RiNo/Five Points
Talk about a culinary gold mine! The development of the River North Art District, aka RiNo, has come full circle thanks in large part to father-and-son visionaries Mickey and Kyle Zeppelin who, in 2013, graced Denver with The Source[1], the city’s first urbanized European-inspired food hall, now the culinary heartbeat of a prospering stamping ground for food enthusiasts, cocktail cohorts and beer geeks. Here, in this burgeoning ‘hood, there’s a cuisine for every craving: progressive Mexican at Comida[2] and Los Chingones[3], remarkably good New American food at Acorn[4] and the Populist[5], Latin American inspired eats from the perpetually packed Work & Class[6], Denver’s best pizza from Cart-Driver[7]; innovative Indian dishes from Biju’s Little Curry Shop[8]; and creative cookery from Rebel[9]. And then there’s the unassailable craft-beer scene that includes Crooked Stave[10] at the Source, Ratio Beerworks and River North Brewery[11] plus notable newcomers like the Barrel Bar[12], an intimate taproom that’s the first phase of a forthcoming five-acre destination beer campus from Great Divide Brewing Co., and First Draft[13], a restaurant and beer lover’s nirvana that features a state-of-the-art self-service, 40-tap pour-your-own-beer system showcasing rare, geeky brews alongside more familiar labels and a few wines and ciders. Over the past few months, RiNo has also unleashed Finn’s Manor[14], an eclectic New Orleans influenced cocktail-and-tea lounge that lays claim to an outdoor food-truck bazaar, and Bar Fausto[15], a super-cool cocktail emporium from Jonathan Power (The Populist and Crema Coffee House[16]) and Koan Goedman (Huckleberry Roasters).
On the horizon: Hop Alley, a new Chinese restaurant and bar from Tommy Lee, the chef-owner of Uncle[17]; Bierstadt Lagerhaus[18], a cidery and German-inspired brewery; and Sushi-Rama[19], a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant from Jeff Osaka, who owns Osaka Ramen[20], with locations in RiNo and Cherry Creek.
Status: Heating Up
References
^ The Source (www.thesourcedenver.com)
^ Comida (www.zagat.com)
^ Los Chingones (www.zagat.com)
^ Acorn (www.zagat.com)
^ Populist (www.zagat.com)
^ Work & Class (www.zagat.com)
^ Cart-Driver (www.zagat.com)
^ Biju’s Little Curry Shop (www.zagat.com)
^ Rebel (www.zagat.com)
^ Crooked Stave (www.zagat.com)
^ River North Brewery (www.zagat.com)
^ Barrel Bar (www.zagat.com)
^ First Draft (www.zagat.com)
^ Finn’s Manor (www.zagat.com)
^ Bar Fausto (www.zagat.com)
^ Crema Coffee House (www.zagat.com)
^ Uncle (www.zagat.com)
^ Bierstadt Lagerhaus (www.facebook.com)
^ Sushi-Rama (www.facebook.com)
^ Osaka Ramen (www.zagat.com)
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