The holidays are over, but there are plenty of gifts to look forward to in 2024 when it comes to the food scene in Denver and surrounding areas.
Chefs are stepping up their game to make this leap-year worth it, while the Michelin Guide’s anonymous reviewers continue to scope out the risk-takers they might have missed in the rating system’s inaugural year in the Centennial State. That spotlight, in addition to Colorado’s already-thriving culinary environment, is also attracting out-of-state names to the Mile High City.
Warning: Make your dinner reservations a priority in 2024 because things will be busy.
Here are the 10 most-anticipated restaurants we know about so far.
Gusto! Italia and ChoLon Lakehouse
Chef Lon Symensma and Christopher Davis-Massey — co-owners of ChoLon, Bistro LeRoux and YumCha — are docking two new restaurants at the luxury Lakehouse condo building across the street from Sloan’s Lake.
Gusto! Italia, set to open on the ground floor of Lakehouse in March 2024, will feature playful interpretations of dishes from all over Italy, including pizzas, pasta and an array of antipasti selections, like melted leek focaccia or fresh mozzarella di bufala.
In addition, the pair will open a third location of ChoLon, which features Southeast Asian cuisine and is known for its French onion soup dumplings, in the Lakehouse in March. Half the menu will be the same, crave-able dishes you can get downtown and in Central Park, but the rest will feature new dishes from chef Symensma, as well as dim sum selections.
4200 W. 17th Ave., Denver; cholon.com
Odell’s Bagels
Chef Miles Odell has spent the last 10 years perfecting his bagel recipe, which he will debut at his first brick-and-mortar restaurant, Odell’s Bagel, in spring 2024. Odell’s Bagel is taking over the former Denver Bread Co. space, serving hand-rolled, naturally leavened bagels made with locally milled flour, house-smoked salmon, trout and whitefish, plus breakfast sandwiches. Odell also hopes to host 12-seat chef’s tasting experiences on Friday and Saturday nights, collaborating with chefs from around the world.
3200 Irving St., Denver; instagram.com/odellsbagel
Wonderyard Garden + Table
Francois Safieddine, owner of ViewHouse and My Neighbor Felix, wants to rejuvenate downtown Denver with his new, whimsical concept, Wonderyard Garden + Table, set to open by February 2024. Wonderyard is a bar-forward restaurant with art deco designs, like bird cages with booths inside, giant tea cups as tables, seven dining areas spinning on a turntable, a 6-foot parrot and 3-foot butterfly sculptures.
2200 Larimer St., Denver; wonderyard.com
Blackbelly Market Denver
Blackbelly Market is opening its first Denver location in the former il porcellino salumi space, which will close on Jan. 27. It will include homemade charcuterie, salami and salumi selection from 2023 Michelin Young Culinary Professional Kelly Kawachi and the Blackbelly team, as well as a quick-service breakfast and lunch menu, nearly identical to its Boulder location. That includes its famous breakfast burritos, Italian subs, cobb salads and banh mi. Plans are to open in February.
4324 W. 41st Ave., Denver; blackbelly.com
Magna Kainan
Portland chef Carlo Lamagna, a 2022 James Beard Award finalist who was also named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs in 2021, plans to open a Filipino restaurant, Magna Kainan, in RiNo in mid-summer 2024. Lamagna is partnering with Denver restaurateur Juan Padro’s Culinary Creative group, which owns Mister Oso, Bar Dough and Senor Bear among others, on the project.
Magna Kainan, a sister restaurant to Lamagna’s original Portland spot Magna Kusina, will serve woodfired smoked meats, seafood and classic Filipino dishes like Pancit Palabok (a noodle dish with shrimp sauce) and lumpia (a Filipino version of fried egg rolls).
1350 40th St., Denver; magnapdx.com
Church and Union
“Top Chef” alum Jamie Lynch, who competed on both Season 14 and Season 17 All-Stars, are bringing Church and Union’s fourth location to Denver, together with business partner and chef Adam Hodgson. The upscale, New American concept is owned by South Carolina-based 5th Street Group, which has Church and Unions throughout North and South Carolina, as well as in Tennessee. Church and Union’s Denver location will open for dinner in downtown Denver in June 2024.
1433 17th St., Denver; churchandunion.com
C Burger and C Bar
Local restaurateur Bryan Dayton, who’s behind popular spots like Corrida, Oak at Fourteenth and Brider, dipped his toe into the fast-casual dining scene with the opening of C Burger within Sanitas Brewing Co. in Englewood last year.
He believes in the kiosk’s focus on regenerative, organic and local meat and is expanding the smashburger concept to Boulder. C Burger’s new spot will open in April 2024, along with C Bar, a contemporary cocktail bar with globally-inspired snacks, a retro-modern design reminiscent of a “James Bond” film, and a playful drink program from award-winning mixologist Diego Baud.
921 Pearl St., Boulder; cburgerco.com
Welton Street Cafe
Denver soul foodies have been waiting more than two years for Welton Street Cafe to relocate after it closed its original location in Five Points. The soul food mainstay is finally getting ready to reopen this spring in a larger location down the block from its original space, according to owner Fathima Dickerson. After raising money through a temporary takeout space and a GoFundMe campaign, the Dickerson family feels confident in the move and is ready to gift Denverites with its oxtail stew, catfish and fried chicken once more.
2883 Welton St., Denver; facebook.com/weltonstcafe
Rich Spirit Bagels
Fans of Bakery Four’s bagels can skip the line for its pastries and head to the bakery’s new bagel shop, Rich Spirit Bagels, set to open this month within Wheat Ridge’s Gold’s Marketplace development. Customers can expect to see the same classic offerings that Bakery Four has on its menu now, like everything bagels, sesame bagels and salt bagels, as well as other flavors like green chile, cheddar or cinnamon crunch. There also will be some bagel and lox and egg sandwich options.
10081 W. 26th Ave., Wheat Ridge; instagram.com/getrichspirit
Buc-ee’s
You might not be able to get a reservation at Colorado’s first Buc-ee’s outpost, the uber-popular gas station chain based in Texas, but you will be able to eat a full meal among the Johnstown shop’s large selection of snacks, not to mention its burritos, barbecue and other offerings. The building at the southwest corner of Interstate 25 and Colorado 60 is taking shape and is set to open in March 2024. It will be 74,000 square feet, the same size as one in Sevierville, Tenn., currently the largest Buc-ee’s. There’s even a Facebook fan page to celebrate the upcoming opening.
The southwest corner of Interstate 25 and Colorado 60, Johnstown; buc-ees.com
