dp|Additional pictures from the Baur’s grand reopening gala the name Baur’s, and if the person to whom you are speaking is a Coloradan of a certain age there’s a good chance he or she will swoon.
For decades, Baur’s Bakery and Confectionary was considered a mecca for all things delicious. Especially if that something happened to be sweet.
Colorado was still a territory in 1872 when a German immigrant named Otto P. Baur — who’d come to be known as the king of ice cream, candies, cakes and other creamy, sugary treats — opened the restaurant at 1512 Curtis St. Its popularity sustained this “rendezvous of the elite” for the next 100 years as patrons from throughout the region flocked in for such delectibles as almond mija toffee, 16-layer pound cakes, macaroons, eclairs, ladyfingers and the hard, clear candy called Crystal Cuts.
By 1932, Baur’s treats were being shipped to “every state in the union and to foreign lands,” according to historian Tom Noel.
All good things come to an end, though, and Baur’s closed its doors some 30 years ago.
Fast-forward to 2007, and one of Denver’s more enterprising restaurateurs, Jimmy Lambatos, reopens the place as Baur’s Ristorante with partner Rachel Schultz.
Schultz and Lambatos, founder of Footer’s Restaurant, Quizno’s Subs and Footer’s Catering, were determined to honor the Baur’s legacy and spent hours in the Denver Public Library’s Western History Department researching menus, recipes and whatever else would help them as they reopened a door to the past.
Which is why, when it came time for the grand opening celebration in late January, Lambatos and Schultz chose the Denver Public Library Friends Foundation as the beneficiary.
As a searchlight crisscrossed the night sky, and the restaurant’s original illuminated marquee shone brightly, crowds once again flocked to the historic site.
The menu featured such old-time faves as mija pie and butterscotch Budino, plus such modern-day offerings as tapas. Chef Corey Cunningham also offered a carving station, salads, fresh seafood and a seemingly endless selection of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres.
To further stir memories, there were appearances by a host of luminaries from Denver’s past: Noel dressed as Otto Baur while City Auditor Dennis Gallagher portrayed Mayor Robert W. Speer. Charla Stilling was Mattie Silks, the Market Street madam who rewarded her “working girls” with visits to Baur’s, and Debra Faulkner came as Emily Griffith, the educator for whom the Emily Griffith Opportunity School is named. She trained hundreds of Baur’s cooks, waiters, bakers and confectioners.
Guests included Hank Peters, whose father, Gerald, owned Baur’s 50 years ago; Edith Peters Acsell, who contributed some of the vintage recipes that the “new” Baur’s uses; building owner David Spire; City Librarian Shirley Amore; and Hanne Lichtenfels, president of the Denver Public Library Friends Foundation.
Society editor Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@ ; also,
