Is it Capital Grille? Is it Oceanaire? Both, if you ask Cameron Mitchell, founding father of Ocean Prime, the new steak-and-seafood spot opening Jan. 20 on a piece of prime real estate in Larimer Square.
And the notion of creating a hybrid between trotters and swimmers suits Mitchell just fine. The Denver location, inside a $4.5 million major remodel of the old Z Gallerie space at the corner of 15th and Larimer streets, is the eighth of its kind in a restaurant group that includes 17 units in seven concepts around the country.
Mitchell, who sat down for an interview in the new digs last week, emphasized the high-end eatery’s goal of delivering “a timeless experience in a sophisticated dining room with a high-energy cocktail bar.”
The bar is a star in this two-story, 340-seat space that devotes the entire first floor to the almighty cocktail — plus live music plays Tuesday through Saturday.
“I’m a food guy,” said Mitchell, who started his kitchen career as a dishwasher and worked his way into becoming a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. “One day, I woke up and said I have to raise our bar program. It’s a chef-driven cocktail bar with fruit cut to order.”
As to the menu, prices are indeed Capital Grille-, Oceanaire- and Palmlike, with the average check per person at $60 to $70 for dinner and $20 to $25 at lunch.
Ocean Prime opens for dinner only Jan. 20 and adds lunch on weekdays Jan. 24. Complimentary valet at lunch; $8 at dinner.
Restaurant Weeks.
The menus for Denver Restaurant Week, one of the most anticipated weeks by deal-seeking diners, go live online at noon today at .
The week — it’s really two weeks because the dates are Feb. 26 through March 11 — features more than 268 restaurants offering a multi course dinner for the “mile high” fixed price of $52.80 for two, or $26.40 for one, not including tax and tip.
More than 335,500 meals were purchased during DRW 2010, up 13 percent over meals bought in 2009.
Business broadcast.
Denver entrepreneur and radio personality Nick May is launching a new name and a new co-host of his Saturday-morning radio show “Small Business Naked,” airing at 9 a.m. Saturdays on KLZ 560-AM.
The show, formerly known as “Cultivating Small Business with Nick May,” is geared toward small- business owners. John Erbert, owner of Erbert Lawns in Denver, co-hosts.
A launch party, a benefit for Metro-Area DECA students, will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Jan. 20 at Greenworks Video, 1350 17th St. RSVP by e-mailing nick@smallbusinessnaked.com.
Design time.
Denver design firm Roth + Sheppard Architects, the award-winning AIA-Colorado’s Firm of the Year, has opened new digs inside the historic Wazee Exchange building, 1900 Wazee St.
The expanding 16-person firm, which is known for its law-enforcement, restaurant, retail and entertainment designs, features an elongated central communal table surrounded by 15-foot-high sheer curtains designed to provide translucent privacy to designer work spaces.
EAVESDROPPING
A woman who owns a Hummer:
“My boss gave me a $5 gift card to Target. It will cost me more than $5 in gas to drive to Target.”
Penny Parker’s column appears Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Hear her on “Caplis & Silverman” between 4 and 5 p.m. Fridays on KHOW-630 AM. Call her at 303-954-5224 or e-mail pparker@denverpost.com.
