The Best Italian Restaurant Downtown Salt Lake City: How Fred Moesinger and a Century-Old Eagles Building Became Utah's Italian Soul

There's a wood-framed mirror hanging in the bar at Caffé Molise that tells you everything you need to know about this place. It's salvaged from the Dead Goat Saloon—a long-gone Salt Lake City watering hole where chef Fred Moesinger and his business partner (now wife) Aimee Sterling first met years ago. That mirror has seen a lot. And now it watches over what might be the best Italian restaurant downtown Salt Lake City has to offer, perched inside the historic Eagles Building at 400 South and West Temple.

One customer put it plainly on Yelp: "Hands down the best Italian food I've had in the USA with a close second in San Francisco." Coming from someone who's actually been to Italy, that's not a throwaway compliment.

But here's the thing about Caffé Molise—it didn't arrive at this moment by accident. This is a 31-year love story involving plastic patio furniture, a forced relocation, and a self-taught chef who's been quietly perfecting regional Italian cuisine while the rest of Salt Lake City was still figuring out what authentic Italian food actually tastes like.

From St. George Kitchens to Downtown Institution: The Fred Moesinger Story

Fred Moesinger didn't go to culinary school. He started cooking in a St. George restaurant, moved to Salt Lake City in 2001, and began working alongside Shelley DeProto, who had founded Caffé Molise in 1993. Back then, the restaurant was tiny—maybe ten tables draped in white plastic patio furniture. The menu was minimal. But the food? That mattered.

Moesinger worked at Caffé Molise off and on from nearly the beginning, even helping with its construction. By 2003, he officially took over the restaurant, and what followed was two decades of steady, unglamorous growth. He expanded the menu. Added a patio that locals consistently voted as one of the city's best outdoor dining spots. Created BTG Wine Bar next door. Built relationships with local farms and producers like Creminelli Fine Meats.

Then in 2018, city construction plans forced them to move.

Most restaurateurs would've headed to the suburbs for cheaper, easier real estate. Fred and Aimee did the opposite—they bought the Eagles Building, a Neo-Renaissance landmark constructed in 1915-16 for the Fraternal Order of Eagles. It had been sitting in disrepair, most recently home to The Bay nightclub (and before that, various dance clubs with swimming pools in the basement). They spent months renovating, carefully preserving the grand staircase and arched windows while adding two elevators for accessibility.

"It was important for us to keep it true to the historic nature of the building," Moesinger told the Salt Lake Tribune.

That choice—to invest in Salt Lake's history rather than flee to shiny new construction—says everything about what drives this place.

The Pappardelle al Sugo Experience: Why This Dish Defines Downtown SLC Italian Dining

Let's talk about pasta. Because if you're searching for authentic Italian restaurant Salt Lake City experiences, you need to understand what house-made pasta actually means at Caffé Molise.

The Pappardelle al Sugo isn't just their most popular dish—it's a Salt Lake City institution. Fresh, thick pappardelle pasta made in-house gets tossed in a hearty, slowly-simmered sauce of beef and pork with tomatoes, then topped with grated Asiago cheese and julienned basil. The sauce is so rich that there are large morsels of pork and beef hidden within the noodles like meaty treasures.

One OpenTable reviewer captured it perfectly: "I ordered the pappardelle al sugo and it was delicious. The pasta is homemade and sauce was rich and meaty."

But here's where it gets interesting—customers are divided on this dish in the best possible way. Some call it the best pasta they've ever had. Others find it good but not extraordinary. That's because Moesinger isn't chasing trends or trying to reinvent Italian food. He's cooking straightforward, no-nonsense regional Italian cuisine inspired by the Molise region—a part of Italy most Americans can't even locate on a map.

The Ravioli con Zucca is the other signature you can't skip. House-made butternut squash ravioli arrives bathed in tongue-tingling garlic brown butter, balsamic reduction, and Asiago cheese. It's that wonderful contrast of sweet and salty that makes you understand why Italians are so particular about their food. Multiple reviewers specifically name this dish as their favorite, with one calling it essential "if you are a foodie."

A recent Tripadvisor reviewer praised their Scampi Alla Diavola, noting "Delicious and delightfully spicy—not too spicy but a nice, subtle kick," while her husband declared the Lasagne "the best he has had at a restaurant".

Historic Italian Restaurant Meets Modern Salt Lake City Food Scene

Walking into Caffé Molise today feels like stepping into a different era—but not in a stuffy, uncomfortable way. The space spans 15,000 square feet over three floors, with BTG Wine Bar occupying its own floor with a separate entrance, and a top-floor ballroom that could handle Beauty and the Beast waltzing across it.

Eagle statues watch over the dining room. The walnut crown molding, beams, and wainscoting create warmth. Dark green and brown tones add seriousness, offset by crisp white tablecloths. It's upscale-casual done right—the kind of place where you feel like you're dining somewhere important, but nobody's going to give you side-eye if you show up in jeans.

The building itself has stories. Built in 1915, it served as a focal point for 20th-century medical aid in Utah and even hosted clandestine boxing bouts in its basement. The Fraternal Order of Eagles used to throw legendary parties here, frequented by touring Vaudeville actors when Salt Lake City had twelve operating theaters.

Now it hosts a different kind of gathering—Friday night jazz with the John Flander's Trio, pre-theater dinners before shows at the Capitol Theatre or Eccles Theater, anniversary celebrations, first dates, and the kind of leisurely Italian lunches where time slows down enough to actually taste your food.

Farm-to-Table Italian with Utah Soul

Here's what sets Caffé Molise apart in the downtown Salt Lake Italian restaurant scene: the Utah connection. Moesinger sources many ingredients from local farmers and partners with culinary craftsmen like Creminelli Fine Meats, imbuing every dish with distinctive Utah taste. "Our focus is on blending Molise's distinct character with the best from Utah farms—sustainably and honestly," he explains.

They even have their own family farm that supplies seasonal specials during harvest. This isn't farm-to-table as a marketing gimmick—it's how Moesinger has always cooked.

The bruschetta here gets consistent raves. Rustic, toasted baguette slices get rubbed with garlic, sprinkled with parsley, and served with marinated diced Roma tomatoes, an herbed bean puree, and sautéed fresh spinach. It's the kind of appetizer that makes you realize most restaurants overcomplicate things.

The same philosophy extends to their polenta—roasted wedges served with a tomato sauce that tastes like it came straight from a garden. No smoke and mirrors. No foam or molecular gastronomy. Just killer cooking that doesn't need to be complicated.

And then there's the wine program. As Salt Lake Magazine's 2024 Best Restaurant winner, judges praised their "cocktail and wine program that is attentive and challenging," noting "they don't treat anyone like a dummy." Food and wine without the attitude.

BTG Wine Bar shares space with the restaurant, which means access to one of downtown's best wine lists—an eclectic selection spanning Italy, Spain, France, and beyond. Moesinger has been sending his staff to California Wine Camp for years to ensure they can actually talk about wine without sounding pretentious or clueless.

Planning Your Visit to Caffé Molise

Address: 404 S West Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Phone: 801-364-8833
Hours:

• Monday-Thursday: 11:30am-3pm (lunch), 5pm-9pm (dinner)
• Friday-Saturday: 11:30am-3pm (lunch), 5pm-10pm (dinner)
• Sunday: 11:30am-3pm (lunch), 5pm-9pm (dinner)

Getting There: The restaurant sits just two blocks south of the Salt Palace Convention Center, making it perfect for pre-theater dining before shows at Capitol Theatre or Eccles Theater. There's paid parking in lots directly south and across the street to the east. You can also take TRAX to the Courthouse stop and walk one block west on 400 South.

What to Order: Start with the Bruschetta Misto or Ravioli con Zucca. For entrees, the Pappardelle al Sugo is the signature (and staff favorite), but regulars also swear by the Arista (spice-rubbed pork tenderloin with fig compote), the Bistecca (beef tenderloin with wild mushroom truffle cream), and the Gnocchi di Patate. Save room for the Tiramisu—it's traditional, layered Italian cream cheese perfection.

Reservations: Highly recommended, especially for Friday jazz nights and weekend dinners. Walk-ins are welcome but expect to wait during peak hours.

The Patio: When weather cooperates, the garden patio is where you want to be. It's consistently rated one of Salt Lake City's best outdoor dining spots.

Dietary Notes: Plenty of gluten-free options available with house-made brown rice pasta. Several vegetarian choices, and the kitchen is accommodating with modifications.

Why Caffé Molise Matters to Utah's Food Story

Salt Lake Magazine captured it best when awarding them 2024 Best Restaurant: "Caffé Molise and BTG have been quietly great since long before they moved to their massive location. And frankly, their consistency sometimes means we just count on them to be there. But as anyone who watches the restaurant world these days knows, nothing can be taken for granted".

That's the truth about this place. In an era when restaurants open with hype and close within two years, Caffé Molise has been serving regional Italian cuisine in downtown Salt Lake City for 31 years. They survived a forced relocation. They bought and renovated a historic building when they could've taken the easy route. They've trained generations of servers on how to talk about wine. They source from local farms. They make pasta by hand every day.

Fred Moesinger is a self-taught chef who met his business partner and wife at a saloon that doesn't exist anymore, and together they've built something that feels permanent in a city that too often tears down its history for something new and shiny.

If you're looking for the best Italian restaurant downtown Salt Lake City has to offer, you're looking for a place that honors both history and craft, where the pasta is made in-house and the wine list challenges you without making you feel stupid, where eagle statues watch over Friday night jazz, and where a mirror from the Dead Goat Saloon hangs behind the bar as a quiet reminder that the best stories are usually about the places—and people—who choose to stay.

Caffé Molise | 404 S West Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101 | 801-364-8833 | @caffemolise