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.
When the Pour House Pub closed at 1435 Market Street last year, it looked like the closure was permanent. And all hope seemed lost for the Boston sports fans who congregated there when signs went up announcing the imminent arrival of Nola Jane, a new Cajun-themed restaurant and bar. But hope never dies for Red Sox, Patriots and Bruins fans, and the Pour House has miraculously returned across the street, and with a slightly different name. It s now Pour House on Market, but you ll still find some of the same sports memorabilia and many of the same faces behind its multiple bars, since it s now owned by two former managers, according to
Arcana has been one of Boulder s best restaurants since it opened five years ago, but the past year was tough for the fine-dining eatery. Rather than give up completely, it became Arcana From Afar, offering takeout food on a pay-what-you-can basis. A number of pop-ups followed, featuring regional dishes from around the world and occasional guest chefs, including Modou Jaiteh, who presented the West African cuisine of his eatery, Jacaranda, which was also part of the original lineup at Rosetta Hall.
Arcana finally ceased operations entirely just over a month ago, but the creativity and quality the kitchen was known for won t come to an end. A remodel is in the works, and the restaurant will reopen in mid-spring as Supermoon, an Asian-themed eatery under chef Samuel McCandless, who has been with Arcana for the past two years. Expect to see Supermoon rise in May.