in cooking style. “The menu reflects cuisine from the Mediterranean; Greece and Spain, Italy and Morocco. It is a fusion of crisp and bright flavors that creates less weighty entrees,” he says, adding that he loves to watch people’s reaction when taking that first bite. In accordance with the freshness of authentic Mediterranean cuisine, Chef Chenworth buys the majority of his products from specialty vendors. The fish is flown in fresh daily, the fruits and vegetables bought from local organic farms.
English Peas Climb to New Heights
“One of our signature dishes is the baked Alaskan halibut on a bed of fava bean and English pea puree,” Hammer says, explaining that his chef created the idea for the entrée during his interview. “He was the twelfth and final interview, so I described our menu and said, ‘Come up with something using only the supplies on hand.’ Will made a scallop and pea sauce dish, which led to our Alaskan halibut entrée,” he says. The moist white meat of the halibut is accented by watercress, pine nuts and hints of lemon. The light summer dish melts in the mouth, with a subtle sweetness lingering on the palate from the pea purée.
Additional entrees on the menu include Colorado lamb burger garnished with a light cucumber and sweet red pepper salad; grilled duck breast with asparagus and a creamy risotto; and goat cheese agnolotti pasta garnished with baby arrugula, roasted cherry tomatoes and small slices of pancetta, a flavorful Italian bacon; and a traditional Milanese dish of open-faced ravioli with braised osso bucco. There are also vegetarian choices such as the house-made potato gnocchi served with spring vegetables.
Susan Hammer, who holds a master’s degree in art history from New York University, worked closely with contractors in the restaurant’s design. “I wanted to combine a newer and trendy, LoDo-style décor with a neighborhood feel,” she says, mentioning the old neighborhood restaurants she grew up with in New York. “I think our customers like the atmosphere because it is comfortable yet fashionable.” She points out that although the décor looks upscale, their menu prices remain solidly in the median range, with appetizers ranging from $4.50 -11.50 and entrees from $12.50 - 22.00 per plate.
Patrons of Restaurant 4580 usually finish the evening with an aperitif or coffee and something sweet to eat. Desserts include vanilla bean crème caramel, warm spiced cherry and blueberry bread pudding, lavender-infused Valrhona Chocolate torte and a variety of flavored sorbets. There are three unusual dessert Martinis, to boot: crème brulee, German chocolate cake and Key Lime.
The restaurant also owns Uptown Wine Shop, an adjacent store stocked with affordable wines from Mediterranean countries. A free wine tasting is held every Saturday, and dinners highlighting one Mediterranean wine region are offered once a month. “I believe every wine represents the culture of the region in which it was made – the aesthetics, history, people, and food,” says Wine Director Michael Wright, who offers about 18 wines by the glass. “In order to pair the perfect wine with an entrée, it is important to understand the culture of the region, because each region creates a wine that compliments their particular cuisine.”
Owner Martin Hammer says he runs his restaurant under a philosophy best stated by the Victorian writer and art critique John Ruskin – that cookery means “the knowledge of all fruits and herbs and balms and spices . . . of French art and Arabian hospitality. It means, in fine, that you are to see imperatively that everyone has something nice to eat.” If Ruskin were alive today, perhaps he could be found sitting happily at a table in Restaurant 4580.
Restaurant 4580, located at 4580 Broadway, Unit D2, is open for dinner Tues-Sun from 5-10om, and expects to open soon for lunch. 303-449-6900; www.restaurant4580.com.
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