One Year Later and The Over Bite is Blessed.

The Over Bite

133 E Center St.

Monticello, UT, 84535

Phone: (435) 485-0550

Hours of Operation:  Monday thru Saturday, 7am – 8pm; Closed Sunday

Website: https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Over-Bite/100094723847945/

“This business is a blessing as, it not only kept the family together, but helped us get closer.  Not only that, we became closer to the residents, and feel welcomed by, and part of, the community.” – Patrick and Shylowe Chadd, owners of The Over Bite.

 

July 15, 2026 was the one-year anniversary for The Over Bite, and much was learned by the Chadd family.  “We’ve been, and still are, running this business by the seat of our pants”, says Shylowe, but the pros far outweigh the cons.  Developing a deep connection with the community was a huge advantage as they were able to learn how to accommodate their customers.  Winter was the con as the lack of folks venturing out, or traveling through, diminished, but the shop managed to stay open and still make sales.

Likes and dislikes taught them what worked on the menu, and what didn’t.  For example, I don’t like tomatoes on my favorite sandwich, Comb Ridge Club, but employee Kellan loves the Red Rock Gobbler with extra sprouts.  In other words, the customers are going to get what they want, how they like it, and always with a smile. 

 

The most popular sandwiches?  It varies daily, just as they think they’ve figured it out, the customers surprise them by trying something different; that’s a good thing! This opened up the option of dropping non-requested items, and introducing new ones that have become very popular instead.  The Dependable, a breakfast sandwich named after Dependable Auto due to the owners sending many a customer down to The Over Bite.  Now that’s a perfect example of one business supporting another business, and vice versa. 

 

Newest signature sandwich is The Over Bite, the classic Reuben with a very tasty twist, the dressing.  Instead of the typical sweet 1000 Island dressing, it’s a combination of horseradish sauce, mustard and mayonnaise.  This is there #1 best seller, so I had to try it, and was floored; this is a sandwich that needs to be savored, not scarfed down.  Oh, kudos to Eli Chadd, who made my sandwich while mom and dad supervised…great job!  Anyway, after each bite, chewing, tasting how the meat, cheese, sauerkraut interacted with the sauce; oh, it was definitely not a sandwich to be eaten quickly.  Which, of course, cost me half a sandwich as hubby snagged the other half while I was lollygagging.

 

Good news came to the Chadds when San Juan County Economic Development awarded them a business grant.  They were able to finally buy a steam oven which was needed to make perfect sour dough bread.  The oven can bake 18 loaves per batch, so they can keep it in stock.  Instead of creating other types of breads (white, wheat), their focus is on sour dough, and infusing with ingredients such as cinnamon, raisins, or blueberries enhance the variety in stock.

Besides their popular menu items, they have dips to go with the sour dough bread, brownies, cookies, and cheesecake for Valentine’s was a huge seller.  Experimenting with gluten free products has been positive so far; those with celiac disease have been very happy with the products purchased.

Of course, smoothies, sodas (they can be dirty if desired), hot drinks and cold drinks are available, but most folks love their coffee.  Real coffee, caffeinated, hot, cold, latted or blended.

But wait, don’t be discourage if coffee is not your thing; newest item available is called Pero, and it is becoming a best seller.  Pero is a 100% natural, caffeine-free roasted grain beverage made from barley, malted barley, chicory, and rye. Designed to mimic the roasted taste and aroma of coffee, it contains no stimulants or artificial ingredients. Because of its low acidity, it is a popular alternative for those looking to avoid caffeine or acid reflux.  While some like it hot, served cold is the #1 way it’s being ordered by customers avoiding coffee and caffeine.

 

The Over Bite interior can accommodate up to 49 people.  Therefore, clubs, groups, family gatherings are welcome.  For huge sports events, there is a large screen television; grab a meal and cheer on your favorite team. Outdoor seating has been installed, so dining outside, in pleasant weather, is a plus.  Catering is a Yes!  Whether you want to use the restaurant, or have them come to you, chat with the Chadds and you will get the best of the best they have to offer.  The products they use are sourced locally, or via the Sysco Food Service which is widely used by the restaurant industry.

 

Congratulation to the Chadds, and The Over Bite, for a year full of blessings, camaraderie with the Monticello community, and offering good food and drink to anyone stopping by.  Except now I don’t know which is my favorite any longer, Comb Ridge Club or The Over Bite sandwich…. how do I choose!?!

Mary Cokenour

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smoke Pizza Company and DaYz Desserts are Two Greats in One.

Smoke Pizza Company and DaYz Desserts

148 South Main Street

Blanding, UT, 84511

Telephone: Currently unavailable; however, ordering can be done via their website: https://orders.cake.net/11552341, and they also have a Facebook page, so you can leave comments or reviews.

Hours of operation are Monday-Saturday, 11am to 9pm, Closed on Sunday. 

 Several hours after visiting Smoke Pizza Company and DaYz Desserts, I was still finding it difficult to begin this newest of restaurant review articles.  Why?  Reeling from great conversation with owners Jon and Colleen Raisor (another owner, Daylen Carter was not present), and employee Vincent, plus the amazing food high from the great food and baked goods…how in the world was I supposed to sit still, form coherent sentences and make sense!? (Wow, talk about a run-on sentence).

First, we have to time travel once again to December 9, 2015 and the article about David Ludwig, his pizza wagon, and the wood burning oven he had built himself.  While he provided a good product to Blanding locals, and visitors passing through, he eventually moved on, and sold his business to Jon and Colleen Raisor.  “What were they thinking?”, they had to ask themselves, but they were interested in getting into the food industry, and opportunity came a-knocking at their door.  For eight years they created excellent pizzas at a Main Street location, and also went to events to wow new customers.  As good as this was, they wanted more, a larger location, the opportunity to earn monies to fill their coffers, more food choices for the community, and a way to truly show off their cooking and baking talents.  Getting together with Daylen Carter, having access to a prime Main Street location once again, Smoke Pizza Company and DaYz Desserts opened in September 2025.

Sourcing comes from a popular food distribution company that most restaurants tend to use.  Jon makes sure to purchase as many products that are of Italian origin as quality goes a much further distance.  Practically every food item is housemade; dough for the pizzas and pastas, sauces, dressings; except the sauces for the wings.  Alright Jon, let’s go over this one more time: 1-stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted; whisk in ¼ cup Frank’s Red-Hot sauce, and that’s mild for the wings.  Want it hotter?  Just whisk in more Frank’s till it’s just right, yes, we had a good laugh over this.  Back to the housemade, the salads are created fresh, not purchased prepackaged, and all the baked goods (breads, croissants, cookies, brownies and much more) are made in-house.

 

Colleen Raisor Working the Oven.

Just a small selection offered by DaYz Desserts.

So, how was our dining experience from start to finish?  When we first got there, a group of motorcyclists, who just happened to see the new sign, decided to try it out.  I asked them about their experience, and they were so pleased about everything; the welcoming and friendly atmosphere and staff, the longest wait time was about 10 minutes, and they thought the food was quite amazing. They were seasoned travelers, so a good place to eat, could be a challenge at times.

 

The building interior is very open, roomy, with large windows that let in plenty of light.  A motorcycle group of about 24 people were there, so this restaurant can handle large groups looking to celebrate an event, such as a family gathering, or friends having a reunion.   Let me tell you, after speaking with Jon, Colleen and Vincent, that is exactly what it felt like, a few friends getting together for laughs, storytelling and enjoying great food.

Alright, I hear you, shut up about the people and building and tell us about the food!

 

We ordered the Combo Meals; as usual, this pizza snob went with the 10-inch plain cheese pizza.  Hey, if they mess up that kind of pizza, what chance do they really have?  It came with a brownie (I chose mint) and a 16-ounce beverage.  Roy went with supreme pizza loaded with Italian sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, sausage, Canadian bacon, onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, and olives; his brownie choice was salted caramel plus the 16-ounce beverage.  The price for this meal deal could not be beat!  We also ordered wings with barbecue sauce as a starter.

 

The Wings – an order has 6 large and meaty wings that are baked, yet they have a good texture, thoroughly cooked, and not a gummy skin on the outside.  They are not over sauced, so your taste buds get a good mixture of chicken meat with sauce.  This starter is perfect for two people, or a really hungry single person.

 

 

 

 

 

The Pizza – crust was nicely browned, not overly crispy, but it held all the ingredients well; no flopping and dropping. The edges were slightly darker, but that is due to being close to the flames; yes, their pizza ovens use flame cooking.  Sauce was definitely a winner in flavor; Mama Mia, that’s Italian!  The cold pizza test gets a definite A+, and if you see my hubby with a bandage around his hand, he tried to steal my leftovers.

The Brownies – they are frosted brownies with the frosting being a perfect accompaniment for the rich chocolate brownie.  The mint had a subtle taste which combined so well with the chocolate.  The salted caramel had just enough of a hint of salt, you knew it was there, but did not get overwhelmed as if biting a nugget of sea salt.  Later on, I purchased a sampler container of the brownies which contained three with vanilla frosting; oh, that was nice, yeah, really nice.

 

When it comes to customer favorites, everything on their menu depends on tastes, but pepperoni pizza, or anything pepperoni really, is the best seller.  Speaking of the menu, besides those amazing wood fired pizzas, there are pasta dishes, salads, breadsticks, chicken wings (choice of four sauces), sandwiches, additional toppings and sauces and, not to be overlooked, those yum-o-licious brownies.  The prices are very reasonable, especially for such good quality.

There are a few future goals for the business, like adding calzones and gelato to the food menu.  Catering is being considered, but all the logistics have to be figured out, so stayed tuned for further news. Oh, the food truck, that will still be used for special events.

 

Before leaving, purchases of cinnamon rolls, brownies, a huge loaf of ranch bread, and humongous croissants were destined for home.

Hours of operation are Monday-Saturday, 11am to 9pm, Closed on Sunday; busiest time is usually 6-7 pm, the dinner hour.  Friday and Saturday are the busiest days, and Monday the slowest, so now you can plan your visit…you have to visit!  Afterwards, you will again and again and again; hey, maybe you’ll see us there and we can have a fun chat.

Mary Cokenour 

 

Easy Creamy Smothered Baked Tasty Casserole

In the past weeks I have seen, repeatedly, posted a recipe for Pork Chop and Potato Casserole featuring Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup.  Usually, it is a photo of the completed dish with ingredients listed, just the names, not the amounts, and “Click on this link for full recipe”.  Clink on the link and you are taken to a cooking blog, or a Facebook page, that will not give the full recipe unless you become a follower.  While I would love to see folks click “Become a Follower” on my own food blog, I do not keep the recipes as secretive as a government agency.

Not everyone wants to join a blog, or page, just to access one recipe, and nowadays it is just easier to do a search, and find it printed elsewhere, intact with full ingredient list and directions. That is exactly what I did do, a search and read many a recipe describing the writer’s take on what the recipe should entail.  While many a recipe was quite simple to accomplish, some were so complicated, it went from comfort food to Michelin star status.  Well, my blog is about adventures in creating and enjoying comfort food, so that is the path I chose to create a dish of my own.  Also, while many a recipe had the same name, many others used a more descriptive word in the beginning, usually “easy”, “creamy”, “smothered”, “baked”, or “tasty”.; hence this article’s title.

The combination of pork with potatoes goes back centuries, to every country, and its culture, that had the two food products available.  Putting them both, into one pot, was merely a way to save time in the cooking process while other chores could be finished up.  Those working outside the home environment could come back to a hearty meal, spend quality family time, before heading off to bed.

So, how did cream of mushroom soup come into the mix?  Recipes for mushroom soups were made popular during the 16^th century, mainly in France and Italy, for the royals and rich.  It was 1934 that the American company, Campbell’s put out a canned version of a creamed soup.  Open the can, put contents in a pot, add milk, heat and enjoy a bowl of smooth, filling, comfort food.  Campbell’s went further in enticing housewives to buy their products by putting easy-to-make recipes on the labels.  However, the recipe for the pork chop and potato casserole was not one of their creations.  In fact, the only origin found was references to being influenced by French and Italian cuisines that used a smooth mushroom sauce that “smothered” the pork, and “scalloped” the potatoes at the same time, in one pan.  So, who did it first?  Ask anyone, and you will probably hear it was Grandma So-and-So, or Great Grandma What’s-Her-Name; and that Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup was the base for the sauce.

When it comes to the pork chops, bone-in or boneless, can be used, but cooking times must be adjusted, since bone-in takes longer to cook thoroughly.  Depending on the thickness of the chops, brining or soaking overnight in milk, will help loosen up the meat’s fibers.  Trimming away as much outside fat as possible ensures the sauce will not become greasy.  A little fat running through the chops will melt away during the searing process, so no need to add a fat to the pan.  Personally, I prefer using the boneless chops that about ¼-inch thick as they need no brining or soaking; they are thin enough to absorb the flavors and moisture of sauces.

Potatoes used can be any type, from the buttery golden to the hearty russet; and cuts can be thinly sliced, cubed or chopped.  However, the cut of the potato should be one that goes well with the chops being used.  A thinly sliced potato will bake up much faster than a thick, bone-in chop, so you will end up with mushy or burned potatoes before the chops are done.  You want the pork chops and potatoes to cook evenly, together.

After reading many a recipe, I came up with my own which pairs chopped potatoes, sliced mushrooms and boneless pork chops together.  It is a simple ingredient list, easy directions, and the end result is a “easy creamy smothered baked tasty casserole”.  That title is too long, so I simply call the recipe Pork Chops, Mushrooms and Potato Casserole.  Enjoy!

 

Pork Chops, Mushrooms and Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

8 boneless pork chops, ¼-inch thick

2 Tbsp. oil (optional – use if skillet is not nonstick)

5 medium sized potatoes, peeled and chopped (1-inch pieces)

1 (10.75 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup

1 (2 oz.) packet onion soup mix

2 and ½ cups 2% milk

1 cup (8 oz.) sliced mushrooms, canned or fresh

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400F, spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick buttery spray.

 

Trim outside fat from pork chops; heat large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat; sear both sides of chops, two minutes per side; remove from skillet and set aside.  If using a skillet that is not nonstick, then heat the oil before searing. 

 

 

 

 If not already done, peel potatoes and cut into one-inch pieces; cubes, triangles or mix of both shapes.

 

In a large bowl, whisk together creamed soup, soup mix and milk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In baking dish, spread out potatoes, cover potatoes with pork chops leaving space between chops, spread mushrooms over chops.  Pour soup mixture over all.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake additional 20 minutes.  Chops will be cooked thoroughly, potatoes and mushrooms softened with a smooth, bubbling sauce.

 

Makes 6-8 servings depending on size of chops.

 

Note: The creamed soup and soup mix have salt, so that is why I did not add any.  There are also low sodium brands available, if you want even lesser salt.

Mary Cokenour