New Littleton Eatery Aims to be a ‘Burb-Friendly French Bistro

As Denver continues to struggle to keep its French restaurants open, some operators are turning their attention to the southern suburbs. But while the rent may be cheaper and the labor costs lower, opening a restaurant in a market farther from downtown carries a different set of challenges. 

Bistro 36 opened in Littleton some eight months ago, fueled by the memories of co-owner Michael Cote’s childhood and cooking with his grandmother, Danielle, whom the restaurant is named after (“36” refers to the year she was born). 

While the team continues to find its footing in its first year, it’s already nearing completion of a second eatery, Cellar 36, an Italian red sauce concept that is set to open soon further west in Littleton.

Traditionally, a bistro is a casual neighborhood restaurant with rustic and affordable food, and that’s the vision Cote and his partners Jake Weber and chef Rafael Muñoz wanted to bring to the south Denver suburb. The menu checks off all the expected bistro fare: steak frites, beef bourguignon, French onion soup, salmon meunière, and scallop Provençal, among other choices.  

But Bistro 36 aims to do so with an American twist, much like Chinese-American or Italian-American restaurants adapt traditional cuisine to the palates of their surroundings. Perhaps that’s why phrases like “French-inspired” and “approachable and modern flair” appear on the Bistro 36 website. Bistro is a French concept. The menu has names of classic French dishes. The execution is decidedly catered to Americans. 

“This is suburbia,” says Weber. “How do you view the Parisian bistro experience through an American lens and make it casual and comforting to Americans?”

It’s a familiar push-and-pull, balancing the proprietor’s aspirations with the clientele’s expectations. While the dream may be to introduce diners to the foods and memories of your childhood, the reality is that if you get too in front of them, you risk leaving them behind. 

“There’s not a ton of really unique restaurants around here, so we’re trying to fill a niche of not high-end, and not casual burgers, but just a neat French restaurant,” Weber says. “If you’re looking for a traditional French beef bourguignon, you may not find exactly what you’re looking for. But if you’re in Littleton and wanting to try something a little different, you’re gonna be really pleasantly surprised.”

To be sure, the beef bourguignon isn’t traditional, and that’s not necessarily a criticism. Like many of the items on the Bistro 36 menu, the dish is based on a recipe from Cote’s grandmother, who is from Nice, France, in the southern region of Provence. 

It’s a region well known for doing things — both with food and wine — a bit differently than the rest of France. It’s more Mediterranean in flavor profiles, which the beef bourguignon is a clear example of. Unlike the traditional beef stew, the Bistro 36 version is made with only wine and tomatoes, no beef stock. 

The result is a far sweeter, more tomato-heavy dish than what many ordering a beef bourguignon would expect. In fact, it feels closer to a Daube Provençale, but that’s a pretty unfamiliar dish for many diners. Although it’s understandable that Bistro 36 chose the more common name, it can play havoc with expectations. 

“I want people to come in and sit down with this and not be scared of it,” explains Weber, who only just recently added a pâté to the menu, and is still holding off on escargot. 

That includes the portions, which are far larger than you might expect at a traditional French Bistro. (The beef bourguignon, for instance, is nearly twice the size and costs $12 less than the same dish at nearby Le French.)

“People think of French food, and they think of small portions,” explains Weber. “So here, they come in, they feel like they got a ton to eat, and they didn’t spend a million dollars.”

Bistro 36 is located at 2620 West Belleview Avenue in Littleton and is open from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, visit bistro36eatery.com.