LoDo is full of surprises, most of them rowdy, some of them rude. A great option if you are looking for something a little more mellow there: Alto (1320 15th St.).
This Italian-inflenced restaurant/bar can provide sanctuary on LoDo’s crazier nights. Take last weekend, for example. While the early St. Pat’s day crowd was heating up, Alto felt like the cool, calm eye of a hurricane. A doorman in a sharp suit checked IDs, polite and unruffled. Live jazz was swinging in the main room. The bar area wasn’t crowded — people sat and chatted quietly around the bar, or hung out at tables.
In the main room, a middle-aged couple finished a late dinner, refilling each other’s glasses with wine as they listened to the band.
Sitting at a table, looking at the drink menu, I found time to take a deep breath and thank goodness for finding a parking spot.
Alto feels a little like a modern version of a 1920s jazz club. The furnishings are swank and sleek against the rustic, exposed-brick walls. The music bops and the crowd is relaxed but lively. Even after a DJ started spinning to follow the band, Alto stayed cool and collected.
The dinner menu includes things such as a chicken BLT sandwich and vanilla-crusted scallops. Booze-wise, there’s a nice list of special drinks, but nothing really beats a classic martini. It’s all very civilized.
Alto isn’t unique. Places like it exist all over the country, but Alto’s placement in rollicking LoDo makes its easy charms seem much more potent.
Though Alto’s vibe is very different from the neighboring meat markets, the bar does flirt with the LoDo scene. Popping outside during the St. Patrick’s celebration last week, a couple of Alto employees battled the crowds to scrawl “$2 drafts” on the sidewalk, complete with a big arrow pointing inside.
In another attempt to broaden its appeal, Alto offers “Fashionable Fridays” in March. Every Friday, after dinner service ends around 11, fashion shows and DJs take over the space. If there’s anything that Denver night- lifers know, it’s fashion shows — they’re everywhere in clubland, seemingly all the time.
There’s no doubt that “Fashionable Fridays” will attract a more typical club crowd. Here’s hoping Alto can retain its classy, laid-back feel — it shouldn’t be hard.
When planning a visit to Alto, keep in mind that it’s open only until 10 on weekdays and closed on Mondays. The weekend’s the best time to stop in for a beverage.
Chicago spirit.
A breeze from the Windy City blows into town Saturday when DJs Colette and Heather spin at Vinyl (1082 Broadway).
The two connected back in the day as members of Chicago’s SuperJane DJ collective — they spin house, naturally. Colette lives in Los Angeles now, but the two are reunited for a U.S. tour. Expect funky, soulful sets from both ladies.
Presale tickets are $10 at .
The return.
Guess what’s back? Sketch.
After an untimely demise in Cherry Creek, Jesse Morreale’s groovy lounge is moving to the hopping Baker district at 101 Broadway.
Private preview parties started happening Wednesday. They’re by-invitation-only, but soon enough, Sketch will be inviting everyone. Keep an eye out.
