Restaurant openings off to a fast start this December

Every year, restaurants scramble to open before the holidays -- and December has gotten off to the fastest start in recent memory. The streak began when Westminster Brewing opened this past weekend at 7655 West 108th Avenue. It's the first independent brewpub in that town, but it won't be the...

By Patricia Calhoun

December 4, 2013

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Every year, restaurants scramble to open before the holidays -- and December has gotten off to the fastest start in recent memory. The streak began when Westminster Brewing opened this past weekend at 7655 West 108th Avenue. It's the first independent brewpub in that town, but it won't be the last; in fact, Kokopelli should join the Westminster lineup before the end of the month.

But that's just the start of the action. See also: From crafts to craft cocktails: Our Restaurant Roll call for November

On Monday morning, the second Masterpiece Deli opened at 1710 Sherman Street; Pikkas Peruvian Cuisine & Pisco Bar, a Peruvian restaurant that's a sibling to Taita, opened for dinner that night at 300 Fillmore Street. Los Chingones, Troy Guard's new taco joint, opens today at 4643 Larimer Street -- right next door to Sugarmill, the sweet breakfast/bakery/dessert spot that Guard and partner Noah French opened last Friday.

Los Chingones is not to be confused with El Chingon; after months of delays, that family-run Mexican spot that left Arvada last year will finally open in its new location at 4326 Tennyson Street by the end of the week. On Friday, December 6, Mary Nguyen (Parallel Seventeen, Street Kitchen Asian Bistro) will open Olive & Finch Eatery, Bakery & Market at 1552 East 17th Avenue. And the week will close out with the December 7 debut of Gozo, the Mediterranean restaurant opening at 30 South Broadway, in the former home of Deluxe.

And there will be many more opening to come this month, weather and city inspectors permitting; watch Cafe Society for updates. And if you know of any upcoming restaurant openings this month, post the details below.

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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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