NoRTH Cherry Creek

Cherry Creek is one of Denver’s most upscale neighborhoods. Beautiful homes, cars, and people are plentiful, making eating out in the neighborhood expensive and somewhat confusing. You are not sure if you want to fit in with the Cherry Creek crowd, or run away. For this reason, it is good in small doses, as is NoRTH, its modern Italian restaurant.

On a Thursday night, just like every other night, parking in Cherry Creek is hit or miss. NoRTH offers valet parking, but driving anything less than a still new-smelling sports car, it is best to park yourself. The staff at NoRTH make it clear what type of guests they appreciate and what type they could care less about. We must have fit into the latter category, as the host was less than thrilled about dealing with us. After being quoted 15 minutes and actually waiting 30, our party was directed to a table in the front of the main walkway.

Our server seemed tired and preoccupied. He managed to explain the fish special of the night, halibut with a new England clam chowder sauce, bacon, and potatoes for $28.00. I was confused; were we in Northern Italy or the Northeast? He did drop off some tasty mixed olives to whet our appetites, a much appreciated touch.

The wine list was well rounded and moderately priced, with international selections by the glass (6 or 8 ounces) and bottle. The Valpolicella of Veneto, Italy ($9 for 6 ounces) was a little flat, lacking tannins. The Pinot Noir of Edna Valley, CA ($15 for 6 ounces) was much more well rounded, with supple dried fruit notes. This paired perfectly with the sweet and meaty pizza topped with proscuitto, figs, and goat cheese ($13.00). Another tasty starter were the bruschetta ($10.00) with rich Crescenza cheese, asparagus, and proscuitto, and a drizzle of truffle oil to finish.

Unlike the amazing appetizers, the entrées were a mixed bag. The lamb rack with white beans, and Brussels sprouts ($27.00) was decent, and would have benefited from a little fat trimming. The best entrée, by far, was the strozzapreti pasta with spinach, mushrooms, parmesan cream and pine nuts ($16.00). Forget fettuccine Alfredo or Bolognese, that dish could satisfy any fierce pasta craving, and it didn’t even have meat on it!

There was one rotten apple in the bunch though, the grilled Ahi tuna with "whatever green vegetable we have" ($24.00). First off, those green vegetables thrown on the plate were over-salted Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and Swiss chard, which did little to complement the tuna. Secondly, the tuna was bland, not a charred grill mark in sight. To add insult to injury, the whole lot was served atop a pool of insipid red pepper sauce. Once our server was notified, the dish was replaced in a timely matter with a much better alternative, the sea scallops with wild mushroom orzo, and pear salad ($22.00).

The dessert menu was disappointingly petite with only three items and a daily sorbet (I openly admit I have an insatiable sweet tooth). The Nutella Cake ($6.00) looked a bit amateur, but was nutty and chocolaty and delicious nonetheless.
I can't say I will be returning to NoRTH soon. But I am sure in a few months I will get a craving for that fig and proscuitto pizza, and it will make all that parking and waiting worth it.

NoRTH Cherry Creek
Modern Northern Italian│190 Clayton Lane, 720-941-7700│$5.00-$29.00│
Lunch: Monday – Saturday 11a.m. to 3:30p.m., Sunday 12 p.m. to 3:30p.m.
Happy Hour: Monday – Saturday, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Dinner: Monday –Thursday 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday – Saturday 4:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. All major credit cards accepted.

Front Burner: Satisfying Italian themed food with a modern twist. Depending on who your server is, customer service is great.
Back Burner: Parking and friendly staff are rare. Attire is listed as "casual": don’t be fooled.