18. find the best burger utah has to offer.

via craig stephens.

i'm nearing the end of my time for 27 things. in which case it's time for me to do a little accounting!

i'm sure i've talked about the mind of a chef here before. it's one of my favorite television shows. i'm SO intrigued by these food-geniuses. oddly enough, you can find me marathoning this documentary/travel/history/science/food series any given friday night. i'm obsessed.

david chang was the show's premier chef. season one encompassed the mind of david chang, founder of the momofuku restaurant group and 2 michelin star holder. needless to say, i'm a big fan. i look forward to the day i dine at one of his establishments.

combine my love of david chang with my love of burgers and imagine my delight upon finding this "burger manifesto" in lucky peach, last month. it's basically just a list of things david chang DOESN'T like about burgers. i similarly tried coming up with things i didn't like about burgers, but could really only come up with one:

a bunch of fancy stuff; arugula and candied bacon confuses my mouth.

really i'm pretty simple. good cheese, good meat, good burger. oh, i guess i have one criteria:  that the burger have a sense of the americana if you will. i'm talking mustard, ketchup, meat and bun, with good fries and a diet coke on the side. this, to me, is the perfect combo. if you can follow it up with a yummy shake, it's the cherry on top. ok so, 

top 3 in utah

1. tony burger - this place is cheap. and if you go in, you will come out smelling like a burger for the rest of the day. which is a good thing i guess. at tony burger, you have lots of options, really good fries, and coke products with crunchy ice. they also have shakes with BIG straws (very important). all i know is that if i'm in the mood for a burger fix, fast, tony burger has my back, EVERY time.

2. salt lake burger company - ok i love this place. and many of my loved ones do, but i have heard some negative reviews. what i like MOST of all about s.l. burger co., is that you have a ton of options here. they have a salad-bar-type jive going on where you can order any burger, specialty or plain-jane, and then add extras at a bar in the restaurant. the bar has veggies and sauces. it just makes me feel like i could have ANY combination on my burger. i usually get my burger with bleu cheese and then add veggies and dijon mustard. i love it. they have good fries too, and yummy fry sauce. and, oh yes, shakes. always shakes.

3. hire's - i grew up going to hire's. it's a salt lake favorite, but more importantly, it's a DAD favorite. whenever we would meet up with my dad for lunch when i was a kid, we'd go to hire's. for YEARS i never ordered burgers at restaurants, because i only liked my dad's home-grilled burgers. i remember going out with some friends in my teen years and having a friend say "you don't get the big h?!?! are you crazy?!?!". at which point, i tried the burgers (cause peer pressure ya know?) and never looked back. for me it's the big h combo with fries (topped with cheese if i'm feeling extra hungry), a large diet coke (hire's has THE best crushed ice in the biz), and the big h burger. it's a down and dirty burger - classic, hole-in-the-wall diner, greasy. the bun is really floury, the meat is ... greasy, there's one piece of iceburg lettuce and a slice of (usually unripened) tomato, american cheese (gross), and for sauce, a heaping tablespoon of frysauce (hire's secret recipe obvi!). so simple and yet, so damn good!

i thought a lot about #18 this year, find the best burger utah has to offer. and i guess what i learned is that i am always in search of the best burger, not only in utah, but in the WORLD! i am currently and will forever more be constantly seeking out the best burger. cause i love burgers. 

currently loving ...

first off, i'm sorry. i know i've been absent for the last ... 2 MONTHS! i do, however, have a fairly valid excuse. i got a new job! no more bore! just FUN! because of all the fun i'm having, i have less time to blog.

the NEW JOB i speak of is still with the lds church, and still on the temporal/physical facilities side. i now work in real estate, dealing with transactions on church property. this new gig includes my obtaining a real estate license. so many terms, so little a brain.

to catch you up on yours truly, i thought it most efficient to tell you what i'm

- post-it notes
- the uni-ball signo dx, .28 point.
- mcdonald's diet coke. i've always loved this but just recently i re-recognized that it's the best of the best because the mcdonald's on my way to work just reopened after a remodel.
- SPITZ!
- top knots and not washing my hair.
- in the same vein (the hair vein), the wet brush, moroccan oil, and coconut oil.
- baked potatoes from great steak for lunch.
- brooklyn 99 (new season, just as funny).
- ankle boots.
- alt-j.

i'll be spending this weekend at the temple with my family. we are hitting the newly remodeled ogden temple, and brigham city. temples are great, but i'm most looking forward to eating at my favorite thing that has ever come out of ogden: SONORA GRILL. 

happy weekend!

9. hike mount timpanogos and/or the narrows.

16 miles, 11,749 feet, second highest summit in the wasatch range, 10 hours. i did it! i finally did it! i hiked mount timpanogos!

this item has been on my to-do list for years. i first wanted to do it when i heard about hiking up to the top and sliding a glacier down to the bottom. sounds like a blast but actually it's really dangerous. instead we chose the fail-safe hike-on-foot method and came out (nearly) unscathed.

i say nearly because really i WAS SCATHED. i thought my knee caps would burst while hiking 5 hours down the mountain. then my feet! ouch. the day after, the calf, quad, hip, groin, and shin pain set in. i'm recovering, but my hot yoga class will be wholly welcomed this evening.

ok but guys, the scenery! oh man, i didn't even know! just the view from aspen grove is breath-taking. we did the aspen grove trail and went through pines, aspens, rock fields, and snow; passed a few waterfalls, fields of wild flowers, un-touched streams and lakes, then to beautiful emerald lake. we saw pheasants, mountain goats, and moose. it was all SO beautiful.

next time around i'd like to hike to emerald lake, camp, wake up the next morning and hike to the summit then back down. sounds like the dream backpacking trip to me!

all in all, SO glad i did it. big shout out to my hiking companions steven and tiffany. you guys are the best.

we started hiking when the sun was just coming up. this is the first waterfall you come to.

 

you see vast landscapes on the hike. there are areas that the snow never melts. and it's just so green! 

i loved this little area that looks almost untouched by mankind.

emerald lake was one of my favorite parts. it's about 5 miles up, surrounded by fields of wild flowers and has some of the bluest water i've seen. 

this is looking down on emerald lake from the top. you can see how blue it is from here. to the right you can see the glacier slide that you can ride down from the top.

on the way back we took a good rest on the banks of the lake. so serene.

steven taking in the view from the top.

it was SUPER crowded the day we went. i'd say anywhere from 100 to 150 people were hiking it with us. while doing some research after the hike i learned that prior to 1970, provo held an annual event called the "timp hike" that sent thousands of people up the mountain's slopes. it generally took place on the third or fourth weekend in july (we did it saturday the 26th, the fourth weekend). i take that to mean we chose the best, most historic weekend to hike.

   

the three of us at the top. look at that view!

  

looking south.

  

and here's the finished product, us at the end of the hike. all i wanted to do at this point was take off my shoes and sleep for two days (which is pretty much what i did).

HAPPY! hooray for accomplishing goals! WOO!

guest post // hiking tips from marie.

i couldn't let fall go by without having at least ONE guest post! remember marie? i've known for a while that i've wanted to scour this girl's hiking brain for tips. sadly, i didn't hike much this summer, but i'm making up for it by hitting the mountain side this fall. what a better way to kick it off than to have marie share her hiking packing list with us:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Happy Fall! Can you believe this gorgeous 60’s-San-Francisco-like weather? I have welcomed the best hiking season with open arms.

I’m back again (hi Courtney and friends) and I’m about to go on a rant about hiking (again). I've been back in Utah for a little over a year now and I’m sad that I won’t be here for eternity!!

I can’t believe how much beauty surrounds us Utahans every day. Every morning I get to look out my window and see the epic Wasatch Range hovering over our beautiful city. (sigh) Salt Lake City is not for the faint of heart!

So first off, last year I purchased the book “60 hikes within 60 miles” by Greg Witt. Run to the bookstore and get yourself a copy!

Or call me and we can go on all 60 hikes together.

I have to share with you the number 1 rule for hiking. BE FREAKING PREPARED! If you saw me on the trail you would think I was going on a 10 day backpacking trip with a scout troop. Yes, I look like a fool, but I don’t care! (*cue music*- I love it, by Icona Pop)

It is better than being lost: in moose/bear country, after sun down, with no flashlight, having 4 more miles until the trail head and being separated from your friends…(this might be a personal experience) Never be that, previously mentioned, idiot!

Here is my hiking-packing list, no matter how short/long the trip is:

-Bring a friend
-Water
-lots of snacks
-water proof jacket
-good shoes
-wool socks
-long pants
-Map
-First aid kit.
-Flashlight
-and of course a camera, for documentation (you haven’t really gone on a hike, until it’s been instagrammed)

Hope to see you on the trail this weekend,
NOW go and conquer those beautiful mountains!

**see more from marie by clicking here >>> fresh open air

what i eat at work: oh mai.

image via theslcfoodie (check out her review too).

today we drove a little ways to eat at oh mai for lunch. located at about 33rd south and state, it's a drive to get to it from the center of downtown. but for oh mai, we made the trip. it seems that from the first moment i heard about oh mai (from my aunt linda) i never STOPPED hearing about it. so at the beginning of the year i decided it was time. 

they are famous for their banh mi sandwich, which is basically a vietnamese pho sandwich, but really everything on the menu is good. my parents are partial to the pho and bun, i like their spring rolls, my mom goes ga-ga over their garlic rib eye, i prefer the yellow curry. but the thing that really sets the sandwich apart is the crunchy bread and incredibly fresh veggies. every bite is a flavor explosion! it's cheap and not in the very least bit pretentious  oh, and when you go, you can often hear all sorts of conversations about how each customer found out about it (<<< my favorite part). 

so ... if you live here or are visiting, make a trip to oh mai. you'll be surprised.

i'm off ...

in just a few hours i'll be on my way to my favorite vacation spot. i've been looking forward to this 10 day trip all year! 

so if you're looking you can find me: 

- eating good food (mad pita, the egg & i, pizza factory ... and then arugula & fennel salads with shredded parmesan, sweet & sour chicken stir-fry, classic st george sandwiches, fish with veggie pancakes ... i could go on. mmm.)

- hiking at red cliffs and sipping on swig (both of which will be NEW st george experiences for me)

- shoppin'

- seeing mary poppins at tuacahn

- vegas baby!

- visiting the temple

- shuffling to the sounds of poolside, 1960

- swimming swimming swimming (wearing my new swimsuit in the process)

- and roasting our buns off!

in closing i have to add that i'm 

SORELY DEVASTATINGLY SADDENED

by the fact that we are missing the social event of the year, taylorsville dayzz. HERE is the list of festivities if you'd like to go in my stead.

what i eat at work + some odds + some ends.

if you haven't noticed lately by the absence of posts, i'm lacking inspiration. i guess i'm just in a funk lately of feeling like every day is the same; there is nothing note worthy. I HATE THAT. a dear friend suggested that every time someone asks me "what's new?" or "how's life?" or "are you dating anyone?" i try and think of something that is new, whether that be that something exciting like i bought a new ipad, or something like ... i scraped my knee jumping on the tramp and it has taken like 2 months to heal ...

but neither of those stories are BLOG worthy. let's place all of that aside for now cause today is the first day of a new season, arguably the very best season, and that deserves some recognition.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

my mom and i went to cucina for lunch today. they are on second avenue between q and r streets. my mom and dad have been going there for years, getting their famous curried chicken salad. i'm pretty sure it used to be in a house. they have recently remodeled but the food is as good as always. i MIGHT even say this is one of the best lunch options salt lake has to offer. i'm never disappointed. today i got the torta rustica filled with ham, squash, eggplant, and cheese, with a caprese salad on the side. oh my! that salad. i have ... no words.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

lastly, i just ate at buffalo wild wings and it was way good. i felt really young last night at a 90s band concert. there are like 4 movies i need to see this weekend; monsters university, much ado about nothing, the kings of summer, and the bling ring! my sister gets home in one hundred and sixty one days. i will be in st george in seven days. i will be in st george in seven days. i will be in st george in seven days (sorry, i'm really excited about that one). 

happy summer solstice!

*image via shaylalilian

summer things.

this past winter in utah was BRUTAL. i remember going to st george in march and feeling this glorious warm sensation on my skin. it took me a minute to remember that is what the sun feels like. you can imagine my excitement then, upon seeing 90 degree pink on my blue app. here are a few snapshots of my recent days (realizing as i add them that they are mostly of food) ...

first home-grilled burger of the year. the stuff dreams are made of.

 

PROUDly got this fire started after ... maybe 45 minutes of attempts. it felt good.

yellow field near willard bay.

#whataview!

memorial day breakfast. my veggie omelet with feta was the PERFECT way to celebrate.

grilled brussel sprouts.

cutest lil' fresh picked strawberries!

wild strawberries near provo upper falls.

poppa and i at provo upper falls, up mirror lake highway. 

summer has been good to me thus far. looking forward to (at least) one trip to st george, 2 trips to california, and saying "paige gets home next season".

what i eat at work: dexter's dogs.

not to be confused with farr's salad bar because that's what it used to be and no body told anyone that it isn't that anymore ...

so last week my mom lunch eating partner was going to bring me some dill havarti to eat on crackers for lunch. so french right? but when we met for lunch, she informed me that the cheese was moldy. #lunchfail after i stomped my feet and kicked a tree we were like "hey what the heck is dexter's dogs? and where did the salads go?" luckily the nice man waiting in front of us in line filled us in: what USED to be a farr's salad bar in city creek, on the south temple side next to macy's, is now DEXTER'S DOGS ... the hot dog part of farr's (<<<??? his words not mine). who knew that an ice cream company had so many facets? they have like six different kinds of hot dogs you can choose from; all american, chili dog, pizza dog? i got the sauerkraut dog with ... sauerkraut, special sauce, dijion and A PICKLE! and it was delectable. now, we all know that j dawgs rules for the best hot dog in utah, but this is a good stand-by if you're an hour away from the closest j dawgs.

oh! and i forgot the best part. total monies spent = $3.5!!!
beat that!

the dog.

please forgive the mop on my head; i'd like to tell you that it was windy, but really it's just because my hair is unruly and needs to be tamed.

odds/ends.

look at this shapely post! it's what's left over from my week.

- bought my swimsuit >>> the chosen one (which was really hard because THIS one was only $35!!! ... and while i was looking for those links i found another!! i'm so conflicted).

- i'm dying, DYING! over these rifle paper co. iphone cases. DYING!

- i can't seem to shake my desire to eat out like every single day this week. currently craving 1) o'falafel chicken shwarma, 2) habit burger onion rings 3) anything at cubby's 4) and last night i think i may have had the best ceasar salad of my existence at pizzeria limone.

- how great are these arrested development posters? may 26th can't come soon enough.

- i too have come to terms with the fact that i am an iceaholic and endorse these suggestions on the best fix.

- salt lake's bike share program opened on monday. now if only the weather would cooperate.

- and another beehive announcement: red butte garden's 2013 outdoor concert series. yessssssss!!!

happy weekend!!

what i eat at work: eva's bakery.

i used to do these a lot, remember?

yesterday, while dining at one of salt lake's newest gems, i thought "hey self, remember when you used to talk about things you ate on your blog, you should do that again."

and here you have it:

eva's bakery/cafe/boulangerie 

(i'm not sure what the ACTUAL name is, but who cares when it's this cute right??)

don't you love that it's blue!? because of this, you can't miss it on main street. when you walk inside you feel like you've stepped out of salt lake and into paris (or at least this is what i'd assume it would feel like ...). i LOVE the interior architecture/design; they have this wonderful clean, white tile back splash behind the main counter, the tables are small and close together the way i like it. you walk past all the desserts and pastries to get to the seating, which sells you on their food before you've even sat down. i'm thinking the menu changes from time-to-time seeing it was a small printed menu with not that many items on it. i got the veggie mac&cheese with caramelized onions and seasonal vegetables, emily got the carbonara mac&cheese with bacon, peas, bechamel, gruyère melted on top. OH MAN! it was reaaalllyy good. so good in fact that i ate all the mac&cheese and didn't have room for dessert. i think that calls for another visit REAL soon. 

i most definitely recommend this. hey, maybe for a post-valentine's day, weekend brunch??

65 things to get you through a utah winter.

via peo-ny.

it is so unnaturally, wrongly cold today in salt lake. it was 0 degrees when i came into work this morning and only 9 degrees when i made my daily diet coke run. i thought it might be appropriate to post this list of 65 things to get you through a utah winter. came up with it with my friends, i think it was probably during summer (we were preparing mentally for winter, which takes some time). stay warm!

1. visit the beehive tea room
2. get steamed milk from 7-11 (or starbucks for fancy people)
3. make hot chocolate of all kinds (you might want to buy a cocoa latte for this)
4. go to SUNDANCE
5. have a movie themed party (watch waitress and make pies, julie and juila and cook up a french storm)
6. cheer on your favorite basketball team
7. watch a tv series faithfully (have you checked out mindy project? i'm obsessed)
8. throw a valentine's day party
9. throw a saint patrick's day party (cook corned beef and cabbage)
10. watch the superbowl and eat wings while you're at it
11. have an academy awards part, dress the part
12. have a film noir night (dress up again!)
13. throw a tea party with your grandmother's china
14. go on a staycation
15. visit some hot springs
16. sled down a sugarhouse park hill
17. build a snowman
18. laser tag?
19. make the perfect winter playlist
20. decorate sugar cookies
21. decorate your home with paper snowflakes
22. organize!
23. make a movie
24. go to the temple - the visitors' center
25. visit utah museums - natural history, contemporary art, discovery gateway, clark planetarium, the leonardo, etc
26. spend time at the salt lake city library
27. bake goodies
28. make and give away wintery homeless gift bags
29. try a bikram yoga class 
30. make a fleece blankie
31. have a spa day
32. knit something fabulous
33. visit a ski resort
34. have a waffle party (or the fancier version: a crepe party)
35. go tubing
36. have a rice pudding party
37. spend a weekend in st george
38. visit the homestead crater
39. celebrate mardi gras (make beignets)
40. have a "cultural night" and celebrate different cultures (food should obviously be involved in this)
41. game night! (try one of these: ticket to ride, pass the popcorn, spot it)
42. make-OVERSSS!!!
43. build a fort
44. have a slumber party (play truth or dare)
45. have an indoor picnic
46. make friendship bracelets (or buy these tattoos i recently saw and save time)
47. have a chopped or iron chef cook off
48. go to a concert of some kind
49. snow shoe
50. have a snowball fight
51. go ice skating
52. walk on a frozen lake (recreate that scene from eternal sunshine)
53. do doughnuts in a parking lot
54. make snow angels
55. spend a night at nicklecade
56. snowmobile
57. rent a cabin in the woods
58. go to a hockey game
59. have a read-a-thon
60. eat an icicle
61. drink homemade cider
62. celebrate pie day (3.14)
63. have a fondue feast
64. make snow ice cream
65. make a snow fort

saint georging.

via postcards from the past

you know what i love? i love st. george. my family has owned  a condo in washington for 25+ years. we go often enough that i consider it my home away from home. i love the heat, i love our pool, i love the relaxation.  

for a few reasons* i decided to make a list of things to do in utah's vacation spot. so, without further ado,

if you find yo self in saint geezy:

1. urban renewal

st. george used to be the CAPITOL for antique shopping (at least in my mind). recently a lot of the old shops have closed but we still have one, urban renewal. this consignment shop has all sort of things from home decor to vintage clothing. located at 5 east saint george boulevard.

2. mad pita** 

this is the best greek food to meet my mouth. i always get the chicken pita platter, or the mediterranean platter, which comes with tabouli, pita, humms, olives, veggies, and skordalia YUM! their fries are also top notch. fries or greek salad? that is my constant mad pita dilemma. located on the southwest corner of red cliffs drive and 2450 east in the pineview plaza.

3. snow canyon

there is plenty to do in snow canyon. watching the sun rise is pleasant, jumping down sand hills is pretty fun. i have many fond memories of family picnics in the park and exploring the sandstone hills. we always like "jenny's canyon" near the entrance to the park. located near ivins, you can't miss it.

4. visit the ancestor square farmers' market every saturday,

5. judd's

if you remember, i have a dream to own an ice cream parlor some day. judd's is pretty close to achieving my dream, an old-timey candy shoppe/ice cream parlor. located at 62 west tabernacle street.

6. 25 main

good for a cupcake.

7. see a movie

all their movie theaters were recently purchases by larry miller, which wouldn't normal excite me, but it means that they all switched over to coke products! and with the best ice. 

8. go to a used book store

there are a ton. choose one and go in, then say goodbye to your afternoon.

9. larsen's frostop drive-in

once after a long and hot hike in snow canyon, we dreamt of a treat that was creamy but icey. our dreams came true when we stopped at larsen's and were introduced to a glacier. they don't make em like this anymore. this is a pull-up and order place. i'm a sucker for that fresh lime slushie ice cream goodness. their piccadilly chips are also quite good. located at 858 east saint george boulevard.

10. dixie mountain

oh what great adventures you can have on this mesa overlooking saint george. they just built a lookout, somewhere up there is a narrow little path that is fun to try and squeeze through (not suggested for the claustrophobic), if you're looking for a place to stay, never worry because there is a little house up there, with chimney and all.

11. red hills desert garden
right next door to all the dixie mountain fun is the sweetest little garden and IT'S FREE! here you walk through different areas of desert plants; flowers, native, cactus, and even fish and dinosaur tracks! there are streams and benches to rest on to enjoy the view. it's the perfect sunday evening activity.

12. glitter pit&petroglyph adventure

this is our newest discovery and it is radical. all deserve to see this. about 12 miles from st george, into arizona, in a place that feels like the middle of no where, there are 1} petroglyphs and 2} a "glitter pit" about a mile away from one another. therefore the clever "glitter pit&petroglyph adventure" name. be aware that this is a dirt road kind of deal and i do not suggest that you make this trip in your cute little scion that you recently purchased because it might break off a piece of the bumper that will then just hang there until your dad fixes it. but that's just me. here are the directions:

• take i15 southbound to the southern parkway exit.
• take the river road exit heading south, this is where the dirt road begins.
• in .5 miles turn left at the sign for the little black mountain petroglyphs.
• in about 3 miles you will come to the petroglyph site {which includes a pavilion and bathroom!}.
• to go on to the glitter pit, do not continue back the way you came, go east on the dirt road {not south}.
• in about 2 miles you will see an abandoned phillips 66 and a sign that reads "st george 10 miles".
• turn right at the sign.
• drive 1.5 miles, the glitter pit will be on your right. you'll know you're there when you see the snow! in the middle of the desert.

the round-about-location-meaning-i-"dropped-a-pin"-when-we-were-there address is "sunshine trail road, littlefield, az". perhaps a trusty iphone could be of use here.

13. go to the city pool on 250 east and 700 south.

14. kanaraville falls
you can find this hike just a short distance from st. george off the kanaraville exit (exit 42) north of st. george. i like to call this mini-zion cause it sure feels a lot like zion in those slot canyons, wading through water for 75% of the hike. it's a moderate hike, 4.8 miles round-trip, and 3 hours tops. SO PRETTY! and VERY worth your while.

15. HELLO! all you really need to do is sit by the pool and listen to a good playlist and you will have the time of your life.

and there you have it. 

now go have fun in saint george and never say to me again that it is boring.

*the reasons for which i made this list are as follows:  1) people say to me all the time there's nothing to do in st. george, it's boring. this offends me, 2) a friend asked me to make a list, and i wanted to make it accessible to others, 3) one time, not too long ago, i heard about the most amazing place near saint george, a place we HAD to go to. unfortunately not a single person could tell us where it was, even my trusty iphone failed me. i am a pioneer posting directions to this location, and finally, 4) sometimes people ask me what they should do in places i've been because they think i know and they are right!

**warning to coke drinkers - the one downfall to mad pita is that it serves pepsi products, but water goes just fine with gyros.

antelope island picnic.

tuesday night, emily, amelia, and i decided to check off the first item on our 2012 summer to-do list; go to the spiral jetty. however, we left at 5:30pm and then i was too scared to be there when it was dark {you know, aliens and stuff}. so we made a slight change in plans and went to antelope island instead. it was beautiful! perfect summery activity.

after some photography on the causeway to the island, we found a secluded spot to sit and picnic. 

emily made the most delicious meal: 

pita chips with pine nut hummus and the BEST basil dip i've ever eaten

salami dijion sandwiches on rye bread

chocolate chip oatmeal muffins with orange zest

 and capri suns!

after we finished our feast, we went exploring. there were actually quite a few people beaching on the banks of the great salt lake. we felt like we weren't in utah anymore. 

the longest shadows ever cast.