Dänkblog: Salt Lake City
On May 19, 8:12*pm, Dänk 666 > wrote:
> Dänkblog: Salt Lake City
> May 19, 2011
>
> I just returned from a trip to Salt Lake City, and while it rained
> alot, I did manage to have a good time. *Although it is the
> headquarters of the lily-white LDS/Mormon cult, SLC is the most
> diverse city in Utah. * Still a far cry from San Francisco, but
> charming in its own way.
>
> Temple Square in downtown SLC is just incredible. *Open to the public,
> it contains the famous Salt Lake Temple (only the purest [and
> wealthiest] Mormons are allowed to marry there), the Tabernacle (home
> to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir), a skyscraper which serves as the
> cult's world headquarters, and a museum. *Surrounding Temple Square
> are various other LDS buildings, including the Family History Library
> (Mormons are fanatical about genealogy).
>
> But it is the flowers that are the neatest thing about Temple Square.
> The gardens are always in bloom, with young "volunteers" replanting
> them continuously. *Right now it is tulips that are in bloom, a riot
> of colors that might have you thinking you were in Amsterdam, except
> for the lack of weed. *Tulips, tulips, and more tulips. *Across from
> Temple Square there is the Brigham Young Historical Park, which will
> start blooming later this summer.
>
> My favorite part about visiting any city is the food. *Utah is not
> known for its cuisine, but like any large city, SLC has a good variety
> of ethnic restaurants. *Way too many Mexican restaurants, and not
> nearly enough Asian ones. *But I have found several that I like, as
> well as several I don't, and here is my list:
>
> Star of India, 400 South at State:
>
> I ate here late last year, and it was gross. *The decor was nice
> enough, but the lamb curry was a scoop of dried out glop that looked
> like it came from the bottom of the stew pot. *So overloaded with
> cilantro that it was inedible. *Way overpriced, $12 plus $2 extra for
> the naan. *And I saw a Sysco truck delivering as I walked by the other
> day. *Sysco ingredients suck!
>
> Everest Tibetan Restaurant, 200 South at State:
>
> This is one of my favorite restaurants. *I stumbled across it by
> accident looking for the Indian restaurant above, and now I'm glad I
> did. *Within walking distance of Temple Square, Everest features
> simple but fresh food. *And I mean fresh, you can see the chef
> chopping up the meat and vegetables and stir-frying them in a wok,
> ready within ten minutes of ordering. *The beef curry is good, and I
> had the lemon chicken this time, also good and fresh and with plenty
> of meat. *Very reasonably priced, entree with rice starting at $9. *No
> evidence of any Sysco ingredients.
>
> Curry in a Hurry, 2100 South at State:
>
> This place got good reviews, but I didn't care for it at all. *A very
> small place, with two tables and a window counter, and I felt crammed
> in like a sardine in a can. *I ordered the half & half plate, with
> curry chicken and lamb korma. *The lamb curry had a weird smell,
> vaguely chemical-like, while the chicken curry had way too much
> chili. *No cilantro, fortunately, but in this case it might actually
> have improved the taste by masking the other flavors. The "naan" was
> not really naan at all, but some kind of round styrofoam material that
> was inedible. *The soap dispenser in the bathroom was labeled "Sysco,"
> which explains everything.
>
> Himalayan Kitchen, 400 South at State:
>
> This was my favorite restaurant of all, featuring Nepalese and Indian
> cuisine. *Rather expensive, my lamb curry costing $16, but it was
> excellent and included the best naan I have ever tasted. *There was a
> little bit of cilantro in the curry, but the waitress warned me
> beforehand and the pieces were large enough to pick out. *I also tried
> a bite of the tandoori chicken and the dall alloo ko soup, both
> excellent. *Sugar packets read "U.S. Foodservice," which while not as
> desirable as fresh local ingredients, still beats Sysco.
>
> I am on the warpath against Sysco. *As the nation's largest food-
> service distributor, Sysco has destroyed American cuisine, replacing
> home-cooked specialties with pre-fabricated glop in a can. *With the
> exception of McDonald's - which has its own distributor - almost every
> restaurant in the country uses the same Sysco ingredients, the same
> Sysco frozen chicken patties topped with the same Sysco canned sauce,
> served on the same Sysco plastic plates. *This is profitable, since
> expensive trained chefs can be replaced with cheap undocumented aliens
> who simply open a can, microwave it, and serve it to you. *But while
> canned ravioli may be edible, it is not cuisine. *No reputable
> restaurant has any excuse for using Sysco ingredients.
SLC also kept Brigham young..
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