Dining in Park City between the end of the winter ski season and the start of the summer strolling and shopping for T-shirts season is a hit and miss proposition. Many restaurants give their kitchen crews time off to either sharpen their cutlery or tune up their mountain bikes.
Yet diners can savor the fare of establishments that not only cater nonstop to the growing influx of year-round residents but us flatlanders who enjoy the unhurried pace of resorts without the usual hustle and bustle of visitors. It's at times like these that I almost feel comfortable without my monogrammed Deer Valley sweater.Scarpelli's Restaurant, open since January on Park City's Main Street, is one of those establishments that is remaining open during the "off-season." It features an extensive Italian menu in a sparse almost antiseptic atmosphere. The success of the overall experience certainly rests with the creative flair of the kitchen, which during our recent late-spring dinner exhibited strengths with some dishes and disappointing dullness with others.
Of the three appetizers we sampled, the clear favorite was the prosciutto in sfogliata, thin slices of imported smoked ham with provolone in a puffed pastry. The bite-size portions were flavorful and nicely prepared. We were less impressed with the crostini di spinaci, thick and spongy garlic bread topped with finely chopped spinach and gorgonzola cheese. The latter was surprisingly bland and the bread, like the faccacio that came with the dinners, not nearly as el dente as it should have been.
The appetizers, like the other entrees, can either be ordered as single servings (priced between $6 and $7) or family style, priced to serve three or more diners. Entree family prices range from $16 for the spaghetti to $41.50 for the bistecca di pettine, beef tenderloin stuffed with scallops, celery, onion, mushroom and garlic, topped with bay shrimp and artichoke sauce. It was not nearly as good as billed on the menu, suffering from a complexity of ingredients that seemed to negate each other.
The same fate befell the vitello di Marsala, whose garlic and shallot marsala sauce needed a bit more time in the deglazing. The mushrooms and red onions were slightly undercooked, and that resulted in a watering down of the dish. The pesto pizza ($15.50 for the ample family size) was also ordinary, with not only a plain bread crust but a coarsely ground and bland pesto, accented with walnuts. Pignoles, available at roadstands around the area, would have been a better addition, along with some garlic. Parmesan, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses were blended and spread around the center of the pizza with more effect on the design than taste.
More successful dishes were the traditional lasagna layered with a tomato meat sauce, spinach and cheese blend and the eggplant parmesan, rich with flavor and texture. The a la carte caesar salad was also nicely prepared, with an understated creamy dressing topping the crisp romaine lettuce.
Other specialties on the menu include fettucine with either alfredo or pesto sauce, white lasagna topped with spinach and walnuts, beef tortellini with gorgonzola cheese and walnut sauce, spaghetti with either traditional red sauce or alfredo sauce and spinach, fettucine with chicken in a tomato dill sauce, angel hair pasta with shrimp in a spicy basil tomato sauce, several different panini or sandwiches, calzone and pizza.
Several desserts are offered, including cheese cakes and carrot cake, though not made on the premises. They were out of the homemade gelato for our visit.
Scarpelli's Ristorante adds an extensive menu of Italian specialties to the burgeoning Park City dining scene, though its consistency does not match its ambitious bill of fare.