Marcella’s Ristorante Denver

Italian food has always been a temptation for me. The smells, the pasta, the marinara sauce. It’s all. Just. Amazing. So when I heard about Marcella’s Ristorante opening in September in the fancy new LoHi neighborhood I jumped at the chance to try it!

As soon as you drive up you’re hit with an absolutely gorgeous view of downtown Denver. (Picturesque place to take anyone visiting Denver for the first time, or anytime!) And an even more stunning scene is when you walk into the restaurant itself. The interior embodies elegance yet the music keeps it hip and inviting. It’s got an upscale feeling without the outrageous upscale pricing – Which is SO nice for families (Especially parents on a date night 😉 )

Marcella’s Gnocchi – Photo by Suzanne Bastien (My Mom who also went!)

I was seated by the nicest hosts we’ve had in awhile and our server Hannah was delightful. The smells instantly made us hungry and we were excited to try it all! But we started with their Tuscan LiMonata cocktails first and fell in LOVE – It was made with their Housemade Limoncello and you could absolutely tell due to the sheer freshness it had ❥

We had some delicious bread brought to our table but when we mentioned our usual strict paleo habits they brought us their gluten-free menu and bread to try. It was SO SO good – And so thoughtful! They’re so considerate they even have a whole different pizza oven dedicated for gluten-free sensitive people so it doesn’t touch gluten!

Marcella’s Braised Veal MeatBall – Photo by Suzanne Bastien (My Mom who also went!)

We decided to next try their appetizer meatball and were blown away. It was literally the best meatball we’ve EVER had. HOW can something be cooked fully yet crumble apart in your mouth?! *Drool*

This definitely excited us for the entree which we decided on their Sicilian Pizza with Banana Peppers added. SO GOOD – And the star of the show?? THEIR BANANA PEPPERS. Never EVER had more fresh tasting peppers in my life. It was crazy how much it happened to stand out against everything else, it just showed how dedicated they are to fresh, real ingredients.

We ended the night with two desserts because we couldn’t decide.. We had their Profiteroles (pistachio, chocolate & honey vanilla gelato, warm chocolate ganache) and Zeppoles (Essentially beignets that you dip in chocolate and my cajun boy HAD to see what it was all about 😉 ) Needless to say we destroyed both desserts WITHOUT guilt!

And this was my SECOND trip here. I had been here previously with my Mom and we got to try some more of their incredible menu items.. It was just so good I had to bring my Husband because he would appreciate it’s atmosphere and delicious foods and he SO did.

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The photos above are some photos my Mom snapped on our last trip through and it doesn’t even capture how delicious these foods looked, smelled and tasted. SO come try it for yourself – You’ll never EVER be disappointed.. We’re already trying to plan another trip down (This time at night because the patio is lit up so beautifully you’ll feel like royalty along with the lights of downtown beside it!)

Marcella’s Denver

1801 Central Street,
Denver, Colorado 80211
(720) 484-5484

(I was compensated with some delectable food in exchange for this completely honest review of their amazing restaurant!)

Mmm… Coffee! Paleo Bistro

There are some amazing paleo restaurants in nearly every state and I love discovering the hidden healthy gems near us, so was very eager to try Mmm… Coffee! after reading some very promising reviews.

Their menu had many delicious paleo options so my Husband and I decided to make a trip downtown to try it out! It was in a very trendy and artistic side of town in the Lincoln Park area off of 9th and Santa Fe. Their bistro was hidden in a gorgeous and secluded courtyard shown only by their adorable sign out front.

We were immediately greeted by some of the friendliest people we’ve met in a long, long time. The owners Jami and Derek were so very sweet and inviting which made the already lovely ambiance even more comforting. We asked what they were best known for and wanted to try it all! (They were one of the first 100% grain free restaurants to open in the nation!)

 

We started with their amazing soup that changes daily (They’re REALLY popular for them!) And my Husband LOVED it. Said it was the best soup he’d ever had and it was accompanied by some delicious plantain chips (My obsession) ! 

I had their Paleo Power salad which was amazing and we split their tuna wrap (SO GOOD) and INCREDIBLE bacon wrapped stuffed dates which was chicken breast roasted in enchilada sauce, stuffed into dates and wrapped in turkey bacon! *drooldrooldrool*

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We couldn’t stop there. Jami was so passionate about the food she made we had to keep trying more as they were so creative, delicious and unique! Their mocha latte was delicious and they make their own chocolate IN HOUSE, so I had to try some of their delicious concoctions!

Hudson enjoyed the chocolate too 😉 Yummm!

We finished our lunch with two delicious chicken legs which were simplistic yet delicious!

 

We asked what the best desserts were and decided to try one of each (of a few!)

Again, Jami is INCREDIBLE. Her food was amazing but her desserts were out of this world! She’s been eating paleo for a long time so has been able to master so many different techniques. We tried their muffins, cookies, cake, granola, macaroons, and punkin’ bar. It was all SO GOOD. Did NOT taste paleo or healthy but it WAS.

Her cake was AMAZING. It was a made from BEETS. It was an adorable dark purple color with delicious looking frosting on top and tasted JUST like a red velvet unhealthy cake would taste. We decided we’re coming to her for any cakes we ever need (She had sold a wedding cake she had made while we were there!)

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The inside of their shop was adorable and warm – They have wonderful options for comfortable indoor seating and gorgeous outdoor courtyard relaxing. One thing I love is when a local business supports other local businesses. They have many items available inside from other Colorado companies such as kombucha, kale chips, beef jerky, etc.

After we were done I wanted to thank them so much for all of their kindnesses, wonderful food and inspiring creativity. I had the pleasure of getting to speak with them about their journey and got to take a fun photo with them in front of their paleo sign!

And it was Derek’s idea to grab their sign from in front with the mini bike attached to take a photo with Hudson on it.. HOW CUTE?!

This is by far our favorite new paleo stop. The people were amazing, the food was outstanding and the location was comfortable and upbeet (Like my food pun? 😉 )

We’ll absolutely be back and recommend anyone in the area (or visiting the area) to try it out – You’ll never want to leave.. I’m already missing it!!