Chef Nick Dalton of Jacques and Brasserie Brixton met me on a bright day near the end of winter at Vinh Xuong Bakery, one of the chef’s favorite spots for a quick bite in town. He got the Spicy Avocado ($8) with chili oil and veggies, and I got the Roast Chicken ($8.50) with lemongrass. The cafe was busy and loud, but that didn’t hinder Dalton’s deep baritone from piercing through the giggling ladies to our left.
He’s not vegetarian, he explained, he just really likes vegetables. A sandwich like the Spicy Avocado is so different from what he makes and eats at his two French restaurants, he said, and it’s a nice reprieve.
Dalton grew up in Los Angeles, where he lived until he was 20. Unsure where to go and what to do with his life, he decided to move to Boulder to go to culinary school. Cooking, he said, was something he always loved. He was inspired by his father who was a chef for a while, and being in the kitchen with his mother throughout his childhood.
Once in Colorado, Dalton never left. After school he bounced around, cooking at multiple restaurants in Denver and Boulder, including Oak at Fourteenth, Avery Brewing Company, Mercantile, and Le Biblioquet.
In July, 2020 Dalton, along with Justin Morse, Amy Keil, and Matt Daniels opened Brasserie Brixton in the Cole neighborhood. But unlike most upscale French spots, which most diners in the area are familiar with, their restaurant offered a modern, fresh vibe and laidback service. The chef describes it as casual, fun, and decadent, with loud music and drinks flowing.
“My business partner and I found this agreed upon love of French food and French things, but it was kind of a hatred of what it is in the U.S.,” said Dalton, adding that this sentiment inspired him to create Brasserie Brixton. “It’s the craziest thing, but we kind of came together on this idea of how we can make French food approachable for people in America.”
The comfortable spot serves French-forward food with a lot of global influence. Think Duck Fat Tots ($12) with chive crème fraîche; Wontons ($13) stuffed with blood sausage, tamari vinaigrette, and chili crisp; and the Half Chicken ($34) spiced with chili butter, smoked cojita cheese, buttermilk, and green tomato chutney.
“We have French onion soup and steak frites and mussels, the things that we all know and love as French food here in the U.S.,” said the chef. “But you know, you go to Paris and the suburbs and there’s like a Frenchman cooking Chinese food with his wife and they’re just, you know, having a good time and the music is loud.”
Also on the French food side, but more classic and upscale, Dalton went on to open Jacques in LoHi in September, 2023. He partnered with William Steck and Simon Rochez, who met Dalton when they both worked for Le Biblioquet in Cherry Creek. The menu centers around traditional French fare such as Duck Confit ($29), Salmon with lentils and beurre blanc ($25), and French Onion Soup ($15).
When not eating his own food five-plus times a week, Dalton loves going out with his partner to get pizza and other non-French foods. Here are some of his top places to go and why he likes them.
Lunchboxx in Denver Central Market
Owned by chef Zach Spott, Lunchboxx opened in the Denver Central Market in August, 2021. It’s a fast-casual eatery with fresh foods and global influences to the menu.
“I love this place because they do rotisserie chicken, steak, and some other protein options, and then it comes in a little bento box with pickles and lettuce wraps and dressing,” said Dalton, adding the food is always fresh and it’s easy to change things up. Each bento box is $16, and there are plenty of vegetarian options as well.
He also likes to order the family packs ($30 to $55), which, he added, feeds him and his partner for dinner and lunch the next day. 2669 Larimer St., Denver, denvercentralmarket.com
sắp sửa
Another frequent stop for Dalton is chefs Ni and Anna Nguyen’s sắp sửa in the City Park neighborhood. One favorite dish from the current menu is the Crispy Veal Sweetbreads ($18) with fish sauce caramel, gochugaru, and sesame.
And, like every other person who has visited the Vietnamese restaurant, Dalton also loves the Trứng và Trứng ($18), the soft scrambled egg and rice dish laced with brown butter and fish sauce, and topped with trout roe. Yes, it’s truly that good, even if you aren’t a fan of eggs. 2550 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, sapsua.com
Pizzeria Lui
Eating and making pizza is one of Dalton’s favorite things to do. As it turns out, the chef is a Hawaiian pizza fan due to his love of pineapple.
“That’s why I like Pizzeria Lui, the Hawaiian pizza has a pineapple puree on it instead of chunks of pineapple, and it’s spread on the bottom like sauce,” he said. “Then it has pickled jalapenos and spice.”
The $23 pie also has smoked ham, bacon, pecorino, and mozzarella. And for those who aren’t a fan of the sweet-savory combo, the 8-year-old shop offers plenty of other pizzas on the menu, both classic and unusual.
“I also choose Lui because the owner works every day and you can see them making pizzas and they’re super friendly,” he said, adding another boon to visiting the Lakewood eatery comes from the soundtrack, which constantly plays the Grateful Dead. 5380 W. Mississippi Ave., Lakewood, pizzerialui.com
Alma Fonda Fina
While Dalton doesn’t tend to eat a full dinner at chef Johnny Curiel’s LoHi hot spot, he does love a pre-service bite from time to time. Though, he added, now that it’s gotten so many awards it’s hard to get into.
“Chefs tend to eat it weird times a day, so it was an easy bop in preservice and have a little snack or something,” he said.
One of Dalton’s favorite things about Alma Fonda Fina is the housemade sourdough tortillas, which, he added, is the perfect tortilla.
“It’s very nostalgic of a little tortilla shop I went to when I was growing up,” he added. “It’s like buttery and had that little tang to it.” 2556 15th St., Denver, almalohidenver.com
Illegal Pete’s
One of the chef’s go-to spots is this Colorado-based Mexican chain. He doesn’t think it’s the best Mexican spot per se, but he does love the easy access, the approachable cuisine, and the overall vibe.
“It’s conveniently located between my two restaurants and you can get a salad, even taquitos, and it’s quick and easy and inexpensive,” said Dalton. “I think it’s changed over the years, it used to be better, but I can eat there one or two times a week.” Multiple locations, illegalpetes.com
Vinh Xuong Bakery
The neighborhood where Vinh Xuong Bakery resides is a big draw for Daulton, who feels it has Los Angeles vibes where cultures mesh together in a fun and friendly way.
“I also think it’s a great example of someone picking one thing and doing it very well, which we don’t have a lot of in Denver,” added the chef. “The food is approach-ably priced, it’s made really well, I know three other guys that buy bread from these guys, and you know, they’ve really made this the best.” 2370 W. Alameda Ave., Denver, no website
Curtis Park Deli
Like Pizzeria Lui’s, Dalton loves the owner-run aspect of Curtis Park Deli. It’s small, unique, and has great sandwiches. He also enjoys the honesty of the spot, which has a sign at the front stating the days it’s closed, which are basically the same holidays most people don’t work on.
“They wanted the day off too, you know, I like the transparency,” said the chef. “It’s like, we’re humans too.”
Dalton also likes Curtis Park Deli’s Italian sandwich, though he replaces ham and turkey for the meats on it. It’s the combination of arugula, asiago cheese, and the housemade aioli and red wine vinaigrette that win him over. The bread tastes fresh, and each time he orders the sandwich it’s consistent and balanced. 2532 Champa St., Denver, curtisparkdeli.com
