La Jolla Grove in Provo
Chef Kent Andersen has done an amazing job with the menu at La Jolla Grove in the Shops at the Riverwoods here in Provo. We have long been told how good the food is at this restaurant, but, it took us a while to give it a try. Thank goodness we were open to it on one of our recent date nights.
It was a weeknight, so the crowd was pretty quiet, and we arrived right at the start of dinner service. The ambiance is nearly en-pointe but could use a bit of tweaking when it comes to where the wait staff spend their down time. Having them standing around at the back right next to several tables makes it feel a bit more like a family style restaurant than the upper market establishment they are going for. Still, we can overlook that when the food is as delicious as this menu offers.
We started off with Italian sodas. Frankly, most places will give you this huge glass full and it just overwhelms the rest of your experience. La Jolla Grove offers slender flutes. For appetizers I ordered the Balsamic Marinated Stuffed Mushrooms and shared with DH. So delicious, and just right for sharing. The mushrooms sit on a bed of spring greens, and the balsamic glaze is perfect. The mushrooms are large, with a tasty stuffing of gorgonzola cheese.
For our next course we each had a bowl of soup. I ordered the Potato and Garden Leek Soup, and DH ordered the Mushroom Soup. To be honest, we would have both been just as happy with each other's choices as we were with our own, and we took turns sharing sips from each other's bowls. The soups are so good, I would have been happy if that was all we had. But wait, there is more deliciousness to come.
For entrees we chose from different sections of the menu. I chose to order the Shrimp Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Spinach from the pasta menu. The sauce is perfection, and the pasta cooked just al dente as it should be. Everything about this dish made me so glad I chose it. After already having an appetizer, soup, and Italian soda plus sharing some of the bread rolls, I was glad to have room for this entree. The spacing between service of each course was just right, and the portion size makes the experience much more pleasant than the usual American sized offerings that leave you feeling over full and needing a take home box, which in my opinion should not happen on a regular basis in any restaurant. If you find most customers leaving with boxes in hand it is a signal that the portion sizes are too large.
DH ordered from the Signature Entree's menu, ordering the Roasted Chicken Marsala. He was very happy with his choice, and after sampling some of his dish I could understand why. Very light and full of flavor, the chicken was juicy and tender, the sauce was not too heavy, and the accompaniments were perfectly suited to the other flavors on the plate.
Our choice of dessert was to share the Berries and Cream, which was enough for both of us simply because we had already had so many courses. While we did enjoy this dessert, next time we will need to try the famous Lemon Cake.
The wait staff was attentive without being pushy or intrusive, the location is romantic especially on nights when live music is playing in the gazebo just outside the front door. I just wish the clientele showed more respect for the class of restaurant they are enjoying and dress up a bit. Wearing jeans and flip flops to a place that takes itself this seriously is just disrespectful.
I would give this a high rating in all categories and highly recommend La Jolla Grove. Prices are reasonable, and the variety on the menu is wide enough to please everyone. As for breaking it down by the numbers, I give this place 4 points for atmosphere, 5 points for food quality, 5 points for menu selection, and 5 points for service.
Brigham Young University has added a new eating establishment to their already wide variety of restaurants on campus. The newest addition, The Wall, is located in the Wilkinson Student Center on the first floor southeast corner by the games center. My daughter, a student at BYU, and I stopped in this week just to check it out. 
The menu includes delicious fries, and a wide range of Italian sodas. I recommend getting the half scoop of ice cream in a basic Italian soda, it makes all the difference. 
