Marrocco's Family Restaurant
Great people, great food, friendly decor
Marrocco's Family Restaurant, 8 Utica Street, Ward, Colorado
303/459-0358 serves Italian Dinner/Breakfast. Closed lunch and Sunday. Cash, check. No credit cards.
Directions
If you come from Boulder, take Lee Hill to Left Hand Canyon towards Ward. You will find Marracco's Family Restaurant just below Ward on the right hand side after you pass the great wooden bear, but before you get to the stop sign in the center of Ward.
If you are coming down from the Peak-to-Peak, Colorado 72, the restaurant will be on your left after you pass through town. Look for a large "Open" banner waving from the pole in front of the old restored powerhouse for the Boston mill.
Just beyond the restaurant you will see a pipe with running water coming from a pile of rocks. You may also see people lined up with jugs for the pure and delicious Ward water.
Don't Miss
Dinner: Daily made-to-order Italian specials, pasta, lasagna, and pizza.
Breakfast: Daily special, heuvos, green chili, almond french toast
Be sure to check out the yummy home-baked goods in the Bakery Case on the left just as you go in the door. Celeste is famous for her brownies, cheesecake, and baked goods made with local rhubarb or raspberries when they are in season.
Also look for the specials of the day handwritten on the blackboard just past the bakery case. Shrimp di'ablo is wonderful, as are all the pastas and pizza. Many Italian dishes use herbs home grown in Marrocco's greenhouse. Celeste makes her special crust with semolina and, oh, can't tell her secrets.
Wine Now Available
Marrocco's now has a winelist featuring hand-selected Italian wines. Imported beers are also available.
Atmosphere
You will marvel at the hand-finished pine timbers in this 1800's powerhouse. The interior of the restaurant shines. Walls are covered with old family photographs of the Marrocco family, and books on local lore provide a cosy, at-home feeling.
There are small double tables in quaint candlelit corners as well as family size tables for mom and dad, grandma and grampa, and the kids. You frequently see local families, as well as romantic two-somes.
You can also call ahead and order a delicous pizza or a pint of home made green chili to take home.
Breakfasts are wonderful. Folks wait in line for green chili made from Hatch green chilis.
Closed on Sunday.
Bottom Line:
Great people, great food, great decor!
Chef Patrick Marrocco
Boulder Daily Camera Review
MARROCCO'S FAMILY RESTAURANT 8 Utica St., Ward. (303) 459-0358. Italian/breakfast. Hours: Breakfast, 7 a.m.-noon Tuesday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday; Dinner, 5-8:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. Cash, checks, no credit cards. Wheelchair accessible. Vegetarian entrees. Noise level: Low. Recommended dishes: Pizza, pasta with meatballs, green chili, tomatillo salsa, toasted almond French toast, brownies.
$$
This tiny mom-and-pop operation amid the wilds of Ward offers made-from-scratch, made-to-order breakfast and dinner. Breakfast brings huevos, pancakes, eggs and French toast; the green chili is excellent. Dinnertime gives owners Patrick and Celeste Marrocco a chance to serve up homespun family-recipe pasta and meatballs, lasagna and immaculate pizza. It's a small operation, so be prepared to wait a bit. The neat-as-a-pin, circa-1884 building doubles as a community church on Sundays
Boulder Daily Camera, December 8, 2007.
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