For my last evening in Colorado, I wanted to go out with a bang. That led me to Frasca in Boulder, a Michelin-starred and James Beard Foundation Award winning restaurant.
"This sleek restaurant is set in the heart of downtown Boulder on a charming street lined with shops and restaurants. All are treated as special guests here, where the cooking is Italian, but in a hyper-specific way: it's the food of the northeast Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. You'll find pasta and seafood on the prix fixe and tasting menus, but Slavic and Alpine elements also appear. Focused and distinct, the menu might showcase a lesser known part of Italy, but the ingredients are clearly Coloradan. The plates are beguiling with a minimal, straightforward approach, as in cjalson, half-moon fresh spinach pasta pockets filled with an English pea and potato purée. Save room for dessert, like the beautifully arranged goat cheese semifreddo," reads the Michelin website.
The quattro piatti menu is a fixed price ($140) menu consisting of four courses. In each course, there are a few options to choose from.
I started with a delicious hunk of bread that had some slight funky, cheesy flavors and a full-fat butter that was warmed.
Next up is a small amuse-bouche from the chef; a palate awakener of fresh greens and petals.
Antipasti - Fiori di zucca: squash blossom, ricotta, zucchini
Primi - Chitarra: squid ink, clam, sepia, spring onion, caper, cherry tomato
Secondi - Terre e mare: halibut, chanterelle, polenta, corn, shellfish brodo, summer truffle
Dolci - STRATI DI TONKA, guava eolivello Spinoso: tonka parfait, guava sorbet, buckthorn, vanilla gelato, semolina
Every single course here was a home run. From bright and fresh flavors to salty, indulgent pastas and umami-rich truffle with more umami foam. Delightful.
Grade: A
