Lance Barto started behind the burners at Strings three years ago, working his way up to the executive chef role in 2009 after then-lead chef Aaron Whitcomb left for YiaYia's Euro Bistro in Greenwood Village.

Now, Barto's heading over to the line at Wild Catch -- the seafood restaurant that Masterpiece Delicatessen owner Justin Brunson will soon open -- and Strings has promoted another member of the kitchen crew, Jason Clark, to take Barto's place.

"Jason's been here for awhile working under Lance," explains Patrick Hurley, the events coordinator for the restaurant. "He'll make more subtle changes to the menu. I have a feeling he's going to go with a lot of French influences; a lot of his specials are French."

That's because Clark interned in France after graduating from the Iowa Culinary Institute. When he returned from Europe, he was a sous chef at a restaurant in Des Moines, Iowa before moving to Denver and taking a post at Strings.

Hurley says Clark will roll out a new menu at the end of the first week of August.

• Word of Mouth