ON THE TABLE

hood. Expect casual, your-hands-on service, hope they have enough glasses to accommodate the wine you bring, and order the spinach ravioli.

The Pie Pizzeria –1320 E. 200 South, SLC, 801-582-5700; 3321 S. 200 East, South Salt Lake, 801-466-5100; 7186 Union Park Ave, Midvale, 801-2331999; 10627 Redwood Rd., South Jordan, 801-4954095. thepie.com. Students can live, think and even thrive on a diet of pizza, beer and soft drinks, and The Pie is the quintessential college pizzeria. While the original is a University neighborhood instituion, more locations have popped up around the valley to serve more than just the collegiate crowd.

Pizzeria Limone – 613 E. 400 South, SLC, 801-953-0200; 1380 E. Fort Union Blvd., Cottonwood Heights, 801-733-9305; 11464 S. Parkway Plaza Dr., Ste. 100, South Jordan, 801-495-4467; 42 W. 11400 South, Sandy, 801-666-8707. pizzerialimone.com. The signature pie at this local chain features thinly sliced lemons. Service is cafeteriastyle, meaning fast, and the pizza, salads and gelato are remarkably good.

Pizza Nono –925 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-7023580. pizzanono-slc.com. Small, kick-started pizzeria in 9th and 9th neighborhood has a limited but carefully sourced menu, a small but good list of wine and beer and an overflowing feeling of hospitality.

Stanza – 454 E. 300 South, SLC, 801-746-4441. stanzaslc.com. Chef Jonathon LeBlanc, brings a happy flair to this Italianesque restaurant. And Amber Billingsley is making the desserts. Va tutto bene!

Stoneground Italian Kitchen–249 E. 400 South, SLC, 801-364-1368. stonegrounditalian.com. The longtime pizza joint has blossomed into a full-scale Italian restaurant with chef Justin Shifflet in the kitchen making authentic sauces and fresh pasta. An appealing upstairs deck and a full craft bar complete the successful transformation. Oh yeah, they still serve pizza.

Tuscany–2832 E. 6200 South, SLC, 801277-9919. tuscanyslc.com. This restaurant’s faux-Tuscan kitsch is mellowing into retro charm, though the glass chandelier is a bit nerve-wracking. The double-cut pork chop is classic, and so is the chocolate cake.

Valter’s Osteria –173 W. Broadway, SLC, 801-521-4563. valtersosteria.com. Valter Nassi’s restaurant overflows with his effervescent personality. The dining room is set up so Valter can be everywhere at once. Old favorites include a number of tableside dishes.

Utah’s sushi landscape, so he started serving tapas. Mint has expanded to three locations in Salt Lake County. At his restaurant in Cottonwood Heights, Chef Soy prepares a weekly 10-course tasting menu of tapas for $70 a person.

Nohm–165 W. 900 South, SLC, 801-917-3812. nohmslc.com. A genius Japanese and Korean restaurant specializing in robata and sushi. Chefowner David Chon is more daring with his menu than most—this is a place for exploring. If you see something you’ve never tasted before, taste it here. Servers are happy to help.

Sake Ramen & Sushi Bar– 8657 Highland Drive, Sandy, 801-938-9195. sakeut.com. Sake has a focus on modern interpretations of classic Japanese Dishes. They promise their Agadashi tofu “will make all of your problems disappear.” of FAME HALL Takashi–18 W. Market St., SLC, 801-519-9595. takashisushi.com.

Takashi Gibo earned his acclaim by buying the freshest fish and serving it in politely eye-popping style. Check the chalkboard for specials like Thai mackerel, fatty tuna or spot prawns, and expect some of the best sushi in the city.

Tosh’s Ramen–1465 S. State St., SLC, 801466-7000. 1963 E., Murray Holladay Rd., Holladay

Pizza Volta

1080 E. 2100 South, SLC, 801797-1167. pizzavolta.com. Pizza Volta is a casual, family-oriented restaurant that serves pizzas as well as inventive cocktails, an unusual but welcome feature for a nieghborhood pizza joint.

Veneto Ristorante – 370 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-359-0708. venetoslc.com. This small place, owned by Marco and Amy Stevanoni, strives to focus on one of the many regional cuisines we lump under the word “Italian.” Hence the name; and forget what you think you know about Italian food except the word “delizioso.”

Japanese

Chef Tosh Sekikawa is our own ramen ranger. His long-simmered noodle-laden broths have a deservedly devoted following—meaning, go early. Now with a second location.

Salt Lake Pizza & Pasta

1063 E. 2100 South, SLC, 801-484-1804. saltlakepizzaandpasta. com. And sandwiches and burgers and steak and fish. The menu here has expanded far beyond its name.

Slackwater Pizza – 684 S. 500 West, SLC, 801-386-9777. slackwaterpizzeria.com. The pies here are as good as any food in SLC. Selection ranges from traditional to Thai (try it), and there’s a excellent selection of wine and beer.

Settebello Pizzeria –260 S. 200 West, SLC, 801-322-3556. settebello.net. Every Neapolitan-style pie here is hand-shaped by a pizza artisan and baked in a wood-fired oven. And they make great gelato right next door.

Sicilia Mia – 4536 S. Highland Dr., Holladay, 801-274-0223; 895 W. East Promontory, Farmington, 385-988-3727. siciliamiautah.com. A family-run restaurant with a huge number of fans who love the food’s hearty and approachable style, friendly service and touches of show biz—famous for its pasta carbonara, prepared in a wheel of Parmesan. The third in a trio of family-owned restaurants. They all recall Italian food of yesteryear.

Siragusa’s Taste of Italy– 4115

Redwood Rd., Taylorsville, 801-268-1520. siragusas. com. Another strip mall mom-and-pop find, the two dishes to look out for are sweet potato gnocchi and osso buco made with pork.

Aqua Terra Steak + Sushi– 50 S. Main St. #168, Salt Lake City, 385-261-2244. aquaterrasteak.com. Aqua Terra’s menu features premium steak and wild game cuts, a wide range of sushi, omakase and crispy rice, an array of classic and sake cocktails and wine offerings in a chic, art-deco setting.

Kaze– 65. E. Broadway, SLC, 801-800-6768. kazesushiut.com. Small and stylish, Kaze has plenty to offer besides absolutely fresh fish and inventive combinations. Food is beautifully presented and especially for a small place the variety is impressive. A sake menu is taking shape and Kaze is open until midnight.

Kobe Japanese Restaurant – 3947 S. Wasatch Blvd., SLC, 801-277-2928. kobeslc. com. This is Mike’s place—Mike Fukumitsu, once at Kyoto, is the personality behind the sushi bar and the driving spirit in the restaurant. Perfectly fresh fish keeps a horde of regulars returning.

Kyoto –1080 E. 1300 South, SLC, 801-487-3525. kyotoslc.com. The service is friendly, the sushi is fresh, the tempura is amazingly light, and the prices are reasonable. Servings are occidentally large, and service is impeccable.

Mint Sushi– 8391 S. 700 East, Sandy, 385-434-8022; 3158 E. 6200 South, Cottonwood Heights, 801-417-9690; 4640 S. Holladay Village Plaza, Holladay, 385-296-1872. mintsushiutah.com. Owner Chef Soy wanted to bring in a new thing to

Tsunami–1059 E. 900 South, SLC, 385900-0288; 7628 S. Union Park Ave., Midvale, 801-676-6466; 10722 River Front Pkwy., South Jordan, 801-748-1178; 1616 W. Traverse Pkwy., Lehi, 801-770-0088. tsunamiutah.com. Besides sushi, the menu offers crispy-light tempura and numerous house cocktails and sake.

Yoko Ramen– 473 E. 400 South, SLC, 801876-5267. yokoslc.com. More ramen! Utahns can’t seem to slurp enough of the big Japanese soup— Yoko serves it up for carnivores and vegans, plus offers some kinkier stuff like a Japanese Cubano sandwich and various pig parts.

Mediterranean & Middle Eastern

Café Med– 420 E. 3300 South, SLC, 801-4930100. medslc.com. Get the mezzes platter for some of the best falafel in town. Entrees range from pita sandwiches to gargantuan dinner platters of braised shortribs, roast chicken and pasta.

Layla

4751 S. Holladay Blvd., Holladay, 801272-9111. laylagrill.com. Layla relies on family recipes. The resulting standards, like hummus and kebabs, are great, but explore some of the more unusual dishes, too.

Laziz Kitchen–912 S. Jefferson St., SLC, 801-441-1228. lazizkitchen.com. There are so many reasons to love Laziz Kitchen. Some are obvious— their top-notch Lebanese-style hummus, muhammara and toum.

HALL Mazza –1515 S. 1500 East, SLC, 801-484-9259. mazzacafe.com. Excellent. With the bright flavor that is the hallmark of Middle Eastern food and a great range of dishes, Mazza has been a go-to for fine Lebanese food in SLC before there was much fine food at all.

Manoli’s – 402 E. 900 South, Ste. 2, SLC, 801532-3760. manolison9th.com. Manoli and Katrina Katsanevas have created a fresh modern approach to Greek food. Stylish small plates full of Greek flavors include Butternut-squash-filled tyropita, smoked feta in piquillo peppers and a stellar roast chicken.

Padeli’s – 30 E. Broadway, SLC, 801-322-1111. padelisstreetgreek.com. One of Salt Lake’s original Greek restaurants, Greek Souvlaki, has opened a contemporary version of itself. Padeli’s also serves the classic street fare, but these excellent souvlaki come in a streamlined space modeled after Chipotle, Zao and other fast-but-not-fast-food stops. The perfect downtown lunch.

Spitz Doner Kebab – 35 E. Broadway, SLC, 801-364-0286. spitz-restaurant.com. This California transplant specializes in what Utahns mostly know by their Greek name “gyros.” But that’s not the only attraction. Besides the food, Spitz has an energetic hipster vibe and a liquor license that make it an afterdark destination.

Mexican

Barrio –282 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-613-2251. barrioslc.com. A slick new taco bar with a slightly punk Mexican theme, Barrio offers the usual selection of tacos—everyone’s favorite food, outdoor seating on nice days, margaritas, beer and a selection of serve yourself salsas.

Blue Iguana –165 S. West Temple, SLC, 801533-8900. blueiguanarestaurant.net. This colorful downtown restaurant has a charming downstairs location and patio, and has been a Salt Lake staple for decades. Enchiladas, tacos, and “jengo” nachos—piled high on a platter—are all good, as are the margaritas. A nifty addition: phone chargers on every table.

Chile Tepin

307 W. 200 South, SLC, 801883-9255. chile-tepin.com. Popular for its generous servings of Mexican food, this place usually has a line on Friday nights. Heavy on the protein—the molcajete holds beef, pork and chicken—but cheese enchiladas and margaritas and other staples are good, too.

Chunga’s –180 S. 900 West, SLC, 801-953-1840; 1895 S. Redwood Rd., SLC, 801-973-6904. chungasmexican.com. These tacos al pastor are the real deal. Carved from a big pineapple-marinated hunk, the meat is folded in delicate masa tortillas with chopped pineapple, onion and cilantro.

Lone Star Taqueria –2265 E. Fort Union Blvd., SLC, 801-944-2300. lstaq.com. Lone Star serves a burrito that’s a meal in itself, whether you choose basic bean and cheese or a special.