The first time I met Chris Donato, he held a bottle of Champagne while flanked by two drag queens during his signature event, the Great American Bubbles and French Fry Festival. The indulgent party instantly enamoured me, as did the man behind it. As of September, 2024, he now has his own brick-and-mortar restaurant, Champagne Tiger, named after the event company.
Like the shows Donato has run since 2021, Champagne Tiger celebrates the bougie and over-the-top side of things, without taking anything, save for quality and hospitality, seriously. But while caviar, sparkling wine, and performance art run rampant in the Colfax Avenue space, it’s also the first restaurant, at least in a long time, aimed at providing for the queer community.
“I think it’s a much needed venue and safe space,” said Felony Misdomeaner, a talented drag queen, food lover, and maître d’ of Champagne Tiger. “We have gay bars and everything, but we never had a gay restaurant.”
The clientele, added Felony, isn’t just made up of queer folk. A lot of the customers consider themselves allies and people who just want to enjoy the inclusive nature of the restaurant. That, and maybe a bit of dinner theater, which happens weekly during the Wednesday piano and pasta night and twice on Sundays for drag brunch, with some special performances in between.
The food should also be celebrated. In fact, it’s one of the best restaurants around, which isn’t surprising given Donato’s history of hospitality. For years he worked in the front-of-house with the Frasca Hospitality Group. When building Champagne Tiger he tapped into the talents of chef Duncun Holmes, co-owner of the Micheline-starred Beckon in RiNo. Holms consulted on the menu and even greenlighted the hiring of Champagne Tiger’s current chef, Josh Hood, who previously worked at Holms’ more casual concept, Major Tom.
In keeping with the theme of the historic building, as well as the 1960s overhaul the former Tom’s Diner got when it became Tom’s Starlight, the menu too speaks to the era of dinner parties, martini lunches, and relish trays.
A personal delight, the Mortadella ($14), an appetizer featuring pistachio-studded deli meat (kind of like a grown up bologna) and house-made dill pickles. Keep that meal bougie with the delightful Caviar Ashtray ($40), a whimsical display of tater tot “butts” smoldering with crème fraîche, chives, and caviar. Bonus, you get to keep the branded ashtray it comes in, the perfect ring plate or vessel for your own homemade extravagances.
It’s these elegant touches that add to the feeling of vintage glam. The Mom Salad ($13) proves simple with little gem lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion slivers, and red wine vinaigrette, but each bite has been carefully curated for the ultimate flavor combination. Get the salad or a side of Champagne Tiger’s signature fries when you order one of the sandwiches or burgers. Favorites include the Kimchee Grilled Cheese ($16) and the burger ($18) done Felony Misdemeanor Style with jalapeño Calabrian relish ($4 extra, and $1 is donated to Black Pride Colorado).
For a main course, the show-stopping Roasted Mustard Chicken ($32 for half/$59 for whole) may take 45 minutes to make, but it’s one of the best chicken dishes in town. Not only does the bird get perfectly cooked so the outside stays crispy while the meat remains juicy, but a layer of Dijon mustard under the skin punches the experience up a notch.
As for the pasta nights, I will admit I wasn’t expecting much glam to grace the plate. Gleefully I was very wrong, and chef Hood’s fresh fettuccine with sausage and broccoli rabe was worth every penny. Not only did the meal prove delightful, as well as the wine I sipped between bites, but having a background of live piano music by Buddy Bravo and violin by Vio the Violinist gave the experience a lively intimacy. It was as if we had stepped into a friend’s party for a moment, but ended up staying all night, full in belly and heart.
The cocktail and drinks list also adds to the warm feeling. First, there’s a great Champagne line up, something Donato knows about from working with the Frasca team and running his events. A bottle of Pierre Peters, Cuvee de Reserve ($124) anyone? It’s easy to get bubbles by the glass too, like the Bertrand, Le Enfant ($29).
Don’t skip the cocktail line up either. Whimsical sounding drinks such as the Gold Trans Am ($14) show a serious side with one sip of the mushroom and cacao infused mezcal mixed with bright ginger, pineapple, and allspice. Or, fuel the old school vibe with a Grasshopper ($13) or French 75 ($12). Zero-proof drinks like the Sham Marriage ($12) keep things titillating above the sheets with Seedlip Notas de Agave, grapefruit, lemon, and maple syrup.
Yet, even though the food sings and may be something I think about often, it’s the vibe and community Donato has built with Champagne Tiger that makes it rise above other, equally tasty restaurants. There’s nothing there saying you have to be queer to enjoy the experience, but if you are, know you’ll be embraced with a high-class evening and zero judgment. Which honestly is how everyone should feel at all restaurants they go to.
For these reasons and more, I’m so glad Donato launched Champagne Tiger as a spot anyone can enjoy, five nights a week. It’s queer, it’s here, and I hope it stays for a very long time.
Visit Champagne Tiger on Wednesday and Thursday from 4;30 to 10 p.m.; Friday from 4:30 to 11 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday. 601 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, champagnetiger.com
