best restaurant in Provo hands down. . .

[OhioBlue]

Spark Restaurant Lounge.

In the new Wells Fargo building on Univ Ave.

For those lamenting the lack of good quality restaurants in Utah County, run, don't walk, to this place.

I'm a foodie and enjoy cooking, I know good execution and technical skill when I see it, and my taste buds work so I get the flavor thing as well. Trust me on this one folks, if you haven't already heard the hype about it.

Prices are very fair, atmosphere IMO is stellar with a cohesive theme and original art. I had duck confit with fresh greens/vinaigrette and a perfectly poached egg today at lunch....for 8 bucks.

If you want to see pictures and a menu, look it up on Facebook. And no, I don't have any connection to the place nor was I paid for this post.

[TripletDaddy]

I am more interested in your qualifications as a foodie. Please expound with specifics.

Hint: do not list Charlie Trotters or a Wolfgang Puck restaurant if you wish to be taken seriously.

[OhioBlue]

I am more interested in your qualifications as a foodie. Please expound with specifics.

Hint: do not list Charlie Trotters or a Wolfgang Puck restaurant if you wish to be taken seriously.

My qualifications:
--I can attest to the truth of the assertion that 5 Guys >>>> In'n'Out
--I know KFC's secret recipe
--I can make an omelet with no hands
--I am singularly responsible for the current proliferation of gelees and foams in restaurants
--Eric Ripert messages me on facebook at least 3 times/wk for advice

That, and the simple fact that I can count on one hand the places I have eaten at in Utah County where I can't do a better job with the technical execution of their food. Chef's Table is not one of those places.

[UtahDan]

My qualifications:
--I can attest to the truth of the assertion that 5 Guys >>>> In'n'Out
--I know KFC's secret recipe
--I can make an omelet with no hands
--I am singularly responsible for the current proliferation of gelees and foams in restaurants
--Eric Ripert messages me on facebook at least 3 times/wk for advice

That, and the simple fact that I can count on one hand the places I have eaten at in Utah County where I can't do a better job with the technical execution of their food. Chef's Table is not one of those places.

I thought your two best qualifications were in your first post: you knew the word "confit" and "execution" in relation to cooking.

[OhioBlue]

update: the facebook page for this place has menu (dinner items change at the whim of the chef and what's in season, but the rest appears fairly consistent) and pictures. You can also read about the chef, Viet Pham, and his training/philosophy. Definitely worth checking out.

Additionally, it looks like they're trying to get a tuesday night thing going, with their 'small plates' and non-alcoholic drinks and live jazz. I'm not going tonight, but plan to take the missus soon. You just have to text them and receive a text msg in return in order to get in free/aviod the cover charge.

I could seriously go for a flat-iron steak and frites right now. They serve the frites with what I believe is an aioli, I'll have to pay more attention next time. At lunch, the aforementioned plate costs $10.

Seriously people, check it out. This is one of those places where you walk in and think 'this can't be Provo.' We need to keep it here.

[Jeff Lebowski]

The wife and I tried this out last night and really enjoyed it. We had the pork belly w/ grapefruit small plate and the beef duo and black cod for our main entrees. All were very good.

Thanks for the tip. I look forward to checking out the lunch menu.

[OhioBlue]

wife and i went fri night for our anniversary--I made a reservation and said it was our anniversary and we got the royal treatment the whole meal. I left honestly believing that was one of the best 5 meals I've ever had in my life, as far as the whole experience was concerned.

Here's the play by play: Started with drinks, I had a lychee martini that was pretty dang good, she had a Journey's Caribbean Creme out of the bottle that was awesome--great vanilla aroma.

While we're drinking and perusing the menu, they bring us a couple mini-bowls of soup--carrot and pineapple soup with a tiny sprinkling of hazelnut. Fantastic, neither flavor won out over the other. I'm going to make some over Christmas break.

Next up the small plate--we had the above-mentioned pork belly. It comes perfectly cooked on a square of polenta, topped with bruleed grapefruit. Awesome combo of flavors and textures.

Then comes the bread and butter.

Next up the main course, she has the beef duo which includes sauteed grapes, a little bit of spinach, and on the side some lemon gnocchi. Genius. Well-balanced, perfectly executed. The lemon gnocchi isn't heavy as most gnocchi is, but perfect texture.

I have the poached/roasted chicken which comes with some sort of pickled red cabbage, white beans, and caramel mustard. Chicken was perfectly cooked, moist, flavors again were distinct but combined well. Not ovewhelming but tastefully done.

While we're perusing the dessert menu, the kitchen sends out a sorbet and wishes us a happy anniversary. Chocolate sorbet with caramel foam on some sort of rasberry tapioca-like stuff. Chocolate was rich, semi-sweet at best. I loved it, wife didn't.

Last we go for the bacon and eggs ice cream dessert. Little cinnamon toasts, bacon ice cream (don't laugh, it was awesome) and some sort of wafer strip that mimics bacon. Whimsical but rich, painted down the middle of the plate with a chocolate brush stroke.

With the check came a handful of house marshmallows, apple-cinammon.

As is typical there, the portions were perfect. Emphasis on ingredients and taste, not on gorging. Though some might be put off if comparing to the steak and baked potato they get at Chilis, if you have a small plate or two and a main entree, plus the bread and whatever other little treats they might bring out each night (Friday it was the soup for everyone), it ends up being about a perfect meal IMO.

Servers were excellent, chefs did a great job, and one of my favorite things about Spark is the atmosphere and the fact that i could talk to my wife at a reasonable volume level and have no problem being heard.

If you can't tell by now, I'm pretty much head over heels about this place and I apologize if my hype leads some to a disappointing experience. But again, if you live in the area and haven't yet tried it, do. Oh, with all the food and drinks I mentioned, we got out of there for about 55 bucks before tip.

[woot]

wife and i went fri night for our anniversary--I made a reservation and said it was our anniversary and we got the royal treatment the whole meal. I left honestly believing that was one of the best 5 meals I've ever had in my life, as far as the whole experience was concerned.

Here's the play by play: Started with drinks, I had a lychee martini that was pretty dang good, she had a Journey's Caribbean Creme out of the bottle that was awesome--great vanilla aroma.

While we're drinking and perusing the menu, they bring us a couple mini-bowls of soup--carrot and pineapple soup with a tiny sprinkling of hazelnut. Fantastic, neither flavor won out over the other. I'm going to make some over Christmas break.

Next up the small plate--we had the above-mentioned pork belly. It comes perfectly cooked on a square of polenta, topped with bruleed grapefruit. Awesome combo of flavors and textures.

Then comes the bread and butter.

Next up the main course, she has the beef duo which includes sauteed grapes, a little bit of spinach, and on the side some lemon gnocchi. Genius. Well-balanced, perfectly executed. The lemon gnocchi isn't heavy as most gnocchi is, but perfect texture.

I have the poached/roasted chicken which comes with some sort of pickled red cabbage, white beans, and caramel mustard. Chicken was perfectly cooked, moist, flavors again were distinct but combined well. Not ovewhelming but tastefully done.

While we're perusing the dessert menu, the kitchen sends out a sorbet and wishes us a happy anniversary. Chocolate sorbet with caramel foam on some sort of rasberry tapioca-like stuff. Chocolate was rich, semi-sweet at best. I loved it, wife didn't.

Last we go for the bacon and eggs ice cream dessert. Little cinnamon toasts, bacon ice cream (don't laugh, it was awesome) and some sort of wafer strip that mimics bacon. Whimsical but rich, painted down the middle of the plate with a chocolate brush stroke.

With the check came a handful of house marshmallows, apple-cinammon.

As is typical there, the portions were perfect. Emphasis on ingredients and taste, not on gorging. Though some might be put off if comparing to the steak and baked potato they get at Chilis, if you have a small plate or two and a main entree, plus the bread and whatever other little treats they might bring out each night (Friday it was the soup for everyone), it ends up being about a perfect meal IMO.

Servers were excellent, chefs did a great job, and one of my favorite things about Spark is the atmosphere and the fact that i could talk to my wife at a reasonable volume level and have no problem being heard.

If you can't tell by now, I'm pretty much head over heels about this place and I apologize if my hype leads some to a disappointing experience. But again, if you live in the area and haven't yet tried it, do. Oh, with all the food and drinks I mentioned, we got out of there for about 55 bucks before tip.

Wow 55 seems very reasonable. I had an amazing meal at a great little joint in Boulder last summer and it cost more than double that for two.

[ERCougar]

So I'm intrigued. We visit SLC quite a bit, but never Provo without the kids. Is it worth leaving kids with parents in Sandy and travelling to Provo? Is it that much better than SLC restaurants?

[OhioBlue]

So I'm intrigued. We visit SLC quite a bit, but never Provo without the kids. Is it worth leaving kids with parents in Sandy and travelling to Provo? Is it that much better than SLC restaurants?

I would say it's a great place for a date with the wife, yes, and well worth the drive from Sandy.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Next up the small plate--we had the above-mentioned pork belly. It comes perfectly cooked on a square of polenta, topped with bruleed grapefruit. Awesome combo of flavors and textures.

This was our favorite dish. (so far)

Servers were excellent, chefs did a great job, and one of my favorite things about Spark is the atmosphere and the fact that i could talk to my wife at a reasonable volume level and have no problem being heard.

My buddy went there a couple of months ago (I think they opened in September) and he said the music was so loud that they had a tough time carrying on a conversation. He had a chat with the manager about it.

I went there for lunch on Friday. The place was packed.

Thanks for the heads up, by the way.

[Mrs. Funk]

We went to Spark today after we dropped my little brother off of the MTC. My mother behaved appallingly and spent the entire meal bitching about this in that (she had been snubbed and shoved out of the way by one of the workers at the MTC and I think she was taking it out on them), but I thought the food was exquisite.

We ordered the dueling edamame for the table, a dish with two types of edamame--one, the standard sea salt, and the other in a bacon reduction of some sort; both were delicious. My little brother (11) ordered the steak and frites, and regrettably his flat steak was well-done when he had asked for medium and my mom had a hayday about this.

Mpfunk ordered the seared Pacific salmon and it was probably the best-prepared salmon I've ever had in a restaurant. I ordered a special dish for today, a ginger pork tenderloin dish; it was simply fanastic.

My mom loudly railed on the manager about the meal and my brother's overdone but not ruined steak and the manager gave her a $10 gift certificate to pacify her (which, since they live in another state, Mpfunk and I gratefully inherited). I am contemplating calling the restaurant and giving my profound apologies.

[Jeff Lebowski]

We ordered the dueling edamame for the table, a dish with two types of edamame--one, the standard sea salt, and the other in a bacon reduction of some sort; both were delicious.

I thought the bacon side won the duel hands-down.

[Mrs. Funk]

I thought the bacon side won the duel hands-down.

Agreed. When the bacon side was all gone, I started dipping the sea salt side into whatever sauce was left on the bacon side.

[TripletDaddy]

I left honestly believing that was one of the best 5 meals I've ever had in my life, as far as the whole experience was concerned.

Please. stop.