It’s not every day we get to witness a menu change in real time, but today BearLeek owners and chefs Harrison Porter and Rema Maaliki are taking over our Instagram stories and giving us a peek into operations. Which, as it happens, includes a fall/winter menu full of comforting dishes built around squash, rabbit, duck, and scallops.
“We’re getting into fall and winter, and actually, it’s cold compared to last year,” Porter said, adding that he’s excited to have temperatures to match the vibe of the season. “Last year it was so hot that our comforting seasonal dishes-they were good-weren’t as enticing.”
Game is the theme of the season, said the chefs. The new menu includes Tempura Kabocha Squash with mushrooms, labneh, and a piquillo purée, along with Rabbit Spaetzle served with sunchoke purée, pomegranate seeds, and sunchoke chips. The Braised Leeks arrive with brown butter sage beurre blanc and Calabrian bread crumbs.
The team is also exploring an Asian-style duck dish served with scallion pancakes and pickles and a scallop plate with squash-and-miso stuffed tortellini. Then for dessert, BearLeek’s signature seasonal BearPop features Vietnamese coffee ice cream and cocoa nibs.
With the menu shift, the restaurant’s seventh in about 15 months, Porter and Maaliki are also looking toward their second year in the sexy RiNo basement. Now, they said, they have a clearer sense of BearLeek’s identity and are making more room to pursue collaborations outside the restaurant’s walls.
As they grow has the neighborhood. Porter described RiNo as a neighborhood that continues to change, with new construction and development shaping its next chapter and second growth phase.
“It’s exciting to be the second generation of RiNo,” he said, adding how he and his team have appreciated the support of other local businesses and hope to continue returning that support.
Porter and Maaliki added that they plan to develop a new pop-up series designed to bring different chefs into the conversation, which comes after a successful run of UP NXT DEN. Porter said the goal is to highlight more chefs and expand the restaurant’s reach through future collaborations. For example, on December 9, Domi is scheduled to host a dinner at the restaurant.
The collaborations reach beyond the restaurant and Denver too. On November 10, BearLeek plans to travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma, for a special dinner at Little Belly Izakaya, led by chefs Marco Herrera and Sheamus Feeley, who both have a history in Denver (Herrera was with Fonda Fina Hospitality and Feeley helped open Pony Up).
As for personal news, Maaliki is in the middle of moving, so you won’t see much of her personal space during the takeover. Porter plans on showcasing the adorable Pinot, his girlfriend’s corgi. As for partner and beverage director Carlos Hugo Meza, he won’t be on this takeover since he will be too busy watching his first child come into the world. Which, Maaliki added, will be the first BearLeek baby.
Visit the restaurant starting tomorrow for the new menu, and follow along as the chefs showcase their day. Plus, if you like, share, and comment on the Instagram static post, you have the chance to win a $100 gift card to BearLeek.
Visit BearLeek Thursday through Tuesday from 5 to 9 p.m. (and until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday), it’s closed on Wednesdays. 2611 Walnut St., Denver, bearleek.com
