Ten favorite places to eat in Salt Lake and Cedar City

I'm bored and still unemployed, and thinking about eating out (even though I've already eaten lunch today) so I'm going to list my favorite places to eat in Salt Lake and Cedar. I would say ever, but a lot of my choices are salt lake/cedar specific, so there you go :) these aren't in any particular order, they're all good.

1. Noodles and Co.
www.noodles.com
(various locations in Salt Lake)
seriously, Noodles and Co. is the standby for me and Cameron when we want to go out to eat. It's extremely tasty and relatively cheap (5.25 for an entree that could easily be split into two..not that we ever do that). It is also for vegetarians to find something they like, since all the entrees are noodle and vegetable based and you can add meat to it. I like that, since I'm not much of a meat eater anyways. Best dishes (in my opinion): Penne Rosa and Pesto Cavatappi. The Penne Rosa is spicy, but it's quickly become a favorite of mine. Pesto Cavatappi is a lot easier on the taste buds, and I love pesto, so it works out well :). Oh, it's also open until ten, which is nice because then Cameron and I can stroll the gateway till it closes and still make it to Noodles in time to eat :) there are also locations that are conveniently located near our haunts (Gateway, the MAC, Sugarhouse, etc.) so that's good too. I really wish one would open in Cedar!

2. Granato's
There's only two Granato's locations--downtown and randomly, right by my house. It's actually an Italian market, but they have a deli in the back that has the best sandwiches I've ever had. Seriously, I've had a lot of sandwiches and I always go back to Granatos. I thinhttp://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2388646021562182056k it's their bread. They've got this wonderful hard bread that's got this great crunchy crust and then soft white fluffy bread underneath...its pretty much magical. They use fresh ingredients and all sorts of interesting deli meat. They also include a pepper and green olives with every sandwich, which I never eat, but my mom does! My favorites are the Muffuletta and the Italian Combo, though i don't think you could really go wrong with any of them.

3. Cafe Rio
I've been going to Cafe Rio since jr. high. It's exploded since then (seriously, it went from two locations in salt lake to like a billion) but I still think the quality is pretty good. Cafe Rio is not real Mexican food, but that's okay because I'm actually not that huge a fan of Mexican food. It uses lots of rice and beans and is heavy on the cilantro and lime. It also boasts freshly made tortillas and gigantic burritos. Oh, and pork that's marinated in Coke. But I like the chicken better :P They also inexplicably play oldies music. I remember when I was younger my mom would make me guess what songs were playing while we ate. I got very few of them right :( though I was really good about the Beach Boys! Speaking of oldies, Paul McCartney is coming to Salt Lake and my mom is positively freaking out over it. It's kind of strange. Anyways, I like the chicken tacos at Cafe Rio. Sometimes I get a salad, even more rarely a burrito, but it's always chicken and black beans for this girl.

4. Pastry Pub
One location in Cedar City, UT
Pastry Pub is this great Irish-themed restaurant that was literally a block from my apartment last year. It's got sandwiches, salads, tostadas, breakfast, dessert, coffee + tea beverages...tons of stuff. And it's all really, really good. There was a dark time when the building next to Pastry Pub closed down and it was closed for the better part of the 2008-2009 school year due to water damage...seriously, the pizza place that burned down re-opened before the Pub did :( but it's back now, so that sad year can be put behind us. I really like the ambiance of the Pastry Pub, as well as the food. They use foam coffee cups for all the drinks, so the only lids available are the raised ones meant for hot drinks. For some reason, I find this incredibly endearing. They've got a variety of seating (mostly small tables, but they have one long table in the main dining area for big groups and a banquet room) and it just has a really nice feel to it. They also offer a student discount, which I took full advantage of when I was considered a student (a current student sticker is required for the discount, so no summer discounts for me :() . I really like the mediterranean salad and the turkey sandwich sans sprouts. Their chai is good, and their tiramisu (when they had it) was divine. Mostly I go there for the food, though.

5. The Old Spaghetti Factory
Various locations in Salt Lake
The Old Spaghetti Factory is an old family favorite. Whenever we were on vacation, we would go to The Old Spaghetti Factory if there was one nearby. I've even been to the first one in Gastown, Vancouver! They always have the same menu, but the decor is different. A cool fact about the Old Spaghetti Factory is also that the trolley that diners can sit in is usually a historic trolley from the area. It's quite fitting that Trolley Square has one, then :) (that's the only one in Salt Lake I've been too, as well). I love sitting in the trolley, but I only have once. They have these great chandeliers that totally make me think of the old west (jewel tones with fringe...don't ask me why). They've also got great prices and good food. Most of their entrees are part of "The Complete Meal," which includes unlimited bread, soup or salad, tea (hot or iced), milk,or coffee, and a scoop of ice cream at the end. All of that costs between 8-14 dollars. It's great. I usually get the tortellini, but sometimes I switch it up and get other stuff. As long as I get bread, I'm good. I am in love with their bread. Cameron is too, but he has issues with the fact that the restaurant always gives us steak knives to cut bread with. When he becomes rich and famous, he wants to donate a whole ton of bread knives to the Old Spaghetti Factory. I don't mind so much. I'll gnaw on the whole loaf if I have to. Anyways. Since it's a sit-down place, but a relatively inexpensive sit down place, that's usually our go-to place for "special" events (like anniversaries, Valentine's Day, and fancy dances at the MAC). I think we might even be going there this Saturday, actually. We aren't predictable at all....

6. The Cheesecake Factory
(One location in Salt Lake)
I don't get to go here alot, but I really like it when I do. The Cheesecake factory has a huge, extensive menu that takes like ten minutes to fully look at. It also has cheesecake, but I've never actually ordered any (when it's 7 bucks a slice, I don't have much motivation to try it). This is my family's destination for special occasion places since everyone can find something they like. I used to just get the pizzas, but this last time I tried the basil and tomato pasta and thought it was excellent. The portions are GIGANTIC, by the way. Definitely easy to share or bring home for lunch. I opt to bring it home for lunch. I really dislike sharing food. Or anything, really, but food especially is something that makes me very grumbly. Anyways, I suggest the pizzas or the pastas, but there's so much to choose from that's like a drop in the bucket.

7. Pierre's Bakery
(1 Location in Salt Lake)
Pierre's Bakery is this little French Bakery in the middle of a strip mall on 33rd south. It has the best baguettes ever. I like to go in there, buy a baguette, and then carry it out under my arm. it makes me feel very French. I sometimes get the sweets they have there (eclairs) but I think that Pierre's is really all about the bread. I remember going there when I was a little girl and really liking it, and that's definitely stuck around! It was really nice in high school because it was never busy during lunch. Places like Wendy's and Einstein's would be packed with people, and when you've only got 35 minutes for lunch it sucks to stand in line for 20 minutes of it. At Pierre's I could usually just walk in, buy my bread and be able to eat it before lunch was over! If you're ever looking for great bread in the 33rd South area, Pierre's is definitely the way to go.

8. Coffee Garden
(2 locations in Salt Lake)
I love coffee shops. Most people from Cedar probably wouldn't know that, since there's one independent coffee shop in town and it closes at like, six, but I really love coffee shops. Going to a coffee shop is one of my standby activities in Salt Lake, because there's so many good ones! Coffee Garden is by far one of my favorites. It's got a great atmosphere and great drinks. It plays classical music, which I think is awesome, and they always have local art hanging on the walls. It's got exposed brick and rafters and it just looks really sophisticated. The selection is all written on a chalkboard and it sometimes changes. I love, love, LOVE their chai. I also like their steamers, and their Italian sodas are okay...but their chai is great. Cameron loves their sugar cookies, and I recently got a slice of cheesecake (three dollars as compared to seven) and that was good, too. Pretty much, I like almost everything about the Coffee Garden and you should too (even if you don't drink coffee!)

9. Greenhouse Effect
(1 location in Salt Lake)
Greenhouse Effect is another coffeehouse, and is the one that I probably frequent the most. It's on 33rd and 9th, which is close to my house, and it also has great Chai. I like their steamers and Italian sodas, too. Going to Greenhouse often feels like an unofficial high school reunion, because so many people I know frequent there. It's got a jungle theme and usually plays heavier music than Coffee Garden, but I kind of like it that way. It's also got a hodge podge of board games and books for patrons to enjoy. Cameron's been teaching me to play chess there, and it's an adventure. The chess sets always have pieces missing, or a whole variety of sizes and colors. Last night, I didn't have a black king, so I took two checker pieces, laid them on top of each other, and put them in the king's place. Cameron laughed at me, but it worked! Greenhouse also hosts local art. Right now the artist is kind of creepy, but intriguing at the same time. Greenhouse also hosts poetry readings on Sunday night, which I have yet to attend (oops). The other thing I almost totally forgot to mention about Greenhouse is their crepes! They make a variety of savory and sweet crepes, and they are awesome. I always just get the basic powdered sugar crepe, but they've got a ton of others. When I was in high school, they offered the powdered sugar crepe for one or two dollars, but sadly they don't do that anymore :( it makes me very sad inside. I don't get crepes very much anymore, but they are still definitely something to go to Greenhouse for.

10. I can't think of #10 for right now, so I'll ask you...what's your favorite place to eat where you live?

If you've read it this far, congratulations! I think I've just proved to myself that I should not write for the describing restaurants/food industry. Definitely not. Oh well. In life news, I'm still looking for employment and trying not to die of boredom. How fun!