Seasoned Swine BBQ
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Among the new spots on the dining scene is the second location of Seasoned Swine BBQ, in the former Plates by the Pound space in Aurora. Owner Jacob Viers started the business as a food truck in 2017 and added a brick-and-mortar location in Golden in 2021. The Aurora outpost is currently selling ‘cue from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday as well as 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday, with plans to expand the hours in the coming weeks.
Israeli-born restaurateur Nadav Abergel, who owned I Scream Gelato, has opened Mediterranean Grill ASLI. The kosher restaurant serves a vegan- and vegetarian-forward menu with options like hummus bowls, falafel, rice bowls, gyros, chicken shawarma and more.
Toro Food Concepts (no relation o Richard Sandoval’s Toro in Cherry Creek) is a new, fast-casual spot on East 11th Avenue that’s dishing up a variety of bowls, burritos and salads.
And a new chain has moved into the metro area with the opening of Sarpino’s Pizzeria in Westminster. Franchisees Samar Sawaged and Sid Demirovski plan to open four additional locations in the metro area.
Caviar service at Call Me Pearl.
Call Me Pearl
There are three new places to go for drinks, too. Call Me Pearl is the revamped bar and lounge inside the Rally Hotel at McGregor Square; check out our first look for more details on the cocktails and bites, including caviar service. For beer fans, the former Black Project space on South Broadway is now home to new brewery Monolith, and the former Counter Culture has been taken over by Out of the Barrel Taproom.
In Cherry Creek, vegan and gluten-free ice cream shop Sweet Izzy has opened. Owners Mike and Elizabeth Doucette opened the original Sweet Izzy in Cape Cod in 2020.
“This is a re-start,” reads a post on Domo’s Facebook page, where owner Gaku Homma announced that the Japanese eatery is making a comeback; the low-key restaurant took a long pause after a 2021 TikTok video went viral, drawing overwhelming crowds. For now, Domo is only serving lunch and has a scaled-back menu.
There is one closure to report this week. “With heavy hearts, we have made the difficult decision to close the doors of our beloved La Rola Colombian Kitchen,” reads a November 10 Instagram post. This family-owned eatery started as a food truck and had a stall at Zeppelin Station before settling into a space in Littleton last year. “As a token of gratitude, we will be offering our delicious Colombian cuisine until supplies last. It’s an opportunity to savor our unique flavors one last time,” the post concludes.
In other openings-and-closings news:
- Troy Guard’s brunch concept HashTAG will open a Highlands Ranch location on November 16.
- Italian eatery Provolino will open soon in the former Piccolo’s space.
- Get a peek inside the Wonderland-themed Alice and Rose in Boulder.
Here’s the complete list of restaurants and bars that opened or closed this week:
All menu items at Sweet Izzy — sundae toppings included — are vegan and gluten-free.
Sweet Izzy
Restaurants and bars that opened this week:*
ASLI Mediterranean Grill, 970 South Oneida Street
Call Me Pearl, 1600 20th Street
Monolith Brewing, 1290 South Broadway
Out of the Barrel Taproom, 205 East Seventh Avenue
Sarpino’s, 7243 Federal Boulevard, Westminster
Seasoned Swine BBQ, 11601 East Montview Boulevard, Aurora
Sweet Izzy, 3003 East Third Avenue
Toro Food Concepts, 1018 East 11th Avenue
Restaurants and bars that reopened this week:*
Domo, 1365 Osage Street
Restaurants and bars that closed this week:*
La Rola Colombian Kitchen, 5350 South Santa Fe Drive, Littleton
*Or earlier and not previously reported.
Know of something we missed? Email cafe@westword.com.
