Audio By Carbonatix
While September witnessed a score of new restaurant and bar openings, the big news was the closings — some expected, some not. The original Las Delicias shuttered its doors at the corner of Pearl and East 19th Avenue — but promises to return early next year after a big remodeling project. The Egg Shell had known for months it would have to leave its second home in Cherry Creek to make way for a massive retail project; its next location is unknown. Over at Eighth and Lincoln, Robert Tournier got an offer too good to refuse on his prime corner, and Le Central closed for good after 34 years, with only a few weeks’ notice. There was less notice than that in the Ballpark neighborhood, where Ryan Leinonen closed Trillium last week. The chef-owner says he’ll take a few months off, but promises that there’s still a professional kitchen in his future. And Cafe Options, the downtown breakfast and lunch spot operated by Work Options for Women as a training program for impoverished women, also closed up shop on September 17 — but WOW is still going strong.
An ocean away, Bradford Heap’s Wild Standard opened in Boulder and Cherry Creek also welcomed a new seafood joint in Blue Island Oyster Bar. A couple of corporate concepts also opened their first Colorado locations, including Henry’s Tavern in the Denver Pavilions and Tom+Chee in the Streets at SouthGlenn. And a longtime Colorado institutions made a comeback when the Denver Diner unveiled a major remodel, necessitated by a fire last fall — but this revamp goes far beyond mere repairs. Keep reading for our Restaurant Roll Call for September.
RESTAURANTS/BARS OPENING IN SEPTEMBER*
Bistro Provencal, 1590 Little Raven Street
Blue Island Oyster Bar, 2625 East Second Avenue
Burnt End BBQ, 5332 DTC Boulevard, Greenwood Village
Cafe Marmotte, 290 South Downing Street
Coda Coffee, 5224 West 25th Avenue
Danielle’s at Castle Pines, 872 West Happy Canyon Road, Castle Pines
Denver Diner, 740 West Colfax
Glacier Ice Cream, 200 Quebec Street
Good River Beer (no physical location)
Henry’s Tavern, 500 16th Street
Inside Scoop Creamery, 1535 Platte Street
K Pub Korean, 12101 East Iliff Avenue, Aurora
Occidental Bar, 1950 West 32nd Avenue
Ototo, 1501 South Pearl Street
Recess Beer Garden, 2715 17th Street
Red Octave Kitchen & Bar, 4900 East Colfax Avenue
Reunion Gastro Pub & Wine Bar, 1480 Arapahoe Street
Tom+Chee, 6879 South Vine Street, Centennial
Upstairs Circus, 5370 Greenwood Plaza Boulevard, Greenwood Village
Wild Standard, 1043 Pearl Street, Boulder
RESTAURANTS/BARS CLOSING IN SEPTEMBER*
Cafe 180 Kiosk, 16th Street Mall
Cafe Options, 1650 Curtis Street
The Egg Shell, 235 Fillmore Street
Genessee Coffee, 110 16th Street
Glaze, 1160 Madison Street
I Love This Bar & Grill, 8260 Northfield Boulevard
Las Delicias, 439 East 19th Avenue (for a remodeling job, according to the website)
Le Central, 112 East Eighth Avenue
Moontower Tacos, 609 Grant Street
Trillium, 2134 Larimer Street
*Or earlier, and not reported in a previous Roll Call. See our Restaurant Roll Call for August here.