one of my blogging projects for the summer is to write blurbs about different dining experience here in Cache Valley, Logan. Restaurant reviews will be too long and tedious so blurbs will have to suffice. I've been exploring different eateries in the past months but I haven't blogged about them yet (but soon). Local restaurants, food chains--which I haven't been to or seen--and cafes/bakeries etc. are some of the spots in my gastronomical journey.
The thing which makes my job easy to do is the convinient location of these eateries. Most of them are in downtown Logan, along Main Street. There are of course some further away, but Main Street is my starting point. Some of the places that I've been to several times but neglected to blog about are: Indian Oven, Korean BBQ, the Thai Kuisine, the Blue Bird Diner, Angie's Diner, Citrus and Sage Cafe, some food chains, such as KFC, and many more. I'm going to revisit some of these and see if I can capture the good first impression, which encourages me to return, while of course trying new ones and blogging about them immediately so I don't have a list of places piling up.
To start this project, I'll write about the two places I visited today. I'll update later the approximate location and correct name, but for now just know that they are in the Main Street vicinity.
Today, I ate a late breakfast. Nonetheless by 12:30, I knew I had to eat something especially since I would be walking around; I needed sustenance and energy. While trying to find the thrift store downtown, I noticed the "Great Harvest Bread Co." bakery. I remember passing by this bakery several times last semester but I always ignored it because from the outside, it looked like a bakery that sold overpriced muffins (I have this notion that fresh goods are more expensive than processed food because they are FRESH). Inspite of this misconception (?), I somehow convinced myself to enter and just "see" what they offer. The starbucks menu board came to mind when I saw their menu board. But instead of having many different kinds of coffee, it had many varieties of salads and BREAD. My first reaction: I didn't want to just eat bread, and even though a salad was healthy, I wanted to eat something heavier. Then I saw a soup sign: $1.50 for a cup of Chicken with Wild Rice Soup, and then I was convinced. I knew that a cup of soup was not lunch, but I still ordered it and took it as an appetizer for a later lunch. But what made this soup extra delicious and a great bargain was that it came with two slices of bread (I was already thinking about sampling their bread but hearing these additions from the cashier were icings in the cake. I made a mental note to return again). I tried the Asiago Sourdough and the Cinnamon Apple Crumb. They were scrumptious, fluffy but still hearthy with whole wheat substance. I ate the Asiago with my soup, and I saved the apple crumb for later (when I ate it four hours later, it was still fluffy and fresh). So even if a place looks posh, see if it's still in your price range and sample the goods. You'll never know, you may find a bargain and a place to frequent in the future for delights.
After this, I found the thrift store, "Somebody's Attic"... after the thrift store, I found this Spanish Bakery (two stores down, same street and side) called "Ana" something. I decided to enter this store because I saw people walking out of it with quartful of fresh fruit, such as strawberry, melon, etc. I wanted to see if they did something different with it. I was about to get it but then I saw these kids eating something similar to a Filipino dessert called Halo-halo (crushed ice with syrup, fruits, condensed milk, etc.). I was right in my comparison. I thought about how Filipinos might have adapted this dessert during Spanish colonial days and used local flavors to 'naturalized' it to suit Filipino tastebuds. The people in the store spoke Spanish; I was afraid to practice my Spanish. Luckily a brave soul stepped in and translated. The cashier spoke little English, and I spoke little Spanish. In the end we both said thank you in the other's language: she said "thank you" and I said "gracias." The ice treat cost $2.50, and I ended up getting the Coconut and Strawberry flavored one with condensed milk and caramel, recommended by the cashier.
In summary, today's treats totalled ONLY $4 (taxes included). So don't forget to do something good for your tastebuds and always remember the three/four E's: Explore, Eat, and bE m'Erry (?) :). Until next time...
Posted by Michael Diezmos at May 31, 2008 2:00 AM