Josh Dinar beams like a new dad as he flips the switch on the Tributary Food Hall & Drinkery sign, lighting it up above the patio of his new multi-vendor establishment at 701 12th Street in Golden. But then he rushes back inside to coordinate last-minute food deliveries, patiently handle eager customers wandering in off the street a few days too early, and put out figurative fires that threaten to disrupt a private preview ahead of Tributary's public opening on Friday, August 2.
Dinar's no stranger to openings. His most recent have been, like Tributary, collaborations with chef Daniel Asher: River and Woods in Boulder, Ash'Kara in LoHi, and Mother Tongue, an international street-food concept inside Broadway Market. But at Tributary, Asher is just one of many chefs launching new projects or bringing proven ideas to a new market, in addition to his roll as partner in the operation.
"This is truly an all-day concept," Dinar explains. "We designed it so that it moves you through the day, from breakfast to lunch to dinner to late-night."
It's true. Starting at 7 a.m. on Friday, the first customers will be greeted by a warm waft of coffee aroma from Generous Coffee, located just a few feet from the front door. Tributary is compact compared to Denver's food halls, so you don't need to walk around and get the lay of the land. Instead, everything's right there for you: bins of fresh baguettes waiting to be made into sandwiches, baskets of bagels, heaps of fresh oysters on ice, a row of gleaming tap handles dispensing cocktails. Walk from the entrance clockwise and you'll stroll past cappucinos, breakfast bowls, breakfast burritos, lunchtime sandwiches or charcuterie boards, gelato in rainbow colors, wood-fired pizza, raw bar delicacies and Indian curries conveniently bundled into wraps.
Once Tributary opens, the food hall's website will offer online ordering, so you can bundle food from any or all of the different vendors and pick up your order at the garage window. Reservations will also be available for large groups.
Here's a complete rundown of all the food and beverage offerings:
Generous Coffee
Former Bachelor star Ben Higgins co-founded this coffee-roasting company in 2018 with the goal of donating 100 percent of profits to charitable organizations and the communities where coffee is grown and harvested. This is the first retail coffee counter for the company, and 10 percent of each cup sold goes directly to two nonprofits.
Kona Bowls
Golden native Alissa Mattson lived with her husband and children in Hawaii for several years before returning to her home town. She brought a taste of the islands back with her in superfood bowls, smoothies and salads. Choices include fruit-based bowls, steel-cut-oat bowls, kale and spinach salads, and tropical drinks loaded with acai, pitaya, coconut and almond, among many other ingredients.
Mr. Miner's Meat & Cheese
Chase Devitt of Brider and his wife, Melissa Bush, are presenting a compact deli counter with cured meats, an international selection of cheese, housemade products (such as spiced nuts, marinated olives and herbed cheese) and soups and sandwiches. After lunch, choose from a small selection of pantry goods for your home kitchen.
Woodgrain Bagels
This is the fourth location in the Woodgrain family, which was founded by David Bowen as a way to bring Montreal-style bagels baked in a wood-burning oven to Boulder and Denver bagel lovers. The original Woodgrain opened in Boulder in 2017 before spreading to Lowry and Aurora.
Amore Gelato
Miranda Cloutier and Sean Johnson create cool and creamy gelato and made-to-order crepes at the original 16th Street Mall shop, and also provide gelato for many top Denver restaurants. Watch for changing flavors that supplement the regular menu.
Fringe Pizza
Nate Rajotte fired up his pizza oven in Boulder's Gunbarrel neighborhood earlier this year and now brings his Neapolitan-style pies to Tributary. It's "shockingly good pizza," according to Fringe's website.
Biju's Golden Roll Company
Chef Biju Thomas offers a slightly different variation on his Biju's Little Curry Shop menu. The familiar beef, chicken and veggies curries will be served primarily as handheld wraps, using a flatbread that Thomas describes as a cross between naan and pita. Not into bread? You can get the same ingredients heaped over rice. There will also be chile-lime chips and cardamom-sugar churros.
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Working Title Kitchen & Raw Bar
Daniel Asher presents oysters on the half shell and international small plates with a focus on seasonality, sourcing and sustainability. Chef Taj Cooke, who oversees day-to-day operations here and at Mother Tongue, explains that customers can order at the counter and find a seat, or order from roving servers for a more full-service style.
The Bar @ Tributary
Ten cocktails on tap along with tap wines are the draw at the bar. Of course there will also be ice-cold Coors, along with a selection of other Colorado brews.
Tributary Food Hall & Drinkery is located at 701 12th Street in Golden, on the ground floor of the Miner's Point building. The hall will be open daily from 7 a.m., serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The bar opens at 11 a.m., with happy hour — complete with food from Working Title — from 4 to 6 p.m. Visit the Tributary website for more details.
