Il Posto in Denver

Sunday, September 11th, by official birthday, we headed down to Denver for dinner with my dad. After everyone in my family hemmed and hawed over where we should go, I just made a reservation at a place that I had been wanting to try for a while.

The restaurant is Il Posto and has a menu that changes daily based on what they purchase at the market that day. Any place that has the balls to change their menu frequently based on what is fresh usually has their head in the right place. Head chef and owner Andrea Frizzi is a transplant from Milan and has cooked for Pope John Paul II, Ronald Reagan, and Prime Ministers Gorbachev and Andreotti. His website states that Andrea's philosophy behind a good restaurant is quality food, attentive service, attention to detail, creating new ideas, and staying organized. These are all qualities that we found apparent in the restaurant even before we arrived.

The Maitre d' called us after we made reservation on Open Table, he noticed that we have noted that it was my birthday, and asked if we wanted to sit outside. It was a gorgeous day in Denver, so I couldn't resist saying yes to sitting outside. We had a pretty big group, and they had a pretty small patio, so I appreciated that they would let us take up such valuable restaurant space.

We met up with my Uncle David, my dad, step mom, and little sister at the restaurant around 7pm. They greeted us and told me happy birthday and offered everyone a tasting of Lambrusco. Lambrusco is a sweeter red wine from central Italy's Emilia-Romagna made from Lambrusco grapes. With two non-drinkers at the table I got 3 tastings! Yum!

We had a fun starter of assorted cheeses and bread and a caprese made with mozzarella burrata, a soft creamy mozzarella.


Everyone ordered something different for their main meal, I'll go around the table.

I had roasted veal cheeks with peaches and fresh vegetable and micro-greens. This was very tasty. It was a cut of meat I had never tried before so that was excited. The only thing I didn't love about this dish was that it was heavy. There wasn't much food on my plate, but I could barely eat two pieces of meat because of how rich the meat was.

My stepmother had gnocchi with vegetables. They were tasty and perfectly cooked. The pasta dishes tended to be more rustic while the "secondi" were much more frou-frou.

My dad's dish was very good. Seared scallops with fresh melon. Thank goodness no one got listeria... I kid, I kid. I had eyed this one on the menu, but decided against it for something that I hadn't eaten before instead. I'm adventurous like that.

My uncle had a very traditional dish of pappardelle pasta with a bolognese sauce. He tells me it was delicious, but I unfortunately couldn't taste it because I'm allergic to mushrooms which were in the sauce.

My husband had the steak dish. It was grilled peppercorn steak with grilled strawberries, eggplant and a cheese which my husband didn't care for.

My little sister ordered one of the two risotto dishes offered. the little purple dots are grapes. I was apprehensive when I saw this dish described on the menu but I think it was my favorite item of anything that anyone ordered. Andrea knows his risotto because this was perfect and more along the lines of what I had been hoping for when we came. I wish that I had ordered it and I was very jealous of her dish. I kept stealing bites and I'm lucky my sister didn't stab me with her fork because she loved it too.

Luckily I have a family that is okay with sharing bites of their food with me since I like to write about it.

Dessert was panna cotta, zeppole and mixed sorbetti (peach and raspberry). Only the sorbetti survived long enough for a picture.

All the desserts were very yummy.

Overall, I enjoyed our visit to this restaurant the service from the head waiter was great. I was a little disappointed that our waitress was a complete failure at pronouncing anything Italian, and also didn't understand me with I pronounced the Italian foods with slight Anglicization of the words in hopes that she would get it. It broke my heart a little. But sometimes I need to remember that not everyone is an Italophile like me.

The restaurant had good ambiance being stacked between a few other unique restaurants on 17th. I did feel that the style in which the food was served didn't quite fit my concept of the restaurant. I felt that the meat dishes were plated in a manner that didn't make them cohesive. It was several little piles of food instead of being guided through how to eat it on the plate. What I love the most about Italian food is that it can be delicious and extravagant without feeling overdone. This was just a little overdone for my taste. That isn't to say that it wasn't delicious, which it was, I just felt that it could be more accessible in presentation.

Name: Il Posto
Destination: 2011 E 17th Ave Pkwy, Denver, CO 80206

Cost: $$$

Ambiance: Modern, Clean, and Hip

Suggested Attire: Casual

Best Part: Service and traditional style appetizers and pastas.

Could Do Better: Don't try too hard.

The Wine
My dad let me pick whatever bottle I wanted from the wine list. So I picked a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. It was a slightly dry red with a hint of pepper and spice. It also had a good balance of acidity and dark fruits.

Name: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Grape: Montepulciano
Vintage: 2007
Dominant notes: dry, spicy, and dark fruits
Would drink it again: Yes
Cost: $47 (at restaurant)

Life without Alba is a life I don't want to live

 

(photo taken from Alba website)

On my birthday Raph took me to my absolute most favorite restaurant in all of Colorado. This gem is located in Boulder in the McGuckin/Sunflower Market area. It faces Folsom, so it isn't too hard to find, but it is definitely tucked away.


We've eaten at this restaurant 3 times now, and have had a phenomenal experience each time. This was our first time eating there when it wasn't freezing out, so we got to site in the courtyard which was lovely with a gas fireplace and a fountain. We were seated right next to the fountain. This place has amazing ambiance inside and out and always feels very intimate. The perfect place for a special occasion or a romantic date night.


(photo taken from Alba website)

(photo taken by Heather LaPuma)

The menu that was available while we were there is what I would consider a fall transition menu. You can always tell a good restaurant because they will change their menu based on the seasons and what is available. I can say that I had one of the best meals of my life this evening. 

We started our meal with a tuna bruschetta which was a tasty way to get the meal started. 

Then came out our pasta dishes. I ordered the evening's special which was agnolotti (hand made pasta pillows) filled with Haystack Chevre, house-made ricotta, and herbs from the Alba herb garden, it was then topped with a roasted pork that was marinated in a balsamic sauce and then a sprinkling of more of the goat cheese and herbs. One of the best pasta's I've ever had.

(photo taken by Heather LaPuma)

And then Raph had the Ravioli di Melanzana - Eggplant and fresh mozzarella stuffed pasta, roasted tomatoes, chive and tomato sauce. This was a very light dish that was flavorful and fresh. 

 (photo taken by Heather LaPuma)

Then we had our main course. Which was Wild Boar Milanese - Parmigiano crusted wild boar loin chop, mixed greens, caramelized onion, heirloom grape tomatoes, and a lemon vinaigrette. This was delicious and we shared it. 

(photo taken by Heather LaPuma)

I only had time to catch one of these babies because we were really excited about eating it. We also had some delicious Brussels sprouts which were cooked in butter with pancetta (Italian salt-cured bacon). It was my husband's first time trying Brussels sprouts and he liked them, which I knew he would because he was getting them made in the proper way at a good restaurant.

The Wine
We'd already had a lot of wine this day, so we settled on just glasses of wine this day.

I had a glass of Produttori Langhe Nebbiolo, read my entry on the Roero to learn more about wines made from the Nebbiolo grape, my current favorite. I'm really in to wines from the Piemonte region of Italy right now and so that is what I wanted for my birthday.

Raph had a glass of Damilano Barbera d’Asti which is also from the Piemonte.

For dessert our lovely waiter offered us a selection for my birthday. I ordered the Creme Brulee trio. The three flavors were vanilla, hazelnut, and amaretto and they were absolutely lovely. He even stuck the candle to the side of the plate so that I could break the tops of the brulee on my own. They each had a different topping as well. One had peaches, another blackberries, and the other one shaved hazelnuts. I'm not sure which was on which, but I can assure you they were all good.

(photo taken by Heather LaPuma)

Its so hard to get a picture of an uneaten dessert around me... I have to remember to photograph before I dig in. Not always easy. 

I really hope that you give Alba a try. It has been one of my favorite restaurants for years and I hope to continue enjoying it for years to come. They offer a monthly wine dinner which offers a 4 course meal with a wine pairing for each item, usually around $60 dollars a head, which isn't too bad considering you will be fed and watered well. You can view their next wine dinner on their website as well as the current menu selections.

Check out Alba on their website at www.albaboulder.com. 

Name: Alba Restaurant and Wine Bar

Destination: 2480 Canyon Blvd Boulder, CO 80302

Cost: $$$

Ambiance: Romantic/Intimate

Suggested Attire: Business Casual (for Boulder)

Best Part: Fantastic Northern Italian food, as good as what you find in Italy. 

Could Do Better: Can you move down the street so I don't have to drive so far?

Festival Italiano

What an amazing birthday weekend! While I'm bummed that life is going so quickly, its always great to take a moment and celebrate just how far I've made it.

This weekend I did a lot. Friday, after a hellish day of work, I was craving nachos like you would not believe. We headed over to Hacienda Colorado in a near-by shopping center so that I could get some nachos, and Kira joined Raph and I for dinner. We also went to Yogurtland which I love. They have an oatmeal cookie flavor out right now that is delicious.

Saturday started out nicely. Raph gave me my birthday presents on Saturday morning because he couldn't wait to give them to me. He also planned some good surprises for the day.


First stop, the Italian Festival at Belmar. This was really fun. We did a wine tasting and got to see "Gli Sbandieratori" from Firenze (Florence). Raph had never seen the flag throwers before, so that was something fun and new for him to try out too.

Gli Sbadieratori are flag throwers who appear at festivals around the world and in Italy to represent and promote Florence. They are really cool to watch, and if you ever get a chance to see them in action I highly recommend it. Just in case you never get a chance to see them. Check out this video.

Then we went to our wine tasting of "Tuscan" wines, though the white they served was an Orvieto which we all know is from Umbria. Or at least I know. First up is just that. This is the Campogrande Orvieto from Santa Cristina. This was a fairly standard Orvieto with a nice taste balanced between the ripe citrus that is typical of this wine and also light floral notes. It finished with a clean citrus taste on palette.

Name: Orvieto
Vineyard/Winery: Santa Cristina CampoGrande
Grape: 40% Procanico, 40% Grechetto, 15% Verdello
Vintage: 2010
Dominant notes: Lemon Zest, White Flowers, Fresh Citrus Finish
Would drink it again: Yes
Cost: N/A - from Wine Tasting

Next up we have the Santa Cristina Sangiovese. Sangiovese is a type of grape that is generally used for making Chianti. This wine is technically a Chianti, but because it isn't grown in the Chianti region, it can't be called as such. This wine was described as an intense bouquet of cherry and raspberry with hints of violet and tobacco. Unfortunately I found that this wine tasted mostly like tobacco and was so overpowering it really didn't make it possible for us to taste the other notes that were in its description. 

Name: Sangiovese

Vineyard/Winery: Santa Cristina

Grape:  85% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon

Vintage: 2009

Dominant notes: Tobacco, Hints of Spice and Smoke, Slight Dark Fruits.

Would drink it again: Absolutely NOT

Cost: N/A - from Wine Tasting

Next up we have the two Chianti that were offered. I started to get over the taste of the tobacco after a few sips of water, but it really messed me up for a few minutes. We moved on the the Bella Sera Chianti. This is a pretty common bottle to find in most chain style or inexpensive Italian Restaurants.

It has a full taste of cherries and spices, a medium feel to the palate, with medium tannins and quite acidic. Overall this is a standard Chianti, but I'd probably choose a Gabbiano or Banfi bottle before I pick this up. 

Name: Chianti

Vineyard/Winery: Bella Sera

Grape: 100% Sangiovese

Vintage: 2009

Dominant notes: Cherries, Spice, Vanilla, Tannins.

Would drink it again: If it was the only option.

Cost: N/A - from Wine Tasting

Last up for the wines we tasted was the Castello D'Albola Chianti Classico. This wine I found to be very interesting. The funniest part of it was that the first taste that you got on your palate was a piece of toast. It literally tasted like a piece of bread. After the bread flavor settled, then you could taste the other flavors, a slight hint of violet, and dry sweet fruits. It was definitely my favorite of the reds that we tasted this afternoon.

Name: Chianti

Vineyard/Winery: Castello d'Albola

Grape: 95% Sangiovese, 5% Cannaiolo

Vintage: 2009

Dominant notes: Toast, Violet, Sweet Fruit.

Would drink it again: Yes

Cost: N/A - from Wine Tasting

After the wine tasting we walked around and tried out a few other of the good eats that were available including Sicilian style Pizza, Italian Ice, and pastries from Dolce Sicilia Bakery. If you haven't tried out this bakery, I highly recommend it. The cookies and pastries were delicious and some of the most Italian tasting pastries I've had in the US.  You would have thought we were in Boston, not Colorado. Very yummy. My favorite item, which I ate too fast to take a picture of was the pistachio cannolo (Yes with an O because I only ate one).  The lady making them was filling them at the back of the tent, so the shells were perfectly crispy. Never wait to eat your connoli. They will get too soggy. I was a little sad that I missed out on the gelato, but I was too full to enjoy it.

It was a very fun filled day and I really enjoyed myself. It was really fun to get to see the different places around town to get some great Italian food and support some smaller family-owned companies. If you missed out on the Festival Italiano, be sure to look for it next September out at Belmar. They've been having this for a few years now, and there is live music, cooking demos, wine tastings, and bocce tournaments. It was great fun! Check it out!

Up tomorrow on the blog: Saturday's dinner at my all-time favorite restaurant in Colorado. 

Weekday Morning French Toast

This was a genius idea! I got a subscription to a cooking magazine from somewhere... not sure how, it just started showing up one day. So if you got it for me thank you. The magazine is Cuisine at Home, and it has this great section in the front which is filled with tips from readers.

Some of this month's tips included:
Storing cupcake liners in a tennis ball canister so they don't get crushed. Love this idea.

Holding an onion that you are cutting with a corn cob holder so that it doesn't move around the cutting board, those onions can be hard to hold!

But by far my favorite idea was this: When making french toast, make the ENTIRE loaf of bread into French toast, then, insert any left over pieces in the freezer. Then on your weekdays when you have almost no time to eat breakfast, let alone a breakfast that is hot and delicious, you pull out a few pieces and reheat them in the microwave or toaster.

Here I used french baguette slices from Panera. The girl at the store dumped a few slices of the first loaf that she cut on the floor, so she gave me a whole other baguette for free. So I ended up with a lot of bread.

I LOVE french toast, and while the best bread to make it is Boudin bread from San Francisco's long standing, world-famous bakery, but this is a good substitute.  They turned out really well.

Here is my recipe for good French toast batter:

1 egg for every 1/3 cup of milk
(increase or decrease depending on how much bread you are coating. This took me 4 eggs and 1 1/3 cup of milk)
1 Tablespoon of vanilla
Pinch of Salt
Pumpkin Pie Spice to taste (be liberal)

Coat bread on each side for at least a minute.
If you don't mind a few extra calories, grease your pan with butter.

Ahh well. Have a good morning. And have some French Toast on your Wednesday. I know I will. :)