I'll be honest: Crimson Canary's concept—Mob-style Italian-American eats—doesn't really hang together for me. Even with mobster mug shots on the walls, the space (formerly Mona's on South Broadway) feels altogether too bright and cheerful to conjure up the Boss. In short, it still has the tinge of a breakfast joint.

Opened in October by Interstate Kitchen & Bar boys Joey Newman and brothers Andre and Aaron Lobato, the menu is hearty and well suited to cold weather, but there are issues. Among them, the pumpkin and pear soup was beautiful to look at but virtually tasteless, and my Negroni arrived in a glass still dripping with rinse water.

The baked Burrata, however, was satisfying and updated to reflect the winter season. Served warm with crunchy grilled radicchio and drizzled with a balsamic-fig reduction, the salad was a balance of sweet (fig), creamy (Burrata), and bitter (radicchio). That said, Burrata is best when spread on grilled bread, and another piece or two of crostini would have gone a long way.

At just five weeks old, there's still time for Crimson Canary to smooth the bumps. In fact, I remember finding similar discrepancies at Interstate when it first opened—and now that spot runs smoothly and serves dishes I crave.

141 S. Broadway, 303-284-9026