Bar Dough
Margherita – tomato, basil, fresh mozzarella
Meatball Sangwich – chuck, pork belly & pancetta, crushed tomato, pecorino, mozzarella open-face on focaccia
Mezzaluna – butternut squash, pickled red kuri squash, pinenut & raisin agrodulce
Polenta – fontina, butter, corn
Budino Tiramisu – mascarpone mousse, espresso soaked lady fingers & chocolate chunks, almonds
Pumpkin Seed Brittle Gelato
Recently opened on West 32nd Avenue with a Modern Italian focus and highly praised Happy Hour beginning at 3pm, Bar Dough from Max MacKissock seemed like perfect place to kick off Wednesday evening, particularly with Williams & Graham just down the street and an Avalanche game at Pepsi Center beginning at eight o’clock.
No doubt an anticipated opening, the Chef a known entity with several previous local restaurants seeing varying levels of success across the years, entry to Bar Dough presents patrons with pleasant hostess at a podium lined with Chris Bianco’s canned tomatoes, the focus on product immediately evident even before seating or perusing the menu.
Long and narrow up front, seating at the bar divided from banquets by long communal high-tops, a look at Bar Dough’s interior speaks of a minimalist approach and with retro music playing overhead the food and beverage takes a look at Italy by regions, the happy hour a veritable bargain with the full menu offered from 5:00pm till close.
Perhaps a bit too hip in terms of service, the young man assigned my table keen on words such as “awesome” and “bro,” orders were batched as not to overwhelm the table and starting with an open-face Meatball “Sangwich” the value early arrival was immediately evident, just $7 exchanged for two sizable balls of beef, pork belly and pancetta with almost no binder atop crispy, dense focaccia drenched in crushed tomatoes and a bubbling layer of pecorino plus mozzarella.
Deeply discounting a competent Margherita that saw a bit less rise to the crust than I would prefer, despite a good blister and taste, far more intrigue was offered by the subsequent round of polenta and pasta, the former lent great crunch by dehydrated kernels juxtaposing butter and Fontina while each handmade pocket of Butternut Squash was exceedingly delicate with bright acidity added by pickled red kuri squash and a lightly sweetened sauce of vinegar and raisins.
Oversold by the server on “Pumpkin Seed Brittle” Gelato that tasted like little more than vanilla with unsalted pepitas chopped into the mix, those looking for a sweet ending are encouraged to instead trust rumors of the city’s best ladyfingers, each espresso soaked bite enriched by creamy mascarpone in a dish that lives up to hybrid naming by harkening both pudding and Tiramisu.
www.bardoughdenver.com
