Denver Date Night
I can’t believe I met the man a year ago! We’ve had such a great time together these past 12 months, running, laughing, and savoring delicious food (and life) together. We decided to go back to Barolo Grill, where we celebrated 6 months back in August.
We had no idea that this visit would surpass our expectations in every way. Literally everything was outstanding.
Take a look (but not if you’re hungry!)
All Gussied Up
We got all fancy for the special occasion. I wore this deep-purple Calvin Klein dress with my Franco Sarto flats.
And the man looked handsome in his darkwash jeans, button-up dress shirt with a jacket. Ready to dine in style!
We got to sit in the back room this time, a new part of the restaurant we didn’t even realize existed! Our first table was quite large and situated so that we felt super far away from each other. Thankfully our waiter, JJ, was understanding and switched us to a much cozier spot near this mirror. We’re dorks.
Vino
Prosecco, Barbera, Rose
For our anniversary, Nick made sure they had glasses of Prosecco di Valdobbiadene [Torre Zecchei, N.V. Brut, Veneto] at our table when we arrived. Swoon! It was delicious and bubbly and not too sweet. We also nibbled on their complimentary rosemary bread.
Nick ordered the Barbera d’Alba “Madama” Gianni Gagliardo 2014 Piemonte, and I got the Nebbiolo rose “rosa del rosa” Proprieta Sperino 2015 Piemonte. Both of these wines were absolutely exquisite. Nick knows I’m not crazy about red wine, but after experiencing this quality… I think my problem has just been that I’m not crazy about cheap red wine. 😉
Antipasto
Fritto Misto:
lightly fried calamari, gulf prawns, tempura broccolini & zucchini, grilled lemon crema
This was insane. The shrimp were the most tasty, and in second place came the broccolini. And that lemon cream!
Insalata
Rucola e funghi:
arugula, roasted mushrooms, robiola cheese, cipollini onion purée, sweet garlic crema & banyuls vinaigrette
God, this was amazing, too. The freshest and most organic of argulas, and the mushrooms were so flavorful… not to mention that cheese. I want to recreate this sometime.
Primo Piatto #1
Tajarin ai funghi:
handcut tajarin noodle with foraged mushrooms, parmigiano reggiano
This might’ve been my favorite thing (although Piatto #2 was also divinity in food form). The homemade pasta was al dente and so, so satisfying. The mushrooms were, again, incredibly flavorful. The parmesan cheese and the sauce (which we learned had no cream in it!) was so creamy. Just, wow.
Primo Piatto #2
Risotto aragosta:
slow cooked acquerello carnaroli rice with poached maine lobster meat, saffron & gold leaf
“Oh. my. god. Oh my god, you guys!” (That’s a Legally Blonde the Musical reference, for anyone who doesn’t know.) For some reason, Barolo chefs thought this lobster risotto dish needed edible gold, as if it couldn’t get more decadent. I think I made some obscene noises when I was eating this. At least they know we liked it! It ties with the tajarin ai funghi as my favorite dish of the night (… and my all-time favorite meal, ever).
Secondo Piatto
Bistecca al barolo:
prime manhattan steak, red wine poached fingerling potatoes, roasted baby golden beets, horseradish
We usually don’t eat a lot of red meat, but if there’s anywhere to indulge in a good steak, it’s Barolo. This prime manhattan steak was cooked perfectly medium rare, and it was tender, melt-in-your-mouth amazingness.
Dolce #1
Trio di nocciole:
hazelnut mousse with chocolate génoise and dark chocolate glaçage, hazelnut macaroon, hazelnut sponge cake and tuille
I told Nick before we even got into our Uber for Barolo that my goal for the night was: make it to dessert. (Last time we went, I was so full that dessert didn’t feel like a realistic option.) This time? Two desserts! I don’t think we ate any less throughout the night; I think we’ve just trained our stomachs a little bit better. 😉
Anyway, the first dessert was this delicious hazelnut/chocolate concoction. The mousse was so, so, so good. It really hit the spot.
Dolce #2
Bombolini:
house made donuts with trio of sauces, dark chocolate, strawberry and vanilla crème anglaise
They had us at house-made donuts. And they weren’t kidding. These fresh-out-of-the-fryer giant donuts came out with dipping sauces, of which the dark chocolate was my favorite. When it came down to splitting the fifth one, I couldn’t do it. I’d hit my limit. Nick to the rescue! He washed it down with a little shot of amaro.
In Summary
Well, boys and girls, I have to say that Barolo Grill hit the ball completely out of the park, over the parking lot, to the other side of the street. This was the hands-down best meal I’ve ever eaten in my whole entire existence. For real. Thank goodness Nick and I ran at the park twice this weekend to help digest all of that fuel!
What looks the most delicious to you?
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The Real Life 
Vanessa, since you met Nick, you have a glow! It’s great to see you so happy, congrats on your 1-yr-together Anniversary!
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You’re too sweet! Thank you! ❤️
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Happy Anniversary! Looks like a fantastic night celebrating!
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Thank you, and it was! 🙂
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You two are beautiful together! Lovely food, by the by.
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Aw, thanks, Joss! Glad you stopped by. And yes, goodness, that food was AMAZING.
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Congrats on y our first year. That stage is always the best in a relationship, being able to experience so many new things together….don’t let that go!! 🙂
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Doing my best! Although this guy makes it easy 🙂
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It would be a toss-up between primo piatto 1 and 2. But everything looked amazing! So glad you enjoyed yourselves!
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It’s got to become a tradition!
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The bombolini looks bomb!
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They were BOMB
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