Utah’s Davis County – with its overabundance of chain restaurants – isn’t known for culinary hotspots. However, if you take the time to scout out Davis County’s independent eateries, you’ll find a good number of ones that are family-friendly as well as budget-friendly. Here are a few of my favorites.
Vito Leone
You won’t find a better cheesesteak in Utah than at Vito’s in Bountiful. This is an unusual operation – and a truly independent one. Vito Leone cooks all of his food himself, as well as takes all of the orders. His eatery is only open from 11AM to about 2PM, although he frequently closes earlier, when he runs out of meat for his cheesesteaks. So, get there early. The other unusual aspect of service at Vito’s is that he only accepts personal checks and cash. As for the latter, it’s by way of an honor system where customers place their cash into a container and make change themselves. There is an ATM on the premises for those who thought they were going to use plastic. There are 10 varieties of cheesesteak sandwich at Vito’s (including a popular one with blue cheese), and two sizes:7-inch or 14-inch ($11-$17). I never remember to ask Vito what type of beef he uses in his cheesesteaks (because he’s always too busy to chat), but whatever it is, it’s near perfection. The steaks are juicy and tender and oh-so delicious. During a recent visit to Utah, I took my son Hank to Vito’s. Now, since Hank lives near Philadelphia, he has eaten his fair share of cheesesteaks. So it’s a pretty strong recommendation of Vito’s that he declared: “This is just as good as any of the cheesesteaks back home!”
Lorena’s Tamale & Burrito with Green Chile and Rice & Beans
Opened by Tob and Lena Paul in 1989 in Woods Cross, there are families – including my wife’s – who are three generations deep in eating family meals at Lorena’s Mexican Restaurant in Woods Cross. I can tell you this: They don’t show up for the ambiance. Lorena’s isn’t much to look at, inside or out. But if you’re looking for solid, delicious Mexican-American fare at bargain prices, this is the place. You will not leave hungry. There are two recipes I’ve tried for years, without success, to get my hands on. One is the green chile at Lorena’s and the other is their homemade salsa. Crispy corn tortilla chips fried in-house arrive free at each table along with a simple but delicious red chile salsa. It’s smooth, not chunky, with just the perfect amount of spiciness. I’ve tried numerous times to replicate that salsa at home and have yet to be able to. Thankfully, you can get a quart of salsa to take home for $6. And whatever else you order, be sure it’s smothered in Lorena’s heavenly green chile.
Kitchen 88 Pork Tenderloin
From its humble beginnings as a food truck, Kitchen 88 now has two locations serving generous, family-friendly dishes at economical prices in American Fork and Kaysville. Nothing on the Kitchen 88 menu is priced over $20, including full meals such as Grilled Tri-Tip with mashed potatoes, broccolini, and choice of sauce (BBQ, peri peri, sweet mustard, chimichurri, or sweet chili) priced at $19.50 or the dish I enjoyed in Kaysville recently, which was tender, delicious pork tenderloin slices with parmesan & mushroom risotto, grilled asparagus, and choice of sauce. Running the gamut from appetizers like the Fried Risotto Balls and salads like the Beet & Squash Salad, to Burgers, Sandwiches, Kids’ meals, Tacos, Nashville Hot Chicken, and Roasted Trout, Kitchen 88 is truly a family-friendly dining experience.
Manuel’s El Burrito Large Combination Plate
This spring, Manuel’s El Burrito Restaurant & Cantina in Clearfield celebrated its 50th anniversary. And I would be surprised to find this little gem of a Mexican restaurant operating another 50 years from now, thanks to its great grub and fair prices. I can’t imagine that when Manuel Gallegos Sr. opened his eatery in 1976 that he could have dreamed that it would be thriving half a century later. The wide-ranging menu runs the gamut from Taquitos, Burritos, Birria, Tacos, and Enchiladas, to Combo Plates, Carnitas, Menudo, Pozole, Breakfast Items, Desserts, Kids Meals, and a very popular All-You-Can-Eat Buffet – a real bargain priced at a mere $13.99 for lunch and $15.99 for dinner. There is also a Kids Buffet for $7.99, drinks included. Another good deal is the Large Combination Plate which comes with a choice of burrito, cheese enchilada, taco, chili verde, rice and beans for $16.99.
Annie’s Cafe Flank Steak Crepe
If you’re looking for some of the best sandwiches and crepes in Davis County, look no further than Annie’s Cafe in Bountiful. Business is brisk, Monday through Saturday, and customers seem to go gaga over Annie’s savory and sweet crêpes. They run the gamut from a Loaded Chorizo breakfast crêpe, Flank Steak crêpe, Monte Cristo and Philly Cheesesteak crêpes, to sweet offerings like Nutella Banana, Love Me red velvet crêpe, spiced rum-infused bananas Foster crêpe, and many more. She also sells house-made pastries, smoothies, boba teas, gelato, homemade soups, and other tasty temptations. And for my money, the Havarti Grilled Cheese Sandwich at Annie’s is second to none.
Fort Indian Restaurant Lamb Vindaloo
Lovers of authentic Indian cuisine need look no further than Fort Indian Restaurant in Layton. The flavors there are complex and bold, with large shareable portions and prices that won’t bust the family budget. Most dishes can be ordered mild, medium, hot or very hot and we tend to go for the inferno level of heat when we enjoy favorite menu items like Chicken Pakora, Saag Paneer, Lamb Vindaloo, Shrimp Tikka Masala, Biryani and such.
Ti Amo Pepperoni and Margherita Pizza
Ti amo, roughly translated, is the Italian way of saying “I love you.” And boy oh boy, do I love the pizza at Ti Amo Woodfired Pizza in Bountiful. The name of the small mom and pop (and kids) eatery is said to have originated when Ti Amo owner Mauro Bonfanti shouted “Ti amo! Gloria!” to his would-be wife Gloria Bonfanti. It’s a love story that would eventually lead the couple to Utah (lucky us!) and to bring the best Neapolitan-style pizza I’ve yet to find here. This is seriously good pizza. In my opinion, the best pizza is also the simplest. You need top-notch ingredients to create a no-nonsense pizza like the Margherita, which is nothing more than dough, San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, olive oil, and fresh basil leaves. Without the very best ingredients, a simple pizza like this can quickly go awry and, at too many restaurants, often does. But the Margherita at Ti Amo is pizza perfection.
Chonchis Tacos
In a Highway 89 strip mall adjacent to Smith’s Food and Drug in Farmington is an unassuming, family-run taco shop called Chonchis. As I understand it, chonchis is a Spanish word for someone who really enjoys eating, like me. And mark my word, you will enjoy eating at Chonchis. Tacos at Chonchis are $3.40 for asada, pollo, al pastor, birria, tripa, chorizo, lengua, cabeza, buche and carnitas tacos. While all of the tacos at Chonchis are damned good, I especially like the crispy shredded pork carnitas tacos and the carne asada. Other menu items include mulitas, vampiros, quesadillas, carne asada or al pastor fries, desserts like churros, flan and rice pudding, plus beverages such as aguas frescas, jarritos, and fountain drinks. Our combined bill at Chonchis for three tacos, a vampiro, asada burrito, plus tax and tip came to a mere $23.
W. Thai Chef Pad See Ew
Situated in a Kaysville strip mall on 200 North, W. Thai Chef is primarily a takeout operation, although there is seating for 20 or so people indoors and a couple of small sidewalk tables outside. But the vast majority of food sales at W. Thai Chef are for takeout, placed either on-the-spot or via their very efficient online ordering system. W. Thai Chef is named for Thai native Winai Ketbot, who originally migrated to Utah as a Buddhist missionary. His Thai cuisine is very, very good and my family’s favorite dishes include the Papaya Salad, Tom Yum Shrimp, Pad See Ew, Thai Fried Rice, Massaman Curry and Pad Ka Pao. Prices are very reasonable at W. Thai Chef and portions are generous, as is the friendly service.
Weller’s Bistro Reuben Sandwich & Spätzle
I’ve written about Weller’s Bistro a few times since it is our go-to Layton restaurant. Portions there are massive and the mostly German menu ranges from Bratwurst, Burgers and Pretzels with housemade dips, to Goulash, Beef Rouladen, Hühnerfrikassee, Frikadellen, Schnitzel, Käsespätzle, Warmer Kartoffelsalat and more, including a full bar. You simply can’t beat the rad Reuben sandwich at Weller’s, which comes with a choice of side dish for a mere $15.50.
Photos by Ted Scheffler
Culinary quote of the week: “All great change in America begins at the dinner table.” – Ronald Reagan
