Frasca Food and Wine

This sleek restaurant is set in the heart of downtown Boulder on a charming street lined with shops and restaurants. All are treated as special guests here, where the cooking is Italian, but in a hyper-specific way: it's the food of the northeast Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. You'll find pasta and seafood on the prix fixe and tasting menus, but Slavic and Alpine elements also appear. Focused and distinct, the menu might showcase a lesser known part of Italy, but the ingredients are clearly Coloradan. The plates are beguiling with a minimal, straightforward approach, as in cjalson, half-moon fresh spinach pasta pockets filled with an English pea and potato purée. Save room for dessert, like the beautifully arranged goat cheese semifreddo.