Barolo Grill Goes Casual With LoHi Project

Avanti Food & Beverage is getting a new hot tenant: Chow Morso. Brainchild of Ryan Fletter of the iconic Barolo Grill, the casual eatery will bring Italian street food to the first floor space that is still Bixo Mexiterranean Bites. Fletter's partners in the venture are Darrel Truett, executive chef at Barolo, and Don Gragg, who worked at Barolo at its inception and has since worked at nationally recognized restaurants including Chez Panisse in Berkley, Calif. and Gramercy Tavern in New York City. At Chow Morso, Truett will serve as executive culinary director and Gragg will lead the Chow Morso team as executive chef.

"Avanti is all about 'developing a concept' and fine tuning it in a small collective space, so it's the perfect setting to launch Chow Morso," said Fletter. "The platform allows us to be creative and pivot as needed to make sure our ideas are working and guests are happy. Avanti's restaurant incubator platform is a perfect training ground without the enormous risk that goes along with a brand new brick and mortar space."

What's on the menu? Small and larger plate plus a create-your-own pasta option. There will be lightly fried calamari skewers and polenta fries and savory puff pastry doughnuts wrapped in prosciutto, among other dishes. Everything on the menu comes in ‘Chow' (large) and ‘Morso' (small) portions. Everything on the menu is under $15 and many vegetarian and gluten-free items are available.

Chow Morso will serve from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.