14 AUGUST 1-7, 2024 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | LETTERS | CONTENTS | Tastemakers FRASCA FOOD AND WINE ELEVATED COLORADO’S CULINARY LANDSCAPE WHEN IT OPENED TWENTY YEARS AGO. BY MOLLY MARTIN “We have our mission statement and tenets on the back wall in the offi ce from before we opened, and it’s aged really well,” says Bobby Stuckey, who worked with Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson at the French Laun- dry, Thomas Keller’s renowned California restaurant, before the two left to open Frasca Food and Wine with Stuckey’s wife, Danette, in Boulder on August 4, 2004 — though that date was supposed to be August 6. “I had scheduled two friends-and-family dinners, but after the fi rst one, I realized we didn’t have enough money to do another whole night of free dinners. So I had to call every guest and say hey, you’re still invited — you don’t have to come — but we’re going to open on the 4th because Lachlan and I literally didn’t have enough money to do another free dinner,” Stuckey recalls. A lot has changed since then at Frasca, in Boulder and in the world. “When we looked for this space, it was May 2003, and we got the lease at the end of February 2004. For nine months, there was not a vacant space between [now-closed restaurant] Mateo and 9th and Pearl [streets],” Stuckey says. “I didn’t take 18th and Pearl because I thought, wow, what a great location — it was the only location.” Today, though, there are many vacant spaces in downtown Boulder as businesses continue to struggle in the post-pandemic climate. During their time at the French Laundry, “it had been named the best restaurant in the world twice, and so we wanted to be the number-one neighborhood restaurant in the world,” Stuckey remembers. “And I think we still accomplish that.” A neighborhood restaurant with very fine dining. Over the years, Frasca has racked up national and even international awards for both its food and wine pro- grams (Stuckey is a master sommelier), including earning a Michelin star when the guide released its fi rst Colorado edition last year. But it’s also become an anchor in the neighborhood, a place where countless special occasions have been celebrated and connections have been made. More than a space with four walls, Frasca is a community that’s been built over two decades meal by meal, plate by plate, glass by glass. Along the way, it’s helped transform the local culinary scene, drawing attention to the region and proving that Colorado is a place where fi ne dining can thrive. “We kind of beat to our own drum,” Stuckey says, explaining why Frasca has stayed relevant over the years. Instead of jumping on new trends, “we have the North Star of Friuli,” the region in north- east Italy that guides everything the team puts out. “It takes a lot of self-control and discipline” to stay focused, Stuckey admits, but that’s an essential part of what’s made the restaurant a success. “Our future is in the hands of the same discipline that we’ve spent the last twenty years prac- ticing,” Stuckey says. “And that is, having the team understand our process and what we do, and the humility of how we do it. If we do what we’ve done the last twenty years — get a little bit better every night — I really look forward to the next twenty years.” In honor of two decades of din- ing at Frasca, we reached out to some of its notable friends and alums for their memories. Here are some highlights: “The most enjoyable experience of all that I’ve ever had at Frasca was cooking there [for a guest chef dinner in September 2021]. ... I cook a lot of Chinese food, and one of my dishes for the dinner was a Sichuan classic pairing of poached shrimp and leeks with an intense hot pepper oil. For the wine pairing, Bobby selected a very old Spanish red that was ‘big’ enough for the dish, and before service, since I don’t drink, a young bartender asked me if I wanted to try the N/A pairing. I was eager to, and he began to describe the smoked apple juice-based beverage that he was going to team with my dish. I was stunned. In China, the spici- est foods in many regions are paired with smoked plum juice, my favorite beverage for eating with dishes like the one I was preparing. The young man told me he did a lot of research, including talking to his Chinese grandmother, and eventually came up with this stunning drink. He had worked a month on this drink; lightly fermenting and smoking local apple juice was just the start. That’s Frasca for you. Empowering the whole staff to contribute, devoting time to make one course on one night everything that it can be. Simply perfect.” — Andrew Zimmern, award-winning chef, writer, trav- eler, television host “I was invited to do a dinner back in 2017 as my fi rst (and only) cookbook was com- ing out. Bobby and his team were the most generous and hospitable group of people. The guests, the energy were so memorable. I think often about my experiences as a guest chef and how Frasca absolutely is the standard on how it’s done.” — Kristen Kish, chef and current Top Chef host “I worked in Denver for a few years and had always heard about Bobby’s status as a local icon. Frasca was always on my list as this magical destination. I spent many morn- ings on Zooms with Bobby as we launched the Independent Restaurant Coalition at the start of the pandemic. I was fi rst invited to speak to team Frasca over Zoom during the pandemic, then I was invited to cook with them in the summer of 2021. I have had the opportunity to cook at Frasca twice now, and love the team dearly. I think Frasca is one of the great American restaurants, and I absolutely love the surprises experienced when dining there. The food and hospitality are world-class.” — Gregory Gourdet, James Beard Award-winning chef and author “Frasca is probably the restaurant in America, other than my own, that I feel part of the family. And I have probably done more chef events there than anyone else. I did the fi fteenth anniversary, the twentieth anni- versary, three cookbook dinners, two take- overs at then-Pizzeria Locale (now Pizzeria Alberico) and one takeover at Tavernetta... and that’s just what I can remember. But what started all of it was my wedding. My wife and I got married September 17, 2005, in the afternoon at the Flagstaff House, and that evening, everyone was told they could do whatever they wanted. Frasca was only a year old, so I wanted to dine there, and I had met Bobby a handful of times at Little Nell and the French Laundry, so I wanted to say hi. When I walked in that evening, literally almost everyone who was invited to our wedding was dining there. It was almost as if it was our wedding reception! After din- ner, and after most other guests left, Bobby ended up opening champagne for all of us and staying open extra late. It was like the best after-wedding party ever. That night was the beginning of a great friendship for years to come.” — Marc Vetri, award-winning chef and author “Bobby’s tenure at the French Laundry left an enormous impact. He was a dynamic sommelier and acted with incredible men- toring and hospitality. He transformed our wine program, and in just one year of his arrival, we were honored with the James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine Service in 2001. With his ambitious and caring nature, we always knew he was bound for his own venture. So when Bobby ventured to Denver to co-found Frasca with Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson, it was a moment of pride for all of us. We were eager to see him bring his vision to life — and his vision promised to be nothing short of extraordinary. Witnessing its inception was truly rewarding.” — Thomas Keller, award-winning chef and author “I worked at Frasca from 2008 to 2012. I started out stocking the wine cellar and left as a sommelier. I was trained at every front-of- house position along the way. One of my fi rst weeks as a server was when Frasca reopened and I was taking care of a writer from West- word, in fact. At the time, I was 21 and looked about 12. Bobby thought it would be funny to introduce me as his and Danette’s son. The writer believed it and loved the story. ... From that point on, it’s been his running joke.” — Grant Reynolds, founder, Parcelle Wine in New York CAFE continued on page 15 FIND MORE FOOD & DRINK COVERAGE AT WESTWORD.COM/RESTAURANTS Bobby Stuckey (right) and Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson opened Frasca in August 2004. WILLIAM HEREFORD
