| Third & Main At Intersection Of Comfort And Eclectic | ||
| By Anne Wilson -- Special To The Tribune | 09/07/2001 | |
| It seems obvious now, but the corner of 300 South and Main Street needed a classy watering hole that caters to working stiffs. This piece of downtown Salt Lake City is home of Third & Main, a new private club billed by its management as the "intersection of energy and people." For years, the corner was occupied by average restaurants, which depended largely on the lunch trade. But Third & Main aims to break out of that boring mold by keeping people downtown after hours with the promise of good food and a full-service bar, plus daily specials like "sushi shooters" and "mussel madness." It might work. Third & Main's retro decor and muted brown tones create a stylish setting that is kosher for business casual but upscale enough to entertain the boss. Fortunately, chef Garry Maxwell's menu is varied and inventive enough to make the whole enterprise work. The flavors are big, the prices reasonable and the portions just right. Third & Main is owned by Park City businessman Scott Ockey, who used art deco-style light fixtures, an inlaid wood bar and a revolving glass door to give the restaurant an old-fashioned ambience. The modern exposed kitchen doesn't feel out of place. Ockey partnered with Mic Warner to manage the place, and Maxwell to design an eclectic menu that is part comfort food (fried dill pickles, overpriced at $5.95!) and part fusion. Maxwell, a veteran of such eateries as Squatters, Fuggles, Sundance ski resort and his own short-lived Café Bacchus, clearly likes complex food, layering flavors until it seems he might run out of ingredients. The bread basket is the first clue that simplicity is not prized here. It holds three distinctly flavored breads, from sweet and brown to a tart, sun-dried tomato, all served with butter flavored with herbs, spices or olives. That's a lot to digest at the start of a meal; plain butter would be nice a concession to purists. His rocket salad is another example of flavor multiplicity, a rich and potent blend of bacon, blue cheese, sunflower sprouts, arugula and foccacia croutons ($7.95). Pound for pound, it might equal the fat calories in the excellent New York steak ($19.95), served with au gratin potatoes and a wickedly good sauce flavored with roasted mushrooms and sage. While there are classics on the menu (chicken wings, a Caesar salad, meat loaf or roast chicken with mashed potatoes), many dishes show Maxwell's personal take on fusion. An appetizer tostada featuring shredded duck and hoisin sauce ($6.95) blends a familiar Latin food with Asian flavors, including sliced pea pods whose crunch and flavor balance the sweetly pungent hoisin. Flavors of the Southwest abound, from a dinner special of mild white fish served with green-chile mole and chipotle pepper beans to a chicken breast flavored with a pesto composed of peppers and pumpkin seeds ($18.95). Even vegetarian options get the full-on treatment: a grilled sandwich available for lunch ($7.50) or dinner is packed with eggplant, two varieties of squash, tomato, artichoke and smear of soft cheese. It comes with a relatively simple salad of mixed greens dressed with a succulent honey/oregano vinaigrette, croutons and a tomato concasse. Even the grilled cheese sandwich ($6.95) offers two kinds of cheese, balsamic grilled onions, arugula and tomato. Desserts are similarly complex but don't always work as well. A "rum and Coke" cake ($5.95) featured a pastry subtly flavored with tamarind, paired with berries and topped with whipped cream. But there was too much cake and not enough cream. A lemon "Napoleon" ($5.95) built with fried wonton skins and lemon curd was nicely flavored, but difficult to eat, and its rum-soaked strawberries delivered an unpleasant punch. A better bet is the nectarine streusel tart ($5.95), with subtle almond crust and orange sauce. Sometimes, less is more. For a restaurant open less than three months, service at Third & Main is impressive. In general, servers are knowledgeable about the menu, can make wine recommendations and take time to answer diners' questions. Most of them needed cheat sheets to describe the daily specials' multiple ingredients and garnishes. The uniforms are a nice touch, even though that burnt orange color has a '70s look. Third & Main is a welcome revision of the downtown landscape, good enough to lure diners from the suburbs or help ease rush-hour traffic by giving workers an excuse to delay the trek home. It might even make working downtown seem cool. Third & Main 280 S. Main St., Salt Lake City; 364-4600 Hours: Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Prices: Entrees from $6 to $20 Liquor: Full bar, club membership required Reservations: Yes Child's Menu: No Takeout: Yes Wheelchair Accessible: Yes Outdoor Dining: Yes Parking: Validated lot at American Plaza, south of bar 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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