Winter Trip in Utah!

There is something magical about Christmas time in Utah! They get snow, there is the chill in the air and lots of festivities going on all season long. We are so lucky we get to have a taste of a Utah Christmas season each year when we go back to visit family. We got to do a lot of our old favorite things and then some new things too! We stayed for about a week and it was so fun! Here is a list of all of our old favorites and some new spots that we tried on our last trip! 

See's Candies- This is a tradition for my husband and I. We go get a box of chocolates to share every Christmas season. The storefront is adorable and feels like Christmas with the hustle and bustle and all the Christmas chocolates. There is something about picking out your own chocolates and having it in a cute little box that makes it so much more fun! We love the caramels, Truffles, Creme filled ones and the Turtles. They also have the best suckers!  

Roxberry Smoothies- We love our Roxberry Smoothies! They are so creamy and have really good flavors. My favorite is the Peachy Keen, Ocean Breeze or the Tropical Twist flavors. There are multiple locations throughout Utah! We haven't found a better smoothie spot than Roxberry in Utah! The storefronts are all so cute and always well kept. Be sure to sign up with your number for their rewards. They give you money off every so many dollars. 

The Pie Pizzeria- The Pie Pizzeria is one of our favorite pizza spots in Utah. You can create your own pizza or pick off of the menu. We tried their breadsticks this trip and they were really good as well! They have really good ranch dressing to dip the pizza in that was new for me this time. This was a great spot for a group! There are few different locations to choose from, but the underground location in downtown Salt Lake is my favorite. The vibe of the restaurant is dark and moody, which is perfect for a pizza night! 

Paris Baguette- This was a new spot for us this trip! Paris Baguette is a bakery that has pastries, cakes and donuts. It is a self serve type bakery where there are cases of desserts to pick from. My husband and I tried two different slices of cake and both thought they were good. My mom had tried their croissants and Mochi Donuts and liked them both! The bakery has food options as well as coffee. It was a cute spot! 

Gourmandise- We love Gourmandise. If you are looking for a moody, fancy spot for the holidays then this is a great spot! We love all their desserts! You can dine in or pick up from either of their locations. I love the Raspberry Pistachio Tart, layered cake slices, brownies, and the Creme Brule. My husband gets the Strawberry Ring every time we go! We have never had their food menu options, but they are always busy when we go and the food has looked yummy on the tables. This reminds me of the holiday's anytime we go here! This trip I got the Peppermint Cake slice. It was super cute and festive for the season. The cake was really good and the peppermint flavor wasn't too strong. They had Eggnog flavored treats to pick from as well. I was impressed with the seasonal flavors and options. We love this place all year long as well! 

Cafe Rio- It wouldn't be a Utah trip without eating at Cafe Rio! I grew up watching the Cafe Rio locations start to pop up all over and now it's on every corner...basically! I would eat anything off of the menu, but my favorites are the Pork salads or the burritos made in an Enchilada style. The red sauce is delicious and so is their dressing for the salads. I love their Tortilla soup and their Tres Leches cakes. Don't forget to get their app, the rewards build quickly and there are always extra point deals to help get money off quicker. 

Pink Sweets Cafe- We had a funny time at Pink Sweets Cafe in Utah! They have a beautiful shop with roses that cover the entire storefront. It is super cool for pictures! If you need a cute pink place to take pictures, then this would be it! The desserts on the other hand were questionable. I don't think they make everything in house, so we were a little bit bummed about that. They had some Mid Eastern treats like Baklava. They said the Baklava was made in house, so we decided to go with that! I wasn't a fan, but it was more just because of the dessert than how they made it. We felt like the atmosphere was the winner here! 

Cakes by Edith- Since our bakery trip was a fail we went across the street to Cakes by Edith. This is a Mexican style bakery. They had cookies, donuts, cakes, and pastries. The display was really cool and they had lots of yummy looking desserts and a good amount in stock. I got the strawberry Tres Leches cake. The frosting was so light and fluffy. I really enjoyed the cake! Everything they had looked good!

Taylorsville, Utah Temple- We was able to go to the new Taylorsville Temple for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. You can go walk the grounds if you aren't able to go in too! It was gorgeous! They had a little nativity scene on the grounds that was cool to see this season. I was impressed with how neat this temple was. The parking was easy to get to and it felt like it was located in a good spot in Taylorsville. The view of the temple was the best part! 

The Original Pancake House- I had never been to The Original Pancake House, but I was glad we tried it! They have a few locations and are known for their Dutch Pancakes and of course the pancakes. I got the pumpkin and Pecan pancakes. They used real whipped cream to put on top. I loved the pumpkin pancakes! The breakfast burritos and crepes looked yummy too! 

Capriotti's- My husband and I met at Capriotti's, so we always try to stop by while we are in town! My favorite sandwich is the Capastrami. It comes with Pastrami, cheese, Russian Dressing and Cole Slaw. The flavors go so well together. My husband gets the Bobby, but hot instead of cold. Any of their sandwiches are good though. There are a few different locations in Utah, which all have been good at the locations we have tried. We love getting a smoothie and a sandwich, so we always pick the locations close to a Roxberry! 

Via313 Pizza- I was able to meet my work friends for lunch while I was in town and Via313 was where they chose to eat! I hadn't been there before and ended up really liking it! You can order off the menu or create your own pizzas. I got the pizza with mushrooms, olives and green peppers. The pizza is a Chicago style pizza, so the crust was deep and crispy. All the different pizza's looked yummy at the table. We also got the cinnamon breadsticks for dessert which were really good as well. I would go back here for sure! 

Trader Joe's Treats- My mom had done a Trader Joe's winter haul before we got into town, so we had lots of new treats to try! I tried the Bon Bons, Chewy Fruit Gummies and the Orange Chocolate Sticks. There were peppermint treats too, but I missed trying them! All I know is if you are near a Trader Joe's then it's smart to stop by and try some new treats! I was so grateful Trader Joe's came to Utah while I lived there! It is a holiday staple for me to stop by a Trader Joe's during the season. My go-to treats are the Mint stars, almond or chocolate croissants and the Butterscotch Caramel bites. 

R&R BBQ- We used to go to R&R BBQ often when we lived in Utah. We picked up some Brisket while we were in town. They have really good seasoned meats and some good sides. You can order a plate with meat and sides or just sides or the meat. I like their French fries and the Hush Puppies as the sides. The pulled pork and brisket are my favorite meats to get. The salads are really good there and so is the pulled pork sandwiches. It is a great spot to sit down and eat and is an easy to go food too!

Bjorn's Brew Gourmet Coffee- A new coffee shop for us this trip was Bjorn's Brew Gourmet Coffee. They had a lot of flavors to pick from and could make non coffee drinks as well. I got a White Chocolate Hazelnut Frappuccino. The flavor was just right and the drink was so creamy. They put a little cookie on top of the drink which we thought was so cute! The coffee was super strong for those that got a coffee drink, so be prepared for that! 

Day Trip to Rexburg, Idaho- My sister graduated college, so we got to do a day trip to Rexburg, Idaho! We grabbed a cinnamon roll and sugar cookie from Mrs. Powell's Bakery. The cinnamon rolls melt in your mouth and have the perfect amount of frosting on them. There are a few different flavored frostings to choose from. We grabbed a slice of pizza from Righteous Slice. They have by the slice pizzas that are ready to go when you get there. I got the pepperoni and thought it was super good! It is a greasy pizza, but the flavor was good. We stopped by Running for Sweets to take a look at all the nostalgic treats as well as candies from other countries. They have sodas from all over as well! We have done a day's trip before where we tried other spots too that you can check out here: One Day Trip in Rexburg, Idaho. 

We love Utah and have so many favorite spots! What should we try next time we are in town?