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The Rotary, the rotisserie grill specialist that occupied a ground-floor slot at Avanti Food & Beverage from late 2018 to mid-2020, seemed destined from the beginning to become a restaurant with its own address. The sandwiches, stacked with churrasco-style beef, pork shoulder and flame-kissed chicken, were killer, and the entree-style boards gave a glimpse of what the eatery could do beyond handheld food-hall fare.
Avanti's mission has always been to springboard chefs toward bigger and better things, and in August, chef Don Gragg and his partners, Brian and Scott Boyd, made the move. They closed the Rotary with plans to reopen in short order at 217 South Holly Street, in the Hilltop neighborhood. While the turnaround took a little longer than expected, the new Rotary is now open.
Expect the same style of skewered meats cooked over wood that you found at the food hall, with the menu expanded in some ways and slimmed down in others. Proteins include chicken thighs, roast pork shoulder and grilled salmon, which you can match with two sides (including charred cauliflower, housemade potato chips, grilled polenta and blistered green beans) and a sauce: chimichurri, peri peri or aji verde. There are also rice and grain bowls, salads and sandwiches, all available in vegan or meaty configurations. Gragg's background in fine dining, which began in Denver in the 1990s and 2000s at Barolo Grill, Sacre Bleu, Starfish, Mateo and Mel's Bar & Grill, has shaped a culinary style that executes above the standard expectations of a casual neighborhood eatery.
The Rotary takes the place of Novo Coffee in the retail strip that also holds a Park Burger and a High Point Creamery in a neighborhood that has few other dining options. The restaurant seats 35 guests inside and an additional 25 on the patio; it also has its own app (available for both Apple and Android devices) to make ordering easier, and is offering 15 percent off first-time purchases through that app.
The Rotary is now open for delivery, takeout and limited dine-in seating from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday; call 303-537-5327 for details. Brunch, take-home family meals (both hot and heat-and-eat) and a liquor license are all in the works.
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