I’m becoming increasingly conscience about the falafel I like to eat so much of.  First of all it absolutely needs to have good flavor but secondly, I especially like it when a restaurant can accomplish a great falafel without frying it.  Aubergine and Co. does both, magically well!

(there’s falafel under there somewhere!)

For our meal, we both had Mediterranean Salads, piled high with all of the toppings of our choosing.  On their Mediterranean Salad you choose a protein (chicken, salmon or falafel) and the sauces, like hummus, baba ghanoush, and tzatziki then you can also select an assortment of toppings like taboleh, chickpeas, cucumber salad, beets, olives, feta cheese, and so much more.  This is just one of the great items Aubergine and Co specializes in. They also serve chopped salads, pita sandwiches, smoothies, as well as a full breakfast menu.

I’m always looking for more places where my family can eat out casually and healthfully and Aubergine and Company is now at the top of our list!

This holiday season, if you find yourself starving in a shopping mall filled with foods you don’t care to eat, this post is for you. I’ve put together a little guide of worthwhile eats (mostly quick) near by the major shopping areas in Salt Lake City. Hope you have a great holiday season and eat well while you’re out and about! Feel free to add your shopping break favorites to the comments!

Near & In City Creek Mall
Eva’s Bakery – just a short walk from the mall and well worth it for breakfast pastries, a quick slice of pizza or a cup of soup. Try their canelé for a special sweet treat. 155 South Main Street
Bocata – a gem inside the City Creek food court. If you’re like me and tend to avoid food courts this one might just change your mind. They serve Spanish sandwiches on fresh made bread and use more than a few local ingredients. in City Creek Mall

(canelé from Eva’s Bakery)

Near The Gateway and City Creek
La Barba Coffee – grab some locally roasted coffee and a few churros to go or sit and stay for a hot almond sticky bun or their xuixo Spanish donut.  The drinking chocolate or single origin drip coffee will be just what you need to get back into the holiday bustle. 327 West 200 South
The Rose Establishment– great resting place for a high stress shopping day. Grab some avocado toast, or soup and sandwich.  Their tea lattes are fabulous as well! 235 South 400 West

In Sugarhouse
Habit Burger – they don’t just sell great burgers, even their salads are good. Try the Caesar Salad with Albacore Tuna. Or if you’re in the burger mood their Santa Barbara Style Burger with cheese and avocado will definitely hit the spot. 2121 McClelland Street
Este Pizza–  Traditional New York Style Pizza with gluten free options. 2148 South 900 East

Near Fashion Place Mall
Pizza Studio – Create your own pizza from crust to toppings. A fun stop for the whole family to enjoy 1961 East Fort Union Blvd

Add your favorite shopping stops to the list!

From Scratch is a perfect place to meet up for lunch on these cool spring days. The delicious house-made dough, crispy and warm from the wood-fired oven, hits the spot. Tucked into a space on Gallivan Ave, just off of 3^rd south, the dining space is casual yet trendy, with restored wood walls and tables and chairs reminiscent of a European café. The restaurant is all about making as much as possible from scratch. The in-house Austrian flourmill provides a fresh base for the pizzas, pastas, and breads. Cooks whip up condiments such as ketchup, mayo, mustard, and jam.

The Risotto Cake was a hearty appetizer. The golden-brown patty was topped with arugula and fire roasted red pepper sauce that we couldn’t get enough of. Luckily we kept the plate so we could dip our pizza crusts in it later- we didn’t waste a drop!

The salads all sounded good, but we settled on the Honey Apple Salad because the combination of creamy ricotta on crisp apples sounded incredible- and it was! The salad went fast, next time we might have to double up on the greens.  I’m looking forward to trying the Fire Roasted Beet Salad with goat cheese and candied pecans.

We had trouble deciding on just one pizza as well, but agreed that we couldn’t go wrong with mushrooms, caramelized onions, goat cheese, and mozzarella.  Now you may be wondering- does freshly milled flour actually make a difference taste-wise, or is this just another hip but relatively unremarkable fad? The taste of that pizza crust convinced me that fresh flour is no publicity stunt. That dough is something special. Yum!

Don’t like pizza? From Scratch also offers a burger, short ribs, and pasta.

From Scratch

62 East Gallivan Ave

This year Gourmandise is making King Cakes in honor of Fat Tuesday.  In one of the slices, a baby is hidden.  Whoever finds the baby gets to wear the crown (pictured above).  But it’s not all spoils.  That person also is charged with hosting hosting the party next year.

Get them at Gourmandise until Fat Tuesday.  Give them a call to make sure they have one for you (801) 328 – 3330.

By and large, everything in the boxes we’re doing with Gather is a secret (get yours now).  However, to entice you, we will be unveiling a few products along the way.  We’re proud to announce that in all of our boxes for Gather, you’ll be getting something from these incredible new choclate-makers based out of SLC, Solstice Chocolate.

We first heard about them from Matt Caputo, who was hyping them months before they had product to sell.  Rumor has it that there’s a logo change on the horizon.  Regardless, the chocolate inside is insane.  Get yours at Liberty Heights Fresh, No Brow Coffee or Caputo’s today.  But also know that it will be in your Gather box dropping at the Charming Beard Coffee warehouse on December 21.

More details about Gather at GatherBySLCfoodie.bigcartel.com.

This is part 3 of 3 posts with photos and story of our #PCprogressive Dinner with Washington School House Hotel, Libation SLC, World Kitchen Specialty Foods, Shabu and Reef’s.  Search the #PCprogressive hashtag on Instagram for more photos.

Read about our first stop at Washington School House Hotel by Mary McIntyre.
Read about our second stop at Shabu by Dan Roby.

I found out last week that if you step a few feet off of the flashy-sign-lined path that is Main Street Park City, you will find Reef’s, an at-first unassuming family-run restaurant serving up a combination of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and European food, with a touch of artistic flare. I was immediately enamored by the music (streamed in from Israeli radio stations) and the artwork (local). And then as soon we sat down and started to hear from the family, I knew I was about to be served some food with serious heart.

As we were served our first bites of food, the chef shared about how his love for food came about through his world travels and watching his grandmother cook. He described himself as “more of an artist than a chemist,” which clearly showed in his beautiful plating. The food kept coming, as did the love put into it, as the chef’s father-in-law entertained us all with the excitement for the restaurant business and his colorful descriptions of the essence of each dish.

One word to encompass everything we ate at Reef’s would certainly have to be “flavorful.” We dipped our forks and pieces of flat bread into hummus, and sauce after spicy sauce (I particularly loved the serrano chile pepper sauce with cilantro), repeatedly asking ourselves, “what is in this?” The subtle complexities could only be explained away as “secret family ingredients.” The same went with the falafel and salmon dish we were served. I don’t know what they put in everything; I just know that it was all wonderfully full of flavor and served up with passion. (BONUS: their menu is super gluten-free and vegan friendly!)

This is part 2 of 3 posts with photos and story of our #PCprogressive Dinner with Washington School House Hotel, Libation SLC, World Kitchen Specialty Foods, Shabu and Reef’s.  Search the #PCprogressive hashtag on Instagram for more photos.

Read about our first stop at Washington School House Hotel by Mary McIntyre.

After leaving the school house with a few bites and some great wines presented by Francis Fecteau, we meandered our way down in the lower levels of Main Street’s belly into Shabu.

It’s important to note, before we go any further, that Shabu is offering $25 off when you spend $75 or more through the shoulder season.

Our second stop of the evening is owned and operated by two brothers – Kevin and Bob Valaika (read more about them here). One manages the front of house (Kevin) and the other makes his home nightly in the kitchen as the executive chef (Bob).  Located on Historic Main Street, Shabu opened in 2004 and has become well known for its unique take on Asian cuisine.

The atmosphere is dark and cozy and decorated with bold, exciting sculptures and artwork.  It’s easy to walk down Shabu’s stairs and feel like you’re away from all of the hustle of Main Street.  It’s like you’ve entered an inviting dining room with great flavors both from the bar and the kitchen that’s hidden away.  I’m not even sure if this description does Shabu’s environment justice.  It’s honestly something you have to experience.

For our Park City Progressive Dinner, Bob made us a Miso Glazed Black Cod with Asian noodle egg foo yong and wok vegetables. Beautifully prepared, the cod was perfectly flakey, savory and sweet.

We’re honored that Shabu would take the time to host us and look forward to sitting at their table during the shoulder season and beyond.  We hope you’ll round up a crew and head that way soon.

Next stop: Reef’s.

This is part 1 of 3 posts with photos and story of our #PCprogressive Dinner with Washington School House Hotel, Libation SLC, World Kitchen Specialty Foods, Shabu and Reef’s.  Search the #PCprogressive hashtag on Instagram for more photos.

Read about our second stop at Shabu by Dan Roby.
Read about our third stop at Reef’s by Haley Burke.

The quaint grey-stone schoolhouse known as the Washington School House Hotel is located on Park Avenue in the heart of Park City’s historic district. The hotel manager gave us a quick run-down of the building’s story: the school was built in 1889 and functioned as one of Park City’s 3 original schools until the 1930s. After being used by the Veterans of Foreign Wars for several decades, the building was transformed into a bed and breakfast in 1984.

The building was repurchased and completely gutted for renovation, reopening as a luxury boutique hotel with 12 rooms and suites in 2011. The rooms each have their own theme, and the cozy glamour is all tied together by an outdoor pool and spa with views of the surrounding mountains. In the lower level, an après ski lounge is decorated with a portrait of George Washington himself, along with plush sofas and a stunning fireplace. We gathered to taste wine curated by Francis Fecteau (Libation) alongside cuts of Creminelli meats and flatbreads from David Berkowitz of World Kitchen & Specialty Foods. The Sauvignon Blanc was delicious with Thai-shrimp flatbread while the Pinot Noir paired perfectly with salami or duck sausage flatbread. The relaxed ambiance of the room encouraged people to chat and get to know one-another, a great start to the #PCProgressive Dinner. A quick walk across the road and down a set of stairs brought us to Main Street for our next stop, Shabu!

Register at SLCmixers.com to experience Park City’s Main Street for only $35.

Stop 1: Washington School House Hotel – Wines from Libation, charcuterie, natural accompaniments and flatbreads from World Kitchen & Specialty Foods.

Stop 2: Shabu – a freestyle asian restaurant

Stop 3: Reef’s Restaurant – a middle eastern, European and Mediterranean fusion restaurant.

Register quickly.  Only 25 spots available.  SLCmixers.com.

We sang along and periodically enjoyed bites of our gourmet picnic basket (making the night even more perfect!).  Their lemon pound cake has become a taste of the summer for me, as is their cool salmon with cucumber and dill.  It’s not to late to catch a concert, check out the rest of their line up at Deer Valley Music Festival and Big Stars Bright Nights. Don’t forget to order your picnic basket in advance.