Does trendy always mean worth it??

a few weekends ago i decided to take in the morning and go for a drive, explore, and follow tangeants of tree-lined side streets or intriguing architecture throughout this beautiful city. in doing so, i stumbled upon the actual site of what i had only heard of in rumor and thought the opportunity to be as golden as the autumn tree tops that led me there.

the avenues bakery...the reputation certainly does precede. trendy, local, cultural, and best of all, its patroned by many who consider themselves possesing of similar qualities. needless to say, i was expecting, well...how should i put it...more than what i got?

hardly a fit in with typical avenues' gentrification, the building itself was new and, apart from a few scattered art photographs, quite sterile. after mulling over the menu looking for anything unique or characteristic, i settled for bluberry pancakes. here in lies the first tip: never settle! you will be dissatisfied with your meal before you even take a bite. in my case, that might not have been a bad idea, for after consuming one of 2 large, over-cooked, denny's style pancakes, i could not go any further. i thanked the less-then-interested waitress, payed my bill, and with a waning exuberance for the morning's adventure, returned home.

now perhaps i am being slightly melodramatic with it all...i tend to do that sometimes. perhaps i need to give their omlette a try. but to be honest, i think i really need to just find a breakfast joint that serves up a little creative TLC to accompany the orange juice.

elegance without stuffiness

nestled comfortably in the heart of downtown salt lake, the martine restaurant is my pick of the week for high end food for a less than exuberant price (slightly less). i can't say exactly when, but at some point earlier this week i decided i would, in the near future, totally splurge on a selfish, no holds barred culinary excursion. with a little help from the internet, i located martines, and honestly, i can't think of a better place to blame (apart from myself) for the current dent in my wallet.
because i was in an adventurous mood, i daringly, if not slightly hesitantly, ordered a unique fare which ,before the present time, had never before chartered the drooling waters of my curious mouth. so complex and harmonious were the flavors that i feel completely inadequate to describe them. let it suffice to say that among the fried escargot, artisan bread, and seared duck, a rainbow of taste completed the palette as well as that part of my soul that belongs to food. in a word: transcendant, and i haven't even touched on the atmosphere or presentation. truly this is a place you will just have to experience for yourself.

last chance this season

for the last month i have enjoyed a weekly hearty helping of authentic sudanese food at the salt lake city farmer's market. every saturday pioneer park plays host to a myriad of vendors, craftsmen, and artists in a true community event. among these booths lies the story of a sudanese woman; a refugee with a dream. every saturday she wakes up before the sun, sets up her portable kitchen, and cooks up a cultural fare good enough to become a weekly tradition...okay, maybe even addiction. her story is as interesting and compelling as are the flavors from her homeland, infused with the hope she has for life, and a love for sudan she shares with a new, and appreciative crowd.
her dream: a restaurant. and she is close to seeing that dream become a reality. last week i took the opportunity to document her food-booth process for a class project, and found that nearly every customer asked where her restaurant was located. unable to give an answer just yet, she hands out her catering business card and informs them she is searcing for the right location.
in the meantime, the farmer's market ends october 20th, leaving only 2 more chances for this month's culinary experience.