Your trusty Intermission food critics were recently lucky enough to live out every college student’s dream of free food.  Even more key, we did so at a place where regular attendance isn’t exactly advisable on college budgets–MacArthur Park, that really, really nice restaurant right next to the Palo Alto Caltrain station. Despite the restaurant’s un-college-like luxury, the owners are hoping to attract a larger Stanford customer base and generously sat us down to discuss the menu and restaurant history (we even got to hang out with the chef, a delightful man named Faz).

MacArthur Park has been in Palo Alto since 1981–old enough that it has achieved institution status for most people in the area. When my family lived near campus, my mom brought all of us there for brunch or dinner every chance she got. While the man dressed in an Easter Bunny suit at MacArthur Park’s annual Easter brunch may have twice reduced my little brother to tears, the restaurant still has a special place in my family’s collective memory.

When a restaurant has been around for over a quarter of a century, certain beloved staples are bound to emerge. MacArthur Park is no exception. When we sat down, a waiter placed on the table a bowl of their classic, freshly made potato chips. They were still warm and perfectly salty–a great, simple start to the dinner to come. The chef then brought out a smorgasbord of Macarthur Park favorites. First, we had a plate of the house-made smoked salmon. While smoked salmon can be gummy, this was the perfect consistency and obviously fresh.  He also brought out a venison Carpaccio. Despite my love of food, I’m not very adventurous when it comes to eating raw animals related to Bambi, but everyone else at the table loved it. Next were potato skins (pretty good for the fried potato paradigm, but definitely not show-stopping), baby artichokes (amazing, especially when liberally dipped in garlic aioli) and locally grown asparagus (grilled with olive oil, which was simple but divine).

Next, Faz brought us MacArthur Park’s most notorious dish–the ribs. Ribs are in many ways the restaurant’s raison d’etre. Faz was in fact hired from a famous rib-house in Chicago specifically for his prowess at this dish. They are so amazing that I couldn’t stop eating them…it was embarrassing. The best accompaniment to the ribs? Definitely the super glamorous disposable rib bibs that came with the full slab (although the cole slaw was a close second); Katie and I both wore ours with pride. Sadly, the ribs were finite in number. Next, we had bacon-wrapped scallops lightly topped with a pesto-y salsa and served on a bed of the same amazing asparagus we’d had as an appetizer–pretty good, especially as a concept, although the bacon was burned. Finally, we had grilled swordfish served in a bed of guava barbeque sauce. This was the most disappointing main dish, maybe only because I’m usually a huge swordfish fan. It was a little overcooked, and the barbeque sauce was too overpowering. Stuffed to the gills, we could barely even contemplate the dessert sampler Faz brought us at the end. The berries with clotted cream were fresh and sweet, though we both wished we had more room for the cheesecake.

In conclusion, MacArthur Park is a great bet for a traditional, nice meal out. The menu isn’t as edgy as Palo Alto’s splashy new fine dining destination, Baume, or as easy on the bank account as a La Costena burrito. But for a visit from the parents, or to satisfy an itch for something a little nicer than, say, Ricker Dining, you can’t go wrong. And, as the owners pointed out, the burger only costs $8–even if nothing else does.