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Gallery Cafe Is A Good Show On State Street | |
| By Anne Wilson -- Special To The Tribune | 11/16/2001 | |
| The Gallery Cafe is not your basic coffee shop. For starters, this tiny, beautiful cafe sparkles on a drab, commercial strip of State Street where such style is unexpected. Its designer lighting, shown to stunning effect at night even though the cafe is closed, showcases the work of local artists. And the food prices say "boutique," not basic. The cost of the cafe remodel had to be a factor in the menu pricing. But owner Marti Denkers, an aspiring singer/songwriter who is planning a move to Nashville next spring, uses quality ingredients in every meal she makes to order. She cooks her own soups, using low-fat milk in the creamed varieties. She uses a little cream in place of a lot of mayonnaise in the chicken salad. The commercial potato chips she serves with sandwiches cost more because they are made with less fat, but they don't taste like it. While she doesn't bake her own bread, it comes from Curtell's, a well-respected bakery just down the street. But at $7.50 a sandwich, the Gallery Cafe is designed to appeal to a well-heeled crowd, perhaps the same people who might be interested in purchasing the art on display. Denkers never intended to get into the restaurant business, although it was what her parents did. She is a musician and an art lover, but when she and her husband bought the building that now houses the Gallery Cafe, as well as Evolution Ski Co., they had trouble finding quality tenants. They decided to use some of the space for a small restaurant. Denkers went to both coasts looking at concepts. She knew she wanted to keep the cafe small, but it had to feel open and modern. At the same time, she wanted to emphasize the art deco elements that were in vogue when that wing of the 40,000-square-foot building was built. Denkers added windows to the north and west, built an elliptical soffit over the food-prep area and repeated that shape in the counters. She covered the floors in slate and painted one wall a vibrant purple. With the tables dressed in their snowy cloths, the whole effect is charm in miniature. The Gallery Cafe's menu is as small as its space: a good selection of hot beverages, priced competitively, from espresso to chai, and a few breakfast items; a half-dozen sandwiches; several salads; and a daily soup special. It is good, if not excellent, food. For $8.50 for a salad and a half sandwich, diners get food that is fresh, tastes wonderful and is nutritious. Consider the Gallery salad. This little gem features a bed of crisp greens topped with crumbled feta, mandarin orange pieces and a generous dose of caramelized pecans. The nuts alone are worth the investment ($7.50). Pair this salad with the tuna sandwich, a mild tasting mix of fish, crisp celery, red onion and pickles served on a croissant with lettuce and tomato, and you have an elegant and reasonably sized meal. The chicken salad, also served on a croissant, is a mix of white meat, fruit and almonds in a creamy sauce. White meat turkey comes layered with baby havarti, lettuce, mayo and mustard and a choice of cranberries or tomato. The ham sandwich was delicious but difficult to eat because it was cut too thick and served on soft bread. Roast beef lovers should sample that sandwich when it is available because the meat is excellent -- tender and flavorful. It, too, is served on soft white bread. Denkers also serves a traditional leafy green salad ($4.75), a fruit plate with whipped cream ($6.50) and a vegetarian sandwich with cheese, lettuce, cucumber and tomato on a croissant ($7.50). Because Denkers prepares each meal to order, service can be leisurely. But the windows frame perfectly the never-ending activity on State Street. The Gallery Cafe is a diamond in the rough. But as with any jewel, price is an issue. People who don't mind paying extra for the privilege of eating in this lovely space will consider the Gallery Cafe a find. Others can admire the space and order a right-priced latte to go. Gallery Cafe 1435 S. State Street, Salt Lake City; 463-0956 Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Prices: Sandwiches for $7.50 Liquor: No Reservations: No Child's Menu: No Takeout: Yes Wheelchair Accessible: Yes Outdoor Dining: No Parking: Lots on north and south of cafe Credit Cards: All major Anne Wilson is The Tribune's restaurant reviewer. The newspaper covers the cost of meals at restaurants reviewed and there is no connection between reviews and restaurant advertising. Wilson welcomes food and wine news, comments and suggestions at wilwrite99@aol.com. |
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