Eating Out--Too Much

This is an old picture but I thought it was just too fun not to share. Here my nephew Jordan enjoys his first full-size lobster while we were in Boston last January.

Jordan is one of those rare kids that will try anything once (I've dragged him to New Orleans for Jambalaya, to Philadelphia for cheese steak sandwiches, and to Washington DC for Indian food). And yes, he did eat all his food.

I was reminded of this picture yesterday after we took my step-mother out to lunch for her birthday. We enjoyed a very nice lunch at Buca di Beppo in Salt Lake (200 W & 300 S). It's a fun restaurant with pictures hanging all over, including the elevator and restrooms. Highly recommended with locations all over the country (we first ate here in Las Vegas and enjoyed it so much we wanted to eat here--2 Utah locations).

A few other recommendations:

--An Italian restaurant in Washington DC near the zoo entrance--don't remember the name and can't seem to find it but I will post it as soon as I do. This restaurant was one of the best we have ever been to. Our food was fresh, the chicken and asparagus tender, served over a nice plate of pasta. My dish was equally delicious, a very nice helping of ravioli.
--Macaroni Grill (several locations)--our favorite is the "build your own pasta" where you can chose the pasta, the sauce and toppings. My choice is the penne with garlic sauce, pine nuts, roasted garlic, and broccoli. Our only complaint (which has been ignored) is they only have 2 handicapped parking stalls for a restaurant that probably seats 300.
--Los Hermanos (Lindon and Provo, UT)--a great Mexican restaurant that has been around for a number of years. Our favorites include the specialty drinks (free if you wear the Los Hermanos shirts) and the cheese enchiladas. Their Lindon location continues to place obstacles on the ramp leading to the rear dining room, making it very difficult to navigate (and dangerous in case of an emergency) but otherwise an enjoyable night out.
--Legal Sea Foods (multiple locations)--We enjoyed a fine dinner in Washington DC where the restaurant was more than accommodating in preparing a pasta dish for me without the seafood they are so famed for. This is also where Jordan (pictured above) enjoyed his first lobster.
--Jim's Steaks--One of my favorites (though I haven't taken D there yet). They serve great cheesesteaks in a tiny location at about 3 locations around Philadelphia.
--Casa Rio (San Antonio, TX)--One of the first restaurants along the famed Riverwalk, I have visited them three times now, once with a group of colleagues, once with Jordan, and once with D. Each time they have served us fresh salsa and chips and wonderful Mexican dishes. It can be a challenge finding the wheelchair entrance (route goes through the kitchen) but well worth it.
--Space Aliens (Bismarck, ND)--Clearly a location for the kids--loud, but fun. The restaurant is themed around space aliens ( hence the name), has huge portions, but features a collection of games that keeps the kids busy. If you don't mind spending $20 for a 99c toy, it's fun. My favorite dish here is the giant stuffed baked potato. They must go to great lengths to find the largest potato they can then stuff it with either barbecued chicken, beef or pork. The barbecued ribs are also very good.
--Cafe Trang (4 locations in Utah)--I first ate at this Vietnamese/Asian restaurant while attending graduate school and, as a result developed an addiction. We have ate at their downtown location (now in the Crane Building at 3rd West and 3rd South in SLC), and at their Cottonwood Mall location. Both maintain the same quality and levels of expectations. I visited the Draper location for takeout though I have never enjoyed their dine-in option (yet). My favorite is their vegetable fried rice, a delicious combination of rice, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms and tofu.
--Callaways (Smithfield and Providence, UT)--a great Italian restaurant in an old, converted service station, north of Logan. I've never been disappointed with their food. I have ate here several times and would take visitors here to enjoy a nice meal while getting out into the outer portions of the state. Their salads were a favorite of D.
--Union Grill (Ogden, UT)--We took my step-mother here recently and enjoyed it immensely. I had been here before, while working in Ogden, but it has since matured into a very nice restaurant, with a very loyal cliental. The salads were very good.
--Timbermine (Ogden, UT)--2006 location for the nephews birthday dinner. We enjoyed one of the best steaks we have ever had here. It's a little on the expensive side but worth a special occasion. It is decorated like a mine, complete with artifacts. Located near the mouth of Ogden Canyon; their sister restaurant, the Prairie Schooner, is just down the road.
--Greenery (Ogden, UT)--One of my favorites that I have enjoyed over the years. They have a delicious baked potato topped with real butter, sour cream and bacon (no fake stuff allowed). They have great sandwiches and are known for their Mormon Muffins.
--Tepanyaki (several locations in UT)--Yummy. The meal is prepared before you sittin around a Japanese-style teppan grill. Knives and spatulas flash in a flurry as the chefs even set fire to the meal. My favorite is the volcano they make from the onions. While I can't eat a lot of the food here (lots of seafoods, even has sushi in some loactions) it's still a fun show. Brian, my very-picky-eater-nephew, tried the noodles here and has been a fan ever since! Be prepared to pay for the meal and show though. 2005 location for the nephews birthday dinner.

Some of our more unusual selections have included:
--Hooters--well not actually the Hooters. We ate here while we were dating and didn't realize it was Halloween. Our well-endowed waitress was wearing a Hooters t-shirt that we thought was very unusual, until it finally dawned on us. It was a very nice meal but unfortunately replaced by another restaurant.
--Chelsea (aboard the Queen Mary, Long Beach, CA)--while on our honeymoon, we decided to spend the night aboard the Queen Mary (now docked and a hotel). I knew my new wife enjoyed seafood so we choose to eat here. Not being able to eat seafood, I found what I thought was a safe selection, the blackened Ahi (hey, I can eat canned tuna afterall). Well, a few hours later I had developed hives and spend a very uncomfortable, itchy night. The next day we found a grocery store and bought some Benedryl. About an hour later I became very sleepy so we pulled into what we though was a very nice area. When we noticed men with guns hunting sagebrush and figured out that we had stumbled onto some kind of military operation, so immediately left. We found another location, I took a nap while my new wife enjoyed a couple of hours of watching the ocean. A very memorable honeymoon!

-K