Fire When Ready: Carelli's Ristorante Italiano

Greg Carelli, the owner of Carelli's Ristorante Italiano, is an architectural artist as well as a restaurateur, and every few years he adds a new "wing" to his place in Boulder. And the most recent, dubbed the Osteria and unveiled this month, is a doozy: a bigger and better bar...

By Patricia Calhoun

July 25, 2008

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Greg Carelli, the owner of Carelli's Ristorante Italiano, is an architectural artist as well as a restaurateur, and every few years he adds a new "wing" to his place in Boulder. And the most recent, dubbed the Osteria and unveiled this month, is a doozy: a bigger and better bar (complete with a giant, custom-made LED pendant suspended from the ceiling) and an intimate new outdoor patio area, with an outdoor fire pit and comfy seating on pillows and cushions.

Tonight, the Osteria will be the setting for a special, after-concert party following the regional premiere of Mark Grey's Enemy Slayer: A Navajo Oratorio, at the Colorado Music Festival. But whether you stop by Carelli's to toast that performance or just to enjoy another beautiful summer evening, this new patio is certain to be hot -- even before the fire is lit at 6 p.m.

Carelli's Ristorante Italiano 645 30th Street, Boulder 303-938-9300 www.carellis.com Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday, 4-10 p.m. Saturday, closed Sunday.

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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