Funviralpark Over the past year, the hottest topics on Denver’s dining scene have ranged from price hikes driven by inflation to the proliferation of Korean fried chicken joints on the Mile High. But it’s the loss of two of her old favorites and the addition of a few of her own that got the most clicks from readers.
Throw in one cheesy tasting, a wildly successful local whiskey, and one that went viral at a chain restaurant, and you’ve got the 10 hottest food stories of 2022.
Honmagaku has closed the restaurant, but has retained the space…for now.
Asakawa Gill
Domo is over, but owner Gaku Honma is busy
In August 2021, after a TikTok video highlighting the appeal of Japanese restaurant Domo went viral, owner Takeshi Homma was forced to temporarily close the restaurant after crowds lined up to eat. rice field. It was too good. It was eventually reopened, but Honma was overworked and understaffed. After limiting both Domo’s time and capacity to allow the staff he had to manage the load, the restaurant limped for months. Ultimately, however, he felt that neither the quality of the food nor the service could be maintained. With Domo’s full closure he confirmed in September, Homma has chosen to focus on other ventures, including running his nonprofit, his Aikido Humanitarian Active Network.
PrimoHoagies is scheduled to open in January.
primo hoazes
5 fast-casual chains planning to expand to Colorado
Denverers love to lament the number of chain restaurants in the metropolitan area, but this roundup of five fast-casual chains slated to debut in the state in 2022 left many readers hungry. However, so far none of the spots have actually opened. A typical scenario for a restaurant opening, it rarely happens without unexpected delays. There are no updates on , but PrimoHoagies is scheduled to open at 6200 Leetsdale Drive in January.
Alex Seidel’s Roca’s opened in Lakewood on April 7th.
Molly Martin
Alex Seidel Transforms Lakewood’s 35-Year-Old Front Room Pizza into Loca’s
‘Mind-boggling,’ said Alex Seidel Westward in January. At the time, James, a Beard Award-winning chef, owner of Mercantile and Fruition and founder of Chook Charcoal Chicken, was early in taking over his 35-year-old Frontroom Pizza in the Lakewood neighborhood. stage, where he lived for nearly two years. decades. News of his latest project has sparked a lot of interest, but Roca’s has struggled a bit to find a foothold since opening in April. “Starting today, we will be closed for lunch service until further notice,” reads a Dec. 14 post on our Instagram page. The team needs time to circle the wagon and work together to bring something better to this community.” For now, we’re open Wednesday through Saturday for dinner.
Spirit Hound Distillers/Turn It Up Media
This year’s world’s best whiskey is from Colorado
In April, Spirit Hound Distillers reported that its straight malt whiskey won the prestigious Whiskey of the Year at the international London Spirits Competition. The Lyons-based distillery was rated the highest quality among US-based spirits in the competition, earning the only US gold medal. “I always get a little bit excited when I enter a contest like this because I think it would be awesome to actually win,” said founder and head distiller Craig Engelhorn. Westward“But in practice, it’s a difficult thing to do.”
The team behind Electric Cure currently has three concepts including Hell or High Water.
hell or high water/instagram
Haunted Gay Pirate Ship Themed Tiki Bar Comes to LoDo
“We’re going to give Denver the tiki bar it deserves,” Lexi Healy said when announcing plans to open a bar on the mezzanine level at 1526 Blake Street. The duo behind Cure. Her Hell or High Water, which debuted in July, went all out in creating an immersive experience themed around a gay pirate ship. By October, Fuel & Iron, the bar that operated downstairs on Blake Street, was closed. Healy and Ramos now operate the space as Honor Farm, a concept that incorporates the building’s cursed history.
Pollo asado is now a permanent fixture on Chipotle’s menu.
Molly Martin
Taste test: Chipotle adds new chicken options for the first time
Since opening its first eatery at 1644 East Evans Avenue in 1993, Chipotle has grown from a silly startup to a full-blown fast-casual dominance. A lot has changed along the way. But for years, no new menu items were added.When the new pollo asado was sampled in Denver in March, readers were curious to taste it. Our bottom line: It’s good, but if you’re opting for rice mixed with lime and coriander, pico, or other additives with similar flavors, it’s lost in the mix. Don’t take our word for it. Because you can try it yourself. Pollo Asado is now a permanent menu item.
The Reno Country Club and its 9-hole mini golf course caught the reader’s attention.
Molly Martin
Adult-only Patter Patter Party Bar opens at RiNo on May 6
After growing rapidly in 2021, Handsome Boys Hospitality continues to be a hit on the Denver scene this year. Especially when he debuted his club at RiNo Country, a bar near the Mission Ballroom featuring nine holes of mini-golf his course. It also ranks high in the most popular stories. The group Teenage His Mutant His Ninja-themed bar, Casey Jones, opened on Broadway.
Crypt made headlines when it debuted in January.
Molly Martin
Punk Bar The Crypt opens Jan. 13 with a mostly vegan menu
The rise of plant-based food options is one of the biggest food stories of 2022, and Crypt is just one example of how meat-free diets will become more mainstream. Her co-owner Priscilla Jerez opened her own shop after working her nearly ten years at her now-closed Twee’s in Colfax. The store quickly became popular with people in the industry and, as Jerez puts it, those who appreciate that particular “weird” brand. That.
Leprino Foods headquarters in Denver.
Helen Shu
Leprino Foods Heads for Epic Cheesy Meltdown
Leprino Foods, the world’s largest supplier of mozzarella cheese, is based in Denver, and despite the personal ways of the company’s billionaire owner, a recent lawsuit pitted family against family. Both his life and business have been made public. James Leprino ultimately won the case, but there were several interesting points during the trial and after the verdict was read, all of which grab the reader’s attention. collected.
The Breakfast King’s table was placed inside the empty restaurant on January 3rd, but the door was never opened again.
Molly Martin
Another Diner Has Closed: Breakfast King Is Closing Permanently
Almost a year later, the loss of Breakfast King still hurts as much as the day we learned of its demise after 47 years in business.Many old Denver staples have closed since the pandemic began but the closure particularly resonated with readers left to lament years of standby and one of the last greats of the city’s 24/7 diner scene. Anyone who was awake at 4 o’clock at the beginning or end of the day would probably have been there and probably loved it,” Tieg Bollen wrote in an ode to the king shortly after the closure. increase. “Not that the food was great (for sure) or that they knew how to fill their cups (which they certainly did) or that customers would come back again and again. Any time of the day. We opened the door (which we did) and it was all and more. It was quintessential Denver.
