Starling Travel

We’ve been to The Oasis Cafe dozens of times. It was Sunday morning and we had planned on going to Market Street Grill, but I was feeling sick to my stomach and I didn’t think the scent of fish would be the best thing for me.

“Where should we go?”

I shrugged my shoulders, “How about Dee’s?”

Dan crinkled his eyebrows, “How did we scale down so quickly?”

We all laughed and I suggested The Oasis Cafe. Soon we were heading there. I really only suggested it because I wanted the ginger tea that they serve. I thought it would soothe my stomach.

We were surprised because the menu for the Weekend Brunch is completely different than the evening menu. Suddenly, we had no idea what to order and we all had to make a decision. Fortunately, the cafe was really busy that morning, so we had a few extra minutes to decide.

This is the entree that sparked the picture taking. The presentation on Dan’s crabcakes was so beautiful that the camera came out of the purse.

Stacey ordered Eggs Benedict with Salmon. Considering that we had come to Oasis to avoid fish, it was interesting that the two of them still ordered fish. Stacey didn’t like the flavor of salmon with the hollandaise sauce, so she took it off and ate the parts separately. I tried not to look at her entree because the tea hadn’t quite cured my stomach yet.

I ordered the grilled brie sandwich on cranberry-pecan bread. It was absolutely delicious. It was the perfect mix of savory and sweet. The usual tangy flavor of the brie was dampened by the melting. It flowed between the slices like a thick, gooey honey and smelled like the sweetest butter you have ever encountered. The salad that came with it had jicama and carrot spears with spinach. It was crisp and sweet.

Mike ordered the chicken gyro. I had already clicked pictures of everyone’s food and his patience was at an end, so you’ll have to imagine the red sauce and pita. It was all wrapped in a paper, but it was still a messy meal that made Mike lick his fingers clean.

Our brunch at the Oasis Cafe was an enjoyable way to spend our Sunday. Next time you’re in Salt Lake City, make sure you plan a meal at the Oasis.

Where: 151 S. 500 East St. Salt Lake City, Utah Google Map Phone: 801-322-0404

My first memory of going to Park City for dinner was at Main Street Pizza & Noodle. Even though I grew up in the Salt Lake Valley, I had never gone to Park City in my life. On one of our dates, Mike took me up to Park City to have Pizza. I remember nothing about the food that night. I was just amazed that he would take me to an entirely different city to go to dinner.

Mike had worked at Albertson’s as a teenager and he opened the Park City store up there. He learned the places for good eating while he was working up there and he was so proud to show me something new.

Fifteen years later, we still regularly go up to Park City just for dinner and Main Street Pizza & Noodle is one of our favorites. The last time we went up there, we shared a stromboli. The prices might seem a little high for the casual atmosphere of the restaurant, but the food is worth the price and they give generous portions. That one stromboli was enough to easily feed both of us.

If you want some quick food that’s made fresh and delicious, Main Street Pizza & Noodle is the place for you.

Where: Main Street Pizza & Noodle – Park City, Utah 530 Main Street Park City, Utah 84060 Google Map Phone: 435-645-8878

I love to sit outside in the summer at Butcher’s Chop House. It’s usually a little chilly in the evenings, even in the summer, but the propane heaters and the French Onion Soup keep me warm. They even let you bring your dog if he’s well-behaved (ours is not). From the patio, you can watch the hikers and mountain bikers ride the Town Lift up the mountain. It’s a relaxing activity after a hard day riding.

If you come to Park City for the Sundance Film Festival, however, the patio area will be covered in a thick blanket of snow. I can’t tell you how disappointed I was to see my usual table under that snow. It looked like cream-cheese frosting on my chair.

The food of course, is just as excellent in the winter as it is in the summer and the delicious scent of meat emanates from the doors. I usually make a meal of appetizers, so I can’t say that I’ve actually had any of their entrees there. The prices are extremely reasonable and the portions are large. You can see their website and menu here:

• Butcher’s Chop House & Bar – Park City, Utah bar & restaurant

Butcher’s Chop House is an excellent place for dinner or lunch. If you are lucky enough to come during the summer, ask for the patio, it’s the best seat in the house.

Where: 751 Main Street, Park City, UT 84060 Google Map Phone: 435-647-0040

After paying for expensive food everywhere from San Francisco to downtown Salt Lake, I’m always amazed when really good food is so affordable. It’s one of the reasons I love Cisero’s Ristorante in Park City. It’s an Italian restaurant with the cannoli in Utah. You have to leave the state to get a better cannoli. Of course the creamy marscarpone and flaky pastry is for dessert. I would love to always just skip to dessert, but sometimes after a long day working your body in the outdoors, you need “real” food. I always order the Capellini Pomodoro. It’s my favorite and the serving is so generous that I could easily share it with another person and still feel full.

Most of the time, if Mike and I take a trip up to Park City, it’s because we want to eat at Cisero’s. There have been quiet off-season nights when we were the only ones in the place and enjoyed ourselves in privacy. Winter escapades at Cisero’s tend to be loud and noisy evenings filled with happy skiiers and excited vacationers. I love to go there both times of the year because it’s always a good time for a cannoli.

Where: 306 Main Street, Park City, UT 84060-5102 Google Map Phone: 435-649-5044

If you are cold, walking on Main Street in Park City, the best way to warm up is with a hot tea from Alpine Internet Cafe. The staff was quick to help us and we felt welcome there. I had several teas to choose from and Mike ordered the Malted Milkball. He said it tasted like a melted Whopper you could drink and I was a little jealous.

The sign said that the bathrooms are for patrons only. Last summer, when Mike and I were riding our mountain bikes around town, that sign bugged me. We had come in there to buy cold water after our trek, but the sign made me feel a little guilty for wishing there was a bathroom. I held it until I got back to my hotel. This time when I saw the sign, I didn’t care. My feet were cold and I wanted to warm them up before we continued walking up Main Street. I was just grateful to be able to wait for the staff to make my tea.

Compared to Hawaii, the prices for computer access didn’t seem outrageous, but compared to a couple miles west in Salt Lake, they made me cringe. If you know you’re going to need a lot of time on the computer, then you might want to take a drive to any Barnes and Noble in Salt Lake City, because you’ll pay less there.

There were lines of computers waiting for us to check our email. Since I can check my email on my phone, I didn’t really try out their computers, but it felt enticing to see so many warm computers with people at them. There were also couches and tables filled with people on their laptops. It was a great way to glean the computer dudes from the ski bunnies. They both were wearing ski boots, but the computer dudes were warm in the Alpine Internet Cafe.

• Alpine Internet Cybercafe Official Website

Where: 738 Main Street, Park City, UT 84060 Google Maps

The busy thoroughfare in Park City, where the Sundance Film Festival is right now, is Main Street. It’s noisy and full of excited people. If you step one street down to Park Avenue, you’ll find some peace and Good Karma.

They specialize in Indian curries and the food is delicious. Mike and I ate there last August, so there were tables set up in the open area in the back. We sat with the birds and squirrels while we ate. They were happy to eat a little of our Naan. We ate leisurely in the warm sunshine. During the winter, things are a little more cramped. I would recommend ordering your food to go and enjoying it in your hotel room or by the Town Lift.

If you are in the mood for excellent food with a spicy twist, go to Good Karma on Park Avenue when you’re visiting Park City. It’s a quiet escape from the busy noise on Main Street.

Where: 817 Park Avenue in Park City, Utah. Google Map Phone: 801-787-5907

Continuing our series on small pleasures in Las Vegas, here’s one way to have some fun near Vegas without losing your shirt. The Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Cactus Garden is located in Henderson, Nevada, about 10 miles from the Vegas strip. While chocolate and Cacti don’t have much in common, fans of either one will find something fun here.

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I am sitting in Mo’s Grill in Salt Lake City, on West Temple. I’ve never been here before. Once, while we were waiting in line at Port O’Call across the street, my friends walked across the street to Mo’s Grill. When they came back, we asked what they did, my friend exclaimed,

“We had a Flaming Mo!”

It was the famous drink that Homer Simpson invented in Moe’s Bar on The Simpsons. We were awed and we wanted them to stand in line for us while we went over, but we were so close to the front of the line, we didn’t get a chance to go in.

My belly is warm from my Flaming Mo right now. It tasted like cough syrup. The waitress was reluctant to set it on fire for me. She said,

“Most of the time the fire just goes out. Either that or it goes down the side of the glass and sets your hand on fire.”

I was willing to have an Unflaming Mo in order to remain unscathed. We ordered burgers and enjoyed the quiet night at the bar. It’s a Thursday night, so there are only two other groups of guys in the bar. There is an unattended pool table, a pinball machine and two video games (2005 Golden for Tee and Deer Hunting USA). The televisions are showing the LSU football game. I’m not much for sports bars, but my city has the famous Mo’s Grill. I can’t leave it unvisited.

The food is slow in coming and I order my favorite drink that tests whether the wait staff is snooty or stupid. I order a Kamikaze with the rest of the glass filled with club soda. It’s the kind of thing that either breaks their brains or makes them turn up their noses. Neither happened with her. She replied,

“Do you want the normal Kamikaze or the Blue Kamikaze?”

I’m floored and ecstatic, “The blue one, of course!”

By the time the burgers come, I’m a little tipsy. The burgers are fresh off a flame-grill; they have that perfect charcoal flavor and not too crispy. My cheeseburger is delicious and Mike’s barbeque burger is excellent. The French Fries have a seasoned salt on them, giving them extra flavor. We continue eating, even though we are both full because they taste so good. The clientele is excitedly talking about the most recent movies and ignoring the football game.

They have a wireless network that my computer connects to, but I can’t get past their router. I don’t need a password, but it doesn’t work. I ask the waitress about it and she laments that they have had trouble all day, but that it usually works. Oh well, I work offline just as easily as online. One of the regulars brings in his iBook. After a few moments, he tries restarting the router, to no avail. He seems surprised that it doesn’t work, so her story about it usually working checks out.

No one notices when I take pictures of the inside of the pub and flash pictures of my food. I waited until our waitress was out of sight, though. Aside from the two waitresses, I am the only female in the room. The rest of the people in the pub are men over 35 years. One of them is giving his friend in-depth descriptions of all the latest movies and the preferred physical attributes of the female leads. I smile to myself. It feels like Cheers in here, except the waitress is nice to me.

Our bill came to 28 bucks, which covered the two burgers and fries, a soda for Mike and the two drinks for me. I tipped the waitress 20% (typical for Utah) and left full of good food and happy for the visit.

If you’re in Salt Lake City, you need to try out Mo’s Grill, it wasn’t named after the bar in The Simpsons and I don’t think this is the bar that inspired it. It’s a great place to relax and type on your laptop for a while. Just don’t let the Flaming Mo set your hand on fire.

Mo’s Neighborhood Grill
358 S West Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1911
(801) 359-0586