Opa!

We're on vacation in Salt Lake City and looking for dinner options outside of the standard hotel fare.

I've had a jones for Pastitsio since Becke tempted me with her solution to "Presto Pasta."

The in-room "discover Salt Lake City" magazines indicate that Greek food's a popular local commodity.

We turn to our favorite Web 2.0 solution to the munchies: Open Table.

Open Table introduces us to Aristo.

Before we even got to the menu, we knew we had a hit.

The website greets you:

Ok. Here is the story, it’s pretty simple.

>> Browse our full selection of menus.
>> Make your Reservation online with our new Reservations System.
>> Get driving directions from our Contact Us page.
>> Show up the date of your reservation with an empty stomach.
>> We’ll take care of the rest.

Following instructions, we pull up the menu.

Calamari, check.
Pastitsio, check.
And a selection of gyros.

Sold.

Table for two, 9:00 PM.

And that's what we ordered.

We started with the calamari, which was amazing in its simplicity: tossed in lightly salted flour and flash fried, with a ramekin of marinara for dipping. That's it. Because when you start with the highest quality ingredients and treat them with respect, that's all you need.

John had the gyros with the most amazing "oven roasted potatoes" I've ever encountered. Crispy on the outside. Buttery soft on the inside. And seasoned with a complex blend of herbs and spices that scream GREEK!

I had a Greek salad -- a delightful blend of farm fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives and tangy feta cheese -- followed by the much-anticipated Pastitsio. Oh. My. Gawd. This Greek chef's answer to lasagna combines perfectly seasoned ground beef with tender pasta, smothered lovingly in a creamy cheesy bechamel sauce. It took every ounce of self-restraint I could muster not to lick the plate.

Desserts, we learned, were prepared by the owner's mother from recipes passed down through the generations. Okay, count us in. John chose rice pudding which I can typically take or leave. Unfortunately for him he coerced me into trying it, and I became an instant convert.

We'd been so focused on the food, I'd neglected my camera for almost the entire meal. As I reached for it to photograph the empty plate that carried my baklava, Aristo himself stopped by to introduce himself, clearly pleased that we were delighted with our meal.

Originally from the east coast, Aristo opened his tribute to "the old country" near the University of Utah in 2003 -- and turned it into Salt Lake City Weekly's best Greek Restaurant in a reader poll less than two years later. Why Salt Lake? His family's here. And as his menu illustrates, his heritage and his family's traditions are what matters most.

I think we've found our favorite restaurant in Salt Lake!

Aristo's Greek Restaurant & Cafe
244 South 1300 East, Salt Lake City UT | 801.581.0888

Technorati Tags: Restaurant | Greek | Salt Lake City