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Show mf:1! : L. U 2:?:mjs:8i: e nte rm iwme nt 04.20.201 1 VOLUME XUV ..Issue 16 Contributing writer reports on European-influence- d food in the 9th and 9th district Sarah Foxley Kelly Contributing Writer European Photo Courtesy of Sarah meets American. Love ensues. Im not about two people, Im talking about food at Pago Restaurant is the of comforting American dining with Foxley Kelly flair. A My latest eating adventure brought me to Pago, whose home is in a brick building in the 9th and 9th District of Salt Lake. This restaurant came highly recommended by several people, so I eagerly set out to find out more. According to Pagos website, Scott Evans, the owner of Pago and Westminster College alum, worked in several local Salt Lake City restaurants including Squatters, The Garden Cafe and Glitretind and Troll Hollen Lounge at the Stein Eriksen Lodge before venturing out on his own. He recruited Chef Michael Richey from San Francisco and created Pago. The restaurant has become a success and is known as the local watering hole with an urban flair. ht Chef Michael Richey is meaning he did not attend culinary school. Even so, he was recently nominated for The Peoples Best New Chef Award: Southwest Region by Food and Wine Magazine. So it was with great anticipation I set out to experience the food at this bold restaurant. Many of their ingredients are bought from local farmers and local artisans. Was it really as good as people said it was? I read up on the restaurant before we went so I would know what to expect. I did make a reservation since this was recommended by the website. Im glad I did. Our reservations were for 5:15 p.m., and by 5:45, the restaurant was nearly full. One thing to note is that the restaurant is not very big. There were four booths and maybe a dozen tables. It offers bar seating overlooking the kitchen and has enough room for about eight people. The restaurant fills up quickly and gets a little loud. Woodman Building. Pago is housed in the century-ol- d Its squeezed between Smiths to the north and the Childrens which Hour bookstore to the south. The inside is gives the restaurant a vintage yet, chic feeling. We got to the restaurant on time and were promptly greeted and seated. Our table was in front overlooking 900 E. and we had a view of the mountains. Our server greeted us courteously dressed in all black with a long denim apron. We ordered an appetizer to start, the Cheddar Gougeres. Since there is no description of these on the menu, we asked our server. He explained that the gougeres (pronounced goo-jer- e) are small round puff pastries with a subtle cheddar flavor. As we both love cheese and bread, we were intrigued. The piping hot gougeres came out in a cone-shapmetal basket with a tan napkin wrapped around them to keep them warm. The puff pastries were perfectly round and about the size a lime. They were golden brown with just a hint of crispiness on the outside. Inside they were warm and a little doughy. The cheddar was mixed throughout the dough and I could see yellowish-orang- e flecks melted throughout the pastry. The cheese flavor was light and delicate. The puff pastry was not sweet but more savory in flavoring and not overwhelming. We got ten for $5. The dinner entrees we ordered were the lobster gnocchi and the chicken paillard. The gnocchi (pronounced was also offered as a vegetarian option. My eating companion (aka my husband, Dave) ordered the lobster gnocchi. Gnocchi is a little round-shape- d pasta flour. from made Because or dumpling potato potatoes have more starch, the gnocchi has a denser texture and flavor compared to regular semolina pasta. Once the potato dough is formed, its rolled into cylindrical shapes just under an inch long. Sometimes gnocchi are pressed with a fork to give them a ridged look. The gnocchi from Pago was smooth. The gnocchi was tossed with chunks of steamed lobster, sun-dritomatoes, a garlic cream sauce and a sprinkling of fresh chives. Since I have a seafood allergy, I had to take Daves, word for how he described this dish. if & t- ;rs ed X XV( - X 'i - v; a - . i - t 1 V 4 - self-taug- all-bri- ck r 4. i o f- t ' ' Ji V n p , ..... . , '' j . Chicken Paillard with Mashed Potatoes He really enjoyed it and said all the flavors tasted really good. He kept using the word subtle. Everything together had a great flavor. But alone, the lobster flavor was subtle, as was the pasta. He told me the gnocchi was just plain, not flavored with anything. The cream sauce, too, was subtle. . Dave must have liked it though because he cleaned his ISM .fisqiiiMiiy, i f ri'-H- - - i ,f irt - j plate. There seemed to be plenty of lobster and gnocchi, but not enough to take home leftovers. This dish was $27. I ordered the chicken paillard. The paillard (prois a pair of boneless, skinless chicken nounced breasts pounded to thin pieces. Its lightly breaded and fried to give the outside a crispy, golden brown finish. The chicken came with a side of sauteed spinach and a baseball-size- d helping of whipped potatoes. The sauce that accompanied everything was smooth and creamy with just a hint of browned butter and citrus. It was flecked with pepper and everything was sprinkled with chives. My one criticism is that the potatoes, though they were rich, creamy with a wonderful buttery flavor and not a lump to be found, came out of the kitchen barely lukewarm. I expected them to be nice and hot, like the chicken. Unfortunately, they werent. My dish cost $21. Other than the potatoes, everything was very satisfying. Although I was suffering from a cold that night when I left Pago, I felt warm and comforted on the inside. pai-yar- d) less-than-wa- rm no-ke- y) ed JU - 1 BOX INSIDE THE STORY SOMEWHERE: Pago is located at 878 S. 900 E. and is about a five minute drive from Westminster. Parking is not abundant in the area; however there is street parking in front of the restaurant. Pago is open for lunch and dinner and brunch on the weekends. Lunch hours are Tuesday through Friday 11:00 a.m.to 3:00 p.m. Dinner is served Tuesday through Sunday, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00. Pago is closed Mondays and daily from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Reservations are recommended and can be made online at, www.pagoslc.com. f'Xifyiirr ?i it., juKjiii $ i V' v if iS t 11 1 i3 |