Martine
Sorry it’s been so long since I posted last. For some reason my family went on a new-restaurant-hiatus for a month and a half. So this weekend I tried Martine, an upscale Tapas bar. Martine has been hailed for having authentic Spanish tapas, but I didn’t appreciate it. My fellow diners and I left disappointed and asking for more.
The restaurant itself is nice enough; hip décor and a modern menu make it acceptable just reading about it, but once I actually tasted the food I developed a different opinion. I ordered beef tenderloin tips and garlic potato chips in a bolognaise sauce. The beef tips were perfectly tender, and the chips weren’t overpowered by the garlic undertones. However, the meal only got worse from there. As an entrée I received the fattiest cut of lamb I have had in my entire life; there was practically no meat. As I worked my way through about a quarter of it as to not offend, I eventually gave up. Also, several others at my table ordered the same dish with the same result. Several others at my table ordered seared calamari, as oppose to the normal fried variety. Normally, I am open to new cooking techniques, but the squid came out dry, tough, and rubbery. Although it had an appealing charred flavor, the texture caused it to lose some respectability among our table.
Overall, I expected much more from Martine. My parents had told me that I was in for a treat; that I should expect a great meal. I left wanting more.
MARTINE---6/10
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Review 4
Mazza
Salt Lake City, Utah
Mazza
When I first sampled Mazza, a Middle Eastern café specializing in appetizers, it was little more than a few tables in a tiny dining room. Although the ambiance was lacking, the food was much more impressive. Mazza features a menu full of classic middle- eastern dishes, such as baba ganooj, stuffed grape leaves, and hummus.
In the appetizer department, I would highly recommend the baba ganooj and the stuffed grape leaves. The baba ganooj features eggplant, lemon, garlic, and olive oil ground into a fine paste, then spread on pita bread. It is pungent, light, fresh, and flavorful. The grape leaves come with a side of yogurt sauce, and are stuffed with a savory mixture of rice, chopped greens, herbs, and various spices. When I first bit into one, I was met with an explosion of flavor coming from the juicy grape leaves, the cold yogurt sauce, and the rich rice. As a main course, the lamb and rice dolaa and baked kafta stood out. The lamb and rice dolaa is made by braising a lamb shoulder in broth, then cooking rice, nuts, and various herbs and spices in the broth. When I first bit in, I was surprised at how the flavor of the rice and nuts stood up to the lamb. The lamb was fall apart tender, but the rice and nuts held their own. I would attribute this to the fact that they were cooked in the very broth that cooked the lamb. The baked kafta is layers of potatoes and ground beef in a creamy sauce. Although a little rich for some people, I thought the sauce complimented the rich, earthy flavors of beef and potatoes perfectly. Mazza also makes sandwiches. The best sandwiches include the lamb shawarma, the falafel, and the chicken kabob sandwich. The lamb shawarma features small lamb patties, lettuce, yogurt sauce, and juicy tomatoes all in a pita pocket. When I first bit into it, the juice from the tomatoes mixed with the yogurt sauce and the juices given off by the lamb to create a very flavorful experience. Although it usually falls apart before being finished, it is a welcome break from the heavy grape leaves and entrees offered. The chicken kabob sandwich is amazing for one reason; the aoli spread. Besides that, it’s basically grilled chicken in a baguette. But the aoli softens up the bread, and gives a creamy, garlicy taste to the chicken that is a match made in heaven. Finally, the falafel sandwich is not what most people think of as falafel. This uses ground, deep fried fava and garbanzo beans to add a unique earthy flavor.
Overall, Mazza is a unique and excellent restaurant in a city that really needs some good middle-eastern food. Mazza offers amazing selections of both classic and updated dishes that will stun and delight diners everywhere.
Mazza- 7.5/10
Salt Lake City, Utah
Mazza
When I first sampled Mazza, a Middle Eastern café specializing in appetizers, it was little more than a few tables in a tiny dining room. Although the ambiance was lacking, the food was much more impressive. Mazza features a menu full of classic middle- eastern dishes, such as baba ganooj, stuffed grape leaves, and hummus.
In the appetizer department, I would highly recommend the baba ganooj and the stuffed grape leaves. The baba ganooj features eggplant, lemon, garlic, and olive oil ground into a fine paste, then spread on pita bread. It is pungent, light, fresh, and flavorful. The grape leaves come with a side of yogurt sauce, and are stuffed with a savory mixture of rice, chopped greens, herbs, and various spices. When I first bit into one, I was met with an explosion of flavor coming from the juicy grape leaves, the cold yogurt sauce, and the rich rice. As a main course, the lamb and rice dolaa and baked kafta stood out. The lamb and rice dolaa is made by braising a lamb shoulder in broth, then cooking rice, nuts, and various herbs and spices in the broth. When I first bit in, I was surprised at how the flavor of the rice and nuts stood up to the lamb. The lamb was fall apart tender, but the rice and nuts held their own. I would attribute this to the fact that they were cooked in the very broth that cooked the lamb. The baked kafta is layers of potatoes and ground beef in a creamy sauce. Although a little rich for some people, I thought the sauce complimented the rich, earthy flavors of beef and potatoes perfectly. Mazza also makes sandwiches. The best sandwiches include the lamb shawarma, the falafel, and the chicken kabob sandwich. The lamb shawarma features small lamb patties, lettuce, yogurt sauce, and juicy tomatoes all in a pita pocket. When I first bit into it, the juice from the tomatoes mixed with the yogurt sauce and the juices given off by the lamb to create a very flavorful experience. Although it usually falls apart before being finished, it is a welcome break from the heavy grape leaves and entrees offered. The chicken kabob sandwich is amazing for one reason; the aoli spread. Besides that, it’s basically grilled chicken in a baguette. But the aoli softens up the bread, and gives a creamy, garlicy taste to the chicken that is a match made in heaven. Finally, the falafel sandwich is not what most people think of as falafel. This uses ground, deep fried fava and garbanzo beans to add a unique earthy flavor.
Overall, Mazza is a unique and excellent restaurant in a city that really needs some good middle-eastern food. Mazza offers amazing selections of both classic and updated dishes that will stun and delight diners everywhere.
Mazza- 7.5/10
Friday, February 15, 2008
Review 3
08.24.07
Trio
Salt Lake City, Utah
When people from my tennis group rate a restaurant as “so good” I usually make a point of never eating there. The people from my tennis group are born and raised anti-foodies, enjoying items such as orange chicken, and believing that the Costco frozen dumpling is what the dumpling is supposed to taste like. So I was slightly apprehensive, to say the least, when they mentioned a new Italian restaurant called Trio.
As we arrived, I glanced out the window of our car to see a classy garden with diners seated both outdoors and in. We walked through the door to see a kind of elongated podium, with waiters and waitresses in sheik black outfits darting back and forth from tables. We waited about ten minutes to be seated at our outdoor table (one of my fantasies is that one day I can say “Don’t you know who I am?!” and be seated immediately). The menu included appetizers, salads, soups, entrees, and “other stuff”. Trio is almost renowned in the Salt Lake Valley for their appetizers, especially the Trio flatbread (8 spears of oil-brushed flatbread with olive tampenade, white bean puree, and basil pesto on the side). The olive tampenade could have been less salty, but besides that I enjoyed it. As my entrée, I ordered a New York strip steak with a Chianti glaze. It arrived on a long white dish piled atop mashed potatoes and some carrots. The steak itself was perfectly cooked, ruby red on the inside and seared on the outside. The Chianti glaze was flavorful and delicate, perfectly complimenting the mashed potatoes. The dish was all I had hoped for when I ordered, except for one fatal flaw. Since the steak was served atop the mashed potatoes, when you cut yourself a piece, the bottom is totally coated in potatoes. Another dish worth mentioning is the sausage rigatoni. It’s not overplayed, and the spice of the sausage goes well with the sweetness of the tomato sauce. The pasta is slightly overdone (a little bit too mushy, in other words not enough bite to it), but besides this the dish accomplishes a nice balance between sweet and spicy.
Trio tries to be a chic, modern café that serves updates of classic Italian dishes. However, it seems to have more success when it innovates and creates new and different dishes, rather than trying to recreate classic Italian. Trio is a café with an identity crisis; is it serving new or old dishes? Although it enjoys relative success at both, it would be much better if it just focused on one. Come get me when that happens.
Trio- 6/10
Trio
Salt Lake City, Utah
When people from my tennis group rate a restaurant as “so good” I usually make a point of never eating there. The people from my tennis group are born and raised anti-foodies, enjoying items such as orange chicken, and believing that the Costco frozen dumpling is what the dumpling is supposed to taste like. So I was slightly apprehensive, to say the least, when they mentioned a new Italian restaurant called Trio.
As we arrived, I glanced out the window of our car to see a classy garden with diners seated both outdoors and in. We walked through the door to see a kind of elongated podium, with waiters and waitresses in sheik black outfits darting back and forth from tables. We waited about ten minutes to be seated at our outdoor table (one of my fantasies is that one day I can say “Don’t you know who I am?!” and be seated immediately). The menu included appetizers, salads, soups, entrees, and “other stuff”. Trio is almost renowned in the Salt Lake Valley for their appetizers, especially the Trio flatbread (8 spears of oil-brushed flatbread with olive tampenade, white bean puree, and basil pesto on the side). The olive tampenade could have been less salty, but besides that I enjoyed it. As my entrée, I ordered a New York strip steak with a Chianti glaze. It arrived on a long white dish piled atop mashed potatoes and some carrots. The steak itself was perfectly cooked, ruby red on the inside and seared on the outside. The Chianti glaze was flavorful and delicate, perfectly complimenting the mashed potatoes. The dish was all I had hoped for when I ordered, except for one fatal flaw. Since the steak was served atop the mashed potatoes, when you cut yourself a piece, the bottom is totally coated in potatoes. Another dish worth mentioning is the sausage rigatoni. It’s not overplayed, and the spice of the sausage goes well with the sweetness of the tomato sauce. The pasta is slightly overdone (a little bit too mushy, in other words not enough bite to it), but besides this the dish accomplishes a nice balance between sweet and spicy.
Trio tries to be a chic, modern café that serves updates of classic Italian dishes. However, it seems to have more success when it innovates and creates new and different dishes, rather than trying to recreate classic Italian. Trio is a café with an identity crisis; is it serving new or old dishes? Although it enjoys relative success at both, it would be much better if it just focused on one. Come get me when that happens.
Trio- 6/10
Monday, January 28, 2008
Review 2
01.25.07
Emmigration Grill
Salt Lake City, Utah
I am not a giant fan of grills. Every meal is the same; a disappointing burger, some fries, a coke, maybe some chips and a pickle. So when my father mentioned going to the Emmigration Grill (which, by the way, is in the middle of a popular grocery store), I was none too excited. I constantly avoided it; excusing myself by saying I “wasn’t in the mood for a burger”. One day after school, I complain that I am hungry, my normal bait for going to lunch. My father wants to go to the grill, so I finally give in, thinking “what the heck”.
When we arrive, the atmosphere was… smoky. Apparently, someone had burned a burger and the window wasn’t open. I can barely inhale, until someone yells,” Open a window!” The window is opened, and normal breathing is restored. With my newly obtained eyesight, I observe the simple, aluminum chairs and white walls. Nothing special… but that’s not the point of grills.
I glance down at the menu. Bar food. Some appetizers include nachos, quesadillas, and other “let’s get excited about nothing” dishes. I move onto the main section. This grill fell prey to what many others had; overextension. Apparently, the burger was no longer satisfactory for today’s eater. The menu now had items such as teriyaki chicken, calzones, pizza, and ribs. What’s next, mango salsa? Anyway, I glance around, trying to find a normal burger. I see buffalo burgers, garlic burgers, burgers named after presidents, but no standard cheeseburger. I order the closest thing, a burger with pickes, tomatoes, lettuce, beef, cheese, and garlic aioli (this is where it could go oh so very wrong).
When the food arrived at my table, I must admit I was very worried about the aioli. Aioli is originally a Spanish condiment created by whipping eggs and slowly adding oil. The tedious process can take up to several hours, and I doubted the Emmigration Grill had been slaving away with the whisk. Anyway, the burger looked good enough, and as I took my first bite it tasted that way too. But one thing was wrong; the aioli had no taste. It’s almost as if they whipped it with water instead of oil, and the texture looked the like it too. Figuring it wasn’t doing any harm, I continued eating the burger, only to notice that the lettuce: meat ratio was slightly off. I felt like I was eating a veggie burger at times, wanting less lettuce and more beef.
Overall, however, it was a good burger. Maybe even a very good burger. Usually, when I leave a restaurant I don’t like, I want more. But when I came out of the Emmigration Grill, I wanted less. I still am searching for a grill that goes back to its roots; a normal burger and a coke. I feel that people have been recently been moving towards ethnic foods as a way of “culturing themselves”. I am all for this, but in the process they seem to have lost sight of good old American cuisine. When more restaurants start realizing this, maybe I’ll start going to grills more often.
Emmigration Market: 4/10
Emmigration Grill
Salt Lake City, Utah
I am not a giant fan of grills. Every meal is the same; a disappointing burger, some fries, a coke, maybe some chips and a pickle. So when my father mentioned going to the Emmigration Grill (which, by the way, is in the middle of a popular grocery store), I was none too excited. I constantly avoided it; excusing myself by saying I “wasn’t in the mood for a burger”. One day after school, I complain that I am hungry, my normal bait for going to lunch. My father wants to go to the grill, so I finally give in, thinking “what the heck”.
When we arrive, the atmosphere was… smoky. Apparently, someone had burned a burger and the window wasn’t open. I can barely inhale, until someone yells,” Open a window!” The window is opened, and normal breathing is restored. With my newly obtained eyesight, I observe the simple, aluminum chairs and white walls. Nothing special… but that’s not the point of grills.
I glance down at the menu. Bar food. Some appetizers include nachos, quesadillas, and other “let’s get excited about nothing” dishes. I move onto the main section. This grill fell prey to what many others had; overextension. Apparently, the burger was no longer satisfactory for today’s eater. The menu now had items such as teriyaki chicken, calzones, pizza, and ribs. What’s next, mango salsa? Anyway, I glance around, trying to find a normal burger. I see buffalo burgers, garlic burgers, burgers named after presidents, but no standard cheeseburger. I order the closest thing, a burger with pickes, tomatoes, lettuce, beef, cheese, and garlic aioli (this is where it could go oh so very wrong).
When the food arrived at my table, I must admit I was very worried about the aioli. Aioli is originally a Spanish condiment created by whipping eggs and slowly adding oil. The tedious process can take up to several hours, and I doubted the Emmigration Grill had been slaving away with the whisk. Anyway, the burger looked good enough, and as I took my first bite it tasted that way too. But one thing was wrong; the aioli had no taste. It’s almost as if they whipped it with water instead of oil, and the texture looked the like it too. Figuring it wasn’t doing any harm, I continued eating the burger, only to notice that the lettuce: meat ratio was slightly off. I felt like I was eating a veggie burger at times, wanting less lettuce and more beef.
Overall, however, it was a good burger. Maybe even a very good burger. Usually, when I leave a restaurant I don’t like, I want more. But when I came out of the Emmigration Grill, I wanted less. I still am searching for a grill that goes back to its roots; a normal burger and a coke. I feel that people have been recently been moving towards ethnic foods as a way of “culturing themselves”. I am all for this, but in the process they seem to have lost sight of good old American cuisine. When more restaurants start realizing this, maybe I’ll start going to grills more often.
Emmigration Market: 4/10
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Review 1
12.26.07
Afghani Kabob House
New York City, New York
Upon hearing that I was to attend this restaurant, I was a little apprehensive. A whole restaurant devoted to kabobs? How many can there possibly be? Lamb kabobs, beef kabobs, and possibly chicken kabobs. The list didn’t get much longer in my mind.
When I entered, you are met with an Irish pub-style door; a short, wooden, round door. The dining room is long and narrow, with enough room to fit only two or three tables lengthwise. The décor was fairly generic, a maroon carpet, white tablecloth, dark wooden chairs.
When you are seated, bread is brought to your table, which comes with two dipping sauces (a green, smooth one and what looked like a chili, garlic paste). The green turned out to be just pureed cilantro, which was overly assertive when dipped in bread. The chili garlic paste surprised me. I expected that upon biting into it, I would be met with spicy and sharp flavors. I was wrong; it seemed as if the staff had added about two tablespoons of sugar before serving it. It was way too sweet for my taste, needing less sweetness and more bite. After the disappointing bread dip, we ordered two appetizers; a meat pastry and a deep fried meat fritter. The difference between the two was practically indistinguishable without looking at them. I was disappointed with both. It seemed like there needed to be more to it. Both were simply meat stuffed in starch. For the first couple bites it was fine, but after that their appeal quickly went downhill. As a main course, I ordered a lamb kabob. The plate came with rice, biryani style (seasoned and with raisins), and a yogurt cucumber sauce to dip the kabobs in. Upon biting into my first chunk of lamb, I realized that this was no ordinary kabob. The lamb was tender, moist, and perfectly cooked. Dipped in the yogurt sauce, it only got better. The refreshing coolness of the cucumber was welcome with the yogurt, and together they complimented the meat perfectly. The rice that it was served with was mediocre, simply meant to take up space on the plate.
Overall, this is a no-nonsense kabob house. Nothing is over seasoned (actually most of the time they are slightly under seasoned), and nothing is over embellished. They serve what they are supposed to serve; hearty chucks or broiled meat on a stick. I guess there really can be a restaurant devoted to kabobs. And I guess it can be good too.
Afghani Kabob House- 7.5/10
Afghani Kabob House
New York City, New York
Upon hearing that I was to attend this restaurant, I was a little apprehensive. A whole restaurant devoted to kabobs? How many can there possibly be? Lamb kabobs, beef kabobs, and possibly chicken kabobs. The list didn’t get much longer in my mind.
When I entered, you are met with an Irish pub-style door; a short, wooden, round door. The dining room is long and narrow, with enough room to fit only two or three tables lengthwise. The décor was fairly generic, a maroon carpet, white tablecloth, dark wooden chairs.
When you are seated, bread is brought to your table, which comes with two dipping sauces (a green, smooth one and what looked like a chili, garlic paste). The green turned out to be just pureed cilantro, which was overly assertive when dipped in bread. The chili garlic paste surprised me. I expected that upon biting into it, I would be met with spicy and sharp flavors. I was wrong; it seemed as if the staff had added about two tablespoons of sugar before serving it. It was way too sweet for my taste, needing less sweetness and more bite. After the disappointing bread dip, we ordered two appetizers; a meat pastry and a deep fried meat fritter. The difference between the two was practically indistinguishable without looking at them. I was disappointed with both. It seemed like there needed to be more to it. Both were simply meat stuffed in starch. For the first couple bites it was fine, but after that their appeal quickly went downhill. As a main course, I ordered a lamb kabob. The plate came with rice, biryani style (seasoned and with raisins), and a yogurt cucumber sauce to dip the kabobs in. Upon biting into my first chunk of lamb, I realized that this was no ordinary kabob. The lamb was tender, moist, and perfectly cooked. Dipped in the yogurt sauce, it only got better. The refreshing coolness of the cucumber was welcome with the yogurt, and together they complimented the meat perfectly. The rice that it was served with was mediocre, simply meant to take up space on the plate.
Overall, this is a no-nonsense kabob house. Nothing is over seasoned (actually most of the time they are slightly under seasoned), and nothing is over embellished. They serve what they are supposed to serve; hearty chucks or broiled meat on a stick. I guess there really can be a restaurant devoted to kabobs. And I guess it can be good too.
Afghani Kabob House- 7.5/10
First Post
Hey guys,
My name is slcfoodie, and as my name suggests, I love food. I love cooking it, eating it, reading about it, watching it on television, etc. I also love reviewing restaurants. Every time I go to a new restaurant, I will write a 1 or 2 page review of the place, giving it an overall score. This is why I created my blog. Every week or two I will post a new review. Enjoy!
-slcfoodie
My name is slcfoodie, and as my name suggests, I love food. I love cooking it, eating it, reading about it, watching it on television, etc. I also love reviewing restaurants. Every time I go to a new restaurant, I will write a 1 or 2 page review of the place, giving it an overall score. This is why I created my blog. Every week or two I will post a new review. Enjoy!
-slcfoodie
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)