Frank Bonanno will open a French-American comfort food restaurant

Back in late March, we reported that Frank Bonanno was in the market for a new restaurant. The chef/restaurateur, who already operates four Denver restaurants -- Bones, Osteria Marco, Mizuna and Luca D'Italia -- said he was "looking for something we can buy, the right opportunity. We've made offers on...

By Lori Midson

May 7, 2010

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Back in late March, we reported that Frank Bonanno was in the market for a new restaurant. The chef/restaurateur, who already operates four Denver restaurants -- Bones, Osteria Marco, Mizuna and Luca D'Italia -- said he was "looking for something we can buy, the right opportunity. We've made offers on some, but could never agree on pricing. It's not a great economy. I think commercial real estate hasn't begun to feel the woes they're going to feel. Real estate has not bottomed out. And lending is part of it. It's really, really hard to get money."

But Bonanno apparently scored the dough, because later this summer, he'll introduce a new French-American comfort-food joint, which will be the first feed house in his culinary kingdom that he'll own, rather than lease.

"This is a restaurant that will bring us back to our food roots," says Bonanno, describing a menu that will feature housemade sausages, including veal brats with choucroute, plus a half dozen pates, carnitas enchiladas, barbecued wild salmon and a cocktail program developed by Osteria Marco mixologist and Bonanno Concepts beverage director Adam Hodak.

And nothing on the menu, promises Bonanno, will surpass the $20 mark.

Bonanno is playing the geography card close to his chest, but according to his PR handler, Campbell Levy, the space is "currently a biker bar" that requires a "huge transformation." We'll invest a wild guess and bank on Bonanno's dollars being sunk into a spot in northwest Denver.

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Westword has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.