When the warm weather hits, it quickly begins to seem like the days get longer in more ways than one, with each day packed from dusk to dawn with things to do, regardless of what’s been scheduled. As if to prove that side-note hypothesis, last weekend somehow managed to be unbelievably busy, leaving us in desperate desire of a sanctuary of sustenance.

That’s where Provo’s La Vita Ristorante Italiano comes into play. The Daily Herald offices are just on the flip side of the block from the iconic dining staple, and if proximity wasn’t enough of a motivator, ever since a chat with Mario Garcia, who runs the restaurant, for a story about global eats in Utah County, I’ve had an undeniable desire to check it out for myself. I couldn’t be more grateful that I did.