A view of the exterior of the new restaurant Torchy’s Tacos on 11th Avenue and Broadway on Jan. 10, 2016, in Denver. Torchy’s Tacos, which took over the spot formerly held by Arby’s, is one of the most anticipated restaurants opening in Denver this year. (Brent Lewis, The Denver Post)
From taco joints to culinary emporiums, lots of new places will be opening this year in Denver, combining local talent with emerging neighborhoods and hot concepts on the national scene. Opening dates tend to get pushed back, but here s an overview of what s coming this year.
, expected to open this summer in Aurora, has people across the country excited — it s on Zagat s list of most anticipated restaurant openings this year. The 100,000 square-foot marketplace will be home to many food vendors and restaurants, including Rosenberg s Bagels and Delicatessen, Comida and Casita Brewing Company. (Map:)
And the new restaurant — still unnamed — from Bobby Stuckey and Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson landed on the Daily Meal s list of 25 most anticipated restaurants in the country. It s part of the A Block @ Union Station mixed-use development set to open in December. The Frasca owners say their new place will incorporate concepts from both Frasca and their Pizzeria Locale, with a focus on casual dining. (Map:)
Over in , the plans to open this spring. Jeff Osaka, who recently debuted Sushi-Rama, is curating the 13 food vendors that will be located in a 14,000 square-foot space in the former H.H. Tammen Curio Company that s also home to the jazz-and-supper club Nocturne. (Map:)
The opening date for keeps getting pushed back — right now it s set for the first day of February. Owner Michael Rypka is bringing the popular Austin eatery to downtown Denver in the former Arby s space at 11th Avenue and Broadway with a menu that includes signature cocktails, infused tequilas and such tacos as The Baja Shrimp and The Brushfire with Jamaican jerk chicken. (1085 Broadway).
Also in February, chef-owner Biju Thomas is opening a second location of his popular Little Curry Shop in the Berkeley neighborhood with the same beloved meals — chicken bowls, beef bowls, and veggie bowls — served at the RiNo location. (Map:)
Matsuhisa Cherry Creek is coming early this year, featuring the cuisine of Nobu Matsuhisa, who opened his first restaurant in Beverly Hills in 1987 and went on to have outposts around the world, from London to Tokyo. His restaurants in Aspen and Vail are magnets for international foodies, so the upcoming place in Cherry Creek makes it easy for locals to sample his renowned Japanese-Peruvian cuisine. (Map:)
Paul Reilly and his sister, Aileen Reilly, the owners of the popular Uptown eatery , are opening Coperta — which centers on Italian food — early this year in space that formerly housed Jonesy s. (Map:)
And for chefs like Justin Cucci and Justin Brunson, it will also be a year of expansion.
This spring, Cucci is opening Vital Root (Map:) with a focus on vegetarian and vegan plates, adding to his list of such successful eateries as Ophelia s, Root Down and Linger. This summer he plans to open L5, a Spanish tapas bar in the same new LoHi development that includes Sushi Ronin. (Map:)
Earlier this month, Brunson left his gig as culinary director of the Honor Society to focus on such new projects as the Masterpiece Kitchen, which is expected to open in February. Founder of Old Major and Masterpiece Deli, Brunson says Masterpiece Kitchen — located in Lowry s Hangar 2 development near Troy Guard s Bubu — will expand his Masterpiece Deli concept into a full-service restaurant that will offer many of the most popular sandwiches and salads from Masterpiece Deli. (Map:)
Troy Guard is also expanding his empire in 2016, with two restaurants in Stapleton s upcoming Eastbridge Town Center — Los Chingones and a breakfast-concept eatery — opening at the end of the year.
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