La Jolla Grove

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.

Wild Ginger

The name intrigued me, but, I didn't take the time to try this place until this past week.  We took the whole family to Wild Ginger for some Chinese food and some sushi.  The restaurant is in a great location, right on University Avenue in Provo, and has plenty of parking in the back.

Inside the restaurant is clean and looks new.  We went on a Wednesday, so, there weren't a ton of people, which suits me fine when I take the younger kids with us.  We were seated immediately by, I believe, the owner, a really nice Chinese man.  While he has a thick Chinese accent, he is easily understood, which is so nice since most people will avoid an ethnic restaurant if they feel they may embarrass themselves or the wait staff if there is a miscommunication.  No problems here.

We were waited on very quickly, and actually needed a bit more time to decide than we were given, the servers kept coming over and asking if we were ready.  It's not a huge deal, we just felt a bit rushed after the third or fourth time.

Evidence of their customer service is in their honest appraisals of the menu offerings.  The owner volunteered that we should order a single order for our two little girls and have them split it.  That was a nice bit of customer service.

The menu is plentiful, and has an authentic Chinese section, that we may try next time around, but, we were really not up for anything adventurous this visit.  We had several sushi rolls, different kinds of soups, and six different entrees, plus drinks.  Be aware, the cups are huge, and they do not have children's size cups.

The soups were good, not crazy amazing, but, tasty.  I would have liked more than one wonton in my soup, but, truthfully it was fine.  Everything was very good, and the entire meal is served family style, so we all were able to share each other's entrees.  For two children and four adults, we had dinner and soups, plus the four sushi rolls for just over $100.   I felt the prices were in line with the quality and quantity.  The owners are very friendly and easy to talk to.

I give this place 3 points for atmosphere, 5 points for menu selection, 3 points for service, and 4 points for food quality.

We will be back to this little gem, and this time, we will try that authentic menu. 

The Shops at the Riverwoods

We took our two youngest with us last Friday night to see the lighting of the Christmas lights at the Shops at the Riverwoods in Provo.  If you have never been there, it's located on University Avenue, just south of the mouth of Provo Canyon.  The shops are all designed with an aesthetic that makes you feel you are in a ski resort town.  There are water features, fire pits, trees, and a large gazebo in the center where live performances can be enjoyed for free.  Add the lights and you have a very romantic way to just stroll around together, warming yourselves by the fire, listening to music, maybe even dancing.  Grab a cup of hot chocolate at the Provo Beach Resort, or a candy apple at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.  Maybe a dessert at the La Jolla Grove, there is a bakery entrance on the east side.  There are plenty of places to eat, I personally love Tucano's and The Happy Sumo, but there truly is something for everyone.  Check their website for events through the holiday season and all year round.  We just love hanging out here winter or summer, whenever we just want a chill evening together. 

http://shopsatriverwoods.com/

Guru's Provo

What can I say about Guru's?  It's fresh ingredients, and emphasis on healthy eating just makes me feel good about the place.  I love that you have options like brown rice and fresh vegetables.  I love the Marco Polo on brown rice, but, it's amazing on noodles too.  The sweet potato fries are unsurpassed anywhere, especially with their dipping sauce.  The Muligatawny soup is so good, but, then, so is their tortilla soup.  I've loved everything I've eaten there.

From what I understand, there is Karaoke night every week, along with live entertainment I believe on the weekends. 

This place is great for a budget, too.

Hope Springs

We took in a movie last night, Hope Springs, with Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones.  It was great, but, not for everyone.  There are fairly descriptive discussions of sex, and some scenes acting out sexual acts, without body parts showing, but, it's pretty clear what's going on. 

The entire movie is based on a couple that have been married for 31 years and have found themselves living side by side, no intimacy, no romance, the spark was definitely gone.  The husband was content in their life, but, the wife longed to reignite the flames, so, she found a marriage counselor, played by Steve Carrell, and booked the two of them for a week long intensive therapy in a little town in Maine, Hope Springs.

We both really loved the movie, and it got us talking about our own relationship, the highs and lows, and the deeper feelings you often forget to share with each other.  Yes, some of the scenes were uncomfortable to sit through, especially in a theater with other people, but, it was well acted and nothing was gratuitous.  I am by far not a prude, but, I don't think PG13 is a high enough rating for the level of sexual content, but, I also do not feel R is appropriate.  Somewhere in between I suppose. 

So, I recommend it for mature audiences, with the warning that if you are offended by explicit sexual discussion, you may not like this movie.

Spicy Corea in Provo

(See updated review----)

 

After being convinced by our daughters that this was authentic Korean food, we decided to give it a try.  Right up front the restaurant is very unimpressive and seems more like a run down cafe.  The front door step had a loose board, and the front desk had advertising and local newspapers, which did not make us feel that we were in an establishment that was focused on a quality dining experience.

We stood for a bit, passed by the server several times as she was the only one working the front, and was also waiting tables.  Finally we were given a table and had a look at the menu.  The titles of the dishes were in translated Korean with English descriptions.  We ordered the Bulgogi per our daughter's recommendation.  I also ordered the ginger tea.  The waiter appeared to also be the owner, and spoke very broken English.  Much of what we asked about the food he couldn't answer because he didn't understand the question.  This would not ordinarily put us off, but, it was not easy figuring out what to order when we are not familiar with Korean food to start with.  In the end, we muddled through and thought we did a good job.



The food took a very long time to come out, and our drinks took nearly as long.  We were very hungry and thirsty, with nothing on our table for probably a half hour.

Once the tea arrived I was very pleased, it was wonderful, fresh ginger steeped and then sweetened.

The food took around 45 minutes or more, and we were less than impressed.  It was okay, but, not the amazing food we were expecting, and not at all spicy.  We were never checked on, never offered refills, and had to go to the kitchen to ask for our check which took quite a while to get.  Once we had it, we went to the counter to pay.

All I can say is, we were both wishing we had gotten Indian food instead.  I cannot recommend this place, but, as I have not eaten at a Korean restaurant before or since, I can't say that it was or was not authentic or even a good representation of Korean cuisine.  My daughters still love it, so, I guess to each his own.  We won't be going back.

(updated)
I gave this place a second chance, and was pleasantly surprised in some areas, but just as disappointed in others.  The service is still very slow, and the language barrier can still be a problem when asking questions.  The food is much better, even superior to what it was on our first visit.  The prices are still a bit high in my opinion for what you get, but, it's location probably drives the price.

India Palace

I know, I've posted about this place before, but, we just can't get enough of this place, so, here it is again.  Hands down the best Indian food in Provo.  We just love the lamb dishes and the tomato coconut soup.  The lassi's are yummy, and the iced tea has indian spices in it.  You can taste the cardamom.

You can't beat the price, and the quality of the food is excellent.  They are continuing to upgrade the decor, and it's really looking nice.  As this place sits so close to the Nuskin development, the new Provo convention center, and the soon to be Provo Downtown LDS Temple, it is primed to be a busy establishment, so, go while you can get a table without a long wait.  Once all those places are running at the same time, the owners of India Palace might want to consider expanding, perhaps upstairs.  Either way, it's a great location, and a great value without feeling cheap at all.  Love it love it love it.  I give this place a 3 for atmosphere (lose the fake flowers and add in more authentic decor or just leave it without to give it more of an open feel), a 4 for service (sometimes the language barrier can be difficult with the servers), 5 for food quality and menu selection.  This is one of our favorite restaurants, hands down.