Long Live The Dodo 

• Derek Carlisle

While making recommendations is one of my favorite parts of covering the local food scene, there are few joys that come close to suggesting a local substitute for a national franchise. For example, I know plenty of people who are absolutely gaga over The Cheesecake Factory. In cases like these, I'm always quick to recommend The Dodo (1355 E. 2100 South, 801-486-2473, thedodorestaurant.com).

The Dodo captures the elusive vibe between casual and fine dining. It's got a menu full of contemporary American classics and it's got a roster of over-the-top desserts. And you know what it doesn't have? Ads in the goddamn menu, that's what.

The Dodo has been a Sugar House mainstay since 1981, and it's the type of local restaurant that gets packed after 6 p.m. no matter what day of the week it is. Most of my previous excursions to The Dodo have mainly been dessert-related—I'm a sucker for their assortment of pie and cake, but more on that later. As this place has been a Utah institution for slightly longer than I have, I figured it was high time to give the place a proper write-up.

I popped in for an early dinner with my daughter—I had been talking up the legendary desserts we were about to eat, and she was appropriately excited. The Dodo really is a nice spot to eat. They've done an excellent job with keeping their space comfy and contemporary—from the moment you enter, it's hard to tell that it has been operating for more than forty years.

After we were seated and had some time to check out the menu, I gravitated toward the chimichurri pork tenderloin ($27.99). My kiddo went for the kid's quesadilla ($5.99)—she's very much into the toasty, gooey cheesy phase of her diet. While our food was being prepared, I told my daughter about the wonders of Toll House Pie ($8.99) and that would most certainly be a part of our post-dinner plan. She's a tough one to crack—she's also developed a fun habit of turning her nose up at anything I suggest—but I could tell she was getting a bit excited for the sugar rush to come.

But first, the pork tenderloin. It's a great example of how The Dodo can take simple ingredients and spruce things up with sheer technique. The tenderloin is cooked to tender perfection, and the heap of steamed veggies and mashed potatoes are fresh supporting acts. The chimichurri sauce is what really ties the dish together—it hits the right balance of acid and herbaceous flavor.

The other entrees at The Dodo are equally tantalizing, depending on how you like your proteins. Fish fans will dig the honey baked salmon ($26.99) or the blueberry parmesan halibut ($34.99). If you're feeling dangerous and don't mind getting good use of the napkins, you can go for the smoked baby back ribs ($28.99).

Those after something a bit less meat-centric can check out options like ravioli ($21.99) or a spinach, mushroom and feta quiche ($18.99). Regardless of where you'd like your dinnertime journey to take you, The Dodo has something that's fresh, comforting and tasty.

Stuffed as we were upon finishing our respective meals, it was time to get down to business. We ended up ordering a slice of the Toll House Pie and the key lime pie ($8.99) since the kiddo likes to brag about how much she likes sour food. For those who have yet to experience the Toll House Pie—it's amazing.

Imagine a pecan pie that was actually a giant, slightly gooey chocolate chip cookie. The flavor is just as spectacular as you'd imagine, and the gigantic scoop of whipped cream and chocolate chips puts it all over the top.

For a buck-fifty, you can get this a la mode, which I highly recommend. Everything gets all melty and creamy, which is a nice complement to the intense, sugary flavors of the pie. It's epic tier pie and is consistently delicious. The key lime pie is also a solid bet, with its metric ton of merengue wobbling on top of a thick filling of tart, key lime deliciousness.

I suppose the takeaway from my experience at The Dodo is that for every national chain that opens its doors in Utah, there is always—always!—a local alternative that does the trick. In many cases, the local alternative is better—I can't remember the last time I set foot in a Cheesecake Factory.

For those planning to line up in droves at the next groundbreaking of whatever new fried chicken joint is expanding its reach to Utah, take a moment to appreciate the local spots that have been keeping our food scene vibrant and unique for years. Just make sure to get a slice of Toll House Pie along the way.