Lugano Restaurant

My husband and I went to Lugano last Thursday night for dinner. Lugano is an Italian restaurant in Salt Lake City. It is located at 3364 South 2300 East. Here is what we had:

Appetizer: Baby Spinach Salad, Dried Cranberries, Candied Walnuts, Feta, Red Onion & Citrus Dressing- I get this salad at a lot of restaurants. I liked the presentation at Luganos- the spinach was in a semi-tight ball, not spread out all of over the plate. The citrus dressing complemented the flavors of the salad without being overpowering.

Main Course: I had one of the specials, which consisted of ravioli filled with chicken and ricotta cheese with a butter sage sauce. It was fabulous- total comfort food! There were a myriad of flavors with a texture to boot- creamy and smooth. My husband got Fettuccini with Italian Sausage, Fresh Mushrooms, Red Onion, Spinach & Tomato Cream Sauce. This was really good- creamy, with a flavor similar to lasagna.

Dessert: Pumpkin Cheesecake with Berry Coulis, Candied Pumpkin Seeds & Whipped Cream: Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE pumpkin desserts; there is nothing better. So when I saw this on their menu, I had to try it. The cheesecake was not made with cream cheese- it had a light and fluffy texture; my guess is either marscapone or ricotta. The pumpkin flavor was not as strong as I would have liked, but it still tasted amazing. The candied pumpkin seeds were a sweet and crunchy addition, and the fresh whipped cream and berry coulis added an altering sweet flavor to the pumpkin. Plus I loved the plate it was served on- triangular and white.

Great perks: The chef, Greg Neville (voted Best Chef this year by Salt Lake Magazine), was out on the floor, greeting and talking to customers. Lugano has a menu that changes with the season and uses local products- I love that! There are also two separate buildings in the back of the restaurant that have their own kitchens for private parties.

Price: Medium - High

Ambiance: It's right next to a busy street, so not much of a view, but we were seated in a nice private corner. You can't get away from noisy parties, but everyone kept their conversation levels reasonably low. The lighting and decor were beautiful.

Would I go there again? Probably when the season changes.