Rovali’s celebrates 20 years of Italian cuisine
-
- Alex Montanez, owner of Rovali’s Ristorante Italiano in Ogden.
-
- The Tour of Rovali’s is a popular menu item at Rovali’s in Ogden.
-
- Rovali’s caprese pizza is topped with house-made pesto, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and a drizzle of balsamic reduction.
-
- The Lemon Blueberry Piecaken, the 100th original cake recipe created by Rovali’s pastry chef Andrea Godinez.
When Alex and Kim Montanez opened Rovali’s 20 years ago, it was their strategy to keep their family together. Their daughter, Felicia Montanez, was attending college in San Diego and fell in love with a chef who worked for an Italian restaurant.
“We wanted them to come back to Utah, but the only way I could get them here was to build a restaurant for them,” Alex Montanez said. That son-in-law, Ro Nevarez, became Rovali’s chef, and Felicia is now the general manager.
The Montanezes’ other daughter, Andrea, also married a chef, Miguel Godinez. He also works at Rovali’s, while Andrea Godinez is the pastry chef and drink mixologist. Kim Montanez does accounting and Alex does marketing.
It’s definitely a family affair, with everyone pitching in. “We haven’t killed each other in 20 years, so that’s a good sign,” Alex Montanez said.
On weekends, he enjoys interacting with the customers as the host.
“The guests say they think that’s one of the greatest things, that the owner is greeting and seating them. It shows that I care about what we’re doing here,” Alex Montanez said. “After 20 years, I’m still excited about it.”
Where did the name “Rovali’s” come from? “We made it up,” he said. “If you say it with attitude, it has a great Italian ring to it.”
Opened in 2004, Rovali’s spent the first four years at Wyndom Square along state Route 193 in Layton.
“I thought it would be great since we were near Hill Air Force Base,” Alex Montanez said. “But I didn’t realize that they only have 30 minutes for lunch. So we didn’t get the lunch crowds that we wanted to.”
During its fourth year there, the family searched from Logan to Salt Lake City for the perfect spot.
“We had a unique vision of what we wanted, and this came available,” he said of their current location at 174 25th St.
The building was originally constructed in 1908 as three storefronts. During the nearly 100 years until Rovali’s moved in, its many businesses included a drug company, restaurant, a tailoring company, a saloon, clothing store, grocery store and soft drink company. Just prior to Rovali’s, it housed the Artisan Grille restaurant.
The historic ambiance, with its exposed brick walls, reminded Alex Montanez of a charming Italian restaurant he and his wife had visited in New York City’s Little Italy.
The move to 25th Street was full-circle for him. He grew up hating 25th Street back when it was known for seedy hotels, sleazy bars and other vices. His father worked for the railroad and stayed in the Roosevelt Hotel.
“I had to come down here on 25th Street and go from bar to bar to find him,” Alex Montanez said.
But once Rovali’s moved to Ogden, he became one of the street’s cheerleaders as it evolved into a local dining and entertainment destination.
“We were part of the changes,” he said. “The restaurants here are so diverse, with different flavors and styles, and they are all really good.”
The restaurant’s top-selling entree is the Tour of Rovali’s, a trio of lasagna, fettuccine Alfredo and ravioli filled with ricotta cheese.
Kim Montanez said her favorite dish is the eggplant parmesan.
“When I’ve had it from other places, I didn’t like how it was cooked,” she said. “But here, the eggplant is sliced and breaded with parmesan crumbs, then a little flash-fried and baked, so it’s a little crispy on the outside. It’s got great flavor.”
Alex Montanez’s favorite is the Alex Special — a “hidden menu item” of spaghetti topped with Mama’s Giant Meatball and steamed broccoli, with a side of pepperoncini.
Pastry chef and mixologist Andrea Godinez gives desserts a spotlight. Some of her original cake flavors include blueberry French toast, and carrot cake with a cheesecake baked inside. After trying the cannolis at the famed Carlo’s Bake Shop from the “Cake Boss” TV show, Alex Montanez declared Rovali’s cannolis are better. Many Rovali’s customers order whole cakes, pies and other desserts for takeout.
Recently, the restaurant served its 100th original recipe cake, Lemon Blueberry Piecaken — a pie/cake mashup with fresh lemon, blueberries, raspberry, white chocolate and strawberry shortcake.
“Each layer tells a story and a sweet history of Rovali’s, each bite evokes memories, and together they create an unforgettable celebration that embraces our family dedication to original treats for our guests,” is how Alex Montanez described it.
IF YOU GO
Rovali’s
Location: 174 25th St., Ogden
Contact: Rovalis.com or 801-394-1070
Hours: 3-8:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday-Monday.
Price: Entrees, $15-$20
