A Look Inside The Squeaky Bean, Reopening This Week

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• Each menu is clipped to a vintage cookbook, and each napkin was handmade by Steve Gallic's wife.
• Johnny Ballen repurposed a vintage autobar into a host stand.
• The Squeaky Bean's open kitchen showcases a chef's counter.

Today was supposed to mark the end of The Squeaky Bean countdown — an entire year waiting for the rebirth of Johnny Ballen and chef Max MacKissock's brilliant brainchild of a restaurant. But, as reported by Westword this morning, the opening has been delayed until the state signs off on the restaurant's liquor license. Ballen says it will likely be a few days until the restaurant has final approval, but in the meantime, check out some floor porn.

After relocating from the Highlands to LoDo's historic Saddlery Building, Ballen and MacKissock were able to build their ideal restaurant — a space that's three times the size of the entirety of the old restaurant. But even though the new restaurant is bigger and more grand, Ballen says it still has the same intimate feel. "It's still quaint, and that was really important to us." Some of Ballen's personal touches include a retrofitted autobar-turned-host stand, vintage cookbook menus, modernized old-school soda dispensers and a classic Bevador wine cooler. Though the decor is clean and simplistic, Ballen does plan on bringing back the Farrah Fawcett shrine, as well as a rotating shine featuring other characters (names TBA).

Hours: 5:30 - 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 5:30 - 11 p.m. Friday & Saturday; Brunch: 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; Cocktail Hour: 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Monday-Sunday (starting in a couple weeks).

· Update: Squeaky Bean Will Open This Week after Final Sign-Off [EDen]
· All Squeaky Bean Coverage [EDen]