DININGOUT PRESENTS

FOODBALL

SPONSORED BT SPOTON

Cattivella

This Denver pasta staple isn’t a stranger to the limelight. Cattivella is a regular recipient of local and national recognition, including a 12-year stint as Westword’s “Best Italian Restaurant in Denver.” Authenticity is key here, and each menu item is a beautifully delicious homage to Italy. At Cattivella, the “exhibition kitchen is the star of the show … and focuses all attention on a wood-burning pizza oven, a wood-burning grill and the graceful dance of the Cattivella cooks.” cattivelladenver.com

Signature Dish:

Pasticcio

Handmade meatballs made with veal, pork, and beef are served with three-cheese tortellini in a slow-braised Bolognese and bechamel sauce, then topped with bruleed parmigiano and served with grilled bread.

Coperta

Brought to us by the acclaimed brother-sister duo Paul and Aileen Reilly, Coperta is a love letter to Southern Italy, honoring the Old Country’s native produce and poultry with tasteful simplicity. The team behind the restaurant describes their work like this: “It is a simple cuisine of sustenance, using only what the earth and sea can seasonally provide — nothing more and nothing less.” copertadenver.com

Road to the Final Four

Defeated Luca and Tavernetta

Signature Dish:

Bucatini all’Amatriciana

Thick bucatini pasta served in a classic red wine tomato sauce and tossed with red onions and house-cured pork belly, then topped with pezcorino cheese.

Spuntino

What began as a simple daytime cafe and gelato shop blossomed into the elegant upscale Italian eatery that is Spuntino. The concept is driven by husband-wife team Elliot Strathmann and Cindhura Reddy and boasts a seasonally rotating menu that offers innovative Italian-inspired specialties served with Old World Italian hospitality. The Spuntino team describes their work as a “unique marriage of reverence for tradition and passion-driven innovation.” spuntinodenver.com

Road to the Final Four

Defeated Voghera and Bar Dough

Signature Dish:

Capellini Aglio e Olio

Hand-rolled capellini pasta tossed in homemade chicken stock demi glace, Corto olive oil, South Indian garlic pickle, butter, and chili flakes, then served with a 63-degree poached egg, black Hawaiian salt, and toasted garlic bread crumbs.

Parisi

This Italian gem came to Denver straight from Florence circa 1997, and it shows. Proud to be one of the first purveyors of authentic Italian eats — like burrata, bresaola, and alici — in Denver, the team at Parisi describes their food as “edible nostalgia.” About their work, they say: “Know that every time you eat something from our menu, there is some story from Italy attached to it.” parisidenver.com

Road to the Final Four

Defeated Il Post and Restaurant Olivia

Signature Dish:

Ravioli di Zucca

Homemade ravioli filled with roasted butternut squash, tossed with sage-infused butter, then topped with a sprinkle of walnuts and a sweet balsamic glaze.