Frasca Food & Wine

Frasca’s reputation as the best restaurant in Colorado is very well deserved. Not only was the food amazing, but the staff were kind and professional, responding with infinite patience to our numerous questions (and occasional bad joke).
We shared the salumi to start, and then went with the four course menu. I think we would have loved to get the multi course chef’s menu (to get that, everyone at the table must order it), but it was pretty heavy on seafood the night we dined there, and I’m one of those finicky people who HATES seafood… so I guess I ruined that for the group. We didn’t ask if seafood courses could be substituted, but I’d doubt that’s an option since the menus are so carefully prepared.
Anyway, no big deal since we all enjoyed our meal very much. It’s definitely a treat (for the waistline and the pocketbook) to dine here, but I’m already ready to go back!

I try, and I’m sure I often fail, to provide a worthy review of what to expect if you visit a location I’m reviewing. In this case, I’m not sure words can paint a picture of how absolutely floored I was when I visited Frasca. It’s all too rare that somewhere delivers so completely on food, beverage, and service. From the sommelier down to the servers, everyone has a visible passion for what is being done here.
I confess to great embarrassment at having lived in Boulder for years and having not made it here, but I will absolutely make it back. My girlfriend and I enjoyed the full Friuli tasting menu, and each course was tremendous — and of course, accompanied by a healthy pour of a complementary wine. The risotto may have been one of the best things I’ve ever eaten.
We’ll absolutely make the trip up 36 to take in a couple of their Monday wine dinners — how could we not?

A consistent favorite, and last night’s dinner was exceptional in all respects. Food, service, wine pairings. All was top notch.

Outstanding dinner at Frasca. The carapaccio, quail gnocchi, and beef with sunchoke purée were out of this world! Got inspired and will make our own buttermilk ricotta tortellini tonight. Service was impeccable and the sommelier helped us find a very close cousin to our favorite Italian wine. If they’d let me into the kitchen, I’d add some fruit (figs or sage poached pears) to the dessert cheese plate and make a blood-​orange-​sangiovese reduction for the cheesecake instead of the nutty sauce. I’d get rid of the plates as the pattern takes away from the beautiful presentation, and the liquor cart gets a bottle of Berta grappa. Perfetto! :)

The menu is fantastic and service was impeccable but the my entire table of four agreed that almost everything we ordered was on the salty side. I don’t think Frasca would have the reputation it does if their food was consistently too salty so I am guessing it was a fluke the one night I went. I hope to be proved wrong the next time I spring for Frasca!

A neatly appointed room. The carpaccio was good. The cocktail was also interesting.
Scallops were great. My black cod was too salty. The ravioli-​like pasta (something like «cjotolan») was also too chive-​y.
I enjoyed it but would not really want to go again. I prefer pizzeria locale next door.

Expecting a tour de force dinner experience, it was a bit disappointing.
First the kitchen was about ³⁰⁄₄₅ minutes behind so we and about 20 other people were all crammed into the tiny entry/​bar area for that time. However, the clever hostess soon rectified the situation by handing out lite apps and glasses of the most delicious, crispy, fresh white wine I may have ever had. This put everything right again with all waiting.
Once seated, the service was great and the restaurant was warm and comfortable. Service from the kitchen was still off so it took some time for our food to start coming out. When it did it was beautifully presented. The dishes are clearly labor intensive and prosciutto centric.
And there in lies the crux of my disappointment. The dishes that included prosciutto were too salty, and I am a lover of salty. When your paying upwards of $ 250 – 300 or more for the experience you would hope that there is tasting going on in the kitchen so changes can be made before food is presented to the guests.

Loved it here!!! Absolutely amazing meal and the service was exceptional. My only complaint was that my salad was bitter. The rest of my five course meal was fabulous!!! Wish I lived in Boulder and could come here more often but it was a fabulous self treat! And it definitely was an expensive treat so maybe it’s better hat the restaurant and temptation are far away! My favorite was the dessert but wth a different menu every day, that could change.

This place was highly recommended by one of my professors, so a group of 8 of us went for the 8:30 p.m. seating. The party before us was not quite finished, so we had to wait a bit. The restaurant was accommodating, and poured us glasses of white wine while we waited.
The ambiance is charming, with dimmed lights, making one feel that they entered the ski lodge after a long day on the slopes.
Once we were seated, we had «amuse-​bouches» consisting of mini hardened breadsticks wrapped with prosciutto, a potato and cheese baked mixture that resembled a potato pancake, what tasted like arancini bites, and good ol’ bread and salted butter.
We had a 5-​course menu. I had the duck to start, followed by spaghetti with lobster and crab, followed by a dish recommended by my professor, a lasagna. I then continued with the quail for the main dish, and rounded off with semifreddo (chocolate and peanut butter melded together formed into small, ice cream logs, for dessert. We were treated with chocolate meringues and pieces of house made chocolate for dessert.
Gourmet food and an excellent atmosphere.

Best meal of my life, perfect every step of the way. The service team worked together flawlessly, every dish plated precisely. My date loved our main server Audrey for her knowledge and passion about the wine. The pairings were exceptional and it was fun to go back and forth between food and drink to taste how the flavors of both seemed to change within the course of a course. I loved the contrast in temperature of the different elements of each dish and how the components could be enjoyed in different proportion. Killer music for a restaurant of this caliber. We will be planning another trip to the area just to visit Frasca again. I’ll never forget that first bite of prosciutto, polenta, and chive cream.

I’m still convinced this is the best (high end) meal in Boulder. Go for the the Monday night Prix Fixe menu with wine pairings. The pairings are often from a single purveyor and sometimes someone is even there specifically to represent the wines.
You used to be able to sit at the bar and enjoy the charcuterie and a drink casually, but the place has gotten pretty busy as Boulder has gotten wealthier and that’s now quite difficult.
Also a shame about the giant bank building that’s squatting where the patio (and The Harvest) used to be…

Definitely a date night spot. I went with a foodie friend visiting from Chicago and Frasca was at the top of her list. And it was worth it!
Not many tables or turnover since most people seem to stay for multiple courses. Quiet, dimly lit.
Great service, though almost too attentive. Had at least five different people approach our table to check up on us. But the waiter brought us back to the kitchen to check everything out, and show us the chef’s table, as he saw we were curious.
The mushroom risotto was perfection. The Maccheroni alla Chitarra was divine. The wine was unbelievable (pricey, but they let you try anything you want so you’re sure enough to pay $ 16 per glass). All italian wines. Definitely recommend the Dolcetto for any cabernet sauvignon fans looking to try something different.
Quite a few vegetarian options for me, and gluten-​free for my friend that has celiac. Very accommodating and concerned, they were. A restaurant worth trying once for any special occasion.

The most interesting thing about Frasca is the exploration of a food style centered in an area most people probably never knew. With Slovenian and Austrian influences combined with the Italian soil bordering the sea, the menu contains more fowl than one might expect. The lack of dairy pronounced. Interesting vegetable and spice combinations are revealing. The net result is a meal totally unexpected and completely enjoyable.
I sampled the six course tasting menu and have yet been able to rank them 1 to 6. Suffice to say the flavors and combinations will have you equally confounded and charmed. Don’t worry, the next day you will have rearranged their rank and the next day once again. Just go and eat some well prepared food here. If you appreciate excellent food you’ll enjoy Frasca.

After living in Boulder for around five years, we decided that it was time to go to the most talked-​about restaurant in town. I’m glad we did because as a Boulder resident, one really should … but we probably won’t be back.
Don’t get me wrong: this is not a bad restaurant at all (but you already know that from the above-​average amount of stars here on Unilocal). In fact, the service was *exceptional*. Everyone was extremely polite, personable, and knowledgeable. Where this restaurant fell short, unfortunately, was the food.
My spouse and I opted to get the Friulano Tradizionale (the chef’s tasting menu), which is six courses plus a dessert. We love tasting menus, and were curious about this one. The first course featured a polenta cracker with fresh red snapper, and a small shot glass of whipped potato. The polenta cracker/​fish combination was good, but the whipped potato was … off. I mean, I think it could be made at home by putting a stick of melted butter and one potato in your food processor. The texture was just odd; a little too starchy and slimy.
It’s been a couple of weeks since we were there, so I can’t remember all of the courses we had, but a few are still sticking out in my mind:
— Risotto: This was excellent. The waiter brought it to the table fresh in a sauce pan and served us right there. The risotto was lemony and creamy, and featured fresh seafood. This was by far the best course they served.
— Chicken Ravioli in Prosciutto Broth: This dish was … hmm, I don’t want to use the adjective «revolting», but that’s the word my mind keeps going to. It wasn’t the pasta or the broth that was awful, it was the filling. It was like someone had purchased a rotisserie chicken, masticated the breast, and the spit-​out result became filling for the ravioli. Again, the texture was just not «there» for me; I only ate half of a ravioli before it was game over. Even my spouse considered this dish barely passable, and he’ll eat anything.
— Venison Tartare: This was just okay; it didn’t have any flair to it (no seasoning). I think the tartare at Black Cat (though it’s beef, not venison, so perhaps unfair to compare) blows Frasca’s version out of the water. I usually can stomach raw meat, but this was another dish I only ate two bites of because it was just … «ick».
— Pork Loin and Kale: I was excited when the waiter brought this out because it was described as a «house-​made sausage». After tasting the sausage, I didn’t doubt it was house-​made, but … it was raw. Intentionally raw, not a cooking mistake. Oh, man, was it awful! I gave it a nibble to give it a fair go, but I’m shuddering right now as I recall how much it tasted like I imagine the raw $ 2/​lb. ground pork from King Sooper’s tastes. «Well … the kale is good; try that!» my spouse cheerfully said as he ate the remaining 97% of my sausage.
After the so-​so-​actually-​maybe-​not-​so-​good six courses (minus the risotto, which was, as I said, excellent), I thought, «Well, at least we’re getting dessert!» Then, dessert ended up being pretty crummy, too! It was a coffee granita with marscapone that was so non-​memorable that I actually can’t even remember what it tasted like. I do recall that as I was chewing, the adjective «bland» kept coming to mind.
To be fair, I am not a pro foodie like Frasca’s restaurateurs. I’m actually a little ashamed to be posting this review because maybe I am too bourgeois to appreciate chewed-​up chicken and sticky, blended potatoes. Who knows, maybe if I were a wine person I would love this place, but my spouse and I don’t drink. All in all, I didn’t really like this restaurant, which surprised me since I enjoy Pizzeria Locale and I happily patronized Frasca’s Caffé when it was open! I think we ended up paying $ 300 (food + tip); which was kind of a bummer because the food just didn’t have the yum factor you’d expect at that price point. (Or any price point, really … I just didn’t really like it; and you can check my other Unilocal reviews — I’m not a very picky eater!)
If you’re a Boulderite, you should probably go here at least once to decide for yourself whether you like it or not; but my humble opinion is the chef’s tasting menu at Black Cat Bistro is a lot better. Frasca owners, you are clearly doing something right since everyone loves your restaurant — and I genuinely do wish that I loved it, too! But it just didn’t «do it» for me, and that’s alright.

Came to Boulder to drop my sister off college, and my mom and I decided to go out for a fancy Italian dinner for our last night before heading to New York.
Before I start, I just want to say that the service at Frasca was ON POINT. Waitress was very knowledgeable about the fixed menu we ordered from, she even knew the regions of Italy that inspired the menu! Absolutely amazing. The sommelier was also knowledgable of their 50 page wine list! He recommended a nice bottle of white wine (can’t remember the name! Sorry Unilocalers!) that we drank throughout the meal that fit very nicely with our choice of courses.
Now here’s where it gets shakey…
$ 78 for a 4 course meal, not including wine, and the portions were microscopic!!! I think that if we’re going to spend that, the portions should be substantial, and not easy to finish in 2 bites…
and let’s talk about the ambiance. So fancy Italian restaurant and wine bar, rated best classy bar in Boulder, but has Home Depot lightbulbs hanging from an extension chord as a make shift chandelier. And to boot, I got a better view of the emergency exit than I did my own dinner guest. adding a white table cloth to a round table with diner booths and library chairs doesn’t classify elegance!
All in all, Frasca has 3 stars because the food, service, and wine were all spectacular. Truly a taste like you would experience on a trip to Italy. But the owners REALLY need to take a step down off their high horse and lower these prices and raise those portions!

After being rated constantly as one of the best restaurants in Colorado, Frasca has generated a great deal of hype. After eating here, I was left somewhat disappointed in the whole experience. The service is outstanding, but that was about it. The food is good, but not amazing. It lacks creativity and feels like its made for the masses. Because of its own success the restaurant now caters to a large audience and the food feels watered down and safe in order to accommodate everyone. The dining area is loud and uncomfortable, it feels cold, open and impersonal, i was left at the end of a U-​shaped table and spent the whole night being bumped by servers and staff. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience, but I left feeling very underwhelmed and for the price and hype, there are other restaurants which do it better.

Yes, Frasca is expensive, there’s no doubt about it. Worth it?
Enough people must think so because it’s still here! I don’t go often though. I can only afford it for truly special events. It’s really an incredible restaurant, that’s for sure.
The semmelier is top notch, one of the best in the US.
Everything is perfectly prepared!
Service is flawless and none are rude, though this is the rule in Boulder. Rude wait staff just wouldn’t stay on anywhere here, not with all the competition.
Think I’ll have my birthday dinner here. I wish they were open for lunch :(

I need to update my review since today, the owner of Frasca, Bobby Stuckey, called me and we had a small conversation about my review.
First, I must say that I appreciate the fact that he took the time to call me (I can imagine that his schedule is incredibly busy), second, he was very apologetic and made a point to tell me that he wants his customers to have a great experience and that he is constantly trying to improve.
From our discussion, I got the feeling that he tries to pay attention to details, but unfortunately for me, quite a few things went wrong that evening and sometimes, for whatever reason, sometimes things start the wrong way and continue that way.
In the end, my disappointing experience at Frasca ends on a more positive note after talking to its owner and I may go back and give it another chance in the future.

Overly formal and stuffy for my taste. That said, this type of restaurant has its place and Frasca does high end fine dining better than just about everyone in the Denver area.
There are two rotating menus where you make selections from several options for each course. The standard menu I had was good but sometimes bland. The special menu I saw when I was in was a truffle menu for a good chunk more money. The special menu seems a bit gimmicky and just a way for the high rollers to spend more money. Do you really want four courses with truffles back to back? Sounds ridiculous to me.
The service is good and only a little overbearing. The main problem with the army of servers approach is a lot of repetition. Water refilled 10 seconds ago well the other water guy is coming by and is going to pour even more in your glass. Did you want coffee? Did you want coffee? Are you interested in a digestif? Would you care to take a look at our digestifs? The best is when they sweep away the crumbs twice almost immediately after each other. Guess the first guy didn’t do a very good job.
The plating and creativity are fantastic. The flavors are good but muted. The service is solid but imperfect. I would go back once every few years. While eating here is not like eating at great restaurants in Chicago, New York, or San Francisco, it might bring back some fond memories of the last time you did.

A highly-​anticipated dinner at Frasca didn’t pan out exactly as we had hoped, but it’s fine.
Four of us showed up a little early for our reservation, but they gladly seated us within minutes of our arrival. Shortly thereafter, we all agreed to go with the Friulano Tradizionale taster’s menu.
The meal started out on a really high note, and dwindled as the courses came out.
The Polenta/​Prosciutto and Potato Gnocchi/​Ricotta appetizers were delicious. Texture, sweet, salty… they all worked perfectly.
The Pumpkin soup was also a big hit. It was creamy and flavorful, and we all finished it in seconds.
The Yukon potato/​Soffritto/​Chicken Jus was okay; it didn’t excite our palates as the first three dishes did, but it wasn’t bad either.
We were all pretty disappointed with the Risotto, as the tomato flavor overwhelmed everything in the dish. I finished my plate, but that’s only because I always try to finish my food.
The Rocky Mountain Elk was my least favorite, as the meat was too lean for my liking. It was cooked beautifully, but what can I say… I’m a fat eater.
Finally, the Apple and Vanilla dessert was good, but not outstanding. It was a decent way to end the meal, but we were left longing for more in the dessert.
At its price point, the food deserved 3 stars in my opinion; it had some hits, but it had its misses. But the service was OUTSTANDING from top to bottom, and I had to give them an extra star for that. I rarely see service like that, and it definitely left an impression on me.