Table 6
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A particularly brutal week for Denver restaurant closures was made even more brutal today by the news that Table 6 plans to shut down next month, after 22 years in business. The last day of service will be July 9.
“This is just a story of knowing when something has run its beautiful course,” owner/chef Aniedra Nichols tells Westword. “Table 6 had an incredible 22-year run. It became exactly what we hoped it would be — a neighborhood institution where people celebrated first dates, anniversaries, birthdays, promotions and ordinary Tuesday nights that somehow became unforgettable. That’s a legacy I am incredibly proud of.”
According to Nichols, she has sold the restaurant to new owners, but it will no longer be known as Table 6. Exactly what new concept will take over the space has not been revealed.
When chef Aaron Whitcomb opened Table 6 back in 2004, moving into the old Beehive space on 609 Corona St., it made an immediate impact on Denver’s culinary scene. In many ways, it was the perfect transition between the city’s lowbrow past and refined future — PBRs on the beer list (before they were ironically) and roasted lamb medallions on the menu next to housemade seafood sausages, leek and rock shrimp egg rolls, and a secret pie list for in-the-know regulars.
It was a harbinger of all the culinary attention to come. Shortly after opening, Table 6 landed on Esquire’s list of the year’s 21 Best New Restaurants, sparking an early rush of foodie-tourism long before the Michelin Guide and James Beard Foundation started paying much attention to Denver. It also became a favorite of many old-school industry types, who hung out out at the bar and, often, the alleyway outside.
Maybe it was too much, too soon. Before long, Table 6 had roiled its way through several ownership and chef changes, even as the market was quickly growing in sophistication and competition. While the quality of the food remained consistently high, at times Table 6 seemed to struggle to keep up, flying under the radar of one sexy newcomer after another arriving on the scene.
In 2023, general manager Amanda Davis and chef Nichols took over ownership of the restaurant after the sudden tragic passing of Aaron Forman, who became the owner in 2006 following Whitcomb’s departure. Nichols had been leading the kitchen since 2020 and, along with Davis. already had a small ownership stake in the restaurant. It wasn’t so much new blood as a natural evolution of insiders taking the passed torch.
“What I am most proud of isn’t that Table 6 has lasted 22 years,” says Nichols. “I am proud that for 22 years we stayed true to who we are. We just tried to take really good care of people. We built a neighborhood restaurant with heart, intention and consistency. There aren’t many places left that can say that.”
But next month, that torch will be extinguished. Starting today, the Happy Hour and Prix Fixe menus are gone, leaving guests to enjoy the à la carte dinner and dessert menus through the last day of service, allowing the team to focus on serving the dishes that guests have come to call favorites over the years.
That includes the Table 6 Tots, creole shrimp hush puppies, and (true to form) a $28 burger complete with whipped pineapple cream cheese and fried jalapenos on a Hawaiian-style bun.
“I have been asked what’s next and to be honest, I don’t know yet and I am okay with that,” says Nichols. “For the first time in almost three decades, I don’t want to jump into another kitchen. I would like to take a vacation, sit somewhere and take a long exhale for a minute and give myself some space to think about (what) the next chapter of my life looks like. Because I still love this business, I always will. But after 29 years of giving this industry everything I have, I owe it to myself to be thoughtful instead of reactive.”
Table 6 is located at 609 Corona St. and is open from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, visit table6denver.com.
