Rioja
Restaurant · Union Station
1431 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80202
Highlights
James Beard winning Mediterranean dishes like pork belly & tortelloni
James Beard winning Mediterranean dishes like pork belly & tortelloni
"Jennifer Jasinski and Beth Gruitch’s Mediterranean magnet in Larimer Square defines staying power: After 20 years in business, it still makes the short list for special occasions thanks to its urbane setting, professional service, and culinary flair. While Jasinski’s pork belly with garbanzo-bean puree and artichoke tortelloni are permanent menu fixtures, seasonal creations like porcini-cocoa mezzelune with peas, morels, black trumpet mushrooms, and ricotta salata or seared venison with wild mushrooms, braised red cabbage, and huckleberry venison jus reflect the kitchen’s dynamism." - Ruth Tobias
"In addition to its regular modern Mediterranean menu, this longtime anchor of the Larimer Square dining scene has several specials in store for the occasion, including avocado dumplings with Dungeness crab; seared duck breast with rye berries, quince, and black trumpet mushrooms in lavender jus; and red wine-braised beef cheeks with garlic-chive späetzle and vanilla-glazed turnips. Reserve one of the few remaining tables." - Ruth Tobias
"Jennifer Jasinski and Beth Gruitch’s longtime modern Mediterranean destination in LoDo will indeed be open on Christmas Eve to offer its regular menu — think cardamom-scented pork belly with fresh garbanzo bean puree, seared venison in huckleberry jus with wild mushrooms and braised red cabbage, and fig beignets in Ruby Port reduction — along with a few holiday specials." - Eater Staff
"A game-changer back when pork belly remained far beyond the U.S. mainstream, chef Jennifer Jasinski’s “fresh bacon” appetizer is scented with cardamom and set atop curried green garbanzo purée to exemplify the elegance for which Rioja is so well-known. (Granted, her artichoke tortelloni has drawn equal raves over the course of the modern Mediterranean restaurant’s 20 years in business.)" - Ruth Tobias
"In a notoriously male-dominated industry, in a town long ignored by the national food media, Jennifer Jasinski was the first Denverite to break the Mile High glass ceiling and win a James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest in 2013. If you know that, it’s no doubt the reason you’ve come to Rioja, a modern Mediterranean fixture on Larimer Square; if you don’t, you’ll figure it out soon enough. The artichoke tortelloni here, bathed in white-truffle brodo, is a signature delicacy; so is the cardamom-scented pork belly over garbanzo puree. But the juxtaposition of robust and almost dainty elements, vitality and delicacy, in both the artful plating and the play of flavors extends to Rioja’s entire repertoire, best paired with a Spanish wine from partner Beth Gruitch’s smart list." - Ruth Tobias
