Parking expansion that is! Perhaps you have passed by us this week and noticed some activity in our parking lot. Yes, we are expanding our parking space by taking down the old gas pumps. Check out the progress! And don’t worry, we’ll be open during the project!
We hope to see you all downtown this evening for the first of this Summer’s free concerts! We would love to have you swing by for dinner or maybe just a little dessert before you head over. The beignets are to die for.
Pizzeria 712 will be closed for a special event the evening of Monday, May 21, but we invite you to join us that evening in welcoming the owner of Solar de Randez winery as we host a tasting of four of his wines – joven, crianza, riserva and blanco. Of course, we’ll prepare some marvelous food for pairing, but the evening will be all about the wines. Call Pizzeria 712 to make your reservations today. We will have limited spots but plan to pack the house.
Date: Monday, May 21
Time: 6 – 8pm
Cost: $55 per person (includes four glasses of wine and food)
Tune in or set your dvr to catch Heirloom’s own Justin Soelberg on Channel 4 tomorrow morning as he prepares a couple of his favorite spring recipes. His segment will air twice at 9:45a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
In case you’d care to cook along, here are the recipes:
Spring Onion Tart:
1: Lay out puff pastry and spread with creme fraiche then caramelized onions and bacon lardons. Sprinkle with chopped herbs and salt and pepper and place on a cookie sheet.
2: Bake at 400 degrees for 8 min or until puffed and golden brown. Lightly oil and season the spring onions and roast aside the tart until bottom white bulb is soft.
3: Lay the roasted spring onions on top of the cooked tart, toss some local greens with your favorite vinaigrette and lay on top. Garnish with a good aged balsamic and extra virgin olive oil.
Spring Peas with Anson Mills Farro, Spinach and Fennel Vinaigrette
1: add fennel vinaigrette and a tsp of butter to a hot saute pan
2: add peas, cooked farro and 1/4 water.
3: once steam is rising from the water you, add spinach,salt and pepper, toss for 1 minute. The texture of the fresh spinach should stay intact. Pour into serving bowl and top with fennel pollen.
Recently an Heirloom Group team member, Sam Diamond, struck out on his own and, along with his family, opened a new bbq joint on State St. in Orem. While the team at the Vivint employee cafe was sad to say goodbye to Sam, we have all enjoyed visiting him at DBoys BBQ & Grill and we encourage you to go check out, not only the DBoys bbq grub, but also the amazing Diamond family hospitality.
As you walk in the door at DBoys you may get the sense you are attending a family reunion … the atomosphere, greeting and energy are all about warmth and fun. The menu offers plenty of options for downhome, hearty bbq feasting or light, satisfying salads. Just one example would be the pilgrim salad featuring moist and delectable DBoys slow-smoked turkey, cheddar cheese, red onions, cucumbers, cranberries, walnuts poppyseed vinaigrette. Light yet ample portioning.
And, they rock the catered bbq. In March the Freedom Preparatory Academy teachers were treated by their Parent / Teacher Organization to a catered DBoys BBQ appreciation feast during Parent /Teacher Conference week. DBoys did an outstanding job preparing their smoked brisket & pulled pork, stuffed baked potatoes for the 60 teachers and faculty of Freedom Academy. Word around the smokehouse is they love taking their catering van just about anywhere to serve up bbq.
Be sure to hit up DBoys BBQ soon!
Written by:
Julie Dayley
Perhaps you’re already aware but let us remind you, we love having friends in for dinner. That we all make our living doing this is a great blessing. That we are able to visit with our friends while we cook in our dining room kitchens at Communal and Pizzeria 712 is a dream cake come true. The monthly Instructional Dinner is the cream frosting on the dream cake.
The three hour Instructional Dinner gives us an opportunity to hear what our guests think about food, cooking … life in general and to answer their questions about preparing delicious and wholesome dishes. And then, there is the eating!
This month we were pleased to have friend / foodie extraordinaire / social media & everything else maven – Lindsey Petersen of Evidently & Either Way join us for the Instructional Dinner at Communal. We thank Lindsey for spending an evening with us and for sharing her experience via her blog. We hope you enjoy Lindsey’s account of the evening as much as we have.
Lindsey in da house
Join us for an Instructional Dinner and discover more deliciousness!
Instructional dinner at Communal (102 N University Avenue, Provo)
Monday, May 14
6 – 9 pm
$55
Call Pizzeria 712 (801-623-6712) to reserve your spot!
Written by:
Julie Dayley
Of course our happenings begin with the lovely and lively brunch crowd at Communal. From there the options are many. We’d just like to share a few items that may be of interest to you.
If you can make it out to Christiansen Family Farm & Hog Heaven for their Farm Day, we know you will have a fun and informative time.
Also, remember today is a volunteer day at La Nay Ferme so stop in to lend a hand in the soil or just find out what their CSA is all about.
Back to the important subject of what’s for brunch today:
No matter where your travels take you, we hope you enjoy the weekend! Cheers!
Written by:
Julie Dayley
Community Farms … what can be better then being intimately involved in how and where your food is produced? You have another great opportunity to support a community farm in Provo and if you’ve not heard yet, you should check out La Nay Ferme.
In fact, you can learn more about La Nay Ferme TONIGHT from 6:30 – 8 pm at the farm – rain or shine!
They’ll have an example CSA Share on display and will be answering all your questions about how you can benefit from becoming a CSA member as well as other involvement opportunities, growing techniques, and more.
Click on the picture below to learn more about tonight’s event. See you on the farm!
This week the lifestyle review pros at SassyScoops will be featuring reviews of their recent visit to Communal. We’ve been told to expect reviews posted Monday, Wednesday and Friday. And, Friday’s review will feature a $100 giveaway so you’ll definitely want to check that out! Cheers!
Written by:
Julie Dayley
Heirloom Group is looking for a Financial Controller to join our team. Are you interested in managing the financial well-being of a fast-paced group of diverse food service enterprises?
You will be working in an extremely dynamic organization and will be responsible for almost all things financial for our company. We are a smaller company now but are experiencing rapid growth and need someone with an eye to the future who is willing to share their ideas for how to get there. Someone who can think on their feet and is flexible to a lot of change.
For those who are still reading this, make no mistake, this is a very tough job and is not for the faint of heart. If you are wanting to sit at the desk all day and only stare at your computer this is not the job for you (although there will be plenty of staring at the computer).
Here are some of the requirements we will need:
People can email resumes to colton@heirloomgroup.com
In City Weekly’s 23rd Annual Readers’ Choice “Best of Utah” Awards, Communal and Pizzeria 712 repeated as the winner and runner up for Best Utah County Restaurant! Our gratitude to everyone that voted for us and all those helping us make the Heirloom restaurants something special for our community to enjoy – our great team and all our lovely customers! Rounding out the top three was another downtown Provo establishment, our friends just up the street from Communal, Daniel Shanthakumar’s Bombay House.
Dining at the Communal table. Photo courtesy of City Weekly
City Weekly said:
Best Utah County Restaurant – Communal *Readers’ Choice*
True to its name, Provo’s Communal restaurant offers communal seating for those who enjoy meeting and making new foodie friends. The big communal table in the front of the restaurant is this eatery’s centerpiece. And it’s not unusual to see former strangers sharing bites of food and discussing the merits of, say, the roasted Brussels sprouts with hazelnuts versus farro with winter squash and braised greens. For the not-so-social, no worries: Not all seating at Communal is communal; you can even belly up to the counter and snag a solo stool. One thing is certain: You won’t find better contemporary American cuisine in Utah County.
2. Pizzeria 712
3. Bombay House
Come see us at an Heirloom restaurant soon!
Written by:
Julie Dayley
Our April Instructional Dinner is next Monday and, as of this morning, we have just a few spots left open. We invite you to reserve your spot today! In the meantime, enjoy this tidbit!
baked parsnip puree, Rockhill Creamery Gouda, toast
Do you consider parsnips elegant and rich? The chefs at Pizzeria 712 have provided this recipe for parsnip dip that will satisfy any craving for gourmet cuisine. In line with our modus operandi, the ingredients are simple, the preparation thoughtful and caring, the presentation most appetizing. Try this at home and watch the crowd gather and return time and again for more. Bon Appetit!
Parsnip Dip:
Method:
Dice the parsnips. Cook half of the parsnip with the milk, cream, and herbs until soft. Roast the other half of parsnip until just soft. Remove herbs then puree dairy and parsnip mixture until smooth. Add cheese and salt and pepper. Serve as is or bake with grana padano on top … just until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
Join our Instructional Dinner on Monday and discover more deliciousness!
Instructional dinner at Communal (102 N University Avenue, Provo)
Monday, April 9
6 – 9 pm
$55
Call Pizzeria 712 (801-623-6712) to reserve your spot!
Written by:
Julie Dayley
Justin Soelberg serves as Head Chef at Communal Restaurant. Prior to taking the helm in the Communal kitchen, Justin was Sous Chef with Cafeteria Co. in the employee café at Vivint.
Justin, who is cousin to Colton Soelberg, grew up in Boise, Idaho. And, although he has only lived in Provo for a short time, he has already grown to love his new home! Justin especially enjoys living close to nearly all his extended family.
A graduate of French Culinary Institute, Justin worked in two NYC restaurants, Aix & Michaels, while attending the Institute in 2004. Justin later moved to Chicago to work at Custom House Tavern. During his time in Chicago Justin staged at Alinea and Roxbin. Roxbin was named in the top 5 best new restaurants in America.
Having landed at Communal, Justin is happy to be working in a place where everyone knows your name and where he can make the quick, four block trip from his Provo Center St. studio apartment to work on foot. This is a true “neighborhood joint” which Justin finds enormously satisfying.
Not only has Justin taken on a transformation of the Communal menu, but the playlist has also benefited from his diverse tastes. Guests now enjoy a little something for everyone.
Though Justin enjoys all styles of cooking, he takes much satisfaction in the skill of roasting the perfect chicken. He enjoys eating sushi, Thai, French, Southwestern … all cuisine styles when done with heart, care and seasonal mindedness.
That he is involved with what he considers a great group of eateries and is extremely gratifying for Justin.
When Justin is not manning the kitchens at Communal he enjoys many forms of play. Whether he is biking, swimming, shooting nerf guns or just enjoying the company of his five year old son, Justin’s main priority is not being too serious.
~ photos by Alyssa Vincent
Written by:
Julie Dayley
Last week Cafeteria Co. began feeding the good folks at Ancestry.com, our third partnership with local businesses focused on the well-being of their empoyees … their community. We couldn’t be more pleased!
Jason Talcott and the Cafeteria Co. team are excited to bring to the staff at Ancestry.com their focus on simple and fresh dishes prepared from seasonal and locally sourced ingredients. Catering Co. has been operating the employee cafes at Vivint and Mona Vie where we strive to extend the Heirloom commitment to building local agribusiness. Congratulations to everyone at Ancestry.com and welcome to the Heirloom family.
Written by:
Julie Dayley
Pick up your complimentary copy of Edible Wasatch Magazine at Pizzeria 712, Communal or Mountain West Burrito. Grab and dash or sit down to enjoy this beautiful and informative local publication with your meal!
That is a whole fine mess of goodness right there! Please enjoy the gorgeous photography of our friend, Christine Armbruster, while you consider your brunch choices for today. We hope you have a marvelous weekend and that we see you soon.
photo appears courtesy of Christine Armbruster
And btw, if you’ve ever wanted to check out the Holi Festival of Colors at the Spanish Fork Krishna Temple, this weekend is your chance for the next year. We highly recommend this Spring welcoming event!
Today’s brunch features:
Communal brunch features:
Saturday brunch: 9 am – 2 pm
Reservations are always a good idea.
Written by:
Julie Dayley
McCoard's Garden Center
With a mild and temperamental winter seemingly behind us, we find ourselves realizing that Spring, if not having already Sprung, is certainly right around the corner. Those of us with Green Thumbs should be ready to get dirty because March is prime time to get going on preparatory projects in anticipation of a successful growing season.
A great place to get started is McCoard’s Garden Center in Provo. They always seem to have very healthy seedlings. Be certain to visit McCoard’s for specials, events calendar, and other valuable information. Other local resources include Vinyard Garden Center in Orem, Linden Nursery & Country Store in Lindon, and Cook’s Farm and Greenhouse in Orem.
Growing and eating our own food is the way to go, and now is an exciting time of year to prepare for a prosperous summer!
Written by:
Jenny Eckton
The longer day light hours and warm weather last Monday made for a wonderful evening with our friends who attended our March Instructional Dinner. Sadly we were tricked into thinking Spring was here a little earlier than expected, prompting many Spring Fever foodies to get excited for the early season’s produce. Alas, not yet, but guests did learn how to prepare and take advantage of the seasonal produce available now.
Some tasty highlights from the evening were the fresh, bright green brussel sprouts, and the great fuji apples still available from Allred Orchards. Attendees also learned the art of achieving crispy skin on chicken thighs, as well as preparing farro with butternut squash and a creamy, smooth goat cheese puree which could delight even the pickiest of veggie eaters.
Join our Instructional Dinner in April and discover the amazing produce to come as Spring 2012 matures!
Instructional dinner at Communal (102 N University Avenue, Provo)
Monday, April 9
6 – 9 pm
$55
Call Pizzeria 712 (801-623-6712) to reserve your spot!
~ words and photos by Alyssa Vincent
We are enormously pleased to help spread the word of yet another growing agricultural business in Provo. La Nay Ferme is offering CSA shares and much more. Like them on Facebook to keep up with their efforts.
Subscribe to their email list to receive their article, The Power of Greens, which includes helpful links like this one on nutrient density of foods and how this affects our health. We borrowed the following table and will refer to it often.
Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Micronutrient Scores by food - we like this very much!
Written by:
Julie Dayley
Party Time, Heirloom and La Nay Ferme Style !
14
May
Set the date on your calendar for Saturday, June 30, and purchase your tickets today for a true “farm-to-table dinner” featuring Pizzeria 712′s Taylor Mason and the fresh harvest of La Nay Ferme.