Parisi Italian Market & Deli

Please note that Parisi is temporarily closed; plesae contact 940.367.2977 for most updated information.

Ciao, it’s Christine Parisi and WOW have I missed our sweet space below Parisi. Firenze a Tavola opened in 2006, a few years after opening Parisi’s new & current location. Firenze a Tavola was the brain child of former owner/partner Simone Parisi, who dreamt of having a place that was not only Tuscan, but Florentine to the core … with a fantastic & thoughtfully curated wine list full of Chianti Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino & of course, many Super Tuscans. It was meant to be more of an escape than its casual upstairs co-habitant, with coursed meals & detailed service, but still have a sense of comfort & casual hospitality. In the very beginning, we quickly learned that beloved classics like trippa alla Fiorentina, lampredotto, crostini con fegatino and other Tuscan classics, were perhaps, a bit too adventurous for the American palette of the time, but luckily there are enough recipes that represent Tuscany’s beautiful simplicity that don’t contain cow stomach or chicken livers.

Once the space felt Tuscan enough, the concept needed to be refined … Simone & I had no idea how to run a finer dining concept … that’s where Troy Nelson came into the picture. Troy gave Firenze purpose & attention to detail while Simone fine-tuned the menus. Next came Mario Petit, fellow Florentine & would become one of Simone’s best friends, to double up the authenticity of our Firenze a Tavola menu … Simone & Mario would bring in giant slabs of beef & cut it up into some magnificent Bistecca alla Fiorentina, they would have heated discussions about the proper way to make a rustic sauce & of course, if the Fiorentina soccer team played well that day, our guests were in for a spectacular treat fueled by the excitement of a win. The use of the space defined itself over time as some events developed with the ideas of visiting chefs or Italian wine producers passing through Denver on their way to Aspen Food & Wine. Parisi & Firenze a Tavola were quietly becoming known as a stopover for passing through Italians who were happy to either have a proper cappuccino and Margherita pizza or a space receptive to creating a menu around their spectacular wines that we would showcase in a presentation at one of our producer dinners.

Throughout the years, Firenze won numerous awards, was the hub for Italians to watch the final World Cup game that they won (and the revelry was televised from Firenze a Tavola), hosted many fun & VIP guests, developed Community Table events & special wine dinners hosted usually by our friend, Mario Scanu, and some amazing producer dinners representing some of the best vineyards in Italy. New Years Eve & Christmas Eve events became tradition for many families including mine. We developed relationships with so many of our visitors & between our staff and guests, we all felt like a special family.