We had dinner at Spago on 01-27-07. I'm a grad student and was writing a paper on Wolfgang Puck. Being an LA native and my husband from NYC, we expected something classic. I'm sorry to report that we've been to better restaurants all over the country. I appreciate that they sat us in a booth, but generally, the food did not distinguish itself. The famous salmon & cream cheese pizza is great; the walnut and olive breads also memorable, but considering what we ordered, that doesn't say much. The service was odd - not bad, but pretentious in an unclassy way. The hostess murmured a few words directing us to wait at the bar to be seated, swiftly looking down again. She failed to notice that we carried two heavy coats wet from the rain, while the coatrack stood directly behind her. Our waiter, who served an accomplished doctor and his wife, gave us the impression we were a slight bother, but that it was his magnanimous duty to serve us. We found him dull and uptight. The next evening we dined at Frito Misto - our neighborhood restaurant - and were quickly reminded of what makes us happy at a restaurant. For fine dining, I'd recommend The Little Door or Maestro's Steakhouse down the street from Spago. We don't feel that we're being unfair. It just failed big with us, when I'm sure others continue to have good experiences. Until ours wears off, we will stick with the subtle places that serve great food without the fuss.
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