bana parte - farmer's market edition

The place: Bana Parte at the Salt Lake Farmer's Market



What we hoped for: another tasty, cheap Mediterranean place like O'Falafel at one of our favorite Salt Lake events.

What we got:
lamb kabob


grilled cheese


orangina


The pros: Very good smelling, fresh ingredients and fast service.  Plus they had red pepper spread and tasty beverages.

The cons: The preparation of the food.  The lamb was overcooked, the pita bread was very dry and should have been toasted, the cheese wasn't melted at all, and the menu said it included eggplant but it didn't.

Rating (changed for Farmer's Market)
Potential: 4.5 mo-mos.  We sure love Mediterranean food; especially lamb.  It was pretty, smelled good, had a good menu, great ingredients, and we had high hopes.
Taste: 2.5 mo-mos.  It turned out to be pretty average.  Perhaps they were too rushed with the crowd of the market, but we were disappointed with how they prepared things.  Overcooking things that shouldn't be, under cooking others.
Price: 3 mo-mos.  Our grilled cheese was $4 and our lamb kabob was $7.  Pretty average price.  We would have rated it higher, had the food been better.

Will we be back? Probably not.  There are many other places to try at the market, and only so many Saturdays until it ends.

o' falafel

The place: 
O' Falafel (website)

What we hoped for: a tasty, cheap Mediterranean place.  We love places like Mazza and Layla Grill, but can't afford them too often.

What we had:
Beef Shwarma and Kifteh

The pros: Delicious sandwiches with fresh ingredients and wonderful spices.  The owner brought out free hummus and pita bread to our son, who was having a hard time.

The cons: The entrees, which sounded great, were a little out of our under $10 budget, but considering the type of food, the price was still reasonable.

What to get: We loved our sandwiches, but we'll be back to try some of the entrees like makhshi and mousakka.

Rating:
Atmosphere: 4 mo-mos.  It's clean, has plenty of seating, and friendly staff.
Price: 3 mo-mos.  While some of the menu is a little higher than we like to pay, it is definitely cheaper than other Mediterranean restaurants.
Food: 4 mo-mos.  Fresh, flavorful, and healthy.  It was very good, and a nice change of pace restaurant.

Will we be back? Definitely.  There are many other dishes we would love to try.

eva

The place: Eva (website)

What we hoped for: slightly finer dining at a reasonable price.

What we had: 

Slow roasted tri-tip "bruschetta" and the fig and pig baker's pie

For dessert: doughnut holes and banana cake

Our friends tried Eva's pie and shrimp and grits

The Pros: Truly tasty food and unique flavors on each dish.  Friendly staff.  Felt like a nicer restaurant than our usual spots.The Cons:  We know it's known for it's small plates, but we could have used some larger portions.  Fairly limited seating, so you probably want to get reservations if you're going at peak times.What to get:  It all was very good and you probably can't go wrong with anything on the menu, but the fig and pig baker's pie was fabulous.  It was the right combination of sweet and savory.  Against our general recommendations, splurge and get dessert.Rating (1-5 mo-mos, 1 being the worst, 5 being the best)Atmosphere: 4 mo-mos: Very nice, charming restaurant.  It's a little tight but cozy.Price: 2 mo-mos: It was a good price for upscale food, but more expensive than we generally like to pay.Food: 4 mo-mos: It really was very good.  Very flavorful, nice presentation.
Will we be back? Yes.  Interested in trying the lunch menu.