Review Preview: Lou's Food Bar

Frank Bonanno has built a formidable empire in Denver over the last decade, expanding out from his original spot, Mizuna, into Luca d'Italia, Osteria Marco and Bones. Last year, the restaurateur gave the city two new concepts: Green Russell, a speakeasy in Larimer Square, and Lou's Food Bar, a roadhouse...

By Laura Shunk

May 10, 2011

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Frank Bonanno has built a formidable empire in Denver over the last decade, expanding out from his original spot, Mizuna, into Luca d'Italia, Osteria Marco and Bones. Last year, the restaurateur gave the city two new concepts: Green Russell, a speakeasy in Larimer Square, and Lou's Food Bar, a roadhouse concept with French influences that took over a grimy bar on West 38th Avenue.

I've been a fan of the Bonanno restaurants for a long time, celebrating special occasions at Mizuna, frequenting Osteria Marco on weekends and making regular stops at Bones, which is one of my favorite restaurants in the city. So for this week's review, I headed to Lou's, eating my way through spaghetti and meatballs and fried chicken supplemented by charcuterie, sausages and escargot.

Did Lou's Food Bar rise to the high level set by its Bonanno predecessors? Find out tomorrow when the review is posted here.

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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.

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