Punch Bowl Social got its start in a former Big Lots at 65 Broadway. From there, Robert Thompson grew his eatertainment complex to a nationwide chain that ultimately partnered with Cracker Barrel, of all things. But as the pandemic hit, the company wound up closing all nineteen PBS locations in March 2020, and Thompson left the group entirely.
This week, though, the flagship and first Punch Bowl Social reopened (the location that had opened in Stapleton s old tower is gone for good). Snarf s has reopened its spot at the Spire, too, and Denver s first sober bar, Awake, started stirring things up in Jefferson Park.
Before Highland Tap & Burger and Uncle moved into a row of storefronts at West 32nd Avenue and Vallejo Street, there was a divey Mexican bar and taqueria on the block called Aztec Sol. It was a little rough, the kind of place where fists might fly if you didn t follow the proper pool table etiquette. But the tacos were great, and the selection of tequila rivaled anywhere in town at the time even the fancy gringo places.
And you don t even have to look back a decade (Aztec Sol closed in 2011) to remember nearby Dickinson Plaza, home to a couple of local sandwich and coffee shops, among other retail endeavors. Dickinson Plaza was purchased and torn down in 2016, displacing Fat Jack s Subs, Laughing Latte and Mary Jane s Pizza in the process, and a new mixed-use development arose in its place. New shops, bars and cafes moved in, including Lady Jane (a great cocktail bar, if far fancier than any of its predecessors), Method Collective (an outpost of a locally owned coffee roaster)
The hot chicken war is getting hotter. Los Angeles chain Dave s Hot Chicken just opened an outlet in a brand-new apartment building at Broadway and Bayaud Street, right across the street from Denver s second Voodoo Doughnut. What do the two have in common? They re both loud, brash and fun, enticing customers with bright colors and over-the-top eats. And they re both from out of town, which is unusual for this stretch of Broadway, where weird and independent (or weirdly independent) have been the trademark since before the time when the currently shuttered Punch Bowl Social which helped earn the stretch the nickname SoBro was a Big Lots.
New Denver Restaurants and Closings the Week of April 19 to 25, 2021 westword.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from westword.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
You ve heard of a hand pie, right? Well, how about a hand salad? That s one of the amusing appetizers you ll find on the menu at Gorlami Pizza, which is now open at Avanti Food & Beverage. Gorlami (from an
Inglorious Basterds scene featuring Brad Pitt doing his worst Italian impersonation ever) doesn t call its Caesar-style creation a hand salad, but the baby romaine lettuce is sliced into finger-friendly spears topped with a tangy, cheesy dressing that are just right for a pre-pizza snack. The pies, Neapolitan-adjacent but with a crispier crust, come in seven topping combos plus a kids cheese version. Other starters include olive-oil whipped ricotta served with several topping options and sea-salt crackers; avocado and burrata toast; and a couple of meat boards.