Fratelli Ristorante

We were excited to try this Italian eatery in Sandy, particularly after it earned props from City Weekly’s Best of Utah 2011. We loved the ambiance and modern décor. It is a great place to have a conversation. We didn't have to shout above the crowd. However, the food and service didn’t live up to the hype.

Spicy Girl: Starting out, I was very optimistic. The complimentary mixed bread served when we arrived was pretty good. There is olive oil and balsamic vinegar at the table to mix a dip, along with a pepper grinder.

Sweetie: I ordered a glass of the Gabbiano Chianti Riserva (Tuscany, 2003) for $6, which was not sweet. In fact it was bitter and dry. Disclaimer: I had never tried Chianti before. Fortunately, Spicy Girl graciously offered to switch wines. Hers was a Pinot noir called Latour Valmossine, (Burgandy, 2004) also $6.

Spicy Girl: I thought both wines were good. We are both fans of a good ensalada Caprese, so we decided to try the Baked Caprese Salad for $8. This dish is sort of like an over-priced bruschetta. It was baked buffalo mozzarella, Roma tomatoes and basil on top of crusty bread. I was a bit disappointed by the lack of flavor. I had to add some pepper to give it some taste. Also, it only came with three bruschetta. It would seem to make more sense to serve four.

Sweetie: Yeah, the price could have been more justified if there were four. I for once actually agree with you on the lack of flavor. It seemed to be missing something … I added balsamic vinegar to give it taste. I normally don’t like buffalo mozzarella because of the texture. Baked, however, its texture was firmer and less slimy. It was good. Why always "buffalo" before mozzarella? They don’t use that word in Italy.

Spicy Girl. Um. I don’t think there are buffalo in Italy. (Winks). Since there was nothing spicy on the menu, I decided to go for comfort food. The main courses come with soup or salad. I opted for the salad. It was a pretty good side salad. I liked the balsamic fennel dressing. However, I was a bit disappointed that the dressing wasn’t served on the side as requested. I went with the Gnocchi Di Gorgonzola, which is gnocchi (dumplings) with a gorgonzola cream sauce, spinach and walnuts for $13. The flavors mixed well but it was way too rich and heavy. I couldn’t finish my plate.

Sweetie: I thought the gnocchi was perfect. I could have eaten it all in one sitting. Because I had a big lunch, I opted for the Mixed Green Salad for $7. The best part about it were the beets. Beets are a vegetable this girl can handle, because they're sugary. However, because they're usually pickled in a can, they can taste tinny. The beats in my salad, I'm happy to say, did not. Otherwise, my salad was forgettable except for the Gorgonzola cheese, which I picked out. (I should have read the menu more closely). For some reason, I felt it was important to take a photo of the extracted bleu cheese. (See below.)

Spicy Girl: When it came time for dessert, things started to go downhill. I was eager to try the Café Fratelli, which is cappuccino with Godiva Dark liquor. However, I didn’t get to taste it because of some weird mix-up with the liquor bottles. Apparently there was Baileys in the Godiva bottle. Odd. Needless to say I decided to just order a plain old coffee.

Sweetie: I ordered the Chocobella for $6. It is chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, and ganache. Divine. It was rich and delish. The peanut-buttery blob on top, sadly, is not peanut butter. It's apricot. Thumbs down.

Spicy Girl: I thought the best part of the Chocobella was the apricot on top. It was way too rich for me. One bite was plenty. The worst part was that I needed to chase this overly sweet flavor with a sip of my coffee. This was a problem because I had no coffee. The coffee ($2) we both ordered did not arrive with our dessert. When the waitress brought the dessert, she said it would be just another minute. But we did not get coffee until after the dessert plate was taken away. I thought the waitress had forgotten.

Sweetie: It was Lavazza, the Folgers of Italy -- but like that country’s men, their coffee is also superior. About the service, it was inconsistent. The water was always quickly refilled, but the wait staff was AWOL when it came time for coffee.

Spicy Girl: That was strange. I like my coffee with dessert, not several minutes after. Also, it seemed like an eternity until the check came. I was beginning to wonder if our meal was free. Maybe we came on an off night, but I certainly hope this is not the best Italian in Utah.

Sweetie: It shouldn’t have been an off night: It was a Friday night.

Fratelli is at 9236 Village Shop Drive in Sandy. It is open for lunch and dinner every day except Sunday. Here’s a link to check them out.