Bobby Stuckey began his distinguished career working in restaurants in his native Arizona. During his five-year tenure at The Little Nell, the restaurant received numerous awards for wine and service, including Gourmet's "Best Wine Service" Award; Mobile Travel Guide's Five Star Hotel and Restaurant Rating; Wine Spectator's Grand Award; and a nomination from the James Beard Foundation for Outstanding Wine Service. He has earned the Master Sommelier Diploma from the Court of Master Sommeliers, considered by many to be the ultimate professional credential in the wine and spirits services industry. With the vision of opening a neighborhood restaurant reminiscent of the Italian frascas they had visited in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Stuckey and Mackinnon Patterson opened their first restaurant, Frasca Food and Wine, in August 2004 in Boulder, CO. Having researched and traveled throughout Italy many times, both were deeply inspired by this region in particular — the international influences of its cuisine, the profusion of local ingredients in its rustic yet elegant dishes, its passionate relationship between food and wine, and the gracious hospitality of the locals.