Utah Food Reviews

Me and my wife just recently were passing by Sandy and decided to venture a bit from the freeway to a newer pizzeria located near the Draper neighborhood Wal-Mart. It had been a while since we stopped by this place, and it was “two for Tuesday” meaning that we could get any pizza and a second would be free (of equal or lesser value).

Appearance

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The restaurant seemed a little busy for a Tuesday night, but I would attribute that to the special going on. I overheard that orders were taking at least 30-40 minutes which didn’t seem too surprising seeing how many people were working. We had the time to spend so it didn’t matter to us, but I saw a few customers that were a little surprised about the wait and left.

The bathroom was clean and new looking; something I always forget to comment on, but important nonetheless. They had a few large plasma TV’s making it enjoyable for sports fans. The outside and inside were kept clean and tidy with no real distractions.

The Food

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We ordered their stuffed crust pizza which is basically another layer of dough and cheese on the top. This is unlike the Pizza Hut pizza which has cheese in the middle. It took about 35 minutes for them to cook the first pizza and an additional 5 minutes for the second pizza to arrive at our table. I’m not sure why the big difference in time, but it was a little annoying having to wait for the second pizza before we could eat.

The pizza I ordered came out great. My only complaint is that their pineapple really didn’t soften too much in the pizza which made me want to pick it out since it really didn’t mesh well with the other toppings inside.

My wife ordered a similar pizza and found as she was taking her first bite that it wasn’t quite done and rather doughy. We asked to see if it could be cooked longer, and the person at the counter didn’t make us feel like it was a annoying request. We got the pizza back about 10 minutes later to find that it wasn’t much better and we ended up just throwing it away after we got home. We found out later at home that it’s near impossible to re-cook a pizza like there’s if the dough isn’t done cooking. You end up with black crust and soggy insides. Even though it was half price, we really thought that our money would have been better spent elsewhere.

Service

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As mentioned earlier, the person taking our order was friendly and helpful in recommending a pizza for us. Once they give you the pizza, you’re pretty much on your own which I generally prefer since I drink a lot of water and need refills often. The pizza did take a while, but it was a busy night.

Bottom Line

The restaurant was clean and looked great. I don’t recommend their stuffed pizzas since it was hard for them to fully cook ours. The one that was cooked almost all the way was ok, but I think I would have tried the regular pizza if there is a next time.

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Sweet Home Chicago Pizzeria
http://www.sweethomechicagopizzeria.com
1442 E Draper Parkway
Draper, UT 84020
801-545-0455

After trying nearly every meal the Olive Garden, we decieded to venture out and taste the Italian flavor of Ottavios located in Provo, Utah. They also have a close-by location in American Fork Utah. When we arrived, the wait was about 5-10 minutes even though there didn’t seem to be a line or waiting list. We figured they were preparing our table or assigning a waiter to us.

Service

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The waitor was prompt and kept our waters full and bread loaded. That’s pretty much all I want out of a waitor. When we were finished with the meal, he didn’t come around with the famous circular dessert tray and “sell us” on some dessert. The last thing that I want to do when eating at a restaurant is be in a position of being pressured to buy something I don’t want. We asked for take-home containers which the waiter quickly put the remainder of our meals in. I would have given him a full 5 - stars, but he really didn’t stand out as the best waiter I’ve had, but he wasn’t the worst either.

The Meal

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We really enjoyed eating the “free” filler bread before our meal came out. They provide you with oil, vinegar, and parmesan cheese. I’m not a fan of the vinegar, but my wife is.

The starter bread

The starter salad

When you find the meal you want, you get to choose either a soup or salad. I got the ceasar salad, while my wife got the minestrone soup. The salad was fresh and crisp while the soup was also hot and tasty-however my wife did mention that it was a bit too hot.

The main meal was delicious and portioned for more than two people. I got lasagna, and my wife got a 4-cheese penne pasta. By the time it came out, I had my fill of bread and salad so I couldn’t eat much. This was the same as my wife. The plate was very hot, and the food itself was a great temperature. I really liked that the lasagna did not have mushrooms in it as I am not a fungus fan.

Four-Cheese Penne

Lasagna

Atmosphere

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I really enjoyed the quiet and dimly lit surroundings. There was an employee fully dressed as an authentic Italian playing the accordian (and singing Italian). He was a little loud when roaming near your table, but was nice when heard in the background.

Final Thought

Overall, we enjoyed our visit and found it to be worth our money. I believe with two meals, the tip, and tax was about 25 dollars. We generally get water as well to save on costs when eating out.

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Contact Information

Ottavio’s Ristorante Italiano
ottavios.com
77 East Center Street
Provo, Utah 84606
801.377.9555