Hidden Cache Valley eateries feed the masses
When cooking one’s own food gets old and the campus food gets a little bland, there are a number of eateries in Logan that are well known. However, by driving just a few minutes outside of town, there are less-common options that provide not only classic food, but rich histories.
L.D.’s Cafe
L.D.’s Cafe, owned by L.D. Bowcutt, can be found at 39 W. Main St. in Richmond. L.D.’s Cafe started out as a feed store, became a furniture store, then transitioned to a funeral parlor. In 1959, it became the food stop it is today.
In addition to being a restaurant, L.D.’s is a dispatch station for the volunteer fire department in Richmond.
Bowcutt, who was brought up in the restaurant business, said he had no regrets about his chosen profession.
“It’s been a wonderful life. Through the times, I’ve had opportunities to meet friends,” Bowcutt said.
The restaurant contains photos and flags from people all over the world. Many people have created lasting friendships with Bowcutt and his wife.
L.D.’s Cafe houses pool tables in the back room. Bowcutt is an excellent pool player himself, and said he has had people from Pocatello and Ogden come up just to compete with him.
“We made it interesting when we played pool,” he said. “We had spectators and they would sit around and watch us. When you have talented pool players, it is kind of fun to watch.”
Bowcutt, who has three daughters, said L.D.’s is a family business.
“It’s been a good lifestyle for me. I’m happy with myself,” he said.
The Cafe has many regular customers, said waitress Lisa Smith.
“Every day at about 7:30 or 8:30 we have a bunch of old guys that sit at the counter and have coffee,” she said.
L.D.’s has a wide variety of food on the menu, from french fries to a salmon filet. Prices range from from $3.95 to $15.95.
Callaway’s Bistro
Head a little bit further back down the road into Smithfield and you can find Callaway’s Bistro on 54 N. Main Street.
Callaway’s Bistro was started 15 years ago by Jackie and Bob Callaway. The Callaways came to Utah from California to take care of Jackie’s mom. When they moved, they rented the building which now hosts their restaurant. Bob is a contractor and made renovations and improvements to the building after they purchased it.
The original plan was to do pizza and have a takeout pizza option, but the business grew faster than they expected, Jackie said.
“15 years ago, there weren’t that many restaurants in Utah,” Jackie said. “You only had Sizzler, the Grapevine, the Coppermill, the Village Inn, also Aggy’s.”
When it comes to favorite items on the menu, Jackie said all their customers had a different picks.
“There’s just so many favorites,” she said. “Sometimes when we go to revamp the menu and if we even think about taking something off the menu, customers complain.”
Because of this, Callaway’s has a large menu, but all of their items are made fresh.
“We make our own dough, we make our own sauces, so it’s not the premade stuff,” Jackie said.
Callaway’s Bistro is also a favorite spot of USU President Stan Albrecht.
“I can’t say that our pizza is his favorite pizza, but he loves the Bob’s Special,” Jackie said. “Whenever he and his wife come stay in their Smithfield home, they come and get pizza.”
Pasta dinners and sandwiches start at $8.95. An extra-large pizza runs from $13.99 to $16.99.
“Casual, fun, but still provide casual dining and still make it affordable,” Jackie said about the atmosphere of Callaways. “Our entire menu is available for takeout. We get a lot of families in here or just a lot of people on dates.”
Pizza Plus
Pizza Plus, located at 869 S, Main St. in Smithfield, is famous for their breadsticks. Supervisor Ashley Lazares called them phenomenal.
“We have pizza, hot wings, garlic bread and cinnamon twists,” Lazares said.
Jeffrey Davenport, the owner of Pizza Plus, said the restaurant has good food and a great atmosphere.
“We’ve been in the valley 14 years now,” he said. “It’s a family friendly environment and good value on the food.”
Lazares said they hold birthday parties at Pizza Plus as well.
The cost of Pizza Plus ranges from $3.49 for a small order of breadsticks to $19.99 for a 16-inch specialty pie.
– carli@jdsco.com