DENVER —
New restaurant in Hilltop
Former Avanti Food & Beverage booth The Rotary will open in a brick-and-mortar space at 217 S. Holly St. in Denver’s Hilltop neighborhood, offering elevated wood-fired-rotisserie meats, seasonal sides and fresh vegetables. Helmed by chef-owner Don Gragg and business partners Brian and Scott Boyd, the “fine-casual” restaurant will open initially for takeout only between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday but hopes to offer weekend brunch in the near future.
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The initial menu will offer items such as rotisserie chicken thighs, pan-seared wild salmon, slow-cooked pork shoulder, a spicy peri peri chicken bowl with charred cauliflower, an ancient grains bowl with roasted vegetables and a charred cauliflower sandwich with tahini. Other options include house-made sauces (aji verde, Portuguese peri-peri and chimichurri), chicken and wild rice soup, house-made potato chips topped with gremolata and Parmesan, a cobb salad and a chopped vegetable salad with heirloom carrots and roasted golden beets.
“This is my first chef-owned restaurant, and I’ve always wanted to create a fine-casual spot that implements the same philosophies, attention to detail and high-quality ingredients as the fine-dining establishments I’ve worked in throughout my career,” says Gragg, who has cooked in nationally lauded restaurants like Chez Panisse and Gramercy Tavern, as well as Denver eateries such as Barolo Grill and Sacre Bleu.
(Note: The Rotary announced after publication of this story that is had to push back its expected Sept. 23 opening by about about six weeks after hitting a snag in the building process.)
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