New ‘Italian diner’ in Salt Lake City serves classic dishes with a neon ‘spaghetti Western’ ambience

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Hello, Eaters! A new restaurant recently joined the stellar selection of food and drink establishments in Salt Lake City’s Central 9th neighborhood, and last weekend I went to check it out.

Cosmica, at 945 S. 300 West, Suite 102, is part of the Maven District offshoot Maven West, across the street from TF Brewing.

Named for Cosmic Aeroplane, the SLC counterculture bookstore that opened in 1967 and lasted until 1991, Cosmica opened at the end of March. Owner and chef Zachary Wade said he’s opened a few restaurants in New York state, but Cosmica is the first that he owns solo.

He started cooking in restaurants when he was 15, when he got a job at a cafe in Florida. Experiencing the fast pace and camaraderie of the kitchen for the first time, “it was just a thrill,” Wade said. “It was just something I never felt before.”

Wade moved to New York state when he was 23 and worked in restaurants there until the end of the pandemic, then he moved west to Utah. He said it was an “easy decision” to make his home in the Beehive State.

“There’s so many great people out here, a really up-and-coming food scene,” he said.

Wade’s vision for Cosmica was an Italian diner with nods to the West and “spaghetti Western” movies, he said, and that’s evident when you walk into the restaurant.

With its warm lighting, many plants, vintage decor, plentiful art (look for the painting of Wade’s dog Leo above the bar) and neon lighting that looks straight out of a 1980s mall food court, Cosmica is such a vibe.

And don’t miss the single-person restrooms. My favorite was the darker Western-themed one.

The doors at the south end of the restaurant can be retracted like an accordion, and it’s nice when a fresh breeze blows through. The succulents featured in that part of Cosmica are unreal, by the way; Wade said the section is meant to feel like an Italian garden.

(Note: Designers Ryan Manning and Madelon Juliano are behind Cosmica’s unique look. Wade said they also designed the interior of Bar Nohm.)

As for the food, Wade described the menu as “simple, classic Italian,” and said they’re dishes he’s been cooking for a long time, like the housemade pasta.

My dining companion and I went to Cosmica for dinner last Saturday. To read more about my order, check out the “Dish of the Week” section of this newsletter.

Cosmica is open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday at 5 p.m., and for lunch Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

P.S. I didn’t partake, but Cosmica’s wine list is made up of small producers in Italy that are making organic, all-natural wines, said Wade, who added that Cosmica is the only place in Utah to get some of these wines.

Live deliciously,

Kolbie

Food News

Openings:

• Iceberg Drive Inn is opening a pop-up location, starting Friday, May 9, and running for the summer, at 1700 East and 1300 South, in the Yalecrest neighborhood, a representative for the fast-food chain confirmed. Iceberg will be serving only shakes at this temporary location.

• Hill’s Kitchen opened April 30 at 2188 Highland Drive, Suite 101, in Sugar House, according to a news release. This is the second location of the cafe, from the same folks that created the Hearth & Hill and Urban Hill restaurants.

• Raising Cane’s has opened a new location at 4026 W. 13400 South in Riverton, just off Bangerter Highway, according to a news release. The fast-food chain is known for its chicken fingers and crinkle-cut fries.

• The Smoked Taco has opened a location in Murray, at 5283 S. State St. The Smoked Taco is a local taco chain with restaurants across Utah that combines barbecue with Mexican cuisine.

Dish of the Week

Our starter at Cosmica was a pizza made with fresh pork & fennel sausage, tomato, charred cabbage and stracciatella ($16), which is shreds of mozzarella in cream — basically the filling of burrata, Wade said — and it was delicious. The sourdough crust goes through a five-day fermentation and preparation process before it arrives at the table, he added.

I loved that pizza; I thought all the flavors worked together really well and the crust was just perfect. The cheese was a new experience and I really liked the texture.

An honorable mention goes to the lasagna rotolo, made with a rich meat sauce, whipped ricotta and basil. It was so creamy, and so flavorful.

A great menu item to munch on as you decide the rest of your order is the house puffy bread ($12, pictured below). Salty and cheesy, it’s like a bread pillow.