60 |^5280 |^ MAY 20^18
REVIEW
worth $25? Well, yes. his red was light
but with a great fruit core, having balanced
tannins, the prune-y bass notes of grapes
grown on hot hills, proper acids in the
Italian style, and none of that bruising oak
that still mars a lot of New World reds.
Tavernetta, however, isn’t perfect. A
dinner for four became a lesson in how
not to serve a $500 meal at the early hour
of 5:30 p.m. he fact that it was the only
time we could snag a table on a Saturday
was not the buzzy restaurant’s fault, but
the need to cycle us out was. Either you
have a seating at 5:30 or you don’t. If you
do, I expect 8 p.m. pacing, unless you’re
charging early bird prices and take a hun-
dred of the $200 Amarone. he sense of
being rushed was subtle, but no less ag-
gravating for that; it was the irst thing my
friends mentioned as we exited.
Still, there were pleasures amidst the
haste of that meal, including a brilliant
(but no longer on the menu) maiale Mila-
nese: a schnitzel-ed bit of Berkshire pork,
fried to a deep brown, served with a lem-
ony sauce and pancetta-infused greens. he
broiled artichoke with crème fraîche and
hazelnuts was a nutty treat. But the batter
on the fritto misto was indelicate, and the
Calabrian chile on well-made tagliatelle
with lobster was recessive. A plate of “ton-
nato”—traditionally, tender veal with a
creamy, slightly gritty tuna sauce—was a
real misire, lacking the essential textural
component of that dish. And dessert was
a double hit, then a miss. A pistachio cake
with lemon curd and brown butter was just
right, and a bowl of amaro-lavored gelato
was creamy but not heavy. he panna cotta
was wobbly, but also oversweet and not
nearly milky enough.
Tavernetta’s smooth approach to
everything from bar snacks to wine, its
hospitality-driven service model (but
for that rushed dinner), and its cozy yet
polished setting all serve to put it in the
front ranks of Denver restaurants, as one
would expect from a
Frasca descendant.
I particularly like
the relaxed approach
to the food—no
tiresome tasting ex-
travaganza here. I
expect the few kinks
will be worked out
and in the meantime
am happy to call
Tavernetta a very
good restaurant with
the potential for
much more. mREVIEW
Find our
Dining
Guide, an
extensive
list of area
restaurants,
on page
128 and
online at
5280.com/
restaurants.HAIR MATTERS.