Known for its outdoor activities and river trails, Denver might seem like an improbable place to find fine Italian food. But Denver restaurants are now crafting a range of rustic, regional Italian food. Its chefs are cooking impeccable pasta dishes, seasonal vegetables, and many styles of pizza and bread. Many of these Denver eateries cater, and the variety will satisfy anyone in need of quick, delicious catering. Here are seven caterers offering the best Italian food in Denver.
1. Garlic Knot Pizza & Pasta Catering (South Colorado Blvd., Denver)
With nine locations across the metro area, this beloved local chain is known for its exquisite New York pizzas. Pies are lightly sauced and showcase a crust pliable enough to be folded in half. While the restaurant is better known for its standard crust, it also shows that good gluten-free pizza is possible. Its menu has a list of top-notch salads, pastas, and entrées like chicken parmigiana. The signature garlic knots are, of course, another can’t-miss item.
2. Marco’s Coal Fired Pizzeria Catering (Larimer St., Denver)
[Marco’s Coal Fired Pizzeria / Instagram]
The coal-fired ovens are the heart of Marco’s, a pizzeria specializing in blistered Neapolitan-style pies. Chewy, hand-stretched pizzas are made using only premium Italian ingredients like Antico Molino Caputo flour, known as the “gold standard of pizza flour,” prized San Marzano tomatoes, and artisan cheeses. Order the catering package called “Park Avenue Pizza Bar” and get six pizzas topped with ingredients like bright pistachio pesto sauce or truffle cream and prosciutto di Parma (dried-cured Italian ham). Salad and dessert are included in the package.
3. Mici Handcrafted Italian Catering (Stout St., Denver)
A popular city haunt, Mici Handcrafted Italian prepares classic dishes that Denver’s eaters love best. Start the meal with some bruschetta bianca, grilled bread dotted with salty Gorgonzola blue cheese and honey. Then move on to items like penne with tomato sauce or the Molto Carne pizza, laden with mozzarella, Italian sausage, pepperoni, and meatballs.
4. SliceWorks Catering (E. Colfax Ave., Denver)
Put SliceWorks on your list of Denver caterers that always deliver on time and assist with catering set-up, too. According to its loyal customers, the Denver eatery also serves up some of the absolute best pizza in the neighborhood. Keep it simple with the margherita, a pizza adorned simply with basil, mozzarella, and tomato sauce. Or, go all out with the bacon cheeseburger pizza. Just don’t overlook other specialties like the penne pasta with creamy tomato vodka sauce or molten-hot eggplant parmigiana.
5. Bruno’s Italian Bistro Catering (S. Monaco Pkwy., Denver)
This family business is renowned for its from-scratch entrées like chicken marsala, shrimp scampi, and linguine with clams. Comfort food classics include baked ziti casserole, with gooey cheese, and lasagna bolognese, with a richly flavored meat and tomato sauce.
6. DiFranco’s Italian Catering (Lincoln St., Denver)
[DiFranco’s Italian / Instagram]
Chef and owner Ryan DiFranco has been bringing an authentic taste of Italy to Denver for the past five years. Start with a round of appetizers—the roasted peppers swell with creamy ricotta cheese, and the delicate crostini toasts arrive slathered in artichoke-cilantro pesto and mushrooms. Entrées, like penne pasta with dried-cured prosciutto ham, are inspired by the flavors of Sicily, the birthplace of his grandmother.
7. The Old Spaghetti Factory Catering (18th St., Denver)
It all began when Guss and Sally Dussin opened the first outpost of this nationwide chain in Portland, Oregon, back in 1969. Almost 60 years later, they’re still using fresh ingredients to make entrées like baked lasagna and silky fettuccine pasta with alfredo sauce. Today there are more than 40 locations across the country. And, like the best Italian restaurants in Denver, it has the old Italian attitude that pasta is not just pasta, but a cure for the hungry and tired.
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