For me, walking into Per Noi Trattoria on Highland Drive is a bit like stepping back in time. I first wrote about Per Noi in 2012 when it opened on Stratford Avenue. It was a small space – seating a mere 28 guests – and the owners were smart in 2018 to relocate Per Noi to the sprawling location that was formerly Michelangelo on Highland. But when I talk about stepping back in time I’m talking, in part, about the family members who work at Per Noi – they’ve aged since I first visited but customers old and new are warmly greeted by the extended family and made to feel like part of it. That hasn’t changed and I doubt it ever will. After all, “per noi” in Italian means “for us.”
There is another sense in which Per Noi seems timeless, insofar as at least one of the owners worked at the original Michelangelo Ristorante in Sugarhouse, a place I loved and which helped spawn eateries like Per Noi and Veneto Ristorante Italiano. Marco Stevanoni – who with his wife Amy owns Veneto – worked as a server back in the day at Michelangelo. Indeed, Amy and Marco first met by chance at Michelangelo back in 2001.
The menu at Per Noi even features a dish called Spaghetti Michelangelo ($21.95), which was my favorite dish at that restaurant back in the day. Although, the Per Noi version contains chicken; the original didn’t – just pasta, olive oil, red chili pepper flakes, arugula and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano.
There’s yet another sense in which Per Noi Trattoria feels like riding the wayback machine: The menu is anything but cutting edge. Some would call it dated. You won’t find crudo on the Per Noi menu nor anything you haven’t seen at a hundred other Italian restaurants. But maybe that’s why it’s so popular; some people simply dig the classics like Spaghetti and Meatballs ($22.95), Cheese Ravioli ($22.95), Lasagna al Forno ($22.95), Pollo Marsala ($25.95), Veal Saltimbocca ($29.95) and such.
Arancini
Warm antipasti options at Per Noi include Eggplant Parmesan ($15.95); Asparagi ($15.95) which is sauteed asparagus with two over easy eggs, truffle oil and black pepper; Calamari Fritti ($16.95); and my favorite: Arancini ($11.95). Arancini is a ball of rice filled with fresh mozzarella, battered and fried, served on a bed of homemade Bolognese sauce with Pomodoro on the side.
Carpaccio
Included in the cold antipasti section of the menu are Prosciutto with Melon, parmesan and olive oil ($15.95), an Antipasti plate with a selection of cured meats, cheese, peppers, mushrooms, olives, and arugula ($17.95); and Carpaccio ($15.95). I felt like the meat was a tad skimpy as far as the paper-thin marinated beef filet carpaccio slices were concerned, topped with arugula, lemon juice, olive oil, capers, and shaved parmesan.
Caprese Salad
We preferred another cold antipasti – Caprese Salad ($15.95) – over the carpaccio. The not-so-traditional Caprese featured heirloom cherry tomatoes as well as regular tomato slices, Burrata, Mozzarella, fresh arugula, shaved parmesan, and basil pesto.
Spaghetti Vongole
There are some sixteen pasta dishes available at Per Noi, including the aforementioned ones, ranging from Homemade Gnocchi ($24.95) with choice of sauce, to Pappardelle Limone ($28.95) with shrimp and scallops in a lemon-cream sauce. I have to admit I was disappointed in my Spaghetti Vongole ($24.95). Traditionally, pasta vongole (with clams) doesn’t contain tomatoes, but mine was redolent with diced tomatoes. Frankly, I would not have ordered the dish if tomatoes had been mentioned on the menu. Aside from that, the pasta was very oily and of the four shell-on clams on my plate, two were broken. It’s hard for me to fathom that someone allowed the dish to leave the kitchen that way.
Margherita Pizza
Pizza al Legno (wood-fired) at Per Noi runs the gamut from a traditional Margherita ($15.95) and Pepperoni ($16.95) to a Pizza alla Americana ($17.95) with barbecued chicken. The Margherita pizza I tried was good, but was fairly doughy and lacked the nicely charred crust I’d expect from the wood-fired pizza.
Branzino Saltato al Cecca
My wife liked the Branzino Saltato ($34.95) but felt like it was oversalted. It was a sauteed sea bass filet with roasted potatoes and a vegetable medley that included zucchini, carrots, green beans, tomatoes, olives, capers, and more. She did comment that the veggies were perfectly cooked and I concur – they are so often undercooked these days in restaurants so it was nice to be served vegetables that weren’t crunchy and tough. The other fish options at Per Noi are Salmon Piccata ($29.95) and Rosemarino Grilled Salmon ($29.95).
Tiramisu
I felt like the best thing we ate at Per Noi Trattoria was the Tiramisu ($10) for dessert – light as air, delicious flavors of vanilla, heavenly lady fingers, mascarpone, and espresso, dusted with cocoa powder.
As I said, the cuisine at Per Noi Trattoria won’t be garnering any awards for innovation or modernism. But for timeless, classic Italian-American food, the restaurant packs in loyal fans night after night.
Photos by Ted Scheffler
Culinary quote of the week: “Try imagining a world without Italian food. You can’t, no way.” – Hozier
