Independent restaurants in and near Denver keep closing, and many blame the pay gap, rising costs for goods and labor, rent, and utilities. Now, bill HB25-1208 has been submitted to help. This past week also saw a new vodka aimed at sustainability and embraced by Big Red F Restaurant Group. Food wise, we’re excited for a seasonal blood orange menu, and enjoyed the new pizza program coming out of the city’s oldest brewpub.
Read on for more top news stories and send us any tips via Instagram or by emailing info@diningout.com.
The 411
To help the restaurant community, the Restaurant Relief Act was introduced on February 11 at the Colorado State Capitol. Supported by the Colorado Restaurant Association (CRA), EatDenver, the Hispanic Restaurant Association, the Colorado Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Denver Partnership, Downtown Boulder Partnership, and the Tavern League, the idea behind HB25-1208 is to reset Colorado’s tip offset laws for food and beverage.
A press release from the CRA stated the bill is necessary because, “Local restaurant operators want to fix the pay gap that exists between their tipped and non-tipped staff, which is a contributing factor to many recent restaurant closures.”
Last year more than 200 Colorado restaurants closed. According to the Department of Excise and Licenses, Denver alone saw 82-percent of those losses.
Big Red F Restaurant Group, the locally owned company overseeing Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar, The Post,Centro Mexican Kitchen, West End Tavern and Velvet Elk Lounge, just partnered with Peak Spirits Distillery on a new zero-waste vodka initiative. All 13 of the group’s restaurants now use Peak’s MEll Zero-Waste Vodka as the house vodka. Fun fact, MEll spells “well” when you turn the bottle upside down. The spirit comes from Hotchkiss, and is made from a base of corn and apple.
Pie bakers across the U.S. are uniting for Pie Day for LA, a project aimed at raising $3.14 million to support Los Angeles pie shops and bakeries impacted by last month’s wildfires. The initiative runs now and until Pi Day, or March 14 (3.14). It was organized by Denver’s own John Hinman of Hinman Pie, as well as Dini McCullough Amozurrutia of Dini’s Divine Pies in Rockville, Maryland.
“As pie makers, we know the true superpower of the pie [and] its ability to connect people,” said Hinman in a press release. “Now, when our fellow bakers need us most, we have a responsibility to use this superpower to help those affected by the Wildfires.” For more information go to piedayforla.org.
West End Tavern in Boulder announced the return of the Whiskey Club, which highlights three tiers of curated whiskey lists. Members can taste their way through the catalog and gain rewards, swag, and perks along the way. Expect tastings such as local bourbons, famed Scotches, spicy ryes, and whiskies from around the world. The $15 one-time membership is available year-round, however the sign-up fee is waived for anyone joining the Whiskey Club in February 2025. More information on the Whiskey Club and how to sign up can be found here.
Openings and Closings In the News
After weeks of renovations, Mercantile plans to reopen on February 21. Expect the interior to have a fresh feel, the menus to have changed, and a new $35 lunch prix fixe option. Restaurant nerds may also notice a slight tweak to the name as Mercantile dropped the “Dining & Provision” part, which is just fine since most of us already called it “Mercantile” anyway.
Things that haven’t changed is leadership. While founding chef Alex Seidel passed partial ownership to Sage Hospitality last year, he is still involved. As is executive chef Alex Grenier helming the kitchen. Features of the new dinner layout include a menu sectioned off into earth, sea, grain, and pasture categories. From the bar, mixologist Roilen Ivester offers a new gin and tonic cart with build-your-own garnish, as well as a large format sangria meant for sharing.
Sacred Society has finally opened its doors in Highland, a project owners Barbie Beltran and chef Jose Guerrero have been working on since 2022. The idea is to have a wellness center with mental, physical, and spiritual services alongside whole foods, fresh juices, coffee, and mocktails.
This hot chicken lover can’t wait to head to the newly opened Mama Jo’s Biscuits & BBQ, which took over the former Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs spot. Aside from a Nashville hot chicken sandwich, the restaurant serves barbecued pork, ribs, sausage, and jack fruit, an array of biscuits, jalapeño hush puppies, fried green tomatoes, and hot dogs a la Steve’s.
God Save the Cream kicked off its upcoming opening this past weekend in Englewood. Run by Jessica La Forge, who started her career when only 16 and working in the kitchens of the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, the pastry chef has cut her teeth at some of the best restaurants in the world. She also moonlights as a teacher at Carpagiani Gelato University in Italy. Before now, La Forge’s treats were only sold wholesale.
Osaka Ramen announced it will be closing on February 23 after almost 10 years of serving ramen to RiNo. Read more about the closing and one of the main reasons for Denver’s mass exodus of beloved restaurants.
It was also reported that the adorable breakfast spot Wendell’s on Tennyson Street will be closing. Owners Casey Keller and Roy Beniot told Westword they are behind on rent and going through eviction. While it’s still open, the owners don’t expect it to last more than a couple weeks.
On the Menu
The newly-opened Odie B’s in RiNo now serves dinner. Open Wednesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (and Sunday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.), this is the first time the “rowdy” sandwich shop has offered food past lunch. Unfortunately for Sunnyside fans, it’s still just breakfast and lunch.
Pizza officially made the team at Wynkoop Brewing Co. Chef Corey Smith debuted the dish on Superbowl Sunday, and now diners can order vegetarian, meat, or margarita any time of the day. Expect chef special pies down the line too. If you want to learn more about the talented chef, check out last week’s chef takeover on our Instagram highlights, and stay tuned next week for another takeover.
The Rio Grand Mexican Restaurant just launched its annual blood orange seasonal menu, available now and until March 23. The special line up features a Blood Orange Margarita using freshly-squeezed blood oranges and Maestro Dobel Special Barrel, which is exclusive to the company. The citrus also accents the Mexico City Hot Chicken Taco in the form of a super-spicy orange-habanero glaze. Finally, the Orange Chocolate Tres Leches Cake, complete with orange whipped cream cheese frosting.
Events
For a whole new take on dating and meeting people at a bar, on Saturday, February 22 head to FlyteCo Tower at 7 p.m. for Pitch-a-Friend. The one-of-a-kind event allows guests to give a slideshow presentation about their single friends to an audience of available singles. It’s free to attend, though to present a friend it costs $5.
Also on Saturday is the Snow Bunny Bash at Wonderyard, starting at noon. As you may expect, it’s the ultimate après ski event that’s far from the snowy slopes of the Rocky Mountains. The party is sponsored by the Breckenridge-based lifestyle brand Raw & Rebellious, and includes a pop-up shop, a bounce castle perfect for photos, and a specialty menu including cham-bongs, a black diamond disco group cocktail, and Aperol Spritz towers. Enter to win a bundle that includes Raw & Rebellious merch, two ski lift tickets to Copper Mountain, and complimentary bottle service. For more information, visit wonderyard.com
Le Billboquet will host Antinori Wines for a six-course wine dinner on Wednesday, February 26 at 5:30 p.m. Start with a welcome toast and apps, then check out the new Fleur private dining room for dinner. Chef Sosthène Kaboré will dish up a luxurious La Côte de Boeuf and La Sérole to go with the vino. Dinner runs $290 per person, tickets can be purchased here.
SAME Cafe and Easy Vegan host a collaboration on Friday, February 28 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Easy Vegan, the 2023 champions of Food Network’s Great Foodtruck Race, offers vegetable-forwards dishes, which it will share with SAME Cafe’s diners. Visit the restaurant for this special event, and keep in mind the eatery serves food in exchange for either money, produce, or volunteer time.
