Chicken Parmiggiana in the shape of a pizza? Check. Uni-baked scampi? Check. A cocktail menu that includes a nitro-powered Negroni? Check. Quality Italian is gearing up to open the doors to its Denver outpost in the next few weeks and if the preview of the menu is any indication of what is to come, Cherry Creek diners are in for a treat.
The restaurant, set at 241 Columbine in the Halcyon Hotel, is the brainchild of Michael Stillman, founder of Quality Branded, a company whose portfolio includes Quality Meats and Smith & Wollensky. Designed by AvroKO, the design firm that restored Denver's Union Station, Quality Italian aims to be a contemporary version of an Italian-American steakhouse.
Chef partners Scott Tacinelli and Angie Rito designed a menu that uses seasonal and locally sourced ingredients, which, in Denver, will be executed by chef Franz Hueber, most recently executive chef of Boulder's Salt Bistro. Highlights of the menu include dry-aged porterhouse agnolotti, clams & shells with pepperoni ragu, veal filet Marsala nero, and a spicy crab panzanella.
"The goal of our Quality restaurants is to provide a modern steakhouse experience that speaks to current dining tastes, but remains rooted in traditional hospitality," Stillman said. "Denver is such a relevant and engaging food town. There's a lot of energy and excitement around the restaurants in Denver and we are excited to be part of it and to be bringing the Quality family West."
When it opens, the new venue will accommodate 125 guests for weekday lunch, weekend brunch and dinner nightly. A seasonal outdoor patio will accommodate 20 guests and a semi-private dining room seats 30.