2012 was a great year for restaurant openings from the Squeaky Bean to Ace and Uncle but 2013 shows potential to be even bigger. Here are twelve of Eater Denver's Most Anticipated Openings of 2013. From big names like Frank Bonanno to innovative chefs like Justin Brunson, Steven Redzikowski, and Paul Reilly, this year's openings promise everything from tacos to pizza, meatballs to stunning brews and everything in between, offering a wealth of diverse dining and beer-loving options throughout Denver.
OLD MAJOR
Where: LoHi, 3316 Tejon Street.
What: Contemporary farmhouse cuisine with emphasis on heritage-raised meats, sustainable seafood and ingredients sourced from local farms.
Who: Chef Justin Brunson of Masterpiece Deli, plus a rockstar team including Courtney Wilson of Williams & Graham and Ryan Conklin of Euclid Hall.
Anticipated opening: Mid-February.
· Power Moves: Courtney Wilson, Ryan Conklin Join Old Major Team [EDen]
· Justin Brunson on What to Expect From Old Major [EDen]
BEAST + BOTTLE
Where: Uptown, 719 East 17th Avenue (former Olivéa space).
What: a whole animal restaurant that seamlessly combines food and wine. Bonus: brunch will be served six days a week.
Who: the Reillys, brother and sister team -Paul Reilly will run the kitchen while Aileen will serve as general manager and wine program director.
Anticipated opening: Spring.
· Beast + Bottle to Go Into Olivea Space [EDen]
· Breaking: Encore Returns as Beast + Bottle [EDen]
PIZZERIA LOCALE
Where: Golden Triangle, 550 Broadway Boulevard.
What: a 70 seat restaurant, sister to the Boulder location, focusing on pizzas, complemented with a handful of salads and sliced prosciutto.
Who: Master sommelier Bobby Stuckey and chef Lachlan MacKinnon-Patterson, who also own Frasca Food and Wine.
Anticipated opening: Spring.
· Pizzeria Locale Confirms Denver Location [EDen]
· New Pizzeria Locale Denver Will Be More Casual [EDen]
ACORN
Where: RiNo, the Source, 3350 Brighton Boulevard.
What: Contemporary American cuisine cooked on an oak oven and grill, drawing on the Oak at Fourteenth history while building up its own personality.
Who: Bryan Dayton and Steven Redzikowski.
Anticipated opening: Summer.
· Oak at Fourteenth Expands To Denver With Acorn [EDen]
· Bryan Dayton of Oak at Fourteenth On Light Alcohol Cocktails [EDen]
The Source [Photography by Jennifer Olson]
COMIDA
Where: RiNo, the Source, 3350 Brighton Boulevard
What: 2,700-square-foot restaurant space, complete with a patio, featuring Comida's street taco menu and a focused bar program.
Who: Rayme Rosello, owner and operator of the original brick and mortar location in Longmont and the big pink Comida truck named Tina.
Anticipated opening: July.
· Expansion Wire: Comida [EDen]
· Comida Is Opening a Second Location at the Source [CafeSociety]
PINCHE TACOS
Where: West Highlands, 3300 West 32nd Ave.
What: A second location for the wildly popular original Pinche Tacos, in a larger space with a showcase open kitchen featuring traditional al pastor machines.
Who: Kevin Morrison, owner and operator of Pinche Tacos in its first brick and mortar location at 1514 York Street and the mobile - truck version.
Anticipated opening: February.
· Kevin Morrison to Bring Pinche Taqueria to Highlands [EDen]
EPIC BREWING
Where: RiNo, 3011 Walnut Street.
What: 20-barrel brewhouse, a second location to Utah-based Epic Brewing set in a 19,000-square foot building in River North.
Who: Epic Brewing.
Anticipated opening: April.
· Epic Brewing Lands Denver Location in RiNo [DP]
CROOKED STAVE BREWERY AND TAP ROOM
Where: RiNo, the Source, 3350 Brighton Boulevard.
What: Twenty-barrel brewery and 1,200-square-foot taproom in The Source.
Who: Crooked Stave led by Chad Yakobson.
Anticipated opening: Summer.
· Brettanomyces, a Funky Yeast, Makes Flavorful Beers [NYTimes]
· Crooked Stave Adds Funk to Denver's Beer Culture With a Barrel Cellar and Brewery [CafeSociety]
SLOTTED SPOON
Where: University Hill Complex, 2730 S Colorado Blvd.
What: Fast casual meatball eatery.
Who: Chef Jensen Cummings, formerly of Row 14 and TAG, along with partners Alex Comisar and Johnny Coast.
Anticipated opening: February.
· The Slotted Spoon: Ready To Rock The Meatball [EDen]
· Slotted Spoon: Construction On Track, Opening Feb. 4 [EDen]
BONANNO BROTHERS PIZZERIA
Where: 8401 Park Meadows Center Drive.
What: Frank Bonanno's first eatery outside of Denver proper, featuring a salumi station, a wood-fired oven, and an open kitchen.
Who: Frank Bonanno in collaboration with chef Dave Lindberg.
Anticipated opening: March.
· Breaking News: Frank Bonanno's Next Venture [5280]
ROOTDOWN at DIA
Where: DIA, Concourse C.
What: A new iteration of the LoHi neighbordhood restaurant at the Denver International Airport.
Who: Owner Justin Cucci and chef Daniel Asher.
Anticipated opening: Spring.
· RootDown at DIA [EDen]
VIEWHOUSE
Where: LoDo, 2015 Market St.
What: a casual and high energy neighborhood eatery, complete with bar and rooftop options.
Who: Lotus Concepts, under the lead of club owner Francois Safieddine, in collaboration with chef Jose Guerrero.
Anticipated opening: Spring.
· VIEWHOUSE Will Open In LoDo This Spring [EDen]
What else should you look for in 2013? Fat Sully's opening a second location in South Broadway making a trendy three of pizza joints with Pizzeria Locale and Bonanno's Brothers mentioned above. The City Set complex that will house Jax, Cuba Cuba Sandwicheria, and Udi's. Two other Udi's ventures - the Udi's Colfax Pizza Bar in the Lowenstein Theatre Complex (former Encore space) and an Udi's Cafe going into the airport. Speaking of the airport, Elway's will undoubtedly raise the bar for dining at the DIA when it opens later this year. What else? There are rumblings of chef Troy Guard opening two ventures in the River North neighborhood and an expectation that chef Theo Adley, formerly of the Pinyon in Boulder and chef Kelly Whitaker of Pizzeria Basta will both plant roots in Denver in 2013.
· Eater 38: Denver's Essential Restaurants [EDen]
· 12 Biggest Dining and Food Stories of 2012 [EDen]
Disclosure: the author of this post is married to Kyle Zeppelin, one of the developers behind the Source.
