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| - With tickets for the Railhead (John Waite!) in one hand, and the other hand resting on my hungry belly, we decided to try Boulder Station's Pasta Palace.
Our luck has been mixed when it comes to the Italian places at Station casinos in the past. San Lorenzo, at Texas Station, was delicious and simple with A+ service. (Then they changed the menu. Fiends.) Capri, at Sunset Station, was as uninviting in taste as it was in decor and the demeanor of its host. Pasta Palace at Palace was quite good the first time, but on the second visit we experienced a case of "glad we had a coupon." We went to PP at Boulder with no expectation other than Chef Boyardee not to be in residence.
From the moment we were greeted at the podium, the staff made us feel graciously welcome. Our waitress was warm and professional, making useful suggestions (such as turning our lemonades into raspberry or strawberry lemonades - not on the menu) while also being cheerfully clear about cost ($1 extra, unlimited refills).
As we sat in our (comfy, and we're both "fluffy" people) booth, I noted with a mental thumbs up how well the dining area is laid out. Spacious distance between booths/tables, and cozy, dark elements in a casual but tasteful design.
One corner of the restaurant is open to the working back area of the Metro Pizza operation next door. It doesn't detract from the ambiance, being away from the main dining area, but I do wonder if Metro fulfills Pasta Palace's pizza orders.
One of our assistant waiters (we had two or three) made a small mistake with our drinks - no big deal - but I was impressed with how apologetic both he and our head waiter were. Who cares about a little mistake when your servers are obviously so committed to you having a great meal?
Wait, you may say something to yourself, isn't this a two-star review? She sounds so comfortable and happy. What gives?
I know, and my clicky finger does hover over the three-star ("A-OK") mark just because, darn, it was so nice there, surrounded by friendly people and endless raspberry lemonades, but... but... the food. The food. (Dramatic, "hands are tied" frownie face of disappointment goes here.)
Of all the Station properties, the food at this Pasta Palace had to be the most bland and cheap-tasting. My husband's rigatoni tasted like it came from a packet - you know that sort of gummy taste? Like that. I leaned across the table. "Does yours even have sauce?" Like me, he'd gone for a mix of alfredo and marinara sauces, neither of which brought out anything good about the other on this occasion. Nothing sharp, nothing mellow - nothing really at all. (So it's just as well that his pasta was barely coated in it.)
I had the cheese ravioli. "Meh. I've experienced better." (That's me quoting Yelp's two-star catchphrase.) I'd shrug if I were eating it at home, in front of the television, probably slugging on the salt and pepper with the hand not holding the remote. At a restaurant, though, I expect a sensation beyond "Yes, I'm swallowing an inoffensive wet lump."
We did like the salads for having a little more artichoke and banana pepper, etc., than you might get at, say, Olive Garden. The bread basket was warm and fine, if a little uninventive. (Garlic sticks, not very buttery, and somewhat dry foccacia, no flatbreads.)
It could be that we ordered "poorly." Maybe Pasta Palace delivers on the promises of its setting and staff with a few great dishes that we missed. I don't really accept that excuse, though: if it's on the menu, I expect it to be decent, and my one clear definition of "decent" is "has some value beyond what you could easily get from a packet or can."
Because the food was so unremarkable if not a little gluey/heavy/icky for us, I can't quite nudge myself to that third star. (Three stars implies that we might go back.) But, if you're looking for good service and good lemonade, and your pasta expectations can be met by what I described above, then give Boulder's Pasta Palace a try. The dessert tray did look rather delicious.
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