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 

 

Opportunity Reopens Doors to The Over Bite - A Restaurant Review.

The Over Bite

133 E Center Street, Monticello, UT, 84535

(435) 485-0550

Hours of Operation: Friday-Tuesday 7am-2pm; Closed Wednesday,Thursday and Sunday.

 

 

 

Due to demands of full-time jobs, away from The Over Bite, the former owners needed to say goodbye to their dream child.  Fortunately, this provided an opportunity to Shylowe and Patrick Chadd, since they were seeking a new financial venture.  So, when opportunity came a-knocking, they opened their doors, and The Over Bite did too.  July 16, 2025 was reopening day, and the community has been singing their praises.

Shylowe, from Blanding, was no stranger to the restaurant industry, having experience in both waitressing/customer service, and management.  She received an LLC for her personal business venture, Wholesome Cravings, since baking is a passion.  Her expertise is in sourdough, and her bread, which is tender and delicious, is a best seller.  She also includes sourdough in the creation of cookies and cinnamon rolls which sell out of the display case quickly.  In essence, Shylowe is the “Queen of Sourdough”, and once you taste her baked goods, you will agree to that title.

Sourdough Bread, Cookies, Cinnamon Roll.

 

 

Not to be ignored is her supportive husband, Patrick, from Salt Lake City, and he is no slouch. While in Tooele County, he began “Patrick's Picture Perfect Painting LLC” which has become very popular for interior, and exterior painting, cabinetry refinishing, and drywall.  Good news for San Juan County, as plans are in the works for expanding this business here.  He understands the need for tradespeople, and hopes this will influence others to come into the area.

Back to The Over Bite, baking is done on premises as is the slicing of the meats and cheeses for their signature breakfast and lunch sandwiches, and salads.  While Sysco is a major supplier of food services, shopping locally, at Blue Mountain Foods, provides needed ingredients as well.  Shylowe and Patrick are lucky to have two hardworking staff members, Evan and Kennedy, and the steady stream of customers keeps them busy!

 

The menu contains some old favorites, but several newer items are becoming best sellers, like, the Gooseneck Grinder and Red Rock Gobbler.  The menu has also been streamlined, so decision making is quicker and easier.  My hubby, Roy, basically scarfed down the Hole in the Rock Hero; it was just too good to stop eating and take a breath.  Choosing toasted wheat bread, it contains: roast beef, pepperjack cheese, tomatoes, sprouts, red onion, mayonnaise, roasted red peppers and creamy horseradish sauce.  The creamy horseradish sauce is housemade by Shylowe, and truly umphs up the overall taste of this sandwich.

 

 

 

I ordered my favorite, the club, the Comb Ridge Club, with toasted wheat bread (white is another option), ham, turkey, bacon, Monterey jack and cheddar cheeses, tomato, lettuce and mayonnaise.  All sandwiches come with kettle style chips and a pickle spear. Since I was busy interviewing the Chadds, I could only devour have my sandwich, but that left me the other half to snack on later.  It was worth it at lunch time, and very well worth the wait at snack time.

 

The Chadds understand that sitting on their current laurels will not keep their business sustainable.  Food items we will be seeing in the future are housemade soups served in sourdough bread bowls, green chili as a soup and as a condiment, along with other hot items that will be perfect when the temperatures turn colder.  For the holidays, handmade candies will be for sale; and personalized gift baskets are an option for any occasion.  Also, do not be surprised to see the baking display case explode with new tempting sweets and treats.

Goals, focusing on the community, will be karoke and game nights, plus other activities, so our youth have someplace to hang out after school lets out.  Of course, the restaurant is available for catered events, meetings, club activities, or get-togethers.  There is great appreciation for the hard work and dedication of our first responders, so law enforcement, fire and rescue, and EMS are very welcome to stop in for a free cup of coffee, or cold beverage.

So, whether you are hankering for a breakfast or lunch sandwich, salad, or thirsty for a coffee beverage, smoothie, or any other of the cold drinks available, The Over Bite will satisfy.  Not hungry or thirsty, stop by anyway, say hello, wish the Chadds all the luck in the world, and support the success of The Over Bite!

Mary Cokenour

A Well-Deserved Lunch at The Lunch Box.

With a to-do list of eight items, Roy and I were at work at 9am.  At work at our home that is.  The sky was dark, the wind steadily rising, and weather reports foretold rain and 40 F will be a nightly thing.  Also, seems that this year, our first snow will supposedly hit on October 1^st.  So, time to get off our butts, make minor repairs, and winterize.

By 2pm, we had almost all of the list ticked off; two plumbing issues need additional parts and honestly, we did not want to deal with it anymore this weekend.  I had promised Roy that, if we got 80 percent of the list done, we’d splurge and have lunch out.  Mission accomplished, and we headed out to Dove Creek.

Once again, The Lunch Box is a friendly, welcoming restaurant and what we appreciate most is that we are remembered, and our business is just as appreciated as we are personally.  I can count, on one hand, the number of restaurants that treat us like this also, and they will assuredly get our business time after time.

 

So, what was lunch this time?  I had the DC Club Sandwich which had roasted turkey and ham (real turkey and ham, not any of that cold cut crap from plastic packages), tomatoes, red onions, lettuce, Hatch green chile mayo (just a little heat on the tip of the tongue, and went very well with the other ingredients), and grilled sourdough bread.  When this monster was served, I almost fainted…how was I going to eat this!  The sandwich width was 3 and ½-inches thick.  I measured how wide I could open my mouth, and no matter how much I stretched, it was only 2-inches wide.  Pressing the sandwich down a bit, had to be careful that the innards wouldn’t come shooting out the sides of the bread.  This sandwich was amazing in size, taste and overall enjoyment; only could eat one half, so the rest was a leftover for dinner time.

As a side, I ordered the sweet potato fries; crispy on the outside, so very moist and fluffy on the inside. 

 

Roy ordered the Chili Cheese Burger with shoestring fries; house made chili using the pinto beans they purchase locally in Dove Creek.  The burger was smothered in the chili, chopped tomatoes and shredded cheese.  I tasted a sample and this would be perfect on a cold, snowy day to help warm up the body; heck, just having a bowl of that chili will do that too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Facebook, Joshua, the owner, had posted a photo of the house made biscuits, and I asked him to save me a couple.  Besides them, I ordered a cup of the Pork Green Chili to pair with the biscuits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

See, Saturday is also our weekly “date night”.  We put on a movie, dating anywhere from the 1930s to the 1980s.  To go with the movie, I usually cook up a pizza, or buffalo wings with hand-cut fries.  Sometimes we order take-out to give me a break from cooking.  Well tonight we’ll be enjoying the other half of the DC Club Sandwich, biscuits and Pork Green Chili.

Mary Cokenour

Dove Creek Welcomes Back “The Lunch Box”.

The Lunch Box

330 US – 491

Dove Creek, CO., 81324

Phone: 970-512-0300

Hours of Operation: Mon – Sat, 8am to 8pm; Sun, 11am to 4pm

 

 

Patio Dining Area

1987, a year dedicated to Michael Jackson being “Bad”, Whitney Houston wanting to dance with somebody, “The Lost Boys” being found and staked, and most historically, Ronald Reagan’s visit to West Berlin, and his famous speech, imploring The USSR’s leader, Mikhail Gorbachev to open the Berlin Wall.  Sorry, cannot resist this side note, but I was a university exchange student in 1979, and we had a guided tour of East Berlin, inside the wall area, and a guard in a turret actually turned his machine gun in our direction.  It was a horrible place just to visit, so imagine trying to live in its confines.

Anyway, while the world was experiencing what I have mentioned, and so much more, Paul Davis, of Dove Creek, Colorado, opened up his small diner, called simply “The Lunch Box”.  Little did he know that it would become an iconic part of Dove Creek’s history.  In 1995, Shelly King purchased the diner, and decided expansion was surely needed. At that time, Highway 491 was known as Highway 666, aka The Haunted Highway, so interest in this brought many a visitor inside the, now, full-service restaurant.  Unfortunately, due to illness, Shelly needed to sell his beloved Lunch Box in 2007, which became The Dinner Bell, and eventually DC Rack Haus.

Grandpa Shelly King

 

In 2023, the restaurant was up for sale once again and fate had a hand in this.  Joshua Robinson, Shelly King’s grandson, had moved from California (born and raised, but his family does have deep New York metropolitan roots) to Monticello.  Fate was knocking at his door and Joshua answered quickly, purchasing in October and wanting a grand opening as soon as possible.  He did not anticipate how much work needed to be done, but November 20^th was the grand day.  This was not just taking on, and continuing, the legacy of grandpa Shelly, this was an act of love for family history.  At six years old, Shelly began teaching Joshua the food business by allowing him to flip burgers in Shelly’s food truck.  For 18 years, Joshua worked in the food industry, but wanted a restaurant of his own due to his grandpa’s influence.

I will be adding tidbits of history in the rest of this article, but I must get to the food; the absolutely most delicious menu items we tried out.  There are three menus: breakfast, lunch/dinner and children’s.  There is so much variety, but here are the favorites: Breakfast – Breakfast Burrito, Country Fried Steak with green chili, Hatch Breakfast Sandwich; Lunch/Dinner – Country Fried Steak (choice of creamy country gravy or green chili), Fried Chicken Sandwich, Patty Melt, Cheeseburger, Hatch Cheeseburger, Chef or Greek Salad.  Now this list is only of local favorites, but there is so much more!  Oh, make sure you are very hungry, and want to take home leftovers; the portions are huge and at very reasonable prices.  Shelly always taught, “Good food + Huge portions + Great prices = Customers continue to come back.”

 

Children's Menu

 

Breakfast Menu

 

 

Lunch-Dinner Menu, Page 2

Lunch-Dinner Menu, Page 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visiting The Lunch Box gave me a day off from cooking, so we purchased four dishes to feed us throughout lunch and dinner.  First is Roy’s favorite sandwich, the patty melt, but this was no ordinary patty melt, it was a double (yes, you can order a single).  Two all-beef patties, smothered in a rich and tangy Swiss and white American cheese blend, grilled onions between toasted marble rye bread.  A comfort food addict’s dream sandwich.

 

 

 

The country fried steak was so amazing, I actually woke up during the night craving another platter of it.  This is Angus beef, fresh not frozen, trimmed and cut down on premises.  The coating is so crunchy good, any bits that fall off are quickly picked up and devoured.  Several times it was, slap Roy’s hand, and “this is mine, get your own!”.  It comes with a serving of crispy outside, fluffy inside shoestring fries and green beans.  Oh, but not our average, just picked out of the garden beans.  No, these are Haricots Verts, a French style green bean which contains more vitamins of the B group, vitamins C and K and minerals such as magnesium, iron and manganese.  The country gravy is creamy, smooth with a hint of cracked black pepper, so as to not overwhelm.

 

Dirty Fries are loaded nachos, but using shoestring fries instead of standard tortilla chips.  The toppings are green chili, cowboy beans, green onions, cilantro, cheddar cheese and sour cream.  The pinto beans are purchased locally in Dove Creek and cooked up fresh in-house; pork shoulder is used for the green chili as it is more tender after roasting.  Let me tell you that a bowl of that green chili with pork, plus fry bread, would make a complete meal in itself.  However, while grandpa Shelly did make his own fry bread, that is not an option nowadays.  But hey, get some fluffy housemade biscuits instead!

 

 

 

 

Pork Green Chili and Country Gravy.

 

A huge condiment selection at every table.

 

But I digress, the Greek salad came loaded with Romaine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, black olives, roasted chicken, red onions, pepperoncini, feta cheese and the creamiest, smoothest dressing.  Every bite was a new taste sensation due to the ingredient combinations the fork picked up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roy and I are so looking forward to going back and trying out many of the other menu items, like the burgers (1/4 lb. pounders).  One of the waitresses walked by carrying a cheeseburger plate; the burger was actually sitting out the sides of the bun and about an inch thick.  My eyes popped, and you know no one was doing a 1980’s, “Where’s the beef?”, yell.

 

Speaking of the wait staff, the second you walk in, you are greeted with a welcoming and friendly, “Come on in, and sit anywhere you like”.  Joshua opened up the building to make it roomier, airier and the sunlight allowed to brighten up every corner. We sat at the “Grandpa Shelly Memorial Table”, and felt honored, and yet also felt like he was there to make sure we were happy.  The staff are very attentive; depending on experience, they start at the bottom and are trained in every skill needed in a restaurant.  That way, there is always someone to step in when a staff member needs off.

 

So, if you want really good, I mean really good food, welcoming and comfortable atmosphere, a staff who cares about your needs, then you must go to The Lunch Box. If you want to hear more in-depth history, Joshua Robinson will not be shy about pulling up a chair and happily chat with you.

Mary Cokenour