Restaurant Roll Call: Every Opening and Closing in November

With Denver's minimum wage set to increase again on January 1 and costs continuing to rise for just about everything from ingredients and supplies to rent and taxes, we're likely to see restaurant closures continue to stack up — particularly closures within Denver city limits, where minimum wage is highest (for now).

Still, new restaurants are outpacing the passage of old. In November, we reported 21 openings (as well as five new places to eat and drink at Denver International Airport) and 14 closures, some of which came right as the month ended.

One of the most recognizable names to say goodbye is Biker Jim's, the beloved gourmet hot dog and sausage joint that Jim Pittenger started as a cart on the 16th Street Mall in 2005. Over the years, he added more carts and eventually opened his flagship eatery in the Ballpark neighborhood in 2011 — one year after Anthony Bourdain visited the Mile High City and became a fan of Pittenger's exotic dogs.

But in June, Pittenger announced the end of an era as he revealed how pandemic-era decisions had led to a bad business partnership that ultimately caused him to step away from the business. The Biker Jim's on Larimer Street remained open under that other partner, though diners reported it was no longer the glorious house of gluttony that Pittenger had built: Prices were jacked up, quality was down, and many items were out of stock.

Now the sign is gone and the doors are locked at the Larimer location — and we're still rooting for Pittenger to make a comeback of his own after a brief pop-up stint at Milk Market.
GB Fish & Chips also closed its East Colfax Avenue location, announcing the news on social media on December 1 and encouraging fans to continue to visit its Arvada, Sloan's Lake and South Broadway outposts. "Basically, our lease was up and it was a good time to move on," says owner Alex Stokeld. "We are going to use those resources to sell more meat pies out of our commissary!

Vato's Tacos, which got its start in Fort Collins and has a location in Loveland, closed its Sloan's Lake outpost, though it also opened a new restaurant in Westminster. "Most of our staff has successfully transferred there, so you will still be able to enjoy familiar faces," it notes in a Facebook post.

Also out: Cherry Creek Food Hall in the DTC, originally opened by Troy Guard as Grange Hall before being sold to RCI Hospitality, a strip club company.

Other notable November closures include the Denver and Boulder locations of Maine Shack; the Boulder and Edgewater Marketplace outposts of vegan concept Meta Burger; and another loss for Edgewater, Providence at 5280.
While many of the recent closures have hit hard, there were some exciting additions to the local dining scene in November, too. One of the best meals I've enjoyed all year was at the opening night of Mezcaleria Alma, the new sister restaurant and bar next door to Michelin-starred Alma Fonda Fina. At his latest spot, chef Johnny Curiel shares his love of Mexico City and its "unbridled innovation" as a "melting pot of cultures."

Other additions on my short list to try soon include Fortune Nong Jia Le, from one of the owners of Fortune Wok to Table in Cherry Creek; Som Dee Thai Kitchen, the new Uptown spot from the owner of La Mai Thai Kitchen; and Colorado Hots, a Wheat Ridge spot that is serving eats inspired by Rochester, New York — including garbage plates.

November also brought the long-awaited comeback of Welton Street Cafe in its brand-new home in Five Points. That's something to toast — which you can do at the restaurant, since it now has a full bar.

Here's the complete list of restaurants and bars that opened and closed in November*:

Openings

Colorado Hots, 3890 Kipling Street, Wheat Ridge
Dumplin', 3609 West 32nd Avenue
Empanada Espresso, 11461 Washington Street, Northglenn
Fortune Nong Jia Le, 500 East Alameda Avenue
Golden Outpost,17695 South Golden Road, Golden
Hearth, 1300 East 17th Avenue
Homegrown Tap & Dough, 1257 West 120th Avenue, Westminster
Honey Basil Express, 9555 East Arapahoe Road, Greenwood Village
Il Forno Di Tutti, 1627 South Havana Street, Aurora
Jack N Grill 2 at Boombox Brew Bar, 5686 Pecos Street
Le Colonial, 255 Fillmore Street
Magna Kainan, 1350 40th Street
Mezcaleria Alma, 2550 15th Street
Miya Moon, 2055 West 136th Avenue, Broomfield
The Moose, 3330 Brighton Boulevard
Na Favola Trattoria & Pizzeria, 5909 South University Boulevard, Greenwood Village
Oh Dumpling, 9555 East Arapahoe Road, Greenwood Village
The Parlour Bar at Clayton Hotel & Members Club, 233 Clayton Street
Saltwater Social, 201 Columbine Street
Som Dee Thai Kitchen, 1598 East 17th Avenue
Thick's Gelato and Chocolates, 3339 Downing Street
Welton Street Cafe, 2883 Welton Street

New at Denver International Airport, Concourse C:

• Aviano Coffee
• Bar Dough
• ChoLon Modern Asian
• Marczyk Fine Foods
• Mister Oso

Closures

14er Brewing Company, 3120 Blake Street
801 Fish, 999 17th Street
Biker Jim's, 2148 Larimer Street
Cherry Creek Food Hall & Brewery, 6575 Greenwood Plaza Boulevard, Greenwood Village
GB Fish & Chips, 5325 East Colfax Avenue
Isla Verde, 19757 Pikes Peak Avenue, Parker
Maine Shack, 1535 Central Street, and 2010 16th Street, Boulder
Meta Burger, 5505 West 20th Avenue, Edgewater, and 1905 29th Street, Boulder
Mono Mono Lafayette, 599 Crossing Drive, Lafayette
Pie Society Pizza, 4615 East Mississippi Avenue, Glendale
Providence at 5280, 5280 West 25th Avenue, Edgewater
Vatos Tacos & Tequila, 1565 Raleigh Street

*Or earlier and not previously reported.

Know of something we missed? Email [email protected].