Cucina Colore opened in Cherry Creek North in 1994 and over the years it hasn't lost any of its neighborhood appeal. On a recent Monday evening—typically the quietest night of the week—every table was full, and all the booths (which run down the center of the restaurant) had been reserved in advance.

The menu includes modern Italian favorites such as wood-fire pizza, the expected penne-to-fettuccine lineup, meat-and-seafood mains, and several vegetarian entrées, including pasta-less lasagna, a long-time customer favorite made with smoked mozzarella and breaded eggplant.

I came away impressed with the sweetly seared scallops served with artichoke hearts atop a wintry blend of spinach, crispy pancetta, roasted garlic, and balsamic reduction. A close second: the new-to-the-menu panko-coated cod topped with fragrant basil pesto.

3041 E. Third Ave., 303-393-6917