Best Restaurants 2018: Dio Mio

There won’t be a hostess waiting to greet you when you walk into the bare-bones space that is Dio Mio. You will have to get your own bottle of water from the refrigerator and grab your silverware from a steel tin sitting on your table. No, Dio Mio isn’t as flashy or trendy as other spots on Larimer Street, but that won’t matter one bit when the food starts to arrive. Chefs and co-owners Spencer White and Alex Figura continue to work their special style of pasta magic—sophisticated and seasonal—with everything from house-extruded campanelle with sweet corn and roasted peppers to superb pistou-dressed “caramelle” (wrapped-caramel-shaped pasta packets) stuffed with salty ricotta and sweet summer squash. The check total may be higher than the fast-casual ambience suggests, but the cooking is worlds better here than at many full-service restaurants in town. $$, 3264 Larimer St., 303-562-1965