Eat, Drink, and Live at Vita in Denver
Like the sign on its web site says, Vita is a terrific place to eat, drink, and live--even if you're just visiting. Located in Lower Highlands at 1575 Boulder Street, just west of the Platte River, Vita is a bit removed from the fracas of LoDo, but still a short cab ride or nice walk from central Denver. Offering up some innovative modern dishes with a distinctly Italian flare, Vita is a cozy, chic, and nicely filling restaurant.
Some menu items run a little on the expensive side, but the explosions of taste are worth it. Off hand, I'd recommend the prosciutto salad with fig fritters, the polenta sandwich, and the Hawaiian sea bass. I didn't have room for desert, but I'm confident it would have been a nice treat. And definitely check out the expansive wine and cocktail list, which includes several dozen variations on the martini, including the nicely old school gimlet.
The sleek bar (with an outside portion as well) and comfortable restaurant are subtly lighted, giving the whole place a very sultry feel, particularly if you're lounging in one of the booths. On Thursdays, you'll find live jazz music, from contemporary jazz fusion to Latin to Brazilian, to up the ante a little bit. Also, as our very friendly server reminded me, Vita offers half-priced wines on Tuesdays.
And another little tip: check back at Vita this summer for the potential addition of a rooftop deck, which would offer jaw-dropping mountain and sunset views to the west and the dazzling Denver nightscape to the east.
