It's a Date

A A A Comments By Kyle Wagner Thursday, Jul 2 1998

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The ravioli ($12.95) fit right in, though. A plateful of sizable pasta squares had been filled with bits of roasted duck, oven-dried tomatoes (they were a little soft and light to be sun-dried, as the menu promised) and mascarpone, then smothered in a saffron cream sauce. Just shy of being too luxurious, the disparate flavors--sweet duck, tart tomatoes, rich cheese--were well-matched to the mellow sauce. My only objection was a personal one: I like all of my pasta al dente with the exception of ravioli, which makes a wall in my stomach when it's not cooked enough. And this wasn't.

Like the duck, the roasted chicken ($12.95) benefited from time spent on Il Fornaio's big wood-fired grill. Half a bird had been marinated in lots of lemon, then cooked until the skin had just begun to blacken and everything was imbued with that sharp lemon tang. A wonderful side of sauteed spinach and a not-so-wonderful side of Tuscan white beans (they weren't cooked enough) rounded out the plate.

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Il Fornaio

1631 Wazee St.
Denver, CO 80202-1313

Category: Restaurant > Italian

Region: Downtown Denver

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We finished off the meal with a slice of flourless chocolate cake ($5.25), which turned out to be the typical too-heavy-and-dense version, with a good chocolate flavor but no real distinction. But the affogato al caffe ($4.95) was delicious, even though the espresso completely overtook the white-chocolate ice cream.

All in all, I'd say the food at Il Fornaio and Sostanza is about a tie. Maybe it's Il Fornaio's distinctive atmosphere that keeps people coming back here--and keeps them from trying Sostanza. Given the choice, I'd probably return to Sostanza, where the staff was so much warmer and the surroundings less overwhelming.

I'd go for the grill you left behind.

Sostanza, 1700 Wynkoop Street, 292-4682. Hours: 5:30-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 5:30-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday.

Il Fornaio, 1631 Wazee Street, 573-5050. Hours: 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday; 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.

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