After the Rio Grande closed its Frisco outpost last fall, its next-door neighbor, Outer Range Brewing Company, absorbed the real estate. In addition to gaining more space for the taproom and brewery, Outer Range invited some friends in to share the fun. One of them is chef Chris Schmidt, who recently debuted Bird Craft, specializing in "Thai-ish" fried chicken sandwiches and other beer-friendly fare. Mountain-town residents and regulars looking for great food probably already know Schmidt as the chef at Craftsman in Edwards, which has earned a reputation for serving some of the best sandwiches anywhere in Colorado. In addition to sandwiches, Bird Craft offers quarter, half and whole fried chickens, as well as tom kha gai (chicken-coconut soup), tom yum (a tangy soup with tofu) and green papaya salad.
Also moving into the expanded brewery is Mountain Dweller, an existing coffee-roasting company that now has its own coffee counter.
Here's our complete list of restaurants and bars opening and closing this week:
Restaurants Opening This Week*
Bird Craft and Mountain Dweller (at Outer Range Brewing Company), 182 Lusher Court, Frisco
Brasserie Brixton, 3701 Williams Street
Slater's 50/50, 3600 Blake Street
Restaurants Closing This Week*
The Night Shift Saloon, 3095 South Peoria Street, Aurora
Paris Crepe, 3926 Tennyson Street
*Or earlier, and not previously reported.
Do you know of any openings or closings that aren't on our list? Let us know with a comment, or send an email to [email protected].