Rising Cheese Prices Bump Cost of Pizzas

The Associated Press reports that block cheddar cheese - the benchmark for mozzarella and other cheeses -- reached $2.08 a pound recently on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, up 78 percent from $1.17 a pound a year ago. Industry observers attribute the price surge to strong demand and higher production prices -- from the cost of milk to the cost for dairy farmers to feed their herds. Some big pizza chains, which use mountains of cheese, already have responded. Both Pizza Hut and Papa John's International Inc. have raised the price of their cheese-only pizzas to the same amount as one-topping pizzas at company-owned stores. The higher cheese prices have exacerbated pressure companies already face from higher wages and fuel costs, said Chris Sternberg, spokesman for Louisville-based Papa John's. Papa John's uses about 100 million pounds of cheese each year, and the cheese typically makes up 35 percent to 40 percent of the food cost in making a pizza, he said.

IN THE NEWS: The Tribune's sltrib.com Mary Brown Malouf gives one star to Five Alls (1458 Foothill Drive, Salt Lake City), while Best Bites stops at Caffe Niche (779 E. 300 South, Salt Lake City). ... Deseret News' desertetnews.com Stacey Kratz gives three and a half stars to the pizza at Settebello (260 S. 200 West) and three stars to the gelato at Dolcetti (1751 S. 1100 East).

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Takeout Services on the Rise

Time-pressed Americans' push for more food to go is reshaping the way restaurants do business, USA Today's Bruce Horovitz usatoday.com reports. Well over half of the meals purchased at the nation's estimated 935,000 restaurants are eaten at home, back at the office or in the car. Twenty five years ago, far more people ate restaurant food in eatries than took it out. By 2006, the typical American ate 81 meals inside restaurants but ordered 127 to go, reports researcher NPD group. The paper cites increased takeout services at a number of national chains, including Cheesecake Factory, Outback Steakhouse and P.F. Chang's, as well as Washington, D.C.'s historic Old Ebbitt Grill.

IN THE NEWS: City Weekly's Ted Scheffler reviews Pho Hoa (3460 S. Redwood Road). slweekly.com ... Deseret News' Stacey Kratz gives two and a half stars to Su Casa (516 E. 300 South). deseretnews.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Hong Kong Tea House Suffers Construction

IN THE NEWS: City Weekly's Ted Scheffler reports, "A concerned customer of the Hong Kong Tea House & Restaurant (565 W. 200 South) sent me a plea to help get the word out this week, concerned that he may lose his favorite Utah Chinese restaurant. According to a reader named Dave, the light-rail construction project on 200 South has so drastically affected business at Hong Kong Tea House that the owners are concerned they might not survive it. The main problem is that the temporary parking is inadequate for the regular patrons of the restaurant, since most of the parking was originally on 200 South. So, if you’re also a fan of the Tea House—and want to save it—run, walk, jog, drive, bike, take a bus or taxi. But the word is that, unless business picks up immediately, the restaurant might not make it." slweekly.com ... The Salt Lake Tribune's Kathy Stephenson previews the 15th annual downtown Salt Lake City Farmers Market at Pioneer Park by looking back at the introduction of all-natural Morgan Valley Lamb to the market six years ago. sltrib.com ... Deseret News critic Stacey Kratz gives two and a half stars to Little Italy (9284 S. 700 East, Sandy). deseretnews.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

New Chefs School To Open in August

IN THE NEWS: The Deseret Morning News' Wendy Leonard reports, "Utah will soon be serving up a platter of new chefs, as well as restaurant managers, pastry cooks and various designers with the opening of a new school in Draper. The Art Institute of Salt Lake City will open its doors to students in August, but the enrollment process has already begun. Since the announcement of the new school last week, President Darren Adamson said the Salt Lake City facility has received more than 600 inquiries and nearly two dozen formal applications." ... Critic Stacey Kratz awards four stars to Metropolitan (173 W. 300 South). www.deseretnews.com ... The Salt Lake Tribune's Anne Wilson gives two and a half stars in her review of Desert Bistro (1266 N. Highway 191, Moab). ... The paper also notes that Pandora's Tea Parlour has reopened in a historic home at 159 E. Main St., Midway. sltrib.com ... City Weekly's Ted Scheffler reviews Mexican eatery La Frontera (1236 W. 400 South). slweekly.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com