Pumpkin and Spice

I love my job, I really do. I like getting to make cakes, cookies and goodies and getting paid for it. However, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't homesick. I miss Kyle, and my friends, and our hangouts. I think that if I wasn't married or if Kyle was here, I wouldn't be yearning for the comfortable and familiar quite so much. Another thing that makes it difficult here (aside from not having a kitchen) is that Park City is a pretty upscale town- dining out here on a budget is tricky... There are lots of really great restaurants, but very few that cater to a gal who has to watch her pennies.

One of my favorite local places is Squatter's Brew Pub. Based out of Salt Lake City, Squatter's is bar-and-grill style restaurant that serves their own, locally brewed beers on tap. They place a strong emphasis on sustainability and the environment, and proudly use locally raised, free-range, beef, chicken and bison.

While not "cheap", the menu is certainly affordable (you can get a burger, onion rings and a beer for under $20.) They feature classic pub favorites, like fish and chips, rubens, and a wide variety of burgers (my favorite is a barbeque buffalo burger with onion straws), as well as comfort foods (mac 'n' cheese, anyone?), and some more unusual fare, like chiken tika masalaa. Sissy and I are big fans of their breakfast menu- served every day until 2pm. Of course, since I don't wake up early on my days off, to me, it's more of a really awesome lunch menu. My very, very favorite thing on any of their menus is a breakfast dish- country fried steak. Theirs is a fabulous free range buffalo cube steak (I'm not crazy about beef, but I love buffalo... weird...) dusted in flour, fried and served with gravy, hashbrowns, and two eggs. In my opinion, everything about it is perfect- the steak is tender and crisp, the hasbrowns are crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle, and the gravy is nice and peppery. Seriously- this is so good, I daydream about it. If you go after 12 noon, you can even get a beer to go with it, which, in my humble opinion, is an ideal combo.

They have a nice beer selection, mostly their own brews (though they feature a few by another local brewery, Wasatch.) Utah has some odd liquor laws, amongst them that beer over 3% alcohol by volume can only be sold at liquor stores (which are run by the state) or at bars with a full liquor license. Grocery stores and restaurants with a beer and wine liquor license can only sell "3% beer". All Squatter's brews are 3% beers, which you might think would affect the flavor, but it's not the case- they have several excellent beers. My favorites are the Squatter's IPA, Captain Bastard's Oatmeal Stout, and the American Heffeweissen. You can order your beer in several sizes- a 1/3rd liter, pint, pitcher or, if you plan on taking it home, a "growler" (a refillable 64oz glass bottle). They also have a great sampler for the indecisive-

It features all their regular beers, plus a seasonal. You get about 4oz of each beer, as well as a chart that gives you a brief description of each. (You can't tell in the picture, but the holder that the cups are in is actually an old ski. Cute.)

If you're ever in Park City, I highly reccommend giving it a try. Squatters is located at 1900 Park Ave., Park City, UT 84060. (Right next to the Olympic Welcome Plaza. If you're doing the bus thing, you can get there on the Pink, Brown or Lime bus, or take the Red or Green bus to the Marketplace/Olympic Welcome Plaza stop and walk across the Plaza.)