La Forêt Debuts in the Former Beatrice & Woodsley and It's a Stunner

"It's big shoes to fill, but I'm excited to do that," says Mike Huggins, whose restaurant is about to open in the former Beatrice & Woodsley space at 38 South Broadway.

And diners should be very excited, too. La Forêt, a cocktail-forward spot serving French fare with a rustic, Colorado-inspired twist, will officially debut on Tuesday, March 19 — and it quickly proved to be a stunner during its soft opening.

Kevin Delk and John Skogstad created Beatrice & Woodsley in 2008. The design evoked a Western fairy tale complete with actual aspen tree trunks reaching from the floor to the ceiling, and the space was immersive long before that word was on trend. Even a trip to the restroom was an experience, with sinks operated by wooden handles dangling from chains.

The eatery was a beloved fixture for twelve years, but after the mandated restaurant shutdowns during the pandemic, Beatrice & Woodsley was one of the spots that never reopened — though it never announced a permanent closure, either. Its future remained a mystery until Huggins and his wife, co-owner Lenka Juchelkova, revealed that they would revive the space and make it their own.

Aspen tree decals on the exterior window hint at what's inside. The entryway is lined with greenery, and once you reach the host stand, it's a full-on enchanted forest experience with an elegant edge. Those original aspen trees remain (as do the bathroom sinks), but there are also whimsical light fixtures, thick wooden tables, curvy booths and even more trees — the new ones are constructed out of slabs of wood.

Huggins had worked in the service industry in Breckenridge before moving to Denver to operate car washes. He met Delk years ago when he was a regular at two of Delk's other now-closed establishments, Mario's Double Daughter's Salotto and Two Fisted Mario's. In 2012, Huggins ditched the car wash business for the hospitality industry when he became the owner of the Arvada Tavern, adding cocktail bars Union Lodge No.1 in 2015 and the Tatarian two years later.

"I saw Double Daughter's scraped out last year, and it brought a tear to my eye," he says. "I'd always wanted those brass doors they had." So he called Delk to see if he knew what had happened to them. While the fate of the doors remains unknown, the two also talked about what was going on with the Beatrice & Woodsley space.

Delk ultimately ended up helping to broker the deal with the landlord for Huggins to take over, but "we didn't know exactly how we wanted to do it — if we wanted to keep the Beatrice & Woodsley name, or even scrape a lot of it and try to transform it into a totally different concept," Huggins recalls. "But the more I looked at the space, I was like, there's no way I'm going to design this better, so we wanted to play into what it was and the history of it."
The result is part homage, part fresh start and 100 percent gorgeous.

Leading the bar program is beverage director Jason Patz, whose long résumé includes being the manager at award-winning bar Williams & Graham for the first five years it was open. That's how Patz originally met Huggins, who was a customer at the speakeasy.

Instead of a typical happy hour, La Forêt offers pastis hour from 4 to 5 p.m. "Pastis is an anise-flavored liqueur originally created during the early 1930s as a result of the banning of absinthe," the menu explains. The offerings include traditional pastis service, with the spirit presented with a side of ice and cold water ($12). There are also several lower-ABV libations, including the cornichon spritz ($12), which is reminiscent of a light and fizzy dirty martini with sweet, herbaceous notes.

Smaller snacks are also on offer during pastis hour, such as elk tartare ($12); escargot with veal demi-glace, champagne, hazelnut-chartreuse butter and French bread; and artichoke with charred lemon, garlic herb butter and remoulade ($7).

French spirits play a big role on the cocktail list, which is loaded with intriguing concoctions. A favorite was the Summer in Provence ($15), a vodka-based beverage made with melon, black pepper, tarragon cordial and lemon. For a cocktail with a show, opt for the La Forêt. A splurge at $23, it combines Calvados (a French brandy), Genepy (an alpine liqueur) and spiced honey liqueur, all served on a bed of moss that is doused table-side with oolong tea-infused "mist."
Dominic Curry is La Forêt's executive chef. He grew up in Florida, which is where he started cooking mainly Japanese cuisine; he then attended Johnson & Wales University in Denver, learning classic French techniques. After graduating, "I spent the next five or six years in the corporate world at places like Ruth's Chris and Hillstone, really nailing down how to properly operate a kitchen," Curry says.

Eventually, he moved to Los Angeles, "where I was working with some great chefs, really learning how to use the local produce, the seafood, the really great pasture-raised cattle that they have out there," Curry continues. "That's really where I fell in love with diving deep into food and where it comes from and the story behind it, and being able to express that to the guests. But I did always miss Denver. ... I always knew I would come back at some point, so I decided that now that I feel pretty comfortable with myself and handling myself in a kitchen and developing a team, I wanted to come back and do that."
He returned to the Mile High in search of a place where he could combine all of his experience. "Once I stepped in the door here, I knew this was the place that I wanted to be — very, very quickly. Especially after talking to Mike about what the vision was," Curry says.

The team describes the concept as "alpine forage rustic," and Curry has brought that to life beautifully with dishes that are as pleasing visually as they are for the palate. There are some classics, like French onion soup ($10), made here with a rich veal stock. Other dishes put a playful spin on more common ingredient combinations, like the baby beets with goat cheese ($13) that get a textural punch-up in the form of a chestnut-panko crumble.

All of the dishes are meant to be shared, including the larger mains that include duck breast and chicken as well as less typical choices like the Stag au Poivre featuring elk backstrap ($49). The rabbit, served as a whole bone-in leg ($46) with vadouvan curry-spiced sauce, proves that this protein should be on more menus. Curry recommends pairing it with the haricot verts in a garlic herb butter with mushrooms, peppers and almonds ($15). The decadent pomme purée ($9) swimming in butter is another solid choice for a side.
No one should leave La Forêt without dessert. Sous and pastry chef Alayna Adkins has nailed the sweets lineup, particularly the Paris-Brest with hazelnut praline mousseline and almonds.

Huggins, Juchelkova and their team have come together to create something truly special, bringing a touch of magic back to this Broadway block.

La Forêt is located at 38 South Broadway and will be open from 4 to 5 p.m. for pastis hour and 5 to 11 p.m. for dinner Tuesday through Saturday starting March 19. For more information, visit laforetdenver.com.