Chow Morso Osteria

Chow Morso Osteria is the cool younger sister to Denver’s very best Italian restaurant, Barolo Grill. This kid sister has a happening place downtown, near Union Station and all the other LoDo hotspots. Her place is a little more casual than her big sister’s, over near Cherry Creek North. It’s a little more roomy, a little less formal, a little more affordable… but just as wonderful. Award-winning sommelier Ryan Fletter is the attentive father to these two restaurants, and his devotion to excellence shines in both locations. Chow Morso is perhaps just a little more fun, like a younger sister should be! The restaurant is intended to offer small plates and classics that aren’t always on the menu at Barolo Grill, such as carbonara and bolognese. We recently went for lunch, and we ordered the Calamari Fritti, two salads, and two piadinas. About those salads: my wife had the Caesar Classico (which she declared delicious) and I had the Insalata di Rucolo. It was a work of art, slightly savory and also a bit sweet, with dried mushrooms, figs, and a crown of fried leeks on top. Because we had already devoured the calamari - it was beyond exceptional! - we were quite full, and so took our piadinas to go. Piadinas are grilled flatbread sandwiches, and we ordered the Prosciutto and the Pollo alla Griglia. Dinner that night was just as delightful as lunch had been, even if the setting was much more familiar. Yes, we had to bus our own dishes! Chow Morso Osteria’s specialties are obviously best enjoyed in-house, but even as take-out, the food is a delight. I encourage you to visit the restaurant, of course; you'll enjoy the top-notch service and the Italy-in-LoDo ambience almost as much as the exceptional cooking. Hang out with the cool kid sister! You'll be glad you did.

The wife and I made it in to Chow Morso in the middle of restaurant week. Full disclosure, I may or may not be good friends with the executive chef. This is not swaying my review. Pictures included! Starting with the salumi e fromaggi plate. Great combinations of less assertive meats and cheeses. Star of the show has to be the pork terrine. The delicate mustard seed served on top is a great cut to a delicious bite. I personally am not the biggest fan of Bleu cheese, the one selected was light enough to allow any party to enjoy. Side note, the focaccia texture and flavor is superb. Highly recommend grabbing a side of that. The winter greens salad came next. Treviso is such an underutilized bitter green. Combo this with a spicy arugula and a few winter citrus Supremes and it was a well balanced salad. Texture from the hazelnuts pair well with the lightly vanilla scented vinaigrette everything felt well thought out. Carbonara was next up! One thing I judge all Italian restaurants by is the noodle texture. I truly appreciate a properly cooked noodle. This delivered. Great texture the sauce had a great velvety texture that made the dish eat easily. (One of my wife's favorite pastas, this was awesome!) For Main dishes, we shared the Funghi and the Salmon from DRW menu. The Funghi was an item on their menu I looked at and said 'Id order that on a 2nd or third visit. My answer has since changed. Mushroom selection was fantastic, freshly shaved black truffles on a bed of fregola pasta(Again properly cooked). On my first bite, I thought I wanted more salt. After two more bites I realized the dish was perfectly seasoned. The fregola and mushroom carried through the truffle which added a great earthy depth to the dish. Well done, says the meat eater. Forgive me for not remembering the name of the Salmon dish from the DRW menu. My wife being pregnant, the chef took this to well done and it was perfect. Still completely moist through out, a fantastic skin texture. The mix of romanesco and broccoli added great flavor on its own and the bright spot of this place was the agridulce served around the side of the plate. The ability to adjust the amount of sauce I wanted each bite is underrated. This dish was a home run. We did do dessert, however I forgot to snag a picture. Zeppoles are Italian beignets. The airyness of them was incredible. Served with two chocolate sauces (one white one milk), the subtlety of the orange zest really brought a great contrast to the richness of the chocolate. Great finish to the meal. We were treated exceptionally well by all staff members. When we arrived a woman was receiving medical attention and with that came a light show. All staff were apologetic about the situation, all while working to make sure the woman was receiving proper medical attention. 5 stars and definitely a place to visit again.

I loved Chow Morso -- conveniently located a block from Union Station this Italian eatery has all the trappings of a bustling and inviting "Osteria" plucked right out of Tuscany. Lengthy and robust list of Italian wines curated by Proprietor and Sommelier Ryan Fletter, (who also owns and operates Barolo a short distance away). Dinner menu has something for everyone -- antipasti, soups, salads, pasta, secondi and more -- all packed into a spacious and stylish atmosphere. Italian flair abounds the moment you step inside the lively environment. Outdoor tables and chairs will greet you when weather permits. Great place to people watch and be seen. Each dish is beautifully crafted and artfully presented. Did I mention everything is delicious? I don't think you can wrong with anything on their menu. Service is attentive but not intrusive so you can comfortably enjoy the company of fellow diners and guests. The bar area is quite large and offers everything. A smaller cozy lounge area at the front is perfect for a quick glass of wine or beer (and anything off the menu if you are so inclined) if you're headed out for a night on the town. Open for lunch and dinner.

So thrilled Chow Morso is back open after the COVID-19 closures. I have been craving their pasta so hard! One of my Denver favorites!! And thankfully, one of my absolute favorite dishes was still on the menu, the carbonara pasta. My husband also got the hot chicken “family” meal special and LOVED it. It’s been our favorite quarantine take out meal, by far! Loved our to-go cocktails too - rose vodka lemonade for me and negroni for hubs. Plus, the restaurant stuffed a surprise gift of fresh pasta to cook later. Yum!

A great atmosphere with fabulous service, cuisine, and drinks. We had the Calamari, salad arugula, Carbonara, and Bolognese...all had great distinctive flavors. Wish I had room for dessert, but we did take leftovers home (so portions are nice as well). Great atmosphere for a date.

Everything we had was phenomenal! We had the best seat in the place at the side bar getting to watch the kitchen work. Service was amazing and the food was perfection. On top of all that the price was very solid. Might find ourselves here tomorrow night as well...

Extensive wine menu and authentic italian food. Outside sitting was perfect for breezy summer night.

Went there for dinner with my girlfriend and we ordered chicken parmesan. Chicken ended up being raw in both our meals they said it was the cut they used. Now I am sick luckily my girlfriend caught it be4 she ate it.