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Abrusci’s Italian Eatery is well-known to people on the west side of town, who for years have been enjoying the food at the original location at 32nd and Youngfield. It’s a fun, relaxing place where you can always find something from a simple linguine smothered in a tasty tomato sauce laced with beef and pork, to classics like Chicken Marsala. And Abrusci’s was the first restaurant in town, as I recall, to serve gluten-free pasta and pizza.
While many restaurateurs, as soon as they taste success, immediately begin opening multiple locations, the folks at Abrusci’s took their time. So, finally, after all these years, they’ve opened a second location in North Cherry Creek, at the old Campo de Fiore site on Third between Milwaukee and Fillmore. If you recall Campo, it had good food, but felt cramped with a very sterile feel, and it was loud. And I mean loud.
Wisely, the first thing the Abrusci’s folks did was a complete remodel, the most significant change being replacing the hard linoleum tile floor in the dining room with carpet. They added some eye-catching chandeliers, repainted the place with warm earth-tones, and rebuilt the entryway, which used to open directly to the outdoors so that, in winter, every time someone entered or left, a chilling Arctic blast swept through the room. Since this is Cherry Creek, the new Abrusci’s has a more refined look to it than the original store, but it’s far from stuffy and, on the evening we ate there, most diners were casually attired.
The menu, as it’s always been, is fairly straightforward with a nice selection of pasta dishes, some traditional, but many exhibiting a real spark of creativity. So, you can have your linguini topped with a simple marinara sauce, or with a mix of shrimp, scallops, clams and mussels in a spicy red sauce. Beyond pasta, you’ll find Veal Marsala, Eggplant Parmesan and Chicken Piccata keeping company with seared tuna with a balsamic glaze and pine nuts. Prices begin at about $13, and range across the teens. A handful of dishes, like the tuna, break the $20 mark, but nothing is super expensive.
One of the more intriguing menu items is the Baked Ziti of the Day, on this particular day a 4-Cheese Mac-and-Cheese made with tomatoes and basil, and extremely good. We also chose the pork cutlets in a sinfully rich gorgonzola sauce. While both these dishes were great, the thing that stayed with us (in more ways than one) was the bread that accompanied dinner—a chewy ciabatta served with olive oil and a big dollop of pureed roasted garlic for dipping.
A few quick additions to the above. Abrusci’s in Cherry Creek has one of the most delightful patios anywhere, and it was packed on the evening we went. Second, even though they have a Fillmore address, the restaurant faces Third Avenue. Don’t ask. I have no idea. Third, parking is always an issue in Cherry Creek, but is free after 7 o’clock. And, north of Third Avenue everything is always free, so you can most likely find a parking place any time of day within a short distance. Fourth, like the first restaurant, the new Abrusci’s has a complete gluten-free menu for lunch and dinner
Abrusci’s Italian Eatery is well-known to people on the west side of town, who for years have been enjoying the food at the original location at 32nd and Youngfield. It’s a fun, relaxing place where you can always find something from a simple linguine smothered in a tasty tomato sauce laced with beef and pork, to classics like Chicken Marsala. And Abrusci’s was the first restaurant in town, as I recall, to serve gluten-free pasta and pizza.
While many restaurateurs, as soon as they taste success, immediately begin opening multiple locations, the folks at Abrusci’s took their time. So, finally, after all these years, they’ve opened a second location in North Cherry Creek, at the old Campo de Fiore site on Third between Milwaukee and Fillmore. If you recall Campo, it had good food, but felt cramped with a very sterile feel, and it was loud. And I mean loud.
Wisely, the first thing the Abrusci’s folks did was a complete remodel, the most significant change being replacing the hard linoleum tile floor in the dining room with carpet. They added some eye-catching chandeliers, repainted the place with warm earth-tones, and rebuilt the entryway, which used to open directly to the outdoors so that, in winter, every time someone entered or left, a chilling Arctic blast swept through the room. Since this is Cherry Creek, the new Abrusci’s has a more refined look to it than the original store, but it’s far from stuffy and, on the evening we ate there, most diners were casually attired.
The menu, as it’s always been, is fairly straightforward with a nice selection of pasta dishes, some traditional, but many exhibiting a real spark of creativity. So, you can have your linguini topped with a simple marinara sauce, or with a mix of shrimp, scallops, clams and mussels in a spicy red sauce. Beyond pasta, you’ll find Veal Marsala, Eggplant Parmesan and Chicken Piccata keeping company with seared tuna with a balsamic glaze and pine nuts. Prices begin at about $13, and range across the teens. A handful of dishes, like the tuna, break the $20 mark, but nothing is super expensive.
One of the more intriguing menu items is the Baked Ziti of the Day, on this particular day a 4-Cheese Mac-and-Cheese made with tomatoes and basil, and extremely good. We also chose the pork cutlets in a sinfully rich gorgonzola sauce. While both these dishes were great, the thing that stayed with us (in more ways than one) was the bread that accompanied dinner—a chewy ciabatta served with olive oil and a big dollop of pureed roasted garlic for dipping.
A few quick additions to the above. Abrusci’s in Cherry Creek has one of the most delightful patios anywhere, and it was packed on the evening we went. Second, even though they have a Fillmore address, the restaurant faces Third Avenue. Don’t ask. I have no idea. Third, parking is always an issue in Cherry Creek, but is free after 7 o’clock. And, north of Third Avenue everything is always free, so you can most likely find a parking place any time of day within a short distance. Fourth, like the first restaurant, the new Abrusci’s has a complete gluten-free menu for lunch and dinner
