Maybe it’s no surprise that is already so popular in Denver. The restaurant — which started in Portland, Ore., as a salute to the Blitz-Weinhard Brewery that brewed on that site for more than 140 years — is all about the beer.
After opening on the 16th Street Mall last month, it’s packed at lunch, and 100 beers on tap is part of its allure.
Last week’s great weather inspired people to eat outside on the patio, and inside near the walls — made of garage doors — that roll up to create more open-air dining.
They sat on leather couches, eating at coffee tables, or near the full-service bar, enjoying the breeze and the urban scene outside.
This is the first location in Colorado for the chain, which has three restaurants outside Portland — in Denver, Seattle and Plano, Texas.
And it will be the only location in Colorado for the duration of its 10-year lease at the Denver Pavilions.
Its mix of local, regional and specialty beers paired perfectly with the local brew scene.
The menu includes hard ciders like Woodchuck Pear Cider and Angry Orchard Crisp Apple Cider; fruit and cream ales; lagers, wheats and whites; amber and brown ales; and porters and stouts.
The lunch menu features street tacos (such as Mesquite Smoked BBQ Pork for $10.95), signature burgers (Mac & Cheese Burger, $14.95), artisan sandwiches (classic grilled chicken club, $13.95) and hand-pulled barley malt pizzas. 500 16th St., Denver Pavilions, 720-399-8466, henrystavern.com.
Salumi and more
Il Porcellino Salumi soon will open in , after months of delays pushed back the original plans to open the business in the summer.
The retail salumeria that focuses on cured meats — created by chef-owners Brian Albano and Bill Miner — is at the intersection of West 41st Avenue and Tennyson Street.
“We’re using all heritage breed pigs,” said Albano, where he and newly hired butcher Corey Nead just broke down a Berkshire hog from Corner Post Meats of Colorado.
All of the meat is locally sourced, and they use the whole animal — nothing wasted.
Albano, who started curing meats as a hobby because he “couldn’t find any good andouille,” is the shop’s salumiere. He’s so passionate about heritage breed pigs that he carries photos of — a Hungarian breed known as the “Kobe beef of pork” — on his phone.
The new place will have an area to dine inside, and also carry-out items in deli cases. Miner, who works as executive chef at Relish Catering in Lakewood, will be the executive chef.
His menu includes sandwiches made with house-cured bison pastrami, andouille, coppa cotta and ham.
The deli also will serve salads, soups and salumi platters.
Il Porcellino Salumi, 4334 W. 41st Ave. 303-477-3206. coloradocured.com.
Fresh finds at Union Station
The Harvest Market is coming to on Oct. 10, the first outdoor market held there this year.
People who live in the neighborhood, or those tapping away in their mobile offices in the Great Hall, will be able to buy fresh produce from 10 Colorado farms that include Plowshares Community Farm, Cure Organic Farm and the Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms.
It’s not just a bountiful offering of autumn’s vegetables and fruits — it’s also a test. Organized by Boulder County Farmers Markets, this is a pilot project to determine whether there’s enough interest for a series of farmers markets to be held at Union Station next year, after the historic transit hub is connected by commuter rail to Denver International Airport.
The Harvest Market also will feature food items produced by local companies, along with delicious dishes from such restaurants as Mercantile Dining & Provision, Stoic & Genuine and Snooze.
The Harvest Market will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 10 at the north end of Wynkoop Plaza at Union Station, 1701 Wyn koop St.; unionstationdenver.com.
Colleen O’Connor: 303-954-1083, coconnor@denverpost.com or @coconnordp
