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Whether it's a java jolt or a zesty lunch, Radda is the place to roost | |
| By Nancy Hobbs Special to The Tribune |
01/30/2004 | |
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SALT LAKE CITY -- The devil may be in the details, but Lugano restaurant owner and chef Greg Neville knows that attention to particulars can reap heavenly rewards.
As a result, you can bet his newest venture, a friendly neighborhood coffeehouse behind his acclaimed dinner restaurant, isn't going to settle for an average cup of Joe. Nor will anemic, plastic-wrapped muffins or gummy croissants find a place on his shelves. Morning patrons of Neville's new Radda Caffé will find piping-hot coffee made from a custom blend according to the chef's explicit instructions; a case of buttery, flaky pastries baked fresh every morning; and most likely a small crowd assembling for their morning jolt. Patrons of first light -- starting at 7 a.m. daily -- are generally on the run, grabbing a cup to go and getting their "frequent sipper" cards punched on the way out. As the morning moves toward noon and attention shifts to fresh salads and paninis, a more leisurely crowd filters in, sitting at colorful bistro tables artfully topped with Italian posters and lacquered to a sheen. The Italian-inspired coffeehouse has always been part of Neville's "plan," said Amanda Maudsley, who has been office manager for Neville since he opened Lugano. He didn't have a home for it then, but knew he wanted it in a nice neighborhood setting. It must have been fate that the small building behind Lugano, which over the years has housed a copy shop, a jewelry store and a dog grooming business, among others, became available. Likewise with the adjacent A-frame building, which Neville has remodeled and named "Loggia" as a place that can be reserved for private parties. A major benefit of the Lugano "complex" is that it opens up the parking lot. Customers don't have to avoid certain stalls once reserved for other businesses, and with the different hours that Radda and Lugano are open, there is more parking for both. Along with the coffeehouse idea came the name, Radda, the city where Neville and his wife enjoyed their honeymoon. The name, in turn, lent itself to a decorating hook: roosters. The mascot of the Chianti region, where Radda is located, is a black rooster, which explains the photos, paintings and adornments that spruce up the cafe and give it a pleasant touch of whimsy. Bright walls, each painted a different primary color, add to the cafe's cheery and comfortable ambiance. But the initial draw are the glass counters and their gallery of victual delights. Muffins, croissants (filled or not), tarts, pizzettas and baskets full of layered sandwiches, ready to be pressed to perfection in the panini grill, fill one case. In the other are the day's homemade desserts and fresh salads, with at least four of each to choose from. Customers order at the counter and, if eating in, are delivered their meals by the cordial staff. Before the cafe became popular, it wasn't difficult to know where the orders went. But on a busy lunch day, which it was when we visited, that was more of a guessing game. The pleasant server who delivered our lunch mentioned that table numbers were on order; manager Maudsley says they have since arrived and are facilitating the flow during busy times. That is perhaps the one detail overlooked in the planning stages, but it's easily explained. Radda's walk-in lunch business, initially considered secondary to the coffee and pastry venture, "has taken off," said Maudsley. Since opening in October, Neville has offered a "box lunch" service that he anticipated would be popular for business lunches. Fresh sandwiches made with meat roasted daily, chips and a cookie are boxed up for $7.50, and include a side of pasta or potato salad for an additional $1.25. Delivery on larger orders is available for 15 percent of the total. It was a niche that needed filling. Obviously customers also were wanting something new for lunch, and seem more than happy to make the Mill Creek cafe a destination. Everything we tried was worth the drive. The portobello mushroom panini ($5.95) was especially good, with a creamy goat cheese and caramelized onions between the grilled slices of focaccia. The black forest ham panini was its equal, with fontina cheese, olive tapenade and a tantalizing Caesar aioli ($5.75). Salads include a tasty potato salad and a couple of pasta salads (the chicken pesto pasta was creamy and flavorful), and daily specials. The Israeli couscous, offered on the day of our visit, was a nice departure from the usual, with pebbles of pasta -- larger grained than most couscous -- mixed with onions and green peppers. The quiche muffin is one of the cafe's most popular items for breakfast and lunch. It's a perfect meld between bread and egg, and for $1.85, hard to pass up. And the coffee drinks, all made from that special blend that Neville has made for him by a San Francisco roaster -- Graffeo -- are superior. Besides the blend, Radda's coffee-making crew, or baristas, are experts at steaming the milk to temperatures that perfectly complement the espresso. (And the prices aren't quite as steep as those at some better known brewers.) All told, Radda Caffé works because it offers delicious food for reasonable prices in a comfortable, friendly setting. ----- 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.com. Radda Caffé
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