The Kitchen Denver, Now Open For Lunch and Dinner

1530 16th Street
Phone: (303) 623-3127; website
Status: Certified Open

The day has arrived: The Kitchen Denver is now open for lunch from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., and dinner from 5 p.m. - close. There's also a community hour from 3-6 p.m., which is similar to the standard happy hour, but a little different. Not only will you most likely dine with The Kitchen staff when you walk in for community hour (no, they don't hide their employees on break — they're part of the community), but you'll also find that the menu isn't terribly limited. Community hour offers all of the wonderful $5 happy hour fare, "nibbles," several small plates, a couple entrée-ish plates (hello root vegetable cassoulet) and desserts. Chef de cuisine Eric Lee, who has worked with chef/co-founders Hugo Matheson and Kimbal Musk (on and off) for over eight years, is running the back of the house, and if you've eaten at any of The Kitchen establishments in Boulder, you know the menu changes often and with the season. Welcome to Denver, Kitchen crew.

You'll notice a lot of similarities between the Boulder and Denver locations. However, there is one thing you won't find at The Kitchen Denver, and that's brunch. But why? How could they deprive us of brunch service? It's not that they don't want to serve us eggs on the weekends, but for operation purposes, and considering the LoDo location, weekend brunch service hasn't been worked into the plan just yet. But, fret not, The Kitchen is offering a couple exclusive elements at the Denver location, including a premier sustainable raw bar and a larger community night gathering space.

And speaking of the space, you'll notice that the decor and vibe are very in sync with the Boulder locations. Designer/co-founder Jen Lewin maintained the minimalist industrial decor, emphasizing unique light fixtures (that she designed) and hand-crafted tables. The Kitchen is all about community space, which is why the tables are a focal point. The rear dining room, also coined "The Wine Room," features a large community table where guests will be invited to share four course dinners every Monday, family style. The community night at The Kitchen Denver will be twice the size of Boulder's community night and each dinner will feature a different purveyor from the kitchen community. You can reserve your spot at a future community night starting today.

· Eater Inside: The Kitchen Denver [EDen]
· The Kitchen [Community] Coverage [EDen]
· Hugo Matheson Weighs in on Creating a Denver Menu Coverage [Westword]

The Kitchen Denver [Photo: Meredith Moran]