Coohills

The first thing you're likely to notice upon entering Coohills, the French restaurant that opened at the edge of LoDo in November 2011, is the show-stopping chandelier, a six-foot-tall contortion of twirls and spirals, twists and tangles, twigs and roots laced with white lights. They're grape vines. Tom Coohill, the chef at his namesake restaurant, and his wife, Diane, had the chandelier made from the roots of four 28-year-old cabernet vines excavated from Simi Winery in Sonoma. That chandelier, which illuminates the community table that sits beneath it, is just one of the seriously stunning design elements in their place. But the focal point is a big exposed kitchen, with a four-seat chef's table. And what's being cooked in that kitchen? Dishes that draw from France (and Tom's formal French training), but also take full advantage of Colorado farmers, ranchers, cheese-makers and purveyors. That food, as well as a clever cocktail list and a real commitment to community (including Tuesday-night concerts outside in the summer) has turned Coohills into a real LoDo gathering place.