Syrup Founder Opens Midwest-Style Supper Club in Uptown

The two restaurant spaces at 1033 and 1035 East 17th Avenue have held various tandems over the years. For a time, Gumbo's served Cajun cuisine on the left while Argyll Whisky Beer presented modern gastropub fare on the right. Before that, the Argyll space was Las Margaritas for many years, while the smaller, boxier slot next door went through a series of changes, including Tastes Wine Bar, Wild Catch and Roam. Earlier this year, the owners of Stoney's Bar & Grill on Lincoln Street opened Stoney’s Uptown Joint after a considerable remodel of the Argyll space, and now another Denver veteran has taken over where Gumbo's closed.

Tim Doherty, owner of the three Syrup breakfast restaurants in Cherry Creek, City Park and downtown, just unveiled the Shanty Supper Club, a "Wisconsin inspired supper club" that springs from the owner's Milwaukee roots, according to the Shanty website.

Even for those who didn't grow up in the Midwest, any mention of Wisconsin food evokes fried cheese curds, and the Shanty won't disappoint those in search of that regional bar snack. Beyond curds, there will be a Friday fish fry and Saturday prime rib night, according to bartender Mookie Donovan, who notes that the restaurant opened over the weekend and will now welcome guests from 3 to 10 p.m. every day but Monday, staying open until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Other specialties that will be a welcome sight for Great Lakes expats are fried walleye, a stuffed burger (bulging with bacon and fried onions in addition to the standard cheddar) and a butter burger, both weighing in at a half-pound. A comfort-food selection of pot roast, pot pie (with chicken or wild mushrooms) and mac and cheese rounds out the roster. And the bar slate wouldn't be complete without a brandy Old Fashioned, here called the "Sconnie."

Doherty launched his Syrup empire in 2010 with the Cherry Creek location at 300 Josephine before expanding to the other two spots. The Shanty joins a recent influx of other Midwestern-themed bars and eateries, including Wally's Wisconsin Tavern, the Midwestern Saloon and Officers Club.