Well sorry for the minor delays in posting. I have been hoofing around the US recently. It was quite a shock, but there are some really cool things outside of New York City hehehe.

I was well prepared for my jaunt to Salt Lake - I watched Latter Days (mmm Mormon guys can be cute :p ), I hid my clandestine caffeine pills in a vitamin bottle, had my clandestine hip flask of gin slipped into my sock, and wore three wedding rings just in case. Yes, I was vice on legs - gay-coffee-addicted-martini-swilling-religious-piss-taking-new-yorker, yeah baby and it was great. Nothing better than going to a city that for all intents and purposes you simply don’t belong - it makes the challenge so much sweeter.

But joking aside, I have to say Salt Lake is a very beautiful part of the world. I stepped off the plane into snow and snow-capped mountains. Dreamy mountain peaks, uncluttered roads and that thin refreshing mountain air that makes you virtuous instantaneously. Haha and sorry it does have to be said, but apart from not being green, the Mormon Temple IS the Emerald City - I looked out for the muchkins but I suspect they were in one of the untold private clubs drinking martinis and keeping warm.

So this was my surprise - this city loves its food. And everything I ate while I was there outshone the majority of experiences I have had in New York. Service levels in the restaurants were welcoming, attentive and seriously professional. Ok, the wine selection isn’t the highlight, but the food shines. I will post soon on a very special place I went, but will say that I have never been anywhere with a full plasma screen in the dining room showing the chef at work in the kitchens - that was awesome.

I do want to share however a piece of Americana foodie experience - the burger joint. After a late arrival we ended up at a Crown Burger restaurant. Oh my, it the decor and service was a throwback from the 60’s. Brown tiles and everyone early paper caps in the kitchens. The order counter had some english-challenged workers taking orders at a sizable manual cash register. The first surprise was when you had placed the order, they pushed a large microphone on and screamed your order into it - the incontinent would have struggled.

But what came out was a down-to-earth burger with sauces and salads, then piled high with pastrami. Swear to goodness it was the tastiest thing I have had in weeks. I ignored the cholesterol intake and simply relished the amazing flavors.

After that I had the most vivid dreams ever - man alive - nothing better than a pastrami enriched dream (washed down with a little gin from the hip flask).

Categories: Food, Travel
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