Magleby's staples stand out

PROVO — When Magleby's opened its doors in Utah Valley more than 20 years ago, it signaled a shift toward higher quality in area restaurants and ushered in an era of fine dining. Its soft breadsticks and generous desserts have become signature items that remain popular.

Being a long time fan of Magleby's — and especially the owner, Doc — I expected a very good experience. What I got was a mixed bag.

The atmosphere in Magleby's Bar and Oyster Grill is sophisticated with gleaming floors, sleek fixtures and abundant wood. Although I miss the warmth of its former location, the new site signals stylish dining. The service was efficient and impeccable. Water glasses were refilled instantly. The server was there to anticipate our needs without hovering.

Why I call the experience mixed has everything to do with the food. The breadsticks were as fine as ever. Their soups that night — split pea and cream of mushroom — used fresh and top-of-the-line ingredients. They had a smoothness most cooks would envy. The salad, although standard except for a slice of pepperoni and cheese, was served with a pineapple vinaigrette that had a lovely blend of sweetness and tanginess.

The appetizer, however, was almost inedible. It was a crab, spinach and artichoke dip. The sauce was so seasoned with garlic that it overrode the other flavors, and the crab, rather than the sweet meat of the sea it usually is, had a strong, unpleasant fishy flavor. Most of it went back to the kitchen. The fried zucchini, however, had a nice, lightly fried crust with a nice texture to the vegetable.

For entrees we sampled beef, chicken and fish. New York Peppered Steak had been pounded until you could almost cut it with a fork, which was fine, but had no discernible flavor except for the pepper, which was not so fine. At $22.99, I found myself thinking it was a lot to pay for a dish that caked the tongue with pepper. The Chicken Marsala fared better. The sauce had a unique flavor unlike other Marsala entrees I have sampled, but it is almost a gravy rather than a sauce. It was delectable, though. Even better was the Alaskan halibut, a house favorite, that has a slightly crisp egg crust and moist flakes of fish.

Vegetables were lackluster, particularly the potatoes, which while made from real potatoes, had a blandness that put off even me, an Idaho Potato Queen.

What saved the Magleby's experience was dessert — flaky crusts filled with tender apples, buttermilk pie and ice cream-filled crepes with fruit sauce.