Restaurant reviewer Mary Crafts invited me (Utah Valley Magazine editor Jeanette Bennett) to share lunch with her at Thanksgiving Point’s Harvest Restaurant. The idea? We would review the food as a duo.
I was excited to spend an hour with Utah Valley’s first lady of food, but I was a little intimidated to share my culinary opinions with the woman who has “perfect spice” (the ability to name a flavor when it touches her tongue — like “perfect pitch” for musicians). My usual description of food is along the lines of, “That tasted really good.” (You can see why I’ve delegated restaurant reviews to Mary.)
When we arrived for lunch, we were promptly seated at an elegant, large table for two in the quiet dining room.
We both remarked on the location of Thanksgiving Point — easy freeway access, a good mid-way point for Salt Lake and Utah Valley. As two business owners, “convenient” rates high on our list.
As we looked over the scrumptious lunch menu, Mary remarked on the variety.
“This isn’t just soups and salads — there are heavy choices at a great value,” she says.
Our helpful and happy waitress recommended the Rock Shrimp Nachos as an appetizer. I seconded the idea. When the nachos arrived, Mary commented first on the presentation.
“Beautiful,” she says as she takes a bite. “These homemade tortilla chips are delicious, and the sweet chili sauce gives flavors you aren’t expecting. It’s a fusion between Asian and Southwestern.”
We could have easily cleaned off the plate but chose to leave room for our entrees. After considering more than a half dozen deliciously described choices, Mary ordered the Seared Beef Medallions and the Spinach Salad, and I selected the Grilled Salmon Sandwich and Butternut Squash Soup.
Our waitress brought honey whole wheat bread, which we each sliced (Mary’s slice was much more even than mine — I hurried and ate my triangular piece before she noticed).
We each tasted my soup, which Mary described as “autumn.” I may have licked the bowl if I hadn’t been with Mary. Mary loved that her salad was not overdressed.
“There are a variety of tastes across the palette,” she says. “With the blue cheese and balsamic dressing, this is a great salad.”
When our entrees arrived, we were already full but couldn’t leave the beautiful presentations on the plate. Mary started with her parmesan and herb fries, rustic cut with skin left on.
“These are so flavorful there is no need for ketchup,” she says.
Both of our sandwiches exceeded our expectations. Mary was especially impressed with the breads. Her beef medallions were served on ciabatta, while my salmon was served on foccacia. The only complaint was that my sandwich was almost too big to bite.
Mary described her sandwich as being “packed with flavor, tastes like summer with wonderful melted brie oozing out the front.”
“We’re going to need boxes,” we say simultaneously. The boxes came in handy so we could leave room for dessert. Our waitress informed us the chocolate cake is the most popular, so we tried it first. We also tried the Banana Boston Cream Tart, which we liked even better, although the crust was a bit thick.
As we savored our last few bites, we came to an agreement that Mary shared most eloquently.
“Everything was a delightful surprise,” she says. “The baker is doing an excellent job with the breads. This is a perfect place for groups of friends or business colleagues to come for a peaceful, pampered lunch. I’ll be back!”

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