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reviewed on: January 4, 2008
Having grown up on the east coast, my heart beats a little faster when someone mentions East Coast Italian. So, I was looking forward to this week’s visit to Gemelli’s Italian restaurant. Gemelli’s is part of the rebirth of the neighborhood north of the original Elitch Gardens at 38th and Tennyson. Here, in addition to old buildings that are being destroyed to make room for multi-story condos, there are any number of small cottages that are being preserved and converted into other businesses. And there, right in the middle of it all is a quaint little doll-house of a structure that is now Gimelli’s.
It’s hard to believe that any ordinary size family could exist in a house this small, and there’s no way it could hold a restaurant, so the building has been expanded through the back wall, the original home serving as a greeting area and lounge, and the main part of the restaurant in the new section.
The dining room is as cozy as can be, painted a muted yellow accented with modern artwork on the walls, a lofted ceiling and a luxurious oak hardwood floor. If they’re not full, you have your choice of table or booth seating.
So, what the heck is this East Coast Italian that we came in search of? And the answer is—I’m not really sure. Somehow, the sauces on the Italian dishes I grew up with are more robust, more complex, than the classic food of North Denver, and my first glance at the menu told me yes, this is the real thing. There are appetizers like mushroom caps stuffed with herbed breadcrumbs topped with mozzarella and parmesan, and escargot in mushroom caps prepared in a sherry wine sauce with garlic, butter and parmesan. And there’s a garden salad with greens, pepperoncini, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, olives and cheese.
Pasta dishes, the most expensive of which is $10.95, include tortellini with prosciutto in a cheesy sauce, linguine with white or red clam sauce, gnocchi in a Bolognese sauce enhanced with a bit of cream and red wine, traditional lasagne, as well as an incredibly good vegetarian lasagne just bursting with tasty vegetables.
Then there is a pleasant variety of chicken, beef and shrimp dishes, from chicken in a meaty Bolognese sauce to spicy Shrimp fra Diavolo, and beef medallions sautéed in wine, garlic and rosemary. We enjoyed a delightful baked chicken breast served over a cranberry and bread stuffing. And, as with the pasta dishes, the prices are extraordinary, ranging from $9.95 to just $13.95.
Gemelli’s is truly a find. Terrific food, easy-on the wallet, and a style of Italian cooking that you don’t find much of in Denver prepared by an Italian chef who really is from the east coast. There’s limited parking behind the building, and on the surrounding streets.
Gemelli’s 4363 Tennyson (5 blocks north of the original Elitch Gardens) 720-855-9800 |
