I Dine Divine

Fish Tacos at Merry Piglets (Jackson Hole, WY)

2009-10-01T18:58:00.000-07:00

Just got back from Merry Piglets! It's a bright, colorful establishment with great food! Free chips and an amazing fresh salsa... all you can eat! I had to leave the table to force myself to NOT get full on chips and salsa. The food takes a long time here, but if you have interesting friends to talk to then it's actually a positive. Everyone was friendly tonight and the service was great! Drinks were always full, as were the baskets of chips and dishes of salsa. I ordered the Fish Tacos (one of my favorites at any mexican restaurant). When I got my food, I remembered having ordered them on one of my previous visits. They were delicious. I really like their special cilantro mayo sauce they put on top and the flame-grilled mahi-mahi was fresh and grilled perfectly. It's the special sauce that makes them so delicious to me. That and the fact that the fish is grilled and not breaded.

Is it true the best fish tacos are found in Mexico in little hole-in-the-wall restaurants? Maybe so, but we're determined to find something a little closer to home! Maybe that will be our mission for the next however long it takes. All you fish taco lovers out there, we need your recommendations. Where are the best fish tacos in Utah? In fact, let's expand this to the whole world! You never know where we'll be next! If you know of a place with worthy fish tacos, you need to tell us about them. We'll be the judge.

Speaking of fish tacos, we found another blogger with the same idea. The blog is called Fish Taco Magazine. It looks like they have quite the experience in fish tacos or F.T.'s as some of their contributors would call them. Check em out!

Most importantly though: Let us know your vote for the best fish tacos in the world.

The Merry Piglets

2009-10-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited because tonight we are in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and we will be eating at our favorite Mexican restaurant up here: The Merry Piglets! We're going with most of my family and a couple friends who actually live up here. My family and i will be meeting our friends at the Rich Haines Art Gallery that he manages and from there we will walk over to the Merry Piglets for some delicious Tex-Mex!

Look for a review later on tonight, or tomorrow morning!

Thanks for visiting iDineDivine!

How McDonald's Came About

2009-08-02T19:27:00.000-07:00

Came across a video on cnbc.com that anyone interested in business should watch. Very interesting. Take two minutes and check it out: McDonald’s Founder Ray Kroc

La Carreta: Delicious Peruvian Ceviche!

2009-04-03T15:55:00.000-07:00

Wow! I can't count the number of times i drove past this restaurant never daring enough to try it out. It wasn't until March 31st, the day our 2nd child was born at the American Fork Hospital that i took the plunge. I was starving... i was taking care of my daughter... and i wanted something close by. La Carreta was right around the corner. Since i'd never eaten Peruvian food, i have to thank my waiter, Daniel for giving some awesome recommendations!

Side note: Part of a waiters job in my opinion is to know how to recommend good dishes. Daniel! 5-star waiter. He had tried everything on the menu and wasn't afraid to recommend the good stuff!

When i asked him what he recommended, he asked me if i liked sushi. Asking a question to answer my question... Beautiful! "Yes, i like sushi," i said. "Then i think you'll really like the ceviche dish... the Ceviche de Pescado Mixto" he responded.

Ceviche happens to be the typical dish of Peru. Why not try the food they are famous for? My first ceviche experience was in Costa Rica and I've had my share of delicious ceviche experiences since, but this one took the cake. Ceviche is usually an appetizer or dish of raw seafood marinated in lemon and lime juice. The juice actually pickles or "cooks" the meat. The flavor is like a party in your mouth. Cilantro, onions, and lime juice and seafood=amazingness!

My daughter really enjoyed the "Tallarines Blancos" which is fettucini noodles, parmesan cheese and egg. It tasted like a fancy version of our macaroni and cheese with the addition of the hard-boiled egg. I thought it was pretty tasty too.

Huge portions! Neither of us were able to completely finished our meals. Prices are reasonable. $8-12 dishes. Service was excellent! Complementary chips and fresh salsa... YUMMY!!! One of the best fresh salsas i've ever had! If you haven't been to La Carreta, you've gotta go. It's so good, it sucked me in three days in a row. I tried new dishes every time.

I'd recommend the Jalea de Pescado dish as well as the kabobs appetizer. And the maracuya (passion-fruit) drink is quite tasty!

For another review and an additional perspective on La Carreta, check out this Utah Food Blog link.

Also, check out La Carreta's Website!

J Dawgs - Provo

2009-03-22T18:25:00.000-07:00

I can't believe i had never eaten at JDawgs! What a cool little hot dog stand! They make some killer polish and beef dawgs. And i thought Costco had amazing polish dogs! J Dawgs is the place to grab a gourmet hot dog. They come with all the condiments: onions, pickles, banana peppers, sauerkraut, and jalepenos. The buns are delicious, made fresh every morning at a local bakery. And the special sauce adds a little unique sweetness that sets J Dawgs apart from any other hot dog i've ever had before.

Next time you're craving a weener, check this place out at 880 N. 700 E., Provo, Utah. You'll love it! After you're done eating your dawg, head over next door to Smart Cookie to grab a delicious sugar cookie and you're set!

"All Other Smoothies Bow Down!"

2009-03-15T22:37:00.000-07:00

Last week i went on a little trip to Charlotte, North Carolina with my co-manager, Ryan to find apartments for the summer. While we were out there, Ryan introduced me to Smoothie King! It's not just a smoothie store, but a vitamin/supplement shop as well. The story behind Smoothie King is kinda cool. Steve Kuhnau is the founder who created the original nutritional smoothie. It all began in the late 1960's when Steve began experimenting with mixing fruit, protein, and nutrients together in a blender at home to remedy his allergies and low blood pressure. 1973 was when he opened his first shop.

I had never heard of Smoothie King before, but was hooked after my first experience. I only tried one flavor, the Caribbean Way with some added vanilla protein. I've gotten it the last three visits to the Smoothie King, so that tells you how much i like it. But there are endless combinations and flavors to choose from. Here is a link to the menu: Smoothie King Menu

We are lucky to have 3 locations here in Utah. Lehi is the closest one to me. There is also one in Ogden and Logan! Find the closest Smoothie King to you: Smoothie King Locations

Anyway, i'm thinking Smoothie King might have just moved into first place on my list of top smoothie joints!!! All other smoothies bow down!

How About Some Chinese-Joy Luck

2009-02-08T10:27:00.000-08:00

I think it had been about a year or two since i'd had some sit-down Chinese food. What a way to make my resurgence! A couple cream cheese wontons, some General T'sao and Sweet n' Sour chicken later and i remember why Bountiful was such a great place to live. Joy Luck in Woods Cross is my all-time favorite Chinese restaurant. The food and the service are always fantastic! This is consistent with their mission:

"Joy Luck believes the ultimate goal is to make you and your stomach tickling, dancing and delighted with JOY. Therefore, we choose only the freshest ingredients along with our superb customer service to make your dining pleasure the best dining experience. To complete your meal, draw your LUCK with a complimentary fortune cookie."

Ha ha, i love how it's worded! Those aren't really the words i'd use to describe how my stomach felt, but i was joyful to be eating those cream cheese wontons as we waited for one of our guests to show up.

Anyway, i would recommend those wontons for an appetizer along with some Hot & Sour Soup. General T'sao Chicken and Strawberry Chicken are two of my favorite dishes to order along with the Ham Fried Rice! Mmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about it all!

The "cherry on top" is that most dishes are under $8 and can feed up to two people!! And Chinese left-overs are delicious so don't be afraid to order an extra dish for some variety!

For hours of operation and a full menu with prices along with the address and phone number log on to www.joyluckwc.joyluckfoods.com

What's All This Talk About "Five Guys"

2009-01-24T20:04:00.000-08:00

Is it just another burger joint? I've heard nothing but good things about Five Guys, the 23-year old burger chain that started in Arlington, VA. We've got three locations here in the Salt Lake Valley: Sandy, Midvale, and West Valley. The burgers are delicious and with over 250,000 ways to order one here, it would be pretty tough not to find something you like. Five Guys only uses fresh meat, never frozen. I guess that's a big deal??? And you won't find any oil except for peanut oil anywhere in the store. After reading up a bit on Wikipedia.org about peanut oil, i found that peanut oil is also a big deal like Ron Burgundy. According to Wikipedia: "Peanut Oil is a monounsaturated fat, as such it may be substituted into a diet to reduce the negative health effects of eating trans fat and saturated fat." If you haven't checked out those negative effects in a while, you might wanna do so. The food is fantastic and Five Guys is doing us all a favor by keeping it healthy. Thank you Five Guys. Anyway, try the burger with A1 sauce and the fries, cajun style. You won't be disappointed.

Happy Sumo: Quality Sushi

2009-01-08T18:52:00.000-08:00

You can always count on Happy Sumo to get it done! I always enjoy eating sushi here. As many of you already know, i'm always up for trying new things. I try to order new dishes every time i go out. Sushi is great because since i usually order two rolls, i can get one of my favorites and then try a new roll as well. Tonight, i had dinner with a buddy of mine and we started with an amazing appetizer followed by three delicious rolls.

For the appetizer, we had the Dragon Scales: spicy tuna delicately pressed between two Japanese shiso leaves then lightly tempura fried, served with green scallions, and ponzu, and eel sauce. Just a little dip in some soy sauce and cha ching! It's money!

Then we ordered two of our favorite rolls along with one new specialty roll. Our waitress recommended we try the Sweet Pea Roll which was an excellent recommendation. It wasn't like any special roll i've ever had before. It actually had honey on it and i really didn't know if i would like it. Needless to say, it had a unique flavor, but it was awesome! The Sweet Pea Roll is made with crab salad, cucumber & lime, topped with avocado, honey, togarashi and red jalapeno. I'm so glad i've learned to not be afraid of trying new foods! I've learned to love so many different flavors. One in particular is sushi made with lemon and lime in it. Lemon or lime and sushi is an incredibly delicious combination...

That leads me to my other favorite roll that has thin slices of lemon on top. The Rising Sun Roll is a definite winner made with salmon, avocado, and cream cheese topped with spicy crab, green onions, lemon, and eel sauce. I don't know how to describe it, but the contrast between the lemon and the spicy crab is absolutely mouthwatering. If you haven't tried a roll like this, let this compel you to do so.

Last but definitely not least, we devoured the BSCR (Baked scallop california roll) which is a California roll topped with baked scallops, spicy Sumo sauce, tobiko and green onions.

Oooh man! I relished every bite tonight! It blows my mind how eating sushi can be so gratifying! Anyway, if you haven't been to Happy Sumo in awhile, i think it's about time you go. If you need any suggestions, feel free to ask. Even better, if you have any suggestions, please share them by commenting below.

Happy Sumo locations!

More Happy Sumo reviews!

Musumeci's Italian Deli

2008-12-19T22:45:00.000-08:00

I have to admit i don't think i would have entered this hole-in-the-wall deli had it not been for a good friend of mine, Jonathan Tietz. We were in downtown Salt Lake when he suggested we grab a sandwich.

First of all, we couldn't even find the place. He hadn't been there for a long time. We drove around the block twice because we kept passing it. Then, once we found it, we opened the front door and had to walk down a sketchy hallway to this mafia-style back dining room where only two customers were seated eating some pasta. So then we both had to go to the bathroom pretty bad so we go down into the basement where the bathroom was. Water was dripping from a pipe above the ancient, rusted out toilet. There was a bucket placed on the side of the toilet under the leak. Wedged between the pipe and the wall was an old paper cup folded and creased just right so the water would trickle down it and fall directly into the bucket. Needless to say, the bathroom experience didn't help with the feeling of remorse that had been creeping up on me since i entered this hole! I recommitted myself with some self talk by telling myself i had probably eaten in worse places while on my mission in Costa Rica.

So next we enter the ordering area where it looks like a father and heavy-set son, in his 30's, are busy cooking up pasta and cleaning up the place. I walk up to the counter, and as i always do when visiting a new restaurant, i ask the son what he recommends. Out of his mouth came the most dreaded words an abnormally indecisive person could ever anticipate, "Everythings good." I was thinking, "Why thank you so much Mr. Helpful!" Anyway, i could tell he was probably tiring a little from working in a sandwich shop for his father for the past 15 years. I brushed off his abrasiveness because i felt had no idea the hell he'd been through. So i said to myself, "Screw it! I'll just take whatever Jonathan gets." And that's what i did. I ended up with a pastrami sandwich topped with provolone. I ordered some banana peppers and a few other veggies to put on the sandwich as well, but i was done with this guy. I just wanted to eat quick and get out.

We were told to wait in the dining area and our food would be brought out to us. The guy that looked like the father ended up bringing the food out and proudly placed each sandwich down on our table. We dug in!

The sandwiches was delicious. This place uses all sorts of imported meats and cheeses. The bread was soft and tasty. I'd like to go back to try some of the pastas.

In my opinion, this isn't a place to take a date. It's more of the type of place you go if you ever need to order a hit on someone or discuss some other type of illegitimate business deal you don't want anyone overhearing you talking about. Of course i say all this in jest.

Musumeci's definitely could use a facelift, but it has character. It's a little on the dirty side. I'm not sure how far above the cutoff they were when the health inspectors came by, but they've been in business for 15 years. The food was great and i didn't notice any sicknesses or strange growths on my body after eating there. It was a memorable experience, and there aren't a ton of places you can go these days to have such a unique dining experience. Go check them out! It really is delicious food for a reasonable price.

For more info: click here!

Roxberry-licious!

2008-12-06T10:05:00.001-08:00

There is a new smoothie joint in town! Say goodbye to Jamba Juice. Ok, maybe I shouldn't dis on Jamba. Although, I don't recall ever having a
smoothie from Jamba Juice that I ever loved. Roxberry hasn't let me down either of the two times i've been! For all my Bountiful friends, Roxberry is a lot like Keva Juice!

Roxberry has 100%-fruit smoothies and 100% pure orange and carrot juice for all the health conscious people out there. You've got smoothies like Pomegranate Perfection, Mango Magic, and Simply Peach (All 100% fruit. No sherbet!)

For those of you that don't mind a little sherbet, you've got Passion
Paradise, LOL Lime, Raspberry Rush and about twenty other Options to
choose from made with an assortment of sherbet, fruit, and juices.

My Favorite??? Passion Paradise for sure! It has passionfruit-mango juice,
strawberries, peaches, and orange sherbet. It is more on the sweet
side, but has a little tartness to it too, if you like that sort of thing.

If you're not in a fruity mood, they have P-Nut Butter Blast,
Chocolate Crave, or Rootbeer Freeze. They also sell freshly baked
rolls and homemade jam!!!

I've only been twice, but each time was delicious! I would highly
recommend trying it out. The prices are reasonable for a smoothie joint and they really know how to blend. Raspberry Rush and Passion Paradise are both
delicious! I'd be interested to see what you think of some of the
other smoothies and treats they have. Enjoy!

For locations: Click Here

For the menu: Click Here

My Favorite Eating Establishment - Bombay House

2008-10-25T21:41:00.000-07:00

I thought it was about time to do a post about my favorite restaurant in Utah... The Bombay House in Provo right across from the Provo Library. We have eaten here three times in the last couple months. Everything

is delicious! I'm no expert on Indian food so I can't compare it to any other Indian restaurants. All i can say is everything is FILLED with flavor.

The first dish i ever had her

e was the Chicken Tikka Masala which is a "boneless chicken barbecued in tandoor oven, then cooked with bell pepper, onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, cream and spices." Very Very tasty. Really good accompanied with the Indian flat bread they serve called "Naan" or the "Onion Naan."

The last two times i've been to Bombay House i've ordered Chicken Makhani -- boneless tandoori chicken cooked with onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, cashews, cream, and spices. This dish is very similar to th

e Tikka Masala, but i like it a little bit better. I don't know why so don't ask.

Rachel always orders the Chicken Curry which is also very flavorful, and a little bit different from the Makhani and the Tikka Masala. The curry is cooked with boneless chicken, onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes and curry spices. It isn't as creamy as the other two dishes.

I know it doesn't sa

y that any of the dishes have cilantro in them, but it seems like cilantro is used in most

of the dishes and even the rice. It is just a subtle taste, but i know it's there. I'm a cilantro fan so it's heaven to me. Anyway, take my word for it! If you try this place and don't like one of the dishes i mentioned, we probably shouldn't be friends! No, i'm just kidding, but seriously i don't see how anyone could dislike the Chicken Tikka Masala. The only reason you might not like the Makhani

is because it has cashews and i know some people don't like nuts.

One thing to keep in mind about Bombay House is that the meals are big. They are made to share if you have an order of "Naan bread." Two people can share one order of Naan and one dish. The food is a

little pricy unless you share: $13.00 for a plate, plus $2-4.00 for the bread.

Try the Mango Lassi to drink! It's a creamy mango flavored yogurt drink that "raises the roof!" You might want to s

tay away from the Rose Milk, though if you like trying new things it is quite the experience. It really does taste like a rose blended with milk and sugar! The other drink i tried was the Indian Tea which is a special tea blended with milk and spices. It would be perfect on one of those bitter cold and wet winter nights... just add lots of sugar!

This place is the bomb! It is a must eat! Please post your experience if you've been here or remember to come back and leave your input after you go try it out. I'd love to hear what other plates everyone likes.

Click Here for the menu.

Click Here for more reviews and a brief history

Click Here for locations

I Finally Made it to Flying Sumo in Park City

2008-10-19T13:49:00.000-07:00

Mark said the best sushi place in Utah was the Flying Sumo, so i had to check it out... It was pretty good. I don't think i can say it was the best i ever had, but the rolls were pretty good, the fish was fresh and the atmosphere was cool. I must have a thing for the Rainbow roll. That was my favorite of the three i was able to sample. The other roll i really liked was the Chuck Norris. Something that made this particular time special was being there with most of my family. My brothers Spencer (11) and Jeff (16) tried sushi for the first time. Even though Jeff hates fish, he was a good sport and tried a little. Spencer seemed to love his California roll and was daring enough even to try my Rainbow roll... he loved that too! Sushi is just a wonderful thing! I didn't try sushi until i was in my early 20's!!! How is it that i missed out for so long?

Why iDine Divine?

2008-09-29T19:32:00.000-07:00

After much thought, i have decided to start a blog about all the delicious food i get to eat every week. My job as a recruiter/sales manager in the alarm industry has me eating out quite a bit. I find myself eating at new restaurants almost every week. It keeps things interesting. I really enjoy eating new foods and finding new restaurants... especially since the company usually reimburses my meals :) It's a perfect opportunity for me to blog about all the delicious meals i get to eat. Hopefully, this will help me keep track of the dishes and restaurants that really know how to release my endorphins. Along the way, i hope i can inspire some of you to branch out and try new things. For those of you that have already discovered some delicious dishes and restaurants, i hope you'll share your recommendations with all of us! Food is such a wonderful thing! There are so many fantastic restaurants, delis, diners, parlors, and cafes all around us. Why limit ourselves to eating at all the same places each time we go out?

I guess i should start this blog off by telling you about a delicious little sushi place i was introduced to over the weekend. The name: Suehiro. The location: Midvale (click the link for more info including the address, phone number, and more reviews)

My friend Zach so graciously took me to this little "hole-in-the wall" sushi joint. I say that with all due respect to the establishment. It was one of the cleanest sushi restaurants i have been to. The fish was the freshest I've had anywhere. The service was good and the flavors were unforgettable. Zach ordered us four rolls to share. Two stood out: the Fire Crystal Roll and the Rainbow Roll. I took a picture of the Fire Crystal Roll to get you sushi lovers salivating!!! It has tempura shrimp inside and spicy tuna on top. It has one of the most incredible flavors of any sushi roll I've ever had. The second roll, the Rainbow, was more mild in flavor. It offsets the intense, slightly spicy Fire Crystal Roll. Everything was just so fresh and so tasty! I'm glad to add Suehiro to the top of my favorite sushi restaurants list with Tsunami, Yapona, and Happy Sumo.