Exploring the Ogden Hilton’s Garden Grille

In February I did a Standard-Examiner story about the Garden Grill Restaurant at the Ogden Hilton Garden Inn, at 2271 Washington Blvd. The focus was on chef Josh Overturf’s annual prix fixe Valentine’s Day dinner.

I was intrigued, and wanted check out the hotel’s regular menu. I looked everywhere online, but couldn’t find a menu listing the restaurant’s dishes and prices. The hotel website lists the hours, but not menu.

Chef Overturf said the regular menu isn’t posted because,”We are constantly changing and evolving with what’s new. We have a menu called Overturf’s Originals of rotating specials, so there’s something for everyone. If not, that’s when you call me out, and I can make you something from scratch, if I’ve got it. We’re that kind of a restaurant.” 

But I think posting a general menu somewhere online would help attract more locals. Overturf, who has been the executive chef since it opened in 2012, said that people coming for the first time will often tell him, “I had no idea this was here.”

To remedy that, I’m posting some of the restaurant’s popular dishes. And I’m including prices, because people who consider trying out a new restaurant want to know if it’s in their price range (and if you will have enough left over to pay the sitter).

Yes, it’s on the pricy side, but Overturf said that once people come in, “We give them an experience, from the moment they walk in, to the moment they leave.”

The one-page menu, called Overturf’s Originals, has ten entrees, six appetizers, three salads and four desserts. That’s enough variety to satisfy most tastes, while still being able to execute each dish well.

I took my foodie friend, Ruth Kendrick, with me, so we could split the dishes and discuss them.

Our meal started out with rolls and a trio of flavored butter and oils to go with them. The rolls are from Stoneground Bakery in Salt Lake City, and they were delicious.

The Jumbo Lump Crab Cake is the signature appetizer, ($18 for one very plump, meaty cake). It’s topped with more crab chunks, served with charred tomatoes in a pool of beurre blanc sauce.

“The crab cakes sell like hotcakes,” Overturf said. “But the price of crab has gone through the roof.”

He said he’s paying $60 per pound for Gulf jumbo lump crab these days.   Still, he has kept the crab cake the same size, as people have that expectation.

It’s made up of big chunks of crab, barely held together with a little bit of breading and maybe a bit of sheer willpower. It’s a major cut above the common “flake cakes” of tiny crab flakes in a glue-y binding, or “fake cakes” of imitation “krab.” The key, Overturf said, is after mixing the ingredients, to let it rest for a half hour before cooking. That binds the ingredients together without over-mixing.

Basil Crusted Scallops ($14) are another popular appetizer (this one was served for the Valentine’s Day dinner). The scallops are seared, covered with a basil crust and served with kimchi-style cucumber and mango gelee.

The Menagerie salad ($8) is a combination of fresh field greens, cucumber, tomato, blue cheese, onion, cranberries, and walnuts with a white-pepper coating so they have a hint of spice.

The Spinach salad featured leafy spinach, red onions, bacon, and smoked mushrooms in a balsamic vinaigrette ($10.) The smoked mushrooms can be ordered as an accompaniment with any entrees, for $6, if you’d like an earthy, woodsy flavor to go along with your meal. Both salads are large enough to share.

The Dynamite Salmon ($26) is a play on Dynamite sushi, with a tongue-tingly sauce mayo/sriracha sauce. The salmon is perched on a bed of what the menu calls “florentine potato puree.” I’d describe it as mashed potatoes mixed with fresh spinach. It was a nice combination.

Garlic and Herb Chicken ($24) is the top-selling entree, Overturf said. An juicy airline-cut chicken breast is stuffed with boursin cheese, sauteed so the skin is crispy, and served over potato puree that’s flavored with roasted red pepper.

Basil Pesto Crab Pasta ($28) was Ruth’s favorite. Chunks of jumbo lump crab, blistered grape-size tomatoes, spinach, onions, and smoked mushrooms, were tossed with basil pesto and beurre blanc sauce, and topped with shaved parmesan, roasted garlic and chive oil. The portion was generous enough that Ruth had leftovers for lunch the next day.

She liked both the crab cake and the crab pasta because, “I like ordering something I don’t make at home. The pasta was even good warmed the next day.”

She added, “It was obvious there was a chef in the kitchen, not someone tossing something in the microwave.” I agree.

The prettiest dessert was the Dulce de Leche Creme Brulee ($8), with a biscoff cookie crumble, dulce de leche, meringue puffs and raspberry coulis.

All chef Overturf’s dishes offer glam appeal, with artful plating, sprinkles of herbs, drizzles of sauces, and other garnishes. This dessert really underscores that, with fresh berries, puffs, and flower petals.

Another dessert, bread pudding, is made from croissants, and topped with a dollop of cream and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

Also a new tart is going on the menu, with strawberry coulis layered with chocolate and salted dulce de leche. This one and the bread pudding were so new they weren’t on the printed menu, but I’m guessing the price is somewhere between $8-10.

The least expensive entrees are the Classic Mobley Burger (Conrad Hilton’s original steakhouse burger), $14; and fish and chips (battered cod and seasoned house fries with Cajun tartar sauce), $15. The most expensive is rib eye steak, $37. Other entrees are Duck Confit Flat Bread, Duck Risotto, Brie Cheese Flatbread, and Grilled Vegetable Tortellini. If you’re bringing kids, the Chicken Tenders and Fries appetizer ($11) might be a good bet.

Some items aren’t available after 8:30 p.m., I imagine because of the prep time involved.

Ruth and I were thinking this would be a good spot for prom dates. It has a ritzy feeling of white tablecloths, cloth napkins and nice table settings. The tables are spaced far enough apart that you’re not sitting elbow-to-elbow with strangers, and you can carry on a conversation at your table without having to yell.

About the chef: At age 15, Josh Overturf started out as a dishwasher at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas.

 “It was horrible,” he recalled with a laugh. “They didn’t have a day shift dishwasher, so when I got there, all the eggs were caked on the plates.”

  He stuck with it for about a year and a half, and then moved on to cooking.   “I learned the ins and outs of chains like Chili’s and Outback, got burned out and went to the Strip,” he said. There, he was the chef at Mandalay Bay’s Russian-themed restaurant, Red Square. He was also executive chef of Vic and Anthony’s Steakhouse at the Golden Nugget.

  “I’ve been fortunate to work with amazing chefs who weren’t afraid to share,” he said. “And I’m like a sponge, I like to soak it up. My goal is to learn something new every day.”

  He moved to Utah 12 years ago, “Because I wanted to get my family out of Vegas. I didn’t want my kids growing up there. I wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle, and Utah is more relaxing.”

  He worked at the Prairie Schooner his first year in Ogden, then was hired by the Hilton just after the company broke ground on the new Garden Inn, which opened in 2012. And he’s been there ever since. In fact, both his son and daughter work with him at the restaurant. We found out at the end of our meal that his son was our waiter.

  Frankly, many hotel restaurants have a reputation for being overpriced and under-exciting, as they have a captive audience of hotel guests with expense accounts. But that’s not always so, and chef Overturf is proving it.

  Location: 2271 Washington Blvd.

  Hours: Breakfast, Monday-Friday 6-9 a.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 7-10 a.m.; Dinner daily, 5-9 p.m.

  Contact: 801-399-2000 or https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/ogdwbgi-hilton-garden-inn-ogden-ut

  Prices: Breakfast, $10-15.99; Dinner entrees, $18-45