Despite the spreading asphalt ooze of franchise food and retail outlets encroaching into quaint little Sugar House, it is a community that clings to its small-town character. The empty shells of Irving Junior High, Keith O'Brien, the old post office and Hygeia Ice Rink still inspire fond memories rather than despair for neighborhood activists who respect the history of the area.
Nostalgic black and white photographs on the wall of the Salt Lake Pizza and Pasta reflect the changing landscape with a more dramatic sense of the past. Establishments, such as the Coon Chicken Inn, are highlighted against the white walls of the cleanly appointed interior. Large photos of Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew, spurned perhaps by past customers of a previous establishment (the Pine Cone), lend an ironic sense of darker political epochs that have also passed.Yet ghosts of the past and the evening's chill were soon forgotten as we sipped from tall glasses of hot chocolate, savored a bowl of Manhattan clam chowder ($1.95) redolent with herbs and brimming with chunks of clams and potato, and munched on crisply fried calamari rings ($3.95), breaded with flour and asiago cheese. We were clearly primed for the present.
In addition to sampling two of the individually sized pizzas, we also tried two of the pasta dishes, several of the sandwiches, and a couple of the salads. Each reflected care and quality ingredients, though some, such as the goat cheese pizza ($8.95), grilled chicken breast sandwich ($7.75), and Greek salad ($7.65) seemed a bit pricy.
Our favorite was the evening special, the pasta alla Puttanesca, sauced with black olives, garlic, tomatoes, anchovies and covered with freshly grated asiago cheese. Not only was the portion generous and the pasta perfectly al dente but it was a reasonable $4.95.
Another pasta dish, the fettuccini Alfredo ($5.75), was enough to split for two, as was the aromatic Caesar salad ($6.45). Buttery garlic toast comes with each salad and pasta dish. The mushroom pizza with sausage ($5.25) was also very good.
We tasted just enough of the lively marinara sauce that came with the calamari and fried mozzarella triangles to get a sense of the sauce that would accompany other pasta dishes.
Other items on the well-rounded bill of fare included baked stuffed shrimp ($6.75); Buffalo hot wings ($3.95); Chinese chicken salad ($7.25); Cobb salad ($8.95 for large and $4.85 for small); 10 choices of pizza, including barbecued chicken and fresh tomato; calzones; peanut chicken linguini ($7.95); tomato basil linguini ($5.65); and fettuccini contadina with creamed asiago cheese sauce ($7.25). Cannolis and cheese cake are served for dessert.
Salt Lake Pizza and Pasta in downtown Sugar House, open a little over a month, offers a comfortable cuisine that fits into a neighborhood that is both changing yet rooted in tradition.
Rating: * * * 1/2
Salt Lake Pizza and Pasta, 1063 E. 2100 South. 484-1804. Open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. until midnight; Friday and Saturday, until 1 a.m. Accepts major credit cards and check with guarantee card.