Spencer White, co-founder of Mamas & Papas Hospitality Group, might own three of the buzziest Italian joints in town with Dio Mio, Redeemer Pizza, and Johnny Bechamel’s, but the chef isn’t particularly interested in rigid definitions of Italian food. While diners will find handmade pasta, pizza, and red sauce classics on his menus, they’ll also find dishes like radiatori tossed in a pistachio-miso pesto and furikake, spinach and artichoke-filled picadillo peppers, and pizza pies topped with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
“It’s Italian-ish,” said White. “We’re not scared to do a little twist on top of it every once in a while, or bring in some umami from miso or other interesting flavor profiles from different cuisines.”
Johnny Bechamel’s: Mamas and Papas First Full-Service Restaurant
White runs Mamas & Papas alongside longtime business partner chef Alex Figura and operations director Lulu Clair. The group opened its first restaurant, counter-service pasta joint Dio Mio, in RiNo nearly 10 years ago, and debuted Redeemer Pizza down the street in 2021. Last December, they opened their first full service concept, Johnny Bechamel’s, in the Washington Park neighborhood at 81 S. Pennsylvania St.
For White, the move into full service felt like a natural next step after years of developing recipes and refining ideas across both Dio Mio and Redeemer.
“We just wanted to lean into the expertise we already had,” White shared. “There’s been so much R&D and development between Redeemer and Dio over the years that it just made sense to stay in that same Italian vein.”
The full-service model also allowed the team to lean into a style of dining they personally love, which involves lingering over meals built around shared plates, conversation, and servers guiding guests through the menu.
“That’s why the app section is as big as it is,” he continued. “We really want people to come in and have a bunch of small bites.”
While the pasta and pizza offerings remain central to the restaurant, White says the appetizer section is intentionally the star of the show. The team encourages tables to mix and match salads, snacks, and shared dishes alongside a pasta or pizza or two.
White advises diners to “go really heavy on the apps,” with favorites including the savory doughnuts (pâte à choux stuffed with parmesan cream and topped with prosciutto and aged balsamic), spinach artichoke-stuffed picadillo peppers, hoagie salad (which is basically an Italian hoagie minus the bread), and fried calamari.
The restaurant recently launched an expanded happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. and is rolling out a new Tuesday date-night special.
“We wanted people to come in and have a bunch of small bites,” White added. “That’s the most fun way to eat.”
Path to the Kitchen
White’s path into the industry started far from any grand culinary plan. After high school, he moved to Steamboat Springs hoping to land a serving job so he could spend his days skiing. Instead, during mud season, a restaurant offered him kitchen work until a front-of-house position opened up.
“I got back there and was like, ‘Oh, this is awesome,’” he recalled. “It was a closed kitchen in the early 2000s, flames, knives, everybody cussing. It felt like a pirate ship.”
He fell in love with the craft and the mania that went along with it. Once White moved back to Denver, he found himself in the kitchen at the now-closed Luca d’Italia under chef Hunter Pritchett, whom he still considers one of the most influential mentors of his career. There, he manned the cold station and was responsible for multiple tasting menu courses each week.
“I didn’t really realize how beneficial that was for my cooking career as a young chef, being able to like bang out three dishes a week on a tasting menu,” he said.
Later came stints at The Populist (now closed) and a formative period cooking in Copenhagen at Bror (also closed). The experience immersed him in Scandinavian techniques, foraging, and fermentation, influences that still appear in the Mamas & Papas restaurants today.
Eventually, White reunited with Figura at the ambitious but short-lived Lower48 Kitchen, where the pair realized they shared a similar vision for the kind of restaurants they wanted to open together.
“As young, broke chefs, we were like, ‘Where do we take our girlfriends on our days off?’ We still wanted to eat the same food, but didn’t want to spend a fortune,” White recalled. “That was how the idea of Dio Mio was born. We’re going to serve you the same food that we make at these nice restaurants, but it’s going to be an uber approachable, affordable, and fun counter service vibe.”
Nearly 10 years later, Dio Mio has been recognized by the Michelin Guide for its eclectic pastas that blend Italian technique with unexpected global influences, and the team has a total of three restaurants under their belt.
The Takeover
During the takeover on Thursday, May 28, followers will observe White’s day in the life as the culinary director of Mamas & Papas. White plans to spend most of his time at Johnny Bechamel’s, bouncing between pasta production, prep work, bread making, family meal, and service.
Follow DiningOut Denver’s Instagram stories on Thursday for more details. And be sure to like and comment on the post for a chance to win …
Johnny Bechamel’s is open daily from 4 to 10 p.m. 81 S. Pennsylvania St., Denver, johnnybechamels.com
