A few things I am afraid of:
Heights.
Psycho astronauts in diapers.
Tiramisu martinis.
So I was seized with fear when I first saw the 40-item martini list at the new Lower Highland restaurant Vita. Caramel apple martinis! Snickers martinis! Tiramisu martinis! Oh, my!
Call me old-fashioned, but yikes.
A martini is, or should be, a martini. It is gin (or maybe, maybe, vodka) stirred (or shaken, if vodka) with a little vermouth, then strained into a glass (with or without rocks) and sparely garnished with an olive or a twist.
(Or an onion, but that would officially make it a Gibson.)
A martini is not apple and butterscotch schnapps
shaken with vodka and garnished with graham cracker. It is not Baileys, Frangelico, Amaretto and Stoli Vanil drizzled with chocolate.
And it is most certainly not Starbucks Chocolate Liqueur and Kahlua, shaken with vodka and served in a chocolate-rimmed “martini” glass.
So, after my first dread-inducing reading of Vita’s martini menu, I steadied myself and ordered a classic gin martini, assuming the worst but hoping for a miracle.
Much to my delight, my drink was just about perfect: icy and refreshing.
It was also no fluke: Subsequent straightforward martinis and gimlets ordered on subsequent visits to Vita were equally lovely.
They’re best sipped while reading the menu, a you’ve- seen-it-before-but-it-all- sounds-delicious-anyway collection of Italianesque concoctions: mushroom gnocchi with manchego, prosciuttto and melon salad, goat cheese ravioli with mustard greens.
You’ll do well to order the crispy polenta sandwich stuffed with pork confit (Niman Ranch, natch), roasted tomatoes and fontina cheese, a sweet-savory stack that melts on the tongue. (Forget that it’s called a sandwich and use your knife and fork; this dish is delicious, but messy.)
The Mediterranean salad – mixed greens lightly tossed in Dijon vinaigrette and topped with barely-seared tuna, pepper-crusted bacon, a few chopped olives and a gorgeous sunny-side-up fried egg – was a sophisticated twist on the traditional Niçoise. Unlike most salads I’ve encountered lately, it was also not overdressed.
(One day, I hope, Vita will open for lunch, because this would be a perfect midday meal.)
Pappardelle with pulled chicken and braised artichoke hearts punched my comfort- food buttons. Chicken cacciatore bathed in a sharp, not cloying, sauce. And hanger steak with glazed mushrooms and creamed spinach made for a soothing winter supper.
The tender seared diver scallops topped with baked prosciutto and crispy sage and served on tiny potato pancakes surprised me. The whole idea sounded overwrought, but the result was a refined, uncomplicated dinner.
I’ve now tried almost everything on Vita’s menu, and while nothing on it knocked my socks off, I have yet to identify one complete-failure dish. There are some that could have been better (the sea bass over Israeli couscous could have been suppler, the Caesar salad tangier, the squash lasagna sharper, the lobster meatballs richer) but by and large, while nothing has been unbelievable, nothing’s been a total disappointment, either.
Also not a disappointment at Vita is the service. By rights, since Vita has been open only since early December, the service should be spotty and muddled.
In fact, it is anything but.
This is a well-trained, carefully-managed and appropriately-empowered crew of clearly experienced servers. They know the menu and can answer your questions, even the tough ones.
They also know the wine list, which is adequate. It features plenty of by-the-glass options and more than a handful of affordable bottles under $30. Pair a glass of the Chateau St. Jean Pinot Noir from Sonoma County with your pulled-chicken pappardelle.
One of Vita’s greatest strengths is its location, next door to the relocated Lola in the beautiful old Olinger building on Boulder Street (insert your own restaurant-in-a- morgue joke here).
Any evidence of the building’s former life is absent, though – spacious black banquettes, exposed brick walls and a loft-like ceiling with exposed beams and pipes speak to a total renovation. Innovative design? Maybe not. But it’s stylish, in its way, and looks nothing like a funeral parlor.
It’s also got, for the moment, a full-on unobstructed view of the Denver skyline, best viewed from the bar, which, when it’s nice out, will spill out onto the patio.
Unfortunately, the view is in jeopardy. Yet another building is under construction across the street. Soon, all you’ll be able to see from the bar will be the neighbors.
There’s a glossiness to Vita that irritates me, an affected quality that results in things like overly-ambitious plate design, bizarre and distracting track/spot-lighting on the wall art, a tired Buddha-bar-esque soundtrack on its website, and of course, those silly, tooth-rattling so-called “martinis.”
It’s a quality recently described by a Spanish-speaking friend as llamativo, or calling attention to oneself. Like, if you wear boots with rhinestones or dye your hair in a leopard-print pattern, others might point and mutter, “llamativo.” It’s a harmless affectation, usually, but it casts doubt on the legitimacy, or even existence, of the underlying substance.
Thankfully, Vita’s food and service outshine the gloss. Once you find your way through all the glitz and shimmer, dinner at Vita makes for a fun night out, with competent cooking, excellent (if sometimes misguided) drink- mixing, and honest, intelligent hospitality.
And if you have a hankering for a Tiramisu martini, well, it’s all you.
I’ll be sipping on gin and watching out for diaper-wearing psycho-nauts.
Dining critic Tucker Shaw can be reached at 303-954-1958 or at dining@denverpost.com.
Vita
Italian-American
1575 Boulder St., 303-477-4600
** 1/2 |Very Good/Great
Atmosphere: Glitzy-glam with low lights, big booths, rounded banquettes, a beautiful view of downtown and big busy bar.
Service: Intelligent and efficient and helpful.
Wine: Adequate if not groundbreaking list. A few bargains.
Plates: Small plates, $6-12. Main courses, $17-28.
Hours: 4-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday. 4-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Details: All major credit cards accepted. Large bar. Wheelchair accessible. Parking out front.
Three visits.
Our star system:
****: Exceptional
***: Great
**: Very good
*: Good
No stars: Needs work
