| Roma: A Taste Of Italy, by Way of Croatia | ||
| By Anne Wilson -- Special To The Tribune | 03/15/2002 | |
| Aida and Zeljko Ljubicic brought a load of precious baggage when they came to Utah four years ago: their two young children, Zeljko's mother and memories of the little Italian cafe they owned in the seaside village of Zoastrog in their native Croatia. With the opening six months ago of their restaurant, Roma, the couple hopes to rebuild the life they lost in their homeland. "Our main goal is to own again the restaurant we used to have," said Aida, who acts as hostess and manager of Roma. Her husband is in charge of the cooking, a skill he learned working with other chefs. The food at Roma is homey and homemade. While some dishes are works in progress (as is the continuing remodeling of the building), Zeljko prepares nicely seasoned meals, with servings appropriate for the price. Roma's successes are a tantalizing glimpse of the restaurant's potential; its flaws demonstrate any restaurant's difficulties in achieve consistency. Roma is housed in what once was a florist shop, complete with a dome-shaped greenhouse. The patio should be ready by spring and the dome will be retrofitted for additional seating. The interior is intimate and semi-formal, done in pale blue and pink. A spacious entry is flanked by two dining rooms, which keeps noise to a minimum. Zeljko's dinner menu is classic Italian: a wealth of pasta, shellfish, chicken and veal cooked with generous doses of garlic, tomatoes, wine and herbs. Daily specials include a changing lineup of soups. (The lunch menu is smaller, with half a dozen pastas, several main courses, sandwiches and a few salads, with nothing priced over $8.50.) While Roma has a full-service liquor license, the Ljubicics haven't yet fully stocked the bar and are focusing on the wine list, adequate for the style of food they serve. Diners should ask whether their favorite cocktail is available. Every meal begins with complimentary bruschetta. The traditional antipasto can easily transcend its humble ingredients -- bread, tomato, garlic and basil -- if they are fresh, and this was the first clue that Roma has possibilities. The low-salt bread is moist and dense, a perfect base for chopped tomatoes and a good amount of garlic, spiced with just the right amount of basil. It's big enough to take the edge off an appetite. But if you want more, consider the petite melanzane rotolo ($5.50), three slices of cooked eggplant rolled around a stuffing of ricotta cheese and spinach, and lightly dressed with a creamy tomato sauce and a hint of provolone cheese. The flavors are delicate but nicely balanced. Cozze bianco, mussels in white wine sauce ($8.50), is another good choice. The mussels are fresh but small, but it is the garlicky sauce (perfect for dipping that wonderful bread) that makes this dish shine. The salad menu is brief but classic: Caesar, spinach and a mixed green. Subtle changes make them Roma's own, a fact purists may not appreciate. The Caesar, for example ($5.50), has a heavy dressing that tastes like mayonnaise. And the spinach salad ($5.50) includes red onions and mushrooms that have been sauteed, which lessens the salad's crispness and makes it juicy. The flavors are great -- who could go wrong with anything cooked in bacon? -- but it isn't your classic spinach salad. While the pasta at Roma isn't homemade, it is good quality. Some dishes are traditional: spaghetti Bolognese, four-cheese ravioli, fettucine Alfredo and manicotti with ricotta and spinach ($11.50 to $13.50). Others have been adapted. Roma's fettucine carbonara ($13.50) is bound with a cream sauce instead of eggs and is unexpectedly bland. Spaghetti with fresh seafood ($14.50) is a respectable rendition of that flexible dish, with more fish than shellfish, but a nicely flavored sauce. Second-course entrees were a mixed bag. A salmon fillet ($15.50) came grilled as ordered, but had a slightly burned flavor, although the potatoes and vegetables served with it were excellent. Saltimbocca, a traditional dish of veal topped with proscuitto and cheese and flavored with sage ($16.50), was nicely seasoned although the meat wasn't the highest quality. And the veal Marsala ($16.50), made with mushrooms and wine, featured a brown sauce whose flavor didn't live up to its billing as homemade. A nightly special featuring pork loin stuffed with proscuitto and provolone was better, a good mix of big flavors in a generous serving. The best of the homemade desserts is a wonderful confection called zuccotto that stars ladyfingers moistened with cherry liquor and layered with a coconut-studded white chocolate mousse and chocolate mousse ($4). It deserves its billing as the house special. Service at Roma can be slow, which may be due to a combination of small kitchen staff and young, inexperienced servers. The owners care about service, however, and have shuffled staff since the opening. That is a good portent of things to come. For now, Roma will require patience from diners who have other choices in Italian restaurants. What Roma offers is a unique setting, homemade food and an intimate ambience lacking the noisy "buzz" favored by some restaurateurs. People who believe small, family-owned restaurants add interest and texture to a community will want to give the Ljubicics a chance at making their dreams come true. Roma Ristorante 3300 S. 1560 East, 466-6290 Hours: Monday through Saturday, lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; dinner, 5-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, dinner from 5-11 p.m. Prices: Dinner entrees from $11.50 to $16.50 Liquor: Yes Reservations: Yes Child's Menu: No Takeout: Lunch only Wheelchair Accessible: No Outdoor Dining: Warm-weather patio Parking: On site lots on east and west Credit Cards: All major Anne Wilson 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. Wilson welcomes food and wine news, comments and suggestions at wilwrite99@aol.com. |
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