From Deseret News archives:

Dining out: Smoky Mountain Pizza & Pasta

Published: Friday, May 9, 2008 12:27 a.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
Smoky Mountain Pizza & Pasta is a family restaurant in the best sense of the word.

By that I mean that despite the casual setting, friendly and prompt service, an ample kids' menu and numerous small touches to accommodate the wee ones, there's also lots on the menu for Mom and Dad. On the weekend afternoon that we visited, we saw plenty of groups with kids, but also couples and adults-only groups, proving the mass appeal of this restaurant.

The dining space at Smoky Mountain is spacious, with walls of windows on two sides. A rustic, lodge-style skiing theme dominates the decor, proving just how Americanized pizza and pasta have become.

The menu has a broad scope, as well, with classic pizzas such as the Margherita side by side with pies topped with Thai spicy shrimp, smoked Gouda, chilies and, in the case of the fire pie, five different chilies and peppers.

Story continues below
For kids, there were cute touches such as crayons brought to the table in cans that formerly held tomato paste and a big, two-sided coloring sheet. Kids can order personal-size pizzas, various pastas, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese and even a grilled-chicken salad. One of our daughters had the buttered spaghetti with two big, juicy meatballs on top, while the other had the Smoky O's, a plate of jazzed-up Spaghetti-Os.

Our youngest daughter, a pint-size gourmet, opted for the gratinee au brie, mushroom and leek soup with a creamy broth, topped with a triangle of crisp puff pastry folded over gooey brie cheese. I had a bowl, too, and it was silky, earthy and complex, if just a shade too salty.

My husband had a personal-size Carnivore Combo pizza, a crisp but chewy crust topped with plenty of pepperoni, ham, sausage and ground beef, as well as the usual sauce and cheese. It was not at all greasy, quite a feat considering the ingredients.

I went with the Sonoma chicken pasta, al dente penne noodles topped with flavorful marinated chicken tossed in a light tomato cream sauce with sliced mushrooms, green onions and sun-dried tomatoes, as well as a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. The whole plate was baked for a few minutes before serving, giving the dish added depth.

There's other enticing stuff on the menu: salads and sandwiches, calzones and entrees such as rotisserie chicken glazed with honey, rosemary and sage.

And, of course, there's dessert. My husband had an enormous slab of chocolate cake with chocolate chip-studded chocolate icing — basically, his dream dessert. I'm sure it was made off site, but it tasted nice and fudgy.

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

previousnext

Latest comments

Bennett at center of GOP storm

Bennett is a conservative Bennett is NOT a lifetime politician Bennett...

Jazz notes: Young bigs ride bench

I agree, time for a change. Lose Sloan or lose the fans,,,,real soon.

im not some BYU posing as a Utah fan, im a huge Utah fan and hate seeing them...

TCU stays 4th in AP; Y. 19th, U. 23rd

I've followed BYU sports for over 50 years and was very excited by the '84...

CNN is hardly raw news free of analysis and without bias.

Win in New Mexico good for Y?

Playing lousy is never good. If it were, BYU would have been a monster after...

Hall ties Detmer's record for wins

TCU's footballers aren't any better than BYU's or Utah's, but they are better...

2A: San Juan claims title

Hey all of you 2A teams and fans. Is San Juan so predictable? Im not sure....

Relieved Cougs prep for Falcons

BYU has been up and down under the watch of Bronco. IF I hear them say "its...

Jazz notes: Young bigs ride bench

Thank you Jerry Sloan for 20 years of coaching the Jazz. But it is time to...

Advertisements
Advertisement