So long, . The place lasted only a year and a half in Cherry Creek North before shutting down last month. But the guy who opened and now is closing Phat Thai — Mark Fischer — isn’t leaving Denver, fortunately. This week Fischer opens in the same space (2900 E. Second Ave., 303-388-7428, harmanscherrycreek.com).
If you have visited Fischer’s much-touted restaurant in Glenwood Springs (330 Seventh St., 970-230-9234, thepullmangws.com), then Harman’s will seem familiar. Think English pea agnolotti with roasted radishes and spiced carrot broth; hangar steak frites with rosemary fries and blue cheese; Colorado lamb shoulder with baby kale and carrots; Thai fried chicken.
Kind of tough to shoehorn Harman’s into a cuisine category, other than “likely excellent-tasting.” I applaud that category.
On Phat Thai’s demise in Cherry Creek (the original Phat Thai still slings curries in Carbondale), Fischer said: “Win some, lose some.”
“I think the thought process for Phat Thai in Cherry Creek was flawed from the beginning,” he said. “With 50 seats it would have been a success, but we were paying rent for another 100 seats.”
Harman’s will be “a lot more approachable, in terms of menu and appeal. I think this many seats on this corner at this ZIP code will work better with Harman’s.”
The chef who opened The Pullman for him, John Little, is opening Harman’s.
Congrats on the new joint, chef. And let’s find the right space for Phat Thai somewhere else along the Front Range, OK?
It’s a big region, this Front Range, but for now we remain in Cherry Creek because the (303-355-2787cherrycreekarts.org) rolls into town this weekend. Among the things to do: Watch great chefs do their thing.
Check out ), ), ) and others working their knives and sauté pans on a stage at East Second Avenue and Fillmore Street in between art gawks. . In addition, 22 culinary vendors will dot the festival — either check the website for the schedule, or give the festival a call. Go for the art, but don’t forget about the food. Some great chefs are working the stage this year.
The same goes for stages at , set to run this weekend at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Golden (15200 W. Sixth Ave., 303-719-8264, vegfestcolorado.org). If you are vegetarian, vegan or simply appreciative of meatless cuisine, the fest is a must. (johnschlimm.com), the author of a bunch of vegan cookbooks and a routine presence on national media outlets, will give the keynote address. . And check out the 62 exhibitors, offering food samples, talking up their products, and more. The event offers lots for kids, too, including movies and storytelling.
Summer fun is coming fast and furious, and I’m not giving you much time to plan. Here’s something with a month of heads-up time. You can thank me sometime after you waddle out of the five-course meal benefiting (303-443-9952, growinggardens.org), a nonprofit in Boulder that brings people closer to their food through gardening. The annual , held on Aug. 3 in an 11-acre garden with great Flatirons views, features chefs from , , , and more.
The produce for the benefit was grown and picked by teens involved in the iCultiva project. I have encountered iCultiva teens at the Boulder Farmer’s Market many times over the years, and they always impress with their enthusiasm for plants and their gardening know-how. The $125 event includes meet-and-greets with chefs, a silent auction, garden tours, live entertainment, a video documentary, and, of course, the feast, taking place during the heart of the harvest.
(523 E. 17th Ave., 303-830-1001, steubens.com) — you know the place, the joint with the upscale comfort food, the cool-retro style (I’m thinking “Mad Men,” Season 1, set in 1960) — has themed patio picnics that sound awfully cool to me. We missed the first, a Tex-Mex dinner where 50 diners downed five courses, like duck tamales and watermelon agua fresca, on the fab patio. But let’s do the next one, the themed bash, set for July 15. As a former Albuquerque guy, I swoon at the thought of this one — Route 66 runs straight through the Land of Entrapment’s big city. Sixty bucks gets you five courses and drinks. The rough-draft menu has duck Frito pie, snapper ceviche, fried chicken and green chile waffles.
We here in the Food section say “welcome to the table” to , whose work has appeared , as well as Saveur and Food & Wine. She will use a five-star system to rate restaurants (we use four). Her first review, a tough look at , appears in the current issue of the magazine.
Get out there, Front Rangers, and get your kicks.
Douglas Brown: 303-954-1395, djbrown@denverpost.com or twitter.com/douglasjbrown
