15 DECEMBER 22-28, 2022 westword.com WESTWORD | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | Looking Ahead THE TEN MOST ANTICIPATED RESTAURANT OPENINGS OF 2023. BY MOLLY MARTIN This year has brought a slew of new restau- rants to metro Denver — over 250 of them so far. They’ve introduced plenty of new eating options, including our picks for the ten best additions to the dining scene in 2022. But as the year comes to a close, we’re also looking ahead. Dozens of eateries have already an- nounced plans to open in the new year, a sign of the continued evolution of the culinary scene in the Mile High — and no, they’re not all chains. The projects that have us hungering for the future come from a di- verse group of industry pros. Some are from long-established chefs and restaurateurs, another a popular, family-run food truck moving into a brick-and-mortar. And two are in a suburb that hasn’t really been known for having a strong food scene...though that’s changing, fast. All of them are poised to serve up some of the best eats in town once they debut. These are the ten most anticipated restaurant open- ings for 2023, in alphabetical order: Fox and the Hen 2257 West 32nd Avenue Projected opening: Mid-February Carrie Baird is a familiar name in the Denver dining scene. When she appeared on the fi fteenth season of Top Chef in 2017, she was execu- tive chef at Bar Dough, an Italian eatery that’s owned by the Culinary Creative Group. She left in Febru- ary 2020 to open her own concept, Rose’s Classic Americana, at Rosetta Hall in Boulder, but then the pan- demic hit and the venture shuttered in August of that year. In 2021 she rejoined Culinary Creative as the culinary director for Tap & Burger, and now her all-day breakfast con- cept, Fox and the Hen, is slated to open in the former Cebiche space in the Highland neighborhood, just steps from Bar Dough. It’s one of several additions coming for the growing restaurant group, which is planning to debut three more concepts in mid-April: a Detroit- style pizza joint called Red Tops Rendezvous in Jefferson Park; Kumoya, a Japanese eatery that will take over the current Tony P’s loca- tion; and the still-unnamed sister bar of Forget Me Not in Cherry Creek. GetRight’s 6985 West 38th Avenue, Wheat Ridge goodiegetright.com Projected opening: Spring In the first year of the pandemic, baking became the hottest trend in the city. New pop-up concepts spe- cializing in sourdough, pastries and more seemed to be everywhere. Now, nearly three years later, many have grown into full-fl edged businesses. GetRight’s is one of those, though owner Matt Dulin was baking long before COVID hit. He secured a brick- and-mortar space for his bakery and plant shop combo in January, and originally hoped to open by summer — but permitting in Wheat Ridge has proven to be diffi cult, largely because the city uses third-party contractors for the process. Despite the delays, Dulin has continued to work on per- fecting his recipes through pop-ups. When GetRight’s does open, expect plenty of sweet options as well as savory ones, including grab-and-go items like sandwiches, salads and picnic essentials. Hey Kiddo 4337 Tennyson Street hk-oy.com Projected opening: January Kelly Whitaker’s Id Est Hospitality Group is another big player in Colorado, operating some of the best fi ne-dining restaurants in the state, including the Wolf’s Tailor, Bruto and Basta. It also owns Dry Storage, a milling company on a mission to strengthen local food systems. Whitaker uses his restaurants as laboratories where he can prove out his ideas, and very soon (possibly even before January 1), he’ll add another. The restaurateur is collaborating with San Francisco chef Deuki Hong on the menu, which, like the one at the Wolf’s Tailor, is focused more on serving fl avorful food made with techniques from around the world than a certain type of cui- sine. The space, which is located on the third fl oor of boutique hotel the Asher, will also include a cocktail lounge dubbed Ok Yeah. Kiké’s Red Tacos 1200 West 38th Avenue kikesredtacos.com Projected opening: TBD Birria tacos have gone viral in recent years, and they appear in many forms on menus all over town, but one Denver food truck’s take on the traditional Mexican specialty draws crowds. Kiké ’s (a nickname for Enrique, pronounced kee-kay), is run by Cesar Silva González and his family. While people are happy to wait outside or in their cars for a taste of this truck’s birria, that won’t be necessary next year, when it opens a brick-and-mortar location in the former Crush Pizza + Tap space. The new restaurant will allow the fam- ily to not only offer Kiké ’s popular tacos, ramen and quesadillas, but to add options like carnitas and carne asada, as well as a more traditional take on birria made with goat. Le French 846 Albion Street lefrenchdenver.com Projected opening: Spring In 2005, Rougi Dia became the fi rst black woman to hold the executive- chef position at a Michelin-starred restau- rant — Le Petrossian 144 in France, where she was born and raised. In 2019, she and her sister, Aminata, opened Le French in the Denver Tech Center, serving dishes that refl ect both their French upbringing and their Senegalese roots. Soon diners in central Denver will have access to Le French’s fare, as the sisters prepare to open a second loca- tion at the 9+CO development off Colorado Boulevard and East Ninth Avenue. Meta Asian Kitchen 39 West First Avenue makfam.co Projected opening: Late summer/early fall Kenneth Wan and Doris Yuen opened Meta Asian Kitchen inside Avanti Food & Beverage in 2019, serving creative yet homey dishes that combined Cantonese and American Chinese fl avors. The food hall location limited the menu, but they still managed such standouts as mozzarella sticks tossed in chili oil and pork bao buns made using Wan’s mother’s recipe. They’ll be able to expand their offerings next year, when the concept moves into a stand- alone brick-and-mortar in Baker. Molotov Kitschen + Cocktails 3333 East Colfax Avenue molotovdenver.com Projected opening: January Chef Bo Porytko makes some of the most cre- ative (and delicious) fare in Denver at his Misfi t Snack Bar, which opened inside Colfax bar Middleman in 2019. Before that, he and then- partner Dan Laisy ran Rebel Restaurant, a divey, eclectic joint with an ambitiously adventurous menu. Molotov, which Porytko is opening just a block from Misfi t in the former To the Wind Bistro space, will focus on his spin on Eastern European cuisine with an emphasis on Ukrai- nian fare, a nod to his heritage. When Molotov debuts shortly after the start of the new year, it will offer two intimate dining experiences: à la carte options in the small dining room, which seats about twenty, and a separate tasting menu that will be served at the eight seats around the kitchen. CAFE continued on page 16 FIND MORE FOOD & DRINK COVERAGE AT WESTWORD.COM/RESTAURANTS Carrie Baird is behind upcoming all-day breakfast spot Fox and the Hen. CULINARY CREATIVE Kiké’s is known for its birria. CHRIS BYARD
