Five Favorites: Best Utah Food w/ Shannon Hale and Brandon Sanderson

[@D4n1t0o]

Brandon: "Don't avenge me against that Wired journalist." Also Brandon: "He called Utah's Chinese FLOPSY?! Very well, sir! An entire episode on Utah food it shall be!" 👹

[@Evanator404]

recording of this looks like it predates the Wired article.

[@-Llama_95]

Hilarious comment 😂😂😂

[@Mightyjordy]

How hilarious is it that we now have a huge chunk of dragonsteel content dedicated to poking fun at a certain grumpy journalist

[@morgantrojacek8055]

Really hoping they proclaim the benefits of adding salt... to food AND to content 😂

[@MrSpektakulore]

Brandon showing us a hilarious way to deal with bigotry!

[@marblesthecat3861]

@@MrSpektakulore she's full of hate.

[@marblesthecat3861]

​@@MrSpektakulore Shannon Hale is the real bigot

[@ThatCosmereChick]

So glad they included fry sauce in this discussion. The true gem of utah 😂

[@Ganondalf_the_grey]

Fry sauce is amazing. I don’t really like dipping sauce but fry sauce is so good.

[@ethanmulvihill7177]

I didn't know what fry sauce was but I've been doing it for years.

[@timdegriselles1216]

I hate it. So much. I am so over it...

[@typacsk]

I'm sorry, but I can't stand UT/ID fry sauce. It's hard to find a good version in WY too, but there are at least a few places here that add stuff like mustard, pepper or garlic, so it's not just a bland mix of fat and sugar.

[@lonsunocook]

Utan'ns thought process on ice cream.. What a beautiful spring it's warming up we should go get some ice cream. Oh it's hot out here this summer better get ice cream. Oh the leaves are falling we better go get some ice cream before it gets to cold to eat ice cream. Ohh it's 0 degrees outside... That cold makes me want ice cream... Yeah better get some.

[@morgantrojacek8055]

So excited for this collab! Shannon Hale absolutely established my imagination and love of fantasy as a girl. Goose Girl remains one of my favorite fairy tale retellings!! ❤

[@Spoonishpls]

This is the crossover I needed in my life

[@swah25]

She sounds like a dbag from this interview.

[@JamesDavis-pd7vo]

What’s this?! Nice people being nice?! I must be lost; I was looking for the internet. It is actually a real gift to see 2 people whose work you treasure just being great and doing well. Good on you both!

[@conor4274]

Just a shame about the casual racist language

[@ChestRockwell24]

She is racist and said Utah was too white

[@jmwvirgil]

My favourite part was the racism.

[@lizbusby86]

Brandon, you can read about the origins of the Utah Greek burger scene in a book called This is the Plate: Utah Food Traditions. They all relate back to a restaurant called the Athenian.

[@talongeorge3750]

Brandon: They just take over an entire town for the convention, it's awesome! Me: That does sound pretty awesome! Shannon: That sounds like torture.

[@sacattaq]

Shout out to Ethiopian food, it's my fave. Moved out of Utah and the restaurants are what I miss the most. Such good food. Bombay House!!!

[@ArtemCamar]

It always makes me want to cry when Brandon mentions the Sam Hawk restaurant. It closed down during the pandemic, just a huge tragedy. They had just relocated even, and had a beautiful new store! It was the best restaurant in Utah to me and many others.

[@Sularson1]

What a fun conversation! I also like J dogs, burger supreme, the BYU creamery, brick oven pizza and for fancy fancy brunch at Grand America, I also like Cubbies😊 we live in Seattle now so whenever we go back we try to hit our favorite places.

[@doomcheeks]

Brick Oven's pasta buffet is like my favorite thing ever! 🍝🍝🍝

[@TheAmyrlinSeat]

There is a leatherbys just a few blocks from my home. Glad to know Brandon likes them!

[@emosongsandreadalongs]

Burritos are originally from northern Mexico. The story is that during the revolution there was a guy that would deliver food to the soldiers. He started wrapping it up in tortillas so it could be easily transported and eaten by hand without making a mess or needing dishes. He brought the food on a donkey (called a burro or burrito in Spanish) so thats how burritos got their name

[@Andrew_Bradshaw]

I just want to say I love Hruskas kolaches. SO darn good. Glad Crownburger got a mention as well

[@typacsk]

You had me at "Asturias" for that Celsius convention... there's a traditional food in that area called fabada, which is mostly just chorizo and beans but it's SO GOOD. I was able to find a recipe for a rough approximation of it, using ingredients that are pretty common in American grocery stores (green onions, white wine, etc.)

[@Panamaniac3D]

If you go to Logan, or stop by on your way to Bear Lake, there is a restaurant called Sabores (not Cafe Sabor) that is amazing. The guy used to be a chef in the White House and makes amazing food. It is also pretty quick, considering how amazing it is. He doesn’t have a specific cuisine, but does food from all over the world, Thai, Peruvian, American, Panamanian, Italian, Vietnamese, French, Spanish, etc. I have tried probably half of the things on the menu and never found something that wasn’t tasty.

[@meganhirschi6248]

Is Logan’s Hero’s still there?

[@Panamaniac3D]

@@meganhirschi6248 it is, but I never went to it.

[@MrSpektakulore]

Love Sabores! Tandoori oven is also a great local option. Don't be scared away from it being attached to a gas station.

[@Panamaniac3D]

@@MrSpektakulore Tandoori is really good! Another good Indian place in Layton/St. George is Red Fort. Best Indian I have ever had.

[@BoomCreateTV]

Sabores is great! The house fries are amazing!

[@boobio1]

Marvel And DC Writer Shannon Hale On Utah: “It’s Just Too White” Don't feed the people that hate you.

[@roovodi]

Yep, change white to black and see the difference.

[@Syzygy77]

I like going to Red Iguana, and I also order the Mole. I also like to stop by Apollo Burger. When my family lived in SLC we used to go to Frontier Pies and Chuck a Rama a lot.

[@Ducttapefiend101]

BRANDON YOU'RE BREAKING MY HEART. Unless there is another Korean restaurant of the same name, Covid killed the Provo Sam Hawk. They did move 2 doors down in 2019. I happened to take my little sister there for a meal 1 month before they shut their doors for the pandemic, and outside of a single month where they tried doing take-out in 2022 the owners decided to sell. The building has been 2 other things since then. My wife and I adored that restaurant, best damn tteokbokki in the state.

[@Ducttapefiend101]

@@zacharyhoskins1184 Yeah, I've been. It's great. But it's also 50% more than Sam Hawk used to be and I don't only live 2 minutes away from it either. :(

[@zachmacneil6975]

I'm going to salt lake for a festival here soon! Thanks for the food recommendations lol

[@doomcheeks]

My mom was called as the Funeral Director in our ward (we had a lot of older people, so there were funerals every few months). She set up the funeral luncheons at the church, sometimes feeding up to 400 people. And as the teenaged daughter, I helped. We did the hams and salad ourselves, and bought the rolls from Shirley's Bakery (the best!) We asked the Relief Society to bring all the funeral potatoes, jello salads, and cakes. I've tried so many different kinds of funeral potatoes, and they're all delicious comfort food. One time the family that was mourning, ate and rated all the funeral potatoes and jello salads. They brought us their list and told us to let the winners know their recipe was the best in the ward and they had bragging rights. They literally buried a family member and then held an impromptu recipe contest after leaving the cemetery! 😂😂😂 Utahns take funeral potatoes and jello very seriously.

[@pauljohnson3317]

Say what you will about me, but how dare you attack Hugh Jackman or Utah food! I love these vids! So clever! 😂😂🤣

[@itsmeshell83]

You need to come to Logan to try Tandoori Oven. It’s my favorite. It’s in a gas station, but it’s the best.

[@apheliotropic]

Agreed👏

[@devinnielsen6967]

I've lived a 20 second walk from tandoori oven for 4 years. Maybe I should try it.

[@Melancholy_Scholar]

Shout out to Aggie Ice Cream, but shipping costs are porhibitive so I can’t blame anyone for not driving all the way up to Logan.

[@sarahkridenoff3293]

I love the lemonade story. Something similar happened to me. My first time in Spain, I was with a group of people at the beach. We went to a little cabana bar and tried to order Pina Coladas, thinking they were Spanish. After exchanging a few words and some miming, we ended up with fresh squeezed orange juice with no alcohol in it.

[@Phlickit]

The Bayern books are fantastic, but I was really surprised (for some reason) at how excellent Real Friends is too. I love how kids can just age up through her books, starting with The Princess in Black and then find more great Hale books that are right there to meet them as they grow as readers.

[@u83rh4xor]

This episode is making me hungry

[@jeremieroberts8486]

😭So sad that Sam Hawk is permanently closed. I loved that place and haven't found any Korean restraint nearly as good. You should get to Chubby's for a burger!

[@coryhorton5837]

“Austenland,” the film was our honeymoon date. Freaking hilarious.

[@JuneTreeDraws]

As a pizza enjoyer, I love: -Brick Oven in Provo -The Pie Pizzeria in SLC up by the University of Utah

[@FebbieG]

There's no such thing as "too white", just like there's no such thing as "too [insert any other immutable characteristic]", though I'm certain she had no ill intent with that statement. Can't wait for the rest!

[@stephenbradford8524]

"It's just too white." - Shannon Hale

[@prestonc9059]

My absolute favorite restaurant is this cafe on center street Orem called the good move and not only is the food delicious, but there are hundreds and hundreds of board and card games lining the wall. You just go and play games for hours, its so fun and I absolutely love it

[@margiesessions5329]

Also, totally hear you on the fry culture and fry sauce cuture in ut! But i just moved to belgium, and they rake it to a whole new level. The sauces! The sheer number of them! People eat fries as a meal. Utah would love it!

[@dylbarton]

In Orem there is a Korean BBQ/restaurant that we love called Yummy's. My wife lived in Korea for a bit and approves of it.

[@couragecoachsam]

Aggie Ice Cream can’t be beat. There’s a Shanghainese place called Boba World north of SLC that’s fantastic

[@jonathanparker5037]

We are naming our daughter after the princess academy. And if we have a boy in the future hopefully I can get my wife to agree naming him after the cosmere.

[@hyperionhelios190]

Keep leaning into it Brandon. I love it!

[@fiddleleaffiction]

Awhh Shannon Hale! The Goose Girl is one of my favorite books from childhood; I just reread it last year and still loved it.

[@Rqu000]

Agree!

[@sadee4175]

Seriously though the Red Iguana is amazing. If anyone is visiting salt lake for like... Dragonsteel con or something I'd really recommend it.

[@Syzygy77]

There was a place in Bountiful that I used go to as a kid that would make eggnog ice cream.

[@shwah.holmslice]

Loved that!

[@airbendnerd]

Tucanos is a great one in Utah! Now it's in a few other states as well.

[@lisedeal9234]

Definitely not a huge fan of Utah food growing up in the southwest, but burgers from Lucky 13 in Salt Lake with their in-house smoked meats is so great.

[@SomeGuyFromUtah]

Brandon is now the only other Utahn I know that knows how to pronounce Gnocchi.... of course I've never been to any high class Italian restaurants in Utah. (Olive Garden definitely does NOT count). Maddox definitely belongs on the list. As far as just a local institution.. Burger Bar in Roy is a place everyone should go at least once. (Big Bens are a little bready for me though, so I'd get a Double Ben and split it) Also at Burger Bar, shakes are great, fried mushrooms, and their exotic meat of the month!! (Wagyu beef last time I was there, but I think I've even seen alligator before). Also, call me crazy but I just love their Lime Rickey (lime/grape drink).

[@sadee4175]

Yeah Burger Bar in Roy is like a must go to! Just for the Bison Burger if nothing else.

[@mattsimnitt1420]

Try to stop at burger bar every time I'm passing through Utah

[@BoomCreateTV]

Used to eat at Sam Hawk when I lived in Utah Valley, so great. Looks like they've closed permanently. :(

[@laceydstradling2831]

I love these 2 together! I named my daughter Vivenna(Warbreaker) so her nickname could be Enna (Bayern series)

[@conor4274]

"Too White" 😬

[@broadwaymusicmaniac]

As a Utah native who lived in England, I have also fallen victim to the trap of English "milkshakes." I've been given sugared milk, or once I was given plain unsugared milk with a single scoop of solid chocolate ice cream dropped in the bottom 🤦🏻‍♀️ But I discovered a lovely exception! Knoops Chocolate is a European chain with the best milkshakes, thick but still drinkable (they also have some of the best hot chocolate anywhere).

[@sadee4175]

A Utah Local other good food places to go to if you are in the area. The Burger Bar in Roy Utah was so good it was featured on the food channel. Excellent bison burgers. If you are up North Near Brigham I really like the fried chicken at Maddox but they also have really good bison burgers as well. And the peach cobbler in Brigham with vanilla ice cream around Peach days is AMAZING. Slackwater Pizza is a pretty great local pizza joint. If you want to try the OG fry sauce Artic Circle is basicly our version of Dairy Queen. Local Fast food places that are worth trying out is Cupbop which originated as food trucks here And Warrens which is another big local chain with very good fry sauce. Red/Blue Iguana are must go places if you like Mexican food. And for Salt Lake Asian food one of my personal favorite places is Mom's Kitchen which is in South Salt Lake near Sugar House

[@romegypt5675]

maybe I had bad experiences, but as a missionary serving in the logan mission (Went down to north ogden) Maddox was not very good at all, especially compared to the steaks and barbeques in my home state of texas.

[@NathanStoutStories]

If you’re ever in Layton, try Cafe Sabor. It’s amazing and in the old decommissioned Layton train station.

[@WhitneyOpfar]

Yay I love Shannon Hale! She literally has something for everyone in my family. Itty Bitty Kitty Corn for my preschooler, Princess in black for my kindergartner, true friends for my grade schoolers and austenland for me :) (also after reading her Squirrel Girl novels she is now my favorite Marvel Superhero!)

[@cavere42]

My kids' approach to the salad bar(or Chinese buffet, for that matter) is the same-everything orange or yellow. When I was a kid, I'd do a salad that was 90% cottage cheese with any meats/nuts/other cheeses on top-so also not quite a salad. They get it naturally I guess.

[@MasterfarceTheatre]

3:38: "Too white." Now try putting any other color in that phrase and say it out loud, Hale.

[@Hrothlac1]

I was hoping they would bring up the Purple Turtle. It's a Pleasant Grove landmark.

[@jacobharper4501]

Le Nonne in Logan Utah. Small Italian spot inside of an older Victorian style home in the middle of a neighborhood. The Gorgonzola Gnocchi is an all time favorite of mine!

[@itsyaboi77]

The burger part of this hurt me a bit. We have really good burgers in SLC namely Lucky 13 and Proper Burger. So much better than Crown or Astro. But both of them are bars as well so idk if they would go there. Brandon was so right about Korean food here tho

[@dinocollins720]

Having left Utah just a couple years ago I really miss Betos. Such massive and cheap burritos live the shrimp burrito and the breakfast burritos! Definitely not high quality but for sure bang for your buck!

[@abnunga]

Now I'm hungry. Did Brandon bring enough food to share with the rest of the class?

[@couragecoachsam]

“Pancakes in Amsterdam” sounds like a great novel. I’m thinking… children’s mystery

[@watcherofthewest8597]

"Utah is too white," - Shannon Hale...wow...I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt that she was referring to variety of foods within the context of the conversation. Politically correct points tallying from a liberal rich white lady at worse.

[@keithrex1481]

When our son was about 9 or 10, he asked why we called 'funeral potatoes' 'funeral potatoes' when the next time we would see the person who died would be at the resurrection. Ever since then, we've called them 'resurrection potatoes'.

[@MeltonCrest]

Imagine saying "Chicago is too black" the whole channel would get nuked by KZbin immediately.

[@jeniusjragon7341]

The two places I go every time I’m in Utah are chili tepen (Mexican food) and Siegfrieds (German).

[@tanyam928]

I would love going to Utah to visit my sister and finding new food places. There is a lot of excellent food especially around Salt Lake. I have been to Red Iguana, love it! And they have good Brazilian steakhouses. I still remember going to Waffle Love and getting the Sunshine waffle with lemon curd and raspberries, it's amazing. But my favorite waffle place there is Bruges, they have more of the savory waffles made into sandwiches with frites on the side. I would ask to go there with her every time. They also have the sweet ones, my favorite had the chocolate baked inside the waffle. I miss it so much now that she doesn't live there!

[@britneynicolewrites]

This is so fun!!

[@heinarification]

Bombay House gets a mention or I riot

[@britneygallup9434]

Sometimes I have a hard time going to Logan Burger in the Cache Valley Mall because I can't decide if I want a burger or a gyro. Wonderful food there. I prefer the drive in side of Maddox myself. Last time I went to the sit down side, I wasn't feeling the best. I only had the yummy rolls and cornbread and a baked potato. Also me while watching, "Have I been there? I think I may have as a kid!" To lots of the other places mentioned.

[@Duchess_of_handalore]

So cool to see Shannon hale as a guest! Her Ever After High trilogy was such a formative book series for me and I still have the boxed set proudly displayed on my bookshelf.

[@couragecoachsam]

My first job was at Nielsen’s Frozen Custard. Richest and creamiest dessert I’ve ever had

[@BirdMorphingOne]

Alaska is the highest ice cream consumption per capita. The population is tiny, but people flock to Alaska in the summers.

[@Windrunner47]

Also need to mention Burgers Supreme in Provo. Also in the Burger-Greek category

[@natejensen9063]

I grew up down the street from Maddox! I still stop in the drive-in to get their fried chicken 🤤

[@Smajtastic]

I don't know what where you went in the UK for a milkshake, but that sounds horrible! As someone from the UK the custom is definitely more what you refer to an American style!

[@elizabethstone8596]

I've been to Utah before and my favorite whenever I go there is Tocanos. It is delicious, it has yummy cooked vegetables, yummy meats, and I love the glazed pineapple. My family always gets the glazed pineapple haha

[@kevinhuefner3724]

aww come on Brandon but what about Runza! edit: shoulda kept watching. Nebraska food joint has burgers but the runza sandwich is where it's at

[@shannoncornaby9795]

I am here for all of this. My mom grew up in SLC, so we are very familiar with Maddox and Crown Burger and fry sauce and all the things. (I laughed when Brandon mentioned them eating it on tacos - that is literally how I thought you made taco meat growing up - brown some hamburger and stir in mayo and ketchup. 😝) I’m excited to try the Brandon food tour next time we’re in the area. Recently found a Korean place we love, and now I need to compare.

[@austinglenn]

Sonora Grill in Ogden is my family’s favorite restaurant!

[@shelfofmanygenres]

I mean it's not food exactly, but there are so many cookie and soda shops. And there is a little Mexican/Ecuadorian place in Provo I love going to for pupusas. I think it's still there, but it was one of the cheapest places to go out with friends when I was in college.

[@megablin6412]

I feel obliged to shout out Aggie Ice cream as well.

[@songofshadow5043]

Why is everyone up in arms over "It's too white"? Isn't diversity a good thing? I feel like I'm "supposed" to be outraged, but I don't want to be! I love Princess Academy and the Books of Bayern! That's the whole reason I'm watching this despite having no plans for visiting Utah or eating there.

[@Rqu000]

I never get sick of hearing about Brandon’s early writing days as a hotel receptionist. It’s inspiring every time! Brandon, if you’re reading this, we’ll totally go with you to try Rockwell. It’s the best in the state😊

[@kutamarler6139]

Now I have to see where the A&E Pride & Prejudice adaptation ended up. In my head, Colin Firth will always be Mr. Darcy. Edit to add- I must be one of the few people living in the state of Utah that doesn't like Fry Sauce😂 In Downtown Provo there is a great Japanese Restuarant -Demae Awesome Bento Boxes

[@andruidos13]

"Too white" said with such a dead serious tone and no hint of lightheartedness or self-awareness...by someone whose own appearance and demeanor is whiter than milk. You can be the first to leave if you think it's so inherently awful, Shannon! Also, I'm guessing this gem of a comment is why Dragonsteel held off on posting this since last summer.

[@boldnotbald3705]

What was the Korean restaurant Brandon mentioned? I tried to look it up, but clearly my spelling was off. 😂 17:38

[@aleriemcvay]

Sam Hawk, but sadly they did end up permanently closing due to COVID 😢

[@coriannabarneck2527]

There is a really amazing Brazilian restaurant in south Jordan called Tushars, it’s family owned and the owner is actually from Brazil so it’s authentic

[@tristonmarvell1559]

Jinya Ramen, thats the place in Utah!!!!

[@jeannastay2169]

Australia milkshakes are also disappointingly thin. Even a "thick shake" is still very thin by comparison to Iceberg or other US shakes.

[@ChristineGelder-cv7st]

Being from California, I disagree about Utah’s Mexican food. I’ve at least found some reasonably good Mexican food, but it’s hard to really be satisfied with the options here. My favorite place for mole is Javier’s, it doesn’t taste like a dessert there! No fry sauce for me! I also want drinkable shakes! I recommend a Peruvian restaurant in the Orem area, but I can’t recall the name since I haven’t been to that area of Utah in years. I dream about that food! I am curious Brandon, what do you think of Cupbop? That’s a locally started Korean food truck and restaurant that me and my coworkers are obsessed with.

[@MrSpektakulore]

Sounds like you haven't been to the Mexican restaurants they were holding up as examples. Red Iguana mole is definitely a savory dish. I love the smokiness of the mole negro! On average, however, I did enjoy San Diego's take on Mexican food much better then the (again *average* Utah restaurant's take).

[@oliveoil2x]

Shambala - 4th Ave & E st ♥️ oh spicy potatoes of my dreams…

[@MKTraxel]

My daughter absolutely LOVES Princess in Black. Thank you Shannon for the COVID freebie especially. We still say we stayed "one frimplepants apart" 😂

[@nataliejensen1345]

Ahh I’m in love with Shannon hale this made me so happy🥰 her books are so close to my heart:)

[@ThaneSton]

Waffle Love's Grilled Cheese is on a waffle that has been split. They came up with it for a challenge on The Great Food Truck Race.

[@lonsunocook]

If you happen to be in America Fork Utah on a weekday you should try out the Pink Shop Dinner in the A.F. hospital. I know it sounds weird but there is a kid there that loves his job and it shows in the food he makes. If you do go ask for Doug he is always happy to feed people.

[@rebekahjensen7248]

His name had to be Doug. 😂

[@lonsunocook]

@@rebekahjensen7248 I know right!!!

[@gideonboggess]

I would like to see a Brandon Sanderson and JK Rowling talking episode :)

[@definitelynotobama6851]

“Too white” is a pretty racist attitude to have, not gonna lie

[@myrojyn]

I wouldn't say Shannon is chaotic, but she's also not chaotic Edit: She's giving me major Kristen Schaal vibes

[@thomasray]

I think you mean "not NOT chaotic"

[@sacattaq]

Iceberg Shakes!!! No other state does the shake right like Iceberg.

[@sacattaq]

Princess in Black!!!!