Restaurant Roll Call: Every Opening and Closing in September 2019

Soft-serve ice cream, Chicago tavern-style pizza, ritzy French fare and the renovation of a Governor's Park favorite were all big news in Denver restaurant openings in September. Little Man Ice Cream Co. launched Dang in the Park Hill neighborhood, proving that you can base an entire eatery on childhood treats: soft-serve and French fries. Also recalling childhood memories was Chicago native Justin Leonard, who opened Grabowki's inside the Source, bringing square-cut tavern pizzas that were a big part of his upbringing in the Windy city. Those with adult budgets and tastes will gravitate more toward the foie gras and steak tartare at Le Bilboquet, which unfurled the white linens in Cherry Creek North. And taking over almost an entire block in Governor's Park is Carboy Winery's new wine bar and retail shop, connected to Logan Street, a restaurant operated by the team that founded Carboy and that also runs Angelo's Taverna. The three-unit space, which also includes a wine retail shop, took over the former homes of Lala's and Govnr's Park Tavern, which both closed at the end of 2018.

While closings were few in September, a few old favorites shuttered, including Dino's Italian Food on West Colfax Avenue, which would have celebrated its 58th birthday this month. Owner Judy Duran, daughter of founder Dino DiPaolo, announced her decision to close the restaurant nearly two months ago, and regulars have been flooding the dining room ever since. Duran cited the ever-growing costs of maintaining an old building as one of the reasons for turning out the lights. Across town in Commerce City, La Casa Del Rey closed after more than thirty years in business. The silver lining for fans is that Tammy Atencio, former general manager at the restaurant and granddaughter of Reynalda Atencio (whose recipes formed the base of the menu), has started her own food truck, called Gilly's Mexican Food, which is now hitting the streets of Commerce City with the same green chile and other dishes from her grandmother's recipes.

Much shorter in longevity was Pistol Whip, which opened at West Seventh Avenue and Santa Fe Drive on May 1 but served its last brunch on September 29. Owner John Slaughter put the business up for sale earlier this past summer, and it was purchased by Rick Carney, who is renaming the place Blue Pebble and reopening with a new menu. "Our amazing close friend who has been in the restaurant industry for forty years will be taking over the space while keeping all the current staff, in addition to adding some needed excitement and brilliance to the business," Pistol Whip posted on its Facebook page.

Here's our complete list of restaurant and bar openings and closings for September 2019:

Restaurants Opening in September*
Asuka Ramen & Poke, 1931 Sheridan Boulevard, Edgewater
Berkeley Park Sushi Co., 4404 Yates Street
Chicken on the Hill, 1335 Broadway Denver
Cochino Taco, 176 South Broadway
The Corner Beet Cherry Creek, 165 St. Paul Street
Counter Culture Brewery + Grille, 205 East Seventh Avenue
Dang, 2211 Oneida Street
Edo Higan Sushi & Stone, 8439 Park Meadows Center Drive, Lone Tree
Gattara, 1776 Grant Street
Grabowski's Pizzeria, 3350 Brighton Boulevard
Honey Hill Cafe, 4628 East 23rd Avenue
Kabod Coffee, 9165 East Northfield Boulevard
King Buffet, 5220 Wadsworth Bypass, Arvada
Kyoto Ramen, 1617 California Street
Le Bilboquet, 299 St. Paul Street
Locust Cider & Brewing Co., 5446 Conestoga Court, Boulder
Logan Street and Carboy Winery, 400 East Seventh Avenue
Rocky Yama Sushi, 801 Santa Fe Drive
Smokehouse17, 1612 East 17th Avenue
Social Bar & Lounge, 3625 West Bowles Avenue, Littleton
Somebody People, 1165 South Broadway
SurMesa Taqueria (inside Tributary Food Hall), 701 12th Street, Golden
Urban Putt, 1201 18th Street
Urban Village, 9234 Park Meadows Drive, Lone Tree
West of Surrender, 501 16th Street
Yuan Wonton, food truck

Restaurants Reopening in September
AJ's Pit Bar-B-Q (dining room reopens after permitting delays), 2180 South Delaware Street

Restaurants Temporarily Closing in September
Call (closing for expansion project), 2845 Larimer Street

Restaurants Closing in September*
Biju's Little Curry Shop, 1441 26th Street
Concourse Restaurant Moderne, 10195 East 29th Drive
Dairy Queen, 2205 South Broadway
Dino's Italian Food, 10040 West Colfax Avenue, Lakewood
La Casa Del Rey, 7035 East 72nd Avenue, Commerce City
Lucha Cantina, 8026 West Bowles Avenue, Littleton
Miyabi Jr., 7400 East Hampden Avenue
Moe's Broadway Bagel, 918 16th Street
Pistol Whip, 698 Santa Fe Drive
Randolph's Restaurant & Bar, 1776 Grant Street

*Or earlier, and not previously mentioned.

Do you know of any openings or closings that aren't on our list? Let us know in the comments, or email [email protected].