Chicken Parmesan

We take every opportunity possible to incorporate a cheese-breadcrumb crust into a meal. For those of you who don't know us, that statement might sound hyperbolic. But like Ron Swanson's famous bacon and eggs bit, this is literal. One of our many breadcrumb-cheese crusted dishes is chicken parmesan. It's a chicken breast, dipped in egg, then dipped in a breadcrumb-fresh grated parmesan mixture, and then, yes, pan-fried to deliciousness* in olive oil (or EVOO as one annoying little brunette with weird boobs calls it on Food Network).

We cheated on this dinner and just used an inexpensive, pre-made spaghetti sauce. And don't turn up your nose; it was awesome. We added some fresh minced garlic to the sauce, boiled some spaghetti noodles, tossed a baguette in the oven, added some feta-stuffed olives from Harmons (OMG YUM), and called it good. Really good.

*Sometimes it's difficult to cook a thick chicken breast all the way through in the pan. If it doesn't seem like you're able to cook it through, just throw it in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes after frying it. This keeps things hot, anyway. Just don't forget about it, or you'll end up with overcooked chicken, which is one of the most disgusting things in the world (again, not hyperbolic).

Eva

Eva is one of our favorite restaurants in SLC (dare I say, possibly even our favorite, considering the price and quality). This is sophisticated, carefully-crafted food for a ridiculously inexpensive price. We recommend going for Saturday brunch and trying the loukamedes, which are delicious pieces of heaven (kind of a mix between donut holes and beignets). And for brunch, also go for the brunch pie (ham, gruyere, and egg pizza pie topped with hollandaise).

(loukamedes)

Dinner at Eva is every bit as delicious. On weekends, it's packed, and they don't take reservations for parties under 6, so if you're looking for a romantic, candlelit dinner-for-two in this tiny European-style restaurant, come early and put your name down.

For dinner at Eva, we always go nuts. It's so inexpensive, we end up getting a good mix of small and large plates to share. The most important thing for you to know: order the tri-tip bruschetta. It will revolutionize everything you thought you knew about bruschetta. Served with good slices of parmesan, aioli, and radicchio, it's savory, tangy, rich, and perfect.

(tri-tip bruschetta - one slice pictured, an order comes with 3)

Another must-try is the oddly named dish, Oink, Oink, Oink. The important thing to note is that it's three different kinds of pork: succulent pork belly, pork loin, and bacon, served with candied garlic and a celery-apple salad.

The Greek mac and cheese is another favorite. You can't go wrong with homemade mac and cheese with bacon, all wrapped in a flaky phyllo pastry.

(greek mac and cheese)

The lobster ravioli (served with mushrooms and shrimp) and the spinach and potato gnocchi (served with a truffle oil white wine cream sauce) win for the best pasta dishes here, both rich and creamy.

(lobster ravioli)

We haven't had much at Eva that we haven't liked, but there have been a few duds. We've had glazed pork ribs with arugula and almonds, and they were mediocre. The well-marbled pieces on the bottom were excellent, but the pieces on top were dry and overcooked. Additionally, Eva is not a place for dessert. Eva's the go-to place for decadent brunches and dinners. We've ordered three desserts here, all of which were completely unimpressive and underwhelming. So skip the dessert and order an extra small plate instead.


Eva is located at 317 S Main St, SLC. Visit www.evaslc.com/ for more information and to peruse their menu.


WARNING: I've gotten feedback from people who've said they've repeatedly gotten awful service here. While I've never had awful service, I've certainly never had excellent service. As a rule, the place is packed on weekends and you have to set aside quite a lot of time for dinner. Generally, weekdays and Saturday afternoons are better.

Meats and Cheeses

The easiest dinner in the world: assorted meats and cheeses. For a wide variety of the aforementioned, we recommend Caputo's, Pirate-O's, or Harmons. This time we made a quick and easy Harmons run and got some freshly sliced coppa and prosciutto, then added a strong bleu cheese and a sharp gouda to the mix. And we couldn't resist stopping by the olive bar, where you're able to mix-and-match an assortment of olives and pay by the pound. We paired it all with a fresh loaf of Harmons' garlic bread.