DELECTABLE DINING
Love at rst bite: You had me at pumpkin soup.
You know that feeling when you take a bite of food and you know that there is no way that bite could be improved upon? It is the epitome of that food: the ultimate version. It was like the chef was a matchmaker finding the perfect partner for each ingredient. Combine that culinary perfection with inviting surroundings decorated with natural woods, muted grays, and crisp whites and you will have Tamarack.
My husband Nick and I started our meal with the coconut shrimp ($11). The crust on the shrimp was light and crispy with a coconut breading. Alone they were delightful, but when dipped in the mango chutney sauce, they were divine. We both ordered soup to go with our entrees. I ordered the pumpkin soup. I am a huge fan of everything pumpkin: pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, (you get the picture). The soup came out photo-ready with a dollop of maple whipped cream. The smell was enticing, like autumn combined with baking cookies. The deep, rich flavors of pumpkin combined with cinnamon and just the right amount of creamy goodness to make a delightful soup that begged to be classified as a dessert.
I felt pretty bad for my husband, because, honestly, what can compare with pumpkin soup? He had ordered the creamy potato soup. I envisioned that thick, starchy potato soup you get at some church gatherings. Boy, was I wrong. The soup came out with applewood smoked bacon crumble on top (it’s all about the pairings, I am telling you). After the first bite, I was hooked. The flavor had a lot more depth than your typical potato soup. It also did the impossible, it was a rich potato soup that did not feel heavy.
The main dish. Are you ready for this? I ordered the 12 oz. Black Angus rib eye, $19. I thought that I had experienced an excellent steak before. I was wrong. The steak was tender and perfectly seasoned and beautifully paired with a sweet potato hash. I was imagining hashbrowns; it was actually cubed sweet potatoes baked in a sweet maple brown sugar glaze. The flavors blended and highlighted each other to create a sublime experience. If you ever want to experience steak taken to next level, go to Tamarack.
Nick ordered the chicken roulade (chicken wrapped around a filling made with mushrooms and cheese with a red pepper sauce), $14. The filling provided a nice contrast to the chicken. The deal breaker was the red-pepper sauce. It was delectable. The chicken roulade came with creamy mashed potatoes and a beautiful assortment of steamed julienned vegetables. The food was rich with complex flavors without being overly heavy. My husband laughed because I said that while eating a steak. However, that was my overall impression of the meal. Even though I was eating a very rich meal, I still could sense the delicate flavors and it was very palatable.
We ended our meal with desserts. Once again the food arrived and was beautifully plated; this was no sloppy scoop of peach cobbler. The peach cobbler had a sweet, light cake paired with not-overly-sweet peaches, which made a refreshing, warm treat ($8).
The star of the night though was the bread pudding ($8). It wasn’t the bread pudding I grew up with (sorry, Mom) with soggy and congealed bread bits in a thick sauce. This bread pudding has soft, firm cubes of cake slightly caramelized mixed in with bites of chocolate and cherries. It was a decadent combination that was honestly quite addictive.
Everything was plated beautifully. It seemed a shame to eat it, but I indulged. The beautiful presentation combined with the rich flavors made for a sumptuous dining experience. If you ever want to eat some delicious food in a beautiful environment, this is the place. Think anniversaries, dates, girl’s night out, BYU pre-game meal, etc.
We only went for dinner, but Tamarack also offers breakfast and lunch options and is open daily from 6:30 am to 10 pm. I honestly don’t think you could go wrong ordering anything on their menu. Tamarack is adjacent to the Courtyard Marriott on 1600 North Freedom Boulevard in Provo.
Tamarack takes upscale dining to the next level.