Margot Moves Into Permanent Home on South Pearl, Shares Space with Sushi Den Founder

“I think what distinguishes my style is that I've worked for different chefs everywhere,” says Margot founder Justin Fulton. Raised in Keystone, he entered the restaurant industry as a busboy and food runner at the age of fourteen. Following culinary school in North Carolina, Fulton landed a line cook position at the esteemed Fearrington House restaurant. “That was the turning point for me, where everything became really focused towards the fine dining experience,” he says.

His resume also includes roles at Natalie's at The Camden Harbor Inn in Maine and Daniel in New York City, among other prestigious eateries, plus private chef work in France. Fulton’s career came full circle when he returned to Colorado in 2020. After a year’s stint as chef de cuisine at Michelin-recommended Mercantile Dining and Provision, he launched his Sunday-only tasting menu concept at Coperta. Following its 2022 debut, Margot was also hosted weekly at Huckleberry Roasters on Tennyson Street and the now-shuttered Noisette for varying periods.

Exciting and exclusive, the pop-up model and its ever-evolving seasonal menus were a success for Fulton, but he was long interested in owning a brick-and-mortar space. That goal serendipitously came to fruition via his connection with Kazu Oba, a Japanese potter and sculptor based in Boulder County with ties to the local dining scene. After purchasing plates during his open studio sale, Fulton and he formed a friendship.

Fulton recalls, “He called me one day and said, ‘Hey, I was just talking to Toshi Kizaki and he has this new space where he's looking for a chef to come in and share the space with him. He's very interested in meeting you.”
Oba was referring to a fresh establishment on Den Corner, a stretch of South Pearl Street that encompasses Sushi Den, Izakaya Den and Ototo, which were all co-founded by Kizaki. The renowned chef recently opened his eponymous chef’s counter, Kizaki, at the new space dubbed Denchu. Its Japanese menu starring edomae-style sushi is served in one room and as of May, Margot plates contemporary American cuisine from two others.

“It's really incredible to go from doing pop-ups over the last three years to finding our own space where we can function as a fully established restaurant. To do it with such a legend takes my breath away. I don't know how I got so lucky,” comments Fulton.

The partnership has already proved beneficial, with each business tapping into the other’s loyal following. In some cases, they also share an audience. “We had two guests sitting at our chef's counter and Toshi popped his head in and recognized them as long-term Sushi Den people. He walked up to them and was like, ‘Hey, you're at the wrong place,” jokes Fulton.

He compares Denchu to something like an elevated food hall, with four experiences housed under one roof. There’s Kizaki and its associated DenBar, where certified sake sommelier Yuki Minakawa oversees the beverage program. Meanwhile, Margot offers two distinct dining opportunities: a twelve-course tasting menu and an à la carte selection.

In many ways, the former is familiar to Margot regulars. Limited to eight people per seating, meals begin with its signature bread dough, which proofs in a cast-iron pot before guests’ eyes. Once risen, it’s whisked away from the intimate chef’s counter and returned beautifully baked — just in time to sop up sauce from the Parisian gnocchi course.
The menu changes with the season and often, is based on what Boulder-based Esoterra Culinary Garden yields. “We highly structure the menu around Mark [DeRespinis]'s offerings at that farm,” affirms Fulton. “So if he has turnips and snap peas, those things need to find their way into dishes on the menu.”

He continues, “We source all of our proteins from D'Artagnan because all of their practices are supporting small, local farms.” However, not all ingredients served at Margot are local. For example, Björn's Colorado Honey is served alongside cheese produced in France.

Global culinary influence is also evident in Margot’s à la carte menu, which is served in the airy and spacious main dining room to walk-in guests. “We're trying to bring this European way of eating to Pearl Street,” says Fulton, explaining that all dishes are intended to be shared. These include raw selections like East Coast oysters, radishes with cultured butter, marinated olives and sardine escabeche, as well as whipped ricotta and spring pea toast, snap pea and pistachio salad, chickpea fritters and lamb meatballs dressed with tzatziki sauce. “If you get five plates to share between two, it's a perfect meal.”
Though, the beverage program is not to be overlooked. Curated by wine director Jane Ledford, the wine selection emphasizes small domestic and French vineyards with natural processes, like Colorado-based Aquila Cellars, whose offerings also appear in Margot’s refreshing spritz. Other cocktails were inspired by the staff’s favorites, such as Fulton’s go-to black Manhattan.

Weekend brunch service is forthcoming and will feature fish tacos, specialty burgers and a Spanish tortilla, among other unexpected delights. Wine pairing dinners and a weekly family-style fried chicken special are also in the works.

Located at 1551 South Pearl Street, Margot is open Tuesday through Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m., as well as Friday and Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. Book chef’s counter reservations via Tock and find more information on margotdenver.com.