S1,E23: @Milehighfoodfairy - Amber

Savor the flavors of Salt Lake City as the Mile High Food Fairy herself, Amber, joins us for an engaging conversation that's sure to whet your appetite for the culinary treasures tucked away in Utah. From the vibrant sushi scene to the allure of Park City's Yuki Yama, Amber dishes out her must-visit eateries, weaving in tales from her gastronomic journey that spans Vegas to the Big Apple and beyond. Her dual life as a pediatric professional and a fervent food enthusiast gives us a taste of how one can passionately pursue diverse interests and how her charming Instagram persona came to life, serving up a feast for the senses and the soul.

In the rapidly evolving world of social media, small businesses are riding the rollercoaster of algorithm upheavals and content creation challenges, with Amber's insight lighting the way. She shares her strategic moves across platforms like TikTok and Instagram, revealing the secret sauce to growing a devoted audience while staying true to one's brand. With a viral dessert shop story as a case study, Amber illustrates the monumental impact of a single post and the juggling act between maintaining authenticity and monetizing a food blogging hustle.

Finally, we embark on a delicious jaunt through our favorite local haunts, from creamy gelatos to the freshest sashimi, celebrating the diversity and quality that define Utah's culinary landscape. Indulge in Amber's go-to ice cream spots and hidden gems like Bakery 43, where Korean-French fusion delights exist alongside the best Pad Thai in town. Our food-infused dialogue not only highlights the gems that make Salt Lake City a foodie's paradise but also serves up the inspiration to explore and taste the endless possibilities awaiting in Utah's burgeoning food scene.

Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time 

https://smalllakecity.buzzsprout.com

Transcript

Erik Nilsson: 0:11

What is up everybody and welcome back to the Small Lake City podcast. I'm your host, eric Nilsen, and here we are on episode number 23, the Jordan episode, excited to announce our guests. You probably follow her on Instagram and if you don't, you've probably seen her content come across your feed. Her name is Amber, but she goes by the mile high food ferry on Instagram. She's someone who knows the food landscape in the Salt Lake Valley and Salt Lake area super well and has a lot of opinions. One thing I love is we talk about some of her favorite places that she likes to regular and likes to frequent. If you're looking for a new place to try, we have a great list for you to dive into.

Erik Nilsson: 0:51

Amber is such a great person and such a great personality. It was fun to get to know her and I'm excited for you all to listen in and hear some great places to go out for your next date night, friends night out. Whatever it may be, we've got a place for you. Let's hear from Amber. Granted. Sushi in Utah is funny because you can talk to anybody about food in Utah. It's like, oh, yeah, takashi. Everybody mentions Takashi, but Sapa to me is always the close second and probably like tsunami. A third after that.

Erik Nilsson: 1:18

Sapa's actually my favorite, really. Yeah, I do like Sapa's diversity more, because one of my favorite foods of all time is teriyaki chicken. Sometimes I'll go be like I've had sushi a lot, especially with my past partner. She loves sushi, so we'd always go and somebody would be like, hey, listen, time out. I need a little bit of a break here. All in all, they're great. I'm trying.

Amber: 1:40

Yuki Yama in Park City this weekend, so I'm excited for that have you never been. I've never been to Yuki.

Erik Nilsson: 1:45

Yama.

Amber: 1:45

Oh, that's like the main ones that I need to go to still.

Erik Nilsson: 1:48

I know that's one of my favorite special occasion places, because Park City is always frustrating because it's not that it's like 25 minutes away, that's fine, but then it's like you're there, I can't really get drinks, I can't really go out because I have to come back and I don't want to stay there. I don't want to Uber there and back, but Yuki Yama is one. Every time I've gone it's been a great experience because it's cool, because it's like in the basement, it's pretty intimate, just a very unique space. It's a fun place to be. I'm excited for you. I'm jealous for you.

Erik Nilsson: 2:16

Honestly, I'm so excited to have you on the podcast because you're someone who's been mentioned by guests twice as someone that they want to have on, one of which being one of my good friends and mutual friends. I mean Ying Nance with. I must have done it. No, chubby Baker Even. Not just that, but just raved about how much you helped her and worked with her as she's going through.

Erik Nilsson: 2:39

This concept and this idea I mentioned in our episode of Record with Her, but I was one of the first people that she brought her donuts to to taste and I was like oh, these are great. Where'd you get these? She liked to try to market on 33rd. I was like, well, I want more. She's like well, just kidding. Good news is you can have more. Bad news is they're not from there. I'm so excited because I think you do have such a great collective experience of the food scene in Utah and it's fun to follow you. I'm someone who, probably to a fault, confines myself to the Salt Lake area more, but following you and seeing all the content that you've created around, things that have been popping up in Riverton and Draper and even down in Utah County, and seeing that this growth and quality of food isn't just limited in the Salt Lake Valley but it's starting to catch on everywhere.

Amber: 3:22

Yeah, thank you so much for having me. I'm honored that Ying mentioned me and everything. I'm excited to be here.

Erik Nilsson: 3:31

Totally, because that's how I got connected to you. As Ying mentioned. I was like, yeah, that'd be a great person to have on, because I was like people with fun perspectives, because if we don't have different perspectives and different ways of seeing things, then why would we have the same people on over and over again? But yeah, I kind of want to start with how you got here. I know that you were born or raised in Vegas and then made your way northward. What sparked that change, or what was life like growing up in Vegas?

Amber: 3:56

Yeah, yeah. So I grew up in Vegas, but then I moved when I was 18. I went to the University of Utah for college. I lived in Salt Lake for a good eight years. Then I moved out to New York City. For a year. When I was in New York City not so many things really started to kind of start taking photos of food. It wasn't like a thing that I ever really kind of did before, but I always liked to adventure and try new foods and….

Erik Nilsson: 4:22

Documented along the way, having fun.

Amber: 4:24

Yeah, so I lived in New York City for a year and then I lived in Denver, Colorado.

Erik Nilsson: 4:29

What took you out to New York originally?

Amber: 4:31

So residency.

Erik Nilsson: 4:32

Oh, okay.

Amber: 4:33

Yeah, so residency training programs. So I moved to Colorado for a couple of years for my pediatric residency. It was in Colorado that I started. The page Got it.

Erik Nilsson: 4:46

That's why it's called my Outline.

Amber: 4:48

Food Fairy.

Erik Nilsson: 4:49

That makes sense.

Amber: 4:50

I had the chance to move back to Utah and I just decided not to change the name where we live now. So I live in Utah County, but Traverse area. I mean the elevation there, it's almost mile high.

Erik Nilsson: 5:02

You rounded up a little bit.

Amber: 5:03

Yeah, exactly, you rounded up a little bit Totally.

Erik Nilsson: 5:06

So if you're doing a pediatric resident, are you a pediatrician?

Amber: 5:08

No, pediatric dentist. Oh okay, that makes a lot more sense.

Erik Nilsson: 5:12

So my parents well, my mom and I stepped out are both pediatricians, so I was going to be like oh, what a small world once again, but also kudos to you.

Erik Nilsson: 5:19

So I'm someone who works in data and numbers and when I tell people I do that, thank God you do it because I couldn't. And there's a couple of jobs that I have that same opinion, one of which is like a middle school vice principal, and then I think pediatric dentist is on there as well, because I struggle with strangers, kids in general, and then trying to pull teeth or clean teeth just sounds like too much work for me, but I'm glad that you enjoy it and there's someone that can. So you go to New York for your residency. Come back through Colorado is where you start to get inspired by. I mean, was there anything that made you want to, or was it just your own curiosity of seeing all of this food and wanting to document and share?

Amber: 6:01

So actually. So my husband and I, we've always liked to try new restaurants and explore new places, and so in New York City, when I was living in New York, it's just so easy to find so many. They have a lot of Instagram.

Amber: 6:16

You know, if we use out there, and I followed a couple that I really liked. So there was like feed your girlfriend and then like food baby, and how we basically chose like where to go for a date night, and everything was basically, you know, me choosing from all these beautiful pictures that I was seeing. You know I would use Yelp too, and so I started to get really active actually in Yelp when I was living in New York City and I got like Yelp elite status. So then I was taking pictures like just to put on my personal Instagram and also the share on Yelp. I feel like that was like like the best way for us to kind of find new places, you know, and I so I find them on Instagram and then I would look at their Google reviews and the Yelp reviews and, if at all, like you know, looked good and that's the place that I would like hit up and check out. And so when I moved to Colorado, I was still mostly primarily like taking pictures of like dessert and everything and putting them on my personal Instagram and my co-residents at the time they were like well, why don't you make like a separate food page instead of putting it just on your personal. And then I was like, oh, I mean, I guess I could, but like who would follow that? And so I just didn't really like see any point in doing that, because I was like, you know, I'm not cool enough to be like a foodie person or anything like that.

Amber: 7:25

And so one of my co-residents she actually, she was like, well, think of some names. And I thought of the name and I gave it to her and she was like, well, I'll just make the account. And then so she made the account and then it was supposed to be something that we both were supposed to do, like she was supposed to like make posts to and you know and all that, and not just me. But it just turned out to speak me. So she was like, yeah, this is just your account. I like I don't want to do anything with it. And I was like, all right, fine, yeah, so that is why I just kept taking pictures. And at that time it expanded, you know, past dessert, and so it became, you know, food pictures, and I just liked the idea of like taking pretty pictures and editing and just putting it up and like sharing, like things I love, like this is like kind of like a food diary.

Amber: 8:08

Like I checked out this place and it was really good, and look at this pretty ice cream. You know, so I didn't know that it would get bigger from there. You know, at the time, like if you'd asked me, you know, years back. So I started in 2018, but I never envisioned like people would want to follow me and, you know, like have the same sort of taste, and but I think it's great because I've been able to kind of share a lot of places and help people explore local spots.

Erik Nilsson: 9:04

Yeah, I mean it's funny how that culture has changed around it, where I mean, obviously, if we go back to like the beginning of how to find a place to eat, you're like, all right, let's pull out like the yellow pages and go to food and restaurants and try to find something and like usually, I mean probably, my experience was like we probably ate at the same like three or four places.

Erik Nilsson: 9:20

Growing up, it was always either Charlie Chow's, and they used to be in Charlie Square, we would go to Hires, we would go to Spaghetti Factory, and I think I was like pretty much it like that was the extent of our night out. And then you go to this point where it's like, okay, like Google's there, I can Google. I mean Google Maps is something helpful. I mean Yelp and all the other platforms and review platforms that they have are there. But it's funny in talking to my friends, especially some of my younger friends, like, oh, why would I? Like I'm not gonna check a website, I'm just gonna go through my handful of influencers that I have are like the, the post that I've saved from them and that's kind of the list that I check off, especially as this time of the life where there's a new restaurant every other day and it's hard to keep up. But if you have someone who can at least be some sort of filter of this is this. I went here, this is good, this is what I had enjoy, and so and it's also funny how Like I feel like people who start similar things like this and it's just like, oh, it's like a fun way to document, like we'll see. Like, instead of being like now, what's my side hustle, that I'm gonna be able to gain this, like passive income, do like that will fail so much more than the other, cuz that authenticity is what drives it. And especially like, the more that you post, the more that they connect with you and understand your taste, the more, I mean, they can relate. And it's also funny you had a good the, the co-part, the partner in business like Slowly dips away, except found that, like in my experience and others, it's like you'll start with this group project, with this.

Erik Nilsson: 10:45

I got this one friend who she want to start this business brought on this friend that she worked in another capacity and little by little she's like oh, these weights being carried are two very, very, very different things, until to the point where she's like you know what, instead of just having to do everything you do over again, I'm just gonna carry forward. So, and it's almost easier that like I'm almost the same way people are like, well, what do you do? Like, what don't you do in the park. So I got everything, because I don't like trust anybody, I'd rather not pay someone to do it, and that way I've mean control as I go. And so so you come here and you start. I'm posting in in Salt Lake. Do you feel like a lot of the growth was happening while you were in Colorado, or it really was the change to hear that made things take off A lot more?

Amber: 11:27

so I moved back to Utah in 2020. Okay and then like at that time I like 10,000 followers at that point. So I'd already grown like in two years in Colorado and so I moved back to Utah. I had like a lot. It was like losing tons of followers like all the time. But you know, as I started to post more Utah content but I always kept like a net positive somehow and and so they just kind of slowly kind of changed out, you know.

Erik Nilsson: 11:51

Yeah.

Amber: 11:52

But I didn't really see like a lot of growth until, I would say until like reels really took off, like when. So when Instagram wanted to kind of Really kind of push and take talk, I feel like that's where a lot of the growth happened, because so I moved back to. So when we moved back to Utah, we didn't move back to Salt Lake, we just moved to.

Amber: 12:09

Utah County, and I think it was like around Like early 2022 no, it's hard to remember the timeline and so I made a tick tock end of 2020 time, like beginning of 2021, and it was like end of 2020 that the tick tock started doing really well.

Erik Nilsson: 12:30

And so.

Amber: 12:31

I was actually growing a lot on tick tock more, and so I had way more followers on tick tock than I did on Instagram.

Erik Nilsson: 12:37

And.

Amber: 12:37

Instagram was just kind of a thing that I was just putting photos on.

Erik Nilsson: 12:40

Still, yeah, we'll keep posting here, but here's my yeah, yeah.

Amber: 12:43

Like. My focus was always still Instagram, but then tick tock, just like was blowing up with videos and everything, and so I started making more like video content. You know cuz like people when it comes like choosing food, it's nice to have that visual aspect.

Amber: 12:55

You know, and I think videos give you more dimension and more of like a feel of the atmosphere and you know overall restaurant experience. And so I feel like I mean my Instagram was kind of like just like it was there, it was like my main thing, but tick tock was doing really, really well. And then I think, like it was like late 2021, early 2022, that Instagram started to kind of push out reels and they wanted to really be like tick tock. And then so then I started like reposting, resharing some of my old tick tock videos on Instagram. Before then I didn't really like post a lot of my videos. I just kind of kept them separate because I wanted to have, you know, a separate Like like that's what follow yeah, like a good purpose for Instagram and a purpose for like tick tock, yeah, and not just like they're on.

Amber: 13:40

Yeah, but they ended up being exactly the same, you know, with time and everything, as I shared more of my old tick tock videos on Instagram and then that's where all the growth really happened and make people were like able to kind of discover my page and everything, and that's when it just like exploded to and so eventually my tick tock became very stagnant. I feel like I haven't really in curiosity.

Erik Nilsson: 14:01

You remember when that stagnant part happened? Because I'm curious if you saw something.

Amber: 14:05

The same time I saw something else, right before Instagram was pushy rails.

Erik Nilsson: 14:11

Okay. Yeah because there was so long story short. In 2022, I lived in a van for six months and it was making a lot of content and like I was probably averaging like around Like 15,000 views and then, all of a sudden, like they changed something and went from like 15,000 to like 500 and I was just like it's one of those you like scratching your head. You're like what is going, like this doesn't make sense, but like what there's nothing you can do about it.

Amber: 14:34

You just play the game, the algorithm, and sometimes the algorithm easier, sometimes to get harder. You know, it just kind of depends. But no, I feel like my tick tock blew up like that late 2020 and then early 2021, and then it kept growing like a little bit and then it completely stopped like all the growth around, like late 2020, early 2022, when Instagram started pushing the videos and then you come over to Instagram and then they're like hey, let's promote all of these fun tick tocks, even making them real.

Amber: 14:59

Yeah, and because it was like for the longest time I had like maybe like 30,000 on Instagram and then like I was like close to like a hundred K on tick tock for the longest time and then, and then that just kind of froze on tick tock and then my Instagram was able to catch up. Yeah, reels that's so.

Erik Nilsson: 15:15

It's like. It's always funny to you because since I started the podcast, obviously, like you have to post a lot, which is probably, like, my least favorite thing, because last thing I want to do is be like or like when I started this. There's no part of me, that's like. You know, I really wish I was on social media more and like posting more, like that brings me joy, but at the same time, it is fun to, I mean, make content, put it out, see what does well, see what doesn't. But it's always interesting to see because, like and maybe to my detriment, like I've posted on everything since the beginning, everything from, I mean YouTube and YouTube shorts, to LinkedIn, to Facebook, to Facebook reels, to Instagram reels, tick like everything, and it's so funny to see, kind of like, what sticks and what doesn't.

Erik Nilsson: 15:48

And it's like for me, instagram and LinkedIn are actually the like, the best too. So like that's where I try to like, at least for now, put that energy in. But I've realized my demographic is as over Facebook as I am. Like no one really interacts there, and so it's like it's fun how you learn like. Again, going back to like my professional life, I'm a data analyst, so it's like I see this, I'm like just chew on it all and just try to make sense of everything. But I mean, was there ever any certain real that you posted on Instagram? That was like oh, like things are changing, this is starting to become more like quote real, but, um, but, or do you just feel like it was just kind of this gradual change that Led to kind of where you are now?

Amber: 16:25

I think more so like my first like, truly like, impactful tick like video was actually on tick tock, okay, and so I did it for doki-doki, so that's local Japanese dessert shop. And she makes the best crepe cakes ever. I love her passion fruit cake, by the way.

Erik Nilsson: 16:39

It's so good, so you've had it.

Amber: 16:40

Yes, good, I was gonna say you haven't had it, you have to have it, but, um, it was. It was that video. It was like late I think it was like December 2020 that I posted that and I was just still messing around with like video formats and everything, and so back in the day I was doing like voiceover too, and but I just posted just to kind of see like, oh, just, you know, I was like, oh well, we'll just see what happens, and then that one actually blew up. So that was the first Time that I was actually kind of able to see, like in real time, like how impactful social media can be. And so, doki-doki, you should have her on the show eventually.

Amber: 17:16

But, um, she was actually like around COVID time and everything, like they were actually considering closing and and then so, after this video got posted, she had a line down the block like down the sidewalk, down the road, let's see.

Erik Nilsson: 17:32

She doesn't have tick tock or see it. She just shows up to work and is like what is going on? What changed overnight All of a sudden?

Amber: 17:44

everybody knows who I am, yeah, and it was able just to give her a lot of exposure and just like really, really loved her up to where you know she was actually able to, you know, reconsider and be like, hey, you know what, I think I could keep the shop open and keep going and and so that made me really happy. That's like that was like a time when we were like, wow, social media can be huge.

Erik Nilsson: 18:03

Yeah, I mean, especially when I mean social media sometimes gets this wrath of like oh, it's meaningless, this doesn't do anything, this is all fake, which don't get me wrong. There's that whole part of that. But at the same time, like to go to a small business owner and flip their story from saying, oh, you're about to go out of business because there's this pandemic that's negatively impacted you. You don't know what to do about it. And then, all of a sudden, Someone can create a content in a way that creates all of this action. Yeah, from so many people to say, oh wait, actually still in this, everything's going better now. And I mean even still. Like, if you follow a lot of account I mean food accounts, especially like influencer accounts, like they're always like everybody loves Doki Doki. Yeah, like I remember the first time she works with tens of foodies.

Erik Nilsson: 18:44

Yeah, and like she's such I mean I haven't met her but hopefully we'll see it, but it's been fun to see. I always love when good places get the attention they deserve. And it always bugs me when like Not so good places kind of get to and they usually have to pay for it to get that attention they deserve. And because like I love doki-doki, especially, like you know, right below one of my favorite, one, not favorite like restaurants, stone ground. But one thing I love about stone ground in this like side tangent.

Erik Nilsson: 19:10

So when I lived in Seattle there was a Bakery that was a purple supply all of I mean the breads and pastries to pretty much every coffee shop in in Seattle, which in Seattle there's a lot. So you get this consistent like oh, I recognize these same scones, I recognize these same muffins in like restaurant rolls and everything, and you start to come to notice it. And then I move back to Utah and All of a sudden like as I'm going to like bar, because like all these rolls are the same, right, go to a restaurant, these rolls are the same. This I'm like it's all stone ground, they supply so much of them and so it's this like kind of weirdly specific business that I kind of like Love. It's just like base, I mean bakery distribution, and especially like talking with Ethan from thirst about how he's scaled his I mean Benye's and pretzel bite, oh same, and it's always nice because there's one on the way home from two of the places I go to most. I'm like, well, I guess I could use a little something something.

Amber: 20:07

But but it was that difference like, because I feel like static post is a static post, you know it doesn't really have that viral potential, whereas videos have that viral potential and it's. It was really huge to kind of like realize that and then that's what kind of really pushed me to keep making videos.

Erik Nilsson: 20:21

And so it's like you'll have, like, some that hit and then some that don't hit, but you know yeah it's just what people are interested in, and it's always interesting because, like sometimes, all posts on me like this is gonna Take off, everyone's gonna love this and I'm like and it doesn't does it, and then I'll be like this is the stupidest thing I've ever seen in my life and I'm like all right, I guess that's the way the world works. I can't control this, but Kind of is what it is.

Amber: 20:42

I feel like if videos like you have to either be like super informative or entertaining or have like a little bit Of controversy because you want something that's gonna automatically make people want to send it to their friends, yeah, yeah, I'm, I'm learning the ways.

Erik Nilsson: 20:57

I've learned a lot, but I know that there's still a lot to learn, which is I mean I like, I like that process. I'm not that person just wants like figure everything out, but I want to like I actually learn and understand it. So it is a definitely an interesting world, but I enjoyed it. So yeah, so you move to Salt Lake, you start posting content tickcom comes around, does well, reels comes around, starts to do really well as well. And I'm sure that that's when probably a lot of demand from a lot of smart business, small business owners are saying, hey, it would love to have you come do a review, try and figure all that out. I mean, how did you find this balance between, like quote, your day job and this side project that started to take more demand from you?

Amber: 21:33

I mean, I've always considered it kind of like a hobby. And I still do consider as a hobby because I don't want to keep doing it if it's no longer fun for me, and so I only want to do it for as long as it's enjoyable to me, and so that's like the hard part too it is. For a while I did get a little bit burnt out too, and I think that's just like the nature of it, because you start getting like all these people that are reaching out to you and you know it's because they see your content and they they're hoping that you can do something similar for their business, and and for a while it was like hard to say no, you know.

Amber: 22:05

I got burnt out in that way and at the same time, though I've always, you know, because I see that as a hobby and I want to just share, like things that I actually like, or things that you know my husband likes, or something that I feel like still has good potential I do turn down places that I just feel like I, you know, it's not something that I'm going to love enough to share, or places that I just feel like, hey, they don't really need that much help and I'm not so sure about that.

Amber: 22:33

I don't really need that much help and I'm not super into that type of food, maybe, but I feel like it's. It is hard, you know, and so I just basically want to share places that I enjoy, you know, because it's kind of like, well, do I have this page? And so it's like is it for my followers, is it for businesses, is it for me, you know, personally? And it's kind of like a combination of all of those, and so you want to be true to your followers, you want to share places that you think are going to get. You know that they have like potential in that you know they just need more exposure and a lot of people will enjoy it, and so it's. It's interesting, you know, I get a lot of messages all the time and but for the most part, like when I go out to check out places, I usually go with my friends, you know, and we kind of make it fun.

Amber: 23:28

But, it's a lot of work actually. It really is especially when it comes to video now, because before it was just pictures and I would just like snap pictures on my phone and it was like no big deal. And now it's. You know, I have like a Canon camera, like an actual camera, that I use especially for like collaborations and everything, and it's like photos and it's video content and then at home, you know, there's editing on Lightroom and then there's editing on like you Cut or In Shot video editing and it's a lot.

Amber: 23:54

It really is a lot.

Amber: 23:54

So it's interesting because like when reels like really exploded, like a lot of food use, saw a lot of growth too, and it is like there's definitely like a big business component to it as well. Like I've never considered like it my high food fairy like a business. You know as much as some food other foodies have, but I think it's important to just like acknowledge that too from the business standpoint, that it's a lot of work that goes into it and so it's. It's it also kind of depends on, like how close the place is to me.

Erik Nilsson: 24:26

You know I'm not driving an hour.

Amber: 24:28

Exactly, I'm not going to driving an hour just like this ice cream and you don't. Yeah, you know, in some places we'll have a budget, which is great, and some places don't, and that's okay, you know. It kind of depends on if it's something that I really want to try and check out.

Erik Nilsson: 24:40

Yeah, and it's like and I like the way that you put that too is I would never put something that like I don't truly like or something that I'm not interested in, because, at the end of the day, like I don't want to say necessarily like a response to that, I don't necessarily like a responsibility to your followers, but there is like some credibility that you have to maintain because if you, let's say, someone says, oh baby, 50 grand post this and I turned down paid collaborations because it's a brand that I don't like Right, and so usually those are like fast food ones that come to me to listen Sonic.

Amber: 25:06

Yeah, I'm not posting on McDonald's, I'm sorry.

Erik Nilsson: 25:10

And so it's interesting because, like again going back to that example of like the motivation for doing it, if it's authentic and you do want to actually truly promote good food that you can give your sample of approval for, compared to the financial component. And if you were the financial component you probably would have jumped at the like quote McDonald's on.

Amber: 25:25

Yeah, yeah. But then I really wanted to make this like a side hustle, you know, and I mean there's a lot of foodies that do it successfully and that's awesome and they can do like, yeah, that's to them. It's just not for me.

Erik Nilsson: 25:34

And like to maintain that credibility is so, like because there's accounts that I mean. I don't know why I come like, when I think of accounts that I've done this for, like the only ones that come to mind, like meme accounts but they'll like post a promotion.

Erik Nilsson: 25:45

I'm like yeah and fall like this is, this, isn't. This is very fictional from why I followed you like I'm out, yeah, and so yeah, I think maintaining that is super important, I mean for you personally. I mean what are some of the restaurants or like cuisines or things that you the most excited? I mean personally outside of my life food very.

Amber: 26:05

Oh, I love dessert. I had a feeling yeah, I do share a lot of desserts. I do also share a lot of Mexican as well. I love Thai, Thai and Indian, Japanese, Vietnamese.

Erik Nilsson: 26:18

Is there any cuisine that if, regardless of who they are, if they reached out to you you're like that's not my thing, Try someone else.

Amber: 26:26

It depends, and so my husband. He's the one that likes a lot more American food than I do Like he's more likely to want a pizza or burger steak and so places like that I tend to be a little bit more like, but it kind of depends Like if they've. So my husband actually has silly ex brew.

Amber: 26:42

And so I do try to share places that have good gluten free options, like when I can, and so if like a pizza or burger place comes to me but they actually have a good gluten free menu and everything, then that's something that I'll still share, but you won't see me posting like a pizza place that doesn't have gluten free options, unfortunately, because that's just not, that's like a category of food that I'm not really huge on which makes like I mean personally strongly disagree.

Erik Nilsson: 27:07

Pizza is my comfort food.

Amber: 27:08

Probably, that's fine.

Erik Nilsson: 27:10

But, it's like pizzas and sandwiches that aren't as exciting for me, but also like on the gluten free part, like the amount of gluten free and vegan options in general has exploded. Yes, because I had a vegan friend, kind of like late 2000s, early 2010s. Then he moved to Denver actually, but it was always interesting because I never really had like a point of view into that until I'd like hang out with him and be like, oh, we need to go eat lunch. Like, oh, let's go here. He's like I can't go there. I'm like what do you mean? You can't like vegan, I can't eat there.

Erik Nilsson: 27:39

And it's funny, the place he would always go because I had some of the best vegan options is actually Taco Bell, so we had a lot of which I wasn't mad about. But yeah, it means like there's so much more of an appetite for the gluten free, vegan, plant based, and to have us a pizza place that says, yeah, like we do have an option of a cauliflower crust, we have a gluten free crust. I think is a lot more of what people will be looking for in that category than here's pizza. You know, because I feel like if you do want like good pizza, in most places it's pretty easy to find.

Erik Nilsson: 28:06

Yeah like it's not, like I don't know, or maybe I'm completely wrong.

Amber: 28:10

It's like there's a lot of hidden gems.

Erik Nilsson: 28:12

Yeah, I mean, everybody knows the pie, everybody knows pie hole, everybody knows.

Erik Nilsson: 28:17

Oh no, I'm trying to make daddy's for different reasons, but then it's like I mean, like my favorites are always like pizza.

Erik Nilsson: 28:22

No, no, I live right around the corner from Nomad East, which I mean if they have any sort of like spicy, sweet pizza, I'm in. But I've also loved the, like, the diversity of cuisine that's been coming in, because I mean, historically, it's like one thing that I always scratch my head at is, I mean, solid itself has a very rich Asian American culture, all the way back to when I mean the railroad was being built, the negative side of the culture of like post World War Two outcomes. But and it's funny because, like living in Seattle, I mean amazing Asian food. I mean you have Chinatown, you have, like I mean, multiple dinties within like 20 minutes, and then you come to Utah that does still have this amazing and rich Asian culture. But I don't feel like the Asian food scene really matched that, especially like something as simple as like I want to go get dim sum. I can't think of a place off the top of my head to get dim sum.

Amber: 29:11

I mean New Golden Dragon, but but no, that's, that's a great example, and so I'm actually have Chinese to so like. Living in New York City, you know there are so many options. Living in Vegas, there are so many options. Denver had great Asian food scene to over in Aurora area, but it's getting better. It's getting a lot better like, especially back from when, like I first moved to Utah in 2009, compared to now. Oh my goodness, it's huge, huge change, Like even Boba. Both shops exploded. Don't get me started about Boba.

Amber: 29:37

Late about Boba. You know, they know, utah is always about like five to 10 years late. But, when I was in college. Like you, go on to go get Boba drinks and we'd have to go down to West Valley, we would go to like Falkalli Gossip. And that was like where you get your.

Erik Nilsson: 29:51

Boba.

Amber: 29:52

That's it. And now they're just everywhere, which is boomed. That's great.

Erik Nilsson: 29:56

I know it's when I lived in Seattle, so I didn't even have a car for most of it and would walk to work because I live pretty close, one of my favorite times for that reason. But there were three Boba places on the way home from work and so most Fridays, I mean I was working a lot back then, and so I'd be walking home and walk past the first Boba place, like no, we're going to be strong, we're just going to go home. And then the second one, to be like all right, like I guess they do have like a blended mango and peanut, maybe they can mix them together. That'd be kind of nice, still walking. And then I'd get home and by then I'd have a Boba in my hand from the third place because I couldn't say no. And then, thankfully, when I moved back to Utah, that's when it was starting to blow up and now I go. I mean it's either Kung Fu on fourth or have you been to? Oh, is it a space tea on state and like. So I went there because, like again, I just wanted Boba and it was close. But so my favorite animal and spirit animal and I have a tattoo of it is like a river otter. And so I walk in and their whole logo is an otter and I was like I'm done, like sign it up.

Erik Nilsson: 30:53

This is my place, found it and again and it's fun to see how many of these places are growing especially I feel like the average Utah consumer is starting to change their behavior. Where I mean you look historically, it's like OK, these change, these zupas, these get in, get out fairly cheap, but like decent quality. We're really like the lay of the land and like I mean don't get me wrong, like I still go to them frequently. I mean I went to Costa Vita on Monday for lunch, which probably blew up during that time. But now, as more people move to Utah, a lot of these younger generations are growing up. In this time where people care more about experiences, and food being one of those, I feel like we're finally starting to find this time where the quality is starting to step in, as people are willing to pay more. And I mean, do you feel like you've seen similar trends or you feel like Utahns are still this anomaly of their own specific preferences?

Amber: 31:45

It's definitely getting a lot better for sure.

Amber: 31:47

Yeah, and I feel like Utah County kind of struggles more of like having a lot more franchises coming in and jeans coming in still, but there are a lot of great new mom and pop shops too, and I think that's also kind of like a Utah thing too, where I feel like I mean, I didn't really grow up here but I know, like friends that grew up here, like their families, you know, they go to like Texas Roadhouse and they go to the Cheesecake Factory and it's because these places are really, you know, convenient for large families and they provide affordable, quality food, you know, and so it's easy for families for, like their Friday or Saturday or Sunday family dinner to be like, hey, let's just go to Cheesecake Factory, there's something for everybody.

Erik Nilsson: 32:25

Yes.

Amber: 32:27

But I think it's also maybe like a generational thing too, for sure, kind of you know. And then as more people move into Utah, you know the restaurant scene, you know all of that, becomes a lot more diverse and I think people just are sick of franchises and chains and that you know they are starting more mom and pop shops and more diversity.

Erik Nilsson: 32:50

Totally Like it's.

Amber: 32:52

I'm still waiting for soup dumplings to become like a big thing here.

Erik Nilsson: 32:55

Oh, give me some chowloong bao right now. I know, and I will down Like so. I actually have a friend that I think she used to do it daily. I don't know if it is anymore, but she would message Den Tai Fung every day, being like hey, salt Lake City, utah, which like to be fair. If I was them I'd be like this doesn't make any sense.

Amber: 33:11

I think you have to ask Stuart, but I think he reached out to Den Tai Fung and they said that they have no plans on coming to Utah.

Erik Nilsson: 33:17

Which I get.

Amber: 33:18

Which I get. Utah's not there yet.

Erik Nilsson: 33:20

But, selfishly one day I have a lot of strong opinions, but no, I think you're absolutely right. Like there is, I mean even thinking about, I mean some of, like the quote, best restaurants in Salt Lake that tend to come up more. I mean your vaulters, your Takashi, your Manolis, your Mateo, your.

Erik Nilsson: 33:37

Yeah, and they're all locally owned In all great places but like to your point, like to try to show up with like a family of five or a family of seven like no way in hell, which is fine, like like anybody who has had kids like knows that there is a strong change in behavior once you have a kicking, screaming baby toddler.

Amber: 33:56

Absolutely.

Erik Nilsson: 33:57

Preteen teen Like there's just things you can and can't do anymore.

Amber: 34:00

Yeah, so there's always going to be a place for the chains in the franchise. It's just because it's easy to bring your screaming toddler to the you know, to one of those fast casual spots, but yeah, totally.

Erik Nilsson: 34:11

I mean in your experience, like I mean recently, has there been anything that because I'm always cute, because like I could ask you your favorite places and there'd probably be similar things that people would know about but I'm curious if there's anything that has just aggressively, let's say, exceeded your expectations. Where you go, whether you were asked to go or went on your own volition, and you're like wait a minute, I didn't think this was going to be that great, but this is actually like a hidden jam.

Amber: 34:37

Man, that's a hard question because there's so many spots that I love.

Erik Nilsson: 34:39

True, let's get more specific then.

Amber: 34:44

I mean, there's like places that are like my go tos.

Erik Nilsson: 34:46

Yeah, we're something Go tos.

Amber: 34:47

So this is a Bonte. That's probably one of my main go tos for Thai food, so they're like at the Traverse outlet Lehigh, but they have my most favorite pet tie.

Erik Nilsson: 34:57

Really yeah. So Inch, because like a good house story as well because I that's one of my favorite.

Erik Nilsson: 35:06

So let me have one phrase this so there's like. If you look at the spectrum of like foods and quality, some cuisines have a broader one Like. I think one of the most broad qualities is Italian. Like. You can go literally to spaghetti in a bucket, which I haven't been to, but it always makes me giggle and that's probably not going to be. I mean, if you're going to get a bucket of spaghetti for like 10 bucks, it's probably not going to be great, yeah, but then you have like an amazing authentic quality ingredients. Italian is huge, but like for one of my opinions is pad Thai. Like Thai food is one of the more narrow. However, if you can find the right place and or pad Thai, it can be off the charts. And so whenever I have someone who's like, who I trust, and they're like this is my pad Thai place, I'm like yes, that Bonte is my pad Thai place, okay.

Erik Nilsson: 35:51

So I worked down and well, I quote, worked down on Lehigh, which means I work remote and go down like twice a month. But I will make it a point that, bonte, I will go get pad Thai.

Amber: 35:59

I always get. It was just with veggies.

Erik Nilsson: 36:00

Just with veggies. Okay, I'll get it. I'll get it. I'll be like can I get this amber way? They're like how did you know? No, some people. Okay, so pad Thai, bonte, what else?

Amber: 36:11

We love little India for Indians, so that's an American fork. They actually ranked like number 19 for Yelp for like the top 100 places to eat in the US. Wow, yeah, it's like it's my number one in the Indian spot.

Erik Nilsson: 36:23

Again, if this, if this pushes, me American fork, little India.

Erik Nilsson: 36:26

I mean, if I need to get pushed, I need to get out of my comfort zone and go further south and probably further north. Yeah, but I also have a friend of the pot. I mean he was on his name, john Darley's an artist. And then I mean also his friend, my friend Howard, who was just on last week are both down there and like so I paint a lot. And so I'm always messaging them now about painting things because they're like, yeah, like, text me whatever you need to. I'm like, do you mean it? And so I was actually texting him today. I was like hey, can I come down and paint with you, cause, like I want to see you in your zone, but B, I don't want to paint alone and it's nice to have, like I mean, someone I can be. Like what?

Erik Nilsson: 36:59

am I like is this how I would do this? Is this, not this? But so then I can always find a new place because I always go. I've never, I've never. I have to eat around there. I always end up at Wing Shack and it's funny because, yeah, three people have taken me and it's always like I know this wing place You've probably never been there which worked the first time for the second time, like no, I'm fine being here, don't get me wrong, but good place to be.

Amber: 37:18

Have you tried Houston hot chicken?

Erik Nilsson: 37:21

No, but I saw that they just opened their second location here, and that's amazing, that's amazing, that's amazing Chicken spot.

Amber: 37:25

Okay, that's my number one chicken spot actually.

Erik Nilsson: 37:27

Because I do love a good chicken spot, but it's hard because like I live kind of like Yelpressed area and so I mean obviously on ninth and ninth there's the crack shack and that's going to be a Houston hot chicken soon. All right, well, looks like I don't have to go too much further away.

Amber: 37:42

You don't Just have to wait a few months.

Erik Nilsson: 37:43

Interesting. Okay, so Houston hot chicken. What makes it like just out of curiosity? What makes it different than any other chicken place?

Amber: 37:49

So so there's chicken. It's never frozen and so, like when I eat a lot of, when I eat at a lot of chicken places, I feel like I feel sick after and so this is like the one chicken place, like for me, where I don't ever feel sick after I eat there.

Amber: 38:03

But it's just their quality of chicken too, and so it's just like their tenders are just huge, juicing so much white meat and everything. And I like the minimal breading too, Because I'm not a big fan of like a lot of the breading. You know, some places have a lot of the breading and so they keep it pretty minimal, but they have all these different spice levels too and it's just an overall really great chicken tender.

Amber: 38:22

Yeah, and that's and their fries are really good and their sauce is really good too. The crinkle fries I usually don't like crinkle fries.

Erik Nilsson: 38:28

Same.

Amber: 38:29

Their crinkle fries are like.

Erik Nilsson: 38:30

To every rule there's an exception. They blow my mind, yeah, exactly.

Amber: 38:33

And yeah, and their sauce is great too.

Erik Nilsson: 38:35

I think that's probably the perfect answer.

Amber: 38:36

you could have given Just the overall experience of the sauce and the fries and the chicken. Like some places will have good chicken but the fries will be like a no-go.

Erik Nilsson: 38:44

Yeah, oh, they've all got it's like. It's kind of like when you're in a relationship and you go on a date with another couple, there's always like one person in the couple you end up liking more and it's not like you both like the other couple the same. So same with like chicken places where you're like, okay, like the chicken, don't like the fries, or like, oh, their sauces suck. And it's not like you can go to three different chicken places and like Combine them all, combine them all into one.

Amber: 39:05

Sometimes you wish you could.

Erik Nilsson: 39:06

Oh, don't get me sorry, but yeah, I mean like, and that's like one thing I talked with Matteo about is like with a lot of I mean it probably applies more to fine dining than like generic, I mean food in general but there's kind of like two avenues you can go. You can go the quality route and just perfect your ingredients, perfect your recipe and keep it as minimal as possible, like stay true to the tradition. But then there's the other side of things where you're being experimental, you're trying new things and like really creating a different experience, which we've seen a ton in like food fusions over the past. I mean, I'm probably like decade now and really trying to like redefine a lot of these cuisines. But for me, especially with chicken fingers, like give me quality chicken and like again, like you don't overbred me and I'm a sauce guy. So if you don't have sauce and I'm already out I'm still a minorly dubious on the crinkle fries, but I can get there. You'll have to check out their crinkle fries.

Erik Nilsson: 39:54

But I've also like been paying a ton of attention of like how food makes me feel and it reminds me of and I'll have to fact check me on this. But there's like a study they did on burger places, especially burger chains, within the last five years, testing like the quality of the beef, and every single one of them got like a D rating, except for Shake Shack. And then I realized I was like, oh, if I go to Shake Shack, like my stomach doesn't, like I don't feel gross after, and so I'm like, okay, that makes sense, so like a place that doesn't make me feel bad after heaven, heaven forbid, we have more of those place. Okay so Houston Hot Chicken's your chicken place. What else? What are your some of your gut to?

Amber: 40:29

So many great dessert go tos.

Erik Nilsson: 40:31

Let's go in, because we are in the dessert capital of the world. Okay, yeah, so doki, doki but we already kind of touched upon Passion fruit cake anything, passion, fruit, anything there, I'm not. I'm not way with mango, and if there's anything mango on the menu, I'll always get.

Amber: 40:41

Yeah, so she actually has a sister shop to Kumo Cafe and she's got some mango sticky rice crepe. It's amazing.

Erik Nilsson: 40:47

Mango sticky rice is one of my favorites. Yes, it's.

Amber: 40:49

It's. It's like I think it's called the blossom crepe. I might be wrong, but it's it's mango sticky rice on it and it's really good. And she actually does her fluffy pancakes there now too.

Erik Nilsson: 40:57

Okay, I've been wanting to try those.

Amber: 40:58

Yeah, yeah, so Chubby Baker you know, passion fruit, cream, donut, strawberries and cream doughnut are so good. And I actually really love her blueberry lavender rigged donut too and her lavender lavender milk tea. But you get it hot and that's the best there we go Pie fight. They have a blueberry hand pie.

Erik Nilsson: 41:15

That's my favorite. I've been, I've I mean again live near ninth and ninth. I've driven past, I'm like I'm not the biggest pie person.

Amber: 41:20

You make it to pie fight, but pie fight, I can.

Erik Nilsson: 41:22

I can get over there.

Amber: 41:23

And our crust is amazing.

Erik Nilsson: 41:24

That's usually the like, the, the, the, the breaker for me, that's the big thing. Yeah, because most filling is semi similar but, like a good crust, is hard to come by.

Amber: 41:31

So any of like her fresh fruit pies. Okay really great Momo. Momo's gourmet cheesecakes, so she does really good cheesecake.

Erik Nilsson: 41:39

Cheesecake runs deep in my family.

Amber: 41:42

And she's. She has a weekly flavors and sometimes she'll do like a passion fruit, that's really great so passion fruit and it was like a theme right.

Erik Nilsson: 41:48

Yeah, so there's passion fruit. You were there.

Amber: 41:49

Raspberry lime. That one's a really great one too. Ruby snap cookies. I love Ruby snap.

Erik Nilsson: 41:54

Oh, I love there. I used to always get there at Harman's. They're like frozen ones, yeah, and I would make them at home because, like I'm not the person who's like I need a cookie, like let's go drive, like I either make it or pick it up.

Amber: 42:04

But there are so many great flavors that you can't get at the store.

Erik Nilsson: 42:07

It's true. I remember the first time I because I got they got me in the frozen section at Harman's downtown and then after I was like driving by, I was like what else we got, yeah, and like I was like, wait a minute, this is way better. There's way more flavors and it's just like a cool shop in general.

Amber: 42:20

In February she has like the best monthly flavors. So she has like a rose water cookie and that's amazing, and there's one that's like a grapefruit the Lizzie, and a strawberry lemonade. So February is the time to go. Hmm, my favorites are the blueberry, lemon, chia and the horchata cookie I did have the horchata, and now it was really good.

Erik Nilsson: 42:39

So are you safe to say that Ruby Snap cookies is your favorite cookie place? Yes, absolutely OK.

Amber: 42:43

Number one. I will always be loyal to Ruby Snap OK cool.

Erik Nilsson: 42:46

It can be a point of contention when it comes to like the big cookies.

Amber: 42:50

I do like the rock star at Crave, but overall Ruby Snap is like my number one for sure. It's just my favorite. Just her flavors are just really robust. It's the perfect size. It's not too overly sugary.

Erik Nilsson: 43:02

It's not too big either.

Amber: 43:02

And she just has fun. Unique flavors that you can't find elsewhere.

Erik Nilsson: 43:06

Totally, and I think that's such an important thing to have Because I mean, I went through it's probably my ADHD getting hyperfixated on something but there's like a four week period where I probably had cookies typical Utah cookies, like twice a week, yeah. And then again talk about food that doesn't make you feel good. I was like this is way too much frosting, way too much butter, Just so decadent, which is fun. It's a good cookie, just to your point, Like something to have semi-regularly, like at the end of a day, Like I could not eat one of those every day. I mean I would be diabetic by the end of the year. But yeah, I do love Ruby Snap. They do a really good job, Especially like manageable size. Interesting. And you said your favorite sushi place is Sapa.

Amber: 43:48

Yes, I also like Chapfuku too.

Erik Nilsson: 43:50

Where's that?

Amber: 43:51

So Chapfuku is in Taylor'sville.

Erik Nilsson: 43:52

Oh, okay, I think it's in Taylor'sville.

Amber: 43:54

I like getting the more like sashimi-style cold plates there. Good when they have like the sashimi and the special sauces and the little veggies on the side.

Erik Nilsson: 44:01

I feel like you're a sauce person as well. Yeah, okay, good.

Amber: 44:04

Yeah, so that's probably my number two, and actually Kiyaki Sushi is really good when it comes to like vegan rolls and so she does like my favorite sushi nachos there. But she has vegan sushi that's actually like filled with ingredients and it's not like super basic because a lot of places will do like vegan options and you get it and you're kind of like disappointed.

Erik Nilsson: 44:24

You're like cool, I have cucumber wrapped in rice.

Amber: 44:26

Wow exactly, I have cucumber and rice, and so at Kiyaki, like hers are like the presentations, like on point, it's like they're legit.

Erik Nilsson: 44:33

Yeah, I remember I went to so on the topic of like but you don't feel like you're getting jipped yeah.

Amber: 44:38

You're like being getting the same price for your like yeah, and she's got like vegan spicy mayo and she's got vegan spicy tuna.

Erik Nilsson: 44:46

Even so, all the good things, yeah, because I remember my one of my best friend, a roommate, tanner T, who I talk on the podcast about a lot. He's living in New York and every time I go visit him there was this sushi place around the corner from him that they had these like sweet potato vegan rolls and he's like, did you got to get at least one? Because it's like one of those like bento box small rolls.

Erik Nilsson: 45:05

I was like just super dubious and I get. I was like this is the only roll I'm ever ordering from here, ever again, and even more so like when I lived in Seattle. So Seattle has like a lot of the typical ice cream chains. I mean, like you have your salt and straw, you have your what's the one that's local to there I can see it.

Erik Nilsson: 45:24

I can literally see every single location they have. But what I didn't know is they actually have this other chain called Frankie and Joes that I got introduced to for my job at the time. But it's completely vegan ice cream place. And again going back to like dubious nature of vegan things and especially ice cream, because I mean my family we joke that my grandma's side of the family are there from Roosevelt, invernal area but we have something in our family we joke is like the Taylor Jean, which is a complete and utter obsession with ice cream. And my grandma had it like we went on this trip to the outer banks and every day she would show up with a thing of duck donuts, a dozen and a thing of another thing of ice cream. The first day we're like thanks, grandma, it's so nice, and we're like we're still some left, but like she would every night finish her day eating ice cream.

Erik Nilsson: 46:10

And so again I hear of this like vegan ice cream place. I'm like, yeah, like I have strong opinions and I don't think this is it. But then we were walking by saw and straw, the line was astronomical and like the line of Frankie and Joes was almost as long and I was like all right, like let's, let's give it a shot. And I remember, like walking I was like I don't think I'm ever going to go to another place except for this, ever again. And so I like always have to remind, like friends, like sometimes I'll be like, oh, let's go try this, like vegan thing they're like, but what about me? Or like what about this?

Amber: 46:37

And like listen this is actually really good for vegan.

Erik Nilsson: 46:38

Yeah, like try something new. How dare you change an opinion on something?

Amber: 46:43

Yeah, we have like a lot of great new vegan places and I feel like in Salt Lake general too.

Erik Nilsson: 46:48

I feel like we do have a lot. I mean, we always have like a pretty strong I don't want to say fringe was the term I always use, or?

Erik Nilsson: 46:54

counterculture and that counterculture tends to gravitate more towards, I mean, plant based vegan options and yeah, I mean there's been, like monkey wrench is the one that always comes to mind for me. Yeah, it's interesting to see that and like, not only are there, like vegan specific places, but everything has a vegan option now or a gluten free option now. So what else? Anything else that comes to mind is the go-tos for you. But I also realized you can only go to so many places.

Amber: 47:19

I can keep going. Okay, so pick a category.

Erik Nilsson: 47:21

Ooh, let's go with ice cream.

Amber: 47:25

We did ice cream. Well, I didn't say my favorite ice cream. Oh, you did I didn't, I didn't say my favorite ice cream. I'm curious what it is because, like okay, so I have a couple actually, so blacksmith.

Erik Nilsson: 47:35

I was going to say that that is my favorite. You salt like black ice cream ice so good, especially their s'more flavor.

Amber: 47:41

That's my number one, like they're about country cheesecake, oh yeah. I'm seeing some themes here, yeah, and they have like a lavender one that's really good too, yeah, like the honey honeycomb lavender, and actually they've really spilled milk when it comes to soft serve spilled milk.

Erik Nilsson: 47:54

I've gone there at least three or four times again. I'm pretty close and I always love milk.

Amber: 47:59

Yeah.

Erik Nilsson: 48:00

And so when I saw it I was like I'll take an imitation, as long as it's good in a pacitas.

Amber: 48:04

Rockwell has the best honeycomb overall, hmm, so.

Erik Nilsson: 48:07

I've not been there yet.

Amber: 48:08

Rockwell ice cream. They have one in the airport now too.

Erik Nilsson: 48:10

Even better.

Amber: 48:11

Yeah, as you're flying out, go get some ice cream. Forget food, just get ice cream, yeah. It's usually a choice I'm willing to make. Yeah, and a matcha cafe. Kyoto actually has this really amazing matcha soft serve and ube soft serve. That.

Erik Nilsson: 48:25

I really love. I'm like so hit and miss with matcha because I have a friend, multiple friends. Now I've come to find out that love like matcha or green tea, kick cats, okay. And then I was like, okay, I'll try it. And I had I was like, no, but I do love like a matcha latte. So it's like it's kind of like does this make sense? No, but does it make sense? Yes.

Amber: 48:47

Well, try their soft serve and get the swirl so you can get the matcha and the ube. Okay, it's amazing.

Erik Nilsson: 48:50

Deal, I can do that. I can do that. Let me start it, that's amazing.

Amber: 48:55

Let's see.

Erik Nilsson: 48:57

Try to think of other broad categories. What?

Amber: 48:59

about Chinese food in French. Oh, I see. Oh, brunch, yes, urban Hill, urban Hill. Yes, urban Hill definitely is my favorite top spot for brunch.

Erik Nilsson: 49:06

Okay, I do, I've actually.

Amber: 49:08

I've tried so many things and I feel like I like, love most of them, which is rare, the brunch players like all places. I'll be like oh yeah, I really like this one dish.

Erik Nilsson: 49:14

And it's hard with brunch because, like there's so much overlap in the menu and it's hard to be like this is actually something very unique. Yeah, I mean, how much can you do to chilaquiles, how much can you do to French toast or pancakes or I mean other stuff? But if you can make it good and quality, then yeah, like in Urban Hill I keep hearing more about Urban Hill is awesome. Yeah, urban Hill for brunch got that. Try to think of more categories Mexican, mexican.

Amber: 49:38

La Casa del Tomal. So my husband really loves the queso tacos there. And then their quesadillas are just giant.

Erik Nilsson: 49:45

Yeah, it's because I think I've had their, like their birria tacos because they're on North Temple right. Is that the one I'm talking about?

Amber: 49:51

La Casa del Tomal is in West Valley.

Erik Nilsson: 49:53

Okay, I mean I think someone else, but I do always because, like it's always hard, because, like I think one of the biggest oxymorons in Mexican food is like gourmet Mexican food, because, like to me, like Mexican food is meant to be, like every time we go to Mexico and I like pull up in this like fancy like, right, you pull up at this random place, they have plastic tables and like, and you just talk to the woman she's had this place for 20 years or husband, like that's kind of the feeling.

Erik Nilsson: 50:17

So it'd be like here's your white love service. Like it feels a little juxtaposition. But don't get me wrong. Like one of my favorite places I've ever been to is Mexico City and, like some of the most amazing restaurants, obviously a lot of them are Mexican. So I don't want to say like have high quality Mexican food unless it's going out of a taco truck.

Amber: 50:34

But we love that al pastor at El Moralense, Like they have their original locations in the Latino mall but, I, have a location and software in now.

Erik Nilsson: 50:43

Okay, cause I'm a bit like al pastor is one of my favorite thing, because I'm a huge pineapple person.

Amber: 50:48

Actually, I would just get the lombra which comes with the pineapple and the cheese, and that's amazing. That's like my go to there.

Erik Nilsson: 50:53

And actually it's fine. I just had a pineapple in my car for a week. So we got back from a trip in Hawaii and my mom like gave us like here's a pineapple, for we got back from Hawaii and it literally just sat on my passenger seat for like a week and someone got in my car like why the hell do you have a pineapple? I'm like I don't know, but it's also kind of like part of me at this point, so we'll just go with it.

Amber: 51:13

My husband's favorites are all totally different than mine, though.

Erik Nilsson: 51:16

It's good to compliment each other, or it can cause the most friction in the world.

Amber: 51:20

It depends you know.

Erik Nilsson: 51:21

But so he loves Elmore and then say two in the Bontai and little India, but yeah, I do want to try a little India, because I've always been a um I guess it's mom um Mumbai house now yeah, that's always been my go to, but I always I can change some opinions.

Amber: 51:35

Yeah, they make it down to American pork.

Erik Nilsson: 51:38

I can do that. I'll go see John and Howard and actually just someone else on there who's a sculptor that I want to have on oh nice. Yeah, I went down to visit John and he's like hey, I want to introduce you to my sculpting friend to potentially be on the podcast. He's like and, by the way, sculpting studios are way cooler than painting studios. I was like I don't know what you mean by that, but I'm along for the ride, cause, like with painting, it's like okay, cool, there's probably a couple of sketches on the wall, something that they're working on in a lot. I mean just like not much else to it, but the thing was sculpting that. And then the way they usually prefer to do it is they will keep all of the originals and they'll cast whatever they're doing and work for the person.

Erik Nilsson: 52:10

And so I walk in and he has statues everywhere, from sizes of like three feet all the way up to like nine feet. He's one of two sculptors that do the busts for the NFL Hall of Fame. So all of those are lined up on a shelf. And so like I walk in and my like jaw drops. So I was like I get what you mean I get. This is. This is a sculpting studio. Oh, I have a good question for you. So, if you're feeling like you need a soda, what is your preferred? Thirst, thirst, ok, you passed the test.

Erik Nilsson: 52:39

Hands down thirst yes, precipites are the best there, and the maple beignets yeah, I always have to make sure I know when the maple beignets are, because I'll usually go past the 13th South one at least once a week.

Amber: 52:50

Especially love their jalapeno the special. Sometimes they have the weekend special, the jalapeno precipites. Those are my top favorite. But I've been bugging them to open a Utah can I'm like come down to Utah county. So I think it's in the works. They just have to find a spot. That's always their problem, it's location.

Erik Nilsson: 53:10

Oh, totally Like even Ying getting into Orem, like she was such a battle.

Amber: 53:15

Yeah.

Erik Nilsson: 53:17

Yeah, utah county. It's funny because they like I mean obviously Utah in general a bunch of sugar addicts. That's our drug of choice.

Amber: 53:24

Yes.

Erik Nilsson: 53:25

But that is the capital of it. So to think of not having one, it's a pen and cookies To pen and cookies. If you can get them both at the same spot with kids in the back of the minivan, then everybody wins.

Amber: 53:35

Yeah.

Erik Nilsson: 53:35

All right, let's see what else. What other cuisine haven't we done? Ooh, italian.

Amber: 53:41

Italian.

Erik Nilsson: 53:43

I guess that's carby, though, so you probably don't do that a lot.

Amber: 53:45

So that's the thing I was going to say. I don't go out to a lot of Italian places because my husband is celiac and everything, but we've been to a few Italian places recently, and I'm actually going to an Italian place later today actually too, for work or pleasure. No just.

Erik Nilsson: 53:59

Or both, I guess. Yeah, with a friend, one of my friends.

Amber: 54:02

Actually Doki Doki oh there you go. Yeah, I'm going with her. But yeah, italian's a tricky one, because I've never historically been a really big Italian food person either.

Erik Nilsson: 54:14

Especially if I'm going out, it's usually not my favorite cuisine.

Amber: 54:16

Yeah, but I actually really enjoy the Matteo. And then I would say Sicilymia as well.

Erik Nilsson: 54:24

That's usually the top spot yeah.

Amber: 54:25

Sicilymia too, yeah.

Erik Nilsson: 54:28

Yeah, I do like.

Amber: 54:29

Those two and I do really like the lemon gelato at Walters, but they do table side yeah.

Erik Nilsson: 54:34

I know I struggle with Walters now simply because he's not there anymore.

Amber: 54:38

Yeah, this is ownership change.

Erik Nilsson: 54:39

And so it's hard to be like this is the same thing with the same person, like there's not this semi-crazy Italian man talking to me through half my meal and I love it. Well, I love that he's there, I love that he's not there, so I do struggle with that one. I do love Cafe Mollice, like BTG every now and then.

Amber: 54:54

I haven't been to Cafe Mollice for a long time, so I went back when I was living in Salt Lake, but that was years ago.

Erik Nilsson: 55:01

Yeah, I like that they have. So that building itself. And so those who don't know, cafe Mollice, it's on the corner of what is this? No, it's not second west, there's a West Temple, west Temple in the fifth south, fourth south, anyway, around there I can edit it later. But like, so that building itself, I used to always drive by as a kid and I was always so curious about it because it's this like random, kind of like tall, old structure, because like I'm, I love architecture, so I'd be looking at it so interesting, like what's in there, because it was always like a nightclub or then it was shut down and then it was like, I think, just a bar in general, and then I opened up as a restaurant and I was like I can finally go and like I remember the first time I went I talked to where I was, like hey, can I like walk around, like oh yeah, yeah, like go up to the top, it's really interesting, it's like event space, and then obviously you go down to the basement and that's BTG and I was like it was just like this almost like childhood appetite that finally got fulfilled.

Amber: 55:50

Yeah, I would say like, even though I'm not like a big Italian food person, I do think Matteo is like definitely like the next up and coming, like huge must try Italian spot for sure. Yes, and apparently he has gluten free pasta now too. And so, yeah, I have to go back.

Erik Nilsson: 56:06

There we go. I have to go back.

Amber: 56:07

My husband liked what he got last time, but it wasn't the pasta, so he's excited to try it.

Erik Nilsson: 56:13

Yeah, matteo, in general, great person, great restaurant. Oh yeah, like I went there about a month ago and I was going for a date with a girl and I really like wine, but sometimes you just don't know wine very well, and so I ordered this bottle that I'd kind of learn from Good old wine Wednesday at Edison House and I was like it was really good. And then he's like, oh, he's like you got this bottle. He's like that's one of my favorite bottles. I literally had to almost like steal this from somewhere and had to carry it by hand to get it here. I was like, ok, thank god, at least he didn't come over and be like this is the worst wine you could have ordered for this area, because he's a smally as well, so always has good opinions, and he's also starting to have his wine dinners on Tuesdays.

Amber: 56:53

Now he's going to be the bigger restaurant. He's going to be the bigger space, for sure.

Erik Nilsson: 56:58

He's got plants, don't you agree?

Amber: 56:59

Good, that's great.

Erik Nilsson: 57:00

There's a lot of stuff that he's working on. That's why, when I was publishing his episode, I was like do we say chef Matteo? And then I was like, no, this guy will be so much more well known as a restaurateur than just simply being a chef or coming together with a great restaurant. One simple restaurant concept doesn't do enough for him. Ooh, curious bakery slash pastries.

Amber: 57:24

Oh yes, oh, 43 bakery 43 bakery, ok, 43.

Amber: 57:28

43 bakery, that's 43 bakery so they actually have a really good Krona and a vanilla pull apart and they do this monthly croissant too. So every month it's a different flavor. It's supposed to be like a love letter to a different salt-like neighborhood, and so in September they had a really great one I really loved. It was like a plum, but it's a filtrouson and they do a different one each month so it just kind of depends on the month. But they have really good brioche bread for their sandwiches. So breakfast sandwiches, lunch sandwiches you need to go there.

Erik Nilsson: 58:01

I need to have you as an app.

Amber: 58:02

That's a really good one.

Erik Nilsson: 58:03

Like almost like a chat GPT but Mile High Food Fairy GPT where I'm like what is the best when you're like this is where I need it Because I got no idea. But at the same time, how cool to have specific neighborhood themed menu items.

Amber: 58:16

Yes.

Erik Nilsson: 58:16

Because I'm a big fan. So I live close to Tule and that's my favorite. I call it my small place because I go there and then I run into five people that I want to see and then we chat. There's actually one friend of mine and then Jeff, that for some reason, every time I go get coffee or brunch anywhere, for some reason he's there. And so even on what day was that? Sunday? I was working out here and I was going to go to Tule to get a pastry and coffee and he texted me. He's like I'm about to go to Tule. I assume you're either there or we're going to be there and I was like see you in 10.

Amber: 58:46

I don't know how to pronounce it, but I butcher it every time I say it, so I just call it TLJ. It's a Korean French bakery, so it's from South Korea, but it's kind of like French inspired. It is an international franchise, but there's one in Midvale. And that's also a spot that I really like.

Erik Nilsson: 59:07

Interesting. The Koreans are onto something and I love it. I mean, I've been a big fan of Korean skincare recently. Yeah, like make soon. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Actually that's funny, we mentioned that Make soon. And I mean Korean film and media has been taking off, and so if I need to further adopt that into my carb consumption and pastry passion, then I can do that.

Amber: 59:31

Yes, you can check out TLJ.

Erik Nilsson: 59:33

TLJ. I can do that. Well, let's see. What else haven't we caught up on?

Amber: 59:37

There's a Vietnamese, oh a Vietnamese. It's like first 777.

Erik Nilsson: 59:41

OK, I think I've been there once. That was really good. Let's see, probably not a big burger person.

Amber: 59:46

Well, my husband oh that's right.

Erik Nilsson: 59:48

It's nice you have this talk with them.

Amber: 59:50

But I would say so, my favorite burger place is Backdoor Burger and it's in Provo. And they have really great Korean free buns too, so we do go there like a lot. Got it Not like a lot, a lot. That's like my main. I'd say like, like, if someone asked me about a burger, that's where I would recommend.

Erik Nilsson: 1:00:07

Got it.

Amber: 1:00:08

But they have a peanut butter and jelly burger.

Erik Nilsson: 1:00:10

That's really good.

Amber: 1:00:11

So it's like a jalapeno, raspberry jam and peanut butter.

Erik Nilsson: 1:00:14

I need to get lunch after this, so they just have really unique burgers.

Amber: 1:00:17

So you're not going there for your standard burger. I mean, you could. My husband's favorite burger there is like a more kind of standard burger with like some guacamole on it, but they have super unique ones too.

Erik Nilsson: 1:00:26

I do like that, Like because I think the burger because I think the burger place I've been to the most recently is and it's and I was talking to Corinne from Yelp about it but like there's always these like kind of like late night places that are popping up and so like hot buns that's run out of the Copper Commons kitchen is phenomenal because it's like amazing ingredients, super simple late night pick up window order on your phone and it's like just right at the kind of like by Franklin and Rock Taco, which is the base. I mean you know where it is, yeah, and so that's been kind of mine recently. But like I feel like everybody you talk to, I was like lucky 13. Like it's like OK, cool.

Amber: 1:01:08

Yeah, like when I was in college it was like lucky 13. You know, and I just back in the day- or I just struggle with burgers.

Erik Nilsson: 1:01:13

I can't put in my mouth, like it used to be, this thing of like look how big this is. It's probably started by Carl Jr, I don't know why. It doesn't belong in, anyway. But so then. But now I'm like if I can't eat it, it's almost like a couple point deduction, because, like, I want to be able to eat this like a burger and if you're just going to quality over quantity, yes. Is usually my approach to most things. Let's see what other cuisines are we missing out on Korean, korean, Korean.

Amber: 1:01:41

yeah, I'd say yummys, yummys, barbecue and Orem.

Erik Nilsson: 1:01:47

OK, I've seen it, but I haven't gone to it. All you can eat. That was one thing I got.

Amber: 1:01:50

They do have a location in West Valley, but it's more like fast casual. Got it, it's just like a drive through to go, and so I'd recommend going to the Orem.

Erik Nilsson: 1:01:56

OK.

Amber: 1:01:57

All you can eat.

Erik Nilsson: 1:01:58

No, because that was one thing I got introduced to in Seattle is like and I think there's this ignorance, that kind of happens until you start to explore more where you're like oh, I know what Mexican food is, so I think I know what South American and Central American food is like wrong. You're like I know what Chinese or Japanese food is, so that's got to be the same thing as all these other cuts Also wrong. But so I remember like getting introduced to, I mean like bulgogi and like rice cakes.

Amber: 1:02:22

They make everything from scratch. They make all their sides from scratch, they make the kimchi.

Erik Nilsson: 1:02:27

Yeah, I'm going to put a lot more miles on my car in the next month and I got to heck away a lot of these. So I mean looking forward. I mean, as you see, kind of Salt Lake where it is and where it's headed. I mean where do you think either trends or certain things that we need, or where do you want it to go? What do you see in Salt Lake's food culture?

Amber: 1:02:45

I just hope it continues to grow of the mom and pop shops and just like the diversity too, like bringing in new cuisines, you know, like let's see like a really great Ethiopian restaurant open up you know that'd be awesome, and let's see some more soup dumplings.

Erik Nilsson: 1:03:00

Yes.

Amber: 1:03:03

And just different cuisines that aren't like very abundant right now. Totally, that's awesome Like let's see more authentic Chinese, not the American-ized Chinese.

Erik Nilsson: 1:03:13

We don't need more general sauce. We don't need orange chicken.

Amber: 1:03:16

Let's go to dim sum spots that are really good, and just like seeing more of the canned pulled noodles places, you know. Yeah, I'm with you.

Erik Nilsson: 1:03:28

We need more diversity, we need more fun things. We don't need another.

Amber: 1:03:33

It's slowly, it's been slowly doing that.

Erik Nilsson: 1:03:35

Yeah, Credit where credit's due. Like it's changed a ton, especially from. I mean because, like I'm born and raised in Salt Lake and compared to when I was in high school, compared to when I was in college, compared to when I moved back, it's doing better.

Amber: 1:03:47

And if anybody's yeah, let's see more Filipino food. You know, that's another one too.

Erik Nilsson: 1:03:51

Filipino food Cool. I mean outside of pediatric dentistry and exploring the food scene. I mean, what else do you like to do in your spare time or what keeps you in Utah?

Amber: 1:04:02

Yeah, and so not so so I have like a 18 month old now.

Erik Nilsson: 1:04:07

That'll change your life a little bit.

Amber: 1:04:08

Yeah, yeah, but we used to do a lot of hiking back when we lived in Salt Lake and so a lot of that. And like playing board games too, like strategy board games. Yeah, board games that take like four to six hours.

Erik Nilsson: 1:04:18

And we don't do so much of that anymore either though with the little one, but changing priorities you can always go back.

Amber: 1:04:24

Yeah, changing priorities, yeah, and then just, you know, just getting on doing different things too.

Erik Nilsson: 1:04:29

Cool. I mean it's so fun too because, like, you get such a unique perspective, because, like, even just plotting the points on a map of everything we've talked about, like that's a good way to explore, like you'd be all over the place, and so it's fun that, like, even as your life changes into this new phase of having a, you're now the one with the screaming toddler We'll be soon, yeah exactly.

Erik Nilsson: 1:04:48

That that starts to change. But at the same time you still have something that pulls you to have all these experiences and, like you said, it's usually with a friend or some sort of outing that kind of keeps that going, because sometimes it's hard for people in that phase to still keep their life healthy in all the other aspects.

Amber: 1:05:02

And I've been wanting to share more like family, like activity type things, to like kids activities as well, and so like occasionally, like I think for like the past six months, I'll like throw out a video that's not even food related.

Erik Nilsson: 1:05:12

You know, so I'll test this one. Yeah, how do we feel about this?

Amber: 1:05:15

one, yeah, so just getting more into like just Utah things to do as well, not just food.

Erik Nilsson: 1:05:20

As long as you're not doing food reviews, a Chuck E Cheese's pizza.

Amber: 1:05:24

Yeah, no, no, no, no problem. No, no, no, no, no. I mean like we're like butterfly biosphere. Exactly yeah.

Erik Nilsson: 1:05:30

I don't know.

Amber: 1:05:32

Or like the Christmas light shows.

Erik Nilsson: 1:05:34

Because like hey, there's always something that people don't know about. And there's also people who like hear something and they're like do I really want to go there, or are we just going to get hand, foot and mouth disease?

Amber: 1:05:42

Yeah.

Erik Nilsson: 1:05:43

So there is an appetite for that and I'm sure there always will be. Well, amber, I want to wrap up with the two questions I was asked every guest at the end of the episode One you kind of already alluded to, but curious if you have any other thoughts on it. But if you could have someone on the Small Lake City podcast who do you want to hear their story?

Amber: 1:06:00

Doki, doki, I knew it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, I mean, she would be a great one.

Erik Nilsson: 1:06:04

Yeah, I've only heard the vet like because, like, yeen has always mentioned how great we're because they've done a lot of stuff together. So, yeah, we can do that. And then, secondly, if anybody who doesn't follow you already or wants to, I mean, what's the best place to find you on Instagram, tiktok?

Amber: 1:06:18

Just Instagram. Just follow me on Instagram. You can follow me on TikTok too. I kind of use TikTok as a little playground to test videos now, but yeah, Good little sandbox, but yeah just yeah, and so hopefully you'll be able to find a lot of great new spots that you've never heard of before, and, hopefully, some new favorites, and so that's what it's kind of all about it's just sharing what's out there so that you can discover new spot.

Erik Nilsson: 1:06:40

Totally Like. I wish I could. I wish you could see how many of your posts I've saved, because I'm like I did not know this existed. I didn't know this started, and so it's been great for me, that's what I love.

Amber: 1:06:52

It's like a lot of people were like I didn't know this existed, but now I love it and go there like every week Exactly.

Erik Nilsson: 1:06:57

And that's what we all want. We want to have these fun experiences and not feel like we have to do all this work to do it because we're all tired and exhausted the other day anyway. But continuing to explore and see again, experience all these great changes happening in Utah, especially in the food scene, and then also some of this kid-friendly and other content as well, are surely going to be far visible Because a lot of people are like Utah just has chains, there's no good food in Utah.

Amber: 1:07:19

There is good food in Utah. You just have to sometimes really look for it.

Erik Nilsson: 1:07:24

So thank you for being our culinary sherpa and helping us know what's good and where to go, amber, so thank you so much for coming. I'm so excited to knock out the list that we shared today and, yeah, make sure to follow her on Instagram and explore some of the great food that's coming to Utah.