|
The restaurants of South
Pearl St. have had more than their 15 minutes of fame in recent months.
The
seven-block stretch from Buchtel Blvd. to Jewell Ave.
is on the verge of becoming one of the region’s most sought-after restaurant
rows.
At a recent meeting of the South Pearl
Street Merchants Association, representatives of Sushi Den, Wynkoop
Brewing/Breckenridge Brewery and the Tavern Hospitality Group (THG) detailed
plans for three major new restaurants coming to the 1400 and 1500 blocks.
At the end of 2011, Toshi
and Yasu Kizaki, owners of Sushi Den, 1487 S. Pearl
St. and Izakaya Den, 1518 S. Pearl St. worked a deal
to trade the Izakaya Den site to BW Holdings LLC
(owners of Breckenridge and Wynkoop Brewery) in
exchange for BWH’s property at 1477 S. Pearl St., that had, until Dec. 31 of
last year, been
the well-loved home of Pearl Street Grill. In mid-June, crews demolished the
PSG building to make way for a 14,000-square-foot, two-story structure with a
second floor patio overlooking Pearl St., that will become
the new home of Izakaya Den (could be a name change)
in March 2013.
When the new building is finished and Izakaya Den moves across the corner, BW Holdings will take
over at 1518 S. Pearl St., with plans to redo the interior to give it a new
feel and flavor, opening a new restaurant that will not be named Pearl
Street Grill and for which a concept has not been finalized, according to BW
spokesperson Lee Driscoll.
As mentioned in this space last month, THG
is under contract to purchase Dave and Wendy Phillips’ building at 1475 S.
Pearl St. – the former home of India’s Pearl – if the city’s
Department of Excise and Licenses deems that renovation plans do not hinder transfer
of the liquor license for the property.
THG co-owner Frank Schulz explained that his
company plans a major transformation of the existing structure. A two-story
addition will be added to the alley side of the building – eliminating
the existing outdoor patio – and a new kitchen will be built in the
basement. The front of the building will be “opened up” to accommodate patios
fronting on S. Pearl St. on both the first and second floors.,
All three ownership groups stated their
intention to work together to solve parking issues that might arise. Sushi Den,
Izakaya Den, and whatever BW comes up with will all
share the lot adjacent to 1518 S. Pearl St. In addition, Sushi Den has
purchased the old Murder by the Book property at 1574 S. Pearl St., and will
use the back of the property for valet parking (12 spaces). THG has contracted
for additional properties in the area for employee and valet parking, and
overtures have been made to Grant Beacon Middle School, 1751 S. Washington St.,
for local restaurants to make use of their faculty parking lot after school
hours. Stay tuned.
Down the block, Makan
Malaysian Cafe has opened at 1859 S. Pearl St. This cozy, single-room eatery
serves up authentic Malaysian street food such as Curry Puff and Satay, as
well as sweet treats including Kuih Lapis (steamed
multi-layered cake of rice flour, coconut milk and sugar) and Kuih Dadar (crepe roll flavored
with pandan essence and filled with palm sugar-
flavored shredded coconut). A nearby neighbor describes owner Karen Wee Lin
Beckman’s menu as “unique flavors, great textures, very palatable – and
addictive.”
Makan is open for
lunch Thur.-Sat., and dinner daily. For information, call 720-524-8093 or visitmakanmyfood.com.
A few doors south and across the street from Makan, Bin 1884 Cheese Shop will open sometime in the
coming weeks at 1884 S. Pearl St., in the former tasting room of The Empty
Bottle wine boutique.
The Empty
Bottle purveyors, Teresa Scamperino and her husband,
Brad Minich, will offer up artisan cheeses and a full
menu of light culinary accompaniments including salumi,
salads, panini and antipasti-type fare for dine-in or
take-out.
Among the specialties of the house at Bin
1884 will be grilled cheese sandwiches and raclette,
a traditional Swiss treat coveted by cheese lovers on both sides of the pond.
Expect cheese flights served with appropriate wine and beer pairings. Scamperino
promises affordable beverage options that do not sacrifice quality or taste.
For information, call 303-722-5478 or visit theemptybottledenver.com. |
