Dining in Provo is not known for quaint bistros or authentic dive bars: it's more often chain central. Local restaurants on Friday nights usually involve a crowded lobby and a long wait time. Pizzeria 712 offers something unique with its combination of minimalist cuisine and intimate charm.
Opened in November 2007, Pizzeria 712 is located at 320 S. State Street in Orem, beneath the new concrete and steel Midtown Village housing development. Thus, the restaurant seems a little out of place, as one would expect such an independent establishment to take a risk on more 'prime' city real estate.
Owners and executive chefs Colton Soelberg and Joseph McCrae both refined their craft at Sundance's Tree Room restaurant as executive chef and pastry chef, respectfully. McRae is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, Calif. Soelberg started working at the award-winning Tree Room restaurant at the ripe young age of 18.
An intimate ambiance is achieved immediately upon stepping in and being able to see everything. Small lights hang from the ceiling and local art lines the walls of this maximum seating venue of 48. Indie music from the likes of Jenny Lewis, Mason Jennings and Sondre Lerche suggest a subtle hipster vibe.
From the bar I see McCrae tilt his head back thoughtfully as he carefully adds one more spoonful of ricotta cheese to a handcrafted pizza. The only time I've seen the kitchen activity quite so up close and personal was when I waited tables. It's refreshing as a diner to see the chef take ingredients from the fridge, slice them and fire them up in the pizza oven right before your eyes.
The menu is a cornucopia of locally grown fresh vegetables, house-made cheeses, and proteins take the form of house-made sausage, braised beef and proscuitto ham. Tomatoes are picked from Jacob's Cove Farm in Pleasant Grove and the mozzarella is hand-pulled daily.
I started with the bruschetta ($9). Drenched in olive oil and topped with bright orange and red cherry tomatoes on a bed of arugula greens, it was tasty, but definitely overpriced for it's actual portion.
The speck pizza ($14) artfully melds the tastes of thinly sliced prosciutto, Italian salami, delicate layers of mozzarella and slivers of garlic. The taste was distinctly Italian: my assessment confirmed when I learned the pizza oven was shipped directly from Italy.
I sampled a simple cheese pizza with mozzarella, grana padano and house-made ricotta accented with garlic and caramelized onions ($16). Upon the first bite, one easily identifies each thoughtful ingredient. Each of the pizzas would comfortably satisfy a pair of diners.
Service is a team effort. The hostess filled water glasses and a different server brought the bill. At the end of the night, all tips are pooled, divided equally among employees. This evenly spread labor also contributes to intimacy.
Because fellow patrons are within earshot, Pizzeria 712 is not well-suited for crying babies or a big birthday bash. It's just right for a cozy dinner date or a small group of friends.
Soelberg said he and his partner McCrae have plans to start other restaurants in the area ranging, ideas ranging from a bakery to a steakhouse. "We want to do all of it on a small scale because it allows us to maintain the integrity," said Soelberg. He said that the fine food scene in the Utah Valley is small but growing and cited the new sandwich shop Dew, located on 9th east in Provo, as an example.
Diners and curious potential patrons can visit Pizzeria 712's regularly updated blog (pizzeria712.blogspot.com), with posts chronicling the restaurant's construction process from start to finish.
Copyright Brigham Young University 3 Dec 2008
