Lucia, an Italian Restaurant, Comes to Downtown From North Carolina

A new Italian restaurant is coming to downtown Denver. Lucia, a concept from North Carolina's Urban Food Group, is currently under construction at 1550 17th Street. That's right between Common Grounds and Rockmount Ranch Wear, in case you're having difficulty envisioning to location, which was not previously a restaurant. The block...

By Mark Antonation

January 12, 2016

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A new Italian restaurant is coming to downtown Denver. Lucia, a concept from North Carolina's Urban Food Group, is currently under construction at 1550 17th Street. That's right between Common Grounds and Rockmount Ranch Wear, in case you're having difficulty envisioning to location, which was not previously a restaurant. The block doesn't immediately spring to mind as a destination for diners, but BD's Mongolian Barbecue, Back Country Delicatessen and McCormick's Fish House also reside there.

Urban Food Group currently operates several other restaurants in the Raleigh-Durham area, including two Vivace Italian eateries and one other Lucia, which offers an upscale menu formatted with traditional antipasti, insalati, primi and secondi sections as well as a list of wood-fired pizzas. This will be the group's first restaurant outside North Carolina.

We also reported earlier on a pizza chain coming to Northfield from North Carolina, and while we love Italian food, we're hoping that the next North Carolina natives heading to Colorado will set up a traditional whole-hog barbecue joint here.

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Mark Antonation is the former Westword Food & Drink Editor. In 2018, he was named Outstanding Media Professional by the Colorado Restaurant Association; he's now with the Colorado Restaurant Foundation.

Contact: Mark Antonation

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