May 27, 2026 Fortezza
Fortezza is an Italian restaurant we just discovered over in Niwot, about 45 minutes from home. It’s a fairly adventurous place, really neat and very good.
Tonight’s wine is the signature Barolo from Domenico Clerico . It had to be decanted to open up, but wow. Right away, it had citrus and fruit on the nose.
The definition of the name.
They don’t make it easy to choose …
We started with their sourdough Focaccia Della Casa. We’d never had a focaccia like this! The crust is super thin and as crispy as a cracker and the sourdough and rosemary made it one of the best we’ve ever had!
Martin started with their house salad, Insalata Di Fortezza. He couldn’t believe how sharp and clean their “green goddess” dressing is. The piave cheese and amazing crostini made this a real treat. The Tokyo Turnips were really flavorful.
Bill did the citrus salad, Inslata Di Agrumi. The salad sits on a house-made yogurt base and that really worked well with the citrus and frisée. Bill won this course, but it was close.
Martin’s main was the Anatra, a duck breast with a crust that was deeply flavorful and crisp. The celery mousse was concentrated essence of celery. Martin likes celery, so this was great. The sauce is a black cherry truffle and that put this dish over the top!
Bill did the Tagliatelle Al Ragú D’Anatra, duck confit and pork ragu. It’s pretty spicy, just the way Bill likes it. The duck really comes through, we tied Martin thinks.
We both did their lemon tart for dessert.The crust is really thick and rich, not just an afterthought. Then Lemon and regular Chantilly cream tops it off. A nice, light perfect finish! Of course, there’s an edible flower.