We tried the Friulano menu at Frasca in Boulder recently. The atmosphere was quiet, somewhat formal but not quite stuffy. There was a table at the center of the restaurant where the sommelier tasted wines (adjacent to the bar, but oddly not at the bar). Here's what we had:
- Farinata with Squash + Oyster in Saor, Pine Nut, Smoke & Tomato Vinegar + Polenta Puff on Lamb Tartare topped with Cheese: The 3 bites were a fun way to start the meal. We love oysters but the Polenta Puff was the best bite here. A little gritty (in a good way), crunchy, cheesy, savory & meaty.
- Buckwheat Bomboloni Stuffed with Ricotta Cheese + Ossetra Caviar on Creamed Corn: The bomboloni was essentially a warm savory donut that stole the show. The fragrance made our mouths water while our server described the food.
- Same thing, with the caviar spooned in it. The caviar was honestly unnecessary here, but fun.
- Tuna, Cucumber, Pickled Watermelon Granita: Cold, refreshing & herby. This was good.
- Sourdough with Hand Churned Butter: Tasty & they offered us multiple servings. We weren't wowed by it though; we'd had better sourdough that day from a grocery store.
- Risotto with Cheese Foam, Corn Grits & a Black Truffle Bubble: The bubble was fun to pop – black truffle sauce came bursting out. The textures were fun, but the dish was not overly flavorful.
- Potato Gnocchi with Venison Ragu, Cherry & Yarrow: This dish was disappointing. The gnocchi was large & dry. The venison was barely discernable. I guess it was pretty though.
- Duck with Ajvar, Green Strawberry "Olive" & Olive "Caviar": The green strawberry "olive" was pickled & savory and fun to compare with the olive "caviar" bubbles. Duck was decent – the skin wasn't crispy but the meat was juicy.
- Ribeye with Squash, Cherry Tomatoes & Blossoms: Meat tasted great. Squash had very little flavor. I don't remember what that sauce was.
- Peach Sorbet or Ice Cream on Meringue with Sliced Peaches & Lemon Verbena: This was flavorful & the lemon verbena packed a citrus-herby punch. The meringue was a fun texture too. We loved this.
- Strawberry "Tomato" with Soursop, Buffalo Yogurt & Purple Basil: The plating looked a little sloppy to me but boy did this taste good! The strawberry basil flavor was sharp & sweet. The stem was an actual tomato stem so we didn't eat it.
- Same thing, after the first bite.
For $215/person at 1 Michelin Star restaurant, we weren't disappointed but not wowed either. The dishes were small – we barely got full from 2 servings of bread. Some dishes tasted great but didn't look as refined. Some dishes looked great but lacked flavor. The service & ambiance was good, but not amazing. Our servers weren't in a rush but there were many of them & they would serve the dish, give the description & leave. It was good service, but a little cold & impersonal. Overall, we gave it a B-.
by Correct_Detail1280