P17

After nearly a decade, chef/owner Mary Nguyen decided to transform her popular Vietnamese restaurant Parallel 17 into P17, a European bistro that reflects how popular the Uptown neighborhood has become – and how much it could use a neighborhood hangout. Nguyen’s visits to Europe, specifically to the modest bistros that are so ubiquitous there, inspired the change. "Every time I come back from Europe, I'm a bit dismayed by the absence of the modest dining experience in Denver," Nguyen explains. "It's not that I'm disenchanted with the Denver dining scene as a whole, but there aren't a lot of restaurants that are affordable, have great service and provide lots of options, and like a lot of people, I don't have a big pocketbook to spend on dinner on a casual night out during the week, so I wanted to open an entirely new restaurant that re-creates the European bistro experience in Denver.” P17 may be more casual than Parallel 17, but the kitchen takes food just as seriously, and almost everything is housemade. Says Nguyen,“It’s affordable, chef-driven, inspired by the seasons, and, yes, you can come in and have dinner and a glass of wine for under $20."