At Bar Dough, it’s all about the seasons. The acclaimed Italian restaurant in LoHi prides itself on changing its menu frequently based on which ingredients are freshest in any given week. You never know what you’ll find on the menu—with a few notable exceptions. “We do a really fun watermelon salad that I look forward to every year,” says executive chef and co-owner Carrie Baird. “We use Rocky Ford melons. I make a really sharp, tangy vinaigrette out of pepperoncini and we toss that with almonds, fresh basil, pickled shallots, watermelon, and finish it with stracciatella cheese and more toasted almonds.” The resulting dish has delighted Bar Dough diners for years. Customers remember it, Baird believes, because it’s so different from the way most people eat watermelon—off the rind or in a simple fruit salad without much depth. “Growing up, my mother and grandmother always tried to find different ways to serve us watermelon,” Baird says. “Watermelon is kind of a hard fruit. To find a way to counteract its sweetness with something spicy and then add a fat to it—people are pretty surprised by it.”
Bar Dough
2227 W. 32nd Ave.
