When most of us plan for a date night, bar-hopping along East Colfax doesn’t typically register among the more refined options.
But now with the new Neighborhood Flix Cinema & Café (2510 E. Colfax Ave.) up and running, the Colfax bar-crawl just got a whole lot classier.
I dropped in Saturday night to check out the new spot with hubby and a couple of friends, and we came away impressed and planning our next double date.
The entry features a box office and traditional concession stand with gourmet popcorn and candy, but walk a little farther inside, and a full bar and restaurant area offer patrons tables and bar stools for noshing on healthy finger foods (sesame-ginger sweet potato fries, chicken satay, Vietnamese spring rolls) or full entree options.
Hit the bar for beer, wine or a house-specialty martini (try the Sour Patch martini for a frothy tropical treat) and load it all up. Best part? You can take it all with you into the
theater, thanks to the nifty swivel trays that pop into your seat’s drink holder, making mid-flick nibbling a piece of cake.
During the opening weekend, owner Jimmie Lee Smith said that the bar was the clear favorite among the various concessions, with wine outselling soda by a ratio of 4-to-1.
“We’re selling popcorn shrimp platters 3-to-1 over the popcorn,” he added.
Though the space is still a bit bare, Smith and his co-owners, wife Michelle Dorant and sister Melodie Gaul, have plans to spruce up the place.
“We still need to do just a little more with the atmosphere,” said Smith. “We’ll get some art up, and get our projectors running in the lobby and restaurant areas.”
Despite a few unfinished details, Smith said that the initial reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.
“Friday was great, just incredible,” he said. “And Saturday was twice what Friday was, so the response has just been tremendous. It exceeded all of our expectations.”
Check out movie descriptions, showtimes and the full menu online at .
Beer CaféAfter the film last weekend, we took a jaunt farther west on Colfax, arriving at the Cheeky Monk Belgian Beer Café. The Cheeky Monk (534 E. Colfax Ave.) opened over a month ago, and is also lacking in the décor department, with glaringly bare walls all around. Still, it has its charms. The beer list is heaven for Belgian beer aficionados, with more than a dozen rare suds on tap – each served in its proper, brewery-engraved specialty glass – and many more by the bottle.
Though the beer list was impressive, the overall experience was a mixed bag. On the plus side, our server was knowledgeable about the extensive and largely unfamiliar beer list, and the cozy rectangular bar, pressed-tin ceiling and high-backed booths give the space a pleasantly traditional vibe.
On the downside, the music was practically inaudible, and though our server was helpful, she was very scarce throughout our stay, and with so many unusual, high-priced beers, ($6-$12) the lack of samplers or beer flights is an obvious oversight.
Oh, MaloneyMaloney’s Tavern opens tonight at 1432 Market St., in the former home of Tommy Tsunami’s and the Tom Tom Club. The new tavern boasts a neighborhood- bar vibe and traditional tavern décor (dark wood, brick walls, pop-culture art), upscale pub fare, and its signature 12-ounce martinis. A VIP reception runs from 6 to 9 tonight; after that they’re open for business from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily.
Party boyDavid Guetta comes to Denver next week in support of his brand-new album, “Pop Life.” The French DJ was the life of the party at last year’s Winter Music Conference in Miami, where his signature club night stole the best-party-of-the-conference award. “Pop Life” hits stores Tuesday; catch Guetta’s mix of hip-hop and dance-party house beats at The Church (1109 Lincoln St.) on Thursday.
Kat Valentine: 303-954-1568 or kat@kingproductions.com
