Communal - At long last we come together!

     I have been waiting a while for the opportunity to experience communal. 100% of people that I have talked to who have visited communal have given it raving reviews. I would have to agree with all of the people, it was nothing short of fantastic. The only problem with eating at Communal is that your expectation for other restaurants are places way to high =)

     This little restaurant sits on the corner of 100 N and University Avenue. Upon entering you are immediately drawn to the sight of a long communal table. You might make the mistake of thinking that communal always caters to large groups. In fact any group can sit at the table, its ment to be a table where people can commun in a mixture of cultures, and flavors to enhance the dining experience. The other wonderful thing you experience when you enter Communal, are the smells. The main food prep area is right there in the same room as the dining room. You see the chefs prepping and plating the food, and the smell of it is heavenly.When we sat down, we were greeted quickly and given some helpful advice. One of my favorite aspects of Communal is the fact that they use only locally grown fruits and vegetables. That means the menu is changing constantly. I have been to Communal twice now, and each time I have been pleasantly surprised. Communal recruits its Chefs from the UVU culinary institute, or great Chefs from restaurants such as The Chefs Table. Now Communal has a different ordering style than most places. Dishes are designed to be shared, so you are encouraged to order an appetizer, an entree and a side. This provides a great opportunity for you to experience a wide range of what Communal has to offer.
 

   We started out the meal with what was called an Anson's Farrow Salad. It was so unique and fresh, it combined farrow and cranberries, with some caramelized greens. After the Farro salad we went into an array of wonderful entrees. We had the Pan Seared Salmon and Soubise, Brazen Pork Belly, Caramelized Fennel and Mushroom Tart, and a Sweet Potato Gratin Style. Which except for the salmon, was all new to me.  Every dish brought such new flavors and experiences. The Pork Belly was nothing short of a revelation! The Sweet Potato was layered with an aromatic blue cheese which blew me away (no pun intended.) One word to describe the Caramelized Fennel and Mushroom Tart was different. It was flakey and yet had a bitter edge to it. I loved how it contrasted so well the other flavors presented. The only complaint I had was about the Salmon. The sauce used with the Salmon was anticlimactic, and the Salmon was a bit dry. I do understand that it is very difficult get good salmon, especially in Utah. All in all the meal was great, I left content and already planning my return visit.
     I would give Communal a 9.8/10 for its wonderful food, great service, and unique experience.  Thank you Communal for blazing the trail for a wonderful new way of dining here in Utah. I hope to see more restaurants can follow suit, and I hope to visit you again really soon.
 
 

Terra Mia

    One thing I really don't like is when critics write bad reviews of a restaurant. So you will see my problem in writing this post about Orem's Terra Mia. I really didn't like the place. So I will start with the positive, I like the lay out of the restaurant. It had a nice feeling inside, the decorum and the art made me feel like I was in an Italian place but still maintained the modern feel. My only complaint on the layout was where I had to order, it was confusing.
     Something I have noticed about some Italian business owners (having worked for one myself.) They try to be everything for everyone. The menu was very long, they had so many options. That didn't quiet faze me seeing as I know what I like when it comes to italian food. But to other inexperienced customers, it would be very hard for them.  The other problem with having a large menu means you have to be buying lots of different ingredients. Which by default means the quality of ingredients goes down. You will see what I mean later on.
    I ordered a margarita pizza, which I had to say with an american accent because the girl behind the counter did not understand my italian pronunciation of margarita. After the pizza arrived I found it to be devoid of basil, except for one leaf in the middle. One leaf?...one leaf of basil is laughable. Anybody who knows good traditional italian pizza will tell you that basil is essential to the margarita experience. The cheese, tasted store bought and out of a bag of shredded mozzarella. That was nothing short of blasphemy for me but I think I'll cool my jets for now. I expected fresh mozzarella with an abundance or at least more basil. I will give them some points on the crust and the tomato sauce was ok. Although without the mozzarella and the basil the whole experience was lacking. The center of the pizza was soupy at best and really put me off.
     Terra Mia needs to cut back on their over head, limit their menu options, and save money so they can invest in real ingredients for their stable dish. Not to mention everything else. At the end of the meal I ordered a canoli that took its time getting to my table. The servers at Terra Mia seemed tired and disorganized. A lot of the tables had dirty dishes on them from lack of bussing. The canoli was anticlimactic, which would have been ok had my pizza been great. Since the Pizza was lacking, it really ruined my canoli experience as well.
     I would give Terra Mia a 5/10, if you want good authentic pizza, head over to Pizzeria 712 or Vinto in Salt Lake. All they need to do is focus on making a few things great, rather than a great many thing semi good.

Cubby's- Chicago Style

     Im going to be honest, I was not really excited to go and review Cubby's. I'm really not a huge beef fan, but I will tell you I was pleasantly surprised. The lay out of the restaurant was very backstreets Chicago with almost a ranch feel. I liked how simple the menu was, there were just sandwiches, soups, and salads. Everything felt very authentic and down to earth. After ordering, it took a little under five minutes to get my food. I had a little trouble finding napkins and stuff, but that was due to the fact that I wasn't paying very close attention. The restaurant felt very much like I would expect a downtown Chicago style beef joint. The wood work inside was great and I like the big screen T.Vs Normally I don't love T.V in restaurants, but at Cubby's, it seemed to go with the whole ambiance.
     So I took my first bite in to what was known as the "original Mr. Beef." I'll say it again I was really surprised  It was such a balanced sandwich. Filled with just the right amount of meet and smothered in an italian giardiniera, and their secret famous sauce. I'm not really a beef kinda guy and I really enjoyed the sandwich. It had a smokey flavor that carried nicely through each bite and it surprisingly was still hot by the time I finished it.
     I would give Cubby's a 7.8/10, it was a good meal and a nice place to eat, but I'm really not feeling any great need to go back soon. I would recommend it to any of my friends who are looking for a low key, filling beefy meal.