Well, it turns out that the pizza really is made from scratch. But, ever the optimist, I ordered the From Scratch version. I’m nearly always disappointed in Margherita pizzas at American restaurants. Our server-who was very good-apologized and removed the offending risotto cake from both our table and our bill. Sounds yummy, right? Unfortunately, someone had sprinkled so much coarse sea salt on the rice cake that we couldn’t eat it and had to send it back-something I rarely do in a restaurant. It’s a disc of Arborio rice the size of a 45-RPM record, breaded and fried until crisp and golden (think saucer-shaped arancini) on a puddle of roasted bell-pepper sauce, topped with fresh wild arugula and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. I could tell that the generously portioned risotto cake had a lot going for it. To our surprise, the risotto cake arrived quickly. Seeing that the restaurant was busy, and assuming it might take a while to get our food, we ordered a bottle of Vitiano Bianco ($6/glass or $30/bottle) and a scrumptious-sounding risotto cake appetizer ($6) to split. Similarly, the beer and wine selection isn’t vast, but the small, well-chosen list offers some interesting options and good values. I visit way too many restaurants where the chef has bitten off more than he/she can chew-or cook. I also like the menu, which is limited to a couple of appetizers, a handful of soups and salads, pizzas and pasta, and a couple of entrees. And I really like the big communal table in the center of the eatery. The restuarant is sleek and modern, with clean lines, but very comfortable, too. The owner, David Brodsky, says he found some of them on eBay. The chairs are antique metal cafe chairs in a kaleidoscope of colors. The wood used for the counter and some of the walls was reclaimed from a barn in Idaho. Not a problem: I’m not above eating at the bar.Īnd a very attractive bar it is.
So, my wife and I were seated-with apologies-at the counter, with good views of the wood-fired pizza oven and prep stations. The place was mobbed I hadn’t allowed for the Outdoor Retailer effect.
My first visit to From Scratch-which is located on a lightly traveled avenue just behind Gallivan Plaza-was a surprise.
The point is, I’d venture to say that there isn’t a restaurant on the planet that makes everything “from scratch.” What about the salt and pepper? Did you make those, too? Well, although I’m both leery and weary of “from scratch” restaurants, I couldn’t really resist one that’s actually called From Scratch, could I? But you’re not going to find fresh lobster in the Great Salt Lake, and please don’t tell me that the water you used to make my expensive cup of tea came from your own spring out back. We are indeed lucky to have world-class artisan food producers here in Utah such as Creminelli Meats, Beehive Cheese, Amour Spreads, Happy Monkey Hummus and the like. Generally speaking, I support the slow food/artisan/local/craft food movement-but not always. You want us to know that your coconut shrimp didn’t come from a refrigerated Sysco truck, stopping only at the restaurant’s microwave or deep-fryer on the way to my plate. More often than not, these wholesome-sounding descriptions are accompanied by the adjectives “artisan,” “local” or “craft.” The From Scratch burger and fennel-sausage pizzaįor the past few years, I’ve noticed that more and more restaurant menus are littered with terms like “homemade,” “housemade” and “from scratch.” You’ve probably seen the same.
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