Golf and Grub

Wendy's Tomato Shortage??

2010-04-13T01:20:00.012-06:00

Today for lunch I thought that I'd go to Wendy's to get a 99 cent Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger and a value fry (it had been a while since I had Wendy's). However, before I went to Wendy's I had to get my daily 32 oz. Coke from McDonald's. There is something special about McDonald's Coke!!
Anyway I opened my Jr. Bacon I noticed that there was no tomato! What was happening?? I was a little stifled! No tomato?? I figured that the cook just plain forgot the tomato so I went back to the drive thru to return my Jr. Bacon and get one with a tomato. As I pulled up to the microphone I noticed a typed sign that said "Due to an early freeze in Florida Wendy's was experiencing a shortage of tomatoes and that if you wanted a tomato you had to specifically ask them to include the tomato on your sandwich." Now I can understand not using tomatoes if there was an e coli or a salmonella outbreak. But a shortage in Florida? Can't Wendy's just go to the local Walmart and grab some tomatoes (by the way I noticed that the Walmart tomatoes were from Mexico). Needless to say I was highly dissappointed with Wendy's!

You know another thing that kind of ticked me off? The Wendy's that I went to only put one napkin in my bag. What is up with that? McDonald's always loads you up with napkins. Anyway I'm just warning everyone to make sure that ask up front for the people at Wendy's to put that tomato on your sandwich....and remember if you like great Coca Cola and lots of napkins make sure that you visit your local McDonald's!!!!

Happy Sumo Restaurant in Utah

2009-02-17T02:35:00.012-07:00

It's 2:43 a.m. and I got bored so I figured that I'd come out of retirement and post on my blog. A couple of weeks ago we went to the Happy Sumo Restaruant in the Provo / Orem area and I fell in love with their food!

Until the Happy Sumo Restaurant I had only had Sushi once before in my life and it was at a terrible Chinese Buffet. That was about 6 years ago! My brother in law kept telling me us that we needed to go check out the Happy Sumo Restaurant in Provo. So when he called a couple of Friday's ago to meet down there we jumped on the opportunity. That was one of my better decisions in life!

The Happy Sumo Restaurant has 3 current locations and a fourth coming soon! Happy Sumo is based out of Colorado and The Happy Sumo Restaurant currently has 2 locations in Utah. The Salt Lake City Happy Sumo is located in the Gateway Mall. The Provo Happy Sumo is located in the Riverwoods.

Anyway we met my brother in law and his wife at the Happy Sumo in Provo and we absolutely loved the food. I ordered 2 Vegas Rolls and he then me and him split a Utah Roll. I believe that my wife ordered the Thai Peanut Stir Fry.

The Vegas Roll is made out of Salmon, Crab, Avocado and Cream Cheese. It is tempura dipped and topped with their Sumo Sauce and Eel Sauce. It rocked! You might ask what is tempura dipped?? I think that it means that it is fried. Anyway whatever they do to it is great! Maybe a true sushi connoisseur wouldn't consider it sushi but who cares because it tasted great!!

The Utah Sushi Roll consisted of Crab, Avocado and Tuna rolled in Flying Fish Eggs and was a little more fishy tasting! But still tasted great!

Anyway my new goal over the next 2 years is to try all of the Sushi Rolls at The Happy Sumo! Maybe by then I will be a true Sushi Connoiseur!

Here is a link to their website: http://happysumosushi.com/

Zupas' Nuts About Berries Salad

2008-08-04T22:26:00.012-06:00

I've been to Zupas several times over the last few months and I've found the combination that for me is the absolute best! I get Zupas' Turkey Artichoke Panini Sandwich with 1/2 of a Nuts About Berries Salad.

Zupas' Turkey Artichoke Sandwich is pretty tasty! However Zupas' Nuts About Berries Salad is awesome!

The Nuts About Berries Salad is made from fresh, crisp romaine lettuce mixed with a light candy sweet dressing! It is topped with humongous blackberries, fresh strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. To top it all off they sprinkle chopped cinnamon roasted almonds over the salad!

The reason that I love this combination at Zupas is for a variety of reasons. First, it gives you a variety of food. You're not stuck with one thing. Second, it's original! I've never seen or tasted a salad like the Nuts About Berries Salad! And third, it is enough food to keep you satisfied but it's light enough that you walk out of Zupas feeling refreshed and energized, not heavy!!

So when you go to Zupas I highly recommend that you try this combination! You won't be disappointed.

Oh I almost forgot.....another reason to love Zupas Restaurant is that they give you a chocolate covered strawberry with every meal!!

The Egg and I Restaurant is "eggcellent"!!

2008-08-01T23:36:00.024-06:00

It's been a while since I last posted and so I've got some catching up to do! After a three month hiatus and the constant nagging and begging of the thousands of "golf and grub" fans, I've decided to post!

Let's start it off with The Egg and I Breakfast Joint in St. George, Utah. A while ago we were in St. George and decided to try The Egg and I which serves only Breakfast and Lunch. We had seen The Egg and I several times in St. George but for some reason never took the time to try the food. I am glad that we finally got around to it!!

The Egg and I Restaurant is an upscale breakfast and lunch concept. It was created by Rayno and Patty Seaser. They opened the first The Egg and I Restaurant in Ft. Collins, Colorado in 1987. Since 1987, the Egg & I has grown to 29 restaurants in Colorado, Texas, Wyoming, and Utah. It is anticipated that over the next five years an additional 40 to 50 restaurants will be opened throughout the U.S. Their website says that one is coming soon to the Salt Lake City area!!

That particular morning in St. George I was pretty hungry so I got The Egg and I's Taos Skillet which consists of diced chicken, salsa, black bean and corn relish on a bed of ranch potatoes with melted cheese and two eggs any style. It is topped with guacamole, diced tomatoes and green onions and served with a warm flour tortilla! It was delicious!

My wife ordered their Whole Wheat Raspberry Granola Pancakes. The Egg and I's Whole Wheat Raspberry Pancakes are whole wheat pancakes with whole raspberries and granola served with low fat raspberry yogurt instead of butter. When she first ordered them I was thinking how gross they sounded! Whole wheat pancakes with low fat raspberry yogurt??? However, after devouring my Taos Skillet she offered me some of her pancakes. They were awesome!! I could have easily ordered the Raspberry Granola Pancakes and walked away a happy man!!

The service at The Egg and I in St. George is "eggceptional"! The atmosphere is very comfortable and the prices are veryreasonable! If you happen to be near one of The Egg and I Restaurants it is definitely worth the time and money to sit down and have a very enjoyable breakfast! I highly recommend it!

Bajio Mexican Grill's "Rice Chimichanga"??

2008-05-05T23:22:00.009-06:00

A few weeks ago I was in line at Bajio Mexican Grill in American Fork and had just ordered my favorite entree, Bajio's Chicken Green Chile Stuffed Quesadilla when I noticed that the two people behind me ordered Bajio's Beef Chimichanga. As I watched them prepare the Beef Chimichangas I instantly wanted to change my order. Not wanting to upset the cooks I restrained myself and stuck with the Chicken Green Chile Stuffed Quesadilla. However, I swore to myself that the next time I entered Bajio's I would try their Beef Chimichanga.

Well fast forward three weeks and here I was again at Bajio's anxiously awaiting the opportunity to devour their Beef Chimichanga smothered in green sauce. I was stoked. As they prepared my Beef Chimichanga my heart sunk at the small amount of beef that was put in the tortilla. Just two seconds before my order I watched them load up two beef tacos with mounds of beef. I felt like I was getting royally cheated. However, they did load my Chimichanga up with enough rice to feed a small country! I thought "okay maybe this won't be so bad if they really load it up with a lot of green sauce!" Again I was sorely disappointed! Apparently "enchilada style" doesn't mean a whole lot at Bajio's. To add insult to injury the beef that was put on the Chimichanga was very, very dry!

So here I was with Bajio Mexican Grill's latest addition to their menu, Bajio's "Rice Chimichanga"! Next time I'll stick with Bajio's Chicken Green Chile Stuffed Quesadilla!

California Pizza Kitchen - Mango Tandoori Chicken Pizza

2008-05-01T00:31:00.011-06:00

On Monday we went out to eat at the California Pizza Kitchen in Orem. The California Pizza Kitchen is a great place for the whole family! One of the deciding factors of us choosing The California Pizza Kitchen in Orem that night was that kids eat free Monday through Thursday as long as the accompanying adult orders an entree that is more than $10.

The first California Pizza Kitchen opened in 1985 in Beverly Hills, California by Rick Rosenfield of Chicago and Larry Flax. Rick and Larry wanted to capitalize on the growing popularity of a "California Style" of pizza (thin crust with non-conventional toppings). One of their first pizzas was The Original BBQ Chicken Pizza which is a huge phenomenon and delicious to say the least. California Pizza Kitchen is now in over 28 states and in over 13 different international locations. CPK has also partnered with Kraft to create their frozen pizzas which are sold in all 50 states. So in case you wanted to know a little history about CPK there you have it!

Lose 9 lbs. every 11 DAYS Click Here!

Now back to what I ordered on Monday night. I ordered the Mango Tandoori Chicken Pizza. The Mango Tandoori Chicken Pizza is made of Grilled Tandoori Chicken (kinda spicy), mango, mild onions, red peppers and Mozzarella cheese on a SPICY golden curry sauce. Topped with fresh cilantro and a sweet mango-chili sauce. I found that the Mango Tandoori Chicken Pizza was the perfect combination of sweet and spicy with a tangy kick to it! I thought it was delicious and give it five exclamation points!!!!!

Here are a couple of other Pizzas at California Pizza Kitchen that I highly recommend. First you have to try The Original Barbeque Chicken Pizza. It's awesome! Second and on the lighter side try the California Club Pizza. I'm definitely looking forward to my next outing to the California Pizza Kitchen.

If you have any pizza recommendations at CPK please let me know in the comment section!

Thanks

Panda Express Beijing Beef Is Awesome!

2008-04-23T18:36:00.011-06:00

When I think of great Chinese food I normally don't think of Panda Express. However, this past week I've changed my tune a little bit. Last week I visited The Panda Express in Orem and was totally awed!!

In the past when I've ordered from Panda Express I've usually ordered 1/2 Fried Rice, 1/2 Chow Mein, Orange Chicken and Mandarin Chicken. I kind of got sick of their Mandarin Chicken so I was ecstatic when I found out about their newest addition to the Menu, Panda Express' Beijing Beef! I tried it and I was hooked!

Panda Express' Beijing Beef is made of crispy strips of marinated beef, with crisp bell peppers and sliced onions all wok-tossed in a tangy sweet and spicy sauce. It’s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It just might be their tastiest dish yet.

Click Here to lose 9 lbs. in 11 DAYS!

Make sure that you get the Beijing Beef when it is hot, fresh and at the right location! I actually went to 2 different Panda Express locations last week, the Provo (by the hospital) and Orem (Center and State Street) locations. The food at the Provo location wasn't that great but I was thoroughly impressed with the food at the Orem Panda Express! I thought the food was so tasty I even complimented the cook on a job well done!

Anyway if any of you out there have tried Panda Express' Beijing Beef please let me know your experience by writing a comment below!

Fun Fact: Panda Express is now approaching 1,000 restaurants across the United States, Puerto Rico and Japan.

Fun Fact: Panda Express founder Andrew Cherng grew up in the Yangzhou region of China and his father was a master chef!

Cafe Rio - Let's just be friends!

2008-04-13T23:32:00.019-06:00

After nearly an 8 year relationship with Cafe Rio I've come to the conclusion that it's just not working out between us! What's really confusing to me is that I'm having a hard time figuring out the reason why! Last week we went out to eat at Cafe Rio in American Fork and after leaving I just didn't feel the same way about her as I did 8 years ago!

After contemplating my experience at Cafe Rio last week here are some reasons for my wanting to "break it off".

#1 - I've eaten at Cafe Rio too many times. They say that too much of something (even a good thing) is bad for you. Well, this could possibly be the case! We've just seen too much of each other in the last 8 years!

#2 - Cafe Rio got too big! Ever since Cafe Rio started opening up more and more restaurants the food went downhill! The meat is soggy, the beans are watered down and the food in general just doesn't taste as fresh! As Cafe Rio expanded in size she decreased in quality.

#3 - Cafe Rio lost her passion! In the good ol' days you could feel the excitement while waiting in line to order. You'd hear yelling each time a customer received a free meal. You'd see smiles on the faces of the cooks and employees. Now it's like "what do you want?", "hurry up and order", "we need to shove as many people through this line as possible so we can make as much money as possible".

Do I feel bad about breaking this off? Heck no! I've got a new Mexican Grill. Her name is Bajio and she makes a mean Chicken Green Chile Stuffed Quesadilla!

Oh! By the way, if you need to lose some weight like me then Click Here!

Dairy Keen in Heber, Utah - Home of the Train

2008-04-09T01:35:00.007-06:00

Last week we visited Heber, Utah again and we stopped by the Dairy Keen so that I could put on a few more pounds.

I just wanted to comment on how impressed I was with The Dairy Keen in Heber! I ordered the exact same thing as I did last time, the Train Burger Combo with a Raspberry Shake. Hey if it ain't broke don't fix it, right! The Train Burger was awesome once again and the Shake was delicious. As always the miniature train was a big hit with everyone and we all had a great time.

If you're not on a diet and want to have a great hamburger in Heber then stop by The Dairy Keen, Home of the Train in Heber!

10 Skinny Rules: Lose 9 lbs. every 11 days by Clicking Here!

The Cheesecake Factory's Chicken Madeira

2008-04-01T23:24:00.008-06:00

Last night my wife went out to dinner with some of her friends to The Cheesecake Factory in Salt Lake City and absolutely loved it. She ordered their Chicken Madeira, The Cheesecake Factory's most popular chicken dish and she was only able to eat half of it due to the large portion! So she boxed it up and brought home the rest for me to try!

Yep! That's right I'm blogging about leftovers. A lot of people have a problem eating food the second day but not me! Growing up I always ate leftovers. In fact a good dish is generally better the second day! That extra time gives the food time to properly age and the flavor time to soak into the food.

Anyway back to the Chicken Madeira.....The Cheesecake Factory's Chicken Madeira consists of Sauteed Chicken Breast Topped with Fresh Asparagus and Melted Mozzarella Cheese, Covered with Fresh Mushroom Madeira Sauce. It is served with Mashed Potatoes. Leftover Chicken Madeira consists of all of that minus most of the Mozzarella Cheese and the Madeira Sauce!

Well today for lunch I opened up the box and dug in. It was fantastic! Definitely get the Chicken Madeira when you go there! My wife was also sweet enough to order me a piece of The Cheesecake Factory's World Famous Fresh Strawberry Cheesecake which I devoured at midnight last night! Thanks honey!

So, when you're at The Cheesecake Factory looking at the 500 choices for entrees don't forget the Chicken Madeira! Now when you leave the Cheesecake factory and step on the scale you might not like what you see! Click Here! to see how you can lose some of that excess fat!

Carrabba's Italian Grill - Sirloin Steak Marsala with Garlic Mashed Potatoes

2008-03-31T16:24:00.007-06:00

This past Saturday we went out to eat at one of my all time favorite restaurants: Carrabba's Italian Grill in Orem. I was craving Italian Food in Orem and the only place that I really like is Carrabba's Restaurant.

I ordered Carrabba's Sirloin Marsala and it was awesome! Carrabba's Sirloin Steak Marsala consists of a 10 oz USDA Choice center-cut sirloin grilled and topped with mushrooms, prosciutto and their Lombardo Marsala wine sauce. I ordered Carrabba's Garlic Mashed Potatoes along side the Sirloin Marsala. This was the first time that I had tried this dish and it won't be the last. If you like Carrabba's Chicken Marsala dish then you'll love their Sirloin Marsala. You can't beat Carrabba's Marsala Sauce! This is one of those dishes where you won't leave anything left on the plate!!!

As usual the service was outstanding! One of the nice touches at Carrabba's in Orem is that the manager always comes over to ask us how our meal was! They really take care of you at Carrabba's in Orem.

Caution!! Eating out as much as I do will make you FAT!! Click Here! for rapid weight loss!!

Paradise Bakery and Cafe's Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich with Fire Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup

2008-03-27T14:48:00.007-06:00

Last week I ate lunch at The Paradise Bakery and Cafe in Sandy and my food was pretty darn tasty! I ordered the 1/2 Sandwich and Soup Combo Meal.

For the Sandwich at Paradise Bakery I got the Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich on Whole Grain Bread. The Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich is made of Paradise Bakery's Mild Curry Chicken Salad, Craisins, Sunflower Seeds, Granny Smith Apples, Lettuce, Tomatoes and Mayonnaise. I would rate Paradise Bakery's Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich an 8 out of 10.

For the Soup I ordered Paradise Bakery and Cafe's Fire Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup. The Fire Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup came highly recommended from my Dad so I decided to try it. I'd give Paradise Bakery and Cafe's Fire Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup about a 7 out of 10.

Paradise Bakery and Cafe's Sandy location is located at 10431 South State Street, Sandy, Utah. Their phone # is (801)676-7323. Paradise Bakery's Sandy location should be a great hit for them. It is located across the street from the South Towne Mall.

If you get a chance go try Paradise Bakery and Cafe's Chicken Curry Salad Sandwich and their Fire Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup!!!

Kneader's Bakery and Cafe

2008-03-15T00:49:00.006-06:00

Kneaders Bakery in South Jordan is on my top ten list! Tonight we decided to stop by Kneaders for dinner. For those of you who haven't tried Kneaders you've really been missing out.

I frequent the place at least monthly but have never ordered a piece of Kneaders carrot cake. Tonight I caved. Forget having a Sandwich or Soup for dinner. I was having Carrot Cake and a tall drink of milk and no one was going to stop me!!

Kneader's Carrot Cake is moist and loaded with Cream Cheese Frosting. It has juicy raisins and is lightly sprinkled with walnuts. I loved every bite of it. I usually get their Berry Cheesecake which is delicious as well. I believe that all of the food at Kneaders is made from scratch, from the breads to the desserts. And you can really taste the difference!

Next time you can't decide what to eat for dinner head out to the nearest Kneaders and get a piece of Carrot Cake!

Oh, I almost forgot! Try their "All You Can Eat French Toast" breakfast! It rocks!

Dairy Keen - Home of the Train in Heber, Utah

2008-03-08T23:49:00.016-07:00

If you are in the mood for a great hamburger in Heber, Utah then "hold on tight" because I have a great recommendation for you! Let me suggest The Home of the Train, also known as Dairy Keen in Heber, Utah. No that's not a typo! It is really called Dairy Keen. The building used to be a Dairy Queen Restaurant and when the new owners took over the building they renamed it Dairy Keen because it was cheaper and easier to just replace the "qu" with a "k". You can read the history of the Dairy Keen in Heber by visiting their website http://www.swissalpsinn.com/.

Dairy Keen is located on Main Street in Heber, Utah. Normally I don't blog about fast food but I have to because this place is unique. It's a great place to take your kids. To celebrate the history of the Heber Creeper (which is a train that used to deliver supplies to Heber City and sheep to Salt Lake but now is a tourist attraction) the owners have created a miniature replica of the Heber Creeper overhead inside the Dairy Keen. Thus the Dairy Keen in Heber is also referred to as the Home of the Train. My son, along with the other kids thought that the train was awesome!

Now to the Food!!! When you make it to the Dairy Keen try the Train Burger Combo. It's delicious. The Train Burger has on it a Juicy Hamburger, Ham, Melted Swiss and American Cheese, Special Sauce, Tomato, Lettuce and Pickles. The combo of course comes with fries and a soft drink. My son and I also ordered a large Raspberry Shake to share. It was awesome! We had a group of eight people and we all loved the food at the Dairy Keen in Heber.

So if you're passing through Heber and you want a great Hamburger or Shake then stop by the Dairy Keen. Their parking lot and the restaurant will be jam packed because people love the Dairy Keen's food but don't let that deter you. The service is fantastic and you won't have to wait long to get your food!

Bajio Mexican Grill's Chicken Green Chili Stuffed Quesadilla

2008-03-04T17:17:00.008-07:00

If you've never tried Bajio Mexican Grill then you are really missing out!! Bajio's has several locations in Utah. I eat at Bajio's at least once a month. If I don't then I have severe withdrawals. Their food is always fresh and full of flavor.

I especially like Bajio's Chicken Geen Chili Stuffed Quesadilla. It is awesome! If you haven't tried it then stop whatever you are doing and head to the nearest Bajio Mexican Grill.

10 Skinny Rules Lose 9 lbs. every 11 DAYS FatLoss4Idiots.com

Anyway I just wanted to do a quick post about Bajio Mexican Grill. I just wish that I had their recipe to be able to make their Chicken Green Chili Stuffed Quesadilla!! Try it and you'll know what I'm talking about.

Other items that are good are their shrimp tacos and their salads. I saw Bajio's Chimichanga for the first time the other day and it looked tasty!!

Here's their link to find a location near you. http://www.bajiogrill.com/

Cobblestone Pizzeria and Cafe

2008-03-03T12:56:00.009-07:00

I just wanted to do a quick post on Cobblestone Pizzeria and Cafe in American Fork. The real Title to this post should be "Cobblestone, Lose the Cafe!".

About a week ago we went out to dinner at Cobblestone and instead of ordering a pizza for the family we made the huge mistake of ordering sandwiches and salads. I ordered their Chicken Artichoke Sandwich on a Wheat Hogi Bun and it was a "box office flop". The artichoke sauce had zero artichoke in it. It tasted more like someone mixed sour cream and fettuccine cream sauce. It was tasteless. My wife ordered their Southwest Chicken Salad (I think that's what it was called). It was lack luster!

Anyway the bottom line to this post is: If you go to Cobblestone Pizzeria and Cafe in American Fork stick with the Pizza. Their Pizza is Awesome!! Sandwiches and Salads are mediocre at best. So Cobblestone Pizzeria and Cafe you might want to consider either revamping your sandwiches and salads or lose the Cafe in your name.

"That's all I have to say about that!

Epic Casual Dining in Midvale

2008-02-15T22:40:00.007-07:00

Last night for Valentine's Day we went out to one of my favorite Restaurants, Epic Casual Dining in Midvale. Epic Casual Dining is located at about 700 East and Ft. Union Blvd in Midvale. Epic Casual Dining is open from 5pm to 10 pm.

One of the things that I like the most about Epic is their menu because it is simple. Epic's menu consists of about 5 appetizers, 5 salads, and 5 entrees to choose from. This is great for guys like me who have a tough time choosing their dish if there are too many to choose from.

For an appetizer we got their Flatbread with chicken, walnuts, cranberry cheese and a tasty green sauce lightly drizzled on top of it. We always get this appetizer when we go to Epic and it is tasty!

This year neither one of us was in the mood for a salad but in the past we have ordered their salads and I would highly recommend any salad at Epic!

This year I decided to try something a little bit different on their menu, the Ahi Tuna with Epic's Peanut Sauce over Rice and Vegetables. It was fantastic! My wife got their Chicken Marsala dish and it was also tasty!

We topped the our "Dining Experience" off we shared a piece of cheesecake which was delicious!

If you love flavor then try Epic Casual Dining in Midvale! Perhaps the best thing about Epic is that every dish is full of flavor! I highly recommend this Restaurant!!!!

Holiday Inn and the Palms Restaurant in St. George

2008-02-09T21:38:00.001-07:00

Right now I'm down in St. George at the Holiday Inn which I would highly recommend to any family traveling in St. George.

The Holiday Inn in St. George has a great setup for families. For the price you can't beat it. It has an indoor/outdoor pool, small arcade and a game room with both pool and ping pong tables.

The Holiday Inn in St. George also has a restaurant attached to it, The Palms Restaurant of St. George! Their breakfast is great! Yesterday I had the Colossal Breakfast Burrito which was excellent and like the name says it was Colossal! Today I had the Cinnamon French Toast with Eggs and Ham. The portions at The Palms Restaurant in St. George are huge. I couldn't finish my breakfast this morning it was so big! One added bonus is that kids under the age of 12 eat breakfast, lunch and dinner for free!!!

I would highly recommend The Palms Restaurant in St. George especially for Breakfast.

Paradise Bakery and Cafe

2008-02-05T18:59:00.001-07:00

Last night we ate out at Paradise Bakery and Cafe off of 72nd South in Salt Lake City. Paradise Bakery and Cafe is a Franchise based out of and was established in 1976.

I ordered the Chicken Artichoke Panini Sandwich. It was about a 7 out of 10. My wife ate the Thai Chicken Sandwich. She liked it.

The pros of Paradise Bakery and cafe are that they have a wide selection on their menu. They have various sandwiches, soups and salads. They also have a decent selection of desserts.

The cons of the Paradise Bakery and Cafe definitely outweigh the pros. I didn't like the atmosphere...too big. It almost felt like you were in the school lunchroom. I had two major issues with the way that Paradise Bakery and Cafe operates. The first is that they reuse their cups. Are they so cheap that they can't give you paper cups that you can throw away or take with you? Second was the fact that their food is pre-packaged! At least some of it. My wife originally wanted their Thai Chicken Wrap but when she asked them to make it without the green onions they said that they couldn't because they come pre-packaged. To me that's a huge turn off...especially for an establishment that calls itself a "bakery".

I would have to give Paradise Bakery and Cafe about a 6 out of 10. Go try it for yourself and let me know what you think!

Rule #1 and Steve Madden Shoes

2008-02-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

I wrote a post a while back about the book that I read called Rule #1 written by Phil Town. In the post I mentioned one of the companies that I had done a little bit of research on, Steve Madden, Ltd. Steve Madden Ltd sells mostly women's shoes and accessories. The ticker symbol for Steve Madden Ltd is SHOO.

Anyway my wife really likes their shoes and so I decided to research the company and run the numbers to see if it might be a good business to own (invest in). I did a little bit of research into the company as a whole, however I mostly just ran the numbers the way that Phil Town suggests in his book, Rule #1.

I wanted to see what price the stock would need to be at in order to earn a great return on my investment. The number that I came up with was at or around $14 dollars per share which was half of $28 per share (the real value or sticker price of the stock). That was on January 2nd, 2008. That was the same day that I did my first post on Rule #1 and the stock was trading at $19.52 per share.

Well since then the stock did go down into the $14 range. On January 14th it did bottom out at $14.62 per share which was probably a good time to buy. Since that day Steve Madden's stock has gone up to where it is at today which is $17.73 per share. I'll keep a close eye on SHOO to see if it gets up to "the real value" or "sticker price" of $28 per share.

Like I said in my earlier post on Rule #1 I intend to reread Rule #1 and post on each chapter of the book to better explain Phil Town's way of investing. At the same time I intend to follow Steve Madden Ltd. to see how the company and stock perform. I need to do a little more research on the company to qualify it as a Rule #1 business to own.

I also intend to develop my "watch list" of businesses to own (stocks to invest in) and will include those in my blog.

Vonage - The Nightmare

2008-01-29T23:16:00.000-07:00

We signed up for Vonage about a year ago and have regretted it ever since! We originally signed up for it specifically for the fax service and the long distance (both of which didn't work very well at all). We tried to cancel the service one month into the service but we would have to pay a early termination fee of $150 so it was actually cheaper just to keep it for a while. We decided to keep it after that because occasionally the phone worked and it saved my wife from going over her minutes on her cell phone. Still the service was poor at best.

Well we finally decided to get rid of it once and for all last month! So my wife called the number to cancel it and was connected to several people who barely spoke English in India (apparently Vonage outsources the customer service outside of the U.S. which is another reason to not use them), upon telling these people that she wanted to cancel the service she was put on hold for 35 to 45 minutes. Now keep in mind this scenario happened several times! Obviously Vonage does this for a reason. The harder that they make it for you to cancel the service then the longer you have the service and the more money Vonage makes! Well after several attempts and much wasted time she was finally able to cancel the service or at least she thought so!

Now this whole experience happened about a month ago. Well today she received an email from Vonage saying that there was an error with our account. So again she called Vonage to tell them that we shouldn't even have an account because it was cancelled last month and again she was connected to various people in India, put on hold for 45 minutes and passed around. Upon asking why the service wasn't cancelled she was told that we had a late payment fee that was never paid. She explained to them that that was impossible being that the account was set up on automatic withdrawal from our checking account. Again she was put on hold!

She was getting pretty frustrated after being on hold for about 45 minutes with someone who barely spoke English in India. Seeing her frustration I decided to take bold action and suggest to her that she hang up the line and call back but this time get connected with the sales department at Vonage. Of course she got right through to a Sales Associate! She lit into them and demanded that the service be cancelled (hey, you don't mess with a woman who is 7 months pregnant). A couple of phone transfers later and they told her that the service was cancelled!!

What a complete nightmare! The funny thing is that my next door neighbor had the same problem trying to cancel her Vonage service. Never, ever get Vonage!!! There has to be better VOIPs out there!! Vonage flat out stinks!

I'd bet that our's and our neighbor's experiences are not isolated! I'll bet that this happens to thousands of people with Vonage. Someone needs to look into their practices as far as people trying to cancel the service. I'll bet that Vonage make millions of dollars by making it as difficult as possible to cancel the service!! It's a scam!! There needs to be some law or protection for the consumer!!

Carrabba's Italian Grill in Orem - Chicken Marsala

2008-01-26T23:11:00.001-07:00

Tonight we went out to eat again at Carrabba's in Orem. I was a little bit disappointed with their Chicken Marsala tonight. I've ordered it before and it's been great, but tonight I wasn't too happy with it. The Chicken itself was good but the problem was that they didn't put enough mushrooms and sauce on it! I guess I should have asked for more sauce but I wasn't in the mood to wait any longer. Carrabba's also needs to spice up their presentation on the Chicken Marsala dish.

I also ordered Carrabba's Garlic Mashed Potatoes with the chicken and they were good. I also got Carrabba's Caesar Salad with it....it was good!

My wife got Carrabba's Mezzaluna which is a ravioli with chicken, ricotta cheese and spinach in it and she loved it.

I'll still frequent Carrabba's but I'll make sure that I either order something different or ask for lots of mushrooms and sauce on the Chicken Marsala!

Cobblestone Pizzeria and Cafe's California Pizza Rocks!!

2008-01-19T23:42:00.001-07:00

I want to give a quick "shout out" to Cobblestone Pizzeria and Cafe in American Fork!! If you want a unique Pizza then you need to try Cobblestone Pizzeria and Cafe's California Pizza. Actually the name might be the "California Club Pizza", but whatever it's called you need to get on over to Cobblestone Pizzeria and Cafe and eat one!!!

Cobblestone Pizzeria and Cafe's California Pizza has fresh tomatoes, avocados, spinach and onions on it! But what makes it unique is what lies beneath the layer of cheese! Beneath the cheese lies a special sauce with ground bacon that blends all of the flavors of the Pizza together beautifully!!

Cobblestone Pizzeria and Cafe is located in American Fork, Utah at 632 West Main Street just south of the Old Navy and Famous Footwear. Their phone # is (801) 756-2800 just in case you want to order "The California" take out!!

Mimi's Cafe in Orem

2008-01-19T23:14:00.002-07:00

This morning my wife and I went to Mimi's Cafe in Orem for breakfast! She went there a few months back with her friends and loved their French Toast!

I'd been to Mimi's Cafe before....actually several times but never for breakfast. I've always been fairly impressed with Mimi's Cafe because the food is good, the price is reasonable and you can count on it being consistent whether you eat at the Mimi's Cafe in Orem, Utah or at the Mimi's Cafe in San Diego, California!

Well this morning my wife ordered the Pain Perdu Breakfast which was Petite French Toast stuffed with cream cheese and orange marmalade. Served with two eggs, bacon or sausage, red skin potatoes and fresh squeezed juice.

I got the Three Berry Stuffed French Toast Breakfast French Toast stuffed with cream cheese and orange marmalade, topped with blueberries, fresh strawberries and raspberry puree. It also came with two eggs, bacon or sausage and fresh squeezed juice.

Check out what they look like right here http://www.mimiscafe.com/menu.aspx?ID=23

Now if you're not hungry after looking at that then something is wrong with you!

Both breakfasts were fantastic! I ate mine and half of my wife's. The French Toast was great and the Red Skin Potatoes were perfect! My only regret was not ordering a second order of the French Toast.

Mimi's is a great choice for breakfast!!

Zupas

2008-01-14T10:33:00.001-07:00

If you want to try a great soup, salad and sandwich place then try Zupas. Zupas has three locations, Provo, Draper and South Jordan. I've been to the Provo and Draper locations. Their website is http://www.zupas.com/

I've had their Thai Lobster Soup, the Chicken Enchilada Soup and the Hawaiian Barbeque Sandwich and they were all pretty tasty. My wife got salads both times that we went there (you design your own salad). The salad and all of the toppings were fresh and tasted great!!

The first time I went there I got a piece of cheesecake as well and wasn't that impressed. However aside from that the food was very good!

The price is reasonable and the food is good so all in all I would recommend trying Zupas!

Rule #1 Rules!

2008-01-02T22:14:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I finished Rule #1: The Simple Strategy for Successful Investing in Only 15 Minutes a Week! by Phil Town. This book is awesome! In fact it is so good that I am reading it again and will publish more posts about the book in order to explain it in more detail.

Phil Town teaches you how to invest in quality companies for 50 cents on the dollar and at the very least make a 15% return on your money. He has successfully used his strategies to become a multi-millionaire. The best part of the book is that it is relatively simple once you understand the principles and strategies. What amazed me was how much I learned about what makes a business a solid investment!!

Anyway after reading Rule #1: The Simple Strategy for Successful Investing in Only 15 Minutes a Week! I have begun to research a few business that I might want to invest in in the future. The first company that I am researching is Steve Madden, Ltd. It's ticker symbol is SHOO and it is currently trading at $19.52 per share. If I did my calculations right then it should be a good buy once it gets down to about $14.00 per share.

Anyway as I reread Rule #1: The Simple Strategy for Successful Investing in Only 15 Minutes a Week! by Phil Town I'll explain a little more in detail about the book. I'm also going to create my own "watch list" of businesses that I think are solid investments as well as the price to buy those businesses (stocks)!

LEGOS - The Greatest Invention Known to Man

2008-01-02T21:24:00.000-07:00

I think that Legos have got to be the greatest invention ever! For Christmas we bought my son some different sets of Legos. He has a real knack for building things. We got him the Ferrari set, the 3 in 1 set (you can either build the F-16 fighter jet, the helicopter or the hovercraft), one of the Mars mission sets and one other that I can't remember and am to lazy to go upstairs and see what the name of it is.

Anyway, these are fairly complex vehicles to build so I decided to help my son. Boy am I glad that I did. Together we built the Ferrari F430 which took us about 3 to 4 hours and we had a blast. The next day we built the F-16 fighter jet. I think that I'm becoming addicted to Legos. In fact I just might go buy me my own Ferrari F430 set and go from there.

If you want to do something fun go buy some Legos. You'll have a ball!!

Chez Betty - Overpriced and Overrated

2008-01-01T21:41:00.002-07:00

Last night for New Year's Eve my wife and I went to Chez Betty's in Park City. Chez Betty's came recommended to us by a relative of mine. Chez Betty's is a French-American Fine Dining establishment at the base of main street in Park City. Chez Betty's is on the pricey side so I expected the food to be awesome! Boy was I disappointed!

The ambience wasn't as great as I expected. They basically squished a ton of tables in a very small room with nice tablecloths and tableware and called it a restaurant. I didn't feel very comfortable having a nice conversation with my wife because the people who were next to us were only about 3 feet away...you could literally hear their whole conversation!

We started off with the Crab Stuffed Portabello Mushroom as an appetizer. To me it tasted like someone took Tuna Fish and slapped it on a Portabello.

Next we split a salad. We had the Warm Spinach Salad. My wife loved it and I thought it was just so so. The salad itself was all spinach with some bacon, feta cheese, croutons and I think a balsamic vinegar dressing served warm. Looking back I don't think that the pepper shaker/grinder was working as the waiter tried to put pepper on our salads. All in all the salad was maybe a 5 out of 10 in my book.

I ordered the Grille Beef Tenderloin on a Crispy Potato Pancake and it was lackluster. Not a whole lot of flavor. My wife ordered the Frenched Chicken Breast. It was so so. Both entrees were about a 5 out of 10.

I wanted to try the dessert to see if it would make up for the lackluster food but again I was highly disappointed. I ordered the Apple Bread Pudding and I will guarantee you that I can make a better bread pudding than Chez Betty's. My wife had a Chocolate Mousse with Chocolate Cake and after tasting her dessert I was still stifled why people raved about Chez Betty's.

My brother recommended the restaurant to us probably a couple of years ago. Maybe we should have eaten at Chez Betty's 2 years ago...maybe the food was better back then. Not!!Check out some other reviews here: http://utah.citysearch.com/review/10358460. Even though the reviews were written a couple of years ago I think these people are nuts! They probably had a lot of alcohol with their food.

I will never go back to Chez Betty's and do yourselves a favor, don't waste your time nor money at Chez Betty's. It seems to me that Chez Betty's is a true reflection of Park City. Overpriced and Overrated!!!

On a funny note my wife overheard the waiter at another table explaining why the Duck dish at Chez Betty's was so special. Apparently the duck that Chez Betty serves flies away during the summer and returns in the winter thus making it a better tasting duck. If anyone can explain that one to me please do so that I can understand how that makes a duck taste better.

Zinn Bistro

2007-12-04T00:09:00.001-07:00

Wow!! Last Friday we went out to eat at Zinn Bistro 2020 East and 33rd South in Salt Lake. It was awesome. The restaurant came highly recommended by my brother, Chris, the restaurant connoisseur himself. He did warn us about the customer service though. Read the following reviews here: http://utah.citysearch.com/review/35829139

Zinn Bistro is very unique in that the hours that it operates are very limited and from what my wife tells me they will only take you if you have reservations.

My wife called to make the reservations and they make you leave a message and then they will get back with you to confirm. There aren't that many tables in the restaurant which is kind of nice. It makes for a warm and cozy atmosphere. I think that they are only open for lunch on weekdays and dinner on Friday and Saturday nights from 6:00 pm to 8:30pm.

Everything at Zinn Bistro is homemade. My brother tells me that the restaurant is ran by a mother and her 2 or 3 daughters. To start off they bring you the menu and their selection of sweet breads. Their rolls are awesome. They taste almost like cream puffs without the cream. We were a little hesitant to ask for seconds on the bread/rolls because I didn't know if it was acceptable. We had been warned about the service and frankly I was a little nervous to ask for seconds.

There aren't very many items on the menu to choose from, which was refreshing! 5 to 6 appetizers and 5 to 6 entrees. For an appetizer we ordered the chips and artichoke dip. The chips that they bring to you are a soft homemade chip and the dip is amazing. To be honest I could have eaten the appetizer all night long.

My brother told me to order the meatloaf so that's what I did. I was a little bit shocked that a restaurant would serve meatloaf...because, really, who likes meatloaf? But I went with my brother's recommendation and boy was I glad that I did. Zinn knows how to cook meatloaf. What a pleasant surprise!!! The meatloaf itself was fantastic! And they put a sauce on top of it that well let's just say "addicting". My dish came with mash potatoes and green beans. It was perfect!

For dessert we shared their bread pudding. It was covered in caramel and ice cream and had the perfect texture and flavor. My wife and I found ourselves fighting over who got the last bite.

Zinn Bistro was a memorable experience! The servers there are not going to try to impress you. Why? Because they don't have to!!! The quality of the food allows them to be as cold as they want towards you because they know you'll come back just for the food. And if you don't there are others who will. Don't worry, your server will keep your water full and make sure that you get your food etc but just don't expect them to smile and be friendly, because they won't.

The food at Zinn Bistro far exceeded my expectations! The price was extremely fair and the service was, let's just say, "unique". You absolutely have to go try Zinn Bistro. Don't waste your money at another restaurant until you've tried the Zinn!

The Cheesecake Factory

2007-11-27T20:57:00.001-07:00

Today I ate lunch at The Cheesecake Factory in Salt Lake. It opened a few weeks back and it is the big thing right now. In fact on weekend nights there's usually about a 4 hour wait to get in.

We started off with a variety of appetizers like calamari, avocado eggrolls, and chips with guacamole and salsa. I could have just ate the appetizers for lunch and I would have been just fine. Their avocado eggrolls rocked!!! Calamari was good and the chips with guac and salsa was great! Again, when you go there get the avocado eggrolls!!

I ordered a dish called "bang, bang chicken and shrimp". It's a Thai dish! It was okay, not fantastic, just okay.

Now to the Cheesecake....the whole reason you go to The Cheesecake Factory! I got the Original Cheesecake with Strawberrys on it. It was awesome!

If you've never been to The Cheesecake Factory to eat then you have to try it. The only problem that I had was trying to decide what to order because of the hundreds of items on the menu!

Carrabba's Restaurant

2007-11-26T22:58:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to give a quick "shout out" to one of my newest favorite Italian Restaurants: Carrabba's. We went there a few weeks back and they really took care of us.

If you eat out a lot like we do then you understand that even the best restaurants can have an "off" night. Well this particular night was an off night at Carrabba's. Something about my wife's Chicken Marsala just didn't taste right so I complained. I've arrived at a point in my life where if I don't like the food at a restaurant I will definitely let them hear about it!

I have to give Carrabba's in Orem two thumbs up in the customer service arena. After complaining about the dish it didn't take long at all until the Manager was at our table addressing our concerns and making us feel like we were his number one priority that night. He had the kitchen make another dish (on the house) for my wife which was delicious and threw in a free dessert for us to take on the road. What I really appreciated about the whole experience was the attitude that the Manager had. It's nice to see that there are restaurants that understand what "great" customer service is!!

The Tipping Point

2007-11-26T22:28:00.000-07:00

If you want to read a fascinating book then read the The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell. I just finished it for the second time.

What is the Tipping Point?? "It is that magic moment when and idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate."

If you like learning about the psychology of word of mouth marketing and selling then you'll love this book!! I highly recommend it!

Rule #1

2007-11-06T22:01:00.000-07:00

I started a new book this past week called Rule #1: The Simple Strategy for Successful Investing in Only 15 Minutes a Week! . It's a book about investing in the stock market. The author is Phil Town who is a former River Guide who's made millions investing in stocks. He's a frequent guest on CNBC's "The Millionaire Inside". Oh by the way did I tell you that I'm a CNBC addict!

The actual "Rule #1" was set by the world's greatest investor, Warren Buffett. According to Buffett, "There are only two rules of investing: Rule #1: Don't lose money...and Rule #2: Don't forget Rule #1."

Phil Town's objective is to help you get at least a 15% return on your money and teach you how to do it yourself! I'm into it about 70 pages and so far it's been a great read!

Thaifoon

2007-11-06T21:21:00.001-07:00

Friday night we went and ate Thai food at Thaifoon at Salt Lake's Gateway Mall. Here's the link http://www.thaifoon.com. Maybe I was just in a bad mood or maybe it was the screw that was in our rice but I was mildly disappointed with the food that night!

Here's the bad part! When they brought our rice out there was a metal screw in it. Apparently a screw had fallen out of their rice cooker and directly into our rice. Luckily it was on top of the rice and easily noticeable. I would have been ticked if I would have bitten into a metal screw (after just barely having a root canal) or worse if my pregnant wife would have swallowed it (she has enough trouble keeping her food down during this pregnancy)!! Anyway I easily spotted it and we got some new rice. No harm, no foul! Right?

We started off with their lettuce wraps. PF Chang's are better! At least the last time I ate there they were. My wife had the "Evil Princess Jungle Chicken Curry" which I thought was burnt. She thought that it was great but then again she was pretty hungry. I had the "honey walnut shrimp" dish which was awesome. I will forgive Thaifoon for the screw incident, however it might be a while before I go back because I still have that "burnt" taste in my mouth.

Anyway I would still recommend Thaifoon to everyone just because we've eaten there many times and this it the first small fiasco. Try the curry that I mentioned above. It's usually pretty tasty! The service there is relatively good and the manager did come over and apologize for the "screw incident" and didn't charge us for the lettuce wraps which is notable. Here's the bottom line! If you've never had Thai food you have to try it and Thaifoon is a great place to start!

The Ranches Golf Club

2007-11-01T21:12:00.001-06:00

The Ranches Golf Club in Eagle Mountain, Utah is my home course. Here's the link http://www.theranchesgolfclub.com/

The Ranches Golf Course to put it mildly is a "killer". It's a "killer" in two ways. First of all it is a "killer" golf course meaning that it is a fantastic course with a couple of exceptions. And secondly it will "kill your golf score" if you don't hit the ball straight!

The Course

The course is a par 72 links style course that is 7085 yards long from the black tees. The fairways are fairly narrow with very little room for error off the tee. The rough isn't so bad...it's the weeds (I believe they call it "heather grass" in England) that you have to avoid. You have the short grass (good), the rough (not bad) and the weeds (you'll never find your ball!) That's why it's tough to score well at the ranches....if you don't hit the ball straight you probably won't find your ball and will have to take a penalty!

The Greens are tough when they are rolling fast. Most of the greens at the Ranches have quite a bit of break to them. What I find especially true on this course is that speed is more important than aim on these greens. If you misjudge the speed you'll be in for a lot of 3-putts. When the course is in nice shape you won't find many greens that roll as consistent as the Ranches'.

The par 5s are where you can score on this course. Particularly #1, #7, and #13. They are all reachable in two if you hit a good tee shot...or if your a great wedge player you can always lay up and birdie them as well! There are very few par 4s that are birdie holes. #3, #6, and #14 are your best chance for birdie on the 4s. The par 3s are long and difficult. Check this out...#5 and #12 are about 225 yards from the tips. Par is a great score on all of the par 3s.

Amenities

Overall...Not bad! Not extremely good either!

They do have a restaurant in the clubhouse. To tell you the truth I've only eaten there one time. I had a cheeseburger..from what I remember it was okay. They used to have an Australian chef that ran the restaurant...he may still be there...I haven't paid too much attention lately. Nice guy though....he let me borrow his jacket once.

The clubhouse isn't all that great! When I say that it isn't all that great what I mean is that it's kind of small. They have done a very nice job with the limited space that they have. Hey, they have a couch and a nice TV that always has ESPN on so what more could you ask for!! I was told a while back that they were going to build a really nice big clubhouse when the course got more established but that could have been just a rumor.

The bathrooms are nice...the sinks especially...they are those automatic ones that you don't have to touch anything and they give you plenty of space to wash your hands. They have the cool, "self foaming"soap too! And the bathroom is always clean which is always a bonus. Okay I'm writing way too much about the john. But who cares!! Can't a man appreciate a nice clean bathroom!

Oh by the way they do have a great outdoor patio to host lunches after golf tournaments. The staff is also very friendly!

Jay's Recommendation

I would recommend that anyone having more than a 12 handicap only play The Ranches once a year because you'll lose so many balls that you can't afford to play more than once. Everybody else should play it at least once a month to see what it's like to play a "real man's course." The course is a challenge and the greens are great! Just remember to please repair your ball marks!!

My "Air Swing"

2007-11-01T17:15:00.000-06:00

Howdy! This is my very first real blog post and to tell you the truth I'm stoked. I guarantee that because I am a perfectionist it'll probably take me a good hour to get this posted. Anyway I'll get right to it....I wanted to create a blog where I could give my opinion on basically everything so here it is.

My addiction and my "air swing"!

First of all let me say that I am a complete and utter golf "addict"!! Just ask my wife. It drives...correction... it used to drive her nuts that I would walk around swinging my arms as if I was swinging a golf club. I call it my "air swing"! It's all part of my golf practice. Anyway if you see someone in the mall or grocery store swinging their arms practicing their golf swing that person is probably me. It is especially effective if there are mirrors around so you can see all angles of your "air swing". Try it sometime and I guarantee that you will lower your handicap!

Here's another tip that I learned from my favorite golf book in the world: Faldo A Swing for Life: How to Play The Faldo Way. If you want to work on your balance put your feet very close together and practice hitting balls off a tee with a 7 iron!

Well it only took about 2 hours to get this posted...not so bad for a rookie!