Wings, airport food, and sliders dominate recent openings, though we do have an elegant Italian spot coming too. In closing news, a diner chain shuttered a couple local locations, and an eclectic Indian eatery looks for a new home.
Read on for more openings and closings in the Denver metro area and send us any tips via Instagram or by emailing info@diningout.com.
Openings In and Near Denver
In Aurora, Wings Pier took over the former Fire Wings site at 13950 E. Mississippi Ave. The new restaurant not only serves up classic chicken wings, but has an array of fried seafood, clam chowder, and oysters.
Denver Street Eats opened inside Denver International Airport on Concourse B, near gate B. It’s open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., serving tacos, burritos, guacamole and chips, queso, and bowls topped with steak, chorizo, or green chili.
Xirong Liao has opened Pho & Wok inside the former Szechuan Tasty House at 1000 W. Evans Ave. in Denver. It’s Liao’s first restaurant and features a combination of Vietnamese and Chinese foods. Of course pho is on the menu, as well as fried rice, lo mein, grilled meat platters, and classic Chinese-American dishes.
Over in Northglenn, Smalls Sliders opened on January 8 at 1831 E. 120th Ave. The cheeseburger slider brand has fast food restaurants across the country, but this is the first Colorado location. Smalls Sliders was created by restaurateur Brandon Landry, and is backed by former NFL star Drew Brees.
Darlene’s Ice Cream in Aurora has also opened. Read the full scoop (pun intended) here.
Coming Soon
After a lot of anticipation, Dear Emilia is finally set to open on January 29 inside The Current at 3615 Delgany St. in RiNo. Run by the same team behind Restaurant Olivia in Washington Park, Dear Emilia serves Italian fare with a leaning toward Northern Italy’s Emilia Romagna region.
World Champion Pizza Champion, Tony Gemignani, is coming to Boulder with his fast-casual pizza franchise, Slice House. It opens on January 31 at 1805 29th St/, Unit 1114, run by a local family. Expect New York slices, thick-crust Sicilian squares, homestyle Grandma pies, and Detroit-style pizza, as well as fresh pasta dishes, wings, and salads.
In the next month or so we can expect to enjoy Maryjane’s Hideaway at 5280 W. 25th Ave. in Edgewater. The bar is owned by Eat Here founder, Niko Garza.
With the late-winter opening of Dengaro Market in Denver’s RiNo neighborhood comes Hopscotch Beer Garden too. The menu will feature draft beer, wine, kombucha, and canned cocktails. On the food side expect light bites and a rotation line up of food trucks.
After just opening Mar Bella Boqueria, chef Johnny and Kasie Curiel are at it again, and this time the power couple is opening in RiNo. Enter Maize, a tasting-menu-only restaurant located inside the Taxi development. The 16-seat spot will serve eight diners at a time for an intimate experience where they enjoy an 18-course meal. Maize will also pour a vegan pechuga-style mezcal made with corn exclusively for the restaurant.
Colfax Avenue favorite Lilac Coffee will expand with a second location in February. Unfortunately it won’t be inside a whimsical purple triangle building, but it will be located in Downtown Denver on the plaza level of the Granite Tower (1099 18th St.). Expect the same great drinks, and possibly grab-and-go food as well.
Corrida and Oak at Fourteenth owner Bryan Dayton plans to open a new steakhouse in Denver’s Elyria-Swansea neighborhood this year. Dubbed Stockton, the concept will showcase regenerative beef and reside inside the historic National Western Center’s Livestock Exchange building.
Closings
With the closing of Hell or High Water bar in Downtown Denver, Samosa Shop also shuttered. Run by Dave Hadley, Samosa Shop is a modern Indian concept the chef has brought to farmers’ markets around the city. He plans on opening inside a brick-and-mortar soon.
Old school diner Village Inn closed two of its Colorado restaurants, one in Highlands Ranch and the other in Greeley. Don’t worry fans, there’s still 21 other locations around the state.
The One Concept Restaurant Group closed its 11-year-old Go Fish Sushi location in Broomfield. There are plans to use the space for another concept. Until then, the group also runs Honey Basil Asian Grill, Chubby Fish, Miya Moon Lone Tree and Broomfield, Bronze Empire, Kung Fu Tea, and Mikaku Ramen & Temaki in Aurora.
After five months inside Edgewater Public Market, Tessa Delicatessen has left. For owner Vince Howard, it just never picked up enough. He still runs the popular original location down on East Colfax.
