Grab a serving of the latest restaurant, bar, and chef news, dished out on April 27. This week we saw three major name changes, a proposal that could push a lot of small businesses out, and Mile High Asian Food Week in full swing. Check out a new salad on the menu and a #TBT pizza. Have a tip? Send us a note via Instagram or by emailing info@diningout.com.
The 411
Membership Not Required
On May 1, Champagne Tiger launched the Country Club, an outdoor patio bar with counter service. The seasonal concept runs May through October, and includes a $10 frozen Espresso Martini, $10 Naked Weiner (hot dog) & High Life combo, steak with au poivre fries for $18, ice pops, burgers, and more.
The Country Club also features weekly performances such as drag bingo every Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. for $5; free queer cult classic movie nights the third Friday of the month monthly; a tea dance with Buddy Bravo on the last Saturday monthly from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.; Saturday morning yoga from 10 to 11 a.m., complete with a complimentary mimosa; and more. The opening party kicks off on Friday from 6 to 9 p.m., and includes a free naked wiener with the purchase of the first drink.
What’s in a Name
Three major name changes are going around in the news. First, chef Johnny Curiel of Fonda Fina Hospitality decided to change the name of his upcoming tasting-menu concept to Milpero. The RiNo-based restaurant will open this month, and pays homage to corn and, like many of the celebrated chef’s other concepts, his native Mexico.
Curiel explained the name Milpero represents, “A Mexican farmer who tends a milpa, a traditional corn field. It reflects not only our reverence for maize as an ingredient, but our commitment to its broader cultural and agricultural legacy. More than a name, it embodies our purpose to honor corn in its entirety, from the hands that grow it to the history and traditions it sustains.”
Town Pump Provisions, which opened last year in Cherry Creek North, has shifted as well. It will now be called Corner Drugs. Owner Dana Monfort said the change comes in order to showcase the variety of goods, which includes a Little Man Ice Cream shop, vintage shop, and a restaurant set to open in June (more on that below).
Finally, welcome Every Little Thing, the rebranding of The Green Collective, which will be opening in Corner Drugs. The fast-casual and diet-friendly brand has two open locations, in LoHi and Washington Park, and will start going by the new name next month. Owner and founder Allison Rifkin told Business Den that the change shows the next chapter for her business, and the upcoming growth.
Mile High Asian Food Week
We are now in the fourth year of Mile High Asian Food Week, and the participants continue to grow. With over 70 AANHPI-owned businesses signing up, it’s a good time to find a new favorite restaurant, coffee shop, or bakery. One year we discovered Bao Phommatha and Julia Vang’s Kuluka in Westminster, and can’t wait to get the special sesame balls they’re dishing out for the festival. Join the fun now, until May 3. Find a full list of vendors, searchable by dietary restrictions and area, here, and other news.
Battling the Fate of the Asia Center
On social media news, Katrina Nguyen launched a petition to stop the proposed demolition of the Asia Center on Federal Boulevard. According to Nguyen, and backed by documents she shared online, the owners of the Asia Center filed with the city for this change, and didn’t let the tenets know.
The ownerJason Truong of Crestmoor Lending Partners II, aims to create a multi-story building with space for food and retail underneath. Currently the Asia Center houses a mix of small, mostly Vietnamese and pan-Asian businesses including Tony Pho, Ba Le Sandwich, Golden Pho & Grill, Little Saigon, and some other, non-food establishments. So far the petition has over 9,000 signatures.
On the Menu
A Pizza to Sing For
Esters Denver is doing a throwback menu with Sing Monica, a nod to the band Phish. On the pie you’ll find carne asada, black bean sauce, and avocado ranch. We don’t know how long it will be available, so head there soon.
Salad Season
Champagne Tiger also just debuted a wedge salad that has us drooling. For $18 you get a mini iceberg lettuce chunk, Brunson bacon, herbs, tomato, hard boiled egg, and a housemade blue cheese buttermilk dressing. News, and professional option, is it goes great with a Martini.
Ramp Season
BearLeek is embracing ramps, including in the Ramptini, made with Roku Gin, dry vermouth, olive brine, and of course, that wild leek the restaurant is named after. Other new springtime menu items include Duck Fat Madeleines with chicken liver mousse and marmalade; Rebel Farms Spring Greens with fava beans, snap peas, ricotta salata, charred-leek vinaigrette, and pickled ramps; and Lamb Shank with mint, fennel pollen, and pita.
Don’t Miss This Week
Need some dining out recommendations? Try these three hot spots, and make sure to check out the week’s events.
Tuesday: It’s Mile High Asian Food Week (MHAFW) and there are so many great places participating, you can’t go wrong. But you can start at CÀ PHÊ Vietnamese Coffee and Banh Mi in Thornton, where an order of the Banh Mi Chao gets you three sesame balls too.
Thursday: It’s time for the Chaatwala Tangra Take Over at MAKfam, a one-up dinner of Indo-Chinese cuisine. It’s part of the MHAFW, and not something you can get normally when Chaatwala starts slinging the paper-thin dosas at the farmers’ markets.
Friday: It’s my birthday and I’ll go to BearLeek in RiNo if I want to. And I will, both to celebrate the day and to try the new menu!
