RESTAURANT DIGEST: Northside Eatery open; Junction on the way
These days, restaurants seem to fall into one of two categories: offering lots of options all day long for everyone; or filling a very small niche with a similarly focused menu and vibe.
New to Central Street, Northside Eatery + Market falls to the former side. It opened Friday in Lower Highland in the space previously occupied by Candela Latin Kitchen.
Northside’s menu starts with coffee and grab-andgo items. The market sells local breads, fresh vegetables and other staples; and the restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, all ordered at the counter.Aseparatebar offers its own juices and cocktails.
See how there’s something there for everyone? From the restaurant side, you’ll want to try the winter citrus salad and the Nashville hot chicken sandwich.
Prior to this, chef and owner Kevin Gerdeman worked for Nordstrom cafés for more than a decade.
“At Northside, you can grab lunch on the go between meetings, get to know your neighbors at happy hour, enjoy a healthy meal with friends, and grab quality ingredients to stock your pantry with,” Gerdeman said in a press release.
“I want it to be a comfortable space that you can visit any time of day, and most importantly, feel good about what you’re putting in your body.”
1691 Central St., 303-9935599, 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 10 p.m. Friday to Sunday, northsidedenver.com
A food hall is coming to the south side of Denver and bringing 10 restaurant concepts with it.
Junction Food & Drink on South Colorado Boulevard last week announced its 10-stall lineup spanning tacos to Kansas City barbecue. The stalls will open in April at the office and retail park known as Colorado Center, near RTD’s Colorado light rail station. Here is the lineup:
• Big Wave Taco Shop, from Denver-based Tag Restaurant Group and chef Troy Guard.
• Bird on a Wire Southern Chick’n, serving Nashville hot chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, wings and Southern sides.
• Ebisu Ramen and Sushi, where Chef Soon Choi, previously of Sushi Den, will serve small plates, sushi rolls, sushi bowls and ramen.
• Grind and Grill Burger, with twists on traditional burgers.
• Lazo Empanadas, which is already known in town for its Argentinian food.
• Mr. Miner’s Meat and Cheese is Chase and Melissa Devitt’s food stall, already with a location in Golden, selling charcuterie, salads and sandwiches.
• Paciugo Gelato, making gelati and sorbetti the traditional Italian way, and with 70% less fat than ice cream.
• Pete’s-A-Pie of Denver, a longtime D.C. pizza place that sells New Haven-style pies by the slice and whole.
• Shawarma Shack, with spit-roasted meats, vegetarian and vegan options.
• And Smok Barbeque, Denver chef Bill Espiricueta’s brisket sandwiches, burnt ends and more.
“We wanted to bring a world-class food hall experience to this underserved area that’s busy with office workers, residents, foodies, and DU faculty and students,” said said Pat Garza, CEO of National Food Hall Solutions.
“We couldn’t have found a more perfect spot for Junction (...) centrally located between Downtown and the Denver Tech Center, and it’s just over one mile from DU.”
We now know what’s coming to the Halcyon Hotel’s vacant restaurant space in Cherry Creek north.
Nearly a year after the closure of Departure Denver — “Top Chef” finalist Gregory Gourdet’s Colorado restaurant — Local
Jones will move in. The Denver Business Journal first reported the news earlier this month.
Starting sometime in the spring, Local Jones will offer what seems to be a less sexy nighttime destination (which Departure turned out to be) and more “approachable” and egalitarian, according to the Business Journal.
You know, the kind of place where you can walk in dressed in active wear or a suit. And unlike Departure’s pan-Asian food menu, the plates will fall into that vast New American category — seasonal, healthful and locally sourced.
Departure was owned by Sage Restaurant Group, whose parent company Sage Hospitality sold the Halcyon Hotel to Rockbridge Capital last year. Now, Dallas-based Makeready manages the hotel, as well as the restaurant space and an underground bar, B&GC.
Quality Italian, a New York-based restaurant, also continues to operate off the Columbine Street lobby.