Shaun Does Denver: Gaetano's

In Shaun Does Denver, CSG’s resident tastemaker slash Coordinator, Shaun Burgess, reviews Denver’s hottest spots, trends, and more. First up: Gaetano’s.

I sat at the bar, sipping on my Capone in a chilled martini glass. I felt like the classiest broad in the joint. Fiery flavors hit my tongue with each sip. Playful chatter filled my ears with drowned-out noise. Nothing else mattered — this was an intimate moment between me, my drink and Gaetano’s. 

I snapped out of my daze as the waiter laid the creamy burrata in front of me. The first bite was like taking a bite out of a crunchy cloud. It was a dream come true, and I moaned contentedly in ecstasy before finally noticing the sea of personalities surrounding me: An empty nester, a dissatisfied guest who needed to get over himself, an old man embarking on a tale tale that had no end, and a couple trying to inject romance back into their relationship by guzzling a bottle of wine. 

I soon lost interest in their unsatisfying lives and turned my focus to the atmosphere. It was like I had stepped into a time machine. Black and white photos of past mobsters adorned the walls and suddenly I was transported to a scene out of the movies, or if you had a cousin named Vinny. I could just picture someone being taken out back and beaten to a pulp for double crossing the wrong guy. A state of curiosity overcame me. What could he have done? Was I next? 

Luckily, my chicken parmigiana came out and saved me from this vicious nightmare. It’s funny how a couple of old pictures can take you back to the scene of the crime. I twirled my noodles and bit into the juicy piece of chicken on top; it was the perfect slice of heaven. Olive Garden, you have a thing or two to learn from a place like this. 

As I drew closer and closer to the bottom of my glass, I was sad to see this experience come to a close. Sitting there, I could feel the family values screaming into my soul. Gaetano’s greets every guest with a great history lesson — and an even warmer feeling.