Finger pushing
loader-image
weather icon 84°F


Table Talk: Castle Rock Italian eatery has new owners and new menu

One of my favorite Castle Rock eateries, Uniscali Modern Italian Restaurant, 611 N. Wilcox St., has closed. In its place: VistaVino Modern Grill, with maybe even better dishes.

VistaVino is owned by Michael and Janine Glennon; Michael is the chef, preparing foods with influences from his Irish-Italian heritage. His cooking skills were first honed working at Massachusetts fine dining restaurants including in Cape Cod, Chillingsworth, and a five-star restaurant in Brewster. He’s prepared a six-course dinner at the James Beard House in New York City. He moved to Vail and worked at Sweet Basil. Then he spent some time in Houston, Texas, working with Robert del Grande at Cafe Annie’s. In 1999 he opened his own place in Vail called Vista Restaurant in Avon.

VistaVino’s hours are 5-9 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and 4-9 p.m. Fridays through Saturdays. Details: 303-660-2005, vistavinomoderngrill.com.

Wine dinner

Gay Gust, executive chef at Pizza Rustica, 2527 W. Colorado Ave., will have a wine dinner featuring wines from Mezzacorona winery at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Winemakers Jeffrey Wingate and Lee Gilbert will talk about their winery. For $59 per person plus tax and tip you get five courses paired with five wines. Details: Call Coaltrain Wine and Spirits, 476-9700.

New chef and menu

Jonathon Dolecki, new executive chef at Walter’s Bistro, 146 E. Cheyenne Mountain Blvd., has a new fall season menu that includes a grilled 12-ounce pork chop with vanilla sweet potato maple cream sauce; kale salad with napa cabbage, grapefruit, almonds, asiago cheese, tossed in citrus dressing; and romaine salad with cherry tomatoes, blue cheese crumbles and spiced pecans dressed with green goddess dressing. Check out the prime rib and fresh oysters on Fridays and Saturdays. Details: 630-0201, waltersbistro.com.

Theater dining

Chefs at Taste at the Fine Arts Center by Garden of the Gods Gourmet, 30 W. Dale St., have created another amazing pre-theater dinner menu for the play “Putting it Together,” which runs at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through Sept. 27. For $39 per person you get a three-course dinner.

Details: 634-5581, csfineartscenter.org.

‘KVOR Table Talk’

Guests on the “KVOR Table Talk” radio show at 1 p.m. Saturday:

– Sally Davidson, marketing and public relations manager at The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey, 3011 E. U.S. 50 in Cañon City, is joined by Beau Green, executive chef at the Royal Gorge restaurant, Café 1230, a state-of-the-art restaurant 1,230 feet above the Arkansas River. They will talk about The Harvest Festival at the winery, Sept. 25 to 27. It’s the perfect place to sample the latest wine releases created by the award-winning winemaker.

The highlight of the weekend is the winemaker dinner that kicks off the festival at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 25. Details: 475-8880, abbeywinery.com.

– Cindy Harrell, metro educator and healthy eating specialist for Whole Foods Market Pikes Peak, 7635 N. Academy Blvd., talks about new culinary classes and events coming to the store.

Details: 531-9999, wfm.com.

– Cassidee Shull, executive director for the Colorado Association for Viticulture and Enology, talks about the Colorado Mountain Winefest, Thursday through Sept. 20 in Palisade. It’s the state’s largest and oldest wine festival, featuring dozens of Colorado wineries, live music, a grape stomp, chef demonstrations and seminars.

Details: coloradowineexperience.com.

Send tips about restaurant openings, closings and food specials to teresa.farney@gazettedev.gazette.com, 636-0271, Twitter@tffoodie or

Facebook Teresa Farney.

Michael (pictured) and Janine Glennon have opened VistaVino Modern Grill in the former Uniscali Modern Italian Restaurant in Castle Rock. Courtesy photo
Michael (pictured) and Janine Glennon have opened VistaVino Modern Grill in the former Uniscali Modern Italian Restaurant in Castle Rock. Courtesy photo
Teresa Farney March 7, 2013. Photo by Mark Reis, The Gazette (MARK REIS)
Teresa Farney March 7, 2013. Photo by Mark Reis, The Gazette (MARK REIS)


Welcome Back.

Streak: 9 days i

Stories you've missed since your last login:

Stories you've saved for later:

Recommended stories based on your interests:

Edit my interests