Chef Jessica Berry and her boyfriend, Zach Jones, marked the new year by opening a new restaurant, 9th Avenue Grill, in the space formerly occupied by Carmine's Cucina.
Jones grew up working at his dad's restaurant, the Spitfire Grill; he met Berry while the two were both working for Lola. Together they spent a year in Charleston, learning how to make Southern food. (Berry has also done stints on a cruise ship in Hawaii and at Proto's Pizzeria.)
All these efforts paid off with the 9th Avenue Grill. "We are doing Colorado cuisine as a way to set ourselves apart from other restaurants," Berry explains, "and because we are both natives of Colorado and wanted to showcase the diversity of products produced here."
And they want to do it at an affordable price. "We enjoy making higher-end food," she says, "but in this economy, we have tried to put out more approachable/affordable food."
They'll be serving it seven days a week, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and again from 4 p.m. to close on Sunday. The bar will stay open until midnight, though, because 9th Avenue has two happy hours a day, from 3 to 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday. For more information, call 303-321-1189.