Corner House: the Space, Food, and Opening

Hold your horses and don't break down the door - there is some delay in the opening of the anticipated Corner House. The intimate eatery in the Jefferson Park neighborhood helmed by chef Matt Selby was initially set to open January 4 at 6 a.m. The team at Corner House postponed the opening by about a week. Eater is reluctant to list a firm date until a certificate of occupancy is issued. Until then, there are new details to share on chef Selby's simple yet thoughtful food as well as the pleasant and friendly space.

The eatery will serve three meals a day, starting with simple items like the breakfast burrito and transitioning into dishes like the tuna poke bowl, the curry smoked chicken thigh panini, and the vegetarian-friendly grilled marinated vegetable panini. The dinner menu, served daily from 2 p.m. includes a Yuzu kampachi brûlée, a roasted winter squash soup with Maine lobster, and a hearty ham and cheese sandwich made with prosciutto, Colorado cheddar sauce, and fig jam. The highlight of the short and sweet dessert menu is a chocolate duck egg crème brûlée.

Grid View

The 1250-square-foot space set on the first floor of the River Clay Lofts formerly occupied by an organic coffee shop and beauty supply store was transformed in collaboration with designer Dave Schaich with the intention of creating a community gathering place that seamlessly integrates into the life the neighborhood. Physical elements of the neighborhood make that transition: the wood on the wall that came from a school fence in the neighborhood, the original stools brought in from Gaetano's with new seats, a garage door that is a relic of the gas station that turned into Root Down.

As Corner House shared with Eater last year, there are two large community tables, an eight-seater round one set into the sunroom-like space to the left of the bar and a linear eight-top to the right of it. Nine smaller tables occupy a dining area walled by a black and white aspen grove wallpaper, allowing for more private seating and variety of configurations from two-tops to six-tops.

The bar appears to be the the heart of the space. Bar and floor manager, Gerard Collier, has crafted a beverage and cocktail list consistent with the Corner House approach: unpretentious, eclectic, yet elegant and focused on local ingredients. Among the highlights of the cocktail list, the 3-0-3, made with Leopold Bros. whiskey, Dancing Pine chai, and apple cider, and the Clay Street Collins, which combines Downslope old tom gin with Leopold Bros. three pins, lemon, and an IPA.

The beauty of the bar is that it gives a glimpse into the no-frills kitchen through a row of metal liquor locker storage units. Chef Selby does his magic with food back there with no hood, on two induction burners, a panini press, and a convection oven. If all goes according to plan, that magic will be up and running January 11, but stay tuned for confirmation.

· Matt Selby on Transitions: From Vesta to Corner House [EDen]
· Corner House: Construction Is On, Opening In Sight [EDen]

Corner House [Photography by Jennifer Olson]