The Over Bite is Just Right.

The Over Bite

133 East Center Street

Monticello, UT, 84535

Phone: (435) 777-2749

Website: https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Over-Bite/100094723847945/

 

Here I sit, fingers playing lyrically over the keyboard, thinking about the meal we just had at the newest restaurant in Monticello.  July 20, 2023, The Over Bite made its grand debut on Pioneer Day weekend, and to say they were busy was a huge understatement.  A month later, on a quiet afternoon, the Cokenour duo descended on owners, David and Tracy Carpenter, and head chef, Allea, formerly of Peace Tree Café fame.

Chef Allea, Owners David and Tracy Carpenter

 

The building location is where R& F Restaurant and Paca Pantry formerly resided; and David Carpenter, still involved in realty, saw, and purchased, the property as a great opportunity.  Selecting the smallest section of the three units, what estimated as three months of work, turned into nine months.  Then again, is that not the right amount of time for a new born baby to take form?  While ideas are still being bandied about, menu additions or deletions being tweaked, The Over Bite is building up a following.

 

It is no wonder really, as the atmosphere, staff and, mainly, the foods and beverages, are what many diners crave.  The atmosphere is comfortable, welcoming and inviting; definitely no feelings of stress or of being rushed.  The staff are friendly, knowledgeable, and do not mind being asked questions about the various menu items.  Ah, but the food and drinks, are they truly that enjoyable?  The answer is a definite, “Yes”, especially when seeking out a simplistic, yet very satisfying taste, experience.  Tourists, especially from foreign nations, enjoy offerings from The Over Bite as they are not heavy, and overly laden down with oil from too much deep frying.  Light and fresh is best!

The meat and poultry products are sliced on premises, no prepackaged cold cuts. Vegetables are also prepared on site, as freshness is a key ingredient to any food menu item.  The bases used to create the out-of-this-world smoothies come from an east coast company, famous for its high-quality ingredients.

 

Aloha Pineapple Smoothie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allea, who is also in charge of training the staff, has created specialty sauces such as green chili aioli, horseradish (wonderful on roast beef), and chipotle.  She is also attending a barista training program, so will be whipping up more than regular and blended coffees once the new espresso machine arrives.  Blended coffee?  I do not know about you, but from what Allea described, there is destined, in my future, a chocolate blended coffee soon.  While there are also a variety of soft drinks, The Over Bite has a complete assortment of “Stubborn” brand carbonated beverages.  With flavors such as Black Cherry Tarragon, Agave Vanilla and Pineapple Cream, to name a few, your taste buds will have their minds blown!

 

Top Sellers from the menu are The Trail Grinder (top), Turkey Avocado Swiss, The Club (my favorite pick) and the Ultimate BLT.  The Club was packed with turkey, ham, Swiss, Cheddar, bacon, lettuce and tomato, in just the right amounts so that not one item overwhelmed the others.  I asked for extra mayonnaise, since I like it messy, personal choice of course.  Sandwiches are made on sliced white or wheat bread, toasted or not; and come with a side of kettle cooked type chips and large pickle wedge.   

 

Now Roy ordered The Greek, and inhaled it before I could get a decent taste test in.  He did say though that it was almost like eating a Greek gyro, as it was packed with meat, Feta cheese and tzatziki sauce.  We will all just have to take his word on this.  We did have a tug of war going on for my Aloha Pineapple smoothie, but I believe I won, since I developed brain freeze.  The smoothie was luscious, so smooth and full of flavor; it was difficult to put down, and concentrate on the sandwich.

 

 

The Over Bite does have a Kid’s Menu.  Allea has been experimenting with baked goods, and her cinnamon rolls and sugar cookies have been a success.  She has, in the works, a “black magic” cake with caramel sauce, but is considering bringing in pastries from other sources as well.  For the winter, the addition of soups and winter themed drinks are being considered.

Other developments in the works are a large screen wall television for the dining area.  By spring of 2024, an adjoining section of the building will be converted into a lounge area.  Imagine it now, coffee drink or smoothie, maybe a cinnamon roll or sandwich, while relaxing on a comfy, cushioned chair and reading your favorite novel, or exploring the internet on laptop or phone.  Sounds nice, does it not?

 

The Over Bite serves breakfast (great for tourists on the go, and locals too), lunch and dinner; options are dine-in or take-out.  Current hours of operation are Monday – Saturday, 6am to 9pm; Sunday is 8am to 9pm.

 

When it comes down to the reality of eating; comfort, good service, great food and drink, and walking away feeling deeply satisfied is what it is about.  The Over Bite can help you with all that.

Mary Cokenour

 

 

 

 

 

2nd Annual Abajo Enduro; Race to the Food.

Andy Platt

On Saturday, August 1st, mountain bike enthusiasts took to Monticello’s local mountain range for the 2nd Annual Abajo Enduro Race (website: http://theraceexperts.com/endurorace/ ). Organized by Andy Platt (husband of San Juan Record’s Merri Allyson Platt), and with the aid of fifteen sponsors from both Grand and San Juan Counties, it was, once again, a huge success!!!









Using the Monticello Welcome Center as a staging area, racers were afforded a shuttle service to the 13.3 mile start of the Robertson Pasture Trailhead; ending at the Foy Lake area. Racers endured terrain of a hard packed, dirt trail twisting and turning throughout the majestic Manti-La Sal forest. With the recent rains the mountains had been gladly receiving, no biker was spared a mud free experience. A fall here and there? No major mishaps thankfully; and I bet a good excuse was “taking time to admire the beautiful, natural plant life along the trail”.





Foy Lake on a stormy day.

The racers may have been exhausted, but the happiness on each rider’s face was beaming! On to the food tent they either continued to race, or at a leisurely speed. Peace Tree Juice Café (of Moab and Monticello) provided a well-deserved meal of five different wraps (Turkey, Club, Thai, Chicken Caesar and Veggie); plus five fruit packed smoothies (Strawberry Twist, Tango Mango, Pina Colada, Watermelon Burst and Berry Banana). The volunteer servers for this day were employees Kaitlin and Brandin; with help from their friend, Andrew….give these three a round of applauds.

Even Mountain Bikes Need a Rest.



Andrew, Brandin, Kaitlin

Brandin Serving up a Wrap

Here’s a description of each wrap to entice you to visit one of their establishments.

Club Wrap House - sliced roasted turkey, ham, bacon, avocado and spring mix with your choice of ranch or cilantro dressing on a whole wheat tortilla.
 
Turkey Wrap - Avocado, sprouts, tomato and red onion with your choice of ranch or cilantro lime dressing and spring mix on a whole wheat tortilla.

Thai Wrap Chicken, - rice noodles, tomato, cucumber, raw peanuts, chow main noodles, spring mix and Asian dressing on a whole wheat tortilla.

Chicken Caesar Wrap - Chicken, romaine, croutons, parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing on a spinach tortilla.

Veggie Wrap - Tomato, shredded carrots, cucumber, crisp lettuce, avocado on a spinach tortilla (Note: not listed on the menu, but ingredients from observation)

Chicken Caesar Wrap

Club Wrap

Thai Wrap

Turkey Wrap

Veggie Wrap

…and the Smoothies.

Strawberry Twist - Strawberry juice, pineapple sherbet, strawberries, banana.

Tango Mango - Peach mango juice, orange sherbet, peaches, banana, coconut.

Pina Colada - Pineapple juice, non-fat frozen yogurt, pineapple, coconut.

Watermelon Burst - Note: not listed on the menu, but full of watermelon goodness!

Berry Banana - Raspberry juice, non-fat frozen yogurt, raspberries, banana.

Perfect Lunch - Club Wrap and Pina Colada Smoothie

Smile, you're on Candid Camera!

Exhilarating mountain bike racing, great food, awards, and sharing the experience with family and friends; the Abajo Enduro Race has a long life ahead of it. Ride On!!!

Mary Cokenour