Restaurant Roll Call: All the Openings and Closings in November 2018

Here's our complete list of every Denver restaurant and bar opening and closing in November 2018.

December 3, 2018

Beckon, Denver's first chef's counter-only restaurant, opened Wednesday, November 21, 2018. Danielle Lirette

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The pace of restaurant openings slowed in November, but refreshingly unique eateries made up for the lack of volume. Denver got its first chef's-counter-only restaurant in Beckon, which offers a set tasting menu for seventeen guests at a time (you must buy tickets in advance to get in on the experience). The metro area also got its first specialist in okonomiyaki, a savory Japanese dish that combines the best qualities of an omelet and a pancake, as Osaka's began serving burgers with okonomiyaki buns in Boulder. But November also saw its share of duplicates, as Fogo de Chao, Ocean Prime and Fontana Sushi opened up clones around the city. Even Denver Central Market got in the act, spawning a compact version of its Larimer Street original at Denver International Airport.

The city also lost a few originals: Gary Lee's Motor Club & Grub on South Broadway and Hi*Rise on Larimer Street both closed, as did Babettes Artisan Bread on Brighton Boulevard. But Denver's loss is Longmont's gain: Babettes will reopen in the new year as a combination bakery and pizzeria at 2030 Ionosphere Street.

Here's our complete list of restaurant and bar openings and closings for November 2018:

click to enlarge

Here's something new: an okonomiyaki burger at Osaka's in Boulder.

Mark Antonation

Restaurants Opening in November*
Beckon, 2843 Larimer Street
The Cultural Center (beer tasting room), 6381 Beach Street
Denver Central Market DIA, 8500 Peña Boulevard
Fogo de Chao Lone Tree, 8419 Park Meadows Center Drive
Fontana Sushi, 701 East Sixth Avenue
Giordano's, 1600 Larimer Street
Jovanina's Broken Italian, 1520 Blake Street
Handcraft Bakery, 1999 Broadway
Ocean Prime DTC, 8000 East Belleview Avenue
Osaka's, 2460 Canyon Boulevard, Boulder
Revel Social, 2229 Blake Street
Tom's Urban Kitchen & Brewery, 8300 Peña Boulevard

click to enlarge

Garibaldi's closed its Golden Triangle location but is still serving these awe-inspiring pambazos at 3298 South Broadway.

Mark Antonation

Restaurants Closing in November*
Babettes Artisan Bread (moving to Longmont), 3350 Brighton Boulevard
Compound Basix, 145 Broadway
Fate Ale House, 400 West South Boulder Road, Lafayette
Garibaldi Mexican Bistro, 1043 Broadway
Gary Lee's Motor Club & Grub, 176 South Broadway
Govnr's Park Restaurant & Tavern, 672 Logan Street
Hi*Rise, 2162 Larimer Street
Hororok Mandarin Noodle House, 12203 East Iliff Avenue
iSushi, 801 Santa Fe Drive
Rincon de Villa, 7685 East Arapahoe Road, Centennial
Sunrise Cafe, 4390 Sheridan Boulevard

*Or earlier, and not previously reported.

Have you spotted any openings or closings that aren't on our list? Let us know in the comments or send an email to [email protected]. And for a refresher course, see our October Restaurant Roll Call here.

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Mark Antonation is the former Westword Food & Drink Editor. In 2018, he was named Outstanding Media Professional by the Colorado Restaurant Association; he's now with the Colorado Restaurant Foundation.

Contact: Mark Antonation

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Instagram: @mantonation