are ridiculously low. I know–that makes me the kid who would remind your teacher about the assignment due that day. But it has to be said. Their reuben is $6.99, and for an additional $2.50 you can add fries or salad and a soda. I’m pretty sure they don’t have anything on their menu over $10. 

They are located in a bit of a culinary No Man’s Land, with Pho Tay Ho one block north and Grove Market one block south, but not much else. Look for a big, cream-colored apartment building–their restaurant is attached to this building. They used to offer dinner service but have since changed their hours (probably so their family can get some much-deserved sleep). They are now open from 7am to 4pm, Monday through Saturday.

These guys deserve your business. Not just because they’re local or family-owned. Penny Ann’s deserves your business because their food is outstanding, their prices are exceptional, and their service is excellent. And I can guarantee you won’t leave hungry. 

1810 S Main St

Salt Lake City

(801) 935-4760

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Penny Ann's Cafe on Urbanspoon

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Food Demo at Home Show

 
(Photo courtesy Les Madeleines)

Romina Rasmussen, of Les Madeleines downtown, will be doing a live cooking demonstration at the Utah Home Show on October 13th.

She will demonstrate how to make pumpkin spice syrup, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin creme brûlée. And the best part is that you’ll be able to sample her creations at the end of the demo.

The demo is free, but keep in mind you’ll need to buy tickets to the Home Show. 

More info here.

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Black Sheep Café, Provo

I don’t get down to Provo too often. But I heard so many good things from my friend Becky about a new restaurant in downtown Provo called Black Sheep that I knew I had to make a trip.

Black Sheep has an interesting background. The restaurant is founded by two sisters, Bleu Adams and Jovanna Mason. They have their brother, Chef Mark Mason, as the executive chef of the restaurant. Their family grew up on a Navajo reservation, where they learned about cooking as young children. They have brought their Navajo culture and infused it throughout their new restaurant, Black Sheep.

The restaurant itself isn’t over-the-top with decor or architecture. White walls, adorned with paintings from local artists, help brighten the spot up. I was intrigued with their floor, which appears to be plywood that was then lacquered over to make an intricate design in the middle of the space. Very cool. In the middle of the dining room, they have a beautiful glass sculpture hanging from the ceiling.

Our server was very polite and knowledgeable about the menu. He let us know upfront that since they make everything from scratch and they only make things to order, that it can take a bit longer than normal to get our food. I can totally appreciate that.

We placed our order, and that’s when service became a bit spotty. Water glasses and soda were left unfilled, and we felt a bit abandoned by our server. But not to worry, our food arrived soon enough, and it was absolutely delightful.

The green chile Navajo taco was my favorite dish (I only wish I had been the one that ordered it, because I only had a few bites!). Wonderful flavors melded together to make it a fantastic dish. The pork was so tender it almost fell apart just by looking at it.

I had the pork chop sandwich, and it was a very good dish as well. It had just the right amount of spice, and the pork was cooked perfectly. I heard good things about the sweet potato fries, and was pleasantly surprised when I saw them on my plate. I was expecting skinny, fried, crispy little sticks. But I got much more than that. Black Sheep cuts their fries thick, and either pan-fries or bakes them (more likely a combination of both). Unlike thick cut potato fries, which tend to get dry and almost powdery in the middle, these sweet potato fries were moist and tender, and were served with a tasty fry sauce.

Our buddy had the burger, and we heard good reports from him. He was kind enough to let me try the house-cured bacon, which is cut think and made from pork cheek. Yes.

Service suffered at the end of our meal, just when a bridal shower at the table next to us began. Our checks were dropped off at our table, and we sat for a while waiting for our server to pick them back up, which he never did. We ended up tracking down a hostess at the front desk to run our cards. 

My favorite restaurants are those that take fairly basic dishes, and add their own special flair to them. It’s the little things, like the beautiful salsa served atop the Navajo taco, that separate the ho-hum from the next level. Black Sheep is certainly taking things to the next level, and I can’t wait to see how far they go.

Black Sheep Cafe on Urbanspoon

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Saturday’s Waffle

Like many people, I grew up in a town with a Wonder Bread factory. I used to love when we drove through the neighborhood near the factory, because the air was thick with the comforting smell of baking bread. If you’ve never experienced this, go hang out at Gilgal Gardens behind the Salt Lake Wonder Bread bakery and you’ll instantly know what I’m talking about. 

I had a de ja vu moment this morning when I pulled into the Dan’s supermarket parking lot in Olympus. Not from anything coming out of the Dan’s bakery (although I’m sure they had some delicious items in there as well) but rather smells emanating from a tiny silver 1955 Shasta trailer at the far end of the lot. 


It seems like waffles are invading Salt Lake. Bruges is opening a new location in Sugarhouse in addition to their crazy-busy location near Pioneer Park, and there’s a new waffle truck called Off The Grid that has hit the streets as well. The Saturday’s Waffle trailer specializes in making Liege-style waffles. If you haven’t had the type of waffles before, they are incredible. A leavened dough produces waffles that are crispy and denser than the traditional “American” waffles you’re used to. Also, pearl sugar is mixed in the dough, which gives the final product an interesting, crunchy texture, and makes an otherwise ordinary waffle extraordinary.

When you approach the trailer, you’ll be greeted by sharp-dressed men wearing bow ties. 

They offer a number of specialty waffles. For $7, you get their deluxe, or signature waffles. Jeffrey tried the Mt Olympus: a waffle topped with bananas, candied pecans, honey, and Greek yogurt. Tony tried the lemon curd and fresh raspberry. Jo had the Apple Pie: topped with apples and cheddar cheese. But I knew I had a date with destiny: the Benny. A waffle topped with the unholy, yet delicious, combination of hollandaise sauce, soft-boiled egg, bacon, and pepper. 
The Bennie. There’s a waffle under there, somewhere.

It was good. I would have preferred my eggs cooked a bit more (some of the whites weren’t cooked, and although I like runny yolks, runny whites give me the creeps [says the guy who eats raw cookie dough by the pound]). But the combination of the sweet waffle, savory eggs and bacon, and the tangy hollandaise all worked well together. 

The next time I stop by, I think I’m going to stick with the $5 selection. For $5 you get a waffle that you can top with two ingredients of your choice.  Toppings are: peaches, strawberries, raspberries, bananas, peanut butter sauce, Nutella, speculoos (Biscoff spread), Greek yogurt, candied pecans, and whipped cream. The portion size isn’t huge at Saturday’s Waffle, and I think I’d get more bang for my buck with the $5 selection. I think a waffle topped with candied pecans and peanut butter sauce is in my crosshairs the next time I stop by. Oh, and you can get a double waffle, or a “double-wide” for $10.


Be sure to give Saturday’s Waffle a try, and let me know what you think. They’re located in the Dan’s parking lot on Saturdays and they also do special events. Your best bet to be updated on their current location will be to follow them on Twitter or like them on Facebook.

The Mount Olympus


Saturday's Waffle on Urbanspoon

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Dine O’Round

One of my favorite events of the year is the Downtown Alliance’s annual Dine O’Round. There are so many incredible restaurants in Salt Lake, and this event gives me an excuse to get out and try some places I haven’t tried yet as well as revisit some of my favorites. And at a really good price.

This year, over 40 restaurants are participating in the event. Some offer lunches for $5 or $10. Many others are offering dinner for either $15 or $30.

Some new restaurants I’d like to try this year are: CO2, Pallet, and Nordstrom’s Sixth & Pine. I’m sure I won’t get to all of these, but I’m going to make a valiant effort. Other tried-and-true restaurants that I would encourage you to check out are Stoneground, Copper Onion, Plum Alley, Bambara, Dojo, Fleming’s, Martine, Takashi and the Naked Fish. Phew.

One that I definitely won’t miss is ZY. While many of these restaurants trim down their menu or offer a special Dine o’Round menu, Chef Matt Lake opens up his entire menu for the event. His approach is that he wants people to have the full ZY experience, and if it costs him a bit more, it’s worth it because it’ll give customers a memorable introduction to his restaurant. Last year I had the scallops appetizer (one of my favorite dishes in the city), flatiron steak, and dessert for $30. The fact that I still remember what I had a year ago should be a positive sign.

If you are planning to visit one restaurant during the event, I’d highly suggest ZY. Chef Lake is doing some great things in the SLC culinary scene, and you should check out his innovative approach to American cuisine.

You don’t need to buy passes or pre-register to participate in the event. Merely show up at a participating restaurant between September 14th and September 30th, and tell them you’re there for the Dine o’Round. They’ll take good care of you.

You can find the full list of participating restaurants here. Also, like the Downtown Alliance Facebook page and enter in their contest to win dinner for a year.