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Giovanni's Hasn't Mastered Recipe For Consistency | |
| By Anne Wilson -- Special To The Tribune | 09/28/2001 | |
| SOUTH JORDAN -- If you are thinking about dining at Giovanni's Restaurante Italiano, you have to ask: Do I feel lucky? Consistency is a problem with this year-old restaurant: only once in three visits did it perform as expected, with efficient service and food that was hot, attractive and well-seasoned. Visits before and after that shining moment were marred by lackluster food, and, on one occasion, a server who seemed to have no concept of time and not much knowledge of food. This wouldn't be a problem if Giovanni's was a dump and didn't charge much for the food. But the decor and prices create expectations that are not always met. Giovanni's did win a "best cuisine" award at this year's Taste of Salt Lake, an event that allows the public to taste and vote on local restaurant food. But good restaurants are reliable; so far, Giovanni's isn't. The restaurant is co-owned by Shane Westberg, former general manager for the Francesco's chain of Italian eateries in Salt Lake City, and two partners, who built the restaurant concept around an antique, hand-carved fireplace that dominates the main dining room. The fireplace supposedly was created by an Italian woodcarver (Giovanni) for his lover, Isabella. When she died, he was so grief-stricken he had to get rid of the monumental thing, which somehow ended up in South Jordan. With romance in mind, the Giovanni partners put beams across the ceiling, hand-painted a mural on one wall, and used tile and paint to create the mood of an Italian villa. The image works pretty well, although the glass block and fake flowers work against it. Giovanni's is open for lunch on weekdays and dinner daily, serving a next-door hotel that doesn't have its own restaurant and a nearby office building, whose tenants are regulars at the deli Giovanni's operates on the north side of the building (sandwiches and a chili bar, boasting a 32-ounce bowl of chili or soup with bread for $3.50). The a la carte menu is lengthy and varied, with a good selection of sandwiches, salads, pizzas, pastas and entrees ranging from $8 to $12 at lunch and $16 to $24 at dinner. That much variety can be a good thing, if the kitchen can pull it off. But if quality suffers, what's the point? Why, for example, offer a salad with so much potential -- green leaf lettuce, seedless grapes, Gorgonzola cheese and toasted walnuts ($7) -- but skimp on the grapes and cheese and drown the thing in dressing? Why would any kitchen send out chicken picatta ($16) after cooking the fowl to the consistency of shoe leather, or veal that is simply poor quality. If Giovanni's wants to serve veal Marsala ($17) that customers will come back for, use real mushrooms instead of canned and a smaller portion of better-quality meat. This dining experience was saved only by the crisp and colorful vegetables that came with the entrees and an appetizer of spicy shrimp and polenta ($9), a nicely composed dish of creamy polenta flavored with Gorgonzola and topped by shrimp bathed in a sauce of bacon, caramelized onions and fresh tomatoes. The second visit was a shocking turnaround, with a server who was incredibly efficient, friendly and knew the foods on the menu and how to pronounce them. A special of sea bass coated with dried tomatoes and seared, served atop mashed potatoes, was creative and delicious ($20). A pizza topped with chicken, pancetta, spinach and mushrooms was a good mix of flavors but was lukewarm at its center ($12). And the linguine with meatballs was a decent rendering of a classic ($13). Another well-done classic: fried calamari, which came with tomato sauce and a better garlic flavored dip ($8). A lunch visit fell somewhere in between: an adequate roast beef sandwich on foccacia bread ($6.50) and an eggplant parmigiana ($7.50) whose heavy breading all but buried the too-thin vegetable inside it. Service was appropriately paced and friendly. Giovanni's can be worth a visit, unless you like a sure thing. Then, there is no shortage of better Italian restaurants in the Salt Lake Valley. Giovanni's 10477 S. Jordan Gateway (400 West), South Jordan; 572-8811 Hours: Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 5-11 p.m.; Sunday, 5-9 p.m. Prices: Lunch, $4.50 to $12; dinner, $9 to $24 Liquor: Yes Reservations: Yes Child's Menu: Yes Takeout: Yes Wheelchair Accessible: Yes Outdoor Dining: Yes Parking: On site lot 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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