Nostalgia Cafe

Nostalgia Cafe

TL;DR
- Price: $8 - 12 per person
- Flavor: Breakfast! American/French(crepes)
- Filling?: Yes
- Parking: Busy

Very relaxed atmosphere. A lot of people were hanging out, working on things on their respective computing devices, chatting with their friends.

The iced coffee is very smooth. Only a tiny hint of bitter. Very refreshing.

I ordered the breakfast crepe. It sounded pretty good with egg, bacon, tomato, cheddar, and cashew sauce. 

The cashew sauce makes it leap off the plate. An otherwise breakfast burrito lookalike becomes something much more chic with a little color.

The first bite was very fluffy and warm. The eggs were doing fantastic work here. The bacon has a nice smoky flavor to it. The crispness of the tomato provides a nice contrast to the rest of the dish. I'm a little disappointed that the bacon wasn't crispy but I can't expect too much from it when it's surrounded in such a humid environment.

Tin Angel Cafe

Tin Angel Cafe

TL;DR- Price: $10 - 15 per person
- Flavor: Breakfast! American
- Filling?: Yes
- Parking: Near Downtown

Cozy little place. Parking is a little rough. 

I was pleasantly surprised by this place. I thought it was just going to be a nice little cafe with a few baked goods but it ended up being a sit-down restaurant! 

I went for the coffee and the daily special omelet. 

The coffee was acidic but not too bitter. Very satisfying going down. It's actually the Vienna blend from Rimini nearby. They use the toddy method, which results in the best iced coffee, so I hear. Interesting! 

The omelet was not as hot as I would have liked. Not cold, just a little more than warm. Probably because it was waiting on the piping hot breakfast potatoes, which were absolutely incredible. The pesto atop the omelet is very strong. I would advise spreading it amongst the egg so you don't get overwhelmed by a massive blast of flavor. I didn't even use all of it, in fear of not tasting the omelet. It is an interesting choice on an omelet, with both sweet and savory flavors melding atop the ordinarily simple flavors of egg, peppers, and feta. Too much pesto? For me, yes.

The breakfast potatoes deserve their own paragraph. Hot and tasty, they were accompanied by a delightful blend of peppers and onions. If they didn't come with your order, I would not hesitate to give them a try anyway.

Karma Coffee

 Karma Coffee

TL;DR
- Price: $10 - 15 per person
- Flavor: Indian
- Filling?: Yes
- Parking:Reasonable

Cozy location! 

I love the Gandhi posters.

Veg dish was eggplant with Naan and rice and the non-veg was chicken curry. I went with the veg because I can't resist a good eggplant. I also ordered a 16 oz juice with apple, spinach and a few other fresh ingredients.

A cool little community open mic was going on. Not a very regular thing, I hear, but I think it's nice of the owners to let it roll.

The juice was very refreshing. It tasted like fresh apples. It doesn't taste like they add any extra sugar, but don't get me wrong because it's perfectly sweet.

The eggplant dish is wonderful. Warm, not spicy, yet savory. The Naan strikes the perfect balance with softness and crispness. The sides are quite tasty as well, excellent role players to complement the main dish. 

The owners are very hospitable. As I was finishing up my food, they started chatting with me, introducing me to their brunches on weekends around noon. I'll have to return to give it a shot.

Eggs in the City

Eggs in the City

1675 E 1300 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84105

TL;DR
- Price: $10 - 15 per person
- Flavor: Breakfast! American
- Filling?: Yes
- Parking: Busy

They were super busy around noon on Saturday.

There's a cashier's counter at which you staunchly declare your presence and desired seating arrangements.

The design of their menu and the art in front is beautiful. I rarely think of this as a major selling point but they really stood out.

Biscuits and Gravy with Bacon!

The potatoes are cooked soft but there are some nice crispy bits. They have some nice flavor to them.

I've never had biscuits and gravy with eggs, cheese, and bacon bits on top. It's a great way to do it. The bacon was crispy. The gravy is not overwhelming. Over-easy egg was definitely the right choice, as the yolk mixed perfectly with the gravy and cheese to create a delightful flavor.

Quite a nice breakfast location. There's a slight wait on your food if it's busy, so be ready for that. The food is tasty and filling, just be prepare to fight for a parking spot.

Chabaar Beyond Thai

Chabaar Beyond Thai

87 W 7200 S, Midvale, UT 84047

TL;DR
- Price: $10 - 20 per person
- Flavor: Thai and more!
- Filling?: Yes
- Parking: Plentiful

Thai cuisine

This is a super interesting place. There's a pretty good amount of space. Parking is plentiful.

1 - 9 hotness ratings, with a level 3 cap for first-timers? Wow!

Ordered the tofu pot pie with green curry (I'm a sucker for zucchini). Level 2 hotness. The waitress' eyes widened when I said 2, so maybe I'm overconfident. The pot pies take a little longer than other dishes, just a heads up.

The pastry of the pot pie is nice and flaky.  I should have followed the eyes. 2 is pretty darn spicy. Wow. She wasn't kidding when she said that a 1 is medium. The curry is very flavorful. Woo, had to take my jacket off! I think the advantage of the pot pie is that it allows everything to soak in the curry, so the curry is given time to impart its flavors to the vegetables and rice.

I feel like tofu gets a bad rap in America. It's usually mushy, which is not helping its case. Good tofu is very smooth and vibrant (like a gelatin). I feel that they did the tofu pretty well here.

Okay, fans of spicy foods, come on down! The scale kind of scares me. I would suggest that you follow the level 3 ceiling the first time you come because their spiciness is surprising. The flavors are very savory. It's not just spicy, but flavorful as well.

I think I can impart some wisdom: if you're trying to drink a lot of water every day, eat something super spicy and make water your only option for relief. You, like me, will down gallons of water.

Chabaar is a really good Thai place. The flavors are bold and the spice is to be respected. Most of their dishes can be made Vegetarian or Vegan as well, which is fantastic.

Extras

Fried spring rolls are super crispy. The sweet and sour sauce that comes with seems more natural than the usual red sauce. I don't think there was meat in it, which surprised me because it was so flavorful.

The pho is a little underwhelming, especially when you've had their curry. It's understated and the beef is a little dry. However, the beef does possess a great flavor. If you can apportion the beef properly amongst bites of noodle, I think you're in good shape. Celery is an interesting albeit unusual choice. There aren't the more exotic pho meats such as tendon and tripe, so the more adventurous of pho-eaters may be disappointed.

Cafe Trio

Cafe Trio

680 S 900 E Salt Lake City, UT 84102

TL;DR
- Price: $12 - 18 per person (unless dessert)
- Flavor: American Brunch
- Filling?: Yes
- Parking: Avenue

I'm a fan of the decor. The wood tables and chairs are contrasted sharply by the industrial ceiling and sidings indicating the kitchen.

Quite the alcohol selection. The server was very in tune with the specials of the day. The strawberry pancakes were tempting but the savory egg option won out.

Coffee drip tastes familiar. Moderate in strength, not very bitter. Learned from my server that it's La Barba's Charming Beard.

Chorizo Sausage Eggs Special 

The Chorizo has a good texture to it. Oftentimes I am presented mushy Chorizo and I can't help but feel cheated. This was not the case. There are large morsels of Chorizo that seem to bite back. The potato is nice and hearty: still has a good starch to it, so you can tell that it's fresh and that it hasn't been cooked and sitting in juice all day. The white globs up top are not sour cream! They're actually eggs. It was a very pleasant surprise. The artichoke had a nice faint crispness to it, a great change from the limp artichoke petals found elsewhere.

The egg dish was filling but there's a spot in my stomach that requires some attention that only dessert can fulfill. The server came to the rescue with the Mascarpone Cheesecake.

The cheesecake is a refreshing change from the massive wedges of heavy regret. The Gelato atop the cheesecake is an excellent palate cleanser, shifting you gently from the world of savory to sweet. The cheesecake doesn't feel heavy nor too rich. It is simple and elegant, a mildly sweet monument to the cheesecake ideal. 

The graham crust is one of my favorite parts of cheesecake. The placement of graham crumbs around the plate allows you to experience every bite with that little graham helping hand. The little apple chunks provide a mild assurance that, though you're eating dessert, at least there's a little healthy fruit to balance it out, right?

Cafe Trio is an incredible place to grab brunch. The egg dish was excellent, the coffee is local, and the dessert won't make you feel bad for the entire day. What more can you ask for?

Over the Counter Cafe

Over the Counter Cafe

2343 3300 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84109

TL;DR
- Price: $9 - 13 per person
- Flavor: Breakfast
- Filling?: Yes
- Parking: Difficult

Okay, so parking is hard to come by when it's  closer to closing time 12 - 2 pm. If breakfast is earlier for you, then you should be fine.

Seat yourself! Sitting at the counter is really cool because you get a close look at where the magic happens.

The employees are really on top of things. Their interactions with customers are a delight to eavesdrop upon. Everyone is really personable and willing to converse. They came by really quickly for my drink order and my coffee cup was never empty.

There are a lot of omelet choices. I'll have to make note of this for next time.

Ordered the DK: scrambled eggs with cheese on home fries with 3 strip of bacon and toast (white, wheat, sourdough, multigrain, or rye).

Very generous helpings all around. The cheese had the nice, melty, pull apart quality. Home fries are potatoes, plain and simple. Sometimes simple is the best way to go. The bacon strips were huge but not as crispy as I like. They were crisp, don't get me wrong, just not to the level I prefer.

A mild glisten on the toast suggested that it was prebuttered. If you like buttering your own toast (or prefer your toast unbuttered  [blasphemy!]) I'd let them know. Overall the multigrain was pretty good.

This is a cool breakfast joint. They have excellent service and the food is a great way to start off a productive day.

Cafe Wave

Cafe Wave

10392 S. Jordan Gateway (400 West) South Jordan, UT

TL;DR
- Price: $10 - 15 per person
- Flavor: Burgers and Sandwiches
- Filling?: Yes
- Parking: Great

Cafe Wave is a fairly relaxed restaurant. I ordered the Heat Wave and fries. The dining area is pretty big.

The Heat Wave is a little spicy but does not live up to its name. I only noticed a little jalapeño, so it wasn't totally spicy. It tasted great,  though. The onions were on point. The beef and the generous vegetables were excellent. The bread is fantastic: it's not greasy like other gourmet buns and it was wonderfully soft.

The fries were perfectly crisp and the fry sauce was good.

The night I went to Cafe Wave was a night to remember: Free Improv Night with Faux Pas.
Faux Pas is a very strong troupe. If you've never seen comedy improv before, you should rectify that with Faux Pas. 

Imagine going on stage with nothing in mind and making people laugh... with material that you create on-the-spot based on stuff the audience shouts at you. Faux Pas pulls this off effortlessly. Unlike other comedy improv troupes in the Salt Lake Valley, Faux Pas uses two distinct styles: Long Form and Short Form. They use these two styles as a master martial artist would use Crane and Mantis style.

If you want a delicious burger and a night of laughter (without risking a date with me *ba dum tss*), follow Faux Pas on Facebook and come to Cafe Wave!

Pig & A Jelly Jar

Pig & A Jelly Jar

TL;DR
- Price: $10 - 15 per person
- Flavor: Breakfast/American
- Filling?: Yes
- Parking: Rough

Pig & A Jelly Jar is a quite cozy and colorful place.

The service is good. The servers are always very helpful and willing to make small talk.

The server recommended the Chicken and Waffles, Benedict, and breakfast items as a whole.

I just chose straight chicken and waffles this time. I've been here before, of course, but I was clearly too distracted to give the food an objective review then. Beautiful company can make anything magical.

I've was given the tip to mix the hot sauce with the syrup. My goodness... I did it wrong the first time. The hot sauce combination is fantastic. I've found that the chicken in chicken and waffles should be crisp but not too crisp, or you'll accidentally cut off all the skin as you eat. This chicken was fried very well: the skin was crispy but the meat was moist. It had a fair amount of flavor to it, too, which was a nice realization in between syrup and hot sauced bites. The waffle was nice and fluffy: the perfect bed for my chicken. The syrup seemed fairly standard.

Surprisingly enough, this place is open until 9 pm Thursdays - Sundays. If you want breakfast at night, but not at Mistake Hour, come to Pig & A Jelly Jar.