It’s no secret that I am a big fan of Matteo Sogne’s namesake restaurant, Matteo Ristorante Italiano. And, I’m not alone. Matteo has made a big splash with lovers of Italian cuisine in Utah.
So I am happy to report of a new venture by Sogne and his team: Strada Cucina Italiana by Matteo – a fast-casual eatery with Italian street-inspired fare (Strada means “street” in Italian). Open for lunch and dinner, Strada is very affordable with an emphasis on pasta dishes, paninis, and fresh salads, which customers can order in person at the counter or online. According to the folks at Strada, “Matteo’s mom, Manuela, and Executive Chef Damiano Carlotto have partnered on Strada’s menu to deliver made-in-house comfort food. Manuela, celebrated for her focaccia and desserts at Matteo, bakes the ciabatta for the paninis and her cannoli are made to fill upon order. Damiano sources all charcuterie from Italy and prepares roasted pork, homemade sausage, polpette, and chicken cutlets daily.”
Matteo Sogne with Ted Scheffler
With the opening of Strada, Matteo Sogne told me that he not only was bringing hearty, inexpensive Italian street fare to SLC, but he was also solving some tricky staffing challenges. Since Matteo only serves dinner, he was only able to give some of his staff at Matteo – such as prep cooks – three hours or so of work per day, even though he pays living wages and provides benefits such as health insurance to his employees. Since Strada is a mere block from Matteo restaurant, Matteo’s kitchen is used to prep food for Strada. And, since Strada is open for both lunch and dinner, Matteo Sogne’s employees are able to work longer hours and earn more – a win-win for everyone.
In discussing the genesis of his new restaurant, Matteo said “Strada is our answer to Salt Lake City’s call for an authentic, high-quality sandwich shop where classic Italian meets old school New York City vibes that have never before existed here. This is more than just a new concept. It’s about my family who moved here from Modena, and our excitement to share the cuisine enjoyed at home. We strive to be an inviting dining option in downtown Salt Lake City for family and friends to gather and experience our joy and togetherness.”
The decor at Strada is modern, bright and airy – a very popular new downtown lunch destination. Part of the popularity lies in the fact that the most expensive dishes on the menu – Lasagna al Ragu and the Bistecca Bowl – are only $17. Panini sandwiches can be ordered whole or as a half sandwich. For the record, I could barely finish the half-size paninis, which are more than generous.
Polpette
There are a few items on the Strada menu that can serve as shared appetizers. The Whipped Brie ($13) with caramelized brie, raisins, walnuts, and crostini is a popular one. I loved the Polpette ($13). It’s a bowl of hearty homemade meatballs made by Chef Carlotto and bathed in a vibrant pomodoro sauce with shaved parmesan and minced Italian parsley on top, plus toasted crostini on the side for dipping into that luscious sauce.
Nonna Romana
One of the paninis on the Strada menu is a love letter to Matteo’s grandmother. “She used to make me sandwiches with mortadella and cheese.” And so, the Nonna Romana – a panini made with mortadella, burrata and pistachios – is an ode to Matteo’s childhood. As mentioned, panini sandwiches at Strada can be ordered half or whole, and range in price from $7.75 for a half grilled cheese to $17 for a full size chicken parmesan. Combo meals are also available in which salad, gelato, or a cannolo can be added. All sandwiches come with good quality kettle-style potato chips.
Lasagna al Ragu
There are six mix and match pasta dishes available, in which customers can choose the type of pasta they want, plus the type of sauce. House-made pastas include bucatini, gluten free caserecce, fusilli, gnocchi, paccheri, and spaghetti. Pasta sauces all originate in the Matteo kitchen and run the gamut from pesto and pomodoro, to a vodka sauce, Bolognese, Amatriciana, and crema di Parmigiano. Depending on the choice of pasta and sauce, Strada’s pasta dishes range from $14.50 to $17.50, and chicken can be added to any pasta dish for $6. My advice for pasta lovers is to order the Lasagna al Ragu ($17). It’s Matteo’s grandmother’s lasagna recipe – layers of freshly made lasagna noodles with a rich Bolognese sauce, bechamel, and generous shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Wine is offered at Strada bly the glass or one-liter bottle. I’m not sure if it’s arrived from Italy yet, but Strada will offer red and white wines produced and bottled exclusively for Matteo and Strada restaurants in that country.
Tartufo
Nothing hits home quite like a comforting grilled cheese sandwich and at Strada, the Tartufo sandwich is a grilled cheese panini with truffle. My wife really loved the gooey, cheesy panini.
#33 Chicken Parm
Personally, my favorite panini at Strada is the #33 Chicken Parm. Matteo told me that it’s the favorite sandwich of Utah Mammoth goalie Jaxson Stauber, whose jersey number is 33. “He always requests it when we prepare in-flight meals for the team,” said Matteo. It’s a somewhat untraditional chicken parm – a crispy, thin breaded chicken cutlet with vodka sauce, mozzarella, pesto, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Frankly, I didn’t think pesto belonged on a chicken parm sandwich, but I was wrong. The pesto adds a lovely layer of flavor that I hadn’t expected.
Don Grasso
Whenever I travel to Philadelphia, I always make sure to stop in for the famous roasted pork sandwich at DiNic’s. Thankfully, now I don’t have to travel to Philly for a terrific roasted pork sandwich. At Strada, The Don Grasso panini is tender, juicy Italian roasted pork with spicy broccoli rabe, sharp provolone and mozzarella. It’s fantastic. Additional panini include a Veggie version with eggplant, roasted tomatoes, broccoli rabe, fontina, and confit garlic sauce; the OG Italian with prosciutto, mortadella, soppressata, provolone, tomatoes and lettuce; the Ciao sandwich with grilled chicken breast, pesto, roasted tomatoes and provolone; and the Piccante: spicy Italian sausage with sauteed peppers, onions, and mozzarella. Rounding out the sandwich offerings is something called a Meatloaf Cone. When I asked Matteo about this he said that it’s too messy to serve meatloaf as a regular panini sandwich so at Strada the Meatloaf Cone is homemade meatloaf with Parmigiano-Reggiano and pomodoro served in a ciabatta cone to hold all the ingredients in. Clever.
If you’re looking for outstanding from-scratch Italian fare that won’t break the budget, I recommend hitting the street – East Broadway, specifically – and heading over to Strada by Matteo. It’s like having an Italian nonna in the kitchen preparing homemade pastas, paninis, salads, entrees and desserts for you to savor for lunch and dinner.
Photos by Ted Scheffler
Culinary quote of the week: “The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later you’re hungry again.” – George Miller
Dining and Cooking