Annette and Denver Central Market Make Bon Appetit’s Top 50 List

—Chef Caroline Glover’s first restaurant, Annete, and the RiNo Denver Central Market scored spots on Bon Appetit’s long list of the 50 best new restaurants of America in 2017. Annette also received a glowing review from 5280 Magazine this month. Bon Appetit’s list will be narrowed down to the top ten restaurants of the country, publishing on Tuesday, August 15. For the last two years, not a single Colorado restaurant made the top 50, much less the top 10.

—On Tuesday night, bar teams from New York City’s Suffolk Arms and Las Vegas’s Herbs and Rye took over Williams & Graham and the Occidental respectively and competed against one another. The friendly throw-down was judged by Bar Dough chef Max Mackissock, Eater Denver editor Andra Zeppelin, and Curio barman Stuart Jensen. Each team ran the bar as they would have in their own homes and each prepared seven cocktails. The scoring was close but Suffolk Arms came out victorious. Highlights on their menu included the frozen Piña Colada and the Horse Apple, staples on the bar’s menu.

—In Boulder, Jill’s Restaurant launched a new and more approachable concept for the restaurant located inside the St. Julien Hotel. Departing from its original French style, the team debuted a menu rooted in local and seasonal dishes, taking advantage of the farms and producers in the area. Trademarks like the table-side service stayed put but the dishes prepared that way are now in line with the new focus of the business.

—A new restaurant reservation management system, Reserve, launched in Denver this week. Reserve operates in several cities, including New York, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, and most recently, Atlanta. Several restaurateurs jumped on board, including leaders chef Troy Guard and his restaurant group, TAG Restaurants; Bryan Dayton and with Acorn and OAK at Fourteenth; and Joe Vostrejs on behalf of The Cooper Lounge in Union Station. More, including chef Alex Seidel’s restaurants Fruition and Mercantile Dining & Provision, and also Gozo, Lime Cantina, and AMBLI, are teed up to join.