Two weeks ago my husband graduated from the University of Utah (WIN!), [as well as our own Miss Colleen]! So of course the in-law's were in town, which means we had to plan the day, which I always plan around food. :) I have had GREAT experiences at The Garden restaurant in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, in the heart of Temple Square in Salt Lake City. I made a reservation a few weeks in advance for our group of 10, expecting no less than their best.
Well, that's not what happened!
See Exhibit A: It started out great!
We got a few appetizers to share: Artichoke Cheese Dip and Brent's Blue-Bacon Potato Chips. I am a big fan of blue cheese with potato chips-- these were a little too salty, but not bad. And the serving was HUGE. Our large group left several chips on the plate. The dip received mixed reviews-- there was nothing special about it, but it tasted fine.
A normal highlight of all the Temple Square restaurants are the soft, yummy rolls. All of the rolls we received were soft on the inside, but too hard on the outside. Sometimes that's what you need-- but this staleness was not on purpose, if you know what I mean.
The biggest disappointment surrounded my husbands entree. He LOVES Philly steak sandwiches... I might even call him a connoisseur, and I thought their Philly sounded great. Blue cheese sauce, sauteed mushrooms? Different, but I like different. Josh thought it sounded good, and I made him promise to give me a bite. Needless to say, I never got a bite... and I was okay with that. :) Josh did not like it-- he said it had no flavor... it was just a blah mess. He decided to complain, after which our server offered him another meal. Josh declined. Then the manager came over to talk to Josh, and after hearing Josh say it just didn't taste good, she asks him, "Did you read the description?" Um, yeah. he just closed his eyes and pointed to something. Really?! He was offered a new dish again, which he again declined. Was the dish taken off the receipt? NO. I think some people operate under the policy of, "Well, they didn't ask..." And that, my friends, is not the policy of places with excellent customer service.
On top of this, the only person who really liked their food was my sis-in-law (the salmon!). I got the Chicken Parmesan, which I got the last time I ate at The Garden. I LOVED it... back then. I loved it so much that I thought about it every time someone mentioned The Garden and I always recommended it. This time, the Chicken Parmesan was just okay. Not as flavorful as I remember. My favorite part was originally the balsamic drizzle, and this time around, maybe there just wasn't enough. My brother-in-law got the lasagna, which looked to DIE FOR... all covered in cheesy goodness. But alas, lacking in the flavor department. Does this place own a spice rack???
When we got boxes for everyone, part of the family was like, "Really?" We boxed it up, but did we eat it later... Nope!
Overall, it was a really negative experience, at a place that I have really loved. We have gone to The Garden for special occasions for several years, and we have never had an experience like this. I think that is what made this experience even more disappointing. I really wanted us to have a nice family dinner together, to celebrate my husband, to help him feel special, and it did quite the opposite. Throughout the rest of the weekend we would only talk about what a bad experience it was. SO SAD! I can tell you, we won't be going back to the restaurant for a long time, and now I would not recommend it.
But can I end on that sour note? NO WAY JOSE!
Just several floors beneath The Garden is the Nauvoo Cafe. They make the BEST pork sandwich that I have ever had-- something I have raved about and will continue to do so! Here are my selections for an awesome sandwich experience:
- Pork (Coca-Cola!)
- Whole Wheat Ciabatta
- Provolone
- Cranberry-Orange Relish
- A smidgen of mayonaisse
- Lettuce, Tomatoes, Onion
And they toast it! MMMM! SO GOOD!
So, if you find yourself on Temple Square with a rumbly in your tumbly, head over to Nauvoo Cafe, and top it off with a Utah mint truffle!
Happy Eating!
M
