"This is such a cool neighborhood, and since dinner has been going so well -- we have 150 reservations of the book for tomorrow night -- we wanted a piece of the Sunday morning and afternoon action," says Leinonen, who will pour a free mimosa for the first thirty people who swing through the doors on Sunday morning.
The brunch, which will feature everything from caviar service to Swedish pancakes crowned with two toppings, including lemon curd to steak and eggs with fried cornbread and crab cakes to French toast drizzled with bacon caramel and paired with Danish blue cheese ice cream, will also pimp the entirety of Leinonen's dinner smorgasbord: carrot soup, truffled tater tots, ham mousse with lemon potato chips, lemon-and-dill pickled shrimp -- and more.
"It's a Scandinavian-influenced brunch that's completely different from what any other restaurant in Denver is doing," insists Leinonen, who highly recommends the French toast. "I'm definitely most excited about the French toast, which is more savory than sweet and comes with an amazing blue cheese ice cream that we make in-house," he says, adding, too, that while the mimosas will win over a crowd, the bloody Marys are the real morning glory.
"Kelly Wooldridge, our beverage director and sommelier is doing his own bloody Mary mix, and we're serving a trio of different versions," notes Leinonen: one that's straight-up vokda, a second concocted with Aquavit and a third, says Leinonen, that's made with Aquavit (a strong Scandinavian distilled liquor) and housemade pickled horseradish. He adds, too, that's he's still working on garnishes, which may include pickles from the Real Deal, a Denver-based pickling company.
"It's going to be laid-back and fun," promises Leinonen, "and it's the kind of brunch where you can come in and spend $20 or go crazy with caviar." And soon, when Leinonen gets his patio furniture delivered, you'll be able to eat and drink on the sidewalk, which Leinonen says will mimic dining inside. "It's an intimate patio -- only fourteen seats -- but once we get it set up, you'll get the same upscale dining experience that you would inside."
But no matter where you plant your butt, the mere thought of bloody Marys and infinite mimosas is reason enough to lift your ass out of bed -- and forgo the Sunday morning church sermon.