Justin Cucci will soon open his newest restaurant, Ophelia’s. The venue will also have music. (Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post)
Fans of and are abuzz about the latest restaurant from Justin Cucci, who opens Ophelia’s on April 14. Itap definitely different from his other ventures.
“I tell people itap a gastrobrothel,” he said. “Itap a little tongue in cheek.”
Like a gastropub — with a twist. The place, located on 20th Street between Larimer and Lawrence, was once a brothel located in the heart of historic Denver. The name, Ophelia’s, was inspired by a particular image.
“We found this great picture of our muse, a strong, empowered woman who is naked from the waist up,” he said.
They called her Ophelia, and over time, that became the name of the restaurant, which is located in a building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1889, it was home to Kopper’s Hotel and Saloon.
Ophelia’s will have a vegetable-centered seasonal menu similar to Root Down and Linger, but it also has a stage that will feature live music on weekends, along with a dance floor, combining Cucci’s two loves: food and music.
He’s also working on two more places soon to open: Vital Root, a vegetarian cafe on Tennyson Street, and Extra Linger in LoHi, which will feature Spanish tapas.
Despite growing up in a restaurant family, Cucci never dreamed of having his own empire of eateries. “I had a couple restaurants in Key West, and sold them when I was about 40,” he said. “I was entering the final phase of my career, and in Denver, I put everything I had into Root Down. It was all or nothing, and it worked. From there, everything evolved naturally.”
Ophelia’s, 1215 20th Street. 303-993-8023.
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