I arrived at Faustina and love that they do have accessible off street parking on the southeast side off the building.  However, that was the speediest thing about the experience:  finding parking.

We arrived at the hostess stand and were not greeted for over 5 minutes.  5 minutes is an eternity in restaurant minutes.  No “hi”, no “We’ll be right with you” or NOTHING.  I did, however, have time to observe the unfolded napkins on the bar and the general pre-shift “mess” left by the servers for all guests to see.  Really?  Who is asleep at that wheel?  Finally, a server came out, with a look of surprise that we were there, and said they would be right with us.  Almost 7 plus minutes later, we were properly greeted and taken to a table.

Close to another five minutes later, a different server approached us to take our drink order.  Although he was friendly, no explanation of the menu or attempts to point out menu highlights were made.  Although not a huge downer for me, I’m sure the owner/operators would have been less than thrilled.  The drinks took far too long and then the food order finally went in.  During lunch, what is the proper turn around time from the time you get an order in to the time it is at your table?  I know dinner time, kitchens generally have 20 minute “ticket times”, however lunch?  20 minute ticket times are far too long with people on crunch times with limited time to spend dining out.

When the food finally arrived, it was tasty!  I had the grilled vegetable panini containing vegetables (obvious), an aioli, provolone cheese and served on a wheat berry bread.  Although the aioli was a little strong (very ‘garlicky’), everything tied pretty well together.  I dare say it was worth the wait.  I ordered my entrée with a sweet potato chips side.  They were tasty but WAY TOO GREASY.  Yes, I do realize chips are greasy, but these *glistened*.  I will definitely be ordering the side salad instead in the future.

Although I loved my sandwich, the server or establishment never knew it.  I was never asked how my meal was or had a refill on either my water or my diet coke.  I even noticed a table of 4 ladies get up and grab their own water refills.  I was embarrassed for Faustina.  The couple next to me looked irritated that their meal was taking so long.  The same couple had their water when I sat down and no menus.  That leads me to believe their order was in.  However, their food arrived after mine.  They had every right and reason to be irritated if this was true.

I truly believe that bad service will lose business faster than bad food.  People have a very low tolerance for poor service, whether it be directly the servers’ fault or the establishment’s.  In this case, it may have been a healthy combination of both.  Faustina needs to staff better, no excuses.  A hostess during lunch and an extra server are imperative.  Both hostess’ and servers are, generally, paid minimum, if not less, as they are also running on tips.  Therefore, I do not understand the excuse of not being properly staffed in restaurants in the LEAST.  What could the servers have done to make the experience better even when challenged?  More eye contact and simple greetings.  Do not avoid your disgruntled guests.  Simple recognition of their existence goes a long way.  The more you walk right by them, the more pissed they will be.  Explain your situation, “Hi folks, welcome to Faustina.  We are a little understaffed at the moment but I will be with you as soon as possible.  The Vegetable Panini is one of my favorites and comes with either sweet potato chips or salad.  I will be right back (said with a smile).”  You would be amazed how far this goes and how it takes seconds to disarm a guest and take them from disgruntled and mad to sympathetic and understanding.

A plus is that the lunches include dessert for the $12 price tag.  However, I was afraid it would extend my already daunting, long lunch experience into the realm of tortuously long.  Therefore I turned it down.

Ok, overall:

Food:  Great flavors and great balance overall, sweet potatoe chips WAY TO GREASY.  Dessert?  Don’t know, I chose not to stay.

Service:  Slow, SLOW, SLOW…did I mention slow?  No attention to detail.  Do you really even care how your customer’s experience was?  I’m sure you do, but today it did not show.

Will I go back?  Yes, but only to try the food at a time when I think they should be slow enough to offer mediocre service, at the very least.

Only dine here if you’re not in a hurry.  That is one certainty.

So starts the last few weeks of a busy, gastronomic holiday season.  With all the festivities and parties going on, lets remember to stay healthy and tuned in.  Tuned into what?  Our limits and our health.  While food is a passion of mine, health is also an obsession.  Not that I am the epitome of health, but it is the one goal in life I still strive to attain, despite my profession.

Restaurant menus are filled with caloric feasts that could easily be our full daily allowance in one course.  So, what to do?  Be an informed, smart diner.  Look for healthy options when possible.

Appetizers:  fresh seafood, i.e. tuna appetizers, shrimp cocktails or anything with fresh greens.  Also, mussels, clams, oysters are all good choices!!  Yes, there is room for indulgence, just plan accordingly   If you decided to do it up for dinner, eat lighter throughout the day.  Moving on…

Salads:  They are deceptive!  A salad can pack as much calories and fat as a hamburger.  No kidding.  Pick vinaigrettes and salads without much meats or cheeses in them.  The high calorie packed meats and cheeses should be garnishes and not the main part of a salad.  A salad should have actual “greens” involved to qualify as such don’t you think?

Entrees:  Ok, these can be tricky.  Of course, seafood is a great option.  Even though some cuts may be packed with fat, it is the healthier Omega-3′s that you are getting vs saturated fats.  Personally, I love it all: duck, fish, pork, beef, elk, etc.  When I am being more health conscious, I go with seafood and chicken and tend to stay away from red meats and pastas.

Desserts:  I LOVE desserts.  Especially with coffee and cream.  However, I do choose to share mine.

Alcohol:  Its obvious.  Nothing needs to be said, DD’s are there and a great thing and many taxi services locally offer free rides to inebriated patrons.

Lastly, pop into a local yoga class, get a massage, get a facial, or wind down with a favorite book.  This is a hectic time of year, remember to pause and take time out for yourself to minimize stress and enable yourself to truly enjoy what should be a memorable, fun time of year!

Overall:  Life is short, everything in moderation, and plan well!!

The fresh Oregon Dungeness Crab season is a few weeks away and I am ready!  This crab is prized for the excellent meat fill (a good, good thing…more, thicker crabmeat to pull out of the shell), and sweet/salt flavor balance.

As soon as the season starts, tentatively December 15th, we should be seeing product in the Salt Lake market within days of the opener.  Start asking your grocery stores as to when they are expecting to run ads and see their first shipments.  These will go fast!!

Restaurants throughout Salt Lake are also awaiting this MBA “Best Choice” seafood selection to hit their kitchens.  At least the ones with any self-respect   Just joshing,…but not really.

As soon as I see these tasty beauties hit the dining scene I will be dining and posting!

Stay tuned

UPDATE:  The beginning of the Oregon Dungeness Crab season has been pushed back to December 31.

Marinated Hangar Steak Taco

Tortilla Bar is not your ordinary taco joint.  Granny Smith apples on the hangar steak tacos?  Avocados on your tres leches?  Awesome.  Tortilla Bar infuses creativity and flavor in what could ordinarily be just another taco.

They have the perfect mix of savory, salty, and freshness within each of their tacos.  Yes, they are a little pricey, however they are worth the experience.  This family run restaurant shows love and care and pride in every taco.  I had the hangar steak tacos and the pork belly tacos.  I will be back to try the rest of the offerings!

Do not forget to top your meal off with a tres leches, one of my favorites.  They differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack by topping their home made dessert with avocados drizzled with dark agave syrup.  One bite, and you will no longer question their creativity and judgment.

Food:  Exciting

Service:  On top of it, our glasses were never empty.  There is also something to be said about a genuine smile and being genuinely interested in our satisfaction with the meal and the experience.  That means more to me that just about any other aspect of serving.

Will I go back?  Absolutely!!

Mas por favor!!!