Update: I'm disappointed to have to tell you that this location has CLOSED. We really loved this restaurant and dined there quite a few times - all successfully gluten-free. Biaggi's still has locations in other states, so be sure to check them out! Just don't forget to ask about gluten-free options and cross-contamination.
Anyways, I had been wanting to try Biaggi's for quite some time, so that's the restaurant I settled on. We showed up at about 6 p.m. on a Sunday night and were seated right away. This is one thing I love about Utah-when I'm ready to sit down for dinner, everyone else seems to want to wait at least another hour. So I can go to a restaurant when it's not too busy and get the best gluten-free attention possible.
I made sure the host was aware that I needed the gluten-free menu, but I made a mistake by not telling the waiter to skip the bread. So when the bread guy came by and set the bread down in front of me, I saw crumbs fly across the table. Ahh! I had a Moment. I froze. I doubted whether I even wanted to eat there that night. My boyfriend reached across the table, swept the crumbs away, and moved the bread away from me. But that wasn't enough. These sorts of Moments don't come along often, but when they do, oh boy, look out.
Everywhere I looked, I saw gluten. I could almost feel the gluten reaction coming on. I was on the verge of tears. The waiter came by one, two, maybe three times to see if we were ready to order, and each time we sent him away. Somewhere in there, he reassured me that I would have the best gluten-free meal ever, and guaranteed I would be happy.
I knew I still wanted to eat at Biaggi's, but I wasn't sure that was the night to do it. Finally, I told the waiter about how nervous the breadcrumbs on the table made me, and asked if it would be ok to move to a different table. I think he might have breathed a sigh of relief that we weren't leaving, and graciously told us to sit anywhere we felt comfortable.
After making sure we wouldn't be leaving his section, I picked out a table that didn't make me nervous, and I was able to breathe a sigh of relief too. We heard the waiter tell the bread guy not to bring us any bread, and I knew that no matter what the food tasted like, I wouldn't regret staying for the meal. When the waiter got back to take our order, he told me something even more reassuring - that there is a completely separate area of the kitchen where gluten-free food is prepared, something I was very happy to hear.
Our waiter came by with gluten-free flatbread seasoned with salt and pepper, which we dipped in olive oil. It was delicious - a little bit chewy, but crunchy on the outside. I could have eaten that all night, but of course, that wasn't what we came for.
We ordered the Caprese Salad as an appetizer, which was really more of an appetizer for me since my boyfriend hates raw tomatoes. It was good, although the tomatoes weren't the best. The mozzarella, however, was wonderful.
I took our waiter's advice and ordered the Lock & Key Meritage, which was a very tasty red wine. I'll be looking for that one at the State Liquor Store in the future.
Even though he doesn't need to eat gluten-free, my boyfriend ordered gluten-free too, just so I could have a taste of his meal. He ordered the Pasta di Mare with penne noodles. It was delicious, and would have been enough for the two of us to share. I ordered the Salmon and Shrimp Milanese, which was also delicious. I expected the rice to be a plopped-on mound of rice that looked like an afterthought, but it was actually beautifully presented and quite delicious.
We shared the Creme Brulee for dessert, which is gluten-free at this location even though it was not on the gluten free menu (the ice creams are apparently also gluten-free). It too was delicious.
We will definitely be coming back to Biaggi's! Our waiter was very good. He was attentive but not so attentive as to be annoying, and he was very reassuring about how the food would be prepared. The food was good, and not terribly expensive ($75 for an appetizer, one glass of wine, one soda, two entrees, dessert, and a 25% tip). And best of all, my tummy was happy!
*I haven't been paid for this review or received any incentive to do it. This is just my own unsolicited opinion!
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