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Normally when I eat somewhere, I pick out a few favorites. The problem with Magleby’s is that I loved everything. I had the privilege of reviewing Magleby’s buffets. Wait! You’re saying, “Magleby’s has a buffet?” I know, right? How did I miss this? The Wednesday lunch buffet is from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and the evening buffet is held the last Friday of the month from 4 to 9 p.m. The evening buffet is a life-changing experience. We are talking 16 items including appetizers: everything from prime rib to crab legs to grilled romaine lettuce to almond-encrusted salmon to chocolate cake. Everything I tasted was its own utopian world of flavor combinations. Yes, I just went there.
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Let’s start with the appetizers, shall we? How about watermelon and prosciutto, chicken cordon bleu bites and arancini (fried risotto in a honey-almond marmalade)? My personal favorite was the grilled romaine BLT. So they GRILL the romaine lettuce and top it with bacon, fresh tomato and parmesan. It was divine, crunchy and crisp with smoky bacon flavor.
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Next up, entrees. The star of the show is the seafood table. People were going crazy for the snow crab legs served with melted butter. Then there is the shrimp with cocktail sauce, AND they had coconut-encrusted red snapper, tequila lime mahi and salmon en croute. I became addicted to the almond crusted salmon. It had a gentle sweetness from the mango and basil chutney combined with the salmon and then the crunch of the almonds. I could have eaten it all day long.
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Then they have your traditional carving station with prime rib. But there is nothing normal or traditional about this tender prime rib served with au jus. Wow. The flavors were astounding, and then you add some of the garlic mashed potatoes and you’re in culinary heaven. Plus you have Harvey slicing up the meat for you and always trying to talk you into taking more. I love that man.
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And we haven’t even touched on the stuffed chicken with apricot and pistachios and capsicum sauce (red pepper sauce). So tender, yet sweet and delicious. Fresh green beans, fingerling potatoes and the portobello mushroom raviolis. Oh, those raviolis with the rich, nutty flavor paired with the creamy sauce.
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Okay, by now you’ve probably noticed that this isn’t your average menu. Part of what makes Magleby’s amazing is the chef, Kuldeep Singh. Chef Kuldeep is a brilliant, talented chef, and he’s a genuinely nice guy. When he talks about his dishes, you can tell he loves creating extraordinary food. His creativity really shines at the evening buffets where he can try out new dishes.
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Ok. Desserts. When I looked at the dessert table, I swear that I heard the “Hallelujah Chorus.” So, you know about the Magleby’s cake, right? Ok. If you don’t, you need to go to Magleby’s immediately and get a slice. It is the best chocolate cake on the planet made from scratch every day. The chocolate cake is decadent and rich, yet light. Don’t know how they do that, but they do. Then they add on this thick, rich, fudgy frosting. I got to meet the woman who created the famous chocolate cake, Lenora Parkinson. She is a legend and just as delightful as her signature cake.
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The dessert table also had carrot cake, lemon cake, German chocolate cake, cookies and more. The cobbler was a sweet vanilla cake with a nice sugary crust that you top with peaches straight from the orchard and whipped cream. Is this sounding unreal to you? It was amazing. But the star of the dessert table was the triple chocolate bread pudding. Bread pudding – nothing special, right? Oh wait, the “bread” for this pudding is leftover chocolate cake. Get your attention? Then they add in three kinds of chocolate chips and bake it until it has a sugary, delicious crust. Then, and only then, do you add on a generous helping of raspberry sauce, and paradise is yours.
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So that is the Friday evening buffet. Forty dollars a person and worth every penny. Perfect for an anniversary, birthday or monthly splurge. You must go. However, if you want to start at a beginner’s level, you can go for the Wednesday lunch buffet. The Wednesday lunch buffet is a little more approachable with six to eight items. It’s still delicious and just a little less intimidating. When I went, they had top round sirloin with au jus, Portobello ravioli, salmon, garlic mashed potatoes, parmesan chicken with prosciutto, baked salmon with lobster sauce and chicken picatta. Plus the dessert buffet. All of this for the economical price tag of $14.
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So basically, you need to treat yourself to Magleby’s. For sure do the lunch buffet and make a plan to do the Friday night buffet in the next month or so. You deserve it. You’ve got to experience this culinary masterpiece. Reservations are recommended and large parties are welcome. Magleby’s is located at 198 S. Main in Springville. They are open Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
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