January 30, 2004

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Palo Alto Online

A fixture in need of fixing

by Dale F. Bentson

MacArthur Park occupies one of the loveliest buildings on the West Coast. Officially known as "Hostess House," it is a California registered historical landmark. Designed by Hearst Castle architect Julia Morgan, the crafts-style building was built in 1916 for the YWCA as a place where World War I soldiers from Camp Fremont (now Menlo Park) could meet with their families.

The elegant pastel interior features exposed wooden trusses, oversized fireplaces and a balcony at either end of the long main room, which is topped by an impressive vaulted ceiling. I located an early photo of the interior and little seems to have changed, although the food has been updated and the seating made more comfortable. The building was moved in 1919 to its present location and dedicated to those who served in World War I.

For the past 23 years, MacArthur Park has specialized in updating American "classic" dishes, such as chicken, ribs seafood and Cajun cuisine. The portions served are uniformly large; unfortunately, a hefty portion does not always equate with quality. Many of the dishes served here are bland, and a few sail completely off course. Moreover the restaurant is not bashful about pricing.

To be fair, some selections are quite good, but it is difficult to generalize and I believe the experience varies day to day.

To whet my appetite, I ordered onion strings ($6.50), a Mount Shasta-sized tower of fried onions. A tad on the greasy side, one serving was enough for four.

Sauteed mussels ($9.95) were an unusual combination of deliciously plump in-the-shell mussels, wedges of orange slices and tiny coins of spicy sausage. The shellfish was luscious, but the intrusion of the citrus and sausage was more a collision than a compliment.

Ahi tuna poke ($9.95) on the other hand, was an appealing arrangement of fresh grilled tuna, pineapple, ginger, soy and fresh made crispy wonton chips. It tickled the taste buds.

Cajun popcorn shrimp ($10.75) with "spicy" remoulade sauce (mustard, horseradish, paprika, oil, vinegar, garlic) was not the least bit spicy. The shrimp were greasy and had a rubbery texture, though the portion served on a large chunk of iceberg lettuce was substantial.

MacArthur Park's signature baby back ribs ($17.95) are served half slab ($26.95) or full slab. The ribs were marinated, oak-wood smoked and finished over a mesquite grill with a sweet barbeque glaze. I opted for a half-slab. The ribs were tender and perfectly cooked, but there was scarcely any meat on them and the barbeque sauce was hardly evident. I was not offered additional sauce and I could not flag down my waiter to request any. Excellent french fries and cole slaw accompanied the ribs. But $17.95 was a steep price for six ribs that had only a couple of bites of meat on them.

One evening, one of my dining companions ordered the special mushroom soup of the day. It was overly salted and we did manage to flag the waiter, who quickly offered to exchange it for something else. She ordered the "Maria Elena" ($9.95), a salad of mixed baby greens with pear slices, candied walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese tossed in a very light lemon vinaigrette.

Within seconds of her salad being delivered, the entrees showed up. We asked the servers to take them back, as we were not yet finished with our first course. They did so, but when the entrees were redelivered half our food was cold. The kitchen did not bother to keep the plates warm.

On another occasion, the barbeque half chicken ($16.95) was plump, tender and thick with sauce. The aforementioned cole slaw and warm french fries accompanied. I could not finish the jumbo portion.

Jambalaya ($17.95) had a more artistic presentation. Rather than incorporate all the ingredients into the stew, the okra was fried and served atop, while the grilled shrimp was served en brochette. Typically, jambalaya is made with stock, rice, tomatoes, okra, shrimp or meat, onion, garlic and pepper. The enjoyment of jambalaya is the piquancy of the dish. Alas, this was nothing more than a bland stew.

Maryland crab cakes ($18.95) consisted of three enormous crab patties in a weak red pepper sauce, with heaps of grilled vegetables on the side, vastly more than one person could (or should) eat. The cakes themselves were stuffed with some crab meat and a lot of breadcrumbs. Again, a very insipid dish.

One evening's special was mesquite-grilled salmon ($24.95). The thick, meaty fish was perfectly seared through, flaky yet moist. Jasmine rice and a medley of sauteed vegetables accompanied.

Desserts are gigantic. Judy's mud pie ($5.50) offered chocolate and coffee ice creams sandwiched inside a chocolate cookie crust that was buried under hot-fudge sauce and chopped nuts. The apple crisp ($5.50), featuring Granny Smith apples in a flaky crust, was teeth-rattling sweet.

Lemon shortcake ($5.50) was a dense cookie, rather than the lighter biscuit I had expected. Loaded with fresh strawberries and blueberries, it was too much at the conclusion of a big meal.

I really enjoyed the ginger and vanilla bean creme brulee ($6.50). The luscious deep-dish custard was silky-smooth and the burnt sugar-crusted top was perfectly achieved. It was one of the best I have had in the area.

Service was a problem on each of my visits. The waiters were certainly conscientious enough and worked quickly, but there just did not seem to be enough staff. Water glasses were never refilled. One evening it took more than 20 minutes to get one dessert delivered to our table. Another time, four men at a corner table adjacent to us spent most of the evening waiving their hands over their heads to garner the waiter's attention. Perhaps the restaurant is short-staffed because its parent company, Spectrum Foods, is trying to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The lunch menu at MacArthur Park offers a broad array of salads, burgers and sandwiches. The tasty, giant-sized Cajun-grilled Ahi tuna sandwich ($15.95) was topped with remoulade sauce, lettuce and tomato and was accompanied by a pile of crispy fries. Good thing I skipped breakfast that day -- and I could have skipped dinner as well.

Goat cheese and mashed avocado sandwich ($10.95) was fresh-tasting and satisfying. The cheese and avocado were smeared on a baguette topped with cucumber, tomatoes and black pepper under a light vinaigrette dressing. Thick, crisp house-made potato chips accompanied.

Wines are offered by the glass, half-bottle or full bottle from the nearly all-California list. There are no bargains, but the list, intelligently assembled by general manager Tim Block, is comprised of boutique and upscale wineries such as Calera, Heitz, Beaulieu, Acacia, Mondavi, Merryvale, Jordan and many more.

MacArthur Park is pricey, but a great place for families and large parties. Kids eat free on Tuesdays and the restaurant has a children's menu. Potentially, there is a lot to offer here. I wish the kitchen concentrated more on the quality instead of the quantity of its offerings, and service needs to be considerably tuned up. This beautiful building should be as fresh and inviting today as it was to soldiers and their families those distant years ago.

MacArthur Park, 27 University Ave., Palo Alto, (650) 321-9990

Hours: Monday - Friday 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.; (dinner menu only after 2:30 p.m.); Saturday dinner only 5 - 10 p.m.; Sunday buffet 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 pm; Sunday dinner 5 - 9 p.m.
Reservations: yes Credit cards: yes Parking: valet Alcohol: full bar Children: high chairs/boosters/kids menu. Kids eat free on Tuesday. Outdoor dining: patio, weather-permitting. Party and banquet facilities: yes Take out: yes Catering: yes Noise level: moderate Bathroom cleanliness: good

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