Food and Drink continued from page 71 Market’s LoDough Bakery. And it now has a roster of unexpected additions, including the lobster ramen that gained a cult following at Frank Bonanno’s now-closed Bones; pork dumplings served in a gochujang butter; an eclectic playlist; and $1 pours of Prosecco fl owing during happy hour. Best Italian Restaurant Spuntino 2639 West 32nd Avenue 303-433-0949 spuntinodenver.com Dining at Spuntino is like poetry. In fact, Elliot Strathmann, who owns the restaurant with his wife, chef Cindhura Reddy, composes playful poems about Spuntino’s new dishes that he shares on Instagram. The couple has been running the intimate eatery since 2014, and managed to keep every employee work- ing through the pandemic — quite a feat in an era of mass layoffs. Here, hand-rolled pastas and braised meats are the stars, and Colorado- raised goat and creamy arancini have become signature items. At the bar, Strathmann has amassed a collection of Italian amari (some of which he makes himself) that give diners one more reason to linger. Best Pasta Restaurant Olivia 290 South Downing Street 303-999-0395 oliviadenver.com Pasta perfection: That’s what you’ll fi nd at this Washington Park restaurant from the culinary dream team of Heather Morrison (front-of-house hospitality expert), Austin Carson (who heads up the bar) and pasta- making pro Ty Leon. Olivia opened in Janu- ary 2020 — terrible timing for a fi ne-dining establishment. But it made it through the pandemic one lasagna to-go at a time, and now it’s back to focusing on what it does best — which includes Leon in the kitchen folding pasta into intricate shapes for your wonder and amusement. Best Frozen Italian Food Casa Crobu 303-900-8512 casacrobu.com If your idea of frozen food is just Stouffer’s mac and cheese and Trader Joe’s, well, Restaurant Apprentices everything, think again. Some of Denver’s best Italian food is being made by Kelly Crobu and her husband, Mario, a native of Sardinia. The longtime industry pros started selling frozen meals to family and friends as a side hustle, but with ample free time during the pandemic, they of- fi cially launched Casa Crobu in July 2020. All of the food is made in a commercial kitchen, and none of it sits for long, which means the frozen lasagna Bolognese de- livered to your door was likely made the day before — and tastes that way, no matter when you decide to cook it. The Crobus also sell several specialty items, including culurgiones, a Sardinian fi lled pasta that’s a cross between a pierogi, a dumpling and ravioli. Best Old-School Italian Restaurant Gennaro’s 2598 South Broadway 303-722-1044 gennaroscafeitaliano.com There’s nothing innovative about the sev- enty-year-old Gennaro’s, and that’s just the way we like it. From the black-and-white- checkered linoleum fl oor to the weathered wooden bar, every nook and cranny of this joint screams nostalgia. Naturally, that ex- tends to the menu: You won’t fi nd “twists” or “takes” on anything here, just satisfying, stick-to-your-ribs Italian-American clas- sics. Start with an enormous loaf of garlic bread and marinara or fried ravioli for the table, then chow down on the aptly named colossal calzone, Italian sandwiches, pizza or sausage and peppers. The neighborhood atmosphere is bolstered by regular trivia, live music, open-mics and bingo nights. Best Pizzeria Redeemer Pizza 2705 Larimer Street 720-780-1379 redeemerpizza.com ADVANCE and EARN through the Restaurant Youth Registered Apprenticeship (RYRA) program. Cook, Kitchen Manager, or Restaurant Manager. Learn More >> EMPLOYERS m apprentices have an 80-percent retention rate! Interest Form >> Contact Stacy Griest at [email protected] 72 Colorado Restaurant Association Colorado Restaurant Foundation 430 E. 7th Avenue Denver, CO 80203 303-830-2972 corestaurant.org When Spencer White and Alex Figura, the owners of fast-casual pasta hit Dio Mio, started toying with the idea of getting large deck ovens in order to expand their baking capabilities, the concept morphed into a pizza place. Enter Redeemer, which de- buted in July 2021. An entry through the back alley marked by a neon slice sign leads to the slice window, where you can pick up one of that day’s specials: New York- style and thick Sicilian options are both available. In the front dining room, you can order whole pies along with appetizers, wine, cocktails and more. All of the pizza is made on sourdough crust, but Redeemer mixes its artisan approach to dough with classic, craveable components like ooey, gooey, low-moisture mozzarella. Don’t for- get to order sides of both the hot honey and dilly ranch dipping sauce. Best Pizza From a Non-Pizzeria Bar Dough 2227 West 32nd Avenue 720-668-8506 bardoughdenver.com This LoHi restaurant from the Culinary Creative Group is a standout in the fi ne- dining Italian scene, continued on page 74 APRIL 7-13, 2022 WESTWORD | BACKBEAT | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | CONTENTS | westword.com
