Let's eat now at
Mangiamo Pronto!
By Lori Midson
Mon., Oct. 12 2009
Downtown's Italian restaurant scene just grew by one
with the opening of Mangiamo Pronto,
a sleek and modern cafe out of Santa Fe, in the
former Common Grounds space at 1601 17th Street. "We
had soft openings Friday and Saturday just to do
some test runs and opened the floodgates today,"
said Enrique Guerrero, co-owner and chef.
"So far, so good," he continued. "We love it here
and it looks like the neighborhood is going to love
us back," he said, pointing to a woman who'd
apparently been in for lunch Friday, Saturday and
today.
The menu peddles antipasto, including white bean
hummus with duck crackings; chicken drumstick confit
with mostarda diavolo; and cheese and Italian meat
samplers, plus Italian salads, thin-crusted pizzas
and panini. Mangiamo Pronto! -- which means "Let's
Eat Now!" -- is open Monday through Saturday from 7
a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, call
303-297-1229.
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Mangiamo Pronto! Is Open for
Business
This week, Mangiamo Pronto,
a fast-casual Italian bistro imported from Santa Fe,
quietly opened on the corner of 17th and Wazee
streets. The bright downtown space (the home of
Common Grounds before
it moved across the street) serves salads, paninis,
and pizzas that are fresh, quick, and well priced
($6 to $9.50).
Best bets include the il diavolo
pizza with cracker-thin crust, pancetta, mozzarella,
red chiles, and tomatoes, and the pollame panino, a
massive, grilled sandwich stuffed with pulled
chicken breast, baby arugula, black currants, and
house vinaigrette. For a side, choose the lemony
chickpea-celery salad.
Bonus:
The spot also serves a small breakfast menu with the
likes of veggie frittata and an Italian version of
French toast, with Nutella, bananas, and toasted
almonds.
1601 Wazee St., 303-297-1229
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Santa Fe-based Mangiamo Pronto set
to open in former Common Grounds space
By Lori Midson in Cafe Society
Fri., Jun. 26 2009 @ 1:59PM
Just got off the phone with Enrique Guerrero,
co-owner and chef at Mangiamo Pronto -- which means
"Let's Eat Now!" -- a fast-casual Italian joint in
Santa Fe, New Mexico that's coming to downtown
Denver in early September, specifically to 1601 17th
Street, in the former Common Grounds space.
Guerrero, who was the corporate chef at Il Vicino, a
national pizza chain headquartered in Albuquerque,
when the first Denver store opened in 2000 at 550
Broadway, says the Colorado outpost of Mangiamo
Pronto will be similar to his Santa Fe operation --
but with a few significant upgrades. "In Santa Fe, I
do really simple, straightforward food like salads
and panini, and we'll do those in Denver, too, but I
also want to have a salumi and cheese bar, handmade
pastas, a fish and meat special every day and a full
bar, which we don't have in Santa Fe," he told me.
When I asked Guerrero why he chose Denver for his
next location, he stopped short of saying we were
the most wonderful people in the world, but he came
close: "Denver is a little city that feels like a
bit city, and I've met some of the nicest people
anywhere in Denver. I fell in love with it when I
spent time there. It really is the best choice for
us."
Welcome to the neighborhood.
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