It’s been 13 months since Up NXT DEN debuted at the former Koko Ni space in RiNo, but now it’s back with eight months of special dinners we’re drooling over.
“I didn’t have intentions on bringing it back,” said co-founder Brandon Soto, who decided to relaunch the concept after the chefs from BearLeek showed interest in hosting a Sunday pop-up series. “I was like, does it make sense to breathe life into Up NXT but with more of a sense of continuity?”
Yes was the answer, and soon Soto, along with Harrison Porter and Rema Maaliki from BearLeek developed a plan. To start with, the series would be held at BearLeek on Sundays, when the RiNo restaurant was closed.
The beverage program would be a mix of Soto’s natural wine background and the cocktail skills of BearLeek’s Carlos Hugo Meza. For the food, eight chefs signed up to do a month-long residency each. Like the Up NXT concept before, this one gives the chefs complete autonomy to create the experience they want to showcase.
“I feel genuinely privileged to have people that trust my work and the BearLeek team to steward it this way,” said Soto on the phone. “I am humbled by how many people want to showcase their food.”
The first chef to take the culinary stage is Josh Bednar from Workbench, a private dinner club specializing in intimate, multi-course tasting experiences. Bednar will bring a similar sensibility to Up NXT, only the eight-course menu will evolve over the four weeks. For example, explained Soto, he will take a Colorado striped bass and serve the main meat in some way the first two dinners, and then utilize other parts of the same fish such as the liver and roe the other two dinners.
The second week Up NXT welcomes Pradyuy Banasl of Chaatwala, a South Indian concept found around farmers’ markets and special events. The chef will focus on dishes relating to his hometown outside of Calcutta, said Soto. You can expect the chaat, or bar snacks, Bansal is known for, as well as on dinner dubbed “Dosas and Mimosas.”
In May David Arnold and Freehand Provisions bring sustainability to the forefront, adding a dose of education with each meal. Domi’s Matthew Drazick comes to the kitchen in June to showcase his pasta omakase concept. For July, Tiffany Leong and Cody James bring a taste of Magnolion, a Chinese-Southern food pop-up featuring dishes such as Mapo Gumbo, Hoppin’ John Spring Rolls, and Dirty Fried Rice.
Then the season shifts, bringing private chef Eric Vollano to August’s line up. In September BearLeek’s own sous chef, Benjamin Carolan, commands the kitchen. Finally, pasta favorite Sfoglina comes on the scene with founder Jesse Albertini. She is working with Denver Mussel Club’s Will Harris in October, with a plan to fill diners with carbs and seafood.
Soto said the main crux around Up NXT revolves around, “bridging the gap between the traditional restaurant goer and the pop-up crowd, and removing the exclusivity.” Because each dinner concept shifts, there’s no set cost across the board, and save for March’s event, have yet to be determined. The first dinner with Workbench runs $125 per person, for eight courses. Reservations are available now via BearLeek’s OpenTable.
For the BearLeek team, Porter and Maaliki actually helped usher in Up NXT last year when Soto hosted it in Koko Ni. They were featured chefs one weekend, six months before opening their RiNo restaurant. Soto operated the original iteration with chef Silvino Sanchez, who now works at BRUTO and, said Soto, wasn’t available to be part of it this year.
The first dinner kicks off on March 8, with reservations from 5 to 9 p.m. at BearLeek, 2611 Walnut St. in Denver. Find out more about Up NXT DEN on its Instagram page.
