We indulged ourselves with a birthday celebration at Frasca after not visiting for over four years. Now I recall why we never went out of our way to return. Lovely, tasty food but the portions are... More

We indulged ourselves with a birthday celebration at Frasca after not visiting for over four years. Now I recall why we never went out of our way to return. Lovely, tasty food but the portions are small and overpriced. The room is nice but the table by the windows was cold and drafty. Perhaps I am overly critical given our current financial situation but the experience was not worth the monetary outlay. Pros: yummy Cons: expensive
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My family recently dined at Frasca for a graduation celebration. They were serving a 4-course, pre-fixe menu. The service was good - a bit over earnest, but good. The food, however was bland and... More

My family recently dined at Frasca for a graduation celebration. They were serving a 4-course, pre-fixe menu. The service was good - a bit over earnest, but good. The food, however was bland and lacked the artistry you would expect from such a highly lauded restaurant/chef. The salumi plate could be much more substantial for the price, or at least a party of six should be warned that it is a very small plate. The lobster risotto was tasty, as was the salad with egg and prosciutto. The gnocchi and halibut were cold and very bland, respectively. Overall, my family was disappointed with their experience, especially when we received the bill. We don't mind paying good money for great food, but our experience at Frasca just didn't cut it. There are much better restaurants in Boulder. Pros: Service Cons: Expensive, bland food
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Love it but cant go as much as we'd like at todays economy ;( Wish we could use our eat-4-free dotcomm dining club Pros: Too many to mention Cons: PRICEY for regular visits wish the did... More

Love it but cant go as much as we'd like at todays economy ;( Wish we could use our eat-4-free dotcomm dining club Pros: Too many to mention Cons: PRICEY for regular visits wish the did eat-4-free dotcomm
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The staff and chefs work very hard to make this place a memorable experience. The overflow crowd and smiling patrons at 8:00 PM on a Wednesday made it memorable. However, the food was bland. I... More

The staff and chefs work very hard to make this place a memorable experience. The overflow crowd and smiling patrons at 8:00 PM on a Wednesday made it memorable. However, the food was bland. I got the feeling that the sauces were not made on the same day, which occasionally happens a restaurants that prepare subtle flavors. For the Primi, I had the Stonington Maine Lobster, “Sottocenere” and Tarragon, but tasted no lobster flavor. It was too flaccid. None of the four courses would rate with the top 90% of the fine restaurants that I've visited in Colorado, and not with any that I've visited in the major cities in the U.S. or Europe. That said, virtually all of the diners were truly enjoying themselves, which leads me to believe that either my standards are too high or came on the wrong night. Pros: Nice buzz and happy diners Cons: No separation of flavors, and no excitement in flavor
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We tried this restaurant after the chef won a James Beard award. The menu is fixed price with choices that creatively used seasonal ingredients. The food was outstanding, the dining room is a bit... More

We tried this restaurant after the chef won a James Beard award. The menu is fixed price with choices that creatively used seasonal ingredients. The food was outstanding, the dining room is a bit cramped and we sat next to a party of four that were very loud.
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We used a birthday for an excuse to splurge at Frasca, after having admired the menu and atmosphere from the sidewalk a dozen times. My boyfriend and I were formerly employed at a James Beard... More

We used a birthday for an excuse to splurge at Frasca, after having admired the menu and atmosphere from the sidewalk a dozen times. My boyfriend and I were formerly employed at a James Beard Award-Winning Chef-owned restaurant before relocating to Denver two years ago. However we dine for pleasure not critique and were thoroughly looking forward to a night at the Boulder namesake. I made the reservation a month in advance. When we arrived, the dining room just completed the first turn. We were seated at a tiny two top along the wall, next to an anniversary table who arrived only moments earlier. To two old pros, we immediately thought "why us?" We cringed at the thought of spending our evening at this locale, but couldn't fathom asking if we could change to one of the other open twos in the middle of the dining room. Moments later we were flanked by yet another anniversary couple, and reluctantly accepted our fate. Upon ordering some bubbly, we were ID'ed in the dining room! We understand it's Boulder and a college town, but if you knew our true ages you would agree it was out of line. And of course neither couple on either side was asked the same. It showed youth and inconsistency on both the part of the server and the policy of the restaurant. The best experience of the evening came before we even ordered our meal. The Sommelier's wine recommendation for a bottle under $100 was incredible - both in approach and later in taste. For this reason alone our review gets 3 stars. The pace was somewhat hurried, the food memorable but not remarkable, and our dessert order got mixed up. In the end, there was no mention of the birthday and our check was dropped before we could order coffee. Overall, the service was acceptable but we left feeling unimpressed. Next time we'll drop in without a reservation for seats at the bar. And until then, we'll remain loyal to our favorite place in Denver, Il Posto, on 17th Ave.

by urbanista 1 year ago

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We had dinner at Frasca and as its chef had recently won a James Beard award we had very high expectations and for the most part it met them. The food is incredible and very well cooked and thought... More

We had dinner at Frasca and as its chef had recently won a James Beard award we had very high expectations and for the most part it met them. The food is incredible and very well cooked and thought out and from the fried stuffed squash blossoms to the Potato Gnocci with fresh sweet corn every course just seemed to burst with flavor. The staff gives you a nice warm welcome when you come in and makes you feel welcome. The only down side of Frasca in my opinion is the closeness of the tables which are packed in very tightly and you really can?t get away from hearing everything your neighbors are talking about be it good bad or ugly. If interested in pictures and a full course by course meal description feel free to visit our blog at www.milehigheater.blogspot.c o m Pros: Wonderful food Cons: close quarters
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I took my boyfriend here for his birthday and we were disappointed for a number of reasons. First off, very cramped tables -- we felt like we were having dinner with everyone around us. One... More

I took my boyfriend here for his birthday and we were disappointed for a number of reasons. First off, very cramped tables -- we felt like we were having dinner with everyone around us. One couple even asked to switch tables because it felt like we were on top of each other. I know the space is small, but we've eaten in plenty of other small restaurants that managed to make it comfortable. We did the tasting menu and frankly, nothing was really spectacular for the price... it wasn't necessarily bad, just nothing that made you want to come back. The presentation wasn't even all that great. We felt like we were being rushed, when in a restaurant like Frasca you should feel like you have all the time in the world to enjoy dinner. And the kicker -- I had made sure that they knew it was a birthday and to prepare a little dessert with a candle -- they never brought it over and frankly, I shouldn't have to ask after the fact. We thought this place would be comparable to Barolo in Denver, but boy were we wrong. Barolo is an excellent restaurant with beyond excellent staff who really know the menu/wines and make the whole experience a great one. Not to mention the food there is amazing...would recommend the drive from Boulder, it's worth it.
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We went to Frasca for a dinner. Our expectation was very high. Our food was insipid (I think the chef didn' t have any salt). The value of our food was very low. Now I will call the food " Fru -... More

We went to Frasca for a dinner. Our expectation was very high. Our food was insipid (I think the chef didn' t have any salt). The value of our food was very low. Now I will call the food " Fru - Fru' " . I think the people at Frasca are letting the restaurant go. I was there right at the beginning (about 2 years ago) and the food was very different, consistent and with more value. The wine is well priced, but the server did not have personality. Pros: Wine well priced Cons: food, service
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If you're into atmosphere and service, you won't like Frasca. Horrible accoustics, overbearing wait staff. Don't plan on uninterrupted conversation with your friends. You are sure to be... More

If you're into atmosphere and service, you won't like Frasca. Horrible accoustics, overbearing wait staff. Don't plan on uninterrupted conversation with your friends. You are sure to be interrupted repeatedly by the obnoxious wait staff. Unfortunately, the owner/sommelier is arrogant. Food IS excellent, but portions are tiny. Plenty of other restaurants to try in Boulder or Denver, like Fruition in Denver where the food, service, atmosphere, EVERYTHING is most excellent! Pros: food, though portions are tiny Cons: service, atmosphere, portions
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