A.F. restaurant offers elaborate 5-course meals during monthly reservation-only sessions
The Buffalo Chicken Wrap with pasta salad from Flipside Cafe in American Fork. Photographed on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. JAMES ROH/Daily Herald
The Flipside Burger with cottage chips from Flipside Cafe in American Fork. Photographed on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. JAMES ROH/Daily Herald
A turkey provolone sandwich on marble rye with a fruit cup from Flipside Cafe in American Fork. Photographed on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. JAMES ROH/Daily Herald
Having a hard time deciding whether you want an intimate date night or just a healthy, casual dining experience? Turns out you can get them both at Flipside Cafe in American Fork. Throughout most of the month, Flipside Cafe offers a wide selection of sandwiches, soups, gourmet salads and a few grilled specialties.
The twist, though, is what puts the Flip in Flipside. One evening a month, the restaurant closes its doors to normal traffic, takes a break from its regular menu and instead offers an elaborate three- or five-course meal during two reservation-only sessions.
The Flip for February, naturally, featured an intimate Valentine’s Day dinner. My wife made advance reservations for the two of us, after which the cafe emailed over a copy of the special menu. The Valentine’s dinner was a three-course offering for $19.99 per person. (The five-course Flip nights are $39.99 each.) The advance menu featured four soup or salad first-course options, three main entree choices, and a pair of dessert offerings for the final course. Diners get one choice per course.
The cafe was elegantly presented for our session, with lights dimmed, candles lit throughout the dining room and linens on the tables. Our waiter was extremely gracious. Not only did we receive our three courses, but we were also offered a couple complimentary servings of Italian bread and Italian soda, via a cart brought to the table offering any combination of flavorings we desired.
My wife and I ordered different items for each course so that we could sample as many different options as possible. In the first course, we tried the Pasta Fagioli and the Tuscan Soup. My favorite was the Tuscan Soup, which featured small sausage meatballs, small pieces of spinach, onions and potatoes in a rich broth that was delicious. The Pasta Fagioli was also good, with pasta, ground beef, carrots, kidney beans, celery, onions and tomatoes topped with cheese.
The entrees were both visually appealing, especially my Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia, which was served alongside a healthy array of asparagus stalks, carrots and fingerling potatoes (colored red, purple and brown). The tilapia was topped with a tasty lemon cream sauce and our waiter brought a few lemon wedges for good measure. We were very pleased with this entire dish.
My wife’s Chicken Marsala was also good, and was served with carrots, Brussels sprouts, and potatoes covered in a sweet mushroom sauce.
We wished we could have also tried the third entree option, Roasted Sausage and Bell Peppers. Maybe another time.
Dessert included a small cup of Tiramisu and two Cannolis. By the time we finished everything, we were completely satisfied. We enjoyed our experience so much, we would love to return on another Flip night to try various other themes and options. (The next Flip night will be a three-course dinner on March 23.)
Of course, throughout the rest of the month, Flipside Cafe features its regular menus for both breakfast and lunch/dinner. We made a recent visit to sample some of the cafe’s everyday cuisine and came away similarly impressed. Our favorite was the Buffalo Chicken Wrap, which featured a tomato tortilla stuffed with grilled chicken, lettuce, tomatoes and a delicious sauce that tied everything together. This was very good.
We also enjoyed a Ham and Swiss Sandwich, with a bacon add-on. In addition, the sandwich was stacked with lettuce, red onion and tomatoes. Sandwiches come with your choice of white, wheat, marble rye or sourdough bread.
The Oriental Salad included grilled chicken, mandarin oranges, almond slices and tortilla strips on a bed of lettuce with slivers of cabbage. It was served with an oriental dressing.
All in all, we really enjoyed both our experiences at Flipside Cafe. We’ll certainly be back.
Flipside Cafe
Where: 192 S. 500 East, American Fork
Hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday
The Flip: Once a month, during two evening sessions, the cafe offers a three- or five-course, reservation-only dinner. Reservations can be made by calling (801) 756-5960, or sending an email to flipsidecaferestaurant@gmail.com. $19.99 (three course), $39.99 (five course) per person. Next Flip is on March 23.
Prices: $1.29-$4.99 breakfast, $2.99-$7.19 regular
Info: (801) 756-5960, www.flipsidecaferestaurant.com