Top Places list (continued)

OK, here are some categories I didn't get to yesterday. Again, we're still talking Utah here. Out-of-state will be posted later.

Breakfast
1. Ruth's Diner [Emigration Canyon] I know, I know, me and half the city! Love it. **Review to come**
2. Eggs in the City [Sugarhouse] **Review to come**
3. Over the Counter [Holladay/Millcreek] Best little greasy spoon around. If you are not on a health kick and enjoy the great entertainment you can get from watching fast-order cooks on an open grill in the middle of the restaurant (love it!) this is your place. Get an omlette and a big helping of hash browns, just expect to wait a bit before you're seated.
4. Original Pancake House [Sugarhouse] Recently reviewed (see below).
5. Belgian Waffle [Midvale] I've been going here since I was a kid. The namesake waffles are fantastic, especially topped with seasonal fruit. The omlettes are enormous and delicious - my favorite is the Spanish with sausage added. Best of all, the SAME PEOPLE still work there from when I was little and they are open 24 hours and are a great stop after a night of less-than-responsible decision-making...not that I would know *hiccup*

Soapbox Moment: In the realm of "I do not get this" I present Blue Plate Diner. Send me all the nasty comments you want, I keep hearing about how great this place is, and I keep getting talked in to giving it just one more try, and I keep getting disappointed. I don't know what kind of spell everyone is under with this place, but this food is terrible. Period. End of discussion. It's like Dave Matthews Band. The guy's voice sounds like nails on a chalkboard. What am I missing here? How does everybody just go along with this? Weird.

Pizza
1. Setebello [Downtown] **review coming soon**
2. The Pie [University] No review needed here I'm sure. They have a Midvale location but c'mon, THE Pie is the only place to go. As much about the setting as the food, and the pizza still manages to stand out. Customize all you want (my last creation of smoked gouda, andouille sausage, and, yes, smoked oysters, was mouthwatering and delicious). The college crowd always adds some good unintentional entertainment too.
3. Smoky Mountain Pizza [Sandy] This Idaho transplant is a recent discovery, but I was pleasantly surprised. **review coming soon**
4. California Pizza Kitchen [Gateway] Trendy chain, I know, but when I bit into a Thai Chicken Pizza there I simply do not care.
5. Nevole's [Sandy] Pretty good New York-style pizza. Solid choice if you're in the South end of the valley.

Chinese
1. Asian Star [Sandy] Some would say this is not authentic Chinese. My wife says all the dishes taste the same. I say boo to both of them because this cuisine is bursting with flavor. Although I cannot say I am a big fan of the prices, which seem to increase every other year, I AM a big fan of the sinfully rich Walnut Shrimp. Ponpon chicken, Tangerine beef, and Green Beans in Garlic Sauce are also good. The food here is a little sweeter (read: American) than some, but tastes great just the same. The people are VERY friendly and the boys in the back will cook about anything you like, even if it is not on the menu.
2. Schezuan Garden [Sandy] Hey, our most recent governer was just appointed ambassador to China, and this is his favorite place to eat. Who am I to argue? Pretty good - and pretty spicy - food. They have two menus: a more familiar American-Chinese type menu, and an authentic menu with not-so-common dishes like Chinese loofah and a few containing various types of "fungus".
3. Little World [South Salt Lake] Small, sometimes dirty, authentic, and pretty dang good. This is what the restaurants are like in Chintown in some other cities. No frills, no apologies, just good food prepared by natives of China whose grasp of culinary skill is much stronger than their grasp of English (you can just point to what you want if you get one of these guys as your server). The best part? The prices! Which are a steal for the tasty food on your plate.
4. Mandarin [Bountiful] This used to be #1 for me but it has been disappointing the last couple of times I have been there. I think they may be sitting on their reputation a bit. The Five-taste shrimp are still really good though.
5. China Platter [Bountiful] I have only been here once, or else it may be higher. Usually when places try to branch out to include several cuisines, the entire menu just becomes really average. Therefore, I usually try and steer toward places that specialize. That said, a friend introduced me to this place and its Chinese/Thai menu (actually they have separate menus for each). Both cuisines were sampled, and both were very good. Much better than I thought they would be. Not my FAVORITE Chinese, or my FAVORITE Thai, but both are executed pretty dang well and are deserving of that return trip I've been thinking about.