I'm not quite sure how many shopping days there are until Christmas. But I know that it is close enough to have recently begun the annual ritual of scrawling gift ideas on scraps of paper next to the bed in the middle of the night. These early morning wake-up notations, often illegible, are inspired by the piles of gift catalogs heaped on the night stand which started overflowing from our mailbox in August.
It isn't until just before Thanksgiving that we begin to sift and sort through the scraps, often at a late Saturday lunch amid a shopping center somewhere in the valley.This year we settled in to a late lunch/early dinner at the Windows on the Square restaurant on Mervyn's third floor in Crossroads Plaza. Not only was the fall sky spectacular and the view of Temple Square and Capitol Hill panoramic, but there was even white butcher paper on the tables, giving us ample room for revising and rewriting our Christmas list.
For one fleeting moment, perched above the hustle and bustle of downtown Salt Lake City, we almost forgot the task at hand.
There are some tempting distractions described on the menu which also diverted us from our holiday homework. Herb-laced Italian specialties share the billing with traditional preparations such as turkey pot pie and grilled pork chops.
Our selection process was guided by a delightful and personable waitress, the effervescent Erica, who accurately gauged our interest in trying not necessarily popular dishes but those that the kitchen does best.
We enjoyed the focaccia ($3.45), an herb and olive oil dotted crust, topped with grilled egg plant, fresh Roma tomato slices and cheese. Warmed in the oven, it was presented with a sprinkling of grated cheese and fresh basil. A creamy garlic chicken soup was also pleasing. The assorted Window's potato sampler ($4.95), rather ordinary French fries, crispy, crispy homemade potato chips, small roasted red potatoes, onion ring strings and garlic mashed potatoes, was an ample serving.
We noticed that other customers, many of whom has come for a late lunch, were taking home the leftovers of the generous portions of the sandwiches and salads that make up half the menu.
Our dinner entrees, the fettucine with prawns blended with a sun dried tomato basil cream sauce and the special fish, grilled salmon coated in a horseradish bread crumb crust (both $12.95), were also colorfully presented. However they lacked some of the distinctiveness of the flavors that accentuated the appetizers and soup. The prawns and salmon, while tender, were devoid of any flavor. The salvation for the salmon was a creamy dill sauce.
Entrees come with a choice of either soup or salad. The house creamy vinaigrette was tart; the salad a blend of iceberg and butter lettuce with cherry tomatoes. A cheese bread stick and selection of mini-muffins also come with the dinners.
Other items on the menu that caught our attention were the spinach salad with sun-dried tomato vinaigrette and pine nuts ($3.45); Chinese chicken salad with sesame soy dressing ($6.95); grilled chicken Cobb salad ($7.95); marinated chicken breast on focaccia ($6.95); mushroom rissota cakes ($1.95); spiral meatloaf with spinach and roast garlic potatoes ($10.95); rib-eye steak with tarragon butter ($15.95); ricotta and spinach-stuffed ravioli with marinara sauce ($8.95); and several sandwiches including barbecue beef, turkey, club and hamburger. There is also a pleasing and moderately priced brunch offered on Saturday and Sunday.
Our two desserts were very good, distinctive and rich. The triple chocolate bread pudding with fresh whipped cream ($3.95) and chocolate layer cake ($3.25) were easily enough to share for two. Other desserts include ice cream, brownie sundae with hot fudge, apple crisp ala mode, pumpkin or pecan pie and cheesecake with raspberry sauce.
When most of us endure the dine-and-dash approach that barely sustains holiday shopping forays, it is nice to know that there is a Windows on the Square restaurant that can nurture us in times of shopping stress.
Rating: * * *
Windows on the Square, Third Floor, Mervyn's, Crossroads Plaza, 521-8718. Lunch and dinner, Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. until 9 p.m.; Saturday, 11:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.; Sunday Brunch 11:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. (Call ahead for holiday season hours.) Parking validated at Crossroads; reservations recommended for weekends. Checks accepted with guarantee cards; major credit cards and Mervyn's charge cards.