I just loved this place, with the brick and the floors and the detailing of an old building. Â The food was so good. Service was OK, not bad, not great. I had the cheese tortellini with the 'pink' sauce (That's what I like to call it, it's a mix of red and white sauce). Bread was good, dinner was delish. I've really been wanting to go back. You could tell that this is a neighborhood joint and the neighborhood families all knew each other! I felt left out ;)
Review Source:Grabbed some to go Bolognese on a cold night while visiting a friend.
Hostess was sweet and helped me order and was very friendly. Service was good and the pasta was delicious.
I am VERY picky when it comes to Bolognese sauce and often I am upset when ordering it because mine is usually better. Â This was was good and flavorful and I look forward to eating it again.
This appears to be somewhat of a family owned business. Â There were some older gentlemen taking our orders and delivering our food. Â They also have a younger staff bringing water and bread, but all were professional. Â Once we were seated, immediately on a Thursday night around 6:00pm, I mentioned to my fiancee that this place is really quiet! Â That's a nice thing as most people kept their conversations to a talking voice and there isn't much carry over in the space.
The meals were very tasty. Â Lots of good flavor. Â We both had pasta dishes with the white cream sauce and each was delicious. Â The price was great, $30 for the plates plus tip! Â Can't really beat that. Â Most menu items were around $10-15. Â I would definitely go again. Â It appeared that most occupants last night were regulars as the staff waved and said nice to see you again to most folks.
Looking for a great italian meal in a memorable corner restaurant? Go here! We went with my wife's family on a Friday night (we had reservations!), and were impressed from the beginning to the end of our night. Service was amazing, from the main server to the bussers. There was a steady stream of parties coming in the 3 hours we ate and drank. They have a wide variety of dishes to choose from and extensive wine menu. Most importantly, the food was amazing. All 7 of us loved our dishes and had zero complaints with anything. Overall, the experience was amazing, and can see why it was busy the entire time we were there.
Review Source:I've been going here for years. Â Tonight: Â good food (not great, but that's never been the expectation). Â Reviewing slightly negatively in the hopes that someone at the restaurant will read and will take a few complaints to heart:
--Could you clean up the bathrooms? Â The rest of the restaurant is fine, but the bathrooms are disgraceful: Â plaster pealing from the walls, grimy fixtures, filthy carpets down the long hall to get there, dust everywhere. Â You seem to be very successful--put some money into the details, OK? Â A dirty bathroom makes me wonder if anyone is cleaning the kitchen.
--The whole restaurant smelled strongly of grease tonight--was a vent fan broken?
--A young server in charge of the water was very conscientious and kept filling the glasses. Â Each time, she picked up each glass at the table by the rim. Â Her hands had been on rim of the glass of every patron in the place, and some of what was in the mouth of every patron was now on the rim of my glass and in my mouth. Â When I saw her do that I had to push my glass away. Â A proper server picks up the glass in the middle, far from where the customer puts his mouth. Â This would be an easy lesson to teach this young woman (long blond hair, stud in the nose--talk to her, will you?).
This is meant in a helpful spirit, because you have a fine restaurant that I've always enjoyed. Â Hope you can keep your standards high. Â Please, please, please don't get sloppy.
I appreciate the idea of a leisurely Italian meal, but I like that meal to be at my pace - not the pace of a waiter that was so busy walking around the restaurant talking to the neighborhood guests that he couldn't pay us any attention. When he finally came to take our drink order after 15 minutes, we quickly took advantage of his presence to order our entire meal at once. Half way through my appetizer I had to remind him to bring the beer that I ordered with my meal and the wine of the others at the table. Never was there a question of a second beer because by the time he got around to asking, we were trying to pay the bill - which was another wait as we watched him wander around the restaurant chatting with other customers.
The minestrone soup was delicious as always, as was the lasagna and chicken Parmesan. It was just an embarrassment to have raved about the restaurant to our guests from out of town, then to have everyone snickering about the lousy service. I love the neighborhood feel of this restaurant, and I'll be back, but I'll be requesting a different waiter's section.
Growing up in the north east you can get good Italian food on every corner and in every neighborhood. Since moving to Denver 10 years ago it's hard to find an Italian joint that is not a chain. I've enjoyed some places on the west side of town but now that I'm living on the east side the cherry tomato has become a go to date night spot for my boyfriend and I. We enjoy the neighborhood feel of the place, and the open kitchen. Every meal I've had here I really like. I try to have something different every time I visit but if I can't decide I go with the ravioli special or the pasta felice. My boyfriend always orders the seafood fettichuni. Since its hard to find east coast Italian cherry tomato has become our go to neighborhood joint.
Review Source:Take reservations for parties of 6 or more, they do call ahead seating up to 20 minutes in advance.
Great server, Ben. Great busboys, very very prompt at clearing dishes and refilling waters. Best i have seen in a long time.
Went on a Friday night at 7 and was surprised to see that there wasn't a wait. First time here..
Good wine value. Â
Boyfriend has lasagna. Excellent. I had chicken piccata. It was good, no fault of the restaurant, just probably not really what I wanted- my fault obviously. Nice tho that they served it with so many capers. I love capers, they're expensive and with a piccata a lot of places skimp..... Not cherry tomato!
Also, with my piccata I got spaghetti and red sauce, the red sauce was EXCELLENT!
Great atmosphere, great service, good food.
What a wonderful place to visit! Â After getting past the crabby hostess and the bitchy water girl, our experience was smooth sailing! Â This is a great place in an awesome neighborhood. Â Our waiter joked with us the entire evening while introducing wines and dishes of the day. Â I will be back for sure. Â The atmosphere (sans aforementioned people) is inviting and warm. Â I would not recommend the calamari as the breading was soggy and fell right off but everything else was great. I had the chicken marsala and everything was spot on while I had my cabernet. Â The hidden flavors in the salad dressing and chicken marsala made the evening excellent! Â Great place to bring a date, family and/or friends!
Review Source:Stopped in on a Saturday night for an early dinner (about 5:30). Â No wait since we were ahead of the dinner rush. Â A nice spot to get away from Italian chains. Â Ambiance was nice, it was a beautiful night and we sat right by the window which was almost as good as outside (but they don't have a patio). Â Service was good, water and wine were always full. Â The ability to customize your dish is a huge perk and the food was tasty. Â A lot of wine choices, which I think is a must for an Italian restaurant. Â Overall, good food, good service. Â I'd go back!
Review Source:I was relieved to not come across a long wait when I arrived at the restaurant. Â Based on these Yelp reviews that had seemed likely--than again it was a Tuesday night. Â Still, I was seated quickly and they did have a reasonably busy dinner rush going.
The service was fine--I would only say it stood out because the gal really put up with the drama my cousin was stirring up. Â On the bright side, it's obviously a family joint so I'm sure it happens often. Â She handled that well.
The food didn't really stand out to me.  I have definitely had better italian.  My eggplant  parm was just bland and the side it came with (who passes who noodles and marinara) was nothing to write home about.  I couldn't tell if the adults food came out 10 minutes after the kid's on purpose or not.  My cousin did inhale his food but it seemed strange to me.
Out of everything I would only say the decor is charming and I liked that the most. Â I might be back since it is so close to my home but I wouldn't make a journey to it.
Italian might not be the restaurant dinner of choice for Ladyhawk and I, but we do enjoy it from time to time. Â Enter the Cherry Tomato. Â If you want to dine and scoot off to something else, go somewhere else. Â If you want to enjoy your meal slowly while enjoying your company, then head over for a nice casual night of italian food and relaxing conversation. Â They sure don't hustle to get you your food, but after being there a few times I now know to expect it. Â They definitely serve up a good Gnocchi and it tastes delicious with a nice glass of Malbec.
Review Source:Having a restaurant in walking distance is always a plus no matter where you're living. For Sir Nicholas and I the Cherry Tomato is one of those restaurants these days and it's quite nice to have a place that feels so family-oriented nearby. While I'm not a huge fan of eating Italian out there are a couple of dishes here that I've ordered and really enjoyed, but usually it's the ravioli of the day that I order and end up loving so I recommend getting that.
The service has always been interesting. It's not that I think they are ignoring us specifically, it's that I think they are ignoring everyone to a slight degree on purpose because the meal's here aren't rushed. Sort of like true European style. You have time to sit down, seriously consider the drink menu, the food menu and the surroundings often before you are greeted. You also have plenty of time to devour bread with olive oil and vinegar before a drink that you might have ordered graces your table. That's okay though because you also have water delivered right when you get there so you are by no means parched. You have time to savor your meal, enjoying bite after bite in a leisurely way. And although it's something we don't get to experience very often in American dining, it's not a bad thing at all.
Beyond my recommended ravioli of the day I've also enjoyed the salads, the gnocchi, and the risotto. All in all the food has always been satisfying. However, if I didn't live in the neighborhood I'm not sure I'd make special trips to eat here. But, then again I'm not a big fan of eating Italian out like I said in the beginning.
Cherry Tomato is hit or miss, even if you're a regular and NO they don't take reservations.
(Owners and management, if you're reading this please listen to the feedback of your customers! What fine dining establishment DOESN'T take reservations? Italian food is great in the Winter months but you're not going to win people over by having them sit and wait outside for a table when it's 15 degrees.)
Having tried the majority of the menu I find myself falling back on the tried and true favorite Pasta Felice... I've seen people remark that their dish was subpar (and not just because the reviewer was born in Chicago or Italy or NY or a tomato patch, thus being the end all authority on all things sustenance). Depending on the specials you can come across some real treats but consistency isn't always there, maybe it depends on who's cooking that night.
Now on to the service... again, I guess it comes down to what night you come, how busy they are and even who you get as your server. We typically get the same guy who has the thick accent and gives excellent wine paring suggestions but even with him we've noticed from time to time having to wait for something.
I love treating myself to this place and every time we've taken friends here they don't disappoint. However I can see where some people just can't let go of a bad first impression.
We were 50-50 on Cherry Tomato.
The restaurant space is very cool, with exposed brick and excellent service.
The food was a little lackluster. Â I really enjoyed my spicy pasta dish that brought plenty of heat. Â The wife's chicken marsala was pretty bland and lacked panache.
They do have a nice wine list, and the location is excellent. Â We'll give it another shot.
I had a girls night out during the week dinner here with a friend of mine. 30 minute wait later we are seated. The only time we saw our waiter is to take our order, deliver our food and deliver the check. Â We even had to track him down to pay for our meal. We sat with an empty bread basket for over 20 minutes while we were waiting for our food. Only when he came back to deliver our food did he ask if we wanted more...well not now we had our food.
The food, I got a veggie lasagna and my friend got pumpkin ravioli. Â Get the pumpkin ravioli! Â I wish I had. It was so flavorful! In my opinion, I have made better veggie lasagna. Get the ravioli.
The support staff were great. You could tell the kept busy, clearing plates, refilling water and paying attention to patrons. Perhaps the waitstaff should switch with the bussers.
Will I got back, eh probably not. Â Lots of other places to try than to be a repeat customer here.
I love Italian food, but I don't go out to eat it that often. Â Partly, it's because most of the time I feel like it's something I could have made at home. Â I'm perfectly capable of boiling noodles, cooking meat, and dumping sauce on it. Â Also, my girlfriend's family makes some killer Italian food for family dinner about every other week.
The Cherry Tomato annoyingly doesn't take reservations, but you can call ahead to get your name added to the list. Â I'm sorry, but in Denver on a Friday or Saturday night, restaurants need to take reservations. Â Some of us have things to do aside from stand outside and wait an hour, when we knew all week we would be coming Satuday at around 6pm. Â After a close game of corn hole that I won, and a close game of giant Jenga that Tanya won, we still had 30 minutes left on the wait.
We finally got to sit down and, having perused the menu at some length while waiting, we knew what we wanted fairly quickly. Â But again, we waited. Â We drew a mural in crayon on the table. Â The waiter came by and asked how we were, then disappeared. Â Then he came back later with a plate of oil and vinegar for bread, but no bread. Â Then he disappeared. Â Then he came back with the bread, and disappeared. Â Then he took our order, after the manager had wandered by and noticed we were staring at food on other tables, menus laying down.
So how was the food? Â It was good. Â The salads were serviceable, but for $10 they were a little plain. Â Tanya's gnocchi was delicious, with a really good spicy red sauce, and well cooked gnocchi that wasn't too soft or too chewy. Â My veal was delicious as well, and the portion of meat was fair for the price. Â (What do Italians have against baby cows? Â Do you ever see veal anywhere other than Italian restaurants?) Â We had some chocolate cake for dessert that looked better than it was, but was still pretty darned good.
Everyone in here seemed to be a regular. Â I guess folks in Park Hill don't have terribly busy lives and can spare a couple hours for dinner every Saturday night. Â Me, though, I like to eat at a place where I can get in and relax, not stand around staring down people who are dining, hoping my eye-daggers will get them to leave. Â The food was quite good, but be prepared to spend the evening here if you want to come on a weekend night.
My boyfriend and I went to Cherry Tomato last night. We loved it. When you walk in the door you are hit with the luscious smell of garlic. We had a 30 minute wait (at 6pm on a Sat.) so we bellied up to the bar and ordered a bottle of wine.
After we were seated we forgave the slow service because they were packed and they gave us yummy bread with olive oil & vinegar. This wasn't any ordinary bread and olive oil-it was really tasty and you can taste the quality of the olive oil versus other restaurants that serve the same thing.
We split the Insalate Felese to start and really liked it. Nice light dressing with a great veggie assortment on it. However, they skimped on the gorgonzola. My boyfriend ordered the Fruitte di Mare and I had the cheese tortellini. We both had the combo of white and red sauces. We both really enjoyed it. I'm not sure if the pasta was homemade-but it was tasty.
For desert we had a piece of the dessert that was one of the best desserts I've ever had. It was a white cake with a yummy light-filling. Sorry think I was feeling the wine at that point and can't remember was it was called.
Cherry Tomato is not a high-end five-star but it's a great for a low-key, affordable meal-where you won't be disappointed.
We used a Living Social coupon which got us in the door and we will be going back.
Somewhere on the list of my favorite foods there is a special entry for Gnocchi. I discovered gnocchi for the first time when I was living in Italy. I've wondered since then why it's so hard to find in stateside Italian restaurants seeing as how popular it is in it's native country. This has lead me to actively seek out restaurants that serve gnocchi because of this. Cherry Tomato has it and so I went.
The verdict is that the gnocchi was good. I added scallops and alfredo to it and it was perfectly done.
Too bad everything else at Cherry Tomato wasn't good.
Something kept dripping on my wife, we never did figure out what it was. We told someone about it, Â they kind of looked at us sheepishly as if to say, "what do you want me to do about it?"
That brings me to the location of the table in itself. I don't want to sit by the bathroom or whatever swinging back door I was near. Why even put a table there? Nope didn't like that. The server forgot my appetizer order. It was just awkward all together. I felt a little like I was putting them out by being there and that's not a great feeling.
Also they don't do reservations, they do a call in waiting list so you'll have to time your call with when you want to arrive.
Ending on a good note I'll say that my daughters spaghetti was good and they gave her a bowl of ice cream for finishing her plate. If it wasn't for the gnocchi I wouldn't come back though.
I have a good experience each time I dine at Cherry Tomato.
Even as you walk up to the front door, you realize you're about to experience a true and longtime neighborhood favorite. The wait staff know many of the customers by name or by face but treat all (even first timers) like loyal customers.
The food is very good and priced appropriately and the service earns high marks from this picky diner.
We used out groupon here last week. I'm a huge daily deal fan and so we try a number of new places and have gotten used to "the groupon effect." Small restaurants who aren't quiet ready for the onslaught of people and wait staff that are less than thrilled about the low tips.
But I felt like the Cherry Tomato dealt with this quiet well. We were there on a Friday and waited less than 10 min to be seated. The restaurant is a cute mom & pop place with tasty food that I can picture someone's very talented grandmother making. We had a Cesar and an antipasta, I Â had the seafood pasta, and boyfriend had the lasagna; which was SO MUCH FOOD. The seafood pasta was a bit on the salty side but everything else was fabulous. We both thought it was a place we'd like to bring friends and family in the future.
Bottom line: good food, relaxed environment, big portions. We'll go back.
Horrible imitation of Italian food. I went there and can't say anything was good. They had FRENCH bread instead of the good ole Italian rustic bread. It's the only time I've ever had caprese that didn't have basil, I'm sorry but cucumber is not basil. The worst part though is they ruined the mozzarella (not very good moz to begin with) by putting Parmesan on what they claim to Caprese but definitely is not. The veal saltimbocca was decent but the veal was of very low quality and not tender as veal should be. Overall extremely disappointing. The only positive thing was the friendly staff.
Groupon, you've failed me.
I was reluctant to visit Cherry Tomato but I went at the urging of my boyfriend.
We walked up and noticed there was a wait which was to be expected at 7ish on a Friday night. The host told us it would be 20 minutes. The wait was actually 45 minutes, and to make matters worse the host was standing right next to us the whole time and didn't apologize for the extra long wait or mention how many tables were in front of us. He just looked at us 20 minutes in and said "I betcha guys are hungry huh?" Well yeah, that's why we are out to dinner.
OF COURSE we got seated in the back next to the bathrooms with a nice view of the bussing station, I don't know what it is about us, but restaurants love to seat us in the most unattractive part of the restaurant.
I got the chicken piccata and it literally only tasted of capers. No hint of white wine, garlic or lemon. After I was done eating the chicken and what seemed like a million capers I counted the capers left on my plate... 92!!! I'm sorry but there is no way a chicken dish of any sort needs HUNDREDS of capers. Did I mention the word 'capers' enough for you?
My tiramisu was was swimming in liquid-- it's supposed to be moist, not soaking wet. They also present it with raspberry coulis or something of the sort which detracts from the taste. I did NOT finish it, which is too bad because tiramisu is one of my favorite desserts.
Cute family friendly place if you get a seat up front, but I'm not itching to go back anytime soon.
Nobody puts baby in the corner (by the bathrooms).
Well, I promised to update my review - so here you have it. Â It has been many years since we visited this place. Â For some reason it had fallen out of rotation - mostly due to the frequent presence of a lot of yuppies and their noisy spawn. Â The no reservation policy is usually a factor as well.
Tonight we returned and I have to say it was pretty damn good. Â Went early so the no reservation policy wasn't an issue (plus it was a Tuesday). Â Seated immediately with our all time favorite waiter - Amjad (hope I spelled that correctly). Â He treats us like royalty every time. Â Really maybe the best server in Denver.
Started with some shared appetizers. Â Truly amazing tender calamari steak strips over a lovely salad of fresh greens in a balsamic vinaigrette - $8.95 and a polenta eggplant napoleon layered with asiago polenta cakes in a homemade marinara, also $8.95 (I'd actually skip this if you're having the eggplant parm ((which I did)) for dinner.) Â Pretty much the same thing but quite good nonetheless. Â Great bread and an oil and balsamic dipping sauce included - I try and skip the bread because I fill up too quickly. Â My friends made short work of the basket though.
Entrees sampled included my eggplant parm (which included a side of spaghetti marinara) - $9.95.  A bargain at twice the price.  Friends had linguini carbonara (too rich for me but he scarfed it) and fettucini  puttanesca - both  around $12.  We shared around the table and I have to say that everything was top notch.  My eggplant was particularly good and a very generous serving, half of which went home with a friend.
We weren't planning on dessert because we certainly had enough to eat but Amjad brought me a massive piece of some uber-rich chocolate cake for my birthday which isn't until November but he knows that I spend the winter in Mexico.  We  shared it and while I suspect it, and all of their desserts, are purchased, it was a nice gesture.
So, we had a great evening, ate too much and enjoyed the embrace of old friends.
If I lived in Park Hill (and I wish I did), I would definitely be on first name terms with the staff at the Cherry Tomato.
We made a reservation, though we did end up waiting a bit. I would guess it was the size of our party. The hostess brought us in the back door, which made me feel very Henry Hill.
I thought the appetizers were a bit small. Probably a good portion for two...but we had a big group, which is why I asked. The house salad was excellent. Fresh greens with not too much dressing. I received a fresh knife after the salad course, which is big in my book.
I was pleasantly surprised that the arrabbiatta sauce was actually spicy. I enjoyed the gnocchi, and, in true Italian style, tried the dishes of those around me. The bolognese was not my favorite, but I really liked the mussels on the fruitte di mare. I will definitely get that dish next time.
All around a very nice place.
This is a really quaint neighborhood/family place in Park Hill. Â We popped in there for a relaxed, low key meal with Mom and was more than pleased. Â
Warm, homey old-school neighborhood ambiance, paper tablecloths with crayons, Â an open kitchen and a full bar.
The food is solid, quality Italian fare. Â Not the best I've ever had, but near the best of this type in this burg and that counts for a lot. Â
Service was outstanding, which also counts for a lot in this burg too. Â I like being treated like a VIP customer in a neighborhood place and those touches really speak to a place's longevity and standing with its customers.
This jaded New Yorker says: Not off the hook amazing, but solid quality and worth your time for a low-key evening out.
A strange night! Our server was SO nice... but just really, really not a great server. Case in point: while he was setting down one of our friends' food, he knocked another friends' beer bottle into a third friends' plate of just-served gnocchi. You'd think the server's response would be "oh, I'm so sorry, let me get you another plate of fresh, non-beer-drenched food!" But instead, we got a "whoops, sorry about that." No offer to even take the food off our bill!
He also took my wine glass without a word or a inquisition as to whether I was done (I wasn't, and there was still at least an inch worth of wine in there), or if I wanted another. But he was just so smiley and nice...! It's tough to be hard on someone who's in such a chipper mood while sucking so badly.
The food itself was pretty decent. I had the calamari appetizer as my dinner, and it was as tasty as promised. No deep-fried breaded nonsense here; it was a whole calamari steak and it was The Yum. A bit underseasoned, but hey... there was salt on the table. Speaking of which, that was the general consensus from everyone in our party of 12. The food really needed to be seasoned. Oh well though, better to be under than over. One can always add one's own salt.
Definitely worth a solid 3.5 stars, but the beer-dumping and the early-wine-glass-snagging bumps it down to 3. That stuff matters.
A great laid-back American Italian place. Â My wife an me are Buffalo natives, so finding a nice Italian place in Denver proved difficult. Â Parts of the Northeast that have large Italian population sport many many great Italian "comfort food" joints, not so much in the West.
The pasta is good, simple, and satisfying. Â
The real plus is the ambiance. Â No reservations, professional but not too attentive wait staff, open kitchen, exposed brick, and high ceilings make for great place to relax and pound out some carbs. Â
Don't forget to go the bathroom! It's down this small weird cramped hallway, which is just so delightfully trippy.
I had my annual birthday dinner with friends here and I'm glad I picked the Cherry Tomato. I always choose an Italian restaurant and this definitely fit the bill. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant and it was a good choice for our party of 10.
The food went over well with everyone, but the standouts among the other diners were the mushroom risotto and the bracciole. I ordered the gnocchi puttanesca-style, which is not on the menu and there was an extra charge, but it was worth it. While the gnocchi itself wasn't exceptional, the puttanesca (tomatoes, olives, capers, basil pesto) was fabulous. On the dessert side, the pumpkin cheesecake was outstanding.
All in all the Cherry Tomato was a great choice for a laid back, affordable Italian meal.
Very impressed with the Cherry Tomato. Â I've heard great things about this Italian Family Style Restaurant and I'm glad I finally went during my last week in Colorado. Â First off the staff is lovely and very welcoming. Â Everyone seems to have a good time working here and it shows. Â The open kitchen and high ceilings set a warm ambiance and the menu is simple yet full of Classic Italian dishes. Â
Start off with a Bellini. Â I had 2. Â Their white nectar peach, raspberry liquor concoction mixed with some Prosecco (Italian Sparkling Wine) was a refreshing way to start my dining experience.
The house salad was fresh and tossed in a house balsamic dressing. Â Very lovely with cherry tomatoes (actually grape) and red onions.
I ordered the Carbonara and I'm sure glad I did. Â Full of flavor from the carmelized onions and the Prosciutto is to die for. Â I was surprised to see that the egg was actually cooked and visible on my plate but nonetheless it was very tasty. Â The portions are huge so you are most likely going to take some home. Â
My Dad ordered the Chicken Parmigiana. Â Again huge! Â Very tasty and it came with a side of Spaghetti or Veggies. Â Again we took a nice sized portion home. Â It was lovely except it had a bit too much cumin seasoning. Â
The server made are experience very enjoyable. Â I loved his smile. Â This restaurant is perfect for a casual date, family dinner, special occasion gathering or you can even order take out. Â Starting May they will be delivering to nearby residents. Â Unfortunately I will be back in CA otherwise I would be ordering here all the time. Â
If you haven't tried the Cherry Tomato. Â You are seriously missing out. Â I've lived in Denver for 2 years now and honestly the Cherry Tomato falls into one of my Top Ten dining experiences.
Now, I was expecting some serious awesomeness based on what people have told me about the cherry tomato. But my experience, however, was average at best.
We had sort of a large group (six) but the place was not busy so it wasnt an issue. I think this was because it was a tuesday night. The hostess really wanted to make it clear to us that, had it been a saturday night, a group as large as ours would have been waiting for a table for hours, perhaps even years, if we were to get a table at all. All right, then.
Our waiter was abrupt and extremely put out when my friend asked if the eggplant parmigiana was big enough to split, and though he warmed up at the end, he was a little standoffish and inattentive in the beginning.
Now, the food.
One friend had the Pasta Felese, which is a good as everybody says it is. Something about it reminds me of eating Pasta Roni though. Probably not a good thing. But i have fond college memories of Pasta Roni so its all good in the hood and dont judge me because of it!
I had simple bow tie pasta with mushrooms and garlic, and it was delightful - light, not too oily. The only thing that most of us noticed was that all of our dishes needed salt. Like, copious amounts of salt. I rarely, if ever use salt in restaurants, and while I'd rather have something under seasoned than over seasoned when it comes to salt, it was mildly disturbing that all of us needed to use so much of it. Two other friends had the Pasta Primavera, and they both said it was a little bland. The eggplant parmigiana had a hint of lemon to it and of this I was not a fan. I am the original gangsta of eggplant parmigiana and there is a certain way that it needs to be, and i dont enjoy people fucking around with it by adding lemon.
So, long story short: its good. Dont expect to be bowled over by the best italian of your life, however.
The best restaurants take you somewhere, and the Cherry Tomato takes me straight to one of the best nights of my life, at a cafe in Rome. Â Now granted that experience included a violinist, an Italian man named Ivano trying to woo me (yes, I said woo) and a whole lot of limoncello, but even a hint of that night makes me get all dreamy.
It's all about two dishes for me at CT: Â the Arrabiatta and the Pasta Felese, two very different dishes. Â Arrabiatta translates as "angry red sauce", and angry it is - garlicky, filled with lots of spice and enough kick to make you glad for the good bread on the table. Â Note that you can choose to have this sauce on other dishes including the gnocchi or tortellini when feeling particularly indulgent.
The Felese is just the opposite - artichokes, peas, sundried tomatoes and chicken in a white wine cream sauce. Â Sweet, mellow and just downright yummy.
Somehow they are great for kids (crayons and butcher paper!), groups (reservations for parties of 6+) and date night (cozy tables on the sides of the room) - that's great ambiance.
I used to live within smelling distance of the CT; I would pull up after a long stressful day typing away and smell the garlic, and my dinner decision would be made. Â I moved away from the 'hood 4 years ago yet they still remember me, and I still remember them. Â
Do take advantage of calling ahead if you're going at prime time, they'll gladly put your name on the list ahead of time.
I took my wife to the CT after reading the reviews here, and was very glad I did. I've eaten many places in Denver, and love the quaint, romantic secrets like this one. This was such a pleasant surprise.
Others have done an adequate job describing it, so I'll go more into my experience specifically:
Arrived 6:30 on a Friday - waited about 20 mins at the bar (over a nice Chianti) for our table. Our server picked up our drinks & carried them to our table - just the beginning of the top-notch service we enjoyed. It was a 2.5-hour experience. Not because of slow svc, but because that's how a quality meal should be, if you have the time for it.
The atmosphere was very romantic, with perfect dim lighting to set the mood. My wife and I had the Antipasto (sampler), split one of the daily specials (stuffed chicken), and had the lemon sorbet and a 20 yr Tawney port for desert (cost was about $50 - which also included a glass of wine). The food was all incredible, and the sorbet was imported from Italy and served in a frozen hollowed lemon - yum. My wife ate most of that, I was quite content with the Port.
I'd recommend this as great place to take a date. You really can't go wrong.
"Hi. I live in a few blocks away, when would you have a table ready for us? Oh, in about 15 minutes. OK, see you then" Â So, the Cherry Tomato might not take reservations but if you live in Park Hill you can call in and they will tell you when your table will be ready. That alone is worth a few stars. But all of the stars go to the food, the ambiance, and to the service. Most of my favorite Yelpers have already dined and Yelped and they are all right on. Â I just want to plug the minestrone which is a great meal alone, so rich and full of veggies. And the Pasta Felese...is wonderful with artichokes, peas, sun dried tomatoes, pasta and optional chicken in a white wine cream sauce. Oh yum. Â And JH is right about the calamari....this is the real stuff and not the fake breaded rings.
And if I could give an extra star for pick up service when I do not want to be seen in public, I would.
Some wonderful Italian food is cranked out of the small kitchen at the unassuming Cherry Tomato. Â Probably the best restaurant in Park Hill - quaint and charming, with kind and attentive staff.
A full bar is available, in case you have to wait for a table at night. Â Everything I've tried on the menu has been wonderful and comforting - just as you should expect from Italian food. Â My personal favorite is the Braciole (pronounced brah-zhole), which is thinly pounded beef rolled around salami, garlic, pine nuts, and parmesan, braised and cooked in a red wine sauce, and served over artisan pasta. Â Highly recommended!
Take-out is also available, and often chosen in our household.
Feel like ditching the corporate Italian place for a night? Want a pasta sauce that doesn't taste like tin can??
The Cherry Tomato is a great neighborhood restaurant located in a cool Park Hill building that was built as church, but has been used for lots of stuff since, and still has the tile floors from the Park Hill Drug Store. They don't try to make you think you're in Cherry Creek, and you'll be glad you're not!
Start out with the Calamari, which is calamari steaks, not tentacles, served on delicate field greens with a delightful dressing. The clams are good, too.
All the pasta dishes are great (especially the Pasta Felese), but you should definately try the Chicken Saltimbocca: With the perfect amount of sage and cheese, you feel like you've discovered a whole new category of cuisine! The Chicken Marsala is also the best I've ever had, with a much cleaner, lighter taste. Â If I ever find Saltimbocca or Marsala on another Italian restaurant's menu, I steer clear because I know that compared to the Tomato's, I'm guaranteed to be disappointed.
Another great thing about The Cherry Tomato is the staff: I've been eating there for years and the staff has barely changed. You'll see the same waiters, cooks, bussers and bartenders there week after week.
Shockingly, this all comes with a perfectly reasonable price tag.
Go local once, and you'll wonder why you ever liked "McItalian's Restaurant" so much!
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