With a more consistent flow of customers (transient tourists and burgeoning locals) flocking to Park City in both winter and summer, its restaurants are less likely to close with the season. For those of us who like Park City in the so-called "off season," i.e., summer, dining out choices are more stable and relaxed.
One stable establishment is Mileti's Italian Restaurant, whose stained glass logo and small wood-trimmed interior has been a fixture on Main Street since 1973. And while not quite as relaxed as we might have liked during our recent Saturday night meal, we found the service attentive and the cuisine appealing.One immediate impression was from the herb butter that came with the soft homemade breadsticks. A delectable blend of Italian herbs, lemon and garlic, with a hint of Tabasco sauce just about sent us to a Butteraholics Anonymous meeting. Somehow we curtailed our bread and butter binge to save room for the rest of our meal.
Two of the appetizers also reflected the skill of the kitchen. The pizzette a small pizza with mini-meatballs (though there are other toppings) was served hot, covered with just enough cheese and sweet tomato sauce so the basic pizza tastes and textures were not obscured in any excesses. We wish the serving of grilled eggplant ($5.50) had been larger, since we unexpectedly had to compete with our children (confirmed eggplant haters) for the thin slices of smoky eggplant drizzled with balsamic vinegar.
Other appetizers include sauteed calamari, steamers in a marinara broth, carpaccio and Texas barbecue shrimp. Prices range from $5.50 to $6. Other dinner preludes include Caesar salad, spinach salad and a soup de jour.
We sampled two of the nine pasta dishes featuring fresh pasta made on the premises. Both were very good, one nicely understated and the other a colorful celebration of color and flavor. The fettuccini Mileti had bits of fresh tomato, mushrooms, black olives and shrimp (one can choose chicken or cheese only for $7.95). The pesto lasagna ($8.95) was steaming layers of lively pesto, spinach, cheese and tomato. While a bit scorched on top, the rest of the dish was delicious.
Other pasta variations include spaghettini ($6.95) with tomato sauce and meatballs, linguini ($7.95) with white clam sauce, capellini tuttomare ($8.95) with different seafoods in a white wine marinara broth, eggplant parmesan ($7.95), fettucini al Provencal ($8.95) with Greek olives and feta, seafood lasagna ($8.95) and cheese ravioli ($7.95) topped with either marinara or pesto sauce.
When I asked the waiter which main course he would recommend, thinking perhaps a veal piccata or chicken marsala would get the nod, he surprisingly suggested the rack of lamb ($18.95). While not exactly an Italian specialty, it was not a disappointing recommendation. The serving was generous - eight tender riblets perfectly medium rare. And while not usually a mint- sauce fan, I savored the tomato mint chutney, which added an aromatic flavor to the barely gamey lamb.
Main courses range in price from $11.95 for the grilled Italian sausage, disappointingly coarse and devoid of customary Italian sausages (the kitchen might want to try the homemade sausages from the Mediterranean Deli on 3900 South and State) to around $16 for the veal piccata and several seafood specials. Grilled chicken with two salsas, marinated top sirloin topped with chili aioli and black beans, scampi, and a New York strip seasoned with cracked pepper round out the other entrees.
In addition to the breadsticks and butter, entrees include a house salad, a cool blend of lettuces topped with a light oil and citrus dressing, marinated Bermuda onions and grated asiago cheese.
Mileti's Italian Restaurant captures the flavor of Park City with its casual ambience. It also presents its colorful Mediterranean cuisine with appropriate flair.
Rating: * * * *
Mileti's Italian Restaurant, 42 S. Main, Park City. 649-8211. Open for dinner only, seven days a week, from 6 to 10 p.m. Major credit cards accepted; local (Park City) checks only. Reservations recommended for weekends.