After a long overdue hiatus, we return with a new lunch review of Zupas.
Although we weren't full-strength today, we hopefully can fill all your lunch hopes, wishes and dreams.
And speaking of hopes and dreams, if I were looking for light, yet refreshing lunch, Zupas was the place today.
Even though Brady called Zupas a "girlish" place, I went with a the Yucatan Chicken Tortilla soup and the Summer Chicken Salad. Both light dishes with meat.
As I've done all of my life, I ate my salad last. Weird? Yes, but then again I'm a little off at times! :)
The main reason though, is to eat my hot food first.
My Yucatan Chicken Tortilla soup wasn't a disappointment. It had the right combination of zest, crunch, spice and hardy substance. The soup was loaded with chicken, avocado, tomato and corn all topped off with tortilla strips and a squeeze of fresh lime. With a great warm aftertaste, it was right call on a cold grey February day.
Finishing off my meal with the Summer Chicken was perfect end to my lunch with the fellas. The dish included chicken, fresh strawberries, cashes, dried cranberries, grapes, mixed greens and a very light vinaigrette dressing.
I did the two dish combo and a water which only ran about eight bucks. Everything was fast and extremely fresh.
Zupas has two other combos where you can mix and match sandwiches, soups and salads. And the choices seem endless, just like their dinning area. They filled the vacant spot where Hollywood video used to be in the 600 East block of 400 South. Even though there are an abundance of eateries around there, no one can match the fresh food, cool atmosphere and size of Zupas in that area.
I'm sure we'll be headed back there again.
Overall: 9.5
Service: 9.5
Quality: 9
Man-up factor: 7.5
No quotes this week...but we repeatedly said how much we missed our brothers-in-food, even our GPak leader is in Maui....have fun GPak.
Cheers! Long live the blog!
-Wingnut
Long-time readers of the blog will have guessed that Zupas does not serve my kind of fare. I will admit that the food did appear to be expertly prepared with fresh ingredients.
ReplyDeleteI ordered a half clam chowder and an "Ultimate Grilled Cheese." Unfortunately for me, the grilled cheese had pesto on it. Turns out I don't like pesto. Who would have guessed!? The chowder was pretty tasty with chunks of bacon. Next time I'll just order a full bowl of soup and a dessert.
If I were a chick, I'm sure I would have loved the place.
Man-up possibilities: 5
Service: 9.5
Food quality: 9
Overall: 6.5
Howdy, fellas!
ReplyDeleteSorry I missed the lunch. Well, OK, that's not really true, since I'm in Hawaii. We had an awesome day touring the USS Missouri and Arizona memorial. We'll be in the Honolulu area again tomorrow, then off to Maui on Sunday.
Bummer that it was cold and gray back in Utah. It was beautiful here. A light mist fell a few times, but that just meant we had the opportunity to see four different rainbows during the day. Pretty amazing!
As for the blog, I'm glad it's back, and it's interesting that you went to Zupas. I've actually been there a couple of times, and while my reaction to the food is along Brady's lines, I have always liked the "dipping stuff in chocolate" dessert options. Yummy!
That's it for now. Aloha!
nice blog, wingnut! but i don't get the salad last deal. hey, to each his/her own. o.O
ReplyDeletebrady, i'd say you get a pass on being a little surly. i mean you were otherwise preoccupied with our, ahem, bullet-proof design system back at the office. btw, pesto = spinach.
sounds like a good lunch. better than what i had: some illy coffee and a zucchini whole-grain muffin. at 9:30 a.m. damn these solo friday day shifts!
btw, boys, i didn't see the dates you three took out to lunch? what with the chocolate-covered strawberries, the fruit salads, the lovely complementing color palette of the dining room ...
i kid. kind of.
peace!
errata:
ReplyDeletesorry, meant to say, "pesto = basil."
and some pine nuts. usu. works well with spinach.
:p
Brady, they'll leave off the annoying flavor enhancers that make things taste better if you ask 'em. But you're right: as a girl, I confirm this place is quite girly. What's next: Paradise Bakery? The Beehive Tearoom?
ReplyDeleteAhhh... chick food, music to my ears. Yep, I admit it. I like what is referred to in this manly pack as "girly." What can I say, I enjoy tempting my palate with different flavors and Zupas hits the spot for me.
ReplyDeleteI've been to other Zupas locations with my family and I stuck to a sandwich I've had before, the Hawaiin BBQ Chicken. A perfect mix of BBQ Chicken, Sliced Pineapple, and Muenster Cheese, it gives me sweet and salty that I thoroughly enjoy.
I went with the combo and chose "Mangoberry" as my specialty salad. This baby comes with fresh strawberries, blueberries, mango, cinnamon almonds, mixed greens with a mango yogurt Dressing. As a big fan of fruit with salad and more sweet thrown in the mix, this is as close to a perfect lunch as I can have.
I enjoy a good burger, and even a big burrito, but as far as fresh ingredients go and leaving not feeling like I need a nap, Zupas is as close to as perfect as one can get.
I didn't even mention the option of having soup, which for those that I've tasted, are also quite delicious.
If I ever owned an eatery, this may be the type of food I would favor. That's how much I enjoy it and the varieties and options are quite endless.
Man-up possibilities: 8
Service: 9
Food Quality: 9.5
Overall: 9.5
Zupas' pesto is held together with some kind of saucy white stuff, probably a relative of mayonnaise, which is what gave me the heebie-jeebies.
ReplyDeletewell said, scrunch.
ReplyDeletei guess we'll agree to disagree with the "man-up" rating: fresh fruit, heart-healthy salads and pineapple-infused sammies to me don't warrant anything above a 6 in that category. i think brady nailed it.
but that's just me.
and i would patronize your establishment. with my wife. just add a beer menu!
(big hug)
p.s. love the new main blog photo! let's have a caption contest.
ReplyDeletemy entry: "brady mulls what all this roughage on the menu will do to his system."
I'm just glad the main blog photo does not include me now. I should come to Hawaii more often! (Really, I mean that last part!)
ReplyDeleteCaption contest entry: Brady blurts out an unprintable swear word upon realizing he's eating lunch at a place that includes a chocolate-covered strawberry with each meal.
ReplyDelete