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Review: Hamilton's has exceptional
food in a casual atmosphere
By Britta
Anderson
October 29, 2008 | Fine dining in Utah is an interesting
concept. Although there are few high-class restaurants
at our grasp, in comparison with the rest of the nation
we live in a casual community where anything more than
khaki pants and a button-up shirt to go out and eat
would simply be too fancy. As my friend Jake and I dined
out recently, we found Hamilton's, supposedly one of
the nicest places to eat in Cache Valley, to follow
suit with this theory of relaxation.
As we walked in the front door, we were promptly introduced
and immediately felt underdressed in our jeans and casual
tops. But the feeling was short lived as we were guided
to another room where our table was. The room looked
like a barn that had been cleaned up and painted over.
The layout of the large room created the slight but
perceptible feeling that a hoe down might start at any
moment. Though the waiting area was beautiful, the basic
interior structure of the main dining hall fit poorly
with the surrounding ambiance of the restaurant. All
in all, it just felt like they were trying too hard
to force small town life and city elegance together
to create a single atmosphere.
The dim lighting gave a decent attempt to the romantic
feel the place was going for, until I saw the blaring
red exit signs posted above each door. What happened
to the cool, pale green light? The red seemed to cut
through everything else and was very distracting to
the rest of the room. When we sat down, we noticed the
table was a bit wobbly and dealt with it moving several
times during the course of the evening. It felt as if
the table needed to be bolted down to keep our food
from flying off if either of us even touched it.
The restaurant is set up so you can see the cooks
prepare your food, which had the potential of being
really fun, if the cooks didn't stare at you the whole
time. Every time I'd look up I'd see one of them looking
at me. I felt like I was in a fish bowl with the stupid
blank stare of an 8 year old following me wherever I
went, anticipating his chubby hand reaching up to start
tapping on the glass.
The service was very cordial. The waitress asked if
we had been to Hamilton's before, and when we replied
with a no, she proceeded to tell us some of their best
entrées and her personal favorites. It was nice to know
what to look for on the menu, but she spoke so rapidly,
rattling everything off that it was hard to keep up.
I was lucky to get a third of what she said. But she
was very polite and patient with me as I tried to decide
what to order. She came back frequently, but was never
pushy, always willing to answer any questions I had.
Even the busboy was throwing in a few of his suggestions
between his somewhat overly flirtatious comments as
he filled my water glass regularly.
The service seemed tailored to our situation, two
young, casual, college students looking for a nice meal.
The waitress and busboy were very laid back with us.
Almost too laid back at times, but it worked well for
our position. Hopefully they would take a more appropriate
approach with those of a more serious decorum.
The restroom, on the other hand, was a whole other
experience. The entire time I was in there I was wondering
where the freight train was and why it was running through
the restroom of a restaurant. After a minute I realized
it was the fan above me making the clattering racket.
Then, the first stall I went into had a broken lock,
which was something that you'd expect to find at McDonald's.
But the lighting was nice. It was slightly brighter
than the restaurant so you could see yourself, but not
so blaringly bright that it threw off the continuity
of the atmosphere.
Though the atmosphere of a restaurant may be the cherry
on top of a great experience, a great deal of weight
should go to the actual food served, and in this area
Hamilton's did very well. Their cranberry bread was
great. Usually I like my bread to be warmed up, but
the cranberry bread served at room temperature was just
right. The bread had a sourdough flavor to it with dried,
sweetened cranberries speckled throughout. It was a
perfect combination of tangy and sweet, with every bite
leaving you wanting more. We actually did have more.
Hamilton's gave us as much bread as we wanted with no
additional charge.
I ordered the New York Strip Steak, which was seared
and glazed with a light flavorful butter sauce and came
with a salad, mashed potatoes, and a fresh mixture of
zucchini, squash, carrots, and cauliflower. As the waitress
set the meal in front of me, the smell of seasoned beef
with the sweet hint of squash rose and tickled against
my nose, instantly making my mouth water with desire
for what was on my plate. My steak was wonderful. It
was juicy, tender, and flavorful.
Jake ordered the Calypso Halibut, which was Alaskan
halibut blackened in Creole spices and served under
a papaya chutney and drizzled with mango puree and fire
oil, served with couscous and roasted asparagus. Jake's
meal was not as impressive. Although great looking,
the halibut lacked flavor and carried a spice which
was overwhelming at times. He referred to it as acid
reflux in fish form. That might be a little harsh, but
the spices did overpower the fish taste.
After dinner we ordered the Flaming Peach Foster for
dessert. They came out with a cart and prepared it right
in front of us, which was very exciting, especially
when they flamed the peaches to caramelize the melted
butter and brown sugar. The combination of the hot,
caramelized peaches with the cool, creamy vanilla ice
cream was simply divine. After one bite the dessert
shot itself up to the top ten list of best restaurant
desserts I've had that I carry in my head.
All in all, I enjoyed my experience at Hamilton's
and would recommend it to anyone looking for a nice
place to eat without having to get too dressed up. Their
pricing was decent, averaging about $25 a plate with
$12 for our dessert.
IF YOU GO:
Hamilton's Steak and Seafood
2427 N Main Street, Logan
(435)787-8450
Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Saturday, 12 - 11 p.m.
Sunday, Closed
Accept all major credit cards accepted
NW
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