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Show 1 L J I i i i ( V 4" "Z K & w ' ' wV. " 4 . -J V J J V. V lit' ,A f,t& nlUjMWtil iff i j J ; 1 37 H ff w IS JS " .n L-JJUUUUd . i f 'i j 0ST002R nOVEnOSR 1SD7 t KLnrr, i X'fii n : n rt n xK3r Li Lj nr. i auuu. by Louise LeVay Times Entertainment Writer "We want to be people's favorite favor-ite restaurant in town," acknowledged acknowl-edged Mike Feuer, general manager man-ager of Carvers, 672 South State Street in Orem. "When people want to do something special that makes them feel good and helps them escape from everyday life, they can comer relax, and be catered to. That's what we try to do." Feuer expects a busy holiday season sea-son coming up at Carvers, which opened in Orem about two years ago in October of 1995. Some satisfied sat-isfied patrons actually ac-tually made reservations reser-vations last holiday holi-day season to have their parties and get-togethers at the restaurant again this year, Feuer said. Accommodations Accommoda-tions Disparate am-biances am-biances in its dif ferent rooms add to the charm of Carvers, and the facility can accommodate many configurations for parties, seating seat-ing 12 in the Board Room, 20 in the Study, 40 in the Library, 50 in the Garden Room, or 110 in the main, high-ceilinged dining hall. Of course, it is quality food more than anything else that keeps people coming back, and Carvers accomplishes that with a menu featuring distinctive appetizers, ap-petizers, elegant entrees, a fine selection of steaks and chops, and scrumptious desserts. Beef served at Carvers is aged for three weeks at 36 degrees Fahrenheit, making the meat more flavorful and tender. Beyond Be-yond aging the meat, however, there are other high specifica-, tions, including how much marbling mar-bling it must contain and how much fat is trimmed. Cooks, including in-cluding head chef Terrell Roe, homecoming weekend. We were escorted to the back to the Library, Li-brary, where a cozy fire burned in the fireplace. The comfortable room glowed with candlelight and subtle, shaded light from the black wrought iron chandeliers. Books, pictures, and tasteful bric-a-brac lined the library shelves. We were seated at one of the dark wooden tables, set beginmth-asuperior.-product, with linen napkins and sparkling - H . " ' I l, .r-::-.'i: ...'". 4 . $ -T- . .... then work their culinary magic. "I can't give you a 'Volkswagen'," Feuer explained, "and have you make it an 'El Dorado'. You start with a ,'Cadillac', then take the final steps to make it perfect. The cooks understand." Dining experience My dining companion and I visited Carvers on a quiet Monday Mon-day evening, after the restaurant had just concluded a busy Brigham Young University glassware. The upholstered wing-backed chairs were the right combination of support and softness. We opted for opposite ends of the temperature spectrum with the appetizers we ordered. My partner requested the classic shrimp cocktail, which featured six large shrimp on ice, served with fresh sliced lemon and cocktail cock-tail sauce. Having once sampled the stuffed portobello mushroom, served piping hot with its filling of rock shrimp and spinach and topped with melted cheese, I felt compelled to order it again. We shared both appetizers, enjoying the best of both worlds. My companion ordered the top sirloin at $16, with a side of sau teed onions. I selected the H roast chicken breast, $15, served with pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes. Entrees En-trees come with the diner's choice of soup of the day or salad. I enjoyed the very flavorful fla-vorful spinach salad spinach greens topped with apple slices, almonds, dried cranberries, and a sweet dressing. A romaine salad with bleu cheese is also a salad option. My partner chose the soup du jour split pea that night, served with a bright garnish of shredded raw carrots. The soup was steaming hot, and my partner labeled it one of the best he has ever tasted, with hearty ham and beans augmenting the other main ingredients. Our efficient and considerate consid-erate waitress was ready with fresh ground pepper to enhance our food, but we found it very tasty without the extra seasoning. season-ing. Entrees are also served with a circular loaf of hot, crusty bread, and the diner's choice of au gratin potatoes, baked potato, or roasted vegetables. We selected se-lected the au gratin potatoes, and were not disappointed the creamy, melt-in-your-mouth dish is a house specialty. My companion found the top sirloin to be moist and cooked exactly to his order. The roast chicken breast was also moist in its sauce, and the pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes gave it an exotic flavor. We had our waitress box up part of our entrees so we could take them home and manage room for dessert From a long list of tempting treats, we selected (and shared) the turtle cheesecake. cheese-cake. The rich delicacy had a graham gra-ham cracker crust topped with a light filling, all drizzled in caramel, cara-mel, chocolate, and chopped pecans. pe-cans. Philosophy Feuer and his chef sometimes collaborate on some of the menu items at Carvers, with delicious and innovative results. Along with a chefs creativity, however, comes what Feuer described as "predictable quality. It is of utmost ut-most importance, he noted, that customers know they can order something again and can count on having it taste and look as good as they have found it previously. previ-ously. "We want it to be truly special when people come in," the manager man-ager said, "and we want people to honestly feel special when they come out of the building." Carvers also has a lunch menu. For reservations or more information, call 235-9422. Printed and Published by The Orem-Geneva Times in cooperation with the Utah Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau |