| Natalie's Has Style, But Menu Isn't A Slam-Dunk | ||
| By Anne Wilson -- Special To The Tribune | 03/22/2002 | |
| As a professional basketball player, Natalie Williams has undeniable talent: Last year in the WNBA, she scored an average of 14 points per game and ranked second in the league in rebounds and double doubles. Plus, she represented the United States in the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney. But basketball isn't the only game Williams is into. In February, she opened a restaurant/private club in downtown Salt Lake City, just in time for the 2002 Winter Olympics. The good news about Natalie's is that it still looks a lot like the previous occupant, a lodge-look private club named Lakota that couldn't survive this lethal stretch of 200 South (its Park City counterpart by the same name is alive and well.) But that's also the bad news about Natalie's. There isn't anything about the place that makes it unique, beyond the fact that it is owned by a professional female basketball player and doesn't allow smoking. Maybe it's early in the game, but Natalie's ambience and menu could use a shot of personality. Right now, it feels like a business investment. Part of the problem is size. Natalie's is a huge space, half of it occupied by a beautiful bar, the other by linen-covered dining tables. An upper level holds even more dining space. When space this big is half-full, it feels half-alive. Live music on Friday and Saturday nights helps create some energy, but canned music and soundless TVs suspended from the ceiling can't fill the void on weekdays. Apart from a few framed jerseys hanging on the walls and a trophy or two, the décor hasn't changed. It's still a comfortable, stylish place with a strong southwest design element -- red, green and gold upholstery with decorative iron atop the booth dividers and rusted iron light fixtures hanging over the tables. Western windows (overlooking Gateway) are outfitted with wood shutters and provide good ambient light. The menu is moderately priced (entrees from $8.75 to $26) and moderately varied: five appetizers and a like number of salads, a few pizzas and pastas and half a dozen entrees that include fish, fowl, steaks and chops. The quality and preparation are good, but there is little about this menu that would make diners believe somebody in the kitchen is crazy about food. For one thing, every entree comes with garlic-mashed potatoes, an overused plate mate, and a vegetable side dish that doesn't leave a lasting impression. Three of the entrees feature sun-dried tomatoes, a fine flavoring but when used this much, suggests either a rut or limited imagination. Then, there's the overdone garnish of carrots and beets, fashioned with some kitchen gadget into a twisting tangle. It looks mass produced, which only furthers the suspicion that creative food isn't a top priority at Natalie's. That message comes across in other ways, too, in rolls that are neither warm nor crusty and butter that doesn't taste fresh. But let's suppose Natalie's is convenient to your office and you want to take out-of-town clients to a bar, with dinner the logical next step. Natalie's bar is spacious and elegant and has its own menu of sandwiches, but bar patrons can order from the dinner menu, too. Natalie's has a full liquor menu and a decent wine list, although it could use more selections by the glass. So, the drinks are down and it's time to eat. What to order? Start with the crab cakes ($9.75), a good rendition of that classic, with a golden exterior that eats like a crust rather than a crumb coating. They come with a delicious red pepper sauce that made us wish there was more of it. Broiled Cajun shrimp ($10) is a riskier choice -- the spicy sauce packs a lot of heat but the predominant flavor is hot oil. It seemed like a lot of money for five shrimp and a half dozen slices of grilled bread to dip in oily sauce that was too hot to eat. Natalie's salads are nice, with fresh greens and interesting toppings. One features sliced pears, pistachios and crumbles of goat cheese ($8.75), with a sherry vinaigrette that was flavorful but skimpy. The size of this salad marks it as an entree but it needs more fruit and cheese to justify the price. The Caesar salad also is respectable, with a nicely flavored but heavy dressing. Vegetarians have a good option in the spaghetti Basilico ($13.50), a traditional pasta dish with roasted garlic, chopped tomatoes, pine nuts and basil. The serving is generous, as is the wealth of garlic. Roasted garlic also is featured in the grilled salmon ($19), but it doesn't play as heavily in the sauce, which has a good dose of butter and those tangy sun-dried tomatoes. The sauce is good, rich, and the salmon was perfectly done in the center. Chicken Jerusalem ($16.50) also features a rich sauce, made with tarragon-flavored cream, wild mushrooms and diced artichoke hearts. We tried one of the beef dishes, a filet sauced with a vodka-spiked demi-glace flavored with smoked gouda cheese and (again) sun-dried tomatoes ($26). The steak was cooked to order and the sauce was piquant. In every case, fish or meat was stacked on top of the garlic potatoes, which mixes things up even for diners who would rather not. Natalie's also serves prime rib in two sizes (12-ounce for $19.50 and a 16-ounce for $24.50). The dessert special one evening outshone everything that came before it. A small, flat apple tart, cooked quite brown, came topped with a scoop of ice cream and surrounded by a pool of wine-spiked caramel sauce studded with blue berries. It was different and wonderful, the kind of treat that causes sticky lips. While Natalie's is a private club, children are allowed in the dining room if accompanied by an adult. There is no child's menu, but the kitchen will serve up kid-sized pizzas and burgers. With the arrival of the Gateway, traffic in Natalie's neighborhood will be heavier than in Lakota's day. That will help business, but if this restaurant wants to score, it has to up the dining ante. Natalie's 380 West 200 South, Salt Lake City -- Phone 801-364-4424 Hours: Dinner nightly from 5 p.m. Prices: Entrees from $8.75 to $26 Liquor: Private club (membership required) Reservations: Yes Child's Menu: No Takeout: No Wheelchair Accessible: Yes Outdoor Dining: No Parking: Street or adjacent pay 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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