Today let’s start a series of “Foodie Fridays.” It is no secret to anyone that knows me how much I love to wine and dine, and especially love to try new places around the Denver area. I recently set a new “goal” of eating at each of the top 25 Best Restaurants of Denver, as named by 5280. I have been working on this list from 2011 for a while, and hopefully can knock quite a few out before the 2012 list comes out. My poor boyfriend is usually dragged along to these nicer restaurants to foot the bill when he would really rather be eating at Outback Steakhouse, haha, his philosophy is “If I like it, why change?”, while I think that if I am not cooking something delicious myself at home, then I am going to go all out!
This brings us to our first edition of Foodie Fridays: A Romantic evening at Frasca Food andWine.
There are a few reasons that I personally love Frasca (other than being #1 on the list!). First, it is on Pearl St. in Boulder, which is where I attended college at the University of Colorado. I jump at any chance I get to return to my collegiate stomping grounds. Also, Frasca is a “neighborhood restaurant inspired by the cuisine and culture of Friuli, Italy.” I LOVE Italian food, and lastly, did I mention great WINE. I love wine, have I ever mentioned that!? I had been to Frasca once before my mission of eating my way through Colorado began, and it was for a private party event. So, I was excited to try their normal dinner fare, and this was a special night because it was Ed and I’s 1 year anniversary!
Cheers to 1 year together!
The atmosphere is classic, elegant, and a bit luxe. You might walk in thinking that this is a fancy schmancy type of place, but let’s remember that this is Boulder, so people feel comfortable dining here in either very casual or very formal attire. We were somewhere in the middle of the two. On Monday’s the chef has a set dinner tasting menu that highlights the week’s farmer’s market share. We started with a salumi plate of prosciutto, speck, and salume which was just delicious, I always say that cured meats are the best way to start an Italian meal. From there were served a fresh greens salad, stuffed cannoli pasta with farm onion, ricotta, and farm peas, tagliatelle, and finished with homemade profiteroles and vanilla bean ice cream. Delicious! What I loved about the meal was that everything was fresh, seasonal, and local. Dining on produce that is hand picked and delivered straight to the restaurant is second to none, especially in these summer months. What Ed loved about the meal (compared so some of the nice restaurants we go out to) is that we were both stuffed by the end. Although this was a tasting menu, each course was a generous portion, which kept him happy.
delicious dinner at Frasca, rated #1 by 5230 Magazine
Sweet message at dessert
After we were stuffed full of vino and yummy Italian food we went for a walk around Pearl Street and even though it was a Monday night, the crazy Boulder hippies and street performers were still out! I really miss the randomness of that town.
Have a great weekend everyone! What are your favorite restaurants around Denver that I should try?
Julie
jules health rules 