Spago disappoints with mediocre cuisine

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 17:23:00 GMT

By LINA JANG / Staff Writer

Spago’s single strong point is its delicious desserts such as the delectable chocolate purse.

Hoping to catch an A-list celebrity and dine luxuriously, my friends and I decided to eat dinner at Spago Restaurant located in the heart of Beverly Hills. Described as being the “ultimate Hollywood celebrity eatery” and one of best known restaurants in the nation, Spago seemed to be the ideal restaurant for the perfect Sweet Sixteen dinner. However, my friends and I were disappointed to find that, despite its prime location, Spago is nothing but an overpriced mediocre restaurant. Walking into the restaurant, I was surprised to see that Spago was nothing like I had expected. Instead of a quiet room with a sophisticated environment, the main dining room was crammed with tables filled with people; the noisy atmosphere seemed no different than the local Denny’s or IHOP with the exception of men in ties and women in formal dresses. In addition, there was nothing special about the interior décor and architecture; the tables were simply round with white tabletops and decorated with folded napkins. After entering the restaurant, my friends and I were seated immediately and given our menus. Opening the menu, I was shocked to see that the typical entrée ranged anywhere from $31 to $76. But of course, I assumed that since this was West Hollywood, the food would be delicious and worth the expense. Being a meat-lover, I decided to order the Grilled Bone-In Prime Kansas City Steak (52)—a steak with a side of sautéed baby turnips and horseradish potato puree topped with whole grain mustard dressing—with a side of Chicken Caesar Salad. As soon as our order was placed, our waiter brought out a tray of different kinds of bread. After about an hour of waiting, our main dishes were finally served. As soon as I took my first bite of my steak, I was once again disappointed. I had expected the steak to be incredibly delicious, but it was comparable to a steak served at any local restaurant. The only difference was the price of my Prime Kansas City Steak was nearly twice as expensive. After we were finished eating, we were given a separate dessert menu. The menu included crumble cakes, cheesecakes, ice-cream, sorbets and cookies. My Chocolate Purse was filled with ganache and sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with raspberries and sorbet. The dessert was, without a doubt, the best part of the entire meal. However, the real surprise came when the bill was presented at the end of our dinner. We had expected the bill to be anywhere from $300 to $500 dollars. But we were shocked to see the total had come close to $700 for only 7 people. Although the food had been delicious, it was certainly not worth $700. While the staff was friendly, the food and atmosphere of the restaurant was simply ordinary, and definitely not worth the unreasonable prices. If you’re looking to dine at a fancy restaurant, settle for something that won’t completely empty out your parents’ credit card.

The Falcon

Spago disappoints with mediocre cuisine