Lechuga's is one of Denver's last remaining north-side red sauce joints. While many other Italian restaurants and bars — Pagliaci's, Carbone's, Longo's Subway Tavern — have succumbed to old age and an influx of development, Lechuga's was saved, at least in name and menu, when the restaurant was purchased after longtime owners Chuck Lechuga and Rachael Vigil decided to retire last year. And the new owners weren't content with just giving the place a good cleaning and then peddling the famous Little Devil sausage rolls and spaghetti to neighbors. They're operating a Lechuga's kiosk on the 16th Street Mall that will serve those sausage canoli, along with a few other snacks and beverages. 

"Since we are fortunate enough to be considered a Denver staple, we figured the best place to expand our concept would be one of the top tourist destinations in Colorado," says new owner Sydney Stroup. "Our vision is to share our original sausage canolis with greater metro Denver so the community has a chance to experience a part of the old north Denver Italian cuisine."

 The kiosk opens at 11 a.m. today on the mall median between California and Stout streets; it's part of the Denver Partnership's Marketplace in the Mall program. Find out more here.

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