The Critic, again

It's been longer than we had hoped to get to our next restaurant, but we finally made it! We decided to try the Blue Plate diner - a good ol' All American classic to celebrate Rachelle A's recent return from China and new temporary hiatus on any meal with rice in it. It certainly was different from the last place - instead of a warm brick fireplace and classy stools, focus points included old licence plates, an ecclectic assortment of old bikes, a worn church pew, and several artist sketches. Customers sit in mismatched patio furniture and enjoy music from an old juke box . Somehow the style managed to work, and we understood why the place had the reputation we had heard.

Blue Plate Diner can best be described as a local favorite, reflecting the neighborhood it's in. The place clearly attracts the Sugerhouse-contemporary hippie-gen-x crowd (sorry, no picture on that one. I like to avoid getting kicked out of places for odd stalking-like behavior). Since I'm moving to Sugarhouse in a couple of weeks, it was a very fitting choice! I felt like I was part of the crowd already.

Hands down, the most enjoyable aspect of The Blue Plate is it's food. I had a hankering for a good breakfast, but I had a tough time deciding which one to choose, as there were several tempting possibilities. I finally settled on the veggie omelet, which came to my table bursting with its fillings. The highlight of the meal were the perflecty browned potatoes - slightly crisp on the outside, soft and warm within. My dinner partners also expressed strong satisfaction in their meals. Rachelle A was please to find several satisfying vegetarian options on the menu, and, as you can see below, Crystal enjoyed her burger.

We couldn't resist ending our meal with a yummy Gheridelli chocolate sundae, complete with a mound of whipped cream and a cherry. Yum!

Blue Plate does, however, have a few weaknesses. If you enjoy a classy dinner or have obsessive compulsive tendencies, Blue Plate is definately not for you. The slighly imbalenced table and scruffy chairs might just drive you nuts. I wouldn't recommend using the bathroom unless you want to be the person with toilet paper stuck to your foot. Service was average - our server was friendly and prompt, but not extraordinary.

Bottom line, Blue Plate's won't win any medals for cleanliness and it may not be the best choice for your five-year wedding anniversary. However, it's ecclectic atmophere and excellent American food are absolutely a worthwhile experience.

Goal #327 Go cross country skiing!

Rachelle here again. I've been trying to get this goal in all winter, and finally convinced my friends Sean and Emily to go with me right at the tail end of winter. It seems that many people think of cross country skiing as either a poor second to downhill, or not worth the work. I, however, disagree. I had never gone before, but thought it sounded like fun. And indeed it was!
Despite weather warnings, it turned out to be the perfect day for heading out. We stayed at Emily's family's cabin, where we could stop by for lunch and hot chocolate between outings. It took a little more skill than I first expected, but I felt that it added to the fun. Both Emily and I had a couple of "moments" though while trying to cross a fence. I managed to get each ski turned opposite directions, and couldn't untwist myself for several minutes, and Emily slipped and fell right in a pile of...well, I'll just say "remnants of a good horse meal".

Emily and Sean.. Aren't they an adorable couple??

Keep checking our blog over the next few weeks.. hopefully more posts will follow soon!

The Critic

The Critic

Yes, it's been forever. We've been on a break for the holidays..you know.. the famous four: Christmas, New Years, MLKJ day, and Groundhogs day. Okay, okay, it's just because the middle of winter has been dragging us down. It's time to get started again! We decided that we love trying new restaurants, and from now on, we will try a new one every other week. To make it interesting for all of you, I'll be critiquing the restaurants as we go along. For any of you readers who live in Salt Lake, we hope our comments are enjoyable and benefit your own dining pursuits. For those who do not, you'll have a perfect guide for the next time you come visit!

First on the List..

We were told that Settebello was a place that would not disappoint. Known for it's fresh, authentic cuisine, it seemed to be a favorite among many of our aquaintences. Given the recommendations, we thought it would be a perfect place our our first dining experience!

Settebello prides itself on creating pizzas that meet standards of the Vera Pizza Napoletana; in other words, pizza that tastes like you just stepped into Italy. Indeed, they do this well (not that I've ever been to Italy, but my imagination affirms this is true). The strength of Setebello proves to be its ability to turn a simple, margherita pizza into something splendid. I ordered my pizza topped with toasted pine nuts - a combination I have never considered before, but would eat again in a heartbeat. Unlike most American pizza places, Settebello seems to operate by the "less is more" philosophy. Although my pizza lacked mounds of cheese and other toppings, it more than made up for it in perfectly blended seasonings and fresh, robust flavors. A thin, flaky crust straight from the furnace put every other pizza place I've ever visited to wallowing shame. For dessert, we ordered a cup of hazelnut gellato. Cold and creamy, it was a perfect end to a delightful dinner.

The atmophere of the restaurant complimented the food. The highlight of the area is the firey brick oven used to cook each pizza. Here, you can also watch the chefs prepare your order. Like the pros that they are, they expertly toss their dough into the air and work it with their hands into a perfect circle before adding the colorful toppings. Overall, the area is warm and inviting. Red accent walls showcase sharp Italian photography, and long arches provide a simple, sophisticated touch. Lighting was neither to dim nor too bright. I didn't feel like I was struggling to see my food or my dining partner as in so many other Italian restaurants. Even my "cleanliness is next to godliness" grandmother would have been hard pressed to find a spot of mess anywhere in the building.

Setebello's was a little on the noisy side. We went on a Thursday evening and it was quite busy. Although I didnt' have to shout, the place had a bit of an echo that emphasized the many voices around us. Service was friendly and to the point. None of the staff we encountered were very talkative, but I didn't feel their conversation was missing. All service was unusually prompt. On a minor point, I do wish our server had reminded us of the daily specials and offered to split the check.
Considering the quality of the ingredients, the cost of the food was quite respectable. Ten to fifteen dollars will purchase an entree that could easily feed two people. I would recommend, however, to order the gellato directly from the adjoining restaurant instead of having them bring it to your table, as it cost significantly more to do so ($4.99 compared to $3.75).

Overall, Setebello is an excellent choice for an evening out. Even those who do not normally enjoy pizza may like to give this place a try. It's fresh ingredients and authentic Italian feel are well worth a trip downtown.

Rating Scale: Setebello Ratings:

Ambience: ****

Taste: *****

Service: ****

Noise: ***

Price: ****

~ratings based on a 5 star scale. Small stars are equivavent to half a star.

Goal #6 Go to California!

For several months, I (Rachelle K) have been trying to get to California for the first time ever. However, each time I have planned a visit, it has been canceled. I finally made it last week with the help of a few of my fellow Child Life Specialists! We had a absolutely fabulous time in San Francisco!

My first steps into California!
Here's a picture of all of us (Rachelle A, April, me, Haylee - Rachelle's friend from San Francisco - and Callie) just before seeing Wicked. It was a great show!

Like good little Child Life Specialists, we went to the Children's Hospital of Oakland on our vacation. Actually, it was to visit Rachelle's old friends and coworkers. It was fun for the rest of us too, to see a different aspect of Rachelle's life and to meet the staff there.

After a day at the hospital, we thought we'd cheer things up by visiting Alcatraz prison (ha, ha, we really know how to have fun on our days off :)

April looks happy to be behind bars!

This might look like a normal picture to you, but this is really a very special picture! The gentleman who took this picture requested that he take one of his own to keep as a "souvenier". Yes, out of all the diverse people in San Francisco, apparently we were considered interesting enough to take a picture of! He promised us repeatedly though, that he would never use the picture for a commercial, so we can rest easy.

Just hanging out and Lake Merrill..

Still just hanging out at Pier 39

And still enjoying each other's company in our hotel room, talking, laughing and sharing stories.

On Sunday we we went to the Muir woods to enjoy the Redwood forest. Even though it is only a few minutes from the Golden Gate bridge, you would never guess it when you are in the woods. It is so serene! It's amazing how tall and beautiful the trees are!








All in all, it was a wonderful weekend - a well chosen black book goal!

Goal #5: cheer at a football game!

Believe it or not, I (Rachelle the First) have never been to a football game before. Not pro, not college, not high school, not even pee wee. Rachelle A, horrified that I have not yet really lived, decided to take me to one of the Aggies games. The event was definately worth a black book entry!

Decked out in a new Aggies sweatshirt, I was able to attend my first game in style. Because Rachelle's dad is president of Utah State, we were able to enjoy the Presidents box. This was especially pleasant considering the cold, snowy weather we had all day (note freezing loyal fans in the picture below). We had an awesome view, tasty warm food, and the famous blue Aggie ice cream as the afternoon wore on. Best of all, Utah State won! Woo-hoo!

Touchdown!

Goal #4 Pie-Making!

I (Rachelle the 2nd) have always wanted to learn how to make a pie so I added it to my little black book. A few weeks ago, our good friend Angie agreed to take on the task of teaching me how to make a pie. Luckily, some other friends joined us for the adventure!

Angie was very excited about sharing her fabulous cooking skills with us. She even wore her famous "Angie's" shirt (acquired on a previous black book adventure) to look official.

Watch out Rachael Ray!

Kym and Rachelle follow Angie's instructions.

Step 1: "Add a crap load of flour...."

Mary Ann was "lucky" enough to partner with the novice cook. It took me a while to feel comfortable getting my hands dirty. But after some trial and error, we managed to make some pretty good looking pies.

The finished products. Not too bad!

Kym, Angie, Rachelle K., Mary Ann, Lindsay, and Rachelle A.

enjoying the result of our hard work! Yummy!

Thanks Angie!!

Next month: Bread-making

hike #3- Little Cottonwood and Sundance

It was a gorgeous day here last weekend, so Rachelle and I decided to get in another hike. Rachelle A. hadn't been to Little Cottonwood canyon in years, so we decided to head that way.

Then, because we wanted to get some more fall colors in, we decided to head to Sundance area and took the Alpine loop. As you can see, it was beautiful! It snowed just a couple of days later, so we were extra glad we had taken advantage of the warm weather.

Is this Sturgis?? Nope, UMF's annual toy run at Primary's. It's always fun to see thousands of bikers drive up to Primary's with loads of toys. It's a fun crowd!