Denver Restaurant Openings and Closings for the Week of March 26, 2018 | Westword
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Every Restaurant and Bar Opening and Closing This Week

Here's our complete list of Denver bar and restaurant openings and closings for the week of March 26 through April 1, 2018.
Thirsty Monk is now serving Belgian-style beers and other brews on East 17th Avenue.
Thirsty Monk is now serving Belgian-style beers and other brews on East 17th Avenue. Mark Antonation
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Two big endings made big news this week: After five months, the owners of the rebooted Campus Lounge pulled the plug, with partner Dan Landes acknowledging that he just didn't produce what the neighborhood wanted. And at the close of service March 31, Solera will cease after sixteen years; Goose Sorensen is leaving his restaurant, and a barbeque joint is moving in. Another closing went under the radar: Larimer Square is no longer the land of Milk & Honey, an ambitious spot that shut its doors on the same day as the Campus.

As for openings, this was both a beery and a spiritual week, with the reboot of Oasis Brewing Company in its new West Highland home and the arrival of Asheville, North Carolina, Belgian beer specialist Thirsty Monk.

Oasis was a microbrew mainstay in the 1990s but closed in 2001. It has been resurrected in a gorgeous space inside what was once the Beth Eden Baptist Church, so now you really can worship at the church of beer. Across town, Thirsty Monk took over the former Deep Draft Brewing space in Uptown, offering an impressive lineup of beers brewed here in Denver by Brian Grace (the former head brewer at Crooked Stave) as well as by the mothership brewery in Asheville. Along with monastic beers, the bar will serve several taster sets of food for $8, each with a protein, a cheese, crackers and a sauce designed to pair with specific styles of beer. If you're not sure about what goes with what, the menu is clearly marked with recommended pairings, and coasters also offer suggestions. All of the proteins — from meatballs to green chile stew — are being made by neighborhood restaurants, including Olive & Finch, Humboldt, Jack's Uptown Grill and Patxi's Pizza.

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Thirsty Monk's food flights intended to go with specific beer styles.
Mark Antonation
Here's our complete list of restaurant and bar openings and closings for the week of March 26-April 1, 2018, along with links to our original coverage and a few upcoming openings.

Restaurants and Bars Opening This Week*
Oasis Brewing Company, 3257 Lowell Boulevard
Thirsty Monk, 1604 East 17th Avenue

Restaurants and Bars Closing This Week*
Campus Lounge, 701 South University
Milk & Honey, 1414 Larimer Street
Quijote's, 1043 Broadway
Solera (Saturday), 1540 East Colfax Avenue

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Bryan Dayton and Amos Watts are now welcoming guests to enjoy the great Boulder views at Corrida.
Courtesy of Corrida
Corrida, Now Open in Boulder, Pays Homage to Spain and the Steer

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Construction under way earlier this year on the old Patsy's space, which will soon become Acova.
Mark Antonation
Patsy's Replacement Has a New Name: Acova

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The Campus Lounge when it reopened in October 2017.
Danielle Lirette
"Failure Is Not Fun," Dan Landes Says of Campus Lounge Closure

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Chow Morso, inside Avanti F&B, will soon become Chow Morso Osteria at 1500 Wynkoop Street.
Linnea Covington
Barolo Grill Team to Open Chow Morso in Former Squeaky Bean Space

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Curtis Park Delicatessen's new location is nowhere near Curtis Park.
Ken Holloway
Curtis Park Deli Aims for April Opening for Second Sandwich Shop

We thought Quijote's would keep serving Mexican breakfast and lunch at 1034 Broadway through April, but the eatery's last day was Friday, March 30. We caught them closing up shop that afternoon, and the owner said to look for great food at their other restaurant, Los Mangos — which just won our award for Best Hot Dog this year — at 920 South Federal Boulevard.

This week was the first in a long time when closings outnumbered openings. Will the trend continue?

Have you spotted any other restaurant openings or closings? Let us know with a comment or shoot us a message at [email protected].
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