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Show Recently .Diiiihq Chinatown restaurant Dont be put off by the small, slightly ramshackle 2i 'lf)' exterior Chinatown has more space and imagination than one might think. Inside, the interior is dark and almost smoky, the sort of place you might expect for backroom dealings by the Mafia. But the restaurant's menu is all Chinese. Choose from an extensive menu of Mandarin specialties that includes everything from Pork with Garlic Sauce to Sizzling Tofu. Some items are greasy and boilerplate, while others are surprisingly bold and inventive. Take time to peruse the Chinese zodiac placemats: After all, you never know whether or not to marry a rat. i 300S.700Eost, Provo, Hawaiian Barbecue L& L the University Mali parking lotinOrem.' island-theme- Beauty and the feast Be our guest for fine Italian fare at Carrabba's Elyssa Andrus DALY HERALD You must have to be to work at Italian else would - explain the abundance of smooth-skinne- d, silky-haire- d servers at the Qrem restaurant? Everything is beautiful at Carrabba's, from the textured, apricot-colorewalls to the artful presentation of the entrees. And the restaurant manages to convey its aesthetics in a comfortable, unassuming way while avoiding the bland unifonnity that plagues many chain restaurants. According to company nuk terials, Carrabba's was founded by "two big Sicilian boys from Texas who love to cook and ear (and have the waist- -' lines to prove it). Johnny Carrabba and Damk an Mandola have parlayed their rich, casual brand of cuisine into a successful cooking show and a chain of restaurants located primarily on the d -- , East Coast. The Orem location is the only Carrabba's in the state. Meat has a strong footprint on the restaurant's menu, making more of a showing than is typical of many Italian eateries. Dont get us wrong, the spaghetti manicotti and cannelloni all have their rightful place on the menu, but the grill specialties can hold their own as well. Sauces, too, Kven up most entrees, from a delicate temon basil butter sauce to a more robust, kish tomato cream sauce. We sat by the exposed kitchen, close enough to hear a manager barking orders at the chefs like a football coach during hatftime. The atmosphere of Carrabba's is dim and ro- - ' mantk, but is marred slightly by the way the tables are packed in the dining room. In some spots, you can almost nib elbows with other guests. Our meal began with a plate of curry calamari, each sinewy ringlet of meat lightly breaded and fried for a subtly crunchy texture. The dish is served with a side of chunky, veg SX RgvIsvv niarinara sauce etable-packe-d for dipping. Deciding between the Polk) Rosa Maria and the Chicken Bryan was agonizing, so we chose one of the night's specials a trio of chicken breasts that included the two former entrees, as well as a serving oithejjicken Marsala. Chicken The Marsala came topped with earthy mushrooms, salty and a kicky Lombardo Marsala wine sauce. The breast of the Polio Rosa Maria oozed fontina cheese as we sliced it. In this dish, the breast is stuffed with a creamy fontina cheese and prosdutto, then topped with mushrooms and a basil lemon butter sauce. Those two dishes were impressive, but the Chicken Bryan put everything else to shame. breast is The topped with a puckering combination of tart caprino cheese, d tomatoes and a basil lemon butter sauce. Other dishes shined as well The Sirloin Marsala was made fire-roast- ed Carrabba's . Italian Grill fire-roast- ed sun-drie- . d 81&-288- 8 Where 683 E. University Pkwy., Sensuous Sandwich Orem ' Price range: $7.99 to $19.79. some lunch specials Info: 765-122- lis owners of Sensuous Sandwich must have been feeling a bit tarty when they named their menu items. It's hard to order the Entker, the Salisfier or the, Stimulator with a straight face (even if we are just talking sandwiches). The diminutive eatery has a sort of quirky, trip-p-y charm. It's blanketed with inspirational posters, Xeroxed jokes and pictures of customers who have just finished eating sandwich. the whopping The selection here is pretty limited, but the prices are cut-ratAnd those with finicky appetites will appreciate that sandwiches are sold by the inch, making it possible to order a sandwich that's too big, too small or just right. 378 E. University Pkwy., and Orem, 163 W. Center St., Provo 2 pro-sciut- to . 9 Three former BYU football players have teamed up to open an L & L Hawaiian Barbecue franchise, and judging from the long lines at the restaurant, they've scored a touchdown. The sunny, restaurant is fast becoming one of the nation's trendiest new chains. (The 100th location recently opened in the San Francisco bay area.) L & L features plates of barbecued meats served with sticky white rice and creamy macaroni salad. The food can be a bit greasy, and Spam has a disturbingly large footprint on the menu. But if you're a fan of savory, seared meats, this place scores. , 159 W. 1230 North, Provo, JOSHUA BROWNDaily Herald Carrabba's Italian GriB is located in 373-769- with a thick, juicy piece of center-cut sirloin, cooked with the edges faintly crispy and the middle pink at our request. And we loved the Mezzahma ' pasta's dainty half moons of ravioli, stuffed with chicken, spinach and ricotta cheese, and bathed in lush tomato cream sauce. At our server's recommendation, we tried the Sogno di Goccolata, or chocolate dream, a veritable whirlwind of fudge brownie brushed with. Kahlua, chocolate mousse, whipped cream and chocolate sauce. It was in a word beautiful. But, really, what did you expect? r tiii't,- i- 4..'- 24-in- ch e. 225-947- 5, - |