Every Restaurant and Bar Opening and Closing This Week

Lon Symensma has been branching out from the pan-Asian cuisine that earned him accolades at his first two restaurants, ChoLon and Cho77. First came Concourse Restaurant Moderne in Stapleton, then the announcement of a French-inspired eatery, LeRoux, that will open next door to ChoLon later this year. And now he’s taking a chance on tacos: BorraCho is serving gussied-up tacos and other cantina fare on the second floor of Avanti Food & Beverage.

BorraCho takes over the space where Symensma ran Kaya Kitchen for the past year; he’s also moving that concept to Broadway near ChoLon and LeRoux as a casual breakfast-and-lunch addition to his restaurant lineup. BorraCho hits all the right notes of que rico, but in particular take note of the enchilada casserole, an almost home-style crowd-pleaser with a smoky red-chile sauce, and the namesake BorraCho taco, which borrows a theme from the chef’s famous ChoLon French onion soup dumplings, using the same sweet onions along with shredded short rib and a Gruyère cheese sauce.

Here’s our complete list of bar and restaurant openings and closings for the week of April 30 through May 6, 2018, plus links to our original coverage:

Restaurants and Bars Opening This Week*
BorraCho (inside Avanti Food & Beverage), 3200 Pecos Street
Death & Co. (inside the Ramble Hotel), 1280 25th Street
Dirt Coffee Bar, 5767 South Rapp Street, Littleton
Q House, 3421 East Colfax Avenue
Snooze DTC, 5073 South Syracuse Street
Spice Room Neighborhood Indian Bistro, 3157 West 38th Avenue

Restaurants and Bars Closing This Week*
The Tavern Wash Park (Sunday), 1066 South Gaylord Street

*Or earlier, and not previously reported.

“Dirt Coffee Opens New Cafe to Train Employees on the Autism Spectrum“

“First Look: Modern Chinese Comes to Colfax With Q House“

“The 9th Door Closes Downtown; Sheamus Feeley Takes Over“

“Tavern Wash Park Will Close on May 6 After Ten Years in Business“

While big-money openings have been grabbing headlines over the past year or so, there’s still room for first-timers and fun new concepts. Q House is one such place, offering a modern take on Chinese cuisine from chef Jeremy Lin, a chef who spent five years working for David Chang’s restaurants in New York City.

And in Littleton, Dirt Coffee is adding to its mission of hiring individuals on the autism spectrum to staff its coffee truck by opening a brick-and-mortar coffee shop and bar. So if the invasion of national chains has you feeling down about Denver dining, remember to check this space every Saturday morning for news of openings, many by independent restaurateurs.

Have you spotted any new restaurants or places that have closed? Share the info in a comment or send an email to cafe@westword.com.