Rome Italian Restaurant and Bar

My partner and I have been wanting to try Rome out, since its opening. The dimly lit atmosphere paired with a quaint music track was quite relaxing. The only sound it’s missing is a water feature. I do wish they had some complimentary food item given shortly after being seated, such as breadsticks or rolls. Honestly, their rolls are delicious! My partner got their carbonara. While it’s not quite what he was expecting, the taste was very good. I was limited in what I could have, because I have a lot of food sensitivities. So I ended up getting a beet salad with grilled salmon added. That pairing was tastier than I had anticipated. I would love to see a soup or two on their menu. A gluten free minestrone would be lovely. For dairy lovers, perhaps a creamy tortellini soup is in order. The food does seem a little overpriced, when considering the smaller portion sizes. Then again, possibly not. We’ve gotten so accustomed to chain restaurant portions and pricing. Yet neither my partner nor I left hungry. We got an entree each and a shared dessert. Truly it was refreshing not to be given so much food that it could feed 2-3 people per entree. Each was portioned perfectly for one person who doesn’t want to take leftovers home. Too many restaurants contribute to an overeating problem or food waste, which is sad to me. But Rome has healthy portion sizes and I love seeing that. Also, a standalone restaurant will rarely have the capital that a chain restaurant has. Therefore, I expect to pay more for my dining experience. Overall, I want Rome to stay in Tooele. I hope they can successfully navigate appealing to a diverse demographic. The people seated near us seemed unimpressed, yet we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. It goes to show everyone has different expectations. My expectation was to have a delicious meal I didn’t have to cook myself; to discover something new and interesting (FYI: salmon, balsamic, and beet flavors pair really well together); and to just sit back and be allowed to enjoy life. That’s exactly what I got out of it. Give Rome a chance. A second chance. A third chance. Give them your support. Life is freakin hard these days. And they started off with a huge disappointment. They were denied a liquor license because of a stupid, outdated law. At least that’s the rumor going around. Too many small businesses go under. Businesses that were someone’s dream. Rome is a lovely restaurant with a lot of potential to be great, which is why I’m giving them 5 stars. I wish them the best of luck in permanently anchoring themselves as a part of quaint little downtown Tooele.

First experience...it was very busy but our food still came quickly. Started with the calamari... loved it! All food ordered was so delicious! Beet root salad was light and crisp. They had gluten free options, tried the Carbanara which was good too. Felt it was worth the price we paid. Also the server was so aware of our drinks and kept the water full! Perfect Friday date night! Can't wait to go back!