The Pie Pizzeria

The Pie Pizzeria
1320 E. 200 S.
Salt Lake City, UT
(801)582-0195
www.thepie.com

Last Friday night Dave got us tickets to the Utah Jazz/Phoenix Suns game. Being from the East coast, it was a little strange attending a game with a 8:30 tip-off. We didn't have the opportunity to eat before the game and just planned to grab a late bite afterwards. This strategy didn't play out to well given that the first couple of spots we hit were into bar mode and wanted a cover charge or were only serving appetizers at that time of the night. Dave finally said he knew exactly where we could go, so we piled back into the car and off we went.

We pulled up to a place called The Pie Pizzeria, which is located near the university. My experience with pizza places near colleges have all been great and a couple of slices sounded like something that would really hit the spot. As we approached the restaurant I notice that it is an underground location beneath a pharmacy. I have a theory about restaurants and bars located underground. You are either going to have some good food or there is a good possibility that someone might get shot that evening. Call me crazy, but that's just me. Since we are in Salt Lake City I thought we were probably going to have some good food. I am sure people get jacked all the time in Salt Lake City, but I still felt as if my chances were better that we would be fine as opposed to may other cities I have visited.

Have you ever noticed that when you go into an underground location that it feels exactly like that? The ceilings seem to be just a little lower than usual and it feels tighter. I shook off the feeling and we approached the counter to order. Dave ordered up a pizza and we took a place at a nearby table. One of the guys I met at our convention named Dwight was also with us and he was down for whatever we wanted on our pie. I don't really remember all that was on the pizza, but I do know it was one of the best pizzas I have ever had. The crust was just perfect and the cheese was definitely quality mozzarella. We each had a couple of slices, but this pizza was so good I had to go back and order a couple of more slices. Pie Pizzeria definitely proved my theory about pizza joints located near college campuses. Even though it was late in the evening, there was a pretty good crowd of people there enjoying pizza and many other offerings from their extensive menu. While pizza is their specialty they also serve subs and pasta dishes.

If you had told me earlier in the week that I was going to go to Salt Lake City and have some of the best pizza I have ever had, I would have told you there is no way. However, that is exactly what happened. I now have another place in Salt Lake that will be on my list of places to visit upon my return.

Thankfully, nobody got shot or jacked during our evening at The Pie Pizzeria. Please note that my comments about underground locations have nothing to do with The Pie Pizzeria. It is just a generalization I have made about some of the many places I have visited underground in the past. You should know this place is a definite must visit if you go to Salt Lake City.

For my visit to The Pie Pizzeria, I give them four Stiffy's!

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

Iggy's Sports Grill

Iggy's Sports Grill
423 West 300 South
Salt Lake City, UT
(801)532-9999
www.iggyssportsgrill.com

Imagine my surprise when halfway through dinner Dave says to me, "After this I am taking you to Iggy's Sports Grill for chicken wings." I nearly fell out of my chair. I was so stuffed and he's talking about hitting our third restaurant of the evening. I tried throwing in the towel, but Dave said I only had to eat one wing and he said they were really good. So, I said, "Let's go."

After a short drive around town we find some on street parking and take a little walk out in the cold Salt Lake City air. Truth be told, that cold air did me some good as did the walk. At that point I was really struggling.

My first impression of Iggy's Sports Grill upon entering is that it was quite nice. The interior was filled with polished wood and a multitude of flat screen televisions. No matter where you sit it is possible to see a number of screens. We took a seat at a table and immediately ordered wings and a beer. Our waiter attempted to tell us what their dinner specials were for the evening, but I had to cut him off. I really hate doing that, but I thought any further mentions of available meals might push me over the edge. Dave takes control and orders our wings. It wasn't really crowded that evening, so they came out in a very timely fashion. Feeling as if I should just go ahead and get this over with, I grab a wing and quickly let it fall back onto the plate. The wings were scalding hot! Exactly the way that I like them. Call me crazy, but I like my food served so hot that it will burn the roof of your mouth if you are not careful. Now that I know what I am dealing with, I dive right back in and take my first bite. The wings are nice and crispy with a light breading. I really liked how Iggy's serves their wings in that they provide the hot sauce and bleu cheese on the side for dipping. Both were really good and complimented the wings in a nice way. Now this is where things got crazy. The wings were so good I just could not stop at one. After powering my way through a few more, I did in fact call it quits for the night. I should have called it quits for the week. It had been quite a day for eating.

Iggy's has a number of locations across the area and I am sure attracts a good crowd on game nights. Their menu is quite extensive offering everything from sandwiches and burgers to pasta, seafood, steaks, pizza and comfort food items like meatloaf and pot roast. There seems to be something for everybody on this menu.

For my late night, after dinner wing run, I am going to give Iggy's Sports Grill four Stiffy's.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

Red Iguana

Red Iguana
736 West North Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84116
(801)322-4834
www.rediguana.com

Last September I was in Salt Lake City for a convention and had one thing on my agenda. Get to the Red Iguana and have dinner. However, upon arrival we were told there was a 45 minute to an hour wait for a table. I would have waited, but there were other people in our party that didn't want to wait. On this trip, we only had to wait a short five or 10 minutes before being seated.

Red Iguana is a cozy place with a lot of tables scattered around the restaurant. Dave and I were ushered to a table near a window not far from the entrance. Since I was facing the door, it was clear that our decision to get there early had really paid off. I watched as the crowd of people waiting for a table grew steadily. Given that it was a rather cool evening, many elected to just stand in the small space near the door. When we had tried to go there last September, there was probably 25 people waiting outside for their names to be called. This place is extremely popular. It probably doesn't hurt that they were featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives a little while back.

Our waitress brings us a basket of chips and salsa while taking our drink orders. We both ordered a beer and began to review the menu. Originally, I went in thinking I was going to order the mole', but ended-up changing my mind. The burritos looked so good they went to the top of my list. Dave ordered the Mexican Platter with chili verde burrito, hard taco and tostado. I ordered beef burritos with a side of refried beans. My order was not listed just as beef burritos, but had a more authentic name. I should have written it down, but I can tell you, it was the last burrito listed on the menu. I point this out because these were the best burritos I have ever had in my life.

Two things hit you when your food is delivered at Red Iguana. The first is the wonderful aroma rising from the plate and the second is that this is a lot of food. This proved especially daunting for me since I had just eaten a gyro as an appetizer before getting to dinner. My first bite of the burrito can only be described as pure nirvana. The depth and complexity of flavors were like nothing I had ever tasted before. The beef was so tender and the sauce just exploded with spices and a richness that blew me away. I thought to myself that this is life changing Mexican food. Each bite seemed to bring another punch of flavor and spices. While it was really good, I just could not finish the entire plate. Dave said his food was fantastic as well.

This food is enough to motivate a person to become so fabulously wealthy that they can afford their own private jet and use it continuously for trips across country to the Red Iguana. I really don't know what I would do if I lived close to this restaurant. I will definitely being going back. It should also be noted that Red Iguana 2 has now opened not too far away at 866 W. South Temple.

For my visit to Red Iguana, I have to give them five Stiffy's. Do yourself a favor and go to this restaurant if you find yourself in Salt Lake City. You will not be disappointed.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

City Greek Express

City Greek Express
660 South State Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
(801)364-3140
www.citygreekexpress.com

Three years ago I had the opportunity to visit Salt Lake City for the very first time. It was a business trip and my buddy Dave is based there with our company. Nick and I gave him a call and told him we expected him to show us the city and take us to some good places to eat. He did take us to some good places, which I have written about previously in this blog, but we purposely found little things to nitpick him about at every spot. I went back last year and again he took me to a couple of other great spots as well. This year I called him and gave him about a month's notice. When we got together last week, it was clear he was on a gastronomic mission to show me the best of Salt Lake City.

Dave picked me up early around 4:30 so we could get a head start on the crowds. When I hopped into his car he told me he wanted to head to a little spot owned by a buddy of his for us to have an appetizer before heading to dinner. We made a couple of turns away from the hotel and drove down South State Street. Not far from the hotel he parks his car on the street in front of a place called City Greek Express. I was very happy given that Greek food is one of my favorites.

As we enter the restaurant, it is clear that we have beaten all the crowds. There was only one other diner in the place at the time and the gentleman in the kitchen was doing prep work for the evening ahead. We sat at the counter and both ordered gyros. Since we still had dinner to tackle, we went with their smaller four inch version. They also serve a seven inch version. Since the restaurant was not busy, the young lady that took our order immediately started putting together our gyros. Within about five minutes we both had these wonderfully looking Greek sandwiches stuffed with sizzling strips of lamb, lettuce, diced tomatoes and a fantastic tzatziki that was so refreshing. All served on piping hot, soft pita bread. The gyro packed so much flavor in it that I was tempted to suggest we just stay there and have more gyros. However, our next stop was my true goal for the evening.

City Greek Express seems to be one of those places where the staff is friendly, the food exceptional and the interior comforting and inviting. I perused their menu and they have all the traditional dishes you would expect to find in a Greek restaurant. There is no doubt in my mind that I will back to City Greek Express.

For my first visit to City Greek Express, I am going to give them four Stiffy's. My goal is to go back and visit them so I can try a couple of other dishes. My guess is they have what it takes to reach the coveted five Stiffy's. I will keep you posted.

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry

Burger King's Stuffed Steakhouse Burger

About a month ago, my buddy Nick hit me up via email or a Facebook post and asked me if I had tried the new Stuffed Steakhouse burger from Burger King. If you haven't seen this burger yet, the meat is stuffed with jalapeno peppers and cheddar cheese. In my mind a burger has to be much thicker than what they serve at Burger King to be able to stuff it, but that is the adjective they decided to go with. At best the meat is "peppered" (pun intended), with jalapenos and cheddar cheese chunks. It comes with a special hot sauce, lettuce and tomato.

I unwrapped my burger and the first thing I notice is it doesn't look anything like the burger shown above. I couldn't really see any of the peppers or cheese in the burger until I opened it up and saw them on the top of the patty. My guess is that had mainly to do with the fact that my burger was extremely overcooked. To be honest, it was downright burnt around the outside. This surprised me as I thought their burgers are cooked on a conveyor ensuring a consistent cooking method for their burgers. I take my first bite and am totally overpowered by the flavor of overcooked meat. This thing was charred. After a few bites I finally start feeling the heat from the jalapenos and the sauce. However, due to the burger being so overcooked, I never did taste the flavor of the cheddar cheese. It was quite a disappointment to say the least. While the burger does bring the heat, mine just did not have the kind of flavor one would want in a burger.

My guess is these QSR restaurants introduce new product offerings to drive incremental sales. The strategy certainly works as I do not go to Burger King very often. The last time I did eat there was to try their Angry Whopper. The other reason I think they do this is they are all trying to find a go-to promotional sandwich that they can release from time-to-time to spike revenue numbers during particularly slow times. From Burger King's Angry Whopper and Stuffed Steakhouse, to KFC's Double Down, in my opinion they are all chasing McDonald's McRib.

I have written here before about my respect for how McDonald's uses the McRib sandwich in such a strategic manner. In my mind, McDonald's is the 1985 Chicago Bears. I am sure Ditka used to say, "Oh, it's third and goal from the two-yard line? Send in the Fridge!" Same thing with the folks at McDonald's. "Oh, we're down 5% in sales last quarter? Run a McRib promotion!" None of the other competitors in this space have been able to come up with a go-to sandwich that matches the power of McDonald's McRib.

I got a little off-point there, so I'll get back to today's burger. My guess is if you were to get a normally cooked version of the Stuffed Steakhouse and you like spicy foods, you would find this burger enjoyable. I just don't think I will be going back to try one during this promotional period.

For my first and probably last Stuffed Steakhouse burger, I give Burger King one Stiffy. Save your money and wait for the McRib to come back!

Eat, drink and be merry!

Harry