Frank Bonanno: Denver culinary legend

Food is more than sustenance when you travel. It is a life experience that links culture, history, and people. Some chefs cook, while others transcend eating with an experience that offers a re-touch of the soul.

In Denver, Frank Bonnano is the paradigm of the latter – great food with an experience that envelopes your being.

Bonanno is a whirling dervish of creativity, craft, and human connection like few others I have met in my travels. His giveback to the employees and the community, not just during Covid, has been amazing.

Frank and his wife, Jacqueline, have early roots in the restaurant business. During Bonanno’s externship at the CIA, they met while working at a restaurant, and both graduated college in Denver. The food adventure began despite the urging his father to stay away from the food business. Marinara is thicker than water. For these people, the preparing and sharing cuisine is very close to the breath of life itself. The last washed dish is not the day’s end of their obsession with the food experience. There are nights when the Bonannos (Mr, Mrs, and sons Luca and Marco) all gather late at night from the various eateries, connect, share stories, and eat.

A testament to their vision and creative execution are ten restaurants in Denver with Bonanno Concepts, all with a different food theme, twist, and atmosphere. No food consultants here; Frank is the food driver, while Jacqueline conducts a variety of roles from décor and operations. For a top-notch experience, Mizuna has been a Denver staple for years, with French themes and impeccable service. Lobster Mac & Cheese you can’t find anywhere else and the best Beef Wellington in the region.

Two well-paired tasting menus nightly, plus their regular menu. While you expect not everything with this much diversity to come out upping taste appreciation, my Papille gustative noted that everything was well conceived, balanced, and executed. In the food world, as described is bedrock.

Luca, named after one son, is Italian food that hits the rustic notes of comfort. They make their burrata and pasta. Luca just added another outdoor patio with the ultimate Italian food pairing, Bocci ball. Vesper Lounge, the first and only bar with cocktails on tap, features specialty libations like the James Bond Martini. The Juicy D burger, stuffed with cheese and onions as the burger topper, squirts juicy goodness upon consumption.

Frank delves into every food creation at every restaurant; plated execution is a scientific progression. His take on Nashville hot chicken is symbolic of his process. Frank headed to Music City and hit all the high notes of chicken fame. After three days, he returns to Denver with a suitcase of ideas. The home kitchen became the hot bird playground through multiple iterations.

When you have heightened taste buds like Bonanno, it was only a short time until the frying result was ready for the final vote. The go button was Jacqueline, noting that the skin/coating of the hot chicken portrays the worth. Lou’s Hot/Naked Chicken – all the taste without the twang.

For the Bonannos, the tribal connection is important. First, with his immediate family, all of whom appear to be willing participants in his food endeavors.

Yet what struck the caring chord was how the Bonnanos care for and support their employees from day one. Manny Macias is the dish and silverware wizard of Mizuna. 22 years on board, and he has been listed on the restaurant website since inception. Who else lists the dishwasher as one of three key staff? By my count, 15 of the chefs from Mizuna have gone on to start their own restaurants. That is a pretty good training ground.

During Covid, Frank bucked the trend and instituted a 22% house charge on top of the ticket for the employees. The name of the fee: Creating Happy People (CHP). While a patron here or there balked, there was incredible support for his efforts to take care of staff.

During that time, the Bonnano group delivered meals and hosted fundraisers. They took care of people in and out of the restaurant business. During one of the community feedings, they hosted the Colorado Symphony on the rooftop for added cultural zing and stress relief.

You don’t get a television show on PBS and get to challenge Bobby Flay with average food. Each eatery has plates that are big hits and stay with a few carefully conceived seasonal rotations. The Bonannos balance their food focus with golf, swing dancing, and travel, which provides Frank with additional regional food tweaks.

The locations all sport special nights and tastings that give the food and the ambiance a little character connection. The latest “Screen to Table” event was based on the notable industry film “Chef” by Jon Favreau. A film-driven, eight-course menu paired with Bacardi cocktails & wine. Patrons were whisked to Miami through the interactive experience.

Curated like an art museum, the theme and execution work top to bottom at each establishment. The Bonannos pay careful attention to local history. The Vesper Lounge was a local hotspot bar for decades, and they kept the previous wood décor, bar, and couch-like feel. El Rancho, just west of Denver, started in the 60s. When Frank took the helm this year, he restored the furniture and vibe. He returned the high standards of tasty Colorado food that works pre or après ski. The Bonanno mantra here is “improve everything, change nothing.”

Watching the Bonannos work is like an Olympic event. Frank gets in his Zen flow on the line. He is more than the overseer of the operation; he chops and plates with the crew. Jacqueline floats through each restaurant tweaking just about everything to give stellar restaurant experiences.

Denver has consistently risen in the food world, and the Bonanno eateries have helped propel food quality, creativity, and exceptional offerings. The Bonannos are a passionate family helping the patrons experience the idea that food is life.