13 SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2025 westword.com WESTWORD | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | Great Expectations THE TEN MOST ANTICIPATED RESTAURANT OPENINGS THIS FALL. BY MOLLY MARTIN Fall doesn’t offi cially start until September 22, but visions of golden aspen leaves are dancing in our heads — and our stomachs are hungry for something new. Over the past months, some highly an- ticipated spots, such as Saigon Noodle Club by PKR at Edgewater Public Market and YumCha at Milk Market, served their fi rst guests, but others that were planning sum- mer openings are still counting down the days until their debut. And more eagerly awaited eateries are planning autumn open- ings, too. Here are ten places expected to make a big splash when they begin serving this fall, starting with those announced most recently. Molino Chido at Stanley Marketplace 2501 Dallas Street, Aurora Projected opening: Fall Two culinary powerhouses are teaming up for this new addition to Stanley Marketplace. Tommy Lee is the owner of two Uncle loca- tions as well as Hop Alley, while Michael Diaz de Leon was the executive chef at Bruto when it was awarded its fi rst Michelin star in 2023. Since then, Diaz de Leon has struck out on his own, spending a lot of time traveling, cooking and learning — experiences that he’ll bring to this new venture. When it opens, expect a Mexico City-inspired taqueria fu- eled by a passion for fresh masa and creating a memorable dining experience. Ceci and Cimera at the Source Hotel 3330 Brighton Boulevard Projected opening: Fall Some big changes are coming to the hotel connected to Denver’s fi rst food hall. In March, Safta announced plans to add an Italian lounge dubbed Ceci! (pronounced “cheh-chee”) to the space. The menu will focus on small bites, wine and cocktails made with Italian liqueurs, amaro and spirits, as well as classics like martinis and negronis. Up on the eighth fl oor, the rooftop of the Source Hotel, which had been operating as the Woods since 2018, is being transformed into Cimera, a Pan-Latin restaurant from Peruvian chef Diego Muñoz and Hop Alley alum Geoff Cox, who will be its executive chef. The food lineup includes Peruvian- inspired sushi and sashimi, small plates such as empanadas and arepas, and larger entrees, along with a Latin-focused cocktail menu. Uchiko 299 Fillmore Street Projected opening: End of 2025 Way back in 2022, Uchi’s parent company, Hai Hospitality, an- nounced plans to open a location of Uchi’s sister concept, Uchiko, in the former Ginny Williams Gallery in Cherry Creek. Three years later, the project is still in the works, but Hai Hospitality is aiming to fi nally got those doors open by the end of the year (whether it will debut before the last offi cial day of fall — December 21 — is a tossup). When it fi nally does arrive, we’ll be eager to this spot. Like Uchi, it’s sushi- focused but will also serve fare made on a live-fi re, post-oak grill. Blossom by SYC 1691 Central Street Projected opening: Late Novem- ber/early December Shuang Crossland, owner of the One Concept Restaurant Group, is in the midst of launching its more upscale SYC Concepts sister brand. In July, the group introduced Sushi by SYC, a twenty-seat omakase ex- perience, but we’re still waiting for Blossom by SYC, which is set to take over a LoHi space that’s seen a lot of turnover. Most recently home to El Chingon, which left the space last year, it’s sat empty ever since, but Crossland promises an upscale, chef-driven Asian addition complete with striking decor, a full bar and Michelin aspirations. Boombots Pasta Shop 2647 West 38th Avenue Projected opening: Fall Husband-and-wife team Cliff and Cara Blau- velt have proven themselves to be pros at cre- ating good vibes and even better sandwiches at Odie B’s, which started in Sunnyside and added a RiNo outpost in January. Their new- est concept, Boombots Pasta Shop, will be located next door to their daytime Sunnyside spot and has been in the works since last fall. While the team was originally aiming for a summer opening, we’ll have to wait just a little bit longer to taste the results of all the R&D. The vision: “Pasta is across all cultures, and nothing is off the table,” Cliff says. Dear Emilia 3615 Delgany Street Projected opening: Late 2025 The owners of Olivia, one of the best Italian restaurants in the city, will soon open another Italian eatery. Dear Emilia (a slight tweak from the original planned name of Emilia) will be located on the fi rst fl oor of the Cur- rent offi ce building in RiNo, and will combine inspiration from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy with an emphasis on local sourcing to create what co-owner Ty Leon describes as “Italian-Colorado cuisine.” Think mort- adella made with Colorado bison rather than pork, and prosciutto using trout rather than ham fl own in from Parma. Count us in. Johnny Bechamel’s Washington Park Projected opening: Fall It’s been almost ten years since chefs Spencer White and Alex Figura, along with co-owner Lulu Clair, debuted their fast-casual pasta joint Dio Mio. Since then, it’s remained a favorite in an ever-shifting RiNo. In 2022, the team dou- bled down on its presence in the neighborhood with the addition of Redeemer Pizza. Earlier this year, it made a quick detour to Urban Cow- boy in Uptown, where it opened Little Johnny B’s — replacing Roberta’s, the initial offering in the Public House of the hip boutique hotel. The name was a nod to the “boss of sauce” that the group was already planning to bring to Wash Park: Johnny Bechamel’s, which will put that sauce on both pizza and pasta. Malinche Audiobar 1541 Platte Street Projected opening: September La Diabla owner Jose Avila has been busy working on several new projects. First up: Malinche Audiobar in LoHi, which will be a mezcal-focused bar with charcoal-grilled eats. It will also be the only spot where you can try Avila’s own mezcal, straight from Oaxaca, which you can sip while listening to his personal collection of vintage Mexican records. He’s also working on his own food hall next door to La Diabla on Larimer Street, where several stalls will serve everything from handmade tortillas and baracoa to sea- food and churros, as well as a restaurant near Union Station; both of those are expected to open by the end of the year. Risica 3463 Walnut Street Projected opening: Fall Andrea Frizzi operated Italian restaurant Il Posto in an intimate space in Uptown for a decade before it moved to RiNo in 2017; last year, he shuttered Il Posto after a seven-year run in that neighborhood. Later this year, though, he’ll be back with a brand-new venture inside the Edit building in RiNo. “Risica comes from the phrase ‘chi non risica non rosica,’ meaning if you don’t take a risk, you will regret it,” the chef explains. The restaurant will be an “energetic” Milano- style pizzeria with charcuterie, oysters and small plates such as classic carpaccio, crudo, patate pasticciate, crostini, arancini, stuffed calamari, burrata made in-house and “a very spirited bar,” Frizzi says, with plenty of wines by the glass and simple cocktails priced at $12 or under, with a focus on Aperol spritzes. Email the author at [email protected]. CAFE FIND MORE FOOD & DRINK COVERAGE AT WESTWORD.COM/RESTAURANTS Clams al Olivio from the upcoming Cimera at the Source Hotel. LUIS MORALES
