Max MacKissock made his considerable reputation at the , the restaurant he helmed through two incarnations before parting ways with partner Johnny Ballen in 2013.
Despite some intermittent projects he took on, Denver diners have awaited his return to a room of his own — some with the sort of fan-boy ardor reserved for a certain sci-fi adventure that was just released to a wee bit of publicity.
MacKissock resurfaced in November at in LoHi. It sits at 2270 W. 32nd Ave. next to . While MacKissock, chef and co-owner, made his name with contemporary American fare, Bar Dough is a straight-up Italian place, right down to the pappardelle, polenta and pollo al limone.
Results are somewhat mixed. On two visits, I found myself wanting to enjoy the experience a bit more than I actually did, although there is still much to like.
Bar Dough is a great-looking room, bright and gleaming with a long, white marble counter topping the 15-seat bar. The space is anchored by a bulbous, wood-fired pizza oven at the back of the room; the device is striking, made from rosy-red, vertically set tiles.
Would that they had invested some money in a coat rack or hooks.
There is a lack of accommodation for stowing heavy winter garments. On a frigid evening, I arrived with a long, bulky topcoat and no practical place to put it. A host advised me he could secure it in the office or I could hang it over the back of my chair. Please. Denver gets cold in the winter. Coats need to be dealt with. Piling them on the banquette lining the walls for other diners to clamber over doesn’t cut it.
Still, the service was friendly and well-paced, and beverages arrive soon enough. (Happy hour runs from 2:30-6 p.m. daily, with house wines for $5.)
The menu is split between lunch and dinner, with a fair amount of overlap.
Midday diners should consider the pork sandwich. Slow-roasted shoulder is shaved thin, piled on a ciabatta roll, and dressed with salsa verde aioli, onion, greens and a mild zap of Calabrian chile. The meat is juicy and the flavors meld.
The pizza has a good tooth, with a thin crust that is properly oven-blistered. The indulgent should try the Commendatore, a $15 pie topped with fennel sausage, prosciutto, sopressa, montasio (a rustic Italian cow’s milk cheese), mozzarella and a dappling of garlic oil.
One standout was the brassicas, a salad of roasted cruciferous vegetables that included broccoli florets and chopped Brussels sprouts. Tossed with sliced apple slices, pecorino cheese and pumpkin seeds, it was finished with a savory brown butter vinaigrette that had just a touch of pucker to it.
Dinner was somewhat mixed.
A chicken liver spread was overwhelmed by the thick slab of bread it was smeared on. It came with shards of crispy chicken skin, fried sage and candied orange bits — all lost in the bread. Thinly sliced bruschetta would have made a better platform for an otherwise well-thought-out dish.
Garlicky squid with yellow-eye beans showed MacKissock’s ability to source and pair ingredients, with a creative touch of fennel pollen vinaigrette.
The kitchen’s pasta station knows its way around noodles, which are available as half or full orders.
Pappardelle with lamb bolognese and shaved pecorino romano was a winner on an icy night, the flavors deep and dark atop the wide, al dente noodles.
The bucatini all’amatriciana was a last gasp of summer, the hollow-centered pasta laced with marinara, basil, grana padano cheese and guanciale, the latter a cured meat made from pork cheeks.
For me, the scampi showed MacKissock at his best. Fat New Caledonian head-on prawns arrived in a rich garlic-butter sauce. Studded with herbs and with a deep orange hue, it resembled a classic romesco sauce. The prawns were fresh and firm, the sauce made for sopping with the garlic focaccia the kitchen bakes.
They’re not giving this food away. Full-size pastas range from $17-$23, while entrees are in the mid-$20 range. And a Florentine beefsteak for two — a 20-ounce prime ribeye — goes for the Daddy Warbucks price of $55.
Bar Dough could use some tweaking, but Mac Kissock will make that happen. He is too good and too proud not to.
Now if LoHi businesses could just do something about the neighborhood parking, which can be as hard to find as, well, a coat rack.
William Porter: 303-954-1877, wporter@denverpost.com or @williamporterdp
BAR DOUGH
Italian
2227 W. 32nd Ave. 720-668-8506 bardoughdenver.com
**
Very Good
Atmosphere: Vibrant, smartly contemporary room with a bit of an upscale-casual feel
Service: Friendly, knowledgeable
Beverages: Beer, wine, cocktails
Plates: Starters, $6-$16; pastas, $10-$23; pizzas, $10-$16; mains, $21-$27, plus a $55 steak for two
Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 3 p.m.-11 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 3 p.m.-midnight
Details: Street parking only, and good luck on busy nights
Two visits
Our star system:
****: Exceptional
***: Great
**: Very Good
*: Good
Stars reflect the dining reviewer’s overall reaction to the restaurant’s food, service and atmosphere.
