Ambiance, menu worth the drive
The drive to Radda Trattoria, the new Italian restaurant in Boulder, was an adventure in itself. After cutting someone off, scraping the bottom of my car and going the wrong way in the narrow parking lot, I finally reached my destination.
The restaurant never had a chance with me – or at least I thought.
As I shivered through the doors, a smile the size of Texas warmly greeted me, and showed me to my seat.
Radda Trattoria, located at 1265 Alpine Ave., has the feel of an upper-class restaurant with dim lights, oak tables and a rectangle bar in the center of the room. It felt like a place at ease, with the bartender talking to customers on a first name basis. Like “Cheers,” but with wine-sipping fancies instead of beer-guzzling postal workers.
The menu has dozens of entrees, from pasta to pizza, all in the $9-to-$16 range. For a slightly more expensive meal, try one of the steaks.
What’s great is that even with all the choices, they are still simple.
Radda’s chefs, Matt Jansen and Don Gragg, prepare sophisticated meals, but keep it to the basics. Fresh ingredients including fresh basil, imported tomatoes and garlic, and perfectly prepared meat are all used.
I had the Pasta Alla Carbonara. It was nothing out of the ordinary: egg yolk sauce, chunks of bacon, all sprinkled with sweet onions. And it was delicious. The meat was seasoned perfectly and melted in my mouth; the pasta was fresh and the sweet onion was pretty.
The brochette appetizer was different from the brochettes of an Olive Garden or Buca Di Beppo’s. It looked like mashed beans smeared on some bread, decorated by some leafy parsley, and I guess that’s exactly what it was. It had a slight spice that gave the brochette a smoke-house taste, and it was unexpectedly delicious.
Then there was the boar. The boar, like all the meats from Radda Trattoria, was juicy, and then it was dropped into a Pasta Penne with tomato sauce, spinach and noodles. If you like the taste of boar, it hits the spot. If boar is not appealing, there are plenty of other options on the menu your taste buds will crave.
The service was friendly and always helpful. The Italian-named dishes were explained, and the water glass was always filled to the brim.
It was a good night. My advice? Come for food, but leave by a bus.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Brent New at brent.new@thecampuspress.com.
