I’ll be honest, I had never heard of Bella Colibri in Golden until a friend invited me to go for lunch. Turns out it’s right on 12th Street and Miner’s Alley, across from the parking lot I’ve frequented for years when visiting this sweet little town at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
Since the end of 2019, Bella Colibri has flanked the street, nestled inside a pretty brick building and tucked behind Old Capitol Grill & Smokehouse. Founder Dean Valdez co-owns both spots, but Bella Colibri leans towards upscale dining and features Southern Italian fare as an homage to his family roots in Calabria.
With white table clothes, low lighting at night, and fine-dine service sensibilities, the setting of the Italian restaurant also feels different from the laidback, cowboy vibe of its sister spot. The walls are exposed brick, with wood highlights and natural light pouring in through long windows during the day. It’s elegant but not stuffy, and quiet enough to bring along my hard-of-hearing dad. I would not, however, bring my loud and can’t-sit-still child.
The menu is executed by co-owner and chef John Wilson, who lets seasonality guide his creations. For example, this past spring we saw arancini with English pea and pancetta, lamb sugo with rapini, and asparagus salad with artichoke, radicchio, olives, parsley, basil, tomato, and parmesan dressing.
All pastas are made fresh and in house, and while the sauces and add-ons change, the basic shapes and types remain the same. Offerings may include orecchiette with roasted zucchini and basil; pappardelle with beef bolognese; and bucatini all’amatriciana with spicy sausage, pancetta, and guanciale, which was one of my favorite dishes last month. There’s also a gluten-free pasta option available.
Recently the restaurant started lunch service, offering a limited pasta menu, salads, oysters, and sandwiches, which are only available midday. In honor of the chef-drama show The Bear, we had to try the Italian Beef, a tightly rolled sandwich stuffed with braised beef chuck roast and spicy giardiniera, with a cup of au jus for dipping. The other two sandwich options include the porchetta with fennel slaw and Calabrian chili aioli on house sourdough, and a classic meatball sub served on a baguette with melty mozzarella and marinara.
Dinner service has more options, with the sandwich section swapped out for classic Italian entrees. Recently the Lasagna Bella sounded beautiful, as did the Vitello Alla Milanese, a bread veal chop served with gem lettuce, lemon, and Italian olive oil. There’s a market fish on the menu, which changes frequently but made with the same care as Wilson’s other dishes.
On the beverage side, an old world wine list brings beautiful Italian reds and whites to the table, and the on-hand sommelier is happy to guide you. Or, opt for a classic cocktail or a twist on something well known. Recently the Negroni Sour offered a fun take on the original drink, with an airy and creamy essence to balance out the bitter orange.
Lunch, dinner, or drinks, no matter if you have known that Bella Colibri has been churning out excellent Italian fare from the get go, or just want to try something new, we recommend visiting soon. As the word spreads, we anticipate more people will fall in love with the space and food. Already we’re planning the next visit, for dinner this time, to try all the things possible.
Visit Bella Colibri every Wednesday through Sunday. Lunch is served from 12 to 3 p.m., and dinner from 5 to 9 p.m., save Sundays when they close at 8 p.m. 812 12th St., Golden, bellacolibri.com
