RESTAURANT DIGEST:
French 75; Beau Jo’s; Larimer eats
Igot a sneak peek at French 75’s menu, and I’ll tell you what: I think that that Frank Bonanno kid has a real future ahead of him.
French 75 is the latest from Chef Bonanno, and although the name sounds fancy, this is approachable, old-school-style French food.
“I love French bistro food and I wanted to do something that was a little bit more me,” Bonanno said. “They’re just things that I love cooking.”
Those “things” include a generous, flavor-packed Crab Louie; a craveable French Onion soup that will become your cold weather go-to; and a cheese-less French dip made with (hallelujah!) rare meat.
Entrée options include duck with curried lentils, vegetarian cassoulet and a couple of killer steaks. The full menu is available for both lunch and dinner, and the prices are a bit lower than you’d probably expect from a restaurant called French 75. (Prices weren’t finalized for my visit last week, but at that time, sandwiches started at $13 and entrees at $18.)
The space looks like an elegant French-inspired bistro, which is good because that’s what designer Jacqueline Bonanno (Frank’s wife) was going for.
Dig into your own bowl of French onion soup when French 75 opens on July 17. French 75: 717 17th St., Denver, 303-405-7575
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If you like spiffy wines and have $28 to burn, step on in to The Capital Grille. From July 10 through Sept. 3, the Cap is running a tasting special where you’ll get to “experience” (experience!) seven 90+ point wines, as ranked by wine experts, with dinner.
1450 Larimer St., Denver, 303-539-2500; thecapitalgrille.com
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So long, mountain-style pizza dipped in sweet, sweet honey. Beau Jo’s is closing its Colorado Boulevard location in Denver on July 30.
According to a manager at the location, the Idaho Springs-based pizzeria wasn’t given the option to renew its lease when it runs out at the end of the month.
We’ll keep you posted on any potential new locations in the area, as we don’t want anyone going through Colorado-style pizza withdrawals.
A call to Beau Jo’s corporate office has yet to be returned.
Locations in Idaho Springs, Arvada and Evergreen are not affected.
Beau Jo’s: 2710 S. Colorado Blvd., Denver, 303-7581519; beaujos.com ●●●
The team behind The
Kitchen launched Hedge Row in Cherry Creek on July 10. This one still revolves around farm-fresh food, but it throws a woodfired oven into the mix.
100 Steele St., Denver, 720-642-8292; hedgerowbistros.com; Sun.-Sat. 11 a.m.-close
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Banzai burgers, Freckled Lemonade and never-ending fries have arrived in Brighton: Red Robin opened July 10 in the Prairie Center Shopping Center. No word on whether the terrifying giant red bird was on-hand for the ribbon-cutting.
2021 Prairie Center Parkway, Brighton; redrobin.com
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Mark Dym just might be the name-changing Prince (RIP) of pizza. He originally opened his Neapolitanstyle Ballpark pizzeria as Marco’s Coal-Fired Pizzeria, but when Marco’s delivery pizza came to town, he switched monikers to Racca’s Pizzeria Napoletana to avoid confusion. Now he’s changing the name again; this time back to Marco’s Coal-Fired Pizzeria. Here’s to hoping the next name is just a symbol of a slice of pizza. various locations; raccaspizzeria.com
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Does Denver need more fried chicken? Birdcall says bring on the fowl, but in the form of crispy, delicious fried chicken sandwiches. The eatery from the group behind Park
Burger and Homegrown Tap & Dough opened this week.
800 E. 26th Ave., Denver, 720-361-2976; eatbirdcall.com
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Billy Sims BBQ, a Tulsa-based fast casual barbecue joint, brought its pecan wood-smoked meats to Edgewater on July 13. This is the first Denver-area location for the spot (another opened in Colorado Springs earlier this spring).
2001 Sheridan Blvd., Edgewater, 303-284-8552; billysimsbbq.com
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I don’t care how long you’ve lived here or how touristy you think Larimer Square is — it’s still pretty darned charming. I can’t think of a more pleasant dining experience than to eat out on the streets of the square on a midsummer night’s eve, and, at least on July 22, Aug. 19 and Sept. 9, we can do that without getting run over by a car. (Smushed on the street? Not so charming.) Book Dining Al Fresco through Rioja, TAG, Osteria Marco, Ocean Prime and the other great restaurants of Larimer Square. Larimersquare.com