Tavernetta: La vita Italia a la Denver!
La vita Italia. Long live Italy, and in our case, Italian cuisine. If it seems like I tend to enjoy a very specific type of cuisine, don’t worry. I have many more spots to share with all of you. Following our fantastic experience at The Cooper’s Lounge, we headed over to Tavernetta for dinner. Both the GM and wine director were out due to various family events, but Ms. Hanna did stop by, and I got to talk with her for a little while which made our already amazing night even better.
Now onto our dinner. A big thanks in advance to all the chefs and staff for fantastic service! We started with a classic fritto misto. It was perfectly fried, and had a sauce that I could have bathed in. The dish featured prawns, calamari, fantastic market fish, a spicy aioli, and just enough lemon juice to awaken the palate. Our other appetizer was a light and airy crudo featuring Maine diver scallops, rhubarb, Sicilian pistachio, and espelette. It was a perfect balance of sweetness, acidity, fat, and nuttiness.
Eric wound up ordering a delicious bottle of red, an Etna Rosso from Benanti vineyards. It paired very well with all our dishes, especially my fantastic entree. Let me tell you about our entrees! They were freshly made, hand cut pasta’s, with amazing flavor profiles, and the perfect portion! I had the tagliatelle with Maine lobster, Calabrian chili, preserved tomato, and celery that still had that perfect crunch. Eric ordered the paglia e fieno with rabbit ragu, mint, and parmigiano reggiano. Dessert capped off our night with two different Amari, and a spectacular millefoglie. It’s a cake made out of the thinnest crepe, chocolate, cream cheese, and caramel gelato.
If you haven’t been to Tavernetta in a while, or just haven’t had the chance to go, highly recommend stopping by! They have a happy hour, are less than a five-minute walk to the Union Station E Line, and well worth a visit. Salute!
