Pizzeria Seven Twelve revisited
I think this is my fourth time visiting Pizzeria Seven Twelve. Let me summarize this place in as few words as possible:
Exquisite, subtle, unique.
Yet again I have found here new and delightful flavors and textures. Next time you’re thinking that you’re worth every bit as much as the good food you consume, do yourself a favor and go there (disclosure: I have no financial interest in P712—I only hope it survives the recession so that I can continue to eat there). P712 uses locally farmed ingredients, so you’re also helping out our local economy directly.
Today’s menu:
Pizza: Spec, soppressata, garlic, mozzarella; dessert: Buttermilk panna cotta (with cherries).
I’ve never tasted anything like it. I love this place.
posted on Mon, 03 Aug 2009 at 14:40 | permanent link | view comments
The other day, I went to Chinese Restaurant with some cow-orkers for some Nice Chinese Food. Why do these things tickle me so?
posted on Sun, 02 Aug 2009 at 10:11 | permanent link | view comments
Nuggets o’ wisdom for Mouseketeers
Still recovering from a lovely trip to Disneyland last week. Here are a few things I seem to forget for long road trips.
Ain’t no pillow like your pillow. If you’re going by car, take it.
If you’re going to be walking much, take something your feet will feel good in. I had a pair of old sandals and ran in them on the first day. My feet were bruised and achy the rest of the trip.
If you’re staying in a nearby hotel, take the shuttle to the attractions, even if self-parking costs less. Unless you get there on your Magic Morning day way ahead of everybody else, self-parking takes at least half an hour and often up to an hour to get into the park. Your hotel/ART shuttle will drop you off as close to the front gate as you can get with less waiting.
Smallish meals for a child cost $8. Get over it. We brought in food with us most days, but beef jerkey and fruit don’t give you the calories you need. We tried PB&J and had success with that one day, but most other days the sandwiches were smashed and unappetizing. Just budget extra money for meals and pack lighter.
There are some sweet beaches off Moss Cove and Pearl Street in Laguna Beach.
Fast passes can save over an hour in line, especially on popular rides on hot days like Splash Mountain. We rode this twice (and had tickets for a third go-round, but the ride was closed for maintenance) and walked past at least an hour long line both times. It felt great to pass group after group and hear them say “How are they doing that? Fast passes. Oh, we should have done that.” A little planning can help you beat the lines when it counts.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was a quick fix for our roller-coaster needs. The line was never more than 5 minutes for some reason.
posted on Thu, 14 May 2009 at 09:39 | permanent link | view comments
194 South 400 West (The Gateway) Salt Lake City, Utah 84101
Last night I had a great meal in a quiet restaruant. I’m pretty hard to please (though at the same time, I’m not picky about what I eat), but Biaggi’s did a good job, especially for a large chain. I’m giving this review mainly because of our server, Albert.
If you go to Biaggi’s, ask for Albert. If I were giving service reviews, Albert gets my highest rating. I’ve never had a better waiter. Ever. He was perfectly attentive, never troublesome, never disdainful (I’m astounded at how many servers harbor some kind of pent-up resentment toward their patrons and mask it poorly). He made me feel like I was in the presence of a good friend (and he called us “my friends” several times—nice trick) whose chief concern was my pleasure at this meal.
Albert offered several recommendations, which we took. He was dead-on. If you have Albert as your server, yield to his judgement! It may also help if you bring him some Bundaberg Ginger Beer. He seemed to like what we brought. Mention my name.
Here’s what we ordered:
Butter Squash Ravioli: This was a sweet dish, but savory enough to keep interest.
Chilean Sea Bass: Served over a bed of sautéed spinach, over garlic potatoes, over a roasted pepper cream sauce, this was my favorite dish of the night. Highly recommended if you like fish.
Chicken Piemontese: a little strongly flavored for my taste, but that’s the definition of this dish. The potatoes were beautiful.
Would I eat here again? Yes.
How eagerly am I looking forward to doing that? I’d give it a month. I’d go back next week if Albert were my server.
I just had lunch at Pizzeria 712. Before I dig into the review, let me explain how I’m changing my rating system. I’ve been thinking about this for a few days and realized that I can simplify and become more honest at the same time.
First, I’ve reduced all the variables down to two questions:
Would I eat there again?
If “yes,” how eagerly am I looking forward to doing that?
There are of course other variables that are worth considering, but only after the questions are answered. Things like atmosphere, noise level, portions, service level, etc. are important components to consider individually, but only important when first taken as a whole. What was the entire experience like? I don’t know of a more succinct way to answer that than my Two Questions above.
And why is this more honest? I don’t want to fool anyone into thinking that a 5-star rating means a place is great. It just means I thought it was great. These questions make it clear that this is my own opinion of the establishment.
So, on to Pizzeria 712 (blog). The former Tree Room Chef cooked me up a braised beef with sweet onions, mushrooms and provolone panini sandwich. As far as panini sandwiches go, I can’t remember one better. I had a salad with it, but don’t remember what it was called now (it wasn’t on the menu). The service was good; one of those cases where I can’t find anything wrong.
Would I eat there again? Yes. How eagerly am I looking forward to doing that? I think I’d like to go back in two or three weeks.
1700 N State St #6 Provo, Utah (801) 373-9015
My friend Paul introduced me to this little gem. I think this is probably the best Argentine food I have ever eaten. We had some empanadas for an appetizer. I’ve never liked empanadas, but these babies were deep fried and I think if there weren’t so many of us at the table, I would have eaten more than one.
We also had an excellent tortilla española (I’ve had better, but only in Spain). The vacio (flank steak) was better and more genuine than the beef I’ve had at much better-known steak houses. I’ll definitely order this item again.
Ana got milanesa de plato (plain milanesa). The mashed potatoes that came with it were heavenly and the milanesas were perfectly done (note: Ana makes excellent milanesas herself, and while I prefer hers over these, these will do in a pinch).
For dessert we had flan that was better than the flan served at Mi Casita #2 in Salt Lake (which in my opinion is some of the best flan available in Utah).
Highly recommended.
posted on Mon, 22 Sep 2008 at 07:48 | permanent link | view comments
Jackson Hole Soda Company Buckin’ Rootbeer
Nothing remarkable. To be honest, I should have written the review a little closer to the time I drank this.
Scott’s Score: 6 (out of 10)
posted on Fri, 25 Jan 2008 at 11:47 | permanent link | view comments
Faygo Beverages, Inc. Detroit, MI 48207
I had to check the bottle twice to make sure there was some kind of flavoring at all in it. Astonishingly weak, but unoffensive.
Scott’s Score: 3 (out of 10)
posted on Mon, 10 Dec 2007 at 16:11 | permanent link | view comments
Unique Beverage Company, LLC Everett, WA 98213
Nothing remarkable in this one. A bit too much wintergreen.
Scott’s Score: 6 (out of 10)
posted on Mon, 17 Sep 2007 at 09:56 | permanent link | view comments
My Root Beer Interview with Mikal Bellicove
(originally appeared at Mikal’s blog here)
Let’s start at the beginning. What led to your fascination with Root Beer?
‘Fascination’ is a harmless word. I’d prefer something a bit more descriptive, like ‘psychotic obsession’.
I think it was my grandfather who got me started. I want to believe that he was a bootlegger during the Prohibition era, but sadly he came from average Utah pioneer farming stock. Anyway, he always had root beer at his house. Maybe he slipped a little root-hooch into my bottles when I was an infant. He died several years ago and I have no way of confirming or denying his involvement during the Prohibition.
Do you ever make your own Root Beer? If so, what do you call it?
I sometimes make my own root beer. I’ve never made it the same way twice, though. I think my best batch was two years ago on the 4th of July. I’d added a little vanilla extract (the real stuff), a little anise, a little honey, a little salicylic acid maybe (that’s the wintergreen flavor, for you non-chemists). Maybe not. Anyway, it turned out great, but subsequent attempts haven’t all been as good. For example, once I tried a new recipe that used yeast to carbonate. Well, let’s just say I put the “beer” in root beer. It was horrible and I’ve stuck to dry-ice carbonation methods ever since. I’m not a hard-core brewer as I’d like to be.
Count ‘em down for us, 1 through 10… who makes the best Root Beer in the land?
Now we get to the part where my opinion reigns supreme! I have an extremely high opinion of my root beer preferences, if I may say so. However, in the interest of interest, I’m going to give you my top 6 and bottom 4:
Top 6:
- Americana
- Sprecher
- Bulldog
- Howie’s (made locally)
- Ruby River (brewed in-house)
- IBC
Bottom 4 (first the worst):
- Barrel Brothers (made locally)
- Briars
- Henry Weinhards
- A&W
Now I got some ‘splainin to do:
While I consider myself a connoisseur of root beers, I don’t have nearly the breadth of exposure as people like Luke (there are many others like Luke who a) have an unlimited amount of money with which to buy root beer and b) have an unlimited amount of time to write about the root beers they try).
I do try to make my comparisons fairly objectively (as objective as one’s tastes can be). When trying a new root beer, I’ll have a bottle of one that I know fairly well and compare the two sip by sip. This at least gives me the opportunity to say “A is better than B” and list a few reasons why.
The top 6 are just great all-around root beers. Bulldog is a beautifully flavored root beer. It has good honey and its nose feels flowery and warm, and the aftertaste is calming. Howie’s is the only local brew in there—it’s very sweet and mellow. IBC has a very interesting “peppery” component to it. I like it because it’s unique among national brands.
The bottom 4 are likely to be a bit touchy for people. I list them partly because they truly are at the bottom of my list (i.e., I never buy these unless I have no other choices) and partly because they are so prevalent that listing them would make people take notice. People, hear me! There are better root beers out there than the stores are supplying you with—rise up! Fill out the suggestion cards at the front of the store and demand better root beers! (It actually works; several Macey’s in Utah Valley are now carrying Sprecher—my “everyday” root beer—after months of suggestion cards by me and other of my ilk.)
Barrel Brothers is made by the same folks who make the fantastic Apple Beer. I don’t know how they can make one great drink like Apple Beer, and then one of the worst root beers on the planet. The label is cute and all, but the brew is bad bad bad. Briars tastes like sugar water and wintergreen—no subtlety at all Very nearly a birch beer, more than a root beer. Henry Weinhards? Let me put it like this: Bulldog is what Henry Weinhards wants to be when it grows up (and gets rid of its urine-like aftertaste—yuck!). A&W can be summarized thus: yet another bland national brand root beer.
If you take any of the bottom 4 and drink them head-to-head with any of the top 6, you’ll see what I’m talking about. Really.
Regardless of taste, whose root beer is branded better than anyone else’s (please don’t say “Rootie Tootie Root Beer”)?
Without question, A&W. Everyone knows it and nobody has ever lost their job for buying it. It’s the Microsoft of root beers. If A&W is made fresh (and it’s been a long time since I’ve had it fresh), it’s a pretty good root beer. But the stuff you get at the grocery store in plastic bottles is bland and lacks personality. That said, my Dad prefers it to any of my favorites. I can’t explain this discrepancy without causing hurt feelings.
Wine experts all agree: Roasted chicken goes really well with a good cru Beaujolais, like the Côte de Brouilly from Château Thivin. Does the same apply for Root Beer, and if so, what are some of the more remarkable Root Beer and food pairings?
Actually, yes. Americana, for example, has a fruity nose (a sharp and sweet hit right when enters your palate). It has a stronger taste that goes well with chicken dishes. But it’s stronger taste doesn’t work well when eating, say, a beef szechuan or a curry dish. For those, I like Sprecher, which is more mellow and has a soothing effect. It really complements the dish. As a general rule, you don’t want a root beer to compete with the food, so if you’re having a really flavorful dish, choose a milder root beer. If you’re having something like chicken or pork, go ahead and get a root beer that will take control of the meal.
I’m going to assume that since you live in the Salt Lake City area, you know where to go to get the the best frosty mug of Root Beer. Do tell!
If I have the craving really bad, I go to Ruby River. The food there is unfortunately going the direction of all food chains (all supplied by Sysco or other large food suppliers), but their root beer is fresh and wonderful. Lots of anise (my tastes are changing as I age—I didn’t used to like anise that much). Children probably wouldn’t like their root beer much because of its stronger flavor.
If you’re down in Moab, go to the Moab Brewery and get a half-gallon (just walk to the back of the bar on the left side, where the tap is, and ask for a “growler” of their root beer). The root beer is a bit above average, but you can’t beat the freshness and sincerity of it.
What ingredients that are generally found in Root Beer, and any of them bad for us?
Root beer used to be made with actual sassafras root, but that was found to cause cancer in rats (like everything else—I think all rats probably get cancer when given anything out of their ordinary diet of garbage). Today, root beers are flavored with some of the same things I listed above (vanilla, honey, wintergreen, anise). I’ve seen some with a bit of clove and other botanicals. It’s a pretty wide-open field for beverage makers, which is great for us drinkers—lots of variety. Some makers are putting sassafras back into their list of ingredients again, which I think is a good sign.
Assuming vanilla is the first, what is the second best flavor of ice cream for a Root Beer Float?
I’m not a big float person. Sorry! I’ll drink them, but that’s a ton of sweetness floating in a ton of sweetness—too sweet for me usually.
When I was a kid, someone brought a slice of Root Beer Cake to school. Aside from cake, what else can be made using Root Beer as a primary or secondary ingredient?
Boy, you’ve stumped me again! I’m sure there are some “fascinating” things out there, but I stick strictly to the beverages. Want to talk about ginger ales?
How much money would it take for you agree to bathe in a tub of Root Beer?
I assume you meant to ask, “How much money would you pay to bathe in a tub of root beer?” I think I’d pay $10 for the experience. I’d bring my own towel, even.
Bonus Question: Do you ever eat at those A&W® restaurants, or is that just a slap in the face?
The root beer is great, but I haven’t eaten there for years. I would eat there more if I liked the food at all. They’ve gone national, which means their supply chain is the same as all of the other national (and even many local) restaurants. To get really good food, you have to find an owner who still cares more about making delicious food than the bottom line—an anathema to all MBAs, but a boon to people who like good food (and again, the business owners never make as much money as they could). There are a few restaurants in the valley who do this, but unfortunately none of them (that I’m aware of) make their own root beer.
When I’m out dining, I usually ask for “Mug” root beer (it’s a Pepsi product). I think it’s the best of the root beers produced by the really large beverage makers. I drink anything else before I drink Barq’s.
Thanks for asking!
posted on Thu, 06 Sep 2007 at 12:49 | permanent link | view comments