Written by SHARON ALMIRALL
Photography by KIMBERLY DAWN

In traditional Italian villages and cities, people gather in restaurants to talk and laugh, drink wine and dine on handcrafted foods they love. They kiss each other on both cheeks, joke, inquire after each other's health.

In today's world, people connect with friends on Facebook and share their stories and adventures on YouTube. Social networking via the Internet may be becoming more prevalent with each passing day, but there will always be the urge to connect with real people in real situations over a glass of wine and a serving of pappardelle and marjoram sausage ragu.

In Italian culture, eating is an experience to be enjoyed every day at every meal. Bringing that experiential opportunity to the fore is Il Posto, an almost two-year-old restaurant founded by an Italian chef who learned food preparation under the tutelage of his father. "I started doing what I do when I was in Italy as a kid. It was a family business, and I went to school during the day and worked at night," says Andrea Frizzi, the founder of Il Posto.

A friend and I were introduced to Il Posto with a hearty greeting from the owner and one of his staff. Once we were seated, a waiter with just the right mix of friendliness and knowledge suggested a pear brandy for my friend and a Valpolicella served in beautiful stemware for me. It signaled the start of an interesting experience that would surprise and delight the tastes.

We ordered potato gnocchi with arugula, pistachio and pesto. The clear flavors of this gnocchi were welcome and offered a buffer against the chilling wind blowing outside. We also ordered pan-seared scallops seasoned with sea salt and served with grilled lacinato kale wrapped in mortadella and a salad of finely sliced persimmons tossed with parsley and extra virgin olive oil. The flavors combined in the scallop entrée were totally unexpected, truly an unusual dish.

Frizzi, 41, learned his skills in Milan, Italy. He worked with his father, then attended a culinary academy, and after he graduated, his father said he couldn't work for him anymore. "In Italy it takes many years to become a chef. It's not like here, where you can become a chef in three years. Slowly, I learned from other people," he comments. As a young chef in Milan, he was asked by the head chef to go to Washington, D.C., where he worked for two years. He started a consulting company and began opening restaurants, the number of which grew to 24. This provided the basis for crafting his own restaurant, symbolic of his vision of what Italian food and culture contribute to life.

A divorce led to a geographic cure, which brought Frizzi to Denver, where he worked for some local establishments before breaking out on his own. Thus, Il Posto was born in Denver's eclectic 17th Avenue district. In his expressive way, Frizzi talks about the experience of dining: "Food is an emotion, an expression of who you are. In Italy, you cook to be the best you can be." In Il Posto's case, the food will sometimes match the weather, but quite often it matches the season. "We try to offer an experience. When you go to a restaurant, it's like a little vacation," he says.

It is this little vacation that is made apparent by the blackboards that offer the daily menu complete with wine lists that change frequently. Though many of the patrons are traveling short distances from their homes in Washington Park, Capitol Hill, Park Hill and downtown Denver, they're offered the chance to step out of their own world for a brief time to savor a bit of Italy.

"It's a solid clientele, enjoying a small space with the kitchen open to view. I'm not at all shy," Frizzi says about his ability to get to know his clients and enjoy seeing them again and again. On occasion, they invite him to their own personal gatherings.  He refers to the staff as organic because they do things "very spontaneously. The sommelier matches the wines each day to accompany what is being cooked. Our food is really light." Il Posto doesn't use butter or cream. The chef focuses on three or four ingredients and trans fat is not used. "You don't feel bloated," Frizzi says.

The gregarious and welcoming Frizzi and his staff greet guests upon their arrival and thank them as they leave. Before guests leave, though, they want to sample the desserts. My dining partner and I sampled the Salame Di Cioccolato, an amazing combination of chocolate salame, pecans, almonds, pistachios and walnuts. This dessert is a quintessential Christmas dessert, one that is served right up until Epiphany. Because we were at Il Posto just prior to Christmas, we were fortunate to have this wonderful dessert available to us. "My pastry chef likes to experiment, and people simply like to enjoy it," Frizzi says.

The restaurant has a noise level that indicates people are having fun, enjoying conversation, finding pleasure in the company they're keeping. "It's very relaxed. It's a vacation. It's loud because people like to laugh and talk," Frizzi says. With the open area, it's easy to see that others are having fun.

"A restaurant should evoke an emotion, and the person should be able to take away a good memory of that experience and that emotion. I often decide if I like a restaurant by whether I have a good memory of it," Frizzi explains. "We eat because it makes our day. It's sexy. It's emotional, it's memorable — enjoying food and wine is a lifestyle. People come here because they love it."

Il Posto
2011 E. 17th Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
(303) 394-0100
www.ilpostodenver.com