A new trend has been popping up in the big cities of America, starting in 2010 with the opening of Mario Batali’s Eataly in New York City. This is the food hall concept, popular in Europe, where multiple eateries and bars are housed under one roof. Think of The Source and Union Station here in Denver, and now add to that list newly opened Avanti Food & Beverage in the Highlands.
Avanti Food & Beverage is described as a “culinary collection of start-up restaurants, all of which are self-contained shipping containers occupying a decades-old, repurposed two-level warehouse.” When you arrive, there is someone to greet you and offer information about the space and how the process works. Inside, there are seven distinctly different chef-driven eateries, large open dining areas, and a lounge downstairs by the bar. Upstairs there are two outdoor patios with plush lounge chairs, formal table dining, and casual bar and stadium style seating options, all with an incredible view of the Downtown Denver skyline. Arguably the best in the city.
Many of the different eateries at Avanti are offshoots of current Colorado restaurants and these kitchens are rented for one to two years. Westword’s July 10th article states, “Leases are intentionally short so that turnover is a built-in part of the concept, which will allow new talent to come in and give their ideas a temporary testing ground before moving on to bigger things.” They all have small spaces, which means the kitchens and plating are all visible to the guests. The current collection of eateries is as followed: Poco Torteria, a torta shop from Pinche Tacos chef-owner Kevin Morrison. Farmer Girl, a farm-to-table concept from Tim Payne. MiJo, a Japanese-influenced izakaya from John DePierro. Brava, a wood-fired pizza and sandwich shop from chef David Bravdica. Quiero Arepas, Venezuelan arepas from chefs Becky and Igor Panasewicz. Bixo Mediterranean Bites, a modernized Mediterranean menu with a Mexican twist from chef Marco Gonzales. Souk Shawarma, offering Lebanese shawarmas and rice bowls from chef-owner of Bistro Barbes, Jon Robbins.
Living up to its name, there are just as many beverage options as there are food selections. We were briefly baffled when presented with four alcoholic beverage menus as well as a self-serve soda fountain and canisters of Teakoe iced black and green teas.
Their large beer selection includes ten taps from Dogfish Brewery and ten seasonally rotating taps of Colorado craft brews. There are eight wines of both red and white by the glass, plus Infinite Monkey Theorem on tap, and sake. Their cocktails are creative along with a few classics, and fairly cheap considering their quality contents.
Avanti makes group dining a breeze. So feel free to introduce your gluten free friend to your vegan-pasta loving bestie, as this place is sure to please everyone. Picky eaters of Denver-unite! . The abundance of choices also means that you’re faced with the tricky decision of choosing where and what you want to eat. We somewhat solved that dilemma by asking for meals to-go in order to sample dishes from all of the eateries. Don’t be afraid to do the same- as there are indeed a wide variety of culinary delights. We also suggest taking your time with it all; peruse all of the menu options to craft a general idea for your foodie journey, switch up your seats throughout the venue, sip a cocktail, soak up some sun on the deck, strike up a conversation over the game on TV, relax and savor.
Thoughts by Tiffany Candelaria