Per Noi Trattoria

When I was living in DC, my wife and I decided that we would become "regulars" at a restaurant nearby our apartment.  We didn't have too much money to spare so we had to find the right mix of price and something we wouldn't grow tired of.  The goal was to eat at the same restaurant once a week.  What we found was a hole-in-the-wall Italian place with incredible, authentic food run by a family who always cared deeply about the experience had by every diner in the room, every night.  It was great for about a year, and then they sold the place to a Korean investor, and things fell apart.  So it goes - we did what we could to make it last.

I hadn't thought about that little place until last Saturday night when I visited Per Noi.  We were greeted by the owner, whose grandmother shares a first name with my wife.  He told us a few jokes and expressed genuine gratitude that we had come in.  We had the treat of dining with Josh and Becky from  theslcfoodie.com and Vintage Mixer.  They had been to Italy recently and were also struck by how much Per Noi carried the same feel as some of the family run joints they found on their trip.  

We popped a bottle of tempranillo (here's to the $7 corkage fee!) and started off with an order of Arancini.  This dish is more commonly seen prepared as smaller nuggets of meat, risotto and peas, but here it was one baseball-sized portion that we split 4 ways, served with marinara sauce.

We shared a mixed greens salad that was great.

And our entrees were the Gnocchi Bolognese and the Linguini Pescatore.  I would say that the Gnocchi was very, very above average and was sauced with a very average (but good) bolognese.  The flavors here were less subtle and complex than you'd find at Fresco, site of my last Bolognese sampling, but I wasn't disappointed.

The Linguini Pescatore was a pleasant surprise.  Sauced with the same marinara base as all the other pastas, the generous helpings of shrimp, scallops, mussels and fish made this entree worthwhile.  It was hearty and none of the seafood detracted from the plate, which is often the case when kitchens make a dish that employs such a mash up of ocean creatures.

After the entrees we split a cannoli four ways and it did not disappoint.  I don't usually dig on cannoli, but this one was delicious.  Here is the kicker, my friends: we split our bill two ways, and after an appetizer, salad, two entrees and a dessert, the total was $29.  We paid about double that for cocktails beforehand at Finca... I was pretty happy and shocked.

The Verdict?  Love Per Noi for what it is: a family-run Italian joint that makes the best gnocchi in town and is 100% devoid of pretense.  They care deeply about the food they are serving and, perhaps even more, about the welcome they provide to guests of all stripes.  I'll be back often!

Ruth's Diner

Ruth's has been an SLC staple for a long time. They tout themselves as the second oldest restaurant in Utah and I highly recommend that you cruise over to their history page and read a bit about the colorful founder herself. This place has survived for a reason. It isn't haute cuisine and it isn't trendy, but it is hard to deny the vibe and the food isn't bad at all. I've eaten at Ruth's a few times and there is a clear issue with their breakfast: the complimentary mile high biscuits that they start you off with before most of their plates are more calories that I normally consume for an entire meal. They are both delicious and beautiful, but most people are full after one such rusk.

This time around I was looking to order off menu, but my out-of-towner sister came through and ordered a classic so that you could get a good idea of what's available at Ruth's. I have heard tale of a polenta benedict, and it sounded great. The menu encourages patrons to ask for anything they're interested in regardless of whether or not your entree of choice is listed, so I asked. Our server said he'd be happy to have them do me up some polenta benedict so I was feeling pretty blithe. Here is what I got:

Two comments. First, the basic elements of eggs benedict are there and done well with a bit of a greasy spoon flair (as they should be). Second, there was no polenta on my plate - just cornbread. The dish wasn't bad at all but I'll admit I felt a little betrayed when I found that my polenta was made of cornbread.

My sis and her soon to be husband stayed a bit more in the wheelhouse at Ruth's and ordered a smoked salmon omelet and the Ruth's combo (eggs, pancakes, breakfast meats and hash browns). Both of these entrees are good but my advice is to lean towards the breakfast combo. Ruth's is as much about the fantastic patio as it is about the food and you won't be disappointed if you come looking for a classic big breakfast. I've never had anything I didn't enjoy here, but I feel like they really do their best on the basics (the coffee is passable for me and will only disappoint those who read this and think "uh-oh").

Speaking of the patio - it is the only way to dine at Ruth's if the weather is even half decent. I'd recommend against sitting inside during the summer as the doors usually stay open and the flies prefer the indoor dining. In the winter, dining indoors is no problem. But if the patio is open, that is where you want to be enjoying great views of Emigration Canyon up and out of the SLC haze. 

The verdict? Ruth's does great at what they have been doing for a very long time. Come looking for breakfast basics done right and you'll leave happy, and be sure to sit outside if you can!