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Bountiful • Plates & Palates recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, so this restaurant has stood the test of time in south Davis County. A recent remodel brought about a cleaner, neater interior appearance with fewer retail kitchen items and a menu that surprises and delights at almost every level.

Best described as a deli, Plates & Palates does the bulk of its business over lunch (or through catering) with a reasonable menu of pasta salads, green salads, soups and grilled panini sandwiches.

I was most impressed with some of the upscale green salad offerings. Pear and pecan ($8.95) was served on a bed of fresh mixed greens with at least half of a juicy pear, plenty of pungent gorgonzola cheese, nicely spiced and candied pecans as well as bacon and an excellent sweet red wine vinaigrette dressing. A family of four could happily share this salad as a starter, and it's more than a full entrée portion for one.

Still better was the shrimp and spinach salad ($9.95) — an option I hesitated ordering because of the seemingly odd combination of ingredients. I now wholeheartedly endorse the thyme-spiced shrimp; tender, thinly sliced yams; crunchy pistachios; and tart grapefruit that were brought together by one of the most standout lemon vinaigrette dressings I've had the pleasure of tasting.

As a professional eater, I really enjoy a dining experience where I can try lots of tastes at once, so I very much appreciated Plates & Palates' salad sampler featuring any two pasta salads and one choice of green salad for just $9.25 (shrimp option an additional $1.75).

As part of my salad sampler, I gave the curry chicken ($9.50 full portion) a taste and enjoyed the coconut curry-doused chicken along with the dried apricots, celery, red grapes and carrots more than I expected from a deli case. The lemon tarragon bowtie pasta salad ($9.50 full portion) offered the usual chicken, celery, green onion, almonds and grapes but was tossed in a kicky and creamy lemon tarragon dressing. Perhaps a slightly more al dente pasta to begin with would allow for the absorption of the dressing without sacrificing texture.

Least impressive was the mango avocado chicken seasonal bowtie salad ($9.95 full portion) that we upgraded to from the potato chips ($2.75), served with the grilled veggie panini ($7.95). An overabundance of basil lime dressing overpowered the delicate flavors of the mango and avocado as well as the chicken, and the gloppy result remained largely untouched. If you have any issues with heavy-handed salad dressing, this is the place to ask for it on the side.

The Veggie Panini, however, redeemed the lunch with nicely grilled zucchini and red bell pepper slices along with a meaty portobello mushroom topped with provolone and a sundried tomato tapenade that really rounded out the sandwich flavors.

A Reuben offering ($7.99) failed to impress with an herb mayonnaise substituting for the traditional Russian or Thousand Island dressing.

More on par with the quality dishes that Plates & Palates can produce was the turkey apple panini ($7.95), with a wonderful smoked gouda that offset the crunchy, not-too-sweet green apples. A Dijon mayonnaise finish on cracked wheat bread sealed the deal.

Finally, the Mediterranean panini ($7.95) was my favorite of the grilled offerings with Genoa salami, Black Forest ham, provolone and a tangy feta cheese, topped with the Mediterranean nods — a kicky artichoke tapenade and earthy roasted red peppers.

All salads can be halved and then paired with either soup — such as the fire-roasted tomato with basil — or a half panini for $9.25. The soup selections vary daily, but a large bowl will run you $5.50 and include a crusty roll for dipping. While the tomato soup had great vine-ripened flavor, I prefer a cream-based version and wound up taking my leftovers home and reusing them as an excellent pasta sauce that evening.

There's no question that the ingredients in all of Plates & Palates' dishes are top-notch. The only issue I have with the establishment is the struggle to understand what kind of restaurant it is and why it operates as it does. As at traditional delis, here you stand in line, place your order from the menu board and deli case and then take a seat (which you are sometimes led to by a worker). It's hard to call this person a server, because although he or she may have taken your order, you might never speak with him or her again during your visit to the sparsely decorated dining area.

Adding to the confusion, you don't pay immediately after ordering — presumably so you'll buy some kitchen items on the way out. I'd prefer an immediate payment option as it became clear to me that what I ordered and what I paid for at the entirely separate checkout counter sometime later did not work out in my favor.

Although I asked for the half panini and soup combo, I received (and paid for) a full panini and a gigantic bowl of soup. My guest suffered the same fate with a whole panini and full pasta salad order instead of the combo. It was far more food than we wanted or anticipated and when also charged $2 for tap water, I spent $36 on lunch for two. Without having seen an order slip or been presented with a final bill, I felt I had little recourse to complain after getting the receipt.

And of course, tipping had to be considered. Although my party was seated by someone and food delivered by someone, it wasn't the same person and I still had to stand in line to order and again to pay the bill. So whom am I tipping and what for? Does some of the tip go to the line workers who did most of the work making my meal? I have no idea, and over the course of my visits it wasn't made any clearer.

Diners, including me, don't typically like to be confused by their dining experience. For this reason alone, I'll be more inclined in the future to order takeout and avoid the confusion.

One thing is for certain, though: Plates & Palates is delivering upscale food with quality ingredients. From the stellar lemon vinaigrette on the shrimp and spinach salad to the tangy artichoke tapenade and sundried tomatoes on the Mediterranean panini, your palate is bound to be pleased by a visit to this restaurant in Bountiful.

Heather L. King also writes for http://www.theutahreview.com and can be found on Twitter @slclunches —

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Plates & Palates

Food • HHhj

Mood • Hhj

Service • Hhj

Noise • bb

A palate-pleasing deli in Bountiful, serving upscale green and pasta salads as well as soups and grilled panini sandwiches.

Location • 390 N. 500 West #100, Bountiful; 801-292-2425

Online • platesandpalatesutah.com

Hours • Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (dining room closes at 3 p.m., takeout available 3 to 6 p.m.); Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed Sunday.

Children's menu • No

Prices • $-$$

Liquor • No

Reservations • No

Takeout • Yes

Wheelchair access • Yes

Outdoor dining • No

On-site parking • Yes

Credit cards • All major