SAY, ‘CHEESE’: Gourmet sandwiches at Cravings guaranteed to end in a smile
The A.B.C (apple, bacon, cheddar) grilled cheese sandwich at Cravings Bistro in American Fork. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
A grilled s'more with marshmallow cream and nutella at Cravings Bistro in American Fork. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
A grilled s'more with marshmallow cream and nutella at Cravings Bistro in American Fork. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
Creamy tomato basil soup with homemade grilled cheese croutons at Cravings Bistro in American Fork. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald
EDITOR’S NOTE: Restaurant has moved to Pleasant Grove.If you have never considered grilled cheese sandwiches to be a gourmet meal item, then prepare to have your perceptions challenged at Cravings bistro in American Fork.
The highly creative grilled cheese sandwiches are clearly the menu star at the bistro, which has been open for around three months at 63 E. Main St. The great thing, however, is that virtually everything we sampled on the menu was utterly delicious and came with an obvious personal attention to detail. Based on our experience, it’s hard to imagine anyone going wrong with anything available at the bistro.
Before we begin singing the praises of the food, however, let’s set the scene inside Cravings itself. This is not some assembly-line restaurant where a large number of patrons must be quickly shuffled through in as little time as possible. There is not a hurried feel, in fact, in any square foot of the restaurant. The comparison that kept coming to mind, though, was of pulling up a chair and sitting on one’s porch with friends, enjoying hearty homemade comfort food while indulging in quiet conversation.
The dining area in Cravings is quite small. There were a handful of small tables, with seating for two, a children’s table for four, and one larger table that seats five. Our party of four sat at the latter, which included both regular chairs as well as two sofa chairs.
The ambience at Cravings is overpoweringly homey. The main walls featured peg board and the menu was displayed on multiple chalkboards — as if the items could change at any minute, you know, should owner Angie Wilson come up with another creatively ingenious ingredient to add to a grilled cheese sandwich. Another nice touch was the organization of eight overturned pans on the wall behind the front counter, each one with a different letter spelling out the bistro’s name.
The small dining room didn’t feel as crowded as it might have as there was no actual wall between the restaurant and the business next door, the Bella Ella boutique. That aspect gives the bistro more of a cozy, rather than cramped, feel.
Orders are placed at the front counter, where a nearby sign warns that grilled cheese orders take at least 15 minutes “to make sure the cheese is melted to perfection.” (Don’t worry — it didn’t seem to take quite that long.) Another sign says, “When you ask yourself what’s taking the food so long, just remember it’s ‘great’ food not ‘fast’ food.”
We didn’t mind the wait as it gave us more time to take in the surroundings. And once the food arrived, all thought of time flew right out the window.
Now, admittedly, we are suckers for a great grilled cheese sandwich. But we are talking about the standard variety we typically get at home. The only thing those home-cooked sandwiches have in common with the ones served at Cravings is that they both contain melted cheese.
First off, Cravings uses a tasty French bread for its sandwiches — and they all arrived, as advertised, grilled to a light brown perfection. We sampled five different gourmet grilled cheese options. The most fancy — and the most delicious — were The Gourmet Grilled Cheese and the A.B.C. The Gourmet was packed with spinach, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese, Parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese, on a garlic cheese bread.
With our eyes sufficiently opened to the new horizons of a grilled cheese sandwich, we moved on to the A.B.C., which was our hands-down favorite. (Of course, we did not put our hands down until we were entirely finished with this unique offering.) The A.B.C. contained slices of Granny Smith apples, candied thick-cut bacon, sharp cheddar cheese and a caramelized red onion mayo. This combo was unbelievably delicious.
We also tried the Pizza Melt (pepperoni, mozzarella and marinara) and the Swiss Days (ham, Swiss, dill pickle and mayo). Both were excellent.
What could possibly make a great grilled cheese sandwich even better? Dipping it into soup, of course! And we highly recommend the house specialty Creamy Tomato Basil (served daily). We aren’t necessarily fans of tomato-based soups, but this one won us over from the first sip. It came topped with several large, fresh grilled cheese croutons and a generous dollop of a sour cream-like sauce that blended perfectly with the sweet and savory soup.
We tried a side of chips and guacamole. The chips were pretty standard, but the guacamole offered a unique twist, featuring small slices of jalapeño. The jalapeño, however, was not spicy, but gave off a very sweet taste. We loved it.
We also recommend the Sweet Almond Salad (with mandarin oranges, tomatoes, candied almonds, red onion, cheese and a vinaigrette dressing), the caramel-laced hot chocolate and, for dessert, the Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie a la Mode.
In closing, we suggest that Cravings add one more sign inside the bistro. “Warning: You will never look at grilled cheese sandwiches in the same way ever again!”
Where: 63 E. Main St., American Fork
Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. through 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, closed Sunday
Prices: Gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, $3.50 half, $5.50 full; soups and salads, $2.50-$7.50; kids meals $3.50-$4; meal deals $5.50-$8.50
Info: (801) 756-3333