13 JANUARY 4-10, 2024 westword.com WESTWORD | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | Looking Ahead THE TEN MOST ANTICIPATED RESTAURANTS OPENING IN 2024. BY MOLLY MARTIN We’ve just come off a huge year in the local dining scene that included the release of the state’s fi rst Michelin Guide and the debut of nearly 300 new restaurants and bars in the metro area. While they’re now dishing up everything from fi ne-dining takes on Ukrainian fare to birria tacos to Japanese small plates, we’re already hungry for what’s to come in the new year. Here are the ten upcoming restaurants we’re most excited about, in alphabetical order: Blackbelly Market 4324 West 41st Avenue blackbelly.com Projected opening: Late February After winning season fi ve of Top Chef, Hosea Rosenberg debuted Blackbelly in Boulder in 2014. Since then, he’s added another Boulder eatery, Santo; racked up more accolades, in- cluding a Michelin green star for sustainability; and, most recently, expanded Blackbelly’s original location with a bigger market and private dining spaces. Now he’s making his fi rst professional move into Denver, with a second Blackbelly Market set to take over the Il Porcel- lino Salumi space on Tennyson Street. Along with cured meats from butcher Kelly Kawachi — an award winner herself — this Blackbelly will dish out a full lunch menu as well as those breakfast burritos that have amassed a cult following in Boulder over the years. C Bar/C Burger 921 Pearl Street, Boulder cburgerco.com Projected opening: April For over a decade, Bryan Dayton’s Half Eaten Cookie Hospitality has brought some big hits to the local scene, including Oak at Fourteenth, Corrida, Brider, Bellota and the now-closed Acorn. In 2023, Dayton turned his attention to burgers, introducing C Burger as a kiosk inside Sanitas Brewing in Englewood, where it’s focused on us- ing regenerative, organic and local meat. This year, he’ll double down on that con- cept with a brick-and-mortar home for C Burger in Boulder, which will also house the retro-modern C Bar, with a cocktail program created by award-winning master mixologist Diego Baud. There will also be snacks and small plates from chef/partner Samuel McCandless. Church and Union 1433 17th Street churchandunion.com Projected opening: June This is an opening we’ve been anticipat- ing since 2021, when Alejandro Torio, one of the three owners of the Charlotte, North Carolina-based 5th Street Group, hinted at a Mile High loca- tion coming in a social media post. In 2023, we learned more about the plans, and now we have an actual open- ing date to put on the calendar. This will be the fourth Church and Union from Top Chef alum Jamie Lynch and chef Adam Hodg- son, who over the past decade have opened outposts in North and South Carolina, as well as Tennessee; one is also planned for Miami. The Denver location will have plenty of Mile High-specifi c touches and will serve a seasonal New American lineup. Corsica 2801 Walnut Street Projected opening: Early 2024 Barcelona Wine Bar has locations in ten states plus Washington, D.C.; since 2018, its sole Colorado spot in RiNo has been a popular stop for vino and tapas. Now the group behind Barcelona will introduce a brand-new concept in the same neighbor- hood. Named for the Mediterranean island, Corsica will serve coastal French- and Italian-inspired shareable plates as well as wine, cocktails and aperitifs in a reclaimed warehouse space that will include a central bar and dining room, private dining op- tions and a streetside patio. The outside of the building is already decked out with a colorful mural by artist Keya Tama that was created during the 2023 Denver Walls festival. Gusto Italia 4200 West 17th Avenue instagram.com/gusto_denver Projected opening: Late January Chef and restaurateur Lon Symensma is behind hits like ChoLon (famed for its French onion soup dumplings), Bistro Le- Roux and YumCha. This year, he’ll add a third ChoLon outpost in the twelve-story Lakehouse condo building next to Sloan’s Lake. That’s where he’ll also debut his new concept, Gusto, which will serve Italian fare. A recent sneak peek included items like melted leek focaccia, Carbonara-ncini Balls, and wild boar lasagna. Luchador 2030 East 28th Avenue instagram.com/luchador.foodtruck Projected opening: TBD Originally from Mexico City, chef Zuri Re- sendiz has been honing his culinary skills in Denver for years. He worked under Elise Wiggins at Panzano, sticking with her when she opened Cattivella, then leaving for a stint as executive chef at Shanahan’s Steakhouse. In 2022, he decided to pursue something new, launching a food truck called Luchador with a focus on regional Mexican fare. Recently, he secured a brick-and-mortar home in Whittier for Luchador; he plans to open the restaurant while still running the truck and making regu- lar appearances on Food Network shows. Look for his next small-screen moment in February. Magna Kainan 1350 40th Street Projected opening: TBD Culinary Creative is one of the city’s hottest restaurant groups, and its plans for 2024 include teaming up with ultra-talented Port- land-based chef Carlo Lamagna on Magna Kainan, which will focus on Filipino fare. The metro area only has a few options for that cui- sine, including Manila Bay in Aurora, which is set to close on January 25. At Kainan (which means “eatery” in Tagalog), Lamagna says, he will use recipes from his relatives and educate diners about traditional Filipino dishes. Osteria Alberico 3455 South University Boulevard, Englewood instagram.com/osteria.alberico Projected opening: Spring The award-winning Frasca Hospitality group is bringing its next venture to a former Patxi’s location in Englewood. It’s a somewhat unex- pected choice, but less so when you consider what came before. Osteria Alberico will be the sister concept of Pizzeria Alberico, the rebranded take on the original Pizzeria Locale. That fast-casual concept was eventually sold to Chipotle, which opted to shutter all remaining lo- cations last year. Frasca always maintained the original, though; now it will bring favorites like Napoletana-style pizza — plus rustic pastas, rotating proteins and a full bar — to this Denver suburb hungry for more restaurant options. Rich Spirit Bagels 10081 West 26th Avenue, Wheat Ridge instagram.com/ richspiritbagels Projected opening: January Rosenberg’s upped the bagel game in Denver when it opened in 2014; last year, Call Your Mother did the same when it brought three outposts to the Mile High. Now 2024 is look- ing to be a very good year for local bagel fans. Bakery Four owner Shawn Bergin originally announced plans to open a standalone bagel shop in Wheat Ridge in late 2022, with the goal of opening by the following spring or summer. As with many new eateries, though, delays pushed the timeline back. But now the debut of Rich Spirit is so close, we can almost taste the carefully crafted carb treats. It will offer four to fi ve bagel fl avors each day, along with several cream cheese and butter options. Also coming later this year: Odell’s Bagel, in the former Denver Bread Company location. Wonderyard Garden + Table 2200 Larimer Street wonderyard.com Projected opening: February Lotus Concepts, the group headed by long- time nightlife and hospitality pro Francois Safi eddine, currently owns and operates multiple locations of My Neighbor Félix and ViewHouse. Wonderyard Garden + Table is a brand-new indoor/outdoor concept from Lotus inspired by The Secret Garden and The Great Gatsby that is coming to the Ballpark neighborhood, where it will oc- cupy a Victorian-era two-story building. That renovated building will be decked out with birdcage booths, teacup tables and a repurposed turntable “carousel” that will offer guests a 360-degree view of the tented garden area fi lled with live plants. It sounds like a whimsical addition to a part of town known best for bro-heavy crowds, and we’re looking forward to seeing how it fi ts in. Email the author at [email protected]. CAFE FIND MORE FOOD & DRINK COVERAGE AT WESTWORD.COM/RESTAURANTS Every Church and Union has Sun Tzu’s The Art of War painted on the ceiling. COURTESY OF 5TH STREET GROUP
