At Denver’s Cucina Bella, Two Brothers Are Creating a New Culinary Genre

While there are many noteworthy restaurants in the Mile High City that focus on authentic interpretations of dishes from hyperspecific regions around the world, it’s particularly refreshing when chefs create culinary genres of their own. After more than 20 years of working in kitchens across the Front Range, that’s exactly what Luis and Heriberto Gutierrez are doing at year-old Cucina Bella. At the strip-mall joint south of Lowry, Luis, an alum of Il Posto and Cattivella, and Heriberto, who cooked for Denver-based manufacturer Ready Foods, expertly execute a comforting lineup of pastas, pizzas, and antipasti. The fruits of the brothers’ labor—lemon-kissed chicken piccata with velvety mashed potatoes; silky spaghettini studded with prawns and fresh basil; and beautifully blistered pies topped with everything from wild mushrooms and truffle oil to chicken and barbecue sauce—are Italian-American fusion creations at their best. Drop in for brunch for surprising early-day eats infused with Italian flavors and the Gutierrezes’ Mexican heritage such as breakfast pizza with scrambled eggs and pancetta as well as chilaquiles rojos.