Every Opening and Closing This Week: Steak, Sushi and More

Two former Sushi Ronin chefs are on the team at Lava, while Clairette closed to make way for AJ's Pit Bar-B-Q Steakhouse.

By Molly Martin

January 27, 2024

Image: raw fish with colorful garnishes on a plate

Lava is a new two-in-one concept downtown. Lava

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Near Coors Field, a new dual-concept restaurant called Lava has moved into the former home of iFish+Ramen. The bar and grill portion has a menu that includes salads, small plates, pizza, burgers and larger entrees like lamb chops and roast chicken; the chef is Jeff Skill, who formerly worked at the Grand Hyatt Vail. A lounge area separates Lava Grill from Lava Sushi, where former Sushi Ronin chefs and brothers Gerson and Jeff Roche are dishing out rolls, nigiri, tempura and more. It is open for lunch and dinner starting at 11 a.m. daily.

Also serving sushi is Moonga Sushi & Bar in Lone Tree, which is the new name for the former Okinawa, though it has the same owners and menu with the addition of ramen.

Delaware-based Dewey Beer opened a Denver outpost this week in the former Mockery Brewing space. It's planning a grand-opening party for February 24.

click to enlarge

Magna Kainan will open inside NOVEL RiNo.

Datsu Films

There were two closures to report this week as well. One of the metro area's few Filipino restaurants, Manila Bay in Aurora, served its last guests on January 25. A new Filipino restaurant is set to open later this year in Denver, though — Magna Kainan, which landed on our list of the most anticipated openings in 2024.

In Wash Park, restaurateur Jared Leonard closed Clairette, and he plans to introduce a fourth concept in the space. Leonard originally opened it as Budlong Hot Chicken, swapping that out for the Montreal-inspired Au Feu in late 2021. Last summer, he introduced Clairette; its short run ended January 20. Leonard is now transforming the spot into a steakhouse with the name of his barbecue joint, AJ's Pit-BBQ, which landed on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list last year. Reservations just opened for AJ's Pit-BBQ Steakhouse — the first available date is Valentine's Day.

In other openings-and-closings news:

Il Porcellino's last day on Tennyson Street is Saturday, January 27; Boulder's Blackbelly Market is set to open a location in the space.
Meet the new owners of the former Barry's on Broadway, which is now called the Saint Mary Bar.
Read more about Nopalito's, a Boulder burrito joint that recently made a comeback in a new location.
The Molecule Effect is opening a location with a drive-thru on South Broadway.
The former Beatrice & Woodsley space is set to reopen next month as La Forêt.

click to enlarge

Clairette's wood-fired grill will soon be filled with steaks.

Clairette/Instagram

Restaurants and bars that opened this week:*

Dewey Beer, 3501 Delgany Street
Lava, 2200 Market Street
Moonga Sushi & Bar, 9231 Lincoln Avenue, Lone Tree

Restaurants and bars that closed this week:*

Clairette, 81 South Pennsylvania Street
Manila Bay, 13800 East Mississippi Avenue, Aurora

*Or earlier and not previously reported.

Know of something we missed? Email [email protected].

Molly Martin has been the Food & Drink editor at Westword since 2021. Prior to joining the staff, Molly reported on the Denver dining scene for more than a decade and contributed to Thrillist. At Westword, Molly monitors restaurant openings and closings, offers dining recommendations and reports on Denver-area food news and trends. She also publishes such annual lists as Top 100 Bars and Top 100 Restaurants, and contributes to the yearly Best of Denver edition. In 2023, she was recognized with the Colorado Restaurant Association's Outstanding Media Professional award.

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