Troy Guard was cooking again last night, and it felt good. The former Nine75/Zengo chef had joined Jamey Fader as a guest chef for a special dinner at Lola featuring dishes inspired by the flavors of Cabo and the Yucatan. It wasn't much of a stretch for Guard, who was raised in Hawaii, and it made him eager for a place of his own. r"I'm anxious to get back into the kitchen," he admitted.
And after an almost two-year hiatus, it won't be long now. Guard now has an opening date for TAG, the restaurant he's opening at 1441 Larimer, "May 18," he offered, "but that's not 100 percent concrete."
TAG certainly won't open any earlier, because Guard is one of the five Denver chefs who'll be cooking at the James Beard House on May 13.
TAG's had its liquor-license hearing this week, and has already found a label for its fare: "continental social food." Guard has also found plenty of support from his neighbors on Larimer Square: chef/owners Jennifer Jasinski and Frank Bonanno of Rioja and Osteria Marco, respectively.
"It's really something special," he says of the block. "They've been really welcoming."
Now we can get ready to welcome TAG come mid-May.
