New Italian restaurant Dear Emilia debuts January 29 in Denver
The team behind Michelin-recommended Restaurant Olivia is thrilled to announce that their newest concept, Dear Emilia, will open to the public on Thursday, January 29, 2026, on the ground floor of The Current at 3615 Delgany Street in Denver’s River North Arts District.
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A culinary tribute to Emilia Romagna
Created by co-owners Chef Ty Leon, Bar Director Austin Carson and Michelin Award-Winning Hospitality Director Heather Morrison, Dear Emilia is envisioned as a love letter to Emilia Romagna, celebrating the region’s food traditions, craft and agricultural heritage. The experience will unfold inside a warmly designed 3,700-square-foot space that blends modern elegance with a welcoming sense of comfort.
Honoring regional traditions through craft and connection
Dear Emilia builds on the creative spirit and hospitality that Restaurant Olivia is known for with a more focused expression of Emilia Romagna, the agricultural heart of northern Italy and birthplace of some of Italy’s most well-known foods, such as Parmigiano Reggiano, traditional balsamico, tagliatelle and prosciutto di Parma. That inspiration will be reflected immediately in the restaurant’s entryway, where a batteria filled with barrels of San Giacomo’s balsamico, referred to by the team as their “black gold,” stands as both a design centerpiece and a tribute to the artisans who define the region.
The Olivia team has traveled to Emilia Romagna together for years, forming lasting relationships with producers and falling in love with the region’s signature generosity and craftsmanship. Dear Emilia honors those connections by working with trusted Italian purveyors as well as growers and makers across Colorado, the Mountain West and the world who share the team’s commitment to sustainability and responsible stewardship.
Morrison, who will lead Dear Emilia’s hospitality program, says, “This restaurant has been a long time coming, and it means so much to finally welcome people into a space we’ve poured so much care into. I can’t wait for guests to experience what we adore about this beautiful region, whether they’re discovering it for the first time or reconnecting with flavors they already love.”
“More than anything, we’re hoping to add something truly special to Denver’s vibrant and ever-evolving dining scene,” Morrison adds.
A menu shaped by heritage, innovation and local sourcing
Dear Emilia’s menu will reflect Chef Leon’s reverence for Emilia-Romagna’s most defining culinary traditions while celebrating the agricultural richness of Colorado and beyond. For example, the Smoked Trout Tigelle found on Dear Emilia’s primi menu will offer a modern interpretation of the region’s beloved street-food sandwiches, made with White Sonora flour and filled with trout from Colorado’s Frontier Trout Ranch mixed with mascarpone.
Guests will also find pasta dishes rooted in regional customs, like garganelli rolled by hand on a pettine in the traditional style, made with Colorado rye flour and served with house-made duck sausage, brown butter and black truffle. Tortellini in brodo, a celebratory dish from Bologna, will be filled with mortadella and pork and finished with a pour of clarified Parmesan broth at the table.
Main secondi dishes, like Grama Farms Beef Striploin from Boulder County topped with pesto modenese, a classic mixture of lardo, rosemary, Parmigiano Reggiano and black pepper, will reflect the rustic farmhouse cooking of Modena. To finish, guests can expect dolci such as tiramisuÌ made with hazelnut sabayon, FEW Bourbon-soaked espresso and house-made ladyfingers, as well as a rotating selection of house-made gelati.
“Our many trips to Emilia Romagna have shaped every part of this menu,” Chef Leon says. “We have cooked with producers in their kitchens, walked through their farms and fallen in love with the way they honor tradition through care and generosity. Creating this menu has been a joy because it allowed us to blend those classic dishes with ingredients and ideas that feel true to Denver. It is a celebration of the people we have met along the way and the connections that continue to inspire us.”
A bar program built on ingredients and sustainability
At the bar, Carson designed an ingredient-forward program that tells that story at the very first glance. Each drink is named after its starring ingredient, ensuring that the story of that ingredient guides the guest experience. Drinks such as “Blood Orange,” a bright and aromatic spritz with Lambrusco di Sorbara and The Sweetest Bean vanilla, or “Fig,” a dark-spirited Old-Fashioned variation infused with black garlic sotol and caramel, are crafted with seasonality, preservation and close collaboration with the kitchen at top of mind.
“At both Dear Emilia and Restaurant Olivia, the bar and kitchen operate as one,” Carson said. “We’re constantly in dialogue as we build flavor together, and with the help of our Director of Sustainability, Paula Thomas, we make sure every ingredient lives many lives. The vinegars, misos and other ferments she creates from Olivia’s kitchen scraps become integral components of all of our menus, allowing us to honor each ingredient from start to finish and create something far more meaningful than the sum of its parts.”
A wine list crafted by one of the world’s top Italian wine experts
Wine Director Scott Thomas, one of only 22 certified Italian Wine Experts in the world, has created a fully Italian wine program for Dear Emilia, shaped by his years spent living, studying and traveling throughout Italy. The list will place particular emphasis on Emilia Romagna, with Lambrusco taking center stage by the glass and even in a dedicated Lambrusco flight that highlights the breadth of the category.
Thomas has selected producers who prioritize organic or low intervention practices, and he has built a rotating glass list designed to feel playful and approachable while still inviting guests to explore new varieties. The result is a program that balances comfort with discovery and reflects the relationships he has formed with thoughtful growers and importers throughout Italy.
“Building the wine program for Dear Emilia has been a joy,” Thomas says. “My years living and studying in Italy shaped the way I understand these wines, and my work as an educator has taken me through so many regions and traditions. It has been exciting to pull from that experience and create a list that feels thoughtful, playful and rooted in Italian cultural identity. I want to share that experience with our guests and our team, so they can feel the spirit of Italy at the table through wines that are expressive and simply fun to explore.”
Design that invites warmth, intimacy and discovery
The Dear Emilia space features seating for 88 guests, a 10-seat patio, and a private dining room for up to 22 with full A/V capabilities. Designed by REGULAR Architecture and built by Taurus Builders, the restaurant was crafted to feel warm, welcoming and intentionally intimate.
Arched ceilings draw the eye upward and create distinct nooks throughout the dining room, offering each table its own moment within the larger space. The full kitchen is on display from the moment guests enter, paired with a six-seat chef’s counter that offers a front-row view of service. Soft woods, plaster finishes, muted stone surfaces and custom locally built millwork create a calm backdrop that allows the food and hospitality to shine, while playful, bright bathroom details and a sculptural batteria give the space a signature sense of character.
“We designed Dear Emilia to embody the same warmth and generosity we feel every time we interact with Austin, Heather and Ty,” says Kevin Nguyen, owner and architect at REGULAR Architecture. “Rather than replicate Emilia-Romagna outright, we used quiet references like the entry batteria and soft lime-washed textures to hint at the region. The real intent was to create a space that allows the team’s food and beverage to carry the narrative. Our design provides the frame; their hospitality brings it to life.”
Opening January 29 in Denver’s RiNo district
Dear Emilia will open to the public on January 29, 2026. In the meantime, guests are invited to follow the journey and be the first to know when reservations go live by visiting emiliadenver.com
