The first time I visited Denver, I was an 11-year-old on a family vacation. Back in the late 1970s, Denver was something of a culinary desert. My only food memory was eating a Denver omelet, filled with diced ham, green peppers, onions, and cheese.
My father couldn’t wait to try a Coors beer, which wasn’t yet available on the East Coast. Dad was disappointed and decided that the mystique surrounding Coors was fueled by its unavailability, not its flavor profile.
Barolo Grill Embraces the Flavors of Northern Italy
After such an inauspicious start, I recently enjoyed some of the best regional Italian food I’ve ever eaten outside of Italy when I returned to Denver.
I’ll admit I’m a tough customer when it comes to Italian restaurants in the U.S.A. I’ve lived in Rome, Tuscany, and Milan, where I’ve had the privilege of taking a deep dive into Italy’s authentic food and wine culture.
I’ve been to each of Italy’s 20 regions and understand that the food you eat in Sicily has little in common with what you eat in Lombardy.
As you might imagine, my expectations were modest when I booked a table at Barolo Grill.
Founded in 1992 and currently located in the upscale Cherry Creek neighborhood, owner and Wine Director Ryan Fletter joined the team as a busboy in 1994. Today, this comfortably elegant restaurant overflows with his genuine hospitality and passion for Italy.
Executive Chef Darrel Truett’s seasonally-driven menu offers a modern spin on classic dishes from around Northern Italy, with an eye towards the Piedmont region. Geography and generations of rule by the Savoy family give this northwest corner of Italy a dash of Gallic panache that translates directly to your plate.
The Slow Food movement, with its emphasis on preserving traditional foodways and cooking with seasonal products from small-scale producers, has roots in the Piedmont and continues to be a part of the culinary conversation. It’s influence on Barolo Grill’s food philosophy is palpable.
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Barolo Grill’s Tasting Menu
The menu at Barolo Grill changes frequently, according to market availability.
You may order à la carte, though the degustazione or tasting menu’s four courses is a bona fide value at $95.
Prime your palate with the antipasto course. If there’s vitello tonnato on the menu, paper-thin slices of veal tenderloin served with creamy tuna sauce and decorated with a sprinkling of caper berries, don’t hesitate. The Insalata Russa, a potato salad enriched with a lemony aioli, is a crowd favorite.
Next up are the primi piatti, the pasta course. When I dined here this past spring, the sugo di anatra, a hearty duck ragù, was adorned with just-harvested ramps. There’s risotto too, often incorporating a just-picked vegetable.
The secondi piatti include fish, meat, and poultry. Main dishes are prepared simply, letting the quality of the primary ingredients shine. If you’re a meat eater, locally-sourced beef tenderloin and grilled Colorado lamb chops are memorable.
Any dessert you select will be delectable; Chef Truett oversees the pastry program, weaving edible magic into every sweet bite.
The house-made focaccia is so irresistible it’s problematic; I needed to muster all of my willpower to not devour the entire bread basket.
Heaven for Oenophiles
Barolo Grill has been awarded Michelin Colorado's Sommelier Award and the prestigious Wine Spectator Grand Award.
The top-notch wine list, both by the glass and bottle, is inclusively curated to include female, family-owned, and small Italian wineries. The tasting menu has an optional wine pairing for an additional $69 as well as an upgraded pairing for $95.
Red wines from the Piedmont include several exceptional expressions from the Langhe region. My favorite Tuscan red was a Chianti Riserva from Greve-in-Chianti’s Villa Calcinaia with a mature bouquet, aroma of ripe red fruit, and undertones of oak.
When it comes to white wines, choices range from an easy to drink Soave Classico to a biodynamic blend from Edi Keber in Friuli.
An Annual Staff Trip to Italy Seals the Deal
From the moment you enter, a reverence for Italy and its foodways emanates from the attentive staff. This is at least partially due to the fact that Barolo Grill closes its doors annually for a summer staff trip to Italy, when team members are invited to immerse in its food and wine culture, gathering inspiration to bring home and share with diners as they visit wineries, farms, and restaurants.
For example, I was having trouble deciding on which dessert to try. My server Melanie had sampled the delicate Italian honey that was dappled on the cheesecake during last year’s staff trip, so she didn’t hesitate to recommend it. Melanie’s firsthand experience helped to end my evening’s culinary journey on a perfect note.
Denver’s Dining Scene is Dynamic
Beyond Barolo Grill, the Mile High City currently enjoys a dynamic food scene.
Luckily, you don’t have to spend a fortune to eat well. Housed in modified shipping containers, Avanti Food & Beverage is a chef-driven concept that falls somewhere between a European market and a food truck roundup. You may sample everything from pad Thai to corn-based, Venezuelan-style arepas without breaking the bank.
At the Denver Botanic Gardens, you’ll find stunning flora as well as the casual Offshoots Café, where a menu of fresh salads and savory sandwiches lean into local ingredients.
My beer-loving dad would be pleased to see that Denver has evolved into a thirst-quenching craft beer powerhouse with a popular Beer Trail that includes one of my all-time favorite breweries, Bierstadt Lagerhaus, with its German-style lagers.
Barolo Grill is located at 3030 East 6th Avenue, Denver, Colorado.
