As the year draws to an end, Cafe Society is compiling our annual Restaurant Roll Call -- a compendium of all the restaurants that opened and closed in 2012. That very long list includes plenty of food for thought on the Denver dining scene.
And one category is particularly rare: Restaurants that opened and closed in 2012. Here's a sneak peak at the winners/losers: See also: - Restaurant roll call for 2011 - Club 404 announces last call - Krewe moving into former Hive space
5) Atomic Tamale, 1450 Carr Street, Lakewood Atomic Tamale gave it a good try, but the vegetarian/vegan Mexican-food spot that moved from Santa Fe Drive to Lakewood this year ran out of energy -- and cash -- and didn't resign its six-month lease. And that means no more free vegan menudo on Sunday morning.
4) Denver Wheel Club 404, 404 Broadway (formerly Club 404) We were sad to say so long to Club 404, Jerry Feld's spot that finally closed after sixty years. But the new concept moving in seemed promising: Denver Wheel Club 404, a place that would celebrate both the history of the address and Denver's love of bicycling, with the Denver Cruisers behind the wheel. But the building's owners put the brakes on that in November, sending the Cruisers packing (they took the Denver Wheel Club name with them) and selling the spot to Kevin Geraghty, who'll be turning it into a reincarnated Brendan's next month. In the meantime, the bar is pouring -- without a name.
3) The Hive, 1109 Lincoln Street The Hive wasn't buzzing for long. Six months after the club opened in the former home of Sutra, it was the site of a tragic shooting -- one of the audience members started harassing the DJ, was sent outside -- and killed the DJ's father. After police descended on the scene, the Hive never reopened. Instead, the folks who own Stoney's next door have taken on the space, and will transform it into a New Orleans-style restaurant and sports-bar, Krewe, this winter.
2) 3 Monkeys Cantina, 1294 South Broadway Bistro One was an ambitious concept, but it always struggled in its spot on South Broadway -- and the construction outside didn't help. After four years, owner Alex Waters finally closed the restaurant, then reopened the spot four weeks later as the casual 3 Monkeys Cantina. But 3 Monkeys lasted barely three months.
1) Roam, 1033 East 17th Avenue At the start of the year, Wild Catch suddenly became Roam, to reflect the switch from the seafood that Justin Brunson had focused on to the meat and game that new chef Tony Clement favored. But a few months and an owner's temper tantrum later, Roam itself was dead meat. And one ray of hope: A restaurant that opened, closed...and will reopen -- all in 2012.
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Full Steam Tavern, 1434 Blake Street Since the legendary City Spirit closed a decade ago, the storefront at 1434 Blake Street has gone through many incarnations, from Andrew's Pub & Lounge to Lure Lounge to SportsBook to Pre-Game Sports Bar to the Blake to Kraine Station, a Ukrainian restaurant that barely got out of the station before it closed in April. In September, the place reopened as Full Steam Tavern, which had barely picked up steam before it closed, too. But now the space has been taken over by the pros behind Stoney's, who will reopen it before the new year as Stoney's Full Steam Tavern. Know of another restaurant in the metro area that both opened and closed this year? Post it in the comments section below.
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