The fast-casual boom of the early 2000s has made an indelible mark on restaurant architecture. It's really the corral that does it—that half-wall that reaches to your mid-torso and funnels you to the register so you can make your order. Now that a lot of these fast-casual mega-franchises are closing down, smaller, locally-owned restaurants like White Tomato are moving in. So, what happens when an artisan pasta concept takes over a space that previously belonged to Smashburger?

The experiment in question was posed by Chef Roberto Calcagno, a native of Genoa, Italy. Calcagno came to Utah on the heels of running Mountainara Cucina Italiana in Colorado, so he knows a thing or two about adapting Italian concepts to Rocky Mountain sensibilities. White Tomato, which opened in January of this year, is an interesting blend of casual accessibility and fine dining experience.

White Tomato's space has been completely retooled to capture the vibes of that nondescript-but-nice Italian restaurant you remember visiting with your parents. Black tablecloths, silverware wrapped in fabric napkins, wall art and more than a few plants are all in sync with the dark-on-dark color scheme. Currently, White Tomato is open for lunch and dinner, and there are some decent options available no matter when you visit.

I appreciated White Tomato's sandwich menu as a lunch option; the beauty of an Italian sandwich isn't often represented at our local pasta joints, which is really a shame. You've got hot panini sandwiches riffing on everything from eggplant parm ($12) to the meatball ($14), but I was a bit partial to the Italian hero ($12). The sandwiches are on good-sized panini that has been pressed to perfection—no burnt crusts here.

The Italian hero is layered with soppressata, andouille sausage and a generous slice of melty provolone. It's served with soup or salad, and I got the portobello mushroom soup, which I really enjoyed—think cream of mushroom, with a bit more depth and richer texture. The sandwich is truly everything you want in an Italian-inspired panini. The sausage and soppressata are joined by plenty of marinara, so this guy eats like a meatball sandwich without the mess and a bit more of that dry, cured meat flavor.

On the pasta side of things, White Tomato does a good job of including some familiar favorites like classic alfredo ($16) and eggplant parmigiana ($17), while also sending a few curve balls. If you're visiting White Tomato for something well within your comfort zone, then the lasagna ($19) is your best bet. It's made with both a bolognese sauce and béchamel, which is honestly enough to make your favorite sneakers taste good. When applied to perfectly cooked and layered noodles, however, you've got something that speaks to the Italian food lover in all of us. The sage ravioli ($18) and Tuscan tortellini ($17) are also solid bets for those who, like me, can't get enough of stuffed pasta. I think the ravioli edges out the tortellini just a bit, but they're both solid options.

White Tomato is also the type of Italian spot where you absolutely should peruse the appetizer menu. I won't judge you for getting fried ravioli ($9), because it's delightful, but it's the bruschetta ($7) that really steals the show on this side of the menu. These days, if you're an Italian restaurant and you're not making your own focaccia, then what are you even doing with yourself? Luckily, White Tomato got the memo—and its focaccia is great. It's even better when topped with a pesto & tomato confit, then hit with a little balsamic vinegar.

I think what makes the bruschetta the star of the appetizers is the fact that it provides you an excellent sneak peek of the rest of the menu. Appetizers should do this by default, but it's amazing how often you get an appetizer menu that feels divorced from the main entrees. That pesto & tomato confit is absolutely dynamite, and it preps the palate with all those flavors of olive oil, basil and tomato. This is a true taste bud awakener, and I was quite impressed with how sophisticated this was.

I was also a fan of the meatballs parmigiana ($10), a good-sized portion of bite-sized, all-beef meatballs with marinara and shaved parmesan. They can be ordered solo, or with some fettuccine noodles for $8 extra if you're looking for something closer to spaghetti & meatballs as an entree. Even without the pasta, these are well-prepped and texturally pleasing meatballs, but I honestly kind of prefer them with the noodles—as it turns out, I am a total sucker for meatballs, pasta and marinara.

The fact that White Tomato is making all of its pasta in-house definitely kicks the restaurant into a tier above fast-casual, and that's a good thing. The service was also fast and attentive, so I think White Tomato has a lot going for it as one of Draper's newest restaurants. If more places like this could start pushing overhyped fast-casual places out of the strip malls, I think we'd be better for it.