Chef Frank Bonanno has rocked the Denver dining scene for decades, long before the city garnered national acclaim for its restaurants and bars. But he almost didn’t stay in the kitchen.
“Frank had been working for a long time for Mel Master, and when they parted ways Frank found himself without a job,” said Jacqueline Bonanno, Frank’s wife and business partner. “His life had this branch, he could go one way or another…and he considered becoming a golf pro.”
Lucky for us, though he still loves golf, Frank Bonanno chose to open his own restaurant.
The Beginning
Mel Master ran some of Denver’s most iconic restaurants, including Mel’s, Top Hat, and Starfish. For six years the now 60-year-old Frank worked with Master, and the relationship, said the chef, was almost familial. But, eventually the partnership soured and Master fired Frank. That, he added, was one of the best things to happen to him because he was able to decide just what he wanted to do.
“The parting was maybe his way of kicking me to go forward. But it was tough, we were very tight,” said Frank, who has been in kitchens cooking since he was 14. “I always had the ambition of wanting to own my own restaurant, which is why I went to culinary school.”
Bringing Up Mizuna
Before Mizuna occupied the spot at 225 E. 7th Ave. in Denver, it was a well-regarded restaurant called Aubergine Cafe. However, after 10 years in business, owner Sean Kelly wanted to sell the space. He called the Bonannos right when they were coming home from Christmas vacation in New Jersey in 2000.
“We said ‘yes’ in the airport,” said Frank. “Aburgeene was the best in Denver, bar none.”
The couple took over the space in February, partnering with the late Doug Fleischmann (who died in a car accident in 2003). By April, 2001, it had become Mizuna. Frank opened with a $60 tasting menu, the first in the city that could be had for that price. The chef also led the kitchen in a way not commonly seen in Denver at the time.
“Having worked in the Denver scene 12 years prior, and at great restaurants around the world, I knew I wanted to do something different with Mizuna,” said the chef. “I wanted the kitchen to be more of a brigade system, something along the line where one person does fish, one does meat, there’s an executive chef and a pastry chef. And, I was like, I would love to only have prix fixe menu, but wanted it to be successful.”
Jacqueline explained that prior to launching Mizuna, Frank had just spent the summer working with Daniel Boulud, a famous French chef who has restaurants around the world including his signature spots in New York City. When he came back, she told us, he talked about how wonderful it all was but also brutal.
“You would literally sleep at the restaurant and spend the day being yelled at,” she pointed out to Frank during our interview. “Then he was like, ‘I want to open a restaurant, but where everyone is nice.”
“And where we had fun,” added Frank. And for the most part, the Bononnos did.
In fact, 25 years later the restaurant has not just seen a shift in Denver dining, but helped incubate a slew of the city’s top chefs. The roster includes: Alex Sidel, who went on to open the now closed Fruition and Mercantile in Union Station; Justin Brunson, founder of Brunson Meat Co. and former Denver restaurant owner; and Spencer White, co-owner of Dio Mio, Johnny Becheamel’s, and Redeemer Pizza.
“To me, and I think to Jacqueline, Mizuna has always been a collaborative work space where chefs coming there are coming to learn, grow, and eventually go teach people things,” said Frank. “It’s been set up as a training ground.”
More recently, Ty Leon of Restaurant Olivia and Dear Emilia, which he runs with fellow Mizuna alumni Heather Morrison and Austin Carson, led the kitchen. Today, chef Michael Dunning holds the line, with Frank popping in and out to showcase his skills and work the often crowded dining room. Dunning, said Frank, will one day leave him for his own project too, and then Mizuna will welcome a new chapter and rising-star chef.
“It’s fun when they move on, to see them succeed, and also, to reclaim the restaurant,” added Frank.
Keeping Mizuna Relevant and Exploring the World
One of the ways the Bonannos keep the iconic restaurant going is by paying attention to trends, but also securing old school favorites on the menu.
“We have noticed over the years that we are usually slightly ahead of what is trending because we are paying attention to food conversations,” said Jacqueline. “Also things like the lobster mac and cheese on the Mizuna menu, which was trendy in the early 2000s, surpasses trends when elevated with ingredients.”
In fact, added Frank, they can’t take that dish off the a la carte menu because it’s remained so popular. And yes, they and the roster of chefs have tried, only to bring it back each time. Mizuna also boasts two other menus that change frequently: the Chef’s Tasting and Coastal, which focuses on seafood. There’s even a vegetarian and vegan menu, though it’s not advertised.
Another way the Bonannos work to keep Mizuna in the limelight is through the chefs helming the kitchen. A new chef will come in and have different ideas, explained Frank.
“We work together and come up with dishes together and Mizuna becomes something different,” he added. “They trust me and I have stuff to offer like why a dish would sell or not sell, or who cares if it doesn’t sell, it would be fun to do anyway.”
Beyond Mizuna and Other Bonanno Concepts
Since the beginning, the menu at Mizuna has leaned Japanese and Italian, with a whole lot of creativity in between. But the couple hasn’t stopped there. Under the restaurant group Bonanno Concepts, Frank and Jacqueline have opened a slew of places around the city.
Recently they launched Rōmyō, which opened last month in Larimer Square. The line up also includes the nearby Osteria Marco, Salita, Vesper Lounge, and Luca, which the Bonannos opened next door to Mizuna in 2003.
Of course not every restaurant has lasted decades. Past Denver concepts include the Green Russell cocktail bar, Dumplin’, the Highland sandwich shop Salt & Grinder, Lou’s Food Bar, French 75, and the ramen shop Bones.
“The restaurant business is so fucking hard right now,” said Frank, and Jacqueline chimed in: “But we are pretty proud of the work we have done.” After all, 25 years running a single restaurant in Denver is nothing to scoff at.
Visit Mizuna Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m. 225 E. 7th Ave., Denver, mizunadenver.com
