Good Thyme rolls out unique restaurant on Provo Center Street
The Braised Beef at Good Thyme on Center Street in Provo.
Various salads are pictured on Tuesday at Good Thyme on Center Street in Provo.
The cucumber salad at Good Thyme.
Various salads are pictured on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at Good Thyme on Center Street in Provo. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Various salads are pictured on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at Good Thyme on Center Street in Provo. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Various salads are pictured on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at Good Thyme on Center Street in Provo. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
The Caesar salad is pictured on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at Good Thyme on Center Street in Provo. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
The Southwest Sweet Potato Salad is pictured on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at Good Thyme on Center Street in Provo. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
The Southwest Sweet Potato Salad is pictured on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at Good Thyme on Center Street in Provo. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Various salads are pictured on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at Good Thyme on Center Street in Provo. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
The Caesar salad is pictured on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at Good Thyme on Center Street in Provo. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Good Thyme's lemonades are pictured on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at Good Thyme on Center Street in Provo. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
There’s a new place to eat on Center Street in Provo, and it’s a really Good Thyme.
And if you think that making a pun on the restaurant’s name was irresistible, you should try the strawberry basil lemonade.
The eatery has ample space to eat, including an upstairs loft, and an overall vibe that matches many of the shops on Center Street. It’s got brick walls and a waterfall, and it generally feels like a cool place to be.
The menu, when you look at it, seems deceptively limited. For $12.50 you can order among four different “chef’s choices,” selected from a variety of “farmers market fresh” side items and hot vegetable dishes as well as “proteins.” Or you can go a la carte.
But don’t let the menu options fool you: The actual number of choices making up those cold and hot items is huge. The variety is one of the best parts about the dining experience at Good Thyme.
I’ve been to restaurants before that are laid out this way, where visitors build plates from a number of fresh and hot items, and where they call the meat choices “proteins.” But this was my first visit to such a place in Utah — my past experiences were in New York, and I understand they also exist in California.
Good Thyme is an alternative to fast food or buffet style restaurants, with an emphasis on food that is fresh — and locally produced, where possible. Think of it as a place that has the variety and prices of a buffet, but with the soul of a “Communal.”
I couldn’t try everything that I wanted to, but I did taste several of the sides and proteins. My favorite: the Tri-Tip, which was just the right texture and had a fantastic, rich flavor.
The pasta was hand rolled and the Romesco sauce that it came with was also delicious. It packs a bit of a spicy punch, but I appreciate some spice and I loved it.
And the lemonade. I tried and enjoyed the apple cider flavor, but I could have guzzled an entire barrel of the strawberry basil kind. The combination of flavors bursts in the most delightful way.
The other items that I tried — both hot and cold items — were good, but did not always stand out. That is, other than the Apple/Pear Salad, which is simple but refreshing and flavorful.
The only item I would probably not recommend is the Truffle Mac and Cheese — it’s fine, but you probably already know what mac and cheese tastes like, and this doesn’t add much to it. There’s plenty of other more exciting options. Don’t be boring and order mac and cheese when you can order? a Balsamic Chicken pressed sandwich! (Which, by the way, also tastes pretty great.)
Finally, I have to mention the Thai fried ice cream. Not only was it yummy, if you enjoy the kinds of ice cream places that let you watch as they make your dish in front of you, you won’t want to miss this.
It started with Cold Stone adding in mix-ins before your very eyes, and now there is also the craze of using science lab equipment to instantly freeze ice cream liquid. This place is like that, but instead of submerging the ice cream liquid in liquid nitrogen like at Sub Zero, the ice cream liquid is squirted onto a metal plate refrigerated at -30 degrees Fahrenheit. When it hits the metal, it almost instantly hardens, and the server rolls it up in front of you like a sushi roll.
It’s neat. But it’s also delicious, and it’s ice cream.
Overall, that’s what makes Good Thyme unique. You can stop by for an ice cream, or a soup, or a pasta, or a tri-tip, or a sandwich, or … the list goes on. And with this much flavor and that much variety, it’s hard to go wrong at Good Thyme.
GOOD THYME
Where: 63 E. Center St., Provo
Prices: $12.50 for meals, less for a la carte items
Hours: Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Info: (801) 669-5300, facebook.com/good-thyme-1667628223522829