The Cooper Lounge Launches All-Day Food Service With Evening Options From Lon Symensma

This is a busy time for chef Lon Symensma of ChoLon: Not only is he putting the finishing touches on Cho77, the new noodle house expected to open at the end of this month, he's also added his signature to a new evening menu at the Cooper Lounge inside Union Station. This week the Cooper started serving breakfast, lunch and Symensma's evening options, with service beginning with a continental breakfast buffet ($15) at 7 a.m., featuring Moe's bagels, muffins and pastries from Izzio Artisan Bakery, croissants, salmon lox and Novo coffee. And because the Cooper Lounge is first and foremost a bar, breakfast cocktails and caffe correttos served with sides of Italian liqueur are also available.

At 10:30 a.m., service switches over to a midday, three-tiered tower of lobster rolls, deviled egg salad sandwiches and artisanal meats and cheeses (for $18). Evening service (which had previously been provided by Stoic & Genuine) begins at 4 p.m. with dishes designed by Symensma prepared tableside. "We are calling it club car cuisine, " explains Symensma. "During the days of train travel, the club car was the place where luxurious foods were prepared on gueridon carts for the guests." Those luxurious items include Wagyu steak tartare with truffled egg yolk and foie gras terrine with onion jam and spice pear. 

"Being a part of Union Station is an honor," the chef adds. "Especially Cooper Lounge. It's the sexiest spot in Denver, done by one of the best designers in the country. Recreating high-end haute cuisine in this historical space is the perfect way for me to showcase my French-driven roots."

While breakfast and lunch are geared toward guests of the Crawford Hotel, the posh evening service paired with classic cocktails from the Cooper's top-notch bartenders are definitely reason for  Denver diners to drop in for a taste of both the town's history and the work of a very forward-thinking chef.

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