Healthy Provo eatery The Spoon drawing lunch crowds
Ritch Wood-planked Salmon Filet at The Spoon, located at Nu Skin in Provo.
Superfood Salad at The Spoon. The restaurant features a wide array of healthy, tasty meal options.
The Spoon's Barbecue Pizza. (Okay, not all their food is super-healthy.)
In my latest scope out for new food, I asked some friends about a restaurant, and if it was any good. Their response: “if you like healthy,” which even for a girl who likes healthy, clean food, kind of instilled a sense of internal dread and doubt. I love vegetables and fruit — in all their delicious and weird combinations. But I think our society definitely leans toward the “if-it-is-healthy-it must-not-be-that-tasty” mantra, and in that moment I definitely fell for it for just a millisecond.
But I’d like to kill that gross error now, because I’ve had (and I know you’ve had) plenty of wonderful tasting meals under 800 calories. And let’s be real for a minute. If we weren’t, America would be significantly more obese than we are currently — although we’re on the path headed there. So if you’re looking to gorge yourself in grease and horse-sized portions, this review might not interest you.
I’ll get down from my soapbox now, because you’ll want to hear about this fresh restaurant. In further exploration of downtown Provo eateries, there’s a place that escaped my watchful eye for several months too long — The Spoon.
Located on the northwest end of the Nu Skin building, it might be easy to pass by. But for employees and the public who’ve picked up on this gem, it has most likely become a regular weekly joint — whether it’s for a breakfast protein smoothie or refreshing lunch break from work.
Keeping up with the modern, sleek feel, guests order from futuristic touchscreen menus (which many areas and countries use these days but are woefully absent in America), allowing the staff and chefs to focus on cooking up fresh food as you order.
Myself and two friends that work in downtown Provo ordered a variety of plates from the menu, hoping to cover so many of the diverse options — from sandwiches and salads to flatbread pizzas and pasta.
The first thing that won me over and will alone keep me coming back? The drinks. As a non-soda drinker, I rarely get to partake of the locally brewed root beer or diverse bottled options. (While this at times is painful and tempting, I resist and stick to plain ‘ole water lest I lose a longtime bet — I digress.) Flavored waters and lemonades line the walls, and consequently I was in beverage heaven. Passion fruit. Basil lemonade. Raspberry. It’s all there, but don’t fill up with liquid before you actually get your food.
Our “just a little something’s” came first, and were possibly the favorites: spinach artichoke dip made with neufchatel cheese, scallions and shallots with flatbread chips and coconut chicken fingers served with a Jalapeno-Citrus honey dip. Holy yum. Luckily, The Spoon plates its food based on appropriate serving sizes, so I didn’t accidentally neglect the other dishes awaiting our attention.
From the sandwiches, we tasted The Blake Roney — a grilled chicken sandwich with provolone cheese, basil pesto and lettuce on focaccia served with roasted potato wedges — named after the company founder. While I’m not acquainted with Mr. Roney, he must have some good taste to have this dish represent him.
The flatbread pizzas were a scrumptious (and economical) surprise. The BBQ Chicken with peppers, green chiles, black beans and house-made sauce packed some heat that fires off at your taste buds, but I always welcome anything spicy. The Margherita, with its fresh tomatoes and basil, can fill deep-seated pizza needs without the impending regret that follows swallowing a pound of fake cheese from other places.
If lunch-goers are searching for dishes that hit a little closer to home, the Roasted Tomato Mac N Cheese is not only good it’s also good for you, as it’s made with brown rice penne pasta and a guiltless cheese sauce. Chalk it up as an American win.
If for some reason your lunch doesn’t physically satisfy you (unlikely), the service will put others to shame. While many healthy restaurants often like to serve their dishes with a side of superiority, guests won’t find that at The Spoon. Their friendliness and humility were perhaps the most refreshing things of all, and that makes a lunch out during the unforgiving workweek even more treasured.
THE SPOON
Where: 75 W. Center St., Provo inside the Nu Skin building
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, serving breakfast and lunch
Prices: $3.99-$10.99
Info: (801) 345-2110, public.nuskin.com/thespoon, facebook.com/TheSpoonProvo, Twitter: @TheSpoonatNSE