Heretik in RiNo feels like the kind of restaurant you’d discover by accident while wandering down a side street in Europe. The exposed-brick exterior invites guests into an intimate dining room, where shelves lined with glassware and wine bottles frame the space. Soft daylight pours in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, washing the room in rainbow-hued light as it filters through the glass’s prismatic design. The hum of conversation drifts through the air as guests seated along the wooden countertop watch chefs prepare meals in the open kitchen, and friends and couples fill the tiny two-top tables lining the perimeter.
“This is a French and Spanish restaurant,” said chef-owner Theo Adley. “The core of it is very much rooted in traditional French cooking and traditional Spanish cooking styles.”
Simple Cooking, Great Ingredients
At the root of Heretik’s cooking philosophy is simplicity. The kitchen’s minimalist setup only utilizes two cooking apparatuses, a Rotisol rotisserie and a plancha (a flat metal griddle), allowing Adley’s pension for sourcing exceptional ingredients to shine.
“I have really great, long-running relationships with some of the best fishermen in the world,” he shared. “The same goes with the ranchers and the protein that we use and the chicken that we’re getting. That’s the real pride and joy of the menus here.”
According to Adley, about 90% of the seafood program is domestic. Dayboat fishermen in San Diego supply mackerel, prawns arrive from Long Island and Montauk, tuna comes from Massachusetts, shellfish are sourced from fishermen in Maine and Washington. Rather than relying on large distributors, Adley works directly with harvesters whenever possible.
“It’s a real mosaic of people when it comes to [sourcing],” he continued.
When we dined, that translated to items like Oysters du Jour served with chipolata sausage and lemon ($26), Dungeness Crab Tortilla ($32), Diver Scallops a la Plancha served with bearnaise and seaweed ($32), and Deviled Eggs topped with tuna tartare ($18) – a real standout. For diners who want the full raw bar experience, the Plateau Heretik combines oysters, razor clams, lobster, prawns, and purple uni priced at $78 for a half order, or $150 for a full order.
Adley said the seafood selection will evolve constantly, depending on availability and seasonality. Among the ingredients the chef is most excited about are Maine Belon oysters, a rare European oyster species cultivated wild in a handful of Maine waterways after marine biologists introduced the oyster seeds decades ago.
“In the wintertime, people are cutting a hole in the ice and diving in, handpicking them off the bottom of the riverbed, putting a rubber band on them, and sending them to us,” he explained.
But the Chicken
Despite all the seafood and shellfish, Heretik’s only true entree remains rotisserie chicken, the restaurant’s pièce de résistance. The Poulet Rouge, a heritage-breed chicken, is roasted on the Rotisol and served on a bed of pommes allumettes (matchstick fries) alongside sauce Heretik (a creamy white sauce) and sauce verte (more akin to a chimichurri). Guests can order a half bird for $36 or a whole chicken for $68.
While most rotisserie restaurants build an entire menu around poultry, Heretik does the opposite. The chicken may anchor the experience, but the ocean dominates the conversation.
“It’s a really tremendous seafood restaurant basically hiding out as a rotisserie,” Adely said.
A Thoughtful Drinks Menu
The beverage program follows similar restraint as the food menu. There’s a handful of clean cocktails, some with a fun twist. For example, the Pan con Tomate Martini, made with Maud vodka, Basque vermut, and bread oil. Order the house Negroni and watch as the staff draws it from the large glass globe on the bar.
As for the wine list, it features exclusively French and Spanish producers, with a selection of txakoli (a slightly sparkling, low-ABV, dry white Spanish wine), “oxidative and macerated” wines, and only a handful of unique whites and reds.
“It’s not going to be this big intimidating list,” Adley said. “We want people to know that they can come in and get after some amazing bottles.”
His acclaimed restaurant in Lyons, named Marigold, follows a similar protocol, though the wine list is more extensive there, straying away from the typical big ticket items like chardonnays and merlots, with a focus on minimal intervention selections from European producers.
“I know people are really comfortable drinking certain bottles, and I think what we want to do is open the door to new experiences with wine,” he shared of Marigold’s wine program.
Adley takes more creative liberties at Marigold, though his commitment to sourcing and technique remain the same. Diners will also find nods to the Lyons restaurant on Heretik’s menu, like the Matrimonio ‘Marigold,’ one of the most popular items on Marigold’s menu Adley’s take on the classic Spanish pintxo featuring mackerel, puff pastry, and herbs.
“[Heretik] is reminiscent of bistro counters and small restaurants that you’d find in France or Spain. I just think it’s a nice little room, very bright, big windows, lots of fresh air. It’s beautiful,” he concludes.
Visit Heretik Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday from 4 to 10 p.m.; and Friday and Saturday from 4 to 11 p.m. 1441 26th St., Denver, maisonheretik.com
