Review: Atticus wants to be a grown-up restaurant, but it's suffered growing pains

The neighborhood around the University of Denver is home to many student-oriented hangouts – and Atticus, a Table to Tavern endeavor, was originally conceived as “a bar with shared plates,” says Table to Tavern CEO Brian Midtbo. But people kept thanking the staff for bringing a restaurant to the area,...

By Gretchen Kurtz

June 19, 2014

Audio By Carbonatix

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The neighborhood around the University of Denver is home to many student-oriented hangouts – and Atticus, a Table to Tavern endeavor, was originally conceived as “a bar with shared plates,” says Table to Tavern CEO Brian Midtbo. But people kept thanking the staff for bringing a restaurant to the area, so two months in, Midtbo expanded the menu to include grown-up entrees such as duck confit and scallops with blood-orange gastrique. The clientele that fills the comfortable space is also more grown-up than the usual DU crowd. To see if the food makes the grade, read this week's review of Atticus, now posted on Cafe Society.

Gretchen Kurtz has worked as a writer for 25 years; during that time she's stomped grapes in Napa, eaten b'stilla in Fez, and baked with Buddy Valastro, aka the Cake Boss. Her work has appeared in publications including Boulevard (Paris), Diversion, the New York Times and Westword. Our restaurant critic since 2012, she loves helping you decide where to eat and drink tonight.

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