| SkyBox Grille:Surf the Menu, Scan the Screens | ||
| By Anne Wilson -- Special To The Tribune | 04/19/2002 | |
| Barry Sutton and his partners came up with a good idea by thinking inside the box. Their SkyBox Grille and Arena, which features 78 television screens (at last count), including one that measures 9 by 12 feet, opened ahead of schedule for the Winter Olympics and was mobbed. Two-hour waits were common, but no one had reason to be bored. Why? Because the SkyBox owners (Sutton, Tom Buxton, Jeff Flamm and Kent England) have packaged their restaurant with an 8,000-square-foot "arena" that features 45 interactive, virtual-reality games covering everything from tennis to skiing. And it's not just a place to pacify the kiddies while Mom and Dad wait for a table. The SkyBox big-screen amphitheater, located in the restaurant's private club, was designed not only for sports fans, but corporate use. Companies can rent the space for employee training, sending workers off for playtime in the arena when they start to doze off. The kitchen will provide any type of menu the company requests. All these features make the SkyBox an unusual dining experience, with a more ambitious menu than the average sports grill. Considering all that's going on at the SkyBox, the food is better than expected. But this is basic stuff, the kind of sustenance that is perfectly acceptable when food isn't necessarily the main focus. An example: Entrees like steaks, meatloaf and fresh fish come with mashed potatoes and vegetables. While the entrees are nicely done, the side dishes look and taste like mass-produced plate-fillers. If you don't demand more of veggies than sauteed zucchini squash, you will be happy. The menu is reportedly still evolving, with the addition of more pastas and sandwiches and more seasonal daily specials. Variety is a good thing, but let's hope the owners don't let that stand in for quality. The restaurant itself is nicely designed, with liberal use of cherry-colored wood offset by sage-green walls and a ceiling painted sky blue with white clouds. The public part is divided into two rooms, one of which has nice windows and an entire wall of television screens tuned to a variety of sporting events. A patio on the other side of the windows overlooks the Gateway fountain and seats 90. The other room is circular and has its share of screens, mounted near the ceiling. Both are fairly noisy, in spite of the carpeting. The arena is in a separate wing of the SkyBox and can't be heard at all. (Cost of playing arena games is separate from meals. Games cost between 2 and 12 "points" each; a $5 key card is worth 30 points.) The private club located at the back of the restaurant club (annual membership fee of $17; minors are not allowed after 7 p.m.) features tiers of spacious booths done in the same warm wood, facing the big screen, which is flanked by smaller ones. Table candles and decorative lighting give the club a dressier look than the front. If the amphitheater is rented, a small seating area next to the bar is all that is available to members. Most of the SkyBox menu is familiar, from appetizer nachos that lack the requisite sliced jalape-o peppers ($7.95) to burgers, fettucine alfredo ($9.25) and a short list of pizzas ($11.95), finishing with a half-dozen rich desserts like New York-style cheesecake ($6.95). SkyBox Grille and Arena 4 S. Rio Grande at the Gateway, Salt Lake City; 456-1200 * Hours: Restaurant open Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Private club open Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. * Prices: Entrees from $7 to $22 * Liquor: Full bar and wine list in restaurant; private club * Reservations: Yes * Child's Menu: Yes * Takeout: Yes * Wheelchair Accessible: Yes * Outdoor Dining: Yes * Parking: Validated 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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