Matteo
Matteo Sogne's grandfather still makes the balsamic on the risotto at Matteo, from a barrel he started the year his daughter, Sogne's mother, was born, 1966.
Why go
Matteo Sogne grew up in Modena, where his grandmother, Romana, taught him to cook. His parents, Manu and Enzo, arrived in August 2023 to help him open Matteo on 900 South later that year. Sogne told Lydia Martinez of Salt Lake Magazine in 2025 what he was after: most of my memories as a kid were around Sunday lunch at my grandma's house with all my family. And I just wanted to recreate that here.
(Salt Lake Magazine). The family moved the restaurant downtown to a bigger room on 200 South in December 2024 (Fox 13). Salt Lake Magazine named Matteo one of its 2025 Dining Awards winners (Salt Lake Magazine).
Order the risotto Modena, Sogne's own favorite. Alex Springer ate it at the new room in December 2024 and put it among his best dishes of the year (City Weekly). He wrote in his review: This was one of those moments where I realized that all of my previous risotto experiences were nothing but counterfeits.
He found it buttery and smooth with a toothsome kiss of a chew
(City Weekly).
The bolognese is Romana's recipe. Sogne told Martinez: Every time we make a batch, I taste it and make sure it is how it is supposed to be. Lasagna, same thing
(Salt Lake Magazine). Springer ranked the tagliatelle Bolognese a very close second to the risotto. Martinez found the lasagna al ragu, made with the same bolognese and a bechamel, so saucy in 2023 that it needed bread to mop it up (Salt Lake Magazine).
Let Sogne, a sommelier, pick the wine. Heather L. King counted several dozen wines by the glass in 2023, almost all of them Italian (Gastronomic SLC). Martinez's advice in 2025 was to call the man himself over to the table and let him guide you through the selection based on your meal
(Salt Lake Magazine).
Order this / avoid
- Order: the bread service. Jenny Willden (The Infatuation, 2025):
Don't miss the bread service with focaccia baked by Matteo's mother.
7 - Order: the polpette, meatballs of Italian sausage in pomodoro. Springer (City Weekly, 2024) found them
possessed of a perfect, tender texture.
2 - Order: the tartare di tonno with lime if you want something lighter. Springer (City Weekly, 2024) said it
leans ever so slightly into the realm of ceviche.
2 - Order: the brasato, braised beef with a bourbon honey reduction. Springer (City Weekly, 2024) found it
perfectly tender.
2 - Order: the vitello, veal with mushrooms in a white wine cream. Lydia Martinez (Salt Lake Magazine, 2023):
The Vitello dish at Matteo was perfection.
5 - Avoid: the pistachio semifreddo. Heather L. King (Gastronomic SLC, 2023) and Martinez (2023) each found it short of pistachio flavor.6
What locals & experts say
- Lydia Martinez, Salt Lake Magazine, in its first weeks (2023):
Matteo showed up solid right out of the gate, with an experienced team in the kitchen (and the dining room).
5 - Alex Springer, City Weekly (2024), on the tagliatelle Bolognese:
this is the kind of preparation that promptly takes your hand and guides you back in time to the very first time you fell in love with a Bolognese.
2
Good to know
- Price: in December 2024 the polpette cost $18, the tagliatelle $24, the risotto $32 and the brasato $36.2
- Pace: Martinez (2023) says to plan on a couple of hours and eat through the courses, from antipasto to dolce.5
- The room: the downtown room has a bar, a private dining room and free valet parking. It sits across from the Capitol Theatre, so Willden (2025) sends people there before the ballet.7
- Where: 77 West 200 South, Suite 100, downtown.
Verdict
should-visit — Go for the risotto Modena and the grandmother's bolognese, and ask the owner, Matteo Sogne, a sommelier, to pick your wine. The risotto cost $32 in December 2024.