Lugano
3364 S. 2300 East, Salt Lake City ; 801-412-9994
(see
map)
Chef-owner Greg Neville continues to turn out lusty Northern Italian food. The back patio may be the restaurant’s best-kept secret.
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| Kid-friendly |
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Cuisine: Italian, American
Price: $$
Hours: M-S, 5-10 p.m.; Su, 5-9 p.m.
Liquor: Full Service
Corkage: $ 8
Reservations: Accepted
Accepts:    
Website: http://www.luganorestaurant.com
Recommended Dishes: Smoked salmon pizzetta, vanilla bean-brown sugar crème brûlée.
September 27, 2006
Din doesn't dim Lugano's Italian fare
By Lesli J. Neilson
I've been wanting to revisit Lugano for quite some time, so when the weather turned cooler, chef-owner Greg Neville's homey Northern Italian cuisine beckoned. One drawback lurked in the back of my mind -- would it be too noisy to enjoy a meal? I'd heard numerous complaints from friends and colleagues.
On a recent chilly evening, my dining companion and I settled into a table in the smaller of two cacophonous dining rooms. A plate of assorted olives and warm rustic bread -- and a slab of alluringly salty butter -- quickly appeared. Bedecked in chef's whites, Neville deftly expedites food, constructively directs his staff and unobtrusively visits tables. His presence has a calming effect on his hustling team.
The one-page menu is divided into two groups -- "starters" and "wood-burning oven, pasta and risotto." Vegetarians will find a handful of starters to please them, though entrees are less veg-friendly.
House-smoked salmon pizzetta ($12.95) is impressive. Four flatbread triangles topped with melted mozzarella and fontina cheeses rest at one end of a long oval platter; paper-thin salmon cloaked with fennel shavings, diced red onion and capers covers the rest. Our busy server could have helped with assembly instructions but I was quick to figure it out. Cut the salmon into four slices; smear a thin layer of mascarpone on a piece of flatbread; top it with the salmon and other toppings; and squirt on some lemon, if desired. Repeat with remaining slices. The smoky-briny-anise flavors hit all the right notes. I can't say that about the wimpy Caesar salad ($8.95).
Though the romaine was chilled and the croutons packed crunch, the leaves were left whole and were cumbersome to eat. The generous fresh Parmesan shavings added saltiness but the dressing lacked lemon, garlic and anchovy -- a triumvirate essential to a successful Caesar. And fresh mozzarella couldn't save a tough-crusted Margherita pizza ($12.95).
Seafood lovers will be happy with the spaghetti ($16.95) with copious amounts of tender shrimp, mussels, clams and the daily fish offering -- halibut in this case -- in a deep, rich tomato sauce. I found the pasta to be a tad overcooked and the tail-on shrimp were troublesome but the sauce had nice depth. I could have shared my mountain of olive oil mashed potatoes with a small village - the starch came alongside the "killer" six-hour braised beef short rib ($22.95). Only a very hungry diner could have finished off the 12 to 14 ounces of meltingly tender beef, crisp asparagus spears and that creamy white mound.
In six years, entrees have gone from $8-$19 to $9.95-$24.95 while appetizers jumped from $4-$9 to $5.95-$15.50. Luckily, desserts have only gone from $5 to $6.95, including the standout vanilla bean and brown sugar creme brulee -- I just wish the plate it came on hadn't been dusted with powdered sugar which got everywhere and serves what purpose? The bread pudding ($6.95) wasn't nearly as good. Two cold, dry slices rested on squiggles of caramel hard sauce and more of that darned powdered sugar. Our server asked how it was -- we'd barely touched it while we'd devoured the other one - and then, having received an earnest answer, he graciously removed the dessert from our bill. Which may be why we didn't make a fuss when we got cappuccini ($4.25) when we'd ordered macchiati ($3).
The wine list has grown substantially since The Tribune's last visit in 2000. In addition to 37 whites and an equal number of reds, there are 39 reserve selections from $67 to $345, many of those receiving accolades from Gambero Rosso's Italian Wine Edition. There are also signature cocktails, beer and a few wines by the glass, though I wish there were more rosato selections. Corkage is a reasonable $8.
It's clear that Neville runs a tight ship and has successfully weathered the last six years. It's a bit perplexing that noise was an issue on our first visit in 2000 and still is in 2006. Some restaurants seem to embrace noise. I don't like loud restaurants, but based on Lugano's full house on a recent evening, apparently the noise doesn't bother some people.
Tribune's rating system
Overall rating
1 star Good
2 stars Very good
3 stars Excellent
4 stars Extraordinary
Entree price
$ Entree under $10
$$ $10-$18
$$$ $18-$25
$$$$ Above $25
Restaurant Noise
1 bell Quiet (under 65 decibles)
2 bells Can talk easily (65-70)
3 bells Talking somewhat difficult (70-75)
4 bells Raised voices (75-80)
A bomb Too noisy for normal conversation (80+)
The Tribune covers the cost of all meals at reviewed restaurants. Star ratings are based on a minimum of two visits. Ratings are updated continually based on at least one revisit. There is no connection between reviews and advertising.
May 30, 2003
By Nancy Hobbs
When temperatures skyrocket, appetites wane. Designing a menu to pique the interest of desert-dwelling diners is a challenge for every Salt Lake valley chef, including Lugano owner/chef Gregory Neville. "We are in the process of dramatically lightening things up.
It's always challenging this time of year, with temperatures suddenly soaring into the 90s and above," he mused.
And so some of the dishes that regulars have come to favor in the three years that Lugano has been open -- like portabellos stuffed with polenta and wide tagliatelle pasta with cream sauce and smoked prosciutto -- are off the menu, at least until a fall chill sweeps in and "comfort" is back in seasonal vogue.
But the Mill Creek restaurant's popular salads won't be going anywhere: garlicky Caesar with fresh parmesan and croutons; spinach salad dressed up with sun-dried cherries, feta cheese and crunchy candied walnuts; and beet salad with avocado, shaved fennel and balsamic vinaigrette all nice choices for a warm summer's eve.
Several appetizers will be replaced with lighter versions, but keep your fingers crossed that Neville doesn't do much to change the focaccia, which we enjoyed on a recent visit. The bread is topped with grilled pears, caramelized onions and pine nuts, all of which acquire a luscious sweetness when cooked. The flavors get an additional boost with the complement of tangy gorgonzola cheese ($9.95).
Summer does have its culinary advantages and Neville, as usual, plans to capitalize on them by using fresh fruits, herbs, vegetables and tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes. The latter are a staple of Lugano's bruschetta ($8.50), delicious year-round with fresh mozzarella, artichoke hearts and prosciutto, but packing even more promise with local vine-ripened flavor.
Given the choices in salads and delectable appetizers, all of which were generous, a light eater might consider one of each for a full and satisfying dinner.
The Lugano menu is constantly in flux, with dinner specials cooked up to take advantage of limited ingredients or in-house promotions. Over the past few months, for example, Neville has conducted monthly cooking classes at the restaurant, with the focus on different regions of Italy.
His next class, scheduled for June 7 and already booked full, will concentrate on the foods of Tuscany. Regional specialties also will be offered at dinner throughout the month, along with specially selected wines from the region, available by the glass or bottle.
Cooking classes are an encore event, Neville promised, adding that they will return in autumn. Don't procrastinate once they are announced, as the reasonably priced tutorials -- $45 this last session, which includes lunch -- fill quickly.
If one could learn to make Lugano's roasted chicken ravioli with three-cheese sauce (the daily ravioli on our first visit), my dining companion would sign up in an instant. She loved the tender pasta and rich, creamy sauce embellished with toasted pine nuts ($16). Also excellent was the seafood fettuccine, swimming with several varieties of shellfish, delicious fresh basil, garlic and tomatoes ($15.95).
Local lamb is hard to pass up, so we also tried the Morgan valley T-bones, served with a delectable barley risotto and grilled fennel. Although the meat had excellent flavor, it looked and tasted "rare" -- still crimson in the center -- rather than the requested medium.
On a subsequent visit, the "daily risotto" entree, made with creamy mascarpone and parmesan, was served with a hefty flat-iron steak with green peppercorns. The steak, ordered medium-rare, was perfectly cooked and a nice accompaniment to the risotto, although its size overwhelmed the rice.
Lugano is a popular place, and as word spreads, its popularity grows. The remodeled ice cream parlor has a couple of dining areas separated by a small foyer and a table of staples used by waiters in setting up. The large grill and wood-burning oven, manned by a half-dozen cooks, are center stage between the dining rooms. As a result, that area of the restaurant is quite busy, with waiting diners, waiters scurrying back and forth and general kitchen clatter.
Unfortunately, we were seated in the midst of this traffic and noise on both occasions. The first time, it marred otherwise superior service. Our waitress delivered our dinners without ever bringing the two ordered appetizers. When the mistake was pointed out, she was profusely sorry and offered to bring out the one she had ordered from the kitchen, but swore she didn't hear us order the second item. She insisted on making up for her error with complimentary desserts, which was appreciated.
On a return visit, we were seated on the other side of the restaurant, and again had minor difficulty communicating with our server. Table conversation was likewise hampered. Moving the tables in this high-traffic area would be a service to diners.
Next time I go to Lugano, I will request a table away from heavy traffic and recommend other diners do the same. Despite those minor distractions, Neville's creative cuisine will be enough to keep me coming back.
Tribune's rating system
Overall rating
1 star Good
2 stars Very good
3 stars Excellent
4 stars Extraordinary
Entree price
$ Entree under $10
$$ $10-$18
$$$ $18-$25
$$$$ Above $25
Restaurant Noise
1 bell Quiet (under 65 decibles)
2 bells Can talk easily (65-70)
3 bells Talking somewhat difficult (70-75)
4 bells Raised voices (75-80)
A bomb Too noisy for normal conversation (80+)
The Tribune covers the cost of all meals at reviewed restaurants. Star ratings are based on a minimum of two visits. Ratings are updated continually based on at least one revisit. There is no connection between reviews and advertising.
August 18, 2000
Lugano: Relax, You're Among Friends
By Anne Wilson
Greg Neville has a vision of a neighborhood cafe and it looks something like this: Medium-sized, with warm wood tables, cream-colored walls and electric blue lights suspended over the bar in the corner of the room; a moderately-priced menu that seems Italian but is actually eclectic; a casual but slightly sophisticated ambience,
where the servers all wear black pants and French blue shirts, where shorts are welcome and you are likely to run into good friends, your brother or a colleague.
Neville's vision looks an awful lot like his new restaurant, Lugano, named after the city/lake that straddles the border of Italy and Switzerland where he lived for a year. Open just slightly more than a month, Lugano has made an impressive start, largely due to Neville's attention to detail.
He oversaw the renovation of the building, which for a long time housed a Fernwood's ice cream parlor and most recently was a soup-and-salad lunch diner. The bones were good: lots of windows, a nice porch and enough space for about 90 people, including a private dining room that seats 35. Now, there's a new slate entryway and a beveled-glass transom window over the front door. The freshly painted walls have cool taupe trim and the bar's blue lights shine over sparkling wine glasses.
Neville himself is a potent presence in the room. He greets customers (no doubt he soon will know most by their first names) and bids them farewell. He visits the tables, measuring his customer's reaction to the food and monitoring the service. Diners are left with the impression that this chef/owner feels personally responsible for their happiness.
That sort of attention will bring diners back, but only if the food is good. Happily, it is. The ingredients are straightforward, fresh and used creatively. The quality bread that comes to the table immediately, for example, is accompanied by a generous serving of green and kalamata olives. And if that isn't enough, the prices are reasonable (entrees from $8 to $19).
Neville's spaghetti ($9) is a good example of readily available foods mixed in an unusual configuration with delicious results. It involves spaghetti, sliced napa cabbage and cauliflower. Yes, it sounds weird but it works, probably because the dish also includes toasted garlic, smoked bacon and some ricotta cheese. It is richly flavored and wonderful, especially if you already love cauliflower.
Here's another interesting combination of foods that aren't particularly exotic or Italian: an appetizer of manila clams cooked in a spicy red curry broth and then topped with a mix of chopped radish, cucumber and avocado ($9). The broth had a pleasant bite that was moderated by the coolness of the vegetables and was great for dunking bread.
Salads with fruit are not a new idea, but Lugano's spinach salad ($6) features a tantalizing menage a trois: sweet-tart sundried cherries, subtly candied walnuts and pungent feta cheese, bound by a light citrus dressing. It makes the salad of baby mixed greens ($4) look plain indeed. It was saved by the toasted bread topped with melted blue cheese that came with it, but a cherry tomato or a slice of onion could give that salad some needed sex appeal.
Most of the menu features more traditional food couplings. The corkscrew pasta called fusilli ($11), which partners with large slices of mild Italian sausage, is dressed with a mushroom-studded tomato sauce flavored by rosemary and sweet cream. It is a subtly flavored dish, one that lends itself to a generous grating of fresh parmesan cheese.
More meaty entrees include chicken braised in red wine with polenta and a grilled portobello mushroom ($12); a grilled ribeye steak with rosemary roasted potatoes ($19); and a seasoned pork chop with mashed potatoes, broccoli and pearl onions ($14). There are two shellfish dishes, one with linguini and the other with fettuccine (both $13) and a grilled salmon with pearl couscous and summer vegetables ($16).
Desserts are classic but lavish. The tiramisu ($5) was big and rich, served on a large plate drizzled with chocolate and powdered sugar. A big bowl of peach and blackberry crisp comes warm enough to turn its snowball of white chocolate gelato into a sweet blanket. Fans of creme brulZe ($5) say Lugano's vanilla and brown sugar version is a standout.
Lugano's wine list is on the small side and the price range is limited ($18 to $46) but offers enough to complement the menu. Lugano also has a small selection of bottled and draft beer.
While the restaurant does not offer a formal children's menu, the kitchen will prepare a plain cheese pizza or a downsized version of some entrees for a reduced price.
Service was friendly, although timing is still a bit rough, and servers who clear the plates need to work on asking if diners are finished before walking off with utensils. The only other problem is one that plagues many restaurants: so much noise that dinner conversation can be difficult.
Neville isn't one to ignore such details. Lugano is going to be a great neighbor.
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