We were all saddened to hear that Tony Caputo, a founding father of today’s SLC food community, had passed away. When his market and deli opened in 1997, it changed everything. Those of us who had been forlornly hunting for the foundation of great Italian cooking in the “ethnic” aisle at Smith’s were suddenly awash in fine artisan pastas, San Marzano tomatoes and gigantic wheels of Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Tony è andato in paradiso.
The man behind the wheels, as it were, brought his passion for the cuisine of his heritage to Utah tables. Caputo’s Market and Deli, in addition to being excellent manifestations of both market and deli, also became an anchor of the Firestone Block, attracting community and complementary businesses to a part of our city that needed it. Building a de facto Italian cultural center, Tony’s efforts helped many other boats rise. He educated Utah palettes, primed tastebuds for homegrown sausages like Colosimo’s and Creminelli, local cheese makers a