Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Pounders Grill

473 South Main St. (Logan)

A little piece of Hawaii is a welcome addition to Cache Valley. Pounders opened on March 30 and its generous Hawaiian hospitality is quickly growing in popularity. Pounders is a casual dining environment and flip flops are alway welcome. The line may be long, but moves quickly (and is worth the small wait). Place your order at the register and then have a seat inside, or out under the colorful umbrellas. Your meal will quickly be carried out to you, so keep an ear listening for your name.

Pounders menu consists of 8 basic meats that can be combined in 3 different meals, as salads and as sandwiches.

The Keiki gives you the choice of 1 meat, rice and salad. The Pounder lets you choose 2 meats, and also comes with rice and a salad. With the Kahuna you are able to sample 3 meats as well as a salad and rice. The prices start at $4.99 for the Keiki and I believe go up to $8.99 for the Kahuna. The front counter has a tray of different sauces for you to enjoy. Included in those are their Katsu sauce, a teriyaki sauce, as well as soy sauce. Pounders serves Pepsi products.

My first visit to Pounders was with my sisters. I ordered a Pounder with Katsu Chicken and Kaluha Pork. The pork was exactly the same as I remember eating at a luau on the island of Oahu. The Katsu chicken is a Panko crusted chicken served with Katsu sauce. A sweet sauce made with apple sauce. Two sisters ordered ribs, but found them to be tasty, but very greasy. The other sister ordered a sandwich, but was left wishing she had opted for a more traditional plate instead. Meals are served with macaroni salad, but may be subsituted by a green salad upon request. Fries can also replace the rice if you so chose, but I don't recommend it.

On my second visit I once again had a Pounder with Pounder Chicken and their ribs. The Pounder Chicken is breaded and fried and served in the signature Pounder sauce. It is my favorite item so far. Instead of greasy, I found my ribs to be rather tough, although the flavor was delicious.

If Spam and seaweed are your thing, look for the Spam rolls next to the register.

On my most recent visit I noticed the shaved ice machine enticing me to come back for a Pounders Shaved Ice.

Grab your Hawaiian shirt and head to Pounders. You won't regret it.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

The Bluebird

19 North Main St. (Logan)

The Bluebird is one of the longest-standing establishments in Cache Valley. I know people who remember going to the Bluebird for for dinners and receptions long before I was even born. It's where my wife and I had our wedding dinner as well. In addition to being a restaurant, they still have an old-fashioned ice cream parlor, as well as their own line of chocolates and candies.

It's not hard to see why the Bluebird is such a beloved place that has become a tradition in Logan and throughout the Cache Valley. The prices are extremely reasonable (we got our dinners - including rolls, salads, and sides - for about $10), and the food is certainly good. I highly recommend the steak and Bluebird chicken dinner (it's actually on the menu as steak and sweet & sour chicken, but they will allow you to substitute the Bluebird chicken instead).

When you go to the register to pay for your meal, it's easy to get drawn in to purchasing some of the delicious choclates that are on display. You certainly won't be disappointed if you do.

And the old-fashioned ice cream parlor at the front of the restaurant is a great spot to take a breather while checking out all of the downtown Main Street shops.

All-in-all, the Bluebird is a perfect place for a family dinner that won't break the bank, a romantic throwback date at the ice cream parlor, or to sooth your chocolate cravings with locally made confections. It's no wonder that the Bluebird has been around for so long, and there's no reason to believe that it won't be around for a long time to come.