Short Stop: Don't Miss the Pasta at Point Easy

What: Point Easy

Where: 2000 East 28th Avenue

When: Open 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, and 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

For more info: Visit pointeasydenver.com
About the place: Last June, the former Whittier Pub space reopened as a completely transformed, bright and airy restaurant called Point Easy, from owners Andy Bruch and brothers Dan and Dennis "Denn" Phelps. It impressed us from the start, serving food that we dubbed "destination-worthy." Sadly, Denn Phelps, the man behind the menu, passed away unexpectedly three months after the doors opened.

Since then, the team has continued to carry on his legacy, and Point Easy now has a new executive chef. Carlton Halaby is a Colorado native who started his career slinging calzones at D.P. Dough in Boulder. Since then, he's risen through the ranks, working at Central Bistro and the Kitchen Boulder before moving to New York City, where he landed a gig as the executive chef at Otway and was the sous chef at Blanca, a two-Michelin-star restaurant.

The menu at Point Easy changes regularly to highlight what's in season, and Halaby will soon launch new spring items. But he's already made some fresh additions, including a pan-seared bavette steak with bone marrow XO sauce ($39) and Colorado trout with salsa verde ($31), both of which are in the large plates section of the menu. There's also a crowd-pleasing pork loin picatta ($27) with capers, lemon, umami mayo and ramps, which won't be in season much longer.
What you're eating: Don't miss the pasta. While Point Easy's menu is mostly made up of small plates, all of which are tempting options, there is also a pasta section. "I keep thinking I'm going to take some of them off the menu, but they're just so good," Halaby noted during our recent dinner visit.  And he's right. We tried three of five current pasta options that evening, and all were hits.

The 'nduja mezzaluna arrived first. At $17 for four of the delicate, stuffed pasta packages, it's on the pricey side, but each bite was memorable, with the spicy sausage mingling with sharp pecorino sardo cheese and brightened by a touch of orange zest.

A generous portion of cacio e pepe risotto ($21) was a throwback to the bowls of orzo with Parmesan and black pepper that I basically lived on as a kid, but way, way better. The simple flavor profile was executed with perfect balance, and I've been dreaming about the dish's silky texture ever since.
The favorite, though, was an item that's become a staple on the Point Easy menu: rabbit pappardelle al bianco ($31). The wide, handmade pasta noodles held tender braised rabbit — a protein that doesn't get enough play these days. Walnuts lent texture, and a creamy mascarpone added a luxurious creaminess to the dish, which came topped with plenty of grated Parmesan.

And there's good reason to go back for another pasta dish — in honor of Denn, the restaurant is donating $1 from every Creste di Gallo Bolognese it sells to the Colorado Grain Chain, a nonprofit with which the late chef worked closely.

From the cocktails to the desserts to the thick-cut French fries, Point Easy was a pleasure from start to finish — and our pasta cravings have yet to subside.