From food hall to Thai, Denver scene expands
The food scene is expanding rapidly, with lots of openings around the area, from downtown Denver to Lyons.
Bangkok natives Bo Bean and Arisa Chanchokpong launched Aloy Modern Thai on Feb. 1 in the former Trillium space at 2143 Larimer St. ( 303- 3799497, aloythai.com).
The sisters are focused on fusion dishes now popular in Bangkok restaurants, blending Thai tradition with values from the American culinary world— fresh, local ingredients and non- GMO produce.
The menu includes curry dishes, lots of Siam salads, and a range of beautifully prepared items like the Pomelo salad with shrimp and spicy lemongrass dressing, and the Kobe tender tail with grilled shishito peppers. And for cold winter days, the selection of soups includes Tom Kha rich with chicken, mushrooms, coconut milk and a dash of chili oil.
The next day, Torchy’s Tacos opened in downtown Denver, 1035 Broadway ( torchystacos.com, 303- 4361704), lured by fans of its original location in Austin who persuaded the owners to open the first outpost that’s not in Texas— and it’s been busy since people stood in long lines during the snow for the grand opening party Feb. 1.
And the day after that, chef- owner Tim Payne launched Farmer Girl at 432 Main St. in Lyons ( 303- 823- 5856,
coloradofarmergirl.com). He previously had owned the popular farm- to- table Terroir restaurant in Longmont, had taken over Boulder’s Tasterie food truck, then launched Farmer Girl at Avanti Food & Beverage in Denver’s LoHi neighborhood. He creates organic dishes from locally produced ingredients with a menu that ranges from grilled pork shoulder with spaghetti squash and apple salad to pan- roasted chicken with spaetzle and Brussels sprouts.
Bakery collective
And then there’s the Temple Bakery at 2400 Curtis St. in Denver, a collective of artisan bakers fronted by Shauna Lott, founder and head baker of the Long I Pie Shop, and Eden Myles, whose bagels and Five Points Pizza triggered lots of buzz around town.
They’re in the Temple, a former synagogue that houses a community of artists, and they sell a range of handcrafted baked goods, from galettes to sweet and savory pies during the day. Then Myles fires up his pizza oven at night.
Two more bakers work from the space: Sam Slade of Valhalla Cakes, who creates custom decorative cakes, and Peter Billings of Sixth Elegy Baking Company, who whips up croissants, monkey bread and cinnamon buns. ( They’re closed Mondays and Tuesdays.)
More to come
Meanwhile, other restaurateurs are making announcements about new places coming this spring.
Over in Five Points this April, chef Jean- Philippe Failyau— owner of Park Burger— will be opening Birdcall in the former space of Tom’s Home Cookin’ restaurant and Homegrown Tap & Dough.
And Denver’s third food hall, The Central Market, plans to open May 1 in the RiNo neighborhood with plans for local vendors, restaurants and food retail shops, including a full- service butcher and fish market
Jeff Osaka of Osaka Ramen and commercial developer Ken Wolf researched the food hall scene, including a couple trips to the Grand Central Market in Los Angeles.
“We wanted to define ourselves from the others that opened recently in Denver,” said Osaka, referring to The Source and Avanti Food & Beverage. “We’re more like the RockridgeMarket Hall in Oakland.”
That European- style food hall includes a winery, a produce shop, a coffee shop, a fish shop, a butcher shop and a bakery. Central Market is based on a similar business model, without the winery.
It will have 13 vendors, and here’s the list of the 11 announced so far.
Crema Bodega, an outpost of the popular Crema Coffee House, will focus on premium small- batch coffees with such retail offerings as milk, eggs and yogurt.
High Point Creamery will launch RiNo’s first ice cream shop with a modernday soda fountain that serves treats from traditional Brooklyn egg creams to updated sodas crafted from small- batch custom syrups.
Jesus Silva, chef at SushiRama and Osaka Ramen, is opening his first retail shop, Silva’s Fish, which will sell whole fresh seafood— from salmon to lobster— along with ceviches, fresh- shucked oysters and fresh fried tostadas.
Chef Justin Brunson, founder of such popular eateries as Old Major, is launching Culture Meat & Cheese Shop to showcase artisan meats and cheeses. It also will have a sushi style bar where diners can create custom meat- andcheese plates.
Chef Sean Kelly is launching SK Provisions with a range of rotisserie meats and poultry, plus prepared foods and pantry goods. CoCo Chocolates will sell gourmet sweets from top American chocolatiers. The Local Butcher will be a full- service butcher shop, and Green Seed will be the neighborhood produce shop.
Izzio Bakery, formerly known as Udi’s Artisan, will be the first retail bakery outlet from third- generation Italian baker Maurizio Negrini, who specializes in long fermented breads and fresh pastries.
Il Posto’s Andrea Frizzi is opening Vero with freshly made pastas and wood- fired pizzas, and Curio will be the communal bar where people can hang out or grab a drink and cruise the market.