Denver’s top 10 restaurant openings of 2022

Nearly three years into the pandemic, it finally feels like Denver’s restaurant scene is starting to get back on track.

2022 has been a great year for restaurant openings. From po’boys that will make you book a flight to New Orleans to perfectly accurate French cuisine and pastries to handmade ramen, here are 10 of the best.

Pirate Yokocho Boucherie

After closing their Southern restaurant Julep during the pandemic, Kyle and Katie Foster are back in full swing in September with a permanent Pirate Alley Boucherie in the Ice House building in downtown Denver. The pair originally started the side concept with Julep in 2019 as a way to capture the lunch crowd.

Named after a famous pedestrian alley in New Orleans’ French Quarter, Pirate Alley Boucherie is inspired by Foster’s southern childhood and serves NOLA-style po’ boys served with sweet potato chips, cabbage, remoulade, gravy. The space is also an extension of Katie’s culinary school Stir, which she opened in 2010.

1801 Wynkoop St., Denver. Pirate Alleydenver.com

Terra

Chef Scott Shaden has put “farm” on the farm-to-table with his first restaurant, Terra, across from the Colorado Convention Center. The Italian restaurant’s menu changes seasonally. Sharden, who previously worked at his market for Boulder Farmers for many years, emphasizes the importance of sourcing produce and meat from local farmers in his Rocky Mountain, Pacific and West regions.

The simple menu consists of pastas such as the outstanding rigatoni with venison ragout. Meat like pork tenderloin with pear barbecue sauce and roasted endive. Fish dishes such as roasted turnips and oven-baked salmon with hunter sauce. The menu highlights which part of the country each dish is sourced from.

891 14th St. Unit #100, Denver; terra-denver.com

Cantina Roca

If you’ve enjoyed Chef Dana Rodriguez’s acclaimed restaurants Work & Class and Super Mega Bien, stop by her family’s newest addition, Cantina Loca, which opened in January 2022. Serving Mexican street food such as queso fundidos, chicharrones, salsas, and juicy carnitas tacos.

But Cantina Roca is also the tasting room for Doña Roca, Rodriguez’s new mezcal and tequila line launched in 2021. Drinks are the stars here, with classic Agave his cocktails like Palomas and Margaritas, or sips of house straight his ups. Three different styles of mezcal.

Casa Bonita, headed by Rodriguez as executive chef and responsible for improving the menu, is scheduled to open in May.

2880 Zuni St., Denver. cantinaloca.com

Glow Noodle House

Glo Noodle House already has a legion of fans after stepping onto Denver’s restaurant scene in March. That’s thanks to smiling chefs Ariana and Chris Taigrand in the kitchen. Their cooking skills are as impressive as the passion they put into each dish.

After partnering with other restaurants over the years, including Community in Lafayette and Birdhouse in Erie, the couple decided to take the leap and open their first solo venture. Glo Noodle House is a tribute to Chris’ late mother Gloria. The menu features small classic Japanese dishes such as grilled scallop skewers with dashi butter and lemon, bok choy with anchovy vinaigrette, and seared steak. Ramen appetizers include miso bacon and lemon chicken salt. Wash it all down with an extensive wine and sake menu, or a Japanese cocktail such as a margarita with Mandarin his liqueur.

4450 W. 38th Avenue, Denver. glonoodlehouse.com

Noisette

After years of working in award-winning New York kitchens, Tim and Lillian Lu were ready to step out of their mentor’s shadow. But they wanted to stand out elsewhere, so after moving to Denver in 2018, they spent four years coming up with their own concept. The result was Noisette, his classic French bakery and restaurant, which opened in LoHi in August. The menu clearly reflects the skills they learned from the French Culinary Institute.

Tim is in charge of the delicious side of the business, nailing the restaurant’s popular magret de canard, which is duck breast, duck and foie jou, and confit potatoes. Lillian is a wizard in the bakery and has perfected desserts such as tarts he tropegienne, pearl sugar topped brioche his bread with vanilla bean her cream.

3254 Navajo Ave, Denver. noisettedenver.com

Bodega

Bodega needs attention from the first bite. The casual neighborhood eatery’s curated menu of sandwiches can satisfy your cravings (or hangovers) with carb-rich bites from morning till night. Enjoy The Basic, a cheese-topped poppy seed Kaiser roll for breakfast, or the Lamb Birria French Dip for lunch. There are also knee-weak double burgers and chili crisp chicken sandwiches.

Owner Cliff Blauvelt hails from Denver and honed his skills working at the chef-driven company that owns uptown staples Steuben’s and Ace Eat Serve. And this sandwich and coffee joint in a former buchi is a nod to what makes a local local.

2651 W 38th Ave, Denver. bodega-denver.com

Vine & Butter Bakery Cafe

Sisters Thoa and Kha Nguyen wanted to continue their family tradition in the restaurant business when they opened Bánh & Butter Bakery Cafe, a Parisian-inspired Asian fusion bakery in Aurora in April. They are following in their parents’ footsteps, who owned the New Saigon restaurant in West Denver and over the course of 30 years transformed it into a local favorite.

A graduate of the Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, Thoa combines French techniques with her own Vietnamese culture, serving up fresh baguettes, almond croissants, matcha cruffins, crepe cakes, mochi cupcakes and cold cut sandwiches. I am merging.

9935 E. Colfax Avenue, Aurora. banhandbutter.com

Chez Maggie

Featured on TV shows like “Selena + Chef,” “Top Chef Masters,” and “Hell’s Kitchen,” celebrity chef Ludo Lefebvre grabs the attention of Denver foodies when he opens his first restaurant outside of California It wasn’t difficult. , Chez her Maggie in the new Thompson Hotel.

A Michelin-starred chef serves classic French dishes such as French onion soup, duck confit, escargot, and mussel frites. You’ll regret leaving without a dessert, such as Crepe Suzette with Grand Mariner, Orange and Butter, or Paris Brest with Hazelnut Praline Buttercream and Choux Pastry.

1616 Market Street, Denver. chezmagydenver.com

Futatsuyo

Adelitas Cocina Y Cantina opened in Platt Park in 2013, and Michoacán chef Silvia Andaya’s family-friendly recipes of rolodex (including rich chocolate moles and comforting molcajetes) have attracted authentic Mexican food lovers time and time again. I have visited many times.

In July, Andaya’s daughter and son-in-law, Nathan and Karina Ayala Schmidt, borrowed some of the recipe book for sister restaurant Ni Tuyo. Ni Tuyo has expanded the menu of Adelitas’ Molcajete. It is named after the footed volcano bowl in which steamed food is served. In addition to meat, seafood, and vegetarian options, there’s his fifth option of braised pork ribs, chicken, chorizo, and ribeye his steak. In addition to molcajetes, Ni Tuyo also offers premium tacos and appetizers such as elote, aguachili, agave his spirits, and margaritas.

730 S. University Blvd., Denver. Nitsuyo.com