Last Friday night we had our first meal at Capitol Hill’s newest eatery - Bones.  I posted about Bones opening earlier in January.  It is a very intimate space with only about 27 seats including the L-shaped counter spots.  We were seated right next to the entrance which wasn’t too bad even with the cold and snow.

We did start with cocktails (sake & vodka martinis) but I will be honest and say that we were not impressed and will be much more frugal on our next visit and just go with Kirin or Sapporo.  For our appetizers we shared the really delicious Baked Bay Scallops with Jumbo Lump Crab and their Escargot Pot Stickers.

For my entree I had their Poached Lobster Ramen with Edamame & Miso which was spectacular - I had to use my porcelain spoon to get every last drop of the broth which was rich but not overwhelming.  The noodles and pieces of lobster meat were all cooked perfectly and the dish has instantly become my new comfort food.  We plan on going back very soon and I would highly reccommend making reservations (6 couples who just walked in and were told they would have to wait over 40 minutes while we were there) although you can luck out if there seats at their counter.

In this past weekend’s Denver Post an article titled “Sprucing up 16th” touched upon a number of projects at the upper end of the mall that I have been posting about over the past few months.  Katie Mullen’s, the Downtown Sheraton, McDonald’s at Cleveland Place and the Denver Pavilions were all featured in the story.  I found it gratifying that other people are starting to take notice of this part of the city and it ongoing transformation.

My speculation about the McDonald’s at Cleveland Place is over - opening in April, it will feature a patio along Cleveland, a double sided stone fireplace and seven plasma-screen televisions.  Facade changes aside this is really exciting news!  I know it seems geeky to care this much about a McDonald’s but given what was there before this is the beginning of a great new chapter for this space.

I also learned that the long awaited $25 million renovation of the Denver Pavilions will begin next month.  Mark Sidell with Gart Properties confirmed that they will be making the Pavilions more accessible from the mall by transforming the entrances as well as adding new flooring and revamping the landscaping.  Also part of that renovation will be securing new tenants which I hope are “first to market” retailers as well as a restaurant.

Finally Paul Maye shared further details about his decision to open the first Katie Mullen’s in the U.S. in Downtown Denver:

“Denver stood out.” he said.  “You have wonderful people, a cosmopolitan city, young people, and its a good sports city as well.”  “We learned that 60 to 70 percent of the (downtown) office space is on this end of the mall,” Maye said.  “We want to become a destination for locals and tourists.  We’re not trying to take anybody’s place.  We are adding to downtown.”

Given the economy it was a pleasant change to read about good things happening in Downtown Denver in the paper instead of another doomsday/the world is ending piece.  I think it speaks volumes about the strength of the Downtown market when private developers are willing to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in these kinds of projects.

I know I just posted an update about Katie Mullen’s last week but with today’s Rocky Mountain News article and having seen their new facade I thought it was needed.  Joyzelle Davis provides numerous new details gleaned from her interview with co-owners Paul Maye, Tom Cronin and others.  We finally find out more about their menu:

“The restaurant will serve upscale Irish and American fare such as Shepard’s Pie with locally sourced lamb, Scottish salmon and New York strip steaks from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. before becoming a bar with music in some rooms at night.  The restaurant tried to price its food so there would be something for everyone, Cronin said, whether its $4.95 appetizers for bar hoppers or $29.95 entrees for the expense account set.”

What I really like is how authentic Katie Mullen’s will feel from tables and chairs made and flown over from Ireland to the 20oz tulip pint glasses they will have at their four bars which range in decor from modern Irish to Victorian.

Of course to me more stunning is the transformation of the facade which is worlds away from its Supreme Court days which now seems like a bad dream.  The rich wood, painted glass signs, stone veneer and light fixtures all just look amazing together - the Toucan is cute.  It is one thing when people talk big but when they deliver it is very refreshing. 

The two new corner entrances are subtle but much more functional and when it is complete their patio will be a big improvement over the old one.  One thing I did not know is that Katie Mullen is the name of Paul Maye’s grandmother - very touching.  I wish Paul, Tom and their employees luck & prosperity when they open their doors on Monday.

Finally the former Palomino space at 1515 Arapahoe is getting a new tenant - Prime Bar.  I have been waiting for this to happen for quite some time and noticed their liquor license application notification in the window riding the mall shuttle back from lunch today.  It apparently has been up for quite some time since their hearing was on the 11th.

From what I understand this is a new concept by Restaurants-America who is most widely known for their Bar Louie concept.  Their other concepts range from their Bluepoint steakhouse to their Red Star Taverns to what look to be a number of very nice eateries in Chicago - Midtown, Townhouse and One North.   I am excited that Denver is getting a new unique restaurant which with the nearby Four Seasons under construction and the efforts underway to lease up Tabor Center is in a great location. 

I would imagine that Prime Bar will be more on the upscale end of their restaurants given the size of the Palomino space which is large at 12,400 square feet.  From what I saw through the windows they are still doing demolition work.  It will be great to see people dining along Skyline Park again this summer.

A great deal of progress has been made at Katie Mullen’s Irish Pub since I posted about the project last September.  Demolition is complete (that awning is gone) and construction is progressing very quickly.  Katie Mullen’s will officially have their “soft opening” to the public on February 16th.  A grand opening will occur sometime later in March.

I am assured that St. Patrick’s Day festivities at this Irish pub (March 13th - 17th featuring a musical act from Ireland) will not disapoint and according to their new website they will have four bars!  Paul Maye and his group have invested $3 million in the 11,500 square feet space and the rendering of the new facade looks as if it will really enliven this corner of the Mall when it is finally unveiled.  To get a hint of how the interior could look check out this website.  I was also excited to learn that they are installing a new corner entrance at 16th & Court - facing Republic Plaza.  With only 11 days to go I look forward to seeing the finished product.

Exterior work at the McDonald’s at 16th & Cleveland is well underway and it would appear that an April completion date should be no problem.  Personally I am happy to see that the zigzag roof augmentation has been removed which I hope in the end gives the facade a much more modern feel.  It looks like they are relocating and enlarging the side entrance on Cleveland as well as removing the concrete veneer.

I remain hopeful about increased transparency of the space but of course it still has to be functional.  Having been in the old space a couple of times (that was more than enough) I felt the biggest problem was the lack of sunlight - it felt dark and kind of creepy.  Anyway it is too soon to tell how it will look in the end so I will just have to keep walking by on my “route”.   I have posted photos taken between July of last year when I first posted about this project and those taken this week.