In turbulent times, comfort food makes a comeback: That’s common knowledge because it’s common sense, economically and emotionally speaking. The spate of casual pasta joints opening across town in recent months is a perfect case in point. From Florence Supper Club to Johnny Bechamel’s to Boombots, there’s nothing like a good old plate of carbs to soothe the soul without totally wrecking the wallet.
Little Piggy Hospitality Group chef-founder Hosea Rosenberg and his wife-partner, Lauren Feder Rosenberg, couldn’t agree more, which is why they opened Morso in Boulder on June 27. On the one hand, it’s a heartfelt ode to the old-school red sauce parlors found up and down the East Coast; on the other hand, it’s a practical solution to a community conundrum.
Opportunity as Inspiration
The couple already run two other Boulder restaurants, Blackbelly and Santo, and the Denver spinoffs Blackbelly Market and Santo DIA.
“It wasn’t like we had been dreaming up this concept for years and years,” said Lauren. “We have a lot going on and we were very focused on what we were already doing.”
But their friend Kevin Daly, owner of Mountain Sun Pubs, had other ideas for them, not to mention for the space that used to house his pizzeria, Under the Sun.
“Just to get him off my back, I came and looked at it,” recounted Hosea. “And after I toured it with a fresh set of eyes, the light bulb went off in my head. I was like, ‘OK, it’s in a part of town that’s underserved. There are a lot of hungry people in south Boulder who want more mid-priced choices for dinner. There’s a lot of parking here. And it’s sitting here, vacant—with a giant, wood-burning, beautiful pizza oven.”
That was the clincher, not only for them but for key members of their team. After all, Lauren’s from New Jersey and Hosea’s family on his father’s side is from Queens. Little Piggy’s culinary director, Josh Chesterson, and culinary operations director, Arun Astrelis, are both born-and-bred New Yorkers. And beverage director Jason Ruff hails from Baltimore. In other words, they all knew a thing or two about red sauce.
“We all grew up with Italian-American food—not just pizza and pasta but chicken parm and chicken marsala and all these other dishes that we love,” explained Lauren. “And what excited us is that this cuisine really lends itself to our existing ethos, where we can take the simplest ingredients, find the best-of-its-kind tomato and olive oil and so on, and make something delicious and nostalgic that makes people very comforted and happy.”
Morso Menu Highlights
In fact, most guests probably won’t even have to look at the menu to know what’s on it. There are meatballs, of course, and rigatoni alla vodka. There’s linguine with clams and eggplant parm. There’s pepperoni pizza in two sizes, one for the kiddos. And they’re all prepared with personal touches that hearken back to the heyday of Little Italy.
“We’ve got some little bells and whistles in there,” Hosea said of the fried calamari. “Little pickled peppers and lemon slices and basil leaves. For the mozzarella stick, meanwhile, “We tested a lot of different cheeses to find the one with the perfect water quantity, and it’s just a huge, deep-fried piece to share with the table—you can get the cheese pull to go eight-feet long if you do it right.”
Granted, the pizza with sausage and green chiles instead of bell peppers is an exception to the rule of tradition—but, acknowledged the Taos native, “I had to throw a little bit of New Mexico in there.”
For dessert, “the tiramisu is really kick-ass,” he noted gleefully. “We took a research trip to New York City, and we discovered that our favorite versions had really heavily soaked ladyfingers—we were calling it ‘the wetter, the better.’ So we want this to be almost soupy.”
As the proud owner of a brand-new soft-serve machine, he also singled out the vanilla ice cream. Toppings run the gamut from olive oil and sea salt to pieces of panettone, an Italian sweet bread made here with candied orange, dark chocolate, and pistachios.
To pair with it all, Morso’s beverage list doesn’t miss a trick from start to finish. Think seven different Negronis and espresso martinis infused with 24-month-aged Parmesan. Think Prosecco, Chianti, and much more by the glass—all incredibly well-priced at $8–$14—as well as wines by the bottle from across the Boot. And definitely think about a nip of grappa or amaro as a picture-perfect nightcap.
Light, Bright, Just Right
“Under the Sun was very dark and cavernous,” Hosea observed, “and we wanted this to have a soft touch, a more feminine feel.”
Not only is the dining room “100 times brighter than it was before,” in his words, but it’s filled with “white oak everywhere—on the walls, on the floors, the bar”—amid hues of pink, gold, and cream. A banquette, a few plush couches, and patio seating add to what he described as “this cross between polished and down-home,” apropos for date nights, family gatherings, and everything in between.
In short, Morso wouldn’t be out of place among the trattorias and osterias in the very neighborhoods that inspired it. During its soft opening, Hosea recalled, “These two Italian women stopped by and they asked me what region of Italy we were focusing on. I told them, ‘New York City.’”
Morso is open Monday through Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 4 to 9 p.m. 627 S. Broadway, Suite A, Boulder, morsoboulder.com
