In a truly just world, fast-casual Italian restaurants would be more of a fixture in our commercial landscape. I suppose it comes down to the ubiquity of pizza places that also serve pasta, but I’m always on the lookout for a good Italian spot that will offer a quick lunch of classic Italian flavors. This active quest is what got me so excited to visit STRADA by Matteo, a new concept from chef Matteo Sogne.
STRADA offers a fast-casual counterpoint to Matteo, which is Sogne’s flagship fine-dining restaurant in downtown SLC. At the end of last year, Chef Sogne relocated his restaurant from the Ninth and Ninth neighborhood to the heart of downtown Salt Lake City. On the heels of this successful reopening, Sogne and his team spotted an opportunity to tackle the fast-casual market and opened STRADA only a block away from Matteo’s new location.
This clever tactic uses Matteo’s kitchen as a staging area for STRADA’s menu prep, which means you’re getting fine-dining quality goods in STRADA’s fast-casual atmosphere. It also means you’re getting plenty of bang for your buck, as every pasta dish, salad and panini on the menu is under 20 bucks. That said, you’ll likely want to assemble a multi-course meal for yourself, because STRADA does not disappoint for fans of Italian food.
It’s perfectly reasonable to kick off a decently-sized meal at STRADA with the whipped brie ($13). The cheese is caramelized and whipped with walnuts and raisins, making for a silky-smooth pre-game experience. The polpette ($13) are on the heartier side for an antipasti, but these meatballs are indeed delicious—plump, flavorful and served with a pomodoro sauce that adds the perfect amount of acidity.
If you prefer a salad to pasta—or if you’re just really hungry and want to get both—you cannot go wrong with the Caesar ($15). Served with your choice of meatballs or grilled chicken, this Italian classic is always a win. Those looking for more of a main course salad will want to check out either the pollo bowl ($15) or the bistecca bowl ($17). The former comes with grilled chicken and roasted tomatoes, while the latter gets a chimichurri and gorgonzola dressing.
The pasta situation at STRADA is mix-and-match, which means you get a few different types of freshly-made pasta for $11—the gnocchi and gluten-free casarecce are $12—and a choice of sauce. All of these options are great bets, but the bolognese ($5.50) is an Old World banger. The crema di parmigiano ($5) is also great for those who like a creamier sauce with their pasta.
With Chef Sogne at the helm, there was no doubt that the pasta, salad and antipasti game would be on point. As a grilled panini menu was new territory for Sogne and crew, this was the area that most captured my curiosity. They can be ordered in halves or wholes, and the half sandwich combo comes with a side salad and dessert, which is not a bad deal. The chicken parm ($9.50 for half, $17 for whole) is the restaurant’s best-seller, as it represents a lot of what Sogne can do well. A cutlet of fried chicken sits upon a generously-sized panini and is slathered in pink vodka sauce, melted mozzarella, pesto and some Parmigiano Reggiano.
I also very much liked the piccante ($9.25 for half, $16.50 for whole) with its spicy Italian sausage and peppers. A good sausage-and-pepper sandwich is never far from my thoughts, and I really liked the STRADA take on this classic. The sausage is indeed spicy, but it’s got enough melty mozzarella to calm things down a bit.
While I could see diners gravitate more to STRADA’s pasta menu, the paninis should not be overlooked. This was the area where I thought STRADA might fumble a bit, but it represents a solid roster of classic Italian flavors. As an objective fan of sandwich-craft, I can confidently say that STRADA is not messing around.
I was also a fan of swapping the dessert out for some kind of savory side dish in the sandwich combo. STRADA offers both gelato ($6) and cannoli ($6) on its dessert menu, and I opted for the cannoli in my sandwich combo. It’s composed of a nice, crispy shell and a creamy, not-too-sweet filling, garnished with a drizzle of chocolate sauce and crushed pistachios. I am baffled as to why most fast-casual restaurants don’t offer dessert with their lunch combo meals—though it would be tough to compete with this cannoli recipe.
STRADA very much feels like an interesting risk that will pay off for Chef Sogne. Its downtown location puts it within the radius of the urban office crowd, and its high-quality but economical menu is packed with crowd-pleasers. STRADA has the engine of a fine dining restaurant under its hood, so don’t be surprised if you end up getting wowed by your visit.
Dining and Cooking