# Bonanno Concepts Launches Rōmyō, Blending Italian and Japanese Cuisines in Denver

Bonanno Concepts, the Denver-based restaurant group behind acclaimed establishments like Frasca Food and Wine and Fruition, has opened Rōmyō in Larimar Square. The new restaurant centers on itameshi, a Japanese culinary style that fuses Italian and Japanese ingredients, techniques, and flavor profiles.

Itameshi emerged in Japan during the 1960s and 1970s as Japanese chefs began experimenting with Italian cooking methods and products. Rather than straightforward Italian cuisine, itameshi reinterprets Italian fundamentals through a Japanese sensibility. Think pasta dishes built with Japanese broths, risotto finished with miso, or Italian proteins prepared with wasabi and soy-based sauces. The cuisine demands technical precision from both culinary traditions simultaneously.

Bonanno Concepts brings significant pedigree to this fusion concept. Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson and Kevin Naghavi established Frasca Food and Wine as a James Beard Award winner focused on Friuli-Venezia Giulia's regional cuisine. Fruition similarly earned acclaim for its refined American cooking. This track record suggests Rōmyō will respect both traditions rather than dilute either one.

Denver's restaurant landscape has increasingly welcomed fusion concepts that go beyond surface-level borrowing. The city's food culture continues maturing, with diners increasingly comfortable with sophisticated culinary experimentation. Larimar Square, a newer mixed-use development in the Lower Highland neighborhood, provides contemporary space for ambitious dining concepts alongside retail and residential components.

The itameshi category itself signals broader restaurant industry trends. Chefs worldwide now move fluidly between culinary traditions, pulling from multiple cultures to create authentic hybrid cuisines. This differs from earlier fusion cooking, which often treated ingredients like decorative flourishes. Modern itameshi practitioners study both traditions deeply, allowing genuine dialogue between Italian and Japanese approaches.

For Bonanno Concepts, Rōmyō represents expansion beyond their existing portfolio without franchise replication. Each restaurant maintains distinct identity while benefiting from the group's operational expertise and supplier relationships. This model allows founder-partners to pursue different creative visions while building restaurant sustainability.

The opening arrives as Denver continues attracting chef-driven concepts. Recent years brought restaurants from national names while local talents expanded their footprints. Bonanno Concepts' growth through Rōmyō reflects confidence in Denver's dining market and the group's ability to develop new concepts.

Itameshi specifically appeals to contemporary diners seeking novelty rooted in culinary tradition. It requires neither molecular gastronomy nor experimental technique for technique's sake. Instead, it demands technical mastery of two distinct cuisines, applied with respect for both cultures' fundamentals.

Rōmyō's opening positions Bonanno Concepts as more than a single-concept operator. The group now spans regional Italian, refined American, and Italian-Japanese fusion. This diversification strengthens their market position while allowing creative exploration across multiple culinary directions. For Denver diners, it adds another destination for sophisticated, thoughtfully executed cooking.