First Look: Glaze by Sasa opens Monday, June 16

In March, Glaze: the Baumcake Shoppe, a gorgeous Japanese bakery in Congress Park, shuttered, leaving a litany of ardent admirers of the bakery's macarons and baum cakes starving for news that co-owner Heather Alcott would make a comeback. And she has, collaborating with Wayne Conwell, chef-owner of Sushi Sasa, on a joint concept -- Glaze by Sasa -- that combines Conwell's stunning displays of raw fish with Alcott's whimsical Japanese desserts.

See also: Glaze: the Baum Cake Shop closing on March 1

"Wayne used to come in here, and he'd look around and say that I'd created a sushi space, and when I closed and started going through my business model, I knew I needed to incorporate food, and Wayne was always top of my mind," says Alcott, adding that "it's a unique concept with an emphasis on Japanese traditions with modern and artisanal twists." And in the coming months, Alcott will also pursue a liquor license.

Last night, Alcott hosted a preview of the new concept, inviting Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler to cut the red ribbon that wrapped around the glass-enclosed barrier that protects Alcott's cherry-red, 2,220-pound rotisserie oven, which Alcott had christened "Red Dragon."

Glaze by Sasa will open on Monday, June 16, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Here's a sneak peek at the space, the menus and the sweets.