Black Sheep Cafe

We decided to go to Black Sheep Cafe today for our blog.  We had two visitors with us, Adam and James.  So, a full table of five adults and one child.  Looking over the menu was difficult, not because it was huge, but because everything sounded delicious.  What was nice was there were options for those who do not eat meat and for those that eat meat.  Although, there was no mutton, so we were a bit sad.  We kind of expected to find something with mutton of some sort.  But, we ordered a few different things to represent this restaurant.


My first thought going to a restaurant that is said to have Native American food is thinking of Navajo Tacos.  Which BSC had four options, all of which were ordered and tried.  So, who ordered what?  James ordered the Black Sheep Navajo Taco.  Adam ordered the "Goat" Burger.  Cheri got the Navajo Taco Trio.  Melody ordered the special Pulled Pork Navajo Taco.  Mahayla got to taste everything we got, plus had a Honey-Butter Frybread and Grilled Squash.  I ordered the Green Chile Pork Navajo Taco extra spicy.  

 James with his Black Sheep NT.

 My Green Chile Pork NT.

 Melody's Pulled Pork with Jalapeno coleslaw NT.

 Cheri's NT Trio.

Mahayla's Honey-Butter Frybread! Half gone. Hehe

Pros
The Green Chile Pork NT was delicious.  The balance of spice and flavor was amazing.  Each bite had sizzle, but still wasn't just straight heat.  Cheri also tried the Green Chile Pork NT and loved it.  The Honey-Butter Frybread was amazing.  Mahayla ate most of it and we finished it off among the rest of us.  Adam said that his "Goat" Burger was, "Stone cold bumping."  Which according to Adam, Hip Hop culture says that is amazing.  Melody loved the Pulled Pork and said that she could see why it was the special.  James said that his Black Sheep NT was delicious and full of flavor.  The best part of everything was the Navajo Frybread.  The frybread was by far the best we have ever had.  This really made the meal that much more delicious.  


Cons
As was mentioned, Adam felt that there should have been mutton on the menu somewhere.  Which we were told eventually there would be.  Also, the Red Chile Beef NT seemed to lack a certain something.  It tasted fine, just didn't have that little boost to make it amazing.  The Black Sheep NT from the Trio had beans that were a bit undercooked, but not horrible.  The Black Sheep NT from the Trio also lacked a bit of that boost as well.  It tasted very plain.  Nothing that sparked anything in any of us.  It also lacked a bit of flavor and just seemed plain.  The beans on Melody's NT were as well undercooked.  The Grilled Squash was actually zucchini.  I know that zucchini technically is squash, but if I wanted grilled zucchini, I would have ordered grilled zucchini. Cheri mentioned, "For Native American food, it seems like everything played off the frybread.  I would like to see a Buffalo burger, instead of just variations of the navajo taco. I'd rather have my ass burned off like it was last week (see Spice Grill), than have my ass fall asleep like it did last night."


So, overall, the experience wasn't horrible.  The service was good.  The atmosphere was nice and relaxing.  I liked that they also had a small shop attached to the restaurant to purchase little gifts.  Just so you know, the prices range from 10-15$ for entrees and you leave full.  So, the bang for you buck is pretty good.  However, I have a large issue.  I feel like we showed up on a day that someone had called in or something like that.  We just felt like there was something missing and I would hate to give a horrible review to a restaurant that is missing a key element on the day that I go in.  However, I feel that restaurants shouldn't have that much of a difference from day to day.  If someone calls in, it shouldn't really affect the whole place.  Also, I feel that there was tons of hype built up about BSC.  I think this may have made my judgement a bit harsh because I was expecting this 5 Star Restaurant quality in Provo, Utah.  I would love to go back and see if this happens again.  So, I will plan to do a redemption one of these weeks to see how things are going.
Also, we are introducing a rating scale, we call it "The Fork Scale".  This scale is from 1-5, where 1 is horrible and 5 is amazing.
I give BCS 3.5 Forks
Melody gives BCS 2.5 Forks
Cheri gives BCS 2 Forks


As far as next weeks travels, we are going to go to Wild Ginger on University Ave. in Provo.  It is an all you can eat Sushi restaurant, and we love sushi so, we have high hopes. 

Black Sheep Cafe Facebook

Suggestions

I would like to just run a quick post by you guys and ask for suggestions on places that you want to go, but haven't been able to for any reason.  Just give me the name and area, I'll look into doing it for you.

Thanks for following and viewing guys!

Spice Grill

Our first adventure takes us to India!  We had decided to go to Spice Grill, mainly because I would get some extra credit for a class if I was to go, but we also like Indian food, so it was a nice idea.  For those of you who are Facebook inclined, I will post their information at the bottom of the blog.

First off, entering Spice Grill really presented a great atmosphere.  It felt cozy and welcoming.  This is something that I really enjoy.  Feeling like I can come in and people do not get upset or angry that I have disrupted their day makes me happy.  This is where our waiter introduced himself and welcomed us to the restaurant.  His name was Sandy and he was very polite.  He greeted us like we were long time friends and even talked to my daughter, many waiters do not talk to children because they have no money.  He invited us to sit wherever we wanted and brought a high chair for the little one.  Upon giving us the menus, he wanted to ask us if we had any preferences or know much about Indian food.  Mostly, we have had curry or something similar to that.  That is what we were expecting, but we were happily surprised to see the not so well known, yet still very delicious, Indian foods.  He told us about the different specials and didn't act like he was above us or below us, but acted as if we were family.  I was highly impressed.  I am so used to getting people who do not care about the customer or their job.

Cheri and I discussed with Sandy that we LOVE hot and spicy.  A grin came across his face as he said, "Are you sure?"  We both looked at him and said, "Yes, we love it!"  So, he suggested a few things, which for each of us he was spot on for what we ordered.  Melody mentioned that her and Mahayla do not do hot and he was very open to helping her find something that wasn't spicy and would still taste amazing.  Cheri decided to order the Samosa Chole, I went with the Masala Dhosa, Melody did the Ginger Chicken and Mahayla had the Papdi Chat, minus tomatoes since she is allergic.  Sandy was very amazing in this matter, as many places will not take things out and just force you to take a different option.  He said of course we can take the tomatoes out, that is not an issue.  I will post pictures of the menu at the end so you can see full descriptions of each meal.

Starting off with the Samosa Chole, it came out and looked interesting.  I didn't know what to think of what Cheri got.  The Samosa Chole came out and looked very tall.  Almost like a small tower on a plate.  I took a fork and grabbed a bite of it.  The taste was AMAZING.  Not tons of heat, but enough to let you know it was there.  But, what was interesting, as Cheri stated, the heat would build over time from a small sizzle to a small fire.  It had the perfect blend of fire and flavor.  It was very colorful and wasn't only good looking, but great tasting.

Next up, the Masala Dhosa.  This behemoth of a meal comes out on an 18"x5" plate with a medium size bowl of sauce.  I had asked for this to be very spicy, and I was not let down.  The sauce was what contained the fire.  The first bite led to a bit of sweat appearing on the back of my neck.  Now, it wasn't just a fire, the fire had this intense amount of flavor.  It was quite literally an explosion of fire and flavor that hit the correct level of intensity.  What I enjoyed about this was that these two items could be eaten separately or together, mainly I did together because they complimented each other very well.  The two came together in a crunchy, spicy, chicken-y atom bomb of deliciousness.  But, be warned, this is a LARGE amount of food.  It is so good though, that almost anyone could finish it off.

Now, the Ginger Chicken.  It came out looking very light and enjoyable.  Melody said that the flavor was amazing, and not spicy at all.  She kept saying that everything had the perfect amount of seasoning and they all mixed perfectly.  She did however find that the bread was a little inconsistent, but still delicious.  She said some portions were a bit dry and others were soft.  But, as she mentioned, still delicious.  The sauce that came with this meal was out of this world.  It took an already amazing meal through the roof and gave Melody this feeling that this was the right place to go to for lunch.

Mahayla was just going to eat off of our plates, but with two out of three being very spicy, didn't think it was a good idea.  So, we talked with Sandy and mentioned that we wanted to get her the Panipuri, but he said that it is very hot and would not be good for babies.  He suggested the Papdi Chat, that is when we mentioned that she cannot have tomatoes due to her allergy.  Sandy said that it wasn't an issue and would make sure no tomatoes were used in making her dish.  We all smiled and said thank you.  Mahayla, never having had Indian food, seemed to love it!  She ate about 75% of an adult sized meal.  She loved it and would get angry when we didn't feed her more.  We would try some of the Ginger Chicken, but she was like NO, I want MINE!  I tasted it as well, and it was delicious.  A little bit of a tangy zip to it, but it was a complex flavor that mixed very well.

As we were finishing, Sandy brought out a free dessert for us to try.  It had a scoop of vanilla ice cream made with rose milk and 2 balls called Gulab Jamun.  Pretty much this was the best way to end the meal.  The Gulab Jamun are similar to donut holes soaked in a honey water.  They are also served warm, so the ice cream and these balls mixed very well.  It was like pie à la mode, Indian style.  It was very delicious and was a perfect blend of cake and ice cream.

Overall, this was the best restaurant experience we have had in years.  The service provided by Sandy was amazing.  And the cook, Lucky, was amazing and informed us all food was cooked to order.  Nothing was premade or done before.  So, not only was this food amazing, it was fresh and light.  Even though my meal was very large, I didn't feel weighed down.  I still felt full, but wasn't feeling tired weighed down, not wanting to move or needing to undo my pants a belt buckle or two.  As far as price goes, it is actually quite decently priced.  For the four of us to eat it cost just a little over $30.  We were also informed that they are a sister company of Bombai House that is just down the street.  The suggestion that we give to everyone is to at least give it a shot.  Try it out and let me know your experiences.

This next week we are planning to go to Black Sheep Cafe in Provo.  From what I have been told, this is a Native American restaurant with a modern flare.  I look forward to this experience.  Until next time, eat well friends.
Menu
Spice Grill Website
Spice Grill Facebook

Here is the start of a wonderful adventure!  What I have decided to do is explore some of the amazing small restaurants around the Provo/Orem area.  Mostly I will be in Provo, but will explore into Orem on occasion.  Now, I am no food critic or anything like that, I just have an intense love for food and a passion for mixing flavors.

Just as a background, I grew up in a house that would eat food from the Ukraine, Russia, Japan, China, France, Germany and a few other countries.  I can remember holding a pirogi in one hand and having a piece of chicken fried steak in the other.  Needless to say, I have a very interesting palette.  But, I have decided to also include the people in my life that have a passion for food, cooking, and trying new things.  Usually this will be a weekly lunch thing, but depending on the week, we may do more and we may do less.  The people that are involved are Mahayla (my 1 year old daughter), Cheri (my mum), and Melody (my wife).  Both Melody and Mahayla have a liking for the milder side of life; while Cheri and I enjoy spicy.  So, if anything has any spice, Cheri and I will take that one for the team.  All of us have particular likes/dislikes, so hopefully we give you some insight towards the great places.

We are going to do lunch at the small random restaurants around Historic Downtown Provo and occasionally in Orem.  What I will chronicle here is the overall experience that we have as well as how the food was.  So, this will provide you with the 411 on the little guys in the area.  Enjoy.