17 NOVEMBER 6-12, 2025 westword.com WESTWORD | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | Fancy Fungi WHITE TRUFFLE SEASON HAS ARRIVED IN DENVER. BY ANTONY BRUNO Year-end expenses can add up quickly. There are ski passes to buy, holiday gifts to plan for -- and this year is particularly tough for those facing food insecurity with the interruption of SNAP benefi ts (and for federal workers, paychecks), thanks to the ongoing govern- ment shutdown. Ironically, it’s also the time of year that the most expensive ingredient to hit restau- rant menus becomes available: the elusive white truffl e. If that’s a luxury you can afford (after fi rst contributing to meal assistance programs for the less fortunate), several Denver-area eateries have released the dates of their annual truffl e dinners and à la carte truffl e availability. Truffl es are a fairly common on menus throughout the year, typically taking the form of the less elusive (but still pricey) black truffl e. But come fall, restaurants have the opportunity to get their hands on the far more rare (and even pricier) white truffl e. And the difference between the two is, well, black and white. The most obvious difference is the price. Black truffl es are typically available for about $600 a pound. The same weight in white truffl es runs closer to $4,000. (That’s a no- table increase from the $2,500 reported in 2018.) Why are white truffles more expensive than black truffl es? For starters, they are completely different breeds — not just different colors of the same plant. Black truf- fl es are far more resilient. They can be grown year- round in many locations, and are even cultivated in some instances. As a result, restaurants can procure black truffl es from multiple purveyors. What’s more, their thick skin allows for a relatively longer shelf life. White truffles are far more rare, growing only in their native region of Piedmont, Italy. They cannot be cultivated, so suppliers must rely on foragers who harvest them by hand in the wild. They’re also more delicate, requiring great care to store. And their short shelf life gives chefs only a few days to use them before re-upping for another batch. That last point is why Denver restaurants schedule very specifi c white truffl e dinner dates, so they know exactly when their al- lotment of truffl es will be used, and for how many people. At $4,000 a pound, waste is not an option. “There’s a high limitation to procuring a white truffl e, and they’re incredibly fragile,” says Barolo Grill owner and wine director Ryan Fletter, noting that staff must weigh the white truffl es nightly, wrap them in napkins, and then store them in an airtight container, wearing special gloves the entire time. “For us, the pressure valve is quite high. It’s nail-biting to or- der them, get them shipped to us at the right time, preserve them, and execute them immediately, then get another shipment in.” Between the price, the in- convenience and the risk, you might wonder why restaurants even bother. But then, of course, there’s the most important factor: the taste. What do white truffl es taste like? Now, there’s nothing wrong with black truffl es. They have a wonderfully nutty, rich and deep fl avor not unlike mushrooms, but more elevated and earthy. White truffl es are far more refi ned, with a softer and more delicate fl avor that’s almost garlicky and cheese-like. And while lighter, their aromatic quality is fi ve to ten times that of their black truffl e counterparts. As a result, you don’t really “cook” a truffl e. The most common use is simply shaving them over prepared dishes — the fattier the better. “Things with eggs, mushrooms, cheese for sure,” says Barolo Grill chef Darrel Truett. “Pas- tas are always great. Just butter and lots of fat and rich foods. They go really, really well with raw meat or beef. When I’m making a menu, I have to have vegetable dishes. So sunchokes and root vegetables like carrots and celery root. With seafood, they go super well with scallops.” Taken together, the cost of white truffl es combined with their application on rich and fatty foods and the short-term availability at the end of the year make white truffl e dinners an ap- propriate kickoff to holiday season indulgence. Where can you eat white truffl es in Denver this fall? “It’s an exciting time of year,” says Fletter. “It’s a celebratory thing, and also a ritual for us in the neighbor- hood and the community, because it’s part of Italian cuisine. If you were in Italy right now, any chef is show- ing off their white truffl es and having a really good time with them. And so it’s a nice way to just connect everybody to that part of the world.” Perhaps that’s why you’ll mostly fi nd Italian restaurants hosting truffl e dinners in the coming weeks. Barolo Grill has held an annual truffl e dinner for over twenty years; the next one takes place on November 10. For $695 per seat, guests will enjoy an eight-course, truffl e-forward dinner (including both black and white va- rieties) with wine pairings — tip included. While the full menu remains in fl ux, chef Truett hints at a truffl e egg custard, raw veal crudo and lots of pasta. Meanwhile, Boulder’s Michelin-starred Frasca is hosting what may be the most ex- pensive meal of the year. Its white truffl es and Barolo wine dinner on November 20 and 21 is priced at a whopping $1,598 for a seat. The event begins with a canapé re- ception and glasses of Krug Grand Cuvee Champagne. White truffl es will be shaved tableside for every course served during the evening, and the food will be paired with a lineup of benchmark Nebbiolo. Restaurant Olivia follows with a fi ve- course, truffl e-based tasting menu on No- vember 22 at $350 a person, with an optional wine pairing; details on that menu are pend- ing. Finally, Tavernetta Vail, a Frasca sibling, is getting in the game with a Truffl e and Barolo dinner on December 11 for $999, featuring such dishes as a truffl e egg and a fontina cheese raviolo with white truffl e. For those looking for a more “entry-level” way to enjoy white truffl es this season, sev- eral restaurants offer the option of simply adding shaved white truffl es to any dish. At Barolo, the add-on is $95 for fi ve grams for the week starting November 10, dubbed Truffl e Week, when the restaurant will also eature other off-menu truffl e specials. Jo- vanina’s Broken Italian is also offering truffl e shavings, at $120 per fi ve grams. “It’s the holidays,” says Fletter. “What is very expensive and alluring is also just a special thing. It’s not something you get every day.” Email the author at [email protected]. CAFE FIND MORE FOOD & DRINK COVERAGE AT WESTWORD.COM/RESTAURANTS White truffl es are far rarer and more fragile than their black truffl e counterparts, and as such cost around $4,000 a pound. During Barolo Grill’s Truffl e Week, guests can opt to have fi ve grams of truffl e shaved on any dish for an additional $95. COURTESY OF BAROLO GRILL COURTESY OF BAROLO GRILL
