“For me, making fresh pasta is not work; it’s therapy.”
That’s what Alex Bartolo, owner and chef of Bartolo’s, told us when we stopped by his brand-new restaurant earlier this week. The bright, spacious and modern eatery, located on Center Drive in Kimball Junction, just opened on Monday. Bartolo’s menu is “Italian-inspired,” but it’s far from your traditional red-sauce Italian joint.
Bartolo’s provides a much-needed place to grab a delicious bite in Kimball Junction in a beautiful space. Whether you’re looking for a date night spot, pre-ski breakfast or a working lunch, this new restaurant offers a nice, convenient option for locals and tourists alike.
The bar seating provides a birds’ eye view of the open kitchen and pasta-making process.
While Alex Bartolo grew up in Brazil, he comes from Italian roots. He learned to cook in Brazil, where he first made hand-made pasta, and later honed his cooking skills at a hotel in Italy. Bartolo has previously worked on the line at many of Park City’s finest dining establishments, including Tupelo, St. Regis, and Deer Valley Resort.
On the menu, you can expect to find many Italian and Mediterranean influences such as fresh pasta, seafood-centric dishes and roasted veggies. With options spanning from a vegan breakfast bowl with muesli, coconut milk and dates to a rigatoni bolognese with fresh ricotta, we love that you can go as light or as hearty as you’d like.
When we stopped in, we sampled a few of the breakfast and lunch dishes. Here’s a selection of what we tried.
“Eggs Your Way” came with a fresh slice of homemade focaccia, roasted veggies, tomatoes and applewood smoked bacon.
Bartolo’s “Breakfast Bowl” is gluten-free and vegan. It’s filled with muesli, coconut milk, green apples, dairy-free yogurt, dates, banana chips and other nuts and seeds.
Bartolo’s smoked trout Benedict is served with dill cream, hollandaise and a side of picked red onion.
The cod croquettes make a tasty shared appetizer for lunch or dinner.
You can’t beat Bartolo’s freshly made pasta, featuring only flour and eggs — which means it’s actually healthier than most pastas!
The only dessert on the menu, the “Brigadeiro” is a traditional Brazilian dessert often served family-style. The soft chocolate arrives with various toppings including fresh fruit, toasted nuts and graham cracker dust.
Currently, Bartolo’s is open for breakfast starting at 8 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. He plans to open for dinner service, beginning at 5 p.m., in the next couple of weeks.
