Il Fornaio

Founded in Milan, Italy, in 1972 as a baking school, Il Fornaio is a national chain offering upscale Italian cuisine and an extensive dessert menu. The Colorado location, in the Denver Tech Center, has a roster that features wood-fired pizzas, fresh pastas made in-house daily, rotisserie meats and, of course, plenty of baked treats. Il Fornaio's crostini di polenta was voted “Best Fried Polenta” by Westword in 2005. Locally, the restaurant offers catering, online reservations and gift cards; find products such as cookbooks, wines and imported Italian sweets for purchase on the company website.