Sneak peek: Boulder's Caffé

On Saturday night, the building at Eighteenth and Pearl in Boulder that now houses both Frasca Food & Wine and Pizzeria Locale was a frenzy of gastronomic activity: Both restaurants seem to have hit their post-expansion stride. And when we stopped by for a little Barbera, we also got a...

By Laura Shunk

February 21, 2011

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On Saturday night, the building at Eighteenth and Pearl in Boulder that now houses both Frasca Food & Wine and Pizzeria Locale was a frenzy of gastronomic activity: Both restaurants seem to have hit their post-expansion stride. And when we stopped by for a little Barbera, we also got a sneak peek of Caffé, the yet-to-be opened member of the trifecta that will feature coffee and panini.

When Pizzeria Locale opened at the end of January, co-owner Bobby Stuckey told us the cafe would follow suit sometime around Valentine's Day. But in the interest of getting the new restaurant dialed in, the crew decided to push the opening date back.

Now, Caffé is close to completion: There's a sign out front, and by the looks of the shelving inside and the custom-made meat slicer, gleaming enticingly behind the counter, the space looks ready to go.

A TV is posted over the minuscule food bar that lines one wall, and it'll be tuned to sporting events like the World Cup and the Tour de France when occasion arises. And a wooden deer head looks down from above the door to the pizzeria, a homage to Italian taxidermy traditions.

That opening is now tentatively scheduled for March 11.

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Laura Shunk was Westword's restaurant critic from 2010 to 2012; she's also been food editor at the Village Voice and a dining columnist in Beijing. Her toughest assignment had her drinking ten martinis and eating ten Caesar salads over the course of 48 hours. She still drinks martinis, but remains lukewarm on Caesar salads.

Contact: Laura Shunk

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