Au Naturale
880 E. 2100 South, Salt Lake City ; 801-466-8888
(see
map)
A sensible option for health nuts who enjoy baked sweet-potato fries. Sandwiches, wraps and salads dominate the large menu.
| Overall |
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| Food |
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| Mood |
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| Service |
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| Kid-friendly |
YES |
| Noise |
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Cuisine: American, Eclectic
Price: $
Hours: M-F, 9-11 a.m. drive-thru only; M-Th, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; F-S, 11 a.m.-10 pm
Liquor: --
Corkage: $ 5
Reservations: Not accepted/necessary
Accepts:    
Website: http://www.goaunaturale.com
Recommended Dishes: Acai berry Tanga frozen yogurt, grilled veg and goat cheese wrap, baked sweet potato fries.
February 26, 2009
Au Naturale not a natural just yet
By Vanessa Chang
Sugar House » Last week it was Mi La Cai's svelte take on Chinese and refreshing Vietnamese dishes. Now it's Au Naturale, a place that outright says it's all about healthy, fast food. Two relatively healthy places in a row?
As a lover of all things luxurious and fatty, I tell you now it wasn't a deliberate move. As a professional eater, I can't go it alone and rely heavily on my eating buddies to help cover extensive menu ground, consider consistency and give me feedback on how their varying palates and preferences affect their experiences. Yes, I like to aggregate sentiments, but ultimately, it is my opinion. Often before any of this happens, I ask them what every dining group asks: "Where do we want to eat?"
Lately, many of my dining companions, even the most formidable, have asked for a reprieve. And so we swapped a burger for a seared rare ahi tuna sandwich ($11.99) and heavily sauced entrées for a flatbread pizza with chicken and sun-dried tomatoes (The Greek, $8.99). It's only natural to visit one of the city's youngest -- and most conceptually unique -- eateries. Touting itself as a "modern eatery," the large, bright, colorful space offers a variety of satisfactory, though inconsistent, dishes that use organic and sustainable food (when possible) without trans fats or frying.
Even before the pleas for more cardiovascular-friendly meals, I've been checking out Au Naturale but put off reviewing it for a variety of reasons. One was that it had no proper beer and wine license; now it does. Also, my observations coincided with feedback from readers and trusted food enthusiasts who were intermittently excited with the concept but disappointed with their visits. Au Naturale was brand-spanking new and needed time. By now it's evident that Au Naturale is different -- and popular. But it also needs to be aware of the kinks still lurking in that sleek and colorful package.
It's apparent that owners Doug Nelson and George Metos have put much thought and effort into the refurbished space. As their Web site boldly puts it, they're out to "redefine fast food." The space is bright, in a color palette as refreshing as ripe tropical fruit. You order at the counter, take a gadget with you that you plug in and out of another gadget attached to your table of choice (think credit cards at the gas pump) and in less than three minutes (their promise, not mine) your order will arrive.
The menu is vast and ambitious, pairing the likes of pot pies with sushi rolls, confusingly in the same section of the menu. There are also salads, wraps and healthier takes on burgers (Angus beef, turkey or veg, $6.99). Au Naturale's house version with beef is certainly light on the grease, looks appealing sandwiched between a multigrain bun, but often arrives overcooked and less than flavorful.
The food is obviously colorful, clean eating, but lacks the exuberant tone set by the menu (and other store literature) and your very own eyes.
That's what plagued the above-mentioned ahi tuna sandwich, an otherwise gorgeous grilled salmon sandwich ($9.99) that was bereft of flavor and the house-made chicken pot pie ($6.49). The latter is more like a hybrid of a pot pie and a shepherd's pie in that it has a mashed tuber crust. In this case, Au Naturale uses sweet potato and the result is a lovely ochre color -- with a completely waterlogged texture.
Innovation is also a big mantra, which works well with the oven-baked fries ($1.99). The standard potato variety is far more variable in consistency than the sweet potato, which in this side dish is a winner. For the most part, they are crisp and subtly sweet. How sad then that the house-made ketchup doesn't do them justice. Perhaps the kitchen could offer a more viscous, organic variety with more pronounced flavor?
Pizza, too, gets a twist. Carb counters might get a kick out of the gourmet flatbread pizzas. The Greek one, mentioned above, arrived with a greenish flatbread (spinach) that was no more pliable than particle board. Think cracker bread, which I happen to enjoy.
The unexpected twist also works for dessert. Sure, there's the allure of house-made cookies stuffed with Häagen-Dazs ($2.49); I have to hand it to a restaurant that acknowledges the virtue of good ice cream. But it was the dessert of the 1990s that stole the show consistently in my visits to Au Naturale. Tanga Tart Frozen Yogurt ($2.49, $3.49) is a house-made treat using the antioxidant and trend-potent açai berry (there's also a flavor of the day). The not-too-sweet flavor reminds me of the Japanese and Korean yogurt drinks at Asian markets -- unusual but pleasant.
The coldness worked for the frozen yogurt, but it hurt just about everything else. Though service was always prompt and friendly, our food somehow arrived on the verge of lukewarm. After 10 seconds of conversation, the food was cold. The Southwestern chicken chili ($3.99, $5.99) was pretty good in such a state; I can only imagine how much better it would've been had it been hot.
Fundamentally, Au Naturale has a niche in the restaurant scene. But it's the details that separate so-so restaurants from the ones that become regular stops for those wanting relief from overly indulgent ways or simply as legitimate dining options. Au Naturale's concept can work. But like many of us in the sluggish doldrums of winter, it needs a bit of a tune-up before it can feel quite right.
Tribune's rating system
Overall rating
1 star Good
2 stars Very good
3 stars Excellent
4 stars Extraordinary
Entree price
$ Entree under $10
$$ $10-$18
$$$ $18-$25
$$$$ Above $25
Restaurant Noise
1 bell Quiet (under 65 decibles)
2 bells Can talk easily (65-70)
3 bells Talking somewhat difficult (70-75)
4 bells Raised voices (75-80)
A bomb Too noisy for normal conversation (80+)
The Tribune covers the cost of all meals at reviewed restaurants. Star ratings are based on a minimum of two visits. Ratings are updated continually based on at least one revisit. There is no connection between reviews and advertising.
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