Hey all!

It is Cinco de Mayo today. A perfect day to enjoy the warming weather , and maybe enjoy a margarita or two!

I wanted to give you some of my restaurant suggestions to enjoy this evening, weekend, or anytime at all.

Idaho Falls

My favorite place to go is Morenita’s! I love Morenita’s. My favorite thing to get there is the mulita. It is like a small quesadilla sandwich with your choice of filling (adobada or asada is my go to!), cheese, cabbage, lime, onion. It is to die for! They make really amazing posole on the weekend too, and offer delicious desserts like flan and churros.

Oh ya. No denying the deliciousness of that! I would have more pics, but things disappear quite quickly at Morenita’s. NOM.

Check out Morenita’s Facebook page to keep up with their promotions: Morenita’s

Blackfoot

El Mirador is always my go to when I am in Blackfoot! They have great service, margaritas, and sopapillas.

Check out El Mirador’s Facebook page to keep up with their promotions: El Mirador

Pocatello

Mama Inez

If I’m in Pocatello hands down I want some Mama Inez. They have tasty margaritas, nachos (I really like the flour tortilla chips they make there), or the gordos.

Check out Mama Inez’s Facebook page to keep up with their promotions: Mama Inez

Salt Lake City

The Blue Iguana

I highly recommend The Blue Iguana. My favorite dish is the tinga tacos, which are deliciously spicy, washed down with a 32oz MEGA MARGARITA! As seen in featured image.

Check out The Blue Iguana’s Facebook page to keep up with their promotions: The Blue Iguana

I hope you have an amazing day. I will be at Tap N Fill tonight drinking Coronas, and eating the street tacos that Pachangas is providing.

Be sure to like Live a Little Local on Facebook, and follow livealittlelocal on Instagram to keep up with local businesses and events.

The Persnickety Lemon (love the name!) opened up here within the last month or so, and needless to say I was excited. It is downtown on Park avenue, so I walk past it everyday on my way to work.

This quaint market focuses on artisan products, and healthy options. I came over to bombard them on their first day of serving lunch with my boyfriend and two guy co-workers.

Rating: (on a 0-5 scale, 0 not so great-5 Why are my socks on the floor? Oh, that’s right. They were knocked right off!)

Over-all Tastiness: 5

Atmosphere: 5

Experience:5

TASTE: The sweet shop owners (Jennifer and Jed) were serving a Cowboy quinoa wrap. It was a multi-grain flatbread with a tex-mex quinoa salad which was spicy and filling. When she told us this was the option for the day I started getting ready to walk out. I thought there was no way that all these guys would eat a quinoa wrap! She gave us all a taste test, and they went ahead an ordered it. I was pleasantly surprised. This is certainly a testament to how delicious it is. Since then I have been back, and had more delicious experiences!

Everything tastes fresh, and doesn’t leave you filling gross. There is a lot of attention to detail that I appreciate. There are Gluten-free, and vegan options which is a really lovely difference here in the city of meat n taters.

ATMOSPHERE: The downstairs dining area is vintage, comfy, and eclectic. It has a neat sitting area with a sofa and coffee table that is cozy. It really is the perfect place to meet up or host an event! Check their Facebook to find out how to rent their space including the commercial kitchen.

EXPERIENCE: The owners are incredibly friendly and helpful. I’m excited to see that there are new options in downtown Idaho Falls! I hear that they will be starting classes (how to build terrariums and make artisanal cheese and such) and I can’t wait to go.

The Persnickety Lemon is a co-op. They feature locally made breads, sweets, salsas, nut milks, juices, and more. Their menu changes often, so go in to see what yummy items they are serving up!

The Persnickety Lemon

Chances are if you are from this neck of the woods you have been to a Java Espress before, and hopefully you have been into Kool Beanz Café. If you haven’t I’m gonna take a minute to tell you why you should!

Rating: (on a 0-5 scale, 0 not so great-5 OH MY GAWD, BECKY)

Over-all Tastiness: 5

Atmosphere: 5

Experience:5

TASTE: Kool Beanz offers a lot of different options to start and end your day right. A couple of my favorites are the California Dreamin’ latte (Tiramisu and almond!) and the Spicy Tom bagel sandwich that has turkey, bacon, and house-made jalapeno garlic cream cheese!

ATMOSPHERE: Kool Beanz is exactly that. It is cool. It has an industrial chic look that provides the vibes of a larger city than Idaho Falls. It is in Snake River Landing which makes it the perfect place to stop by on the weekend before you head out on a bike ride or jog, or after to get a glass of wine.

EXPERIENCE: I have had really nice experiences at KB. The baristas are incredibly helpful, and willing to give you suggestions of all their favorite things. The lattes are made with care. The last one I had, had some lovely latte art on it. That ain’t easy! I’ve tried and failed.

I definitely recommend checking out Kool Beanz Café.

Here is their Facebook page. Like to keep up on Wine Tastings and other events!

Kool Beanz Cafe

I went to Ogden the week of my birthday. During this time I took the opportunity to eat ALL THE THINGS.

My favorite place that I went was Waffle Love. They added an adorable little shop on 25th street. Let me briefly tell you about how perfect this location is! 25th street is fun, eclectic, and literally the place to be in Ogden. They recently opened a record shop and independent bookstore. So, Waffle Love just adds believe me.

My boyfriend and I went there Saturday morning before the Farmers Market started, and got some delicious, sugary, breakfast treats. We later came back for dinner…for frickin grilled cheese waffles and tomato soup. WHAT!? Can you believe that these exist!? So delish.

Rating: (on a 0-5 scale, 0 not so great-5 Too LEGIT to QUIT)

Over-all tastiness: 5

Atmosphere: 5

Experience: 5

TASTE: I feel like I don’t even need to describe how I felt about this. All I need to do is say CHURRO waffle. Strawberry and raspberry BISCOFF waffle. There. I said it.

ATMOSPHERE: This shop is beautiful. It is all brick walls and the gorgeous, vintagey, hanging lights. They have a fantastic mural in there of Ogden. I could hang out there for a long while.

EXPERIENCE: Fantastic! The shop is cute. The food is amazing. The service is quick and wonderful. Another of my favorite parts…they have the shop story on the wall. It looks handwritten, and there are drawings to go along with it. Such a sweet story, and it makes your experience feel even more personal.

ALL AROUND AMAZING. I am a fan for life now. I really hope you guys can make it to a Waffle Love near you!

Jonny and I got shirts. That’s what happened.

Waffle Love Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Waffle-Love/1456605154659205?fref=ts

City Bagels is OPEN in Downtown Idaho Falls as of last week, and if you haven’t been you absolutely need to go! I’ve been waiting patiently ever since I saw their sign up across from Ming’s on Shoup, and was so excited to get in there.

Rating: (on a 0-5 scale, 0 not so great-5 AHMEEEEEEZING)

Over-all Tastiness: 5

Atmosphere: 5

Experience:4

TASTE: Let me tell you a little bit about the options at City Bagels… They have fresh-baked bagels. These bagels are out of this world, ok? They are soft, but chewy…*deep sigh* The everything bagel is my favorite so far! They have cookies, cupcakes, muffins, scones, and…wait for it…individual cheesecakes! So good they bring a tear to my eye.

They have an extensive drink menu with Italian sodas, coffee and espresso drinks, and a gourmet hot chocolate list. My favorite is the coconut tres leches hot chocolate. It’s delish.

ATMOSPHERE: City Bagels is so unique! It is an absolutely beautiful restaurant with wood paneling, red velvet, pretty flowers on each table, and a fantastic chandelier. They also have an upstairs eating area that lets you gaze down on it all. It’s wonderfully classy, and well put together!

EXPERIENCE: The staff is really great, nice, and helpful. Right now things are just beginning for them, so be patient as it all gets started.

I can’t scream at you from my laptop, so I will use caps to indicate the level of my enthusiasm. GO TO CITY BAGELS & BAKERY. YOU WILL LOVE IT.

City Bagel’s Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/City-Bagels-Bakery/1175863225822597?fref=ts

I had a few referrals to go to A Street Soup Market when it opened up here not that long ago. I finally made it over, and definitely was not disappointed! A Street Soup Market is comfort food at its finest. Delicious from scratch soups alongside well-crafted sandwiches(on fresh-baked bread!!). To top it all off homemade cookies for dessert. It’s like going home.

Rating: (on a 0-5 scale, 0 not so great-5 is this some kind of sorcery!? This is amazing!)

Over-all tastiness: 4

Atmosphere: 5

Experience: 5

TASTE: When I went the special was a Cajun chicken sandwich (they have rotating specials! something new! daily!). It’s a tasty chicken sandwich with peppers, and a little kick. I enjoyed it. I also had the chicken coconut curry soup, which is TO DIE FOR. I foresee myself eating a lot more of that yumminess as it gets chillier. The chocolate chip cookies were also just a delight!

ATMOSPHERE: The atmosphere was nice. The restaurant is cozy and makes you want to stay awhile. We sat right by the window that faces the street. I really liked that, and it is kind of private in that section of the dining area.

EXPERIENCE: The service is excellent. It is quick and friendly. The servers know a lot about the food!

Get your buns over to A Street Soup Market, and prepare yourself for SOUP BELLY it’s a thing. It is like a nice flannel blanket inside your tummy that will make you want to take an epic nap. This is perfectly appropriate…unless you are on your lunch break and going back to work. EGAD!

A Street Soup Market Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/astreetsoupmarket/?fref=ts

Pssst… I read that they have bread bowls now.

Ogden, Utah is basically my second home. I grew up there and I go back constantly to visit my sweet family.

Needless to say, I have a few favorite restaurants there and I am always interested on what new ones are opening up.

This last visit was to go see my lil brother. He is not so little because he just turned 23,  BUT HE WILL ALWAYS BE LITTLE TO ME! I went to see him and take him to  The Used show in Salt Lake City. The concert was fantastic. It was their 15 year anniversary,  and they played the entire In Love and Death album. Fan girling hard.

Anyways! It was Ogden Restaurant week while I was down there. So, got to take advantage of some gooood food.

Every time I go to Ogden I try to go to Slackwater Pub and Pizzeria. This place makes me so happy. I am not lying if I wasn’t livin the life up here in Idaho I would consider working there. The atmosphere is wonderful. They are right next to the river and they often have live music out on the patio. The staff is so kind and awesome. BUT let’s talk about the important shit. PIZZA. Slackwater has amazingly creative pizzas Tikka Masala, Thai, and my favorite California Sunrise, a chicken, bacon and avocado miracle. They offer a variety of different specialty beers and wines with many locally brewed options. Which adds!

My Buffalo Chicken Calzone and spring salad with thai coconut vinaigrette. Yup. All that.

A new place that I tried out on my visit CRAFT BURGER.

Craft Burger is a gourmet burger and spirits type joint. It is owned by the same people who own Warren’s another Ogden restaurant in my top 3. Craft Burger is pretty much the adult version of that place. I’m not kidding they do Lime Rickey’s there ( a staple of Warren’s) with vodka. Yesssssum. So, you are going to see a picture of the truly beautiful hamburger I consumed. It was really well cooked and just take a look at that bacon! The food was so great and the chips were delicious. The staff was really friendly.

The building was also delish 😉

Exposed brick and the lighting was fantastic. I could live there. I might have tried to.

My Ogden Recommends:

SLACKWATER– Do it. Go there.

Check out 25th street– The hotbed of local restaurants is located on 25th street in Ogden and around their old town area. Craft Burger is there!

Jackson is one of those fantastic places that make me feel like I am on vacation when I am only a couple hours from home. I absolutely love it there and this time specifically I needed that away from home feeling. An unfamiliar place can do wonders for your creative side!

The main purpose of this trip was to go see Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats at  Rendezvous Fest in Jackson.  Live music is one of my absolute favorite things.  I have no problem driving to Jackson, Boise, SLC, (last year TN!) to go see and support it. This year I was trolling all the different festival lineups and saw that Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats were on almost every lineup. So, I had to check em out!  Rendezvous Fest was the perfect place to do it since they had a few days of concerts lined up (most of them free!) Yes. Practically unheard of!

The concert was outside close to the little park in downtown Jackson. It was a lovely, frigid, but sunny day. When that sun went down though…it was really freezing! I kept comparing it to the Dawes concert in Park City earlier this year though, and next to that it was damn near balmy. There is something really cool though about a bunch of people braving the cold to listen to music they might have never heard before.

When my friends and I arrived at the festival a DJ (part of a duo called Head to Head) out of Jackson was playing. He did a really fantastic job. His mash-ups were great and he definitely got some of the old dudes dancing (well, him and beer got them dancing!).

Following was Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys. This band had so much energy! I don’t know how long their set was (LONG!), but they absolutely powered through. Big Sandy has an awesome stage persona and that really got people going.

Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats! They were absolutely wonderful live. They have this old timey Americana/Blues sound, which is on point. Also, they are just fun. I am so excited that music like this is getting some attention.

The next day I spent the majority of my time in a really great coffeeshop: Cowboy Coffee.

This shop has a fantastic atmosphere. I love the rustic wood, and the hanging twinkling lights. Here are some of my favorite photos from my time here. THIS PLACE WAS SO PHOTOGENIC!

I ordered a Huckleberry MudPot, which is a drinkable version of a huckleberry truffle. It was the best thing. I also had a bacon, avocado, and cream cheese sandwich. SO GOOD. If you are in Jackson or going to visit soon absolutely stop by Cowboy Coffee.

A visit to Diablas Kitchen is about more than eating fantastic, hand-crafted food. It is an experience! I attended the Idaho Classics themed dinner a few weeks ago, and was so impressed. I have been a fan of Diablas for awhile now. I mainly go for delicious brunches on an ever-changing menu. The space is unique, a juxtaposition of things: Mix-matched chairs, vintage creamer pitchers, and salt shakers.

The atmosphere is comfortable and homey.  The owners and staff are so kind. At the Idaho Classics dinner I sat at the bar which is right next to where all the food is prepared. It was so great to watch them work!

  So, let’s get into what was served here.

(more…)

I really enjoy PV’s Uncorked on Main. For one, PV’s literally stands for exactly what I am about…PASTA and VINO. If I had a spirit animal or more like a pair of spirit animals they would be pasta and wine. That is how strongly I feel!

I ended up at PV’s the other night as part of a girl’s night adventure, which would be a total waste without a nice glass (or two) of wine. We went to the Vagina Monologue’s in Pocatello at the Elk’s Lodge. The Family Service Alliance puts an event together annually which is always hilarious, raunchy and moving. I love it. If you haven’t gone be sure to check it out next year!

It was a great night and it inspired me to share this location with ya’lls.

Things that I love about PV’s:

ATMOSPHERE

The atmosphere is something that is immediately noticeable at PV’s. When you walk in the décor is just lovely!

BEAUTIFUL FOOD

Food presentation is one of my favorite things about food blogging. Part of this blog experience has helped me to realize the effort that goes into plating. This antipasto looked so fantastic. Not to mention it tasted good too! I have also tried pizza and pasta at PV’s and have not been disappointed!

WINE, WINE AND MORE WINE

I love my self some wine. Red, whites…I ain’t picky. I like em all! The last time I was at PV’s I had a nice Cabernet Sauvignon. If you like to try different wines check out one of the wine tastings that PV’s hosts monthly.

PV’s Uncorked on Main holds monthly wine tastings and other events.

My favorite picture from my PV’s adventure!

Thanks for reading, and happy eating!! 🙂