I never met a cheeseburger I didn’t like. Of all the wonderful foods in this world, I think cheeseburgers are one thing I could probably eat everyday. (In a world with no calories, that is.) However, not all cheeseburgers are created equal.

I took a recent survey amongst some of my Facebook friends and was surprised to find a pretty even division between In-N-Out and Five Guys lovers. I thought it might be interesting to compare them and see which cheeseburger reigns supreme. I’ve graded the burgers according to five categories: meat, bun, toppings, sauce, and overall taste. I think that pretty much covers the important stuff. Here we go…

Just a few interesting facts in the world that we may not have foreseen a year ago: A 16-year-old boy named Justin Bieber is the most popular human being on earth; Conan O’Brien has a show on TBS; Jimmer Fredette and the BYU men’s basketball team are ranked No. 3 in the nation (for now); Charlie Sheen is a crack addict (Okay, you saw that one coming — Two and a Half Men is awful, by the way); and finally, the Provo culinary scene is booming with new, delicious restaurants that are worth trying.

There seems to be a throng of fresh, creative restaurants springing up all over Utah County — places like Communal, Pizzeria 712, Station 22 and Rooster, just to name a few. I recently discovered a new restaurant that made me even more proud to be a Provo-ite: La Jolla Groves. Tucked in the newly enhanced and bustling Shops at Riverwoods, La Jolla Groves is using fresh, locally-grown ingredients to prepare their insanely delicious dishes. In fact, the restaurant’s slogan is “Insanely good food, healthier ingredients” — very appropriate, if you ask me.

I had a landmark experience in eating last week. It was one of those infrequent happenings that only come along every now and again, if you’re lucky. Like being a Boston Red Sox fan and living in Utah — you’ll probably make it up to Fenway only once or twice in your life, but the experience means everything when you finally do. Walking into Vetri in downtown Philadelphia was like that for me — like going to Fenway and smelling the freshly cut grass, except for me it was the smell of the best pasta in the country.

Marc Vetri received his training in Bergamo, Italy by some of the country’s most noted chefs. Since then, he has opened both his 40-seat restaurant Vetri in 1998 and Osteria in 2007. He’s won several awards for his culinary aptitude, including the prestigious James Beard Award for “Best Chef Mid-Atlantic” in 2005. Even Chef Mario Batali is quoted, saying, “This is possibly the best Italian restaurant on the East Coast,” which is quite the compliment, especially from a man with his own Italian restaurant in New York City.

I have long been an enthusiastic antagonist of Diet Coke. “Your mom called; she wants her drink back” was a phrase often used in my snide, anti-Diet Coke remarks. You see, I grew up in a predominately Diet Coke-drinking household, which might actually make you think I would have grown to love it — but not the case.

My disdain for the vile beverage only grew stronger as I grew older. Even worse, I was oftentimes left with no other choice in terms of beverages in my house — it was either force down the dry, bland, artificial flavor of Diet Coke, or drink Sunny D, purple stuff or tap water.

Having had that experience as a kid, it’s no wonder I grew to love the delicious, refreshing taste of Coke Classic. Once I had a sip of the “real stuff,” I was hooked. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve never been an avid Coke drinker. Too much caffeine seems to give me headaches — bad ones. But on certain occasions and especially when pairing a drink with a meal, in my opinion, nothing tastes better than “real” Coke. I don’t care if you’re drinking a high-quality wine with woodsy high notes, floral low notes, or any other weird, wine-describing adjective (not an alcohol drinker, can you tell?), nothing tastes better with a meal than Coke Classic. Nothing.

You never thought you’d see it, but food television has officially become popular. Thank you, Julia Child.

These days there are channels like Food Network and Cooking Channel that are dedicated entirely to the wonderful subject of food, which is a dream come true for some of us. You don’t have to be a “foodie” to enjoy great food television. Here’s a list of some of my favorite shows:

Everyone has an opinion when it comes to pizza. It’s just one of those foods that a lot of people are passionate about. And we all seem to know of our own place that makes “the best pizza.” Well, I’d like to tell you about one of my favorite pizza places. Let’s just put it this way: whatever your favorite is, mine punches it right in the face. I’m just saying, it’s delicious.

“When you have the best and tastiest ingredients, you can cook very simply and the food will be extraordinary because it tastes like what it is.” –Alice Waters

You’ll find this quote front and center on Pizzeria 712’s website. That’s because their food philosophy is well thought, yet simplistic. They use the very best local ingredients to create simple masterpieces. I was introduced by a good buddy a couple of years ago, I fell in love, and have been back a dozen times since.

I’m just going to say it: Great food brings me joy unlike anything else in this world. I know, I know, that’s a big, dramatic statement. Besides, it’s just food, right?

No, my friends — it isn’t just food. And if you find yourself rolling your eyes with a similar sentiment, then you should probably stop reading here. But if you’re like me and find some of life’s greatest delights through your taste buds, then read on, young foodies…

I’ve decided to make my inaugural article in this glorious online publication about one of my current food obsessions: Bombay House.

In case (pun intended) you haven’t noticed, the mighty trifecta of Provo/Orem grocery stores are just about done wrapping up their most recent episode of everyone’s favorite shopping steal: the case lot sale. If you were brave enough to battle the even-more-so crowded parking lots, play bumper carts with half the county, and stand in lines that make a summer holiday at Disneyland seem not so bad after all, you have found yourself with a pantry full of food that you may not know what to do with.

I am just like you — I don’t know why I needed 36 cans of corn, but for savings of 30 cents or more per can, well, someone grab me an extra cart. And now here we are, staring at a cupboard full of canned goods, wondering why you just dropped half of next month’s rent on food you aren’t even sure if you like. Don’t worry. In case of a local disaster, you will be everyone’s new favorite neighbor. But rather than letting your case lot investment turn into paperweights or bed risers, there are plenty of delicious meals that require nothing more than a few of these canned commodities.

Communal is Provo’s newest fine dining establishment in the downtown area.

This year hasn’t been great for small businesses anywhere, so it’s no surprise that Provo’s downtown — with all its vacant buildings and low foot traffic — vaguely evokes the aesthetic of a ghost town. Yet despite the woeful state of the economy, a few courageous entrepreneurs decided to open shop this year and have surprisingly managed to defibrillate our struggling Center Street area.

Of course, the local business scene can be a tricky thing; stick around long enough and it seems like most small-time joints go under just as they’re getting cool. Yet whether they remain for a few months or a few years, independent stores and restaurants are almost always one-of-a-kind. They also provide a place for people to come together and interact as friends and neighbors. In other words, local businesses are a city’s soul and supporting them is a worthwhile investment in community and culture.

In that spirit and in no particular order, here are of some of 2009’s best new businesses. All of them began in 2009 and hopefully, if people continue to check them out, they’ll survive for years to come.

WEEK 10 — PIZZA PIE CAFÉ

After another month long hiatus, our famous men of the Munchmobile are back on the road in the search of quality food here in the greater Provo area. In this week’s edition, our munchers sought out a restaurant that has claimed to complete the trifecta of the dining experience. This trifecta is defined as a restaurant that provides a) quality food with b) good quantity at c) a reasonable price.

For years we have seen buffets and eateries that can perfect two of these categories, but have never solidified all three. We have places like Tucanos that offers an unlimited smorgasbord of delicious Brazilian meats, but you have to fork over a pretty penny to gain entrance. Then there are the typical Chinese buffets that give you all you can eat at a friendly price, but you always have to question if the beef really is beef and if the chow mien is more than a week old. The list of these kinds of restaurants goes on and on.