Restaurant review: Necessary Provisions gives diners something to love in East Millcreek

Merriam-Webster defines provisions as a supply of food and other things that are needed. That definition proves apt for the new Provisions restaurant, desperately needed in East Millcreek.

Provisions occupies the former Lugano space, where new chef and owner Tyler Stokes has welcomed his new neighbors with modern American cuisine driven by responsible farming and animal husbandry.

The menu is crafted by the season and availability of regional and sustainable ingredients. Many well-known Utah purveyors regularly provide ingredients — everything from Caffé Ibis coffee and Beehive Distilling gin to Gold Creek Farms cheese and Creminelli cured meats.

Guests returning to the location for the first time since the transformation will find the entrance has been moved, a more private dining area created and the main dining room more lively. A bright splash of orange washes the walls, and roses to match adorn each table.

Like many restaurants in Salt Lake, Provisions' menu is a very shareable affair, with significant focus on small plates — although diners of all persuasions will find something to like here.

Start with snacks designed for munching while further exploring the menu, like marinated olives ($3), shishito peppers ($6) or creamy chicken liver mousse toast ($7). A trio of raw selections on the Week 8 menu highlighted trout row ($10), Hamachi sashimi ($14) and wagyu beef carpaccio ($14), but all offerings change frequently.

Provisions makes good use of the wood-fired oven installed in the open kitchen whenever possible. A favorite was the Utah salumi pizza ($17) layered with speck and salami, then dotted with olives, blue cheese, smoked parmesan and arugula for all the right fatty, tangy and peppery notes. While the pizzas can certainly serve as a meal in themselves, my group of five found it perfect for sharing as an appetizer.

Further exploration of the small-plates menu led us to the wood-roasted mushrooms ($7), a woodsy assortment of chanterelles and other fungi accented with fresh rosemary and lemon. The mushrooms came topped with a poached egg — providing a creamy, rich finish. As with many of the offerings at Provisions, simple preparation of the high-quality ingredients results in dishes that celebrate the essence of each item within.

Wood-fired mussels ($14) swam in a warm coconut cream and Uinta Brewing's 801 pilsner broth, but three of the mollusks were unopened and therefore inedible. I'm well aware that this happens no matter how fresh the delivery, but I was more surprised that they were served to us, given that there were only a dozen in the bowl to begin with. When pointed out, the staff immediately removed the inedible mussels and also the small plate from our bill.

Provisions also offers two versions of steamed buns (three for $10 each) — kurobuta pork belly or mushrooms. Both were served with hoisin and pickled cucumber in chewy buns. Of the two, the mushrooms stole the show for texture and flavor.

I was disappointed in the spice-fried quail small plate, which for $14 offered only the tiniest amount of meat in the two legs, although the spicy green papaya salad that took up most of the plate was exceptional.

Having thoroughly sampled the small plates, we moved onto larger entrée offerings.

The star of the dinner menu in presentation and taste was the caramelized black cod ($27). I was so mesmerized by the bonito flakes fluttering in the steam rising from the meaty fish that it wasn't until I tasted the tangy carrot ginger broth that I was pulled back to the layers of tantalizing tastes before me: Chewy bites of gnocchi anchor the dish, while braised chard and earthy shiitake mushrooms give it further depth.

The pumpkin tortelli ($19) and seared diver scallops ($25) were plated on long, rectangular white plates, which visually accented each ingredient. Each entrée was also rich enough that even though the presentation didn't look much larger than a small plate, both were surprisingly satisfying.

For its part, the tortelli was filled with creamy butternut squash, pecans and sage in brown butter and cider — resulting in a decadently hearty entrée.

The scallops were expertly seared to celebrate the sweet seafood, while a celery root puree, Brussels sprouts, bacon and shiitake mushrooms were balanced by a cider reduction drizzle.

Desserts on Provisions' dinner menu are all beautifully presented. The apple and caramel toffee cake ($8) pieces were interspersed with a not-too-sweet cream cheese ice cream and caramel apple ice cream in addition to a pecan streusel. The densely rich flourless manjari chocolate cake ($8) was tempered by the coconut sorbet on the side, but it was my least favorite of the trio we sampled. Most memorable was the saffron panna cotta ($8) topped with espresso crumbs.

Provisions offers a nice wine list that's priced within reason as well as a full bar. A few highlights on the cocktail menu include the Elder 75 ($11), featuring Beehive Distilling's Barrel Reserve gin; the Deep Blue ($10), with house-made cocktail onions; and the Lion's Tail ($11), spiked with a special allspice syrup made in-house.

Beyond the food, I'm thrilled to find a restaurant that hasn't forgotten the art of fine service and appreciating the customer for being there. Over several visits, very few small details were overlooked.

But with that said, I do wish that servers were dressed in something nicer than thin gray T-shirts. Even the fitted women's versions seem to downplay the level of food and service that you'll receive at Provisions. A wardrobe upgrade would suit the space and food far more. However, I'll happily overlook the clothes in favor of the quality ingredients and careful preparation that each plate at Provisions delivers.

Heather L. King also writes for www.theutahreview.com and can be found on Twitter @slclunches