Move Over Mousse, Here Comes Mamacitas!

Located in what was once The Choc’late Mousse at 155 University Ave., Mamacitas is bringing South American Tapas to Provo!

Never had Tapas before? It’s not necessarily a kind of food. Tapas mean you have an opportunity to sample dishes without having to order a full entrée. Have you ever made a meal out of appetizers? At Mamacitas, that’s the point!

Featuring an eclectic, young vibe and Latin foods served family style, Mamacitas promises a meal designed to encourage interaction and conversation amongst family and friends.

We had the opportunity to try a few of Mamacitas offerings such as their Chilaquiles (a fantastic twist on nachos with chips sautéed in salsa rojas and topped with a fried egg); Pulled Pork tacos (which feature tender and juicy pork with a subtle but sweet hint of mango flavor) and their Carne Asada tacos (in short: to die for! The meat was perfectly cooked along with beautifully caramelized onions). You can also get the Carne Asada in an entrée. Many of their offerings are also available vegetarian or gluten free.

Craving a sweet treat? Mamacitas has you covered with their dessert menu which includes a Flan; a Flourless Chocolate Cake; and Chocolate Strawberry Empanada with many more options to come. The strawberry empanada tastes like fried summer: a light, flaky crust filled with warm gooey chocolate syrup and strawberries and topped off with soft, cold cream and chocolate flakes.

Of course, a Tapas bar isn’t officially a “bar” without a number of delicious drink options! They have a rotating menu of frozen drinks. The Guava Passion drink is absolutely delicious; cold, tart, and served in a unique and fun glass! Eventually, Mamacitas will have a liquor license so they can expand their drink offerings to include magaritas and the like!

Mamacitas is located at 155 University Ave. in Provo and are currently open from 11am – 9pm Mondays-Thursdays; 11am – 10 pm on Fridays; and Saturday evenings at 4pm.

Wanna try out some Tapas?

Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a coupon for $5 off any menu item!

Weekend Roundup: Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

BINGO

I love winning, so I'm assuming all of you love winning too. So we put together a little something something for you all so you can enter to win two tickets to Stadium of Fire! That's right it's time for some BINGO. Lets talk rules of the game: sign up by send us an e-mail at utahvalleycvb@gmail.com with "BINGO" as the subject line. We will then send you a bingo card with different Utah Valley attractions on it. This is where things get fun, after you have your card go out and take photos of yourself at those attractions. Then post your image to social media using the hashtag: #VisitUtahValley. Once you have a BINGO, send us an email (by midnight on June 12, 2014) with links to your posts. Remember BINGO is 3 locations in a row. The winner will be announced on Jun 13th. Remember that your privacy settings must be set to public so we can see your photos.

#VoteProvo

I don't know if you picked this up yet, but I love to win. Provo City is up for the Best Town in America Contest and is one of the final 8 cities. We want to show the world how much we love this area and I personally wouldn't mind if we won. To vote go to voteprovo.com and click on the Vote button next to Provo. For more information check out our friend Mayor John Curtis's blog. He is even doing a giveaway!  

Utah Valley Electro Dash 5k

Are you free tomorrow night? Do you want to do a 5K with neon lights and dance music to coax and entice you along the course? I knew you would. The Utah Valley Electro Dash 5k is being held in Downtown Provo this Saturday, May 31, 2014. The first laser strikes at 8:30 pm. Each runner gets a t-shirt, race number, glow glasses, and a glow bracelet in their race packet. Race starts at 45 E Center Street in Downtown Provo. For more information click HERE

Utah Pasifika Festival

Are you ready for a weekend of delicious food, fun entertainment, and a taste of the Polynesian culture? May 23-25 the Utah Pasifika Festival will be taking place in Downtown Provo around 100 East Center Street. 

The Utah Pasifika Festival strives to, "share, cultivate, and foster their Polynesian heritage and values by providing ways to: nurture a spirit of respect and appreciation for all cultural segments within our local communities; preserve and portray traditional and modern Polynesian art forms (dance, music, crafts, language); promote education and awareness of current and relevant issues; and celebrate the diversity in the world around them." 

Walk around enjoy the different vendors that are set up to help educate and teach about the Polynesian culture. Enjoy delicious Polynesian food that will also be available all weekend long. Don't forget to check out the main stage for a variety of entertainment! 

One of the best parts, they are doing weekly giveaways on their Facebook Page leading up to the event! Currently they are giving away a $40 gift card to Ohana Grill...sign me up!! 

Restaurant Spotlight: Brassas Mexican Grill

         Today we had a great time at Brassas Mexican Grill in Downtown Provo. They have been located at 238 W 100 South Provo for around a year and a half. You walk up to order and then sit inside heated tents to eat. They have a salsa bar with everything from warm onions to extra extra hot sauces, that's right it's so hot there are two extras in the name. The staff was so friendly and accommodating.
         We tried the tacos and they were amazing! The three types we tried were the pork, steak, and chicken. All three had something special. The pork came with grilled pineapple and fresh pico de gallo salsa.  They were all topped with fresh guacamole that complemented the meat. We also enjoyed a burrito. They have many different types and all are good choices! This is a great restaurant to get a fast bit to eat or to hang out and feel like you are on the beach in Mexico.  

I like caramel with my hot chocolate

Well, the cold is officially here! Love it or hate it, this is the time to break out the hot chocolate and unpack the pink snuggies hidden under your daughter's bed. With snow on the ground, we are giving you our list of fun 'dos' for this next week.

 

Do 1: Watch A Christmas Carol

This family outing will be as timeless as the play. Nothing makes memories like the warm charm of the Hale Center Theater combined with a Dickens classic. I've been to Hale Theater many times and am always taken with the ambiance and the quality of the performances. Treat your kids to the giving side of the holidays with A Christmas Carol. It's a great date night and an even better evening with the family. You'll be surprised how enjoyable it is for your younger kids!

Do 2: "Lights on" in Provo

 

I know I know, ANOTHER tree lighting ceremony. However, downtown Provo isn't your run of the bunch outlet mall. Downtown Provo is the gem with a personality to match you lovers of the holidays. The fun starts Saturday, December 7th at 7 p.m. Santa himself will be illuminating the lights outside of the City Center, so bring some of the kids. There will be caroling and hot chocolate afterwards. It's always fun to walk around and see the downtown lights. You will be in walking distance of the new temple, the new Nuskin building, and dozens of great restaurants.

  Do 3: Tim Tam Slams

This is my personal favorite treat. It's yummy, and it is also really fun to say out loud. If you're unfortunate enough to not know what Tim Tams are, let me explain. Tim Tams are a heavenly wafer cookie with delicious chocolate filling, and of course, a chocolate exterior. Tim Tam "slams" are Tim Tams dipped in hot chocolate. Try biting off each end of the Tim Tam and drinking hot chocolate through it. The Tim Tam becomes a straw that melts and gets all gooey. The melted chocolate on peoples' faces also makes for good Christmas card pictures (hint hint).

-Wren