Block Restaurant

Brian said:

Our previous attempt to dine at the Block Restaurant in Provo’s Jamestown neighborhood was stymied by its popularity, which created a lengthy wait time. Today—a Thursday—we had no trouble getting in for dinner. Just in case, we had made a reservation this time. The hostess led us past an adjoining bar/lounge into a dimly lit dining room with eclectic poetry, quotations, and artwork adorning the walls. Fresh flowers in vases lined one side of the room. As I slid the heavy wooden chair out from our table in the corner of the small dining room, its metal legs made a horrible screech on the concrete floor. Oops, excuse me! Once seated, I enjoyed a partial view of the kitchen, where I could see the enthusiastic cooks singing and dancing to the overhead music.

Block Restaurant is a Farm-to-Table restaurant that locally sources its ingredients to create seasonal menus for an upscale dining experience. The adjoining bar/lounge similarly seeks to create an upscale experience with its handcrafted cocktails.

The restaurant didn’t have a Mocktail menu, but the waitress showed me several options from the Cocktails menu that she could offer without alcohol. She added that their gifted bartender could create just about anything if I had an ingredient in mind. Unfortunately, my first choice was peach, which she said was the one flavor they only had in spirits. I settled on a virgin Blood Orange Margarita. It came in a salted lowball glass on the rocks rather than blended. Its delightful, bright flavor was at once sweet and a bit sour, making it a great choice.

The appetizers sounded wonderful, but one item particularly caught my attention: The Cauliflower Tart. My brother doesn’t like cauliflower, a sentiment I once shared with him. However, I have developed an appreciation for this versatile vegetable. I’ve tried to persuade my brother that he simply needs to try it prepared differently, but I don’t think I’ve convinced him yet. At any rate, we decided to give it a try. The tart arrived as a rectangular block atop a spicy romesco spread. (I love a good romesco sauce—with its signature blend of almonds, tomatoes, and peppers—another reason I wanted to try this appetizer). The tart had only a tiny crust on the bottom and otherwise somewhat resembled a quiche, albeit without eggs. A stack of arugula and shallots, drenched in a vinaigrette, accompanied the tart. Dollops of goat cheese mousse adorned the plate, offering a tangy contrast to the piquant romesco. I enjoyed the variety of textures in this dish: the thin crust, the mottled, custard-like tart, the smooth romesco spread, and the creamy cheese mousse.

Kathy and I decided to split a Fennel Salad, though it came to us in a single bowl. The eponymous, thinly sliced fennel was sparse and got lost amid the abundant mixed greens. However, my disappointment was quickly dispelled by the amazing yogurt-mint dressing, which I enjoyed immensely. The salad was topped with sections of orange and grapefruit, as well as pistachios and sumac.

The menu offered several entrée choices that caught my eye. Kathy asked me about Mary’s Airline Chicken, no doubt wondering why a fancy restaurant would want to serve airline-inspired food. I reminded her that back in the 1960s, airlines apparently served rather nice cuisine. However, the waitress explained that “airline chicken” is not a dish, but a portion of the chicken that contains the breast together with the drumette part of the wing. Once she explained that, I recalled that I had once known that, though it had sometime faded from my memory.

The waitress made the airline chicken sound wonderful, but I ultimately chose the Niman Ranch Pork Loin instead. This beautiful dish began with a layer of lemon-parmesan orzotto with roasted cherry tomatoes and green beans, all topped with a sliced bone-in pork loin chop. Thinly sliced radishes graced the top. The pork had a perfect, even sear. However, it was cooked just a tad too long, leaving it dry, a condition made more noticeable by the lack of any sauce, the garlic-honey glaze providing only flavor and no moisture. The lemon-flavored orzotto, resembling a risotto, had an ideal texture, creamy but thick. A bit sweet, the lemony flavor paired well with the pork.

Kathy said:

The Block Restaurant struck me as being a hip, happening kind of establishment that provides its patrons with a cozy, comfortable place in which to enjoy spectacular cuisine and lively conversations.

Upon entering the premises, I was greeted by a friendly hostess and took in my surroundings: walls fashioned from roughly hewn wooden boards in varying shades of walnut, brandy, and blonde; concrete floors; dark, heavy wooden tables and chairs; deep blue vinyl cushions suspended on the walls with brown leather straps; eclectic, edgy art adorning the walls. Several paintings depicted people whose faces were replaced with floral bouquets. I turned to Brian to ask him what he thought the flowers symbolized. We looked at each other and shrugged, but the artwork intrigued me nevertheless.

Our hostess seated us in a cozy, intimate corner of the dining area. It was a great table because it was private, dimly lit, and romantic. Perfect for a Thursday night date.

Now, about the food:

Our appetizer arrived on a nicely arranged stone plate. It didn’t look as delectable as its description on the menu, but when I took my first bite there was a burst of savory, nutty flavor and a bit of intermingled creaminess and crunchiness. Thank goodness for the goat cheese mousse, though, because the puréed romesco sauce was a bit too spicy for my liking.

As for the fennel salad: bigger, thicker pieces of the fennel would have been nice. Also, the yogurt dressing was tasty, but I would have personally preferred a bit more creaminess and thickness so that the chef could have held back a bit on the serving. Quite a few restaurants end up being too generous with salad condiments, rendering otherwise beautiful concoctions too soggy to enjoy. So, in most circumstances, I’ll ask for my Ranch on the side.

Now, to my entrée: I ordered the Potato Gnocchi because it sounded interesting. It came with short ribs, a dollop of crème fraiche, and a swirly pickled shallot garnish—along with thinly sliced mushrooms. However, I was disappointed with my dish. First of all, there was too much meat in proportion to the gnocchi. Plus, the mushrooms weren’t substantial enough. Furthermore, the sauce/base was so strong that I couldn’t finish eating my food. It tasted condensed, as though the dish had been prepared with too much beef-flavored Better than Bouillon. That’s the only way I can describe it. Also, chunks of carrots and onions would have improved the entrée. The fact that I couldn’t finish my meal was a huge bummer.

All was not lost, though. The slice of chocolate cake I ordered “to go” was delicious. 😋 No complaints there.

So, the restaurant lived up to my expectations where its vibe was concerned, but I had mixed feelings in regards to the cuisine.

Conclusion:

Plan ahead and make a reservation for fresh Farm-to-Table creations. Block Restaurant is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday, and serves brunch on weekends.