Phat Thai Cherry Creek Will Close June 15 to Reopen as Harman's Eat & Drink

Less than two years after chef Mark Fischer brought a second location of Phat Thai from Carbondale to the corner of Second and Fillmore in Cherry Creek, he will close the doors to the Asian-inspired restaurant. Fischer concluded that Phat Thai needs a smaller space, a more intimate atmosphere in a different area of town, a place where about 60 guests can enjoy the cuisine created at the restaurant. The chef is now actively looking for a new location and several possibilities have already popped up. The last day of the Phat Thai Denver as guests have come to know it will be Saturday June 15.

Fischer is not letting go of the space, however. He will reopen a new concept in the same spot by the end of June "assuming nothing goes sideways in terms of permitting," he says. The new restaurant will be named Harman's Eat and Drink, a direct reference to the history of Cherry Creek. "I did a little research into Cherry Creek's history and ran across someone named Edwin P. Harman," Fisher explains. "He is the guy who seems to be responsible for the initial colonization of the zip code."

What will the new joint serve? "Something a little more Pullman-esque," Fischer comments referring to his Glenwood Springs restaurant the Pullman. The casual mountain restaurant focuses on American food and dishes out approachable yet carefully crafted items that range widely from roast bone marrow with red onion jam to mac & cheese, duck meatballs with black pepper cavatelli, pan roasted steel head trout with lentil salad, and some of the best burgers in the West.

The opening chef de cuisine from the Pullman, John Little, is taking the lead on opening Harman's Eat and Drink, after the space gets a facelift- some new paint and a bit of demo inside to remove the booths around the bar and execute other cosmetic changes. When it opens, the restaurant will serve lunch and dinner seven days a week and brunch on Sundays.

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