Reader: Cherry Creek North is becoming a food court in any mall USA

The Denver dining scene lost two long-time restaurants this weekend. Longo's Subway Tavern poured its last beer -- for now -- on West 38th Avenue; after 52 years, the Longo family sold the circa late 1800s building to Larimer Associates, and although COO Joe Vostrejs says they're not yet sure...

By Patricia Calhoun

September 24, 2012

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The Denver dining scene lost two long-time restaurants this weekend. Longo's Subway Tavern poured its last beer -- for now -- on West 38th Avenue; after 52 years, the Longo family sold the circa late 1800s building to Larimer Associates, and although COO Joe Vostrejs says they're not yet sure what they'll do with the space, they know that it will continue to be a neighborhood spot that preserves as much as the old-time charm as possible.

But that's not the case with Rodney's, which Rodney Utz ran for almost three decades in Cherry Creek.

The property housing the restaurant has been purchased, and will be replaced by yet another mega-retail/housing complex.

Says Denver Dave:

That's a shame but not surprising. Property owners in CCN won't be happy until they've eliminated any semblance of independent restaurants in the area and replaced them with chains. CCN is just becoming another food court in any mall USA.

Cherry Creek was once Denver's cutting-edge restaurant neighborhood. Can this area's dining scene be saved? And if so, how?

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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