The official opening of Block & Larder is a week away, but the latest spot to hit Tennyson Street is quietly welcoming diners. Billed as a modern chophouse, the concept comes from a trio of brothers—Jason, Aaron, and Lucas Forgy—who also own LoDo's Freshcraft.
While beer is a strong focus at Freshcraft, the food will be the emphasis at Block & Larder. "At Freshcraft a lot of what we do is around rotating the tap lineup and doing different beers; here, our idea is rotating different proteins," says Jason Forgy.
In-house butchery is an important part of making that happen, with Lucas Forgy overseeing the kitchen and Jason Collins serving as sous chef. Lunch and dinner menus are separate; the daytime meal features soup, salad, sandwiches, and a few entrees, while the dinner board relies more heavily on dishes in the "chops, grinds, and braises" categories.
The offerings are still subject to tweaks and changes, but look for dishes like a smoked pork confit sandwich, lamb chops, and bison short ribs. A variety of sides and small noshes rounds things out, from creamed bourbon kale to house sausage. A late-night menu and happy hour are both in the works, with the details yet to be finalized, but Jason Forgy says happy hour will include beer, wine, and cocktail specials, as well as a deal on oysters.
The drink list offers something for everyone, whether it's one of the house cocktails (the opening lineup is a Masters of the Universe theme), a brew from the 10 taps, or a selection from the wine list that boasts varietals like Semillon, Tokaj, and Pinotage. Two wines, a red and a white, are served from tap lines, and the bar also has a beer cask and plenty of choices by the can and bottle.
"The cocktails are really an updated take on classics, but we want to serve cocktails to people the way the customer wants them, though. We're not trying to force people into a mold," Forgy says.
The brothers saw a need for more dining amenities on the block, so when the former Yankee Trader space became available, they signed a lease with Gravitas Development. Design Parameters served as the architecture firm, while Fine Construction carried out the general contracting, and Monolith Fabrication Studios put the final touches on the space that seats just under 100.
Large windows at the front open out to the street when the weather is nice, while a wall-mounted gas fireplace provides coziness in the cooler months.
Block & Larder is located at 4000 Tennyson Street and is open Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and until midnight on Friday and Saturday.
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