I have read so many reviews and heard so many good things about how wonderful Pago is that I was eagerly anticipating my visits. Now after having dined there twice for lunch, my question to all of those people who are raving about Pago is: What did you eat?
I truly want to love Pago and there are things about it that I am delighted by. Owner Scott Evans is passionate about this new endeavor and has put his heart and soul into it. He is young, hip and engaging—a great face for the restaurant. The commitment to sourcing local ingredients is admirable although difficult looking at the winter menu. The décor, from the rough-hewn tables and colors, is fantastic and the location is one-in-a-million. The wine list is small but tasteful and interesting and I love the fact that you can get either 3 oz. or 5 oz. pours for very reasonable prices. The servers are professional and knowledgable and finally, the presentation of the food is breathtaking.
Unfortunately, that’s where my pleasant experiences end. What Pago is lacking is flavor. And by this I mean flavor in the food. Of the four entrées I’ve tried only one was flavorful and had me interested in the tastes presented. The Pago daily risotto special ($14) was undercooked and tasteless. Risotto is a bit of an art and done well it is heaven on a plate but there is little worse than eating gritty rice. The Beehive Mac & Cheese with vegetables ($12) was extremely bland, which was a huge disappointment given the highlight ingredient of cheese from Beehive Cheese. The Pan Seared Day Boat Scallops ($16) entrée was four scallops on a bed of whipped potatoes and greens with a white balsamic pan sauce that frankly tasted and looked like a simple rue with pan drippings. While scallops usually call for simple and light preparation, I was expecting something better.
The Morgan Valley Lamb Burger ($14) with house-made chips was full of flavor and the carrot and raisin slaw delicious. However, even with the good taste, I’ve eaten a similar burger at several brew pubs for half the price.
One item that has received a nearly universal five-star rating at Pago is beets—both the Roasted Beets starter ($8) and the beet salad (not currently on the menu). I dislike beets more than any other food so unfortunately will never give them a chance to woe my palate but they come highly recommended from multiple sources.
Some Pago fans have suggested that perhaps lunch just really isn’t Pago’s forte (although they won Salt Lake magazine’s Best Lunch award for 2010). This could be true as the dinner menu offers some intriguing choices but personally it’s unlikely that I would be willing to pay the hefty price for dinner given what my lunch experience there has been.
801-532-0777
878 S. 900 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84102
Comments
I think unfortunately many newer "foodie oriented" Salt Lake restaurants have really built up chef reputation, food sourcing, posh atmosphere, design, and staff "hipness"---everything but the flavor of the thing you're putting into your mouth. It's incredible how every beautiful detail from fancy presentation to lovely tableware is considered except the flavor vs. cost of the food. Dining out, my favorites have to be: 1. Red Rock 2. Squatters 3. Bohemian 4. Coachmans Diner and 5. (tribute) Bill and Nada's
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