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Hello, Eaters! Sapori Italian Bakery & Cafe, at 3667 S. Highland Drive in Millcreek, is a cute little space with Italian pastries I had never heard of before.

Of course I know of and have had cannolis (Italians would say it without the “S”), tiramisu and those chewy little almond cookies that are perfect with coffee. But a zeppola, meraviglia, violetta or cassata? Those are new to me.

I visited Sapori Italian Bakery recently and had a nice chat with co-owner Luca La Mantia, who said his bakery is “not another cannoli place.”

The origin story: La Mantia owns the bakery with his wife, Azzurra Cuchel, who’s the person behind all of the recipes and baking at Sapori. They were both born in Palermo, Sicily. They were schoolmates and friends when they were young, and eventually married.

In 2016, they moved from Italy to Utah, and a few years later, they started Sapori Italian Bakery & Cafe in Ogden, at 325 24th St. They opened their Millcreek location in April.

The vibe: Located in a former Sodalicious shop, the Millcreek location of Sapori Italian Bakery has a drive-thru, so you can get your Italian coffee and pastries in a hurry.

Inside, where there is plenty of seating, the main colors are white, green, yellow and cobalt blue, which La Mantia said are meant to evoke the Mediterranean. There are lemon branches everywhere (there are even lemons on the sign), as lemon trees grow happily in Sicily.

The menu: Like I said, Sapori Italian Bakery will have Italian pastries you probably can’t find anywhere else. Something interesting is that the pastries are in a self-serve case, so you get a tray from the stack and walk along the selection, picking out what you want before paying up front. There’s also a case of desserts and Italian coffee drinks that you order at the counter.

As far as savory options, they serve warm fazzoletti, which are like mini calzones in a flaky crust. Coming soon to the menu are pinsa romana pockets, which look to me like pizza sandwiches and can be made gluten free. Sapori also offers a line of full-size Italian cakes.

Hours: Monday-Saturday, 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Live deliciously,

Kolbie

Food News

• Alex Springer, Salt Lake City Weekly’s dining editor, is leaving his role, according to a farewell column posted last week. In his piece, he said he ate the best food overall at Italian-Japanese fusion restaurant Junah, and he also praised Copper Onion and Ruth’s Diner. I didn’t have the privilege of meeting Alex, but the more people we have writing about food in Utah the better, so here’s hoping City Weekly hires someone to replace him.

Openings:

• Rusty Birds Cafe, which first opened in Square Kitchen Eatery last year, has moved to Woodbine Food Hall at 545 W. 700 South in Salt Lake City’s Granary District, according to an Instagram post. Rusty Birds specializes in rotisserie chicken, salads and wraps.

• Bricks Corner’s new location in West Valley City is now open at 2508 S. 5600 West, according to an Instagram post. Bricks Corner focuses on Detroit-style pizza, which is baked in a rectangular pan and has a crispy, cheesy edge with red sauce served on top.

• Milkshake Madness is now open in Cedar Hills at 9955 N. 4700 West, promising milkshakes that are “so good you’ll lose your mind,” according to an Instagram post. Milkshake Madness serves BYU Creamery ice cream, as well as chicken tenders and fries cooked in beef tallow.

• An Eater let me know that a First Watch is coming to Midvale’s Fort Union shopping center, news that a manager at the brunch/lunch restaurant’s Taylorsville location confirmed. No opening date yet, but I’ll share more details as I get them.

Revamps:

• A colleague sent me a photo on the front door of LA Lola Taco that said the Mexican restaurant was temporarily closed for remodeling. Owner Luis Perez told me that “La Lola Taco is currently undergoing an operational restructuring as we take time to reassess the direction of the concept. We’re very grateful for the support from our guests and the Murray community.” I loved LA Lola Taco, at 6356 S. State St., when I visited shortly after the place opened in January — let’s hope they still have those amazing tacos when the new concept opens.

• Has a restaurant opened or closed in your neighborhood? Let us know at food@sltrib.com.

Booze (and Drink!) News

• Snowpine Lodge, at 10420 Little Cottonwood Road, suite 1, up at Alta Ski Area, is holding a Wildflower Wine Dinner on July 22 in celebration of all the beautiful wildflowers that bloom on the hillsides this time of year. Dine al fresco at Swen’s Restaurant and enjoy a four-course dinner, paired with wines from Terrestoria, a Salt Lake City wine importer that brings in wines from Italy and Spain usually not seen in Utah. Tickets are $179 to $199 in person, and can be purchased on Eventbrite.

Pastries of the Week

When I visited Sapori Italian Bakery & Cafe’s new location in Millcreek, I wanted to get something savory and something sweet.

With a macchiato to sip on, I got a fazzoletti for a savory option, and then La Mantia and Cuchel recommended I order a strawberry zeppola for a sweet option.

The fazzoletti was tasty, and the texture of the crust was really nice. I especially liked the filling of potatoes, bacon and pesto, I just wish there had been more of it.

The zeppola was really special to eat; La Mantia said it is a traditional sweet in Sicily, usually only made to celebrate St. Joseph Day on March 19. It’s made with soft choux pastry (reminded me of a cream puff) filled with vanilla whipped cream and strawberries and dusted with powdered sugar.

It came in a small tower of layers that I promptly demolished and devoured, and I thought it was fresh and sweet, but not too sweet.