When the Nickel opened mid-summer 2014 in the Hotel Teatro, it had a big void to fill, created when Prima and Restaurant Kevin Taylor closed to make way for a complete remodel of the hotel's ground floor. With only one restaurant to serve the hotel and its guests as well as hungry theater-goers and Denverites looking for a posh night out, the Nickel and its menu, centered on wood-grilled meats and locally sourced produce, has risen to the challenge. Oak and cherrywood smoke add subtle campfire touches to chicken and biscuits served with celeriac, turnip and squash, as well as to the New York strip accompanied by charred onions and scallions and gooey raclette cheese. Dark woods, gold and brown textiles, high, gauzy curtains and comfortable chairs swathed in leather give the Nickel the relaxed but sophisticated air of a period country manor — fitting for one of Denver's top hotel restaurants.