Ever since Chef Adam Ross and his wife Meisha opened Twisted Fern restaurant in Park City in 2017, I have been telling anyone who will listen to me to go eat there. It’s not just one of my favorite Park City eateries, but one of Utah’s best restaurants in my opinion. 

And so, I was thrilled when I learned a few months ago that Adam and Meisha were embarking on a second restaurant venture – one featuring modern Italian cuisine on lower Main Street in Park City. Hence the name: LOMA. 

I first came across Adam Ross’ cooking when he was at Bistro 412 and instantly became a fan. A graduate of Johnson and Wales culinary school, at Twisted Fern Adam was able to really flex his culinary muscles with a menu all his own and without being constricted by classic bistro fare. Not that there’s anything wrong with the classics; nobody likes duck confit and pommes frites more than I do. But I’m thrilled that he’s turned his attention to Italian cuisine, since it’s one of my favorites. Included on the LOMA menu are wood-fired pizzas and house-made pastas. 

I really like what Adam and Meisha have done with the space that was previously Banchan and before that, Vinto. I dug the funky, ski & board decor of Banchan, but also love the new, contemporary design and ambiance of LOMA. 

As with Twisted Fern, the Rosses are committed at LOMA to prioritizing sustainable business practices by working with local vendors and purveyors and humane employee benefits such as providing health insurance. Vegetables for the House Giardiniera Veggies ($8) “Shareable” starter are sourced locally and the Focaccia ($9) with olive oil, aged balsamic, whipped ricotta and giardiniera-style relish is baked in-house. It is light and airy – fab focaccia. 

I can’t resist clams in any form, so I was stoked for the Wood-Roasted Clams ($18) at LOMA. They didn’t disappoint. Wood-roasted clams are bathed in a spicy tomato-lobster broth with nduja and topped with eye-catching squid ink focaccia. The black as night focaccia looks almost inedible but is anything but. It’s a clever, artsy complement to a killer clam dish. 

Additional appealing appetizers at LOMA include Roasted Mushroom Toast ($15); Lobster Risotto ($26) with truffle parsnip puree, butter-poached lobster, roasted parsnips, Grana Padano, arugula salad, and toasted focaccia; a Mezze Platter ($18); and colorful, creative Wood-Roasted Cauliflower “Bravas” ($15). Folks with dietary restrictions will appreciate that LOMA offers a number of Plant-Based, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free and/or Vegan dishes and the Cauliflower Bravas is gluten-free. In this dish, cauliflower is given a Spanish-style patatas bravas treatment. It’s paprika-roasted tri-color cauliflower with Calabrian chili aioli, whipped Feta and almond gremolata. Simply sensational. 

Adam and Meisha have a secret weapon at LOMA in Executive Chef Jared Krom, an immensely talented, creative chef who helps develop and execute menus and oversight at both LOMA and twisted fern. An alumni of Ryan Lowder’s Copper Onion and Tyler Stokes’ Provisions restaurants, he is a passionate chef who loves to talk about food and cooking and his fingerprints can be found on virtually every LOMA dish that we enjoyed, from freshly made pastas and pizzas to entrees and sides. A native New Yorker, my wife and I really enjoyed discussing the nuances of everything from homemade meatballs to pizza perfection with Jared. 

Speaking of pizza, I’m so glad that the original wood-fired pizza oven from Vinto is still intact at LOMA, because the pizzas there are outstanding. I warned Jared that I’m a pizza snob (so is he) and challenged him to make a killer pizza for me. There are four pizza options currently on the LOMA menu: Marinated Tomato ($21) with sundried tomatoes, Ricotta, house Mozzarella, marinara, basil, and aged balsamic; Italian Meats ($26) with housemade Italian sausage, Italian cured meats, confit of fennel and garlic, arugula, house-made Mozzarella, marinara, and shaved Grana Padano; and a Wild Mushroom & Tri-Color Cauliflower pizza ($22) with truffle Ricotta, Pecorino, roasted romanesco, garlic confit and olive oil. Frankly, I would NOT have chosen the pizza that Jared selected for me to try: Pear and Speck ($23). To me, the idea of poached pear on a pizza with speck, sage butter, charred onion, grapefruit vinaigrette, Gorgonzola and Mozzarella seemed pretty ludicrous. But he proved me wrong. It was exceptional. The crust – made with flour from Utah’s Central Milling – was perfect, with a beautiful char, and the sweetness of the charred onions and poached pear beautifully balanced the salty speck and Gorgonzola. It’s one of the best pizzas I’ve ever eaten and totally rocked and rearranged my pizza universe. 

They weren’t on the LOMA menu when we visited, but Jared has also been experimenting with making meatballs and sent us out a plateful. The veal, pork and beef meatballs are large and delicious, in a light marinara with shaved cheese. The meatballs are magical just as they are, but I’d love to see them appear in slices on one of those perfect pizzas. 

There are a trio of salads on the current LOMA menu, including a Beets & Burrata salad ($18) and a Baby Romaine Caesar ($14). We tried, and loved, the Black Kale & Radicchio Salad ($14), which comes with wood-roasted grapes, candied walnuts, Gorgonzola dolce, and a preserved lemon vinaigrette. My only criticism would be that the chunks of Gorgonzola were a bit big and intense; I’d have preferred daintier Gorgonzola crumbles. As with most LOMA dishes, the salads are very generously portioned and shareable. 

There are currently a half-dozen pastas for LOMA guests to choose from on the menu, and include Goat Cheese & Herb Agnolotti ($32); Roasted Mushroom Gnocchi ($30); Squid Ink Fettuccine ($36) with grilled Mexican shrimp and calamari; Rigatoni ala Vodka ($30); Gemelli ($28) with walnut and sunflower pesto; and the pasta I tried: Wild Boar Bolognese ($34). The Wild Boar Bolognese begins with thick, al dente, perfectly cooked spinach pappardelle pasta bathed in a rich, marvelous Bolognese sauce of pomodoro, cream, Ricotta, and wild boar bits with grated Grana Padano and guanciale breadcrumbs. It is bodacious Bolognese. 

My wife really enjoyed her Grilled Swordfish Puttanesca ($38), and especially the base of soft, creamy polenta. The fish was grilled to perfection and presented with eggplant caponata, broccoli raab, and fried leeks. Additional LOMA entrees include a Niman Ranch Wood-Roasted Pork Chop ($44); Harissa & Maple-Roasted Delicata ($28); and Pan-Roasted Chicken Breast ($39) with chicken confit & fingerling potato hash, and ajvar sauce.

I’m not much of a dessert guy, but I absolutely loved the light, airy Raspberry White Chocolate Panna Cotta – an edible piece of art. It’s a luscious shallow bowl of creamy raspberry and white chocolate panna cotta custard, finished with crunchy Valrhona dulcey pearls and basil mousse.

There is no shortage of really great restaurants to enjoy in Park City. But I have to say, the food, service and ambiance at LOMA is second to none. Adam, Jared and their team are knocking it out of the park. LOMA Modern Italian restaurant is one of the best new additions to Main Street in many years. I’m already hankering to return. 

Photos by Ted Scheffler

Culinary quote of the week: “Life is a combination of magic and pasta.” – Federico Fellini