Northern Utah Restaurant Review

"The review on Franck's was spot on we had an excellent meal, and my wife was so excited to go there for our 20 th anniversary."

Bruce - Brentwood, California

"I enjoyed reading your reviews. It was only a few weeks ago that I saw the (restaurant) sign and have wondered how it is. We will go there soon based on your review."

Peter - Eden, Utah

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The restaurants are ranked by four categories: Ambience, Food, Service and Price. The ambience, food and service categories are ranked from 10-1;

The Review - This is a non-biased review of the Northern Utah Restaurants by Franco Mortarotti . We always appreciate any feedback!

It is not often when I leave a restaurant feeling I’ve been ripped off and bamboozled, but that was exactly how I felt

after I left Chez Betty. I guess those high prices are in part, to pay off Salt Lake City Magazines high recommendation

of the restaurant. Granted the service is pleasant and prompt, and the 70’s style décor is quaint and a little tacky, but

aside from that I can not recommend this overpriced restaurant for the food we received. My friends and I started with

the salads and escargot first course. The salads were not much more than some leaves and a light sprinkling of dressing.

The escargot was overcooked, and masked by a heavy burgundy sauce with chunks of ham. Either one hardly dictated

the $13+ price tag. For our main courses, we had a filet mignon ($38), which was simple, and oversalted and the New

Zealand rack of lamb ($42- this isn’t lobster….) was very fatty. As I said before, I can not recommend this restaurant to

anyone, except maybe to some of my enemies, which I have very few of, but might pick up one after this review. P.S.

The cheaper prices on your web site don’t match what’s on the menu. (http://www.chezbetty.com) - Park City -

Mazza was one of the first restaurants I was suggested to review, and was continuously prompted to do so. Before

I begin with this review, I'd like to point out that all my reviews are unannounced and never compensated for. We

visited the newest Mazza’s at 912 East 900 South in Salt Lake City. It was a pleasant experience and I was gleefully

surprised to see table linens on the tables. When we arrived we were fortunate to meet the Lebanese owner Ali

Sabbah, who showed us his favorite dishes, and suggested some wonderful Lebanese wines. We had some of the

typical Middle Eastern dishes, beef and chicken kebab, and lamb and rice Dolaas. All the dishes were very well

prepared, and very well priced. The few comments I do have are, one, the dishes were fairly Americanized and I wish

they were more traditional. And two, the square box, café style layout didn’t leave room for any quiet conversation with

our friends. The décor was interesting but simple, with photos of Lebanon in the 40’s and 50’s decorating the walls.

Overall the place is very clean, and the dishes are fairly authentic and simple, but for Salt Lake City Magazine to

place this as the best middle eastern restaurant, they obviously are not comparing it to much, though still worth a visit.

"An oddity", is all I can say. Cucina Toscana far out paces its closest competitor. An iconic example of how restaurants

should be. This relatively small Italian restaurant, tucked away in an old Firestone tire store building has some of the best service

I have ever seen. Truly an oddity for the area. It starts as you enter the place, from the Maître D', who makes you feel as

though you own the restaurant, all the way down to the water boy, who'll go out of his way to make sure there is a full bottle of

San Pellegrino on the table. Full attention to detail. And the food is truly remarkable, and extremely authentic. There wasn't a

single item on the menu, that didn't make my mouth water. Whether it was the Asparagus Ravioli with 4 cheeses or the Veal

Scaloppini with lemon/caper sauce, all cooked to perfection. The open kitchen adds to the extravaganza, which is perfect for any

occasion. This restaurants earns my highest honor, and I recommend this restaurant not only to my local friends, but my

I am very happy to have new restaurants' here in Ogden. That being said, The Bombay grill is OK. I am very pleased to see they

have chosen to use tablecloths, rather than the standard bare table. The food is authentic, but very small portions, especially

for the price. Best of all is their excellent Nan. Beggars can't be choosers, and considering they are one of the only Indian

restaurants in town, you might want to give it a shot. (No web site) - Downtown Ogden - Tel. (801) 393-4828

What a surprise, I walked into this place after seeing it across the street from Settebello's, while I was doing a little last minute

Christmas shopping. I thought it was going to be your average burger joint, but to my surprise it was anything but average. Don't

let the name fool you, only a fifth of the menu is dedicated to burgers, the other four-fifths is a composition of mouth watering,

delectable food. Everything from Ahi spring rolls to salmon and creme fraiche covered potato pancakes. The hamburgers are

also just as exciting, with choices of cheese toppings, such as blue cheese or cheddar, and other toppings such as mushrooms

and bacon. And one of the best things is, the hamburgers are cooked to order. If you ask for rare, you'll get it rare,

not easy to find in this day and age when lawsuit are a dime a dozen. This 3 month old "burger joint" gets my thumbs up. Though,

Bistro 258 is under new management, and I thought I might check it out. As I have been there many times, I thought

the new management might make a few adjustments to the menu and the décor. But unfortunately not much has changed.

You will still get the same food and decor for the same expensive price. We arrived there on a Friday evening at 7:00 pm,

and the most annoying thing was trying to order items from the menu. The waiter kept telling us they were out of prime rib, peach

cobbler, and other items. (on a Friday night???). Though I must say my filet mignon was cooked to my request, and was excellent.

If you've been to Bistro 258, and you didn't like it then, you probably won't like it now. But, as we live here in Northern Utah,

I must count my blessings, and am glad they are still around. (No web site) - Downtown Ogden - Tel. (801) 394-1595

It's hard to call most foreign restaurants authentic, but Settebello is truly as authentic as you can get to Napolitano pizza.

And in my book, by far one of the best pizzas in Utah. It is so authentic they've even shipped the cook (Matteo Schiavone)

and the tiled pizza oven all the way over from Napoli, Italy. And the thin crust pizzas are made to order, with only the finest

ingredients and cooked in as little as 2-3 minutes. Though they could warm up the place with the décor; don't let that

hamper you from going to try the best pizza in Utah. And make sure you try the gelato, also just as authentic.

A true breath of fresh air, Franck's is a fabulous place with wonderful food. We had a group which tried almost everything

on the menu, from the duck and ginger peach sauce to the southern fried chicken. All very delicately made, and all very

scrumptious. The appetizer are good as well, make sure you try the trio of French cheeses and, if it's on the menu, the corn

puree with a hint of crab is excellent. And the desserts are fantastic, must haves, are the lemon trio and the Dolce de Leche,

a type of Cream Brulle, which must be ordered in advance of your arrival. I also highly recommend bringing your own bottle

of wine. The selection of international and domestic wines are good, but for the price, I'd recommend brining your own

($10 corkage fee). When the weather is mild, I'll bet sitting out side under the stars, with the hanging lanterns would be quite
a treat. Frank's might be a little pricey, but well worth it. A must! (http://www.francksfood.com) - Holladay - Tel. (801) 274-6264

I know this is supposed to be a review, but I am so fed up with restaurants that don't live up to there potential. In saying that,

I want to put out to the management of Wolf Creek Resorts, a public challenge. You have one of the best locations

in the Ogden Valley for a restaurant, but as of yet, I have not received the food nor the service, that is indicative of such

a wonderful location. I challenge Wolf Creek to up the anti, or get out of town. It took them a while to come around to

our table to take our order, but that wasn't the real wait, it took them forever to serve us our food. The waiters and

waitresses were all chatting it up with each other, around the bar, and not doing what they were suppose to be doing,

looking after their guests. The food was typical hotel Mexican food, nothing authentic about it. I know there is little to

be had here in the Ogden Valley, and I should count my blessings that there is at least another restaurant, but I can't say

I can really consider The Rusty Cactus a restaurant. It's Really not worth the trouble.

Every so often you get a chance to eat at a little, family run, and undiscovered place with great food. Chanon Thai is that

type of place. They have all of your typical Thai dishes, and some special ones as well. Make sure you try all of their appetizers,

everyone is good. Main dishes I would recommend is the Beef Larb, Num Tok and the Yum Talay, all fixed very well.

We didn't get a chance to have any of the duck, but I will definitely try it next time. Surprisingly, one of my favorite items was

the green tea ice tea; excellent. And don't forget their dessert, the fried bananas and coconut ice cream is superb. Overall this

is a great little Thai restaurant, that should be sampled. (No website) - Salt Lake City - Tel. (801) 532-1177

Here is where Salt Lake City Magazine got it right! Elio Scanu, the executive chef at Snowbasin resorts, is one of the best

chefs in the region, if not one of the best chefs West of the Mississippi. It's a shame such talent is wasted on a venue that

doesn't have that much traffic, but that'll be our little secret. Elio's excellent compilations of food at the Huntington Room,

and his ability to retrieve such quality merchandise, makes for a truly great meal at such a relatively inexpensive price. Every

item on the menu is craftily made and is changed at every seating; it makes it hard to recommend any one item. Most

importantly, with such a small venue, they are able to maintain a staff that rivals that of The French Laundry, and service

is constant. Though they, as of yet don't have a sommelier, Elio does a pretty good job at wine pairing. The Huntington Room

at Snowbasin is a must do in anyone's book. And check out the Sunday brunch, it's also a great value. Keep up the great

Lugano's is a good restaurant, more for an afternoon supper or a lazy lunch. Though as I've said before, I really can't give a

high mark to a restaurant that does not serve dinners with table linen. Even the restaurants in Lugano, Switzerland have table

linen on their tables during lunch. And if you are looking for authentic Ticino food, I can't say much on the menu is from the

Ticino region. A side from that I have to give them high marks on their wood burning oven "clay pot" mussels, something you

can't find too often around here, and their desserts are pretty good too. All in all Lugano's is worth a visit, but keep your

So many people had recommended Rickenbacker's Bistro that I was really looking forward to eating at this establishment.

Unfortunately, I have to report back, that I was not impressed. It is imperative when you visit a restaurant to make sure the

executive chef is cooking that evening. The difference in the meal could be night and day, and it was quite evident in the meal

we had. The waitress recommended that I try the macaroni with truffle oil, as well as the filet mignon. Most of my meal was

over salted. My friends tried the salmon; which was dry, and the flat iron steak; which wasn’t bad. The good thing is I

complained about the meal, which I don’t do that often, but it brought me many rewards. As a matter a fact I received $75

in coupons for a future visit, and the dinner was only $150. I will write an update, and let you know how it goes. Maybe I’ll

have better luck next time. One good thing, they certainly have a good view of the Wasatch Mountains. *Update - We went

to Rickenbacker's for a wine tasting event, granted it was event type food, but I'd rather eat at a Marriott......Still needs work.

While I should really disqualify myself from reviewing our local pub, I should still review it considering Ski Magazine

keeps ranking this pub as a historic land mark. The Star Burger is the "must have" of all the food that's offered. If you've

ever been to Tommy Burgers in L.A., the Star Burger is quite similar. They go one step further and add a sausage

to the mix. Though you really shouldn't be going to the Shooting Star for the food but for the ambiance. This 128 year

old bar, has memorabilia that transcends those years. And if your lucky, you might even be asked to autograph a one

dollar bill and stick it up on the ceiling. Overall, it's a great "bar". (No web site) - Huntsville - (801) 745-2002

Don't bother. We attended the Moonlight 'n Fire, and the cost was $40 per person. For that price I would have expected a

little more than what we received. The food, which consisted of pulled pork and beans, and the drink, Country Time Lemonade,

was terrible. Further, they had no dining car, which lead us to eating off our laps. The passenger cars needed work, even chipped

paint was coming off the ceilings. But what upset me the most was the sing-a-long, the singer sang songs that only a 70 year

old would know. I think they forgot it was a sing-a-long. This program needs WORK! I would not recommend this to

The Pine restaurant, located in Murray is OK, and really doesn't live up to Salt Lake City Magazine's "Best New Restaurant".

While the decor is new and modern and the food is better than average, the service was mediocre. Our group had the salmon,

which was a little dry, and the lamb shank, which wasn't as large as we expected. I do recommend the beef carpaccio as an

appetizer and as well the coulette steak for the main course. The food was good, but the service and decor just didn't add up

Mandarin, located in the old orchard part of Bountiful, is a great little Chinese restaurant. I have found most of the

good restaurants in Northern Utah are in little neighborhoods, and off the beaten path. If you want to be whisked away

to another part of the world, the decor helps you to do just that. Gregory, the owner, told us that the woodwork of the

interior was hand crafted by European carpenters. The woodwork really adds to the attraction of this restaurant. We started

by ordering Tsingtao beer, pot stickers, and BBQ pork ribs. After the appetizers we had the crispy duck, Mongolian beef,

and orange peel chicken. The food, aside from the duck, was just as expected, typical Chinese food. Had I known that I

had to order the Peking duck a few days in advance, I would have ordered it.. But what was unusual for this restaurant, was

their desserts. I highly recommend the homemade ice creams, especially the pineapple sorbet. And even more unusual was

the raspberry crème brulee, one of the best I've ever had, even after a full stomach. One complaint I had, was the restaurant is

not as cheap as most Chinese restaurants, I wish they would use some table linens to cover the table so they might distinguish

themselves above all the other Chinese restaurants in the Salt Lake basin. Overall the food was good, the decor was great and

worth the trek over to Bountiful. And if you need help on ordering, ask for Jessika with a "K", she was a big help.

In the Hotel Monaco in downtown Salt Lake City, Bambara is a great place to have a business lunch or
a pre-theater dinner. It is well situated close to The Capitol Theatre. The decor is vibrant, and leads the way to just

as vibrant a dinner. The appetizers sounded fantastic, especially the home made potato chips with blue cheese

dressing. I highly recommend the Boston lettuce wedge with smoked bacon, and further recommend the Ahi tuna

with Udon noodles and peanut sauce. Unfortunately, while we were there the fire alarm went off for about 10 minutes.

According to the restaurant manager, someone burned a grill cheese sandwich in the hotel room service kitchen, and he

eventually apologized for the inconvenience. Though I think he should have gone the extra mile, and maybe comped

us either a dessert or a glass of wine. Overall the Bambara does live up to its accolade of awards, and had the service

not been overwhelmed by the alarm and the theatre crowd I would have given them higher marks.

If you are looking for nouvelle cuisine, Metropolitan is your best bet in Northern Utah. We have taken friends and

clients to Metropolitan, and everyone has enjoyed their meal every time we go. We would also recommend that you

take advantage of the $15 wine corkage fee. While the selection of wines are good, the prices for the wines are

expensive. Our server Mike is also worth asking for, he was a master at recommendations. If you eat foie gras, I would

have to say it is some of the best I've had here in the United States. I would also highly recommend the scallops and the

swordfish. Though the menu changes frequently, those recommendations may not appear all the time. The few

complaints I do have are the prices, $40 for an aged New York Steak is truly on the high end, and that doesn't even

include your side dishes. And the décor is modern, but part of having a good meal is the comfort, and the seat should

be as well. Don't get me wrong, Metropolitan is worthy of spending a few good dollars for an excellent meal.

Jim and Ruthann are such gracious owners, and you'll find one of the best pizza's at their pizzeria. Make sure you take

a good look over the menu, they have such a great selection of pizzas. We have ordered out from them many times, but

we neglected ordering some of their gourmet specialty pizzas. Don't make the same mistake. We sampled 8 different pizzas

for this review, and loved everyone of them. But some of my favorites are the Santa Fe Pizza and the Alpine Special. Jim

won a pizza award at the IPE in Las Vegas, and is constantly pursuing new and innovative pizzas. Keep up the good work!

If you're up in the Ogden Valley, and are looking for pizza, make sure you stop by Alpine Pizza. (www.alpinepizza.com)

The Timbermine is a pretty good steak house, but you really go there for the novelty of the gold mine interior. If

you have young ones, this place is great, though the prices don't match. We have been to this restaurant a few times,

and it's a real hit or miss with the steaks, some times too fatty or over cooked. It's the same with their famous Prime

Rib. Though the service has always been good, they could really expand on their menu, updating it to meet the 21st

century. Also, the waiting area and entry way needs to be renovated. Still it's a novel place and if you want steak, this is

This Parisian style Bistro is tucked away in a quaint part of Sugarhouse. Paris Bistro stays true to its name,

with its warm rustic décor, bistro attire and authentic menu. This restaurant is a winner in anyone’s book. We

started out with a pear salad and the escargot, which was perfect. Then we had the filet and the New York

steak, with of course pomme frites. Though, next time I think I will have to try the duck which looked astonishing;

crispy and cooked just rare enough. And to finish off dinner we had the warm chocolate cake, mmm! I recommend

this restaurant to everyone. The only thing missing is the Parisian attitude. And make sure you visit the Zinc Bar next

door; Kevin is one of the best bartenders in Salt Lake City and he makes and excellent Kir Royal. (www.theparis.net)

Jasoh is one of your better restaurants in Ogden. I guess it's the décor or the friendly host that makes it score

so highly. The food on the other hand needs a little upgrading. I came with an appetite, and ordered the Osso

Buco. I was surprised when I received these small bones with hardly any meat on them. Others ordered the

lamb, which was ordered medium rare, and showed up a bit well done. The Chicken Clay Pot was everyone's

favorite, but do you really want to go to a nice restaurant and order chicken pot pie? For such a great venue

and such great personalities, I just wish the menu was a little broader and more to match the décor, nouvelle.

Tona Sushi Bar is a great restaurant, it's hard to find fresh clean crisp sushi, but they do a pretty bang up job.

While it's not Matsuhisa, for as remote a location as it is from the sea, it's as fresh as it gets. We also had the

beef and chicken teriyaki, the beef was too fatty, but the chicken was very good. The tempura is some of the

best I've had, especially here in Ogden. One must have, as odd as it is, the salad, such a zesty dressing A+.

Bavarian Chalet of Ogden has a true Bavarian décor, and authentic fare. It actually is one of the better

themed restaurants I've been to in a while, especially in Ogden. The food is truly authentic and worth

the visit. My favorites are the Weiner Schnitzel, Spaetzel, and the potatoes and parsley. Though the veggie-

burgers are little to be desired, but who goes to "Bavaria" for veggie-burgers. Everything we had was authentic

and I give this restaurant pretty good marks, if you haven't been there in a while, it's probably worth a revisit.

Fresco Italian Café situated in a little neighborhood section of Sugarhouse was a great little restaurant.

Our table sampled most everything on the menu, and few were disappointed. They’re known for their

Polenta, but unfortunately it was little to be desired, undercooked and over sauced was my biggest issue.

Don’t get me wrong this establishment is a great little find, away from the busy streets of downtown

Salt Lake City this is a true quaint restaurant that should not be missed. And the service was better than

anything I have seen in Salt Lake City. (www.frescoitaliancafe.com) - Sugarhouse - Tel. (801) 486-1300

Café Molise is a good restaurant for lunch, but does not have the ambience nor the sophistication

for the evening crowd. The food is well prepared and has mostly pastas and chicken dishes. All the

sauces are excellent, and I would recommend their tomato cream sauce on any of their dishes. I also

would highly recommend this place for lunch, though not for a power lunch. (www.caffemolise.com)