Peng's Palate

http://www.thedodo.net/index.php

1355 E. 2100 S. SLC

801-486-2473 (BIRD)

Price : $$

One of the most exciting things about this blog is that it has given me an excuse to visit restaurants I’ve always wanted to visit.  By sticking to my “strict” guideline of only going to places I have not yet been, I’ve had a great time exploring the culinary tracts of Utah. I originally grew up in Salt Lake City and the Sugar House/East Bench area was always my family’s Saturday outing. We would go to places such as the now closed Bakers de Normandy on State and 1300 s, as well Granite Furniture for family day. I also remember always seeing the Dodo up on the east bench by my elementary school Bennion. I wondered, being a child with an inquisitive nature, why anyone would call their restaurant after the unlucky creature, the dodo.  For those unfamiliar, this unfortunate animal met it’s early demise during the 17th century when sailors first found the creature on islands in the Indian Ocean. As a result of over hunting, introduction of new predators who preyed on their nests, and other factors, the animal became extinct within a century.  Simply put, the animal was put out of commission because people wanted it, animals wanted, and everyone  and everything got it.

The restaurant is no different. You can stop by any night, but particularly during the weekend and brunch schedule to see it packed.  People want the Dodo just as they did the adorably awkward creature.  And there is good reason. The Dodo is simply exceptional. The food, the decor, and the service were all top notch (yes, I know I said I wouldn’t comment on service). Their web site describes their service as American Bistro with a neighborhood flair. It’s sophisticated but not exclusive.

I stopped by during an early lunch hour of 11:30. There are dinner items not available during lunch but more or less the same items can always be ordered. When walking up, the place was just getting busy. By meal’s end, the parking lot was full. They must be doing something right.

For my meal, I ordered what the server called, “Our specialty and what we’re known for,” the Smokey Turkey Sandwich. Typically, I very seldom order sandwiches at sit-down restaurants. I have my favorite sandwich chains at places such as Tony Caputos and Moochies so a sandwich seems strange to feature as a restaurants most renowned meal. I’m glad I didn’t follow my prejudices.

I ordered the Smoked Turkey Sandwich made with in-house smoked turkey with Swiss Cheese and a Side Salad with Gorgonzola Buttermilk dressing. The sandwich also comes with a barbecue dipping sauce.

Look Simple? It tastes great!

A friend of mine suggested getting a sandwich stating that they are some of the best he’s had. I consider sandwiches an easy item to create. All you need is high quality cuts of meat, cheese, and solid bread. Why purchase a 10$  sandwich when you can make your own? The Smoke Turkey Sandwich was incredible. First, the bread was fresh and warmly toasted and had a savory buttery taste. It was crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. It tasted like fresh french bread fresh out of the oven.  The in-house smoked turkey was robust and not flavorful. The swiss cheese added an extra creaminess to the sandwich. You end up with a buttery, crispy, and creamy sandwich.  To top it off, they provide a barbecue sauce that is part vinegary. I used it like a french dip and it catapulted the sandwich to even higher levels.  The Gorgonzola dressing for the salad also went perfect with this meal giving a good counter to the barbecue sauces vinegar and sweet flavors with the dressing’s tangy sauce.  This was one of the best sandwiches not made with an Italian cold cut that I’ve had in a long time.

Usually when I enjoy a great meal, I like to follow up with a good dessert. The dilemma is whether or not the dessert lives up to the  meal’s quality.

Once again, the Dodo delivered. I ordered the Tollhouse Pie

Cookies, Walnuts, Pie Crusts, and Whipped Cream. MMMMMMM!

Simply put, think chocolate chip cookie but thicker, with walnuts and a pie crust. The filling was rich and tasted just like a cookie but with a wetter texture. The pie crust was okay. It could have been more buttery and a bit flakier. It was much thicker and tougher than pie crusts I am usually fond of.  It matched the hardiness of the dessert but just seemed a bit tough. For the price and size, the dessert overall was delicious.

Dodo was a great surprise to me and I plan on going back in the future. I would like to try their other dishes but when they’ve done one so well, it’s hard to imagine deterring from it.  I loved the atmosphere of the restaurant and would love to try a dinner time meal.  This is definitely a place I would recommend to anyone. The price is very reasonable and you’ll understand once you arrive, why much like the creature it’s named after, the Dodo is in such demand.

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http://www.redroosterwaffleco.com/

7742 campus view dr
West Jordan, UT 84084

Price: $ 1/2

I know what you’re thinking, “What and where on earth is Red Rooster.” Well that’s what I’m here to tell you. Located at Jordan Landing, “RR” is a breakfast restaurant  with an emphasis on Waffles. In fact over half of their menu consist of variations of waffles. There are savory waffles with appropriate names such as the Benedict (poached eggs, hollandaise sauce and canadian bacon) and South of the Border (Jalapeno cornmeal waffle w/eggs, chicken, avocado, salsa). For those not as adventuresome there are classic waffles made from Malt, Multi-Grain, Oatmeal, Sourdough, Pecan or Gluten-free.  The big item on the menu though is the Chicken and Waffles. Yep, Fried Chicken and Waffles. A breakfast dream couple. The dish is common in specialty restaurants in the south and east so it was a surprise to find this offering in Utah (Then again, I can just get waffles from any breakfast stop and buy a bucket of chicken) but this unique pairing needs to be prepared together.  If you’re still skeptical, I googled “Chicken and Waffles” and famous singer Gladys Knight has her own chain of Chicken and Waffles Restaurants! (http://www.gladysandron.net/media.html)

As many of you know, I’m a big fan of fried chicken (Oh Popeyes, when will you come to the valley and not just HAFB!?) Also, while I am not a fan of pancakes, I love waffles.  This meal combines both my love of comfort food and breakfast. But did it live up to the hopes and dreams of my stomach nation?

Yes and no.

I visited RR during a late night before their last closing hour. I was with a guest taster (owner of the Mekong Cafe) and we ordered the Loaded: 2 piece Fried Chicken w/classic waffle, marinated peppers, jalapeno-onion straws & spicy BBQ sauce. Sounds good doesn’t it? My guest taster ordered the Spicy Waffles, basically a waffled that was spiced with what seemed to be cinnamon, paprika and some other flavor.

Here’s a break down of each item:

Waffles: The Waffles were thick and heavy. I love thick waffles but prefer a crunchier crust and fluffy inside. The taste was fine since it’s pretty difficult to ruin the batter, but it seemed overbeaten and more like a pancake than waffle (a no-no for my pancake dislike). I was willing to look past the waffle though because it was the combination of the chicken and waffle that I was looking for.

Sides: The dish came with onion and jalapenos fries which were tasty but a little overwhelming on the flavors of maple syrup, barbecue sauce and chicken/waffles. When had individually and not on top, they don’t taste as convoluted.

Chicken: This was the best part of the meal. I’m traditionally for crispy, spicy chicken, but this chicken was more of a baked solid meat portion. In fact, there was hardly any bone on this piece which made cutting it and enjoying it simple. The chicken was moist and that helped with the thickness of the waffles. The best way to enjoy this type of meal is to cut a piece of both chicken and waffle, dip it in syrup and a little bit of their hot sauce (which I very much liked). When done with the right amount of sauce and bite size, this is a comfort food I can wake up to.

Spicy Waffle: This waffle was great at first but the spices became a bit overwhelming. I enjoyed it but to use the “cliches” summation, it reminded me of a season, namely Christmas. It had a distinct use of perhaps cinnamon, nutmeg and paprika. My guest taster also added that the glazed strawberries didn’t counter the spice very well since it was over sugared. Ice cream would have worked perfect with this and cooled the overwhelming flavor. Overall though, this is a unique spin and tasty waffle, just in moderation.

Careful, this one's spicy!

Red Rooster is a unique experience and there are a lot of choices on what to order. There are omelettes, salads and more common items.  This is a good place to bring a family as I can imagine my little children enjoying the waffles and sweet varieties. Just be sure to be prepared if you are expecting a typical fare. If I were to compare this restaurant to other breakfast spots such as IHOP, Village Inn,  Denny’s and my favorites the Belgian Waffle House and Omelet Inn and the Original Pancake House in SLC, Red Rooster is comparable to the first three.

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