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La Terrazza Rises Above the Standard Pizza-and-Pasta Formula | |
| BY NANCY HOBBS SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE |
03/07/2003 | |
| Generally speaking, a pizza and pasta emporium appeals to the masses for one reason: There aren't many people who don't like pizza, and for those few, pasta is usually an acceptable alternative. And there you have it: consensus. A win/win scenario. But if the product is mediocre, those "wins" can end up in the lose column and more than a few eateries have closed their doors as a result. With La Terrazza, an attractive new free-standing restaurant in the Fort Union area, the concept is similar but the execution is a cut above. While the owners describe La Terrazza as affordable "casual Italian" and hope to encourage the traffic of busy families by offering convenient take-out, the place has a more polished look than the competition, like a preppy adolescent among a bunch of punks. Beautiful Italian tile floors, rich colors and warm lighting invite diners to relax at the tables and booths, where they are quickly greeted by a server delivering a basket of sliced peasant bread and chewy rolls, along with a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping. It would be nice, at this point, to have bread plates. As for serving up an agreeable menu, La Terrazza goes well beyond the pizza and pasta, though there are plenty of choices in those categories, too. The options start with several antipasti, or appetizers, with fresh mozzarella with tomatoes and basil ($5.95) and classic eggplant parmigiana ($5.95) among them. The bruschetta ($4.95) comes with a generous plate of baked pizza bread triangles in place of more traditional toast, and a mixture of chopped tomatoes, garlic and basil, tasting as fresh as if the ingredients had just been harvested -- a delightful surprise this time of year. More than a half-dozen pizzas, from basic marinara and cheese to toppings of grilled eggplant and smoked mozzarella, all made with thin, well-cooked crusts that have a bit of crunch and chewiness. They range from $6.95 to $8.25 at lunch -- a buck more at dinner -- and are plenty for one person, maybe even two. Pastas were the stars on the table on the occasions we visited. Fettuccine with chicken and artichoke hearts in a creamy pesto sauce was especially tasty ($9.45 at dinner). The penne Mediterranean, with sun-dried tomatoes, olives, capers and feta, had a wonderful flavor but skimped on tomatoes and capers ($8.45 at dinner). Capers were plentiful on the veal picatta ($12.95), which was sautŽed and dressed with zesty with a tart lemon, caper and white-wine sauce. This is one of the dinner-only entrŽes, which came with roasted potatoes and a delicious sautŽ of fresh summer squash and onions. Although menus for lunch and dinner are comparable, with prices at dinner $1 to $2 higher, there are a couple of well-thought-out differences. While there is a selection of higher-priced entrŽes at dinner, with a couple of chicken dishes, steak, ribs and lamb, the lunch menu offers several sandwiches that are a meal and a half, particularly with the accompanying soup or salad (choice of mixed greens or Caesar). At about $7, they are an especially good value. The selection of bottled waters offered at La Terrazza is noteworthy. You can choose between a couple of brands, sparkling or not, and flavored or plain. If you like fresh lemonade, don't pass on it. It will likely keep the servers busy come summer. La Terrazza comes to the Salt Lake valley by way of Portland, Ore., where there are two locations. The owners of those restaurants -- siblings Keri Ofshe and Mike and Craig Klauch -- have Utah roots, and decided to bring their venture here, where family members could help, according to operations manager Clay Silkman. The owners are in the process of finishing a convenient take-out design, in which patrons call ahead with an order and 15 minutes later drive into designated parking stalls where the order will be delivered to them. Just a drive-in, maybe, but like the restaurant, a cut above what you might expect. Nancy Hobbs is The Tribune's restaurant reviewer. The newspaper covers the cost of meals at restaurants reviewed and there is no connection between reviews and restaurant advertising. Hobbs welcomes food and wine news, comments and suggestions at nhobbs@xmission.comLa Terrazza.
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