Agio Italian Bistro Disappoints

I love, love, love Italian food. Just ask my wife Ginger and she will tell you that I'm a pasta nut. I recently received a recommendation from a co-worker for Agio Italian Bistro at 64 South Northwest Highway near Palatine Road in Palatine. This was a wonderful idea as it was close to home and I was in the mood for some good Italian food. Ginger and I agreed this past Friday morning that Agio would be the choice that evening. I called for reservations about 2:00 PM Friday afternoon and the call was immediately answered. A pleasant voice tells me that yes 6:30 PM for two would be perfect and that they would see us then. I called Ginger to tell her that we had reservations and to make sure she didn't get caught in Chicago traffic coming home. She got home just in time to freshen up and we drove the very short distance (less than four miles) to Agio. After driving east on Palatine Road a quick right turn onto Northwest Highway brings Agio into view. There aren't many parking spots left but we find one and park only a short distance away in the lot that also services other businesses in this strip mall which also boasts a pizza take out but not many other businesses. The location doesn't seem odd or out of place but to have two eateries side by side does seem strange particularly since they both offer Italian fare. We hustle across the parking lot as the sky appears ominous and looks as if it will begin to storm on us any second.
We go through the glass door into the foyer of the restaurant and take an immediate left turn to the hostess station about three paces inside the door. We are greeted by the hostess and her assistant. I announce my name and claim the 6:30 PM reservation. She checks a sheet in front of her on the hostess stand and agrees that we do in fact have reservations. Her assistant procures two menus and motions to a table for two only steps away from the hostess station and tucked into a corner where a long wooden wall meets a short return wall made of the same wood. The shorter wall serves to block the view of the front of the restaurant when seated unless you physically look over your shoulder or lean back and peer around the wall. This is a much smaller restaurant then I had expected yet it has an ambiance and atmosphere I find pleasant. The main dining area is crowded with tables and along the wooden wall that stretches to the rear of the restaurant is a banquette upholstered with a light neutral covering that enhances the deep color of the wall. The long wall serves to divide the bar area from the dining room and we can hear laughter and murmurs of conversation emanating from the bar. It's not distracting and actually heightens the anticipation I feel for a good Italian meal. Ginger slides behind the table onto the banquette while I take the chair opposite her with my back to the restaurant with the hostess station on my left and the main part of the dining area on my right. Along the back wall on my right is a wine storage area with attractive wine racks filled with bottles behind a glass wall. Occasionally a member of the wait or bar staff enters the wine room to retrieve a bottle for service. I like it and Ginger and I agree that it is really kind of cool. I peek around the wall, which barely conceals me from the hostess station, and see that at the front of the bar area and behind the hostess station are several more tables with bar stools which are also completely occupied. As I look around the rest of the dining area I notice that nearly every table is full. Ginger spots a table near the wine room and says it is set for a party of six and she bets that it is for a reservation in the very near future. Almost before she completes her last sentence we see the hostess escort a party to the table and now the restaurant is truly full. Ginger says, "They are slammed." I tell Ginger that this place must be good since so many people choose to eat here. We continue to discuss the decor and one couple leave that had just been seated to my right (Ginger's left) and another couple quickly took their place soon after the table linen was brushed cleaned and flatware replaced.
Now for regular readers I'm sure you have picked up on some of my pet peeves. I like to be greeted by our server not long after sitting down. I like to order a cocktail and quickly order the appetizer while we then take the time to look over the menu and select entrees. But, no one comes to our table. We wait for what seems to be at least a half hour however a quick glance at my watch tells me it has only been 15 minutes. Despite the fact that it has felt like twice as long I would still like to be acknowledged. I am craning my neck and looking about for who I think should be our server. Everyone seems to be engaged with customers elsewhere and walk from table to kitchen or bar and back with no glance in our direction. As I am looking for someone...anyone.... I hear a voice speaking to Ginger..."I'm sorry I noticed you haven't been served can I get you something?" I turn back to the table and see a waitress with pad in hand and inquire whether I heard her correctly...."This isn't your table?", I ask. "No", she explains, "We had to close the outdoor seating and we are really busy inside now. I'll take your drink order and let your server know you are waiting." She tells us her name is Carrie and we thank her for coming to our rescue. Well we waste no time in placing our drink order and naturally Ginger orders a glass of Hahn Estate Chardonnay and I order the Acacia Pinot Noir. Both are California wines and Ginger prefers them over French imports. The bright spot here is that despite not being greeted or served right away I am appreciative that another server recognized that we haven't been served yet and takes charge. She has no sooner brought back our drinks when our waiter meets her at the table and she explains why she was waiting on us and he quickly apologizes and asks if we need a moment to look over the menu. NOOOO..... we say and we have an appetizer we would like to order. Leo is our actual waiter and I tell him we would like the Salsiccia e pepperoni. This is essentially a charred Italian sausage served with sweet seasonal peppers in olive oil and garlic. He notes the order and disappears to take our request to the kitchen. I excuse myself and go in search of the restroom which I know has to be in the rear and probably behind the wine room. I'm right and I find the men's room and quickly return to the table by way of the bar. The space between the bar and wall is tight and two people can barely get by each other if coming from opposite directions. Nothing wrong with it..... just an observation. Just as I get comfortable in my chair our appetizer arrives. Before we begin on the appetizer we order our main course and another glass of wine. Ginger orders the salmon with a cucumber and dill sauce served with cherry tomatoes and garlic. Normally I would order pasta of some kind but instead I order Grouper Alla Puttanesca which is a fresh grouper fillet sauteed with onions, capers, black olive in tomato sauce served on a bed of sauteed spinach. I also order some meatballs on the side so I can get the other flavors of the restaurant. Now we turn our attention to our appetizer. We see a sausage cut into three pieces....one slightly larger then the others. I find it odd that the appetizer is for two people yet three pieces are provided. I cut the larger piece in half and now we have two pieces each. After tasting the sausage and sampling the pepper in olive oil and garlic Ginger pronounces the offering as "nothing to write home about." I agree with her as there is really nothing standout about this dish and wonder why it has such bland flavor... I taste almost no garlic as advertised and to tell the truth it was a very simple preparation..... nothing difficult and should be better for an Italian restaurant of any caliber. Ginger has another piece of sausage before she excuses herself to go to the powder room. I explain how to get there and tell her to go through the bar as it is easier to navigate then to try to get there by weaving in and out of tables in the dining room to make her way to the back of the house.
As Ginger is returning to the table, it is being bussed and she remarks to me that it's good to see that they remove the used flatware and replace it rather than simply putting the used utensil on the table for use on the next course. I agree and we sit and visit a bit while we wait for the rest of our dinner. I begin to look around and I notice an overhang over the door inside and above the heads of the newly arriving. I didn't notice it when we came through the front door but I suppose I would have had I looked up. On the shelf of the overhang sits a ceramic or porcelain monkey. This is most curious... I tell Ginger to look above the door. Of course she can't see anything where she sits and must lean far forward over the table to see around the corner. She spies the monkey and sits back with a grin. "I find that out of place don't you?", I ask and as Ginger nods the man sitting with his wife immediately to Ginger's left says, "I thought it was a bit weird too." I lean back in my chair and get the hostess' assistant's attention and ask "What is the significance of the monkey?" "I don't know...." , she replies. "Hmmm different", I say "Yup different", the man next door agrees. Ginger and I entertain ourselves for about five minutes choosing a name for the guardian above the door... "Mortimer?" Nope too goofy.... "Chimpy?", Ginger offers.... No too obvious and besides it's not a chimp.... "How, about Luigi", is my contribution.... We all agree, Luigi it is. Ginger and I and the neighboring couple enjoy a chuckle and now we begin to wonder where the rest of our dinner might be. Ginger is more understanding than me since she has been in this environment from the hostess and manager side and gets it. She understands more than anybody what it takes to run a restaurant, particularly when it is "slammed" like Agio is right now. I tell her I'm getting steamed and Ginger asks me to be patient. I promise to behave a little while longer. She knows me too well and understands that service is part and parcel of a satisfying dining experience. Poor service with great food creates a frustrating mediocre experience while great service and decent food couple to create something that rises above the food and is more memorable. The couple next to us receive their check and leave and I point out to Ginger that they had arrived after us, have been served before us and now are done and leaving before we even have our main course. Still, Ginger motions for me to relax by holding her hands out in front of her, and with palms facing the table, waves her hands downward as if to say sit down and cool off. Finally at nearly 8:00 PM I tell Ginger I have had enough and she agrees that it has been far too long. I tip back in my chair and announce to the hostess "It has been one hour and twenty minutes since we sat down and all we have had is two glasses of wine and an appetizer." She is annoyed and leaves her station to find out what is going on. In seconds our meal arrives and is placed in front of us. I can't help wonder how long it has sat in the pass waiting for our server.... We both had fish... The fastest meals to prepare and it has taken far too long to get to the table and I say it out loud. I'm irritated but I dig into my fish and I'm struck by the amount of sauce which is actually more than tomato sauce. It has chunks of tomato and onion which I expected but what is missing is any evidence of olives. It advertised black olives and I find one thin partial slice of olive. Now I begin to dig and can't find anymore... I count a total of five capers..... totally absent from the dish are the two elements that caused me to order it. As far as the grouper goes it could have been almost anything from halibut to cod and it would have tasted the same. It was totally overpowered by tomato and brought none of its flavor to the party. Across the table Ginger is looking unhappy about her dish as well. I ask her what's wrong and she tells me the dill and cucumber sauce is too watery. I swish my fork in the sauce on her plate and bring it up to my mouth nearly devoid of any sauce at all so I agree it is too watery. It does taste of cucumber and dill but it definitely should have some body. I personally prefer Greek yogurt to stiffen a sauce like that and the cucumbers should have the water removed by sitting in a colander sprinkled with salt and allowing the excess water in the cucumber to be extracted and drained away. Give them a quick rinse and into the blender with dill, a tablespoon of lemon juice and yogurt and now you have a sauce with body that can stand up to whatever it is paired with. The watery nature of it on Ginger's plate made the fish soggy and unappetizing. We are disappointed with the meal and to tell the truth if the service had been better the meal could almost be excused. But poor, slow service harnessed to so-so food made it a very poor experience. We get the bill.....faster than we received service and we pay the check and decide to quickly stop at the hostess station to get a business card for my blog and I can't help expressing my dissatisfaction. I tell the hostess that we have just sat in the worst table in the place and it seemed as if we had been invisible. She gives a halfhearted apology and shrug as if to say there isn't much I can do about it now. Before I say anymore Ginger puts her hand on my arm to signal that it is time to leave. We step out into the night as it is nearly dark, drizzling and more than two hours since we had arrived.
Agio should and could have been so much more than the experience of Friday night. I understand that the outdoor seating was closed and I wonder if staff was released since they weren't needed to take care of the patio area. If that is what happened it was short sighted as it overwhelmed the indoors dining area. Having said that our waiter appeared to move in only one speed and that was slow motion. Leo would disappear for long periods of time off the floor and I had no idea where he was nor did he visit our table often enough or reassure us that we were not forgotten. Despite the tremendously exciting menu the food was only adequate. The fact that they were slammed due to the weather and would normally have enough staff to work a partially filled dining room with staff dedicated to the outdoor area should forgive some of the sins. If I was offered the table in the "cozy" corner again I would have to refuse and ask to sit somewhere we could see and be seen. I would like to give Agio another try as I think it is better than it showed Ginger and me. One other thing. They need to pay attention to their web page since they have an event that has already occurred prominently displayed there and the event was nearly two weeks ago. I can't offer a ringing endorsement.....yet.... but I hope to in the future when we next visit Agio Italian Bistro. I hope they can wow us next time.



http://www.agiobistro.com