Zeppelin Station Welcomes New Colombian and Vegan Fare

Last week, Sushi Den founders Toshi and Yasu Kizaki revealed that they'll soon open their first restaurant beyond the confines of Old South Pearl Street; they're targeting a summer date for the debut of Temaki Den inside the Source, the food and retail hall at 3330 Brighton Boulevard.

The scene at the Source, built and operated by Zeppelin Development, has changed recently, with Crooked Stave Artisan Ales closing its taproom, Acorn (one of the anchor restaurants since the Source opened in August 2013) receiving a facelift, and Melted, an ice cream and dessert bar from Acorn co-founder Bryan Dayton, opening next door to that flagship restaurant. Other recent arrivals include Grabowski's Pizza, Isabel (the Source's central bar) and Caffe Figurati.

Another of Zeppelin Development's projects, Zeppelin Station, nearby at 3501 Wazee Street, just landed two new food vendors that just kicked off food service this week. In keeping with the food hall's theme of creative, international fare from up-and-coming purveyors, both will offer something unique to RiNo. La Rola Urban Colombian Food began life as a food truck in 2017, and will bring its distinct style — a mix of street food and home cooking — from owners Andrés Chaparro, Andrea Martínez, Karen Martínez and María Teresa Garzón. Along with traditional picada, arepas, gluten-free empanadas and arroz con pollo, La Rola is known for its Millionaire and Billionaire hot dogs, the latter of which comes topped with cheese, chicken, bacon, ham, onions, chips, pineapple sauce and, most improbably, a hard-boiled quail egg.

Also joining the Zeppelin Station lineup is Ya Ye, serving organic, plant-based dishes from founder Krissy Ostermiller. Expect cold-pressed juices, smoothies and smoothie bowls, soups and salads, savory bowls and raw desserts, all of which are part of Ostermiller's goal of serving "food as medicine." Ya Ye's menu is not only vegan, but also free of gluten, refined sugar and seed-based oils.

While there are days when a light, nourishing meal is exactly what's needed, Zeppelin Station has enough variety to appeal to almost every appetite. So you can go green one day, then indulge at Hamburger Stan, which opened at the end of 2019, on another. Just don't forget about the food hall's other quick-service counters: Vinh Xuong Bakery, Dandy Lion Coffee, OK Poke, the Budlong Hot Chicken and La Doña Tacos al Pastor.