Eating Italian food is about so much more than the food that’s on your plate. It’s about connecting with loved ones, sharing memories, making new friends and — of course — drinking wine. When you dine at Tennyson Street’s Voghera, you immediately feel at home from the warm greeting, excellent service and flowing wine paired with hearty Northern Italian cuisine.
When owner Marco Albertin created the concept of the restaurant, he wanted people to immediately feel welcome and taken care of upon walking through the door. “You don’t come into the restaurant, you come into my living room. That’s why I opened a restaurant. It’s where strangers become friends and friends become family,” said Albertin. And that’s wholeheartedly the truth. Marco and his friendly staff will greet you and take care of you like you were dining in their home. From recommending the perfect wine to explaining each dish in detail and telling you about his home, you’ll feel the genuine Italian hospitality.
The restaurant was named after Albertin’s hometown of Voghera, Italy and highlights dishes from that region of the country. “In northern Italy, we are able to transform humble, almost insignificant ingredients into something that is delicious that the entire world loves,” said Albertin. Voghera operates as an “apericena” — a meal that starts with cocktails and wine and evolves to shared plates, eventually becoming dinner — so the menu is composed mostly of shared plates and less of entrees. The term evolved from the Italian word “aperitivo” — meaning appetizers — and merged with “cena” — meaning dinner — to create a new word that is common throughout Milan and northern Italy.
Since all of the dishes are meant to be shared, the menu reads from lightest to heaviest. The menu begins with items like burrata cheese wrapped with prosciutto San Daniele and drizzled with balsamic glaze ($16) and seafood and fish stew, tossed in a spicy, homemade tomato sauce ($24). Move on to the pasta and meat-forward dishes to try items like Risotto della Mamma with gorgonzola and cremini mushrooms ($27) and lasagna bianca with béchamel, sausage, mushrooms and parmigiano ($27) — both drizzled with truffle-infused olive oil. All meals are enjoyed best with an Italian wine that Albertin or his staff can recommend and aren’t complete without the tiramisu ($9) for dessert.
Photo by Roxanna Carrasco
If you’d rather enjoy a cocktail, there are a few unique Italian cocktails on the list including a Basito which is similar to a mojito with basil instead of mint, or the Il Milanese with Fernet Branca, a sweet and dry vermouth.
Keep an eye out for Voghera’s monthly “Giro D’Italia” — an educational dinner that will give you a taste of other regions and showcase the various Italian territories. The three-course dinner will include a small appetizer, a side dish and a main dish for $55 a person. Voghera also plans to host networking events in the back of the restaurant every Thursday and is planning a special dinner on March 8 to celebrate International Women’s Day.
Step into a small piece of Italy at Voghera. You’ll leave feeling full in more than just your belly.
Voghera is located at 3963 Tennyson St, Denver. Open for lunch Monday – Saturday 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. and dinner Monday – Saturday 5 – 9:30 p.m.
All photography by Roxanna Carrasco.