By my estimation, Lupessa is the third Italian restaurant to occupy its current space at The Gateway. In many ways, it represents the evolution of Utah's collective food scene: What started as a California Pizza Kitchen has morphed into something on the fine-dining end of the spectrum. Its few years as Italian Graffiti may have had a few ups and downs, but this current rebrand looks to be breaking some new ground for the property.
Though Lupessa hasn't changed ownership since the rebrand—it's still owned by Las Vegas-based Nice Hospitality, which also operates the Gateway's HallPass food hall—it has undergone a considerable metamorphosis. Where Italian Graffiti leaned into an Instagrammable atmosphere that catered to the "dining-as-content" crowd, Lupessa seems to have stripped things down a bit. It's still lovely on the inside—I absolutely cannot believe it was once home to a CPK, of all places—and the focus on housemade pasta and traditional recipes has been fine-tuned to match their concept.
Based on the menu setup, Lupessa is the kind of Italian fine dining that encourages you to build a multi-course meal, and luxuriate in small plates and cocktails throughout the process. While some of the dishes I tried could work pretty well on their own, the portion sizes at Lupessa really do lend themselves to multiple courses, so keep that in mind if you're planning a visit.
Those who are looking for a multi-course culinary adventure will want to start off with some house-made focaccia ($8), because it's excellent. Onsite focaccia has been taking off recently—not that I'm complaining—but Lupessa's baking chops on this front check off all the right notes here. It's got a fantastic soft-yet-chewy texture, a hint of olive oil flavor and just the right amount of salt. Those who like to make bread more of a focal point to their trip will want to try the semolina garlic bread ($14), which is a spruced up take on an old favorite.
I always get lured in by the siren call of arancini, and Lupessa's arancini di funghi ($16) are a nice variation of this classic appetizer. The truffle crema tossed with some local wild mushrooms was tasty, but I found myself wanting more of these earthy flavors integrated within the arancini themselves. On the lighter side of the antipasti menu would be the carpaccio di salmone ($22), which is served with some nice cherry tomatoes, chimichurri and a bit of mint. It's a perfect way to kick things off for those after something light with an acidic bite.
The primi section of the menu is where pasta-lovers will want to hang out. All the usual suspects are here, but keep in mind that Lupessa is whipping up their pasta onsite, which equates to maximum tastiness. Both pappardelle pastas are good bets—they have a carbonara ($27) with some sharp pecorino cheese, and a pappardelle all'anatra with a deep, rich duck bolognese ($29). The pappardelle all'anatra beat out the carbonara in my estimation; that duck bolognese is simply marvelous on the tongue, and it's the one I'd recommend to anyone who just wanted to do a pasta course. Of course, the gnocchi ($26) with its prosciutto cream sauce and thyme is another great option for those after a single, hearty pasta dish.
Those hankering to go for the secondi have a few options to check out. If you're swinging for the fences, the filet ($58) or the New York strip ($65) need to be on your radar. The filet at least has some grilled beets and parsnip puree so you can say you got some veggies with your protein, but that dry-aged New York strip, slathered in a garlic-and-parmesan butter, is pure indulgence.
In the middle tier, you'll find the pollo alla parmigiana ($26), which is a slightly fancier variation of the traditional chicken parm you'd find at most Italian joints. For my own dining purposes, I liked the capesante toscane ($33)—a trio of plump sea scallops served over spinach with a lemon caper butter that finishes things off on a lighter note. I'll always be a sucker for Italian dishes that incorporate the citrusy flavors of fresh lemon, and they worked really well in this dish, but I did feel that the sauce came on a bit stronger than I would have liked.
All things considered, if having this space start off as a California Pizza Kitchen needed to happen so it could experience the Italian evolution that brought us Lupessa, I suppose I can forgive the trespass. The restaurant rebranding seems to be working in the space's favor. It's taken the energy down ever so slightly to create an opportunity for diners to simply enjoy traditional Italian food with a bit of good wine, a bit of good bread and plenty of good vibes.