“That’s our biggest hope,” beamed executive chef Paul Nagan. “…to become that spot that everybody talks about, everybody’s got a story about.”
Narrative, Cherry Creek’s newest restaurant located in the recently opened Jacquard Hotel, opened Wednesday night with the ambition of becoming a neighborhood spot for great food and casual conversation. And the cuisine, dubbed “contemporary American,” is in-line with that vision.
“The concept of the menu is definitely contemporary American… traditional American with a contemporary twist,” explained Nagan. “That’s our idea behind a lot of dishes is make them comfort dishes but make them as elevated as we can… Take our burger for example we’re sourcing the burger from Lombardi Brothers, which is local meat company, they’re actually dry aging chuck roast for us and then grinding it.”
Nagan has been cooking in Colorado since his days at Johnson & Wales University in Vail. Since, he’s cooked in kitchens across the state including Range restaurant the Renaissance Hotel where he specialized in the cuisine of the American West and now, he’s bringing that experience to The Jacquard. With breakfast dishes like smoked salmon avocado toast with house-made pesto and local bread to dinner dishes like shrimp and grits with andouille sausage, bacon, peas and Tabasco butter — this chef is blending his unique technique with American classics — and doing it seasonally.
“We will be changing our menu three times a year,” explained Nagan. “Incorporating seasonal changes with produce and all that, but we do want to maintain the familiarity. If somebody loves the burger or loves the short rib … we’ll definitely have core items that I don’t think will change a whole lot so that we keep that neighborhood, everyday kind of vibe to the restaurant.”
The Jacquard is just one of many new spaces in recent years to be added to the Cherry Creek roster. From new award-winning restaurants to cafe’s, bars, boutique hotels and retail, the area that was once recognized majority for its shopping mall and art galleries is seemingly becoming one of Denver’s go-to districts. Apart from Narrative, the Jacquard features a rooftop bar and rooftop pool — two destinations that Denver dwellers flock to in the summer months. And while LoDo, RiNo and LoHi have endless options as far as dining and drinking, these new additions have us thinking that Cherry Creek may be the next night-life hot-spot.
Narrative is open for breakfast from 6:30-11 a.m., Monday through Friday, 7-11 a.m., Saturday and Sunday. It’s open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. p.m., daily and open for dinner from 5 p.m. to close, daily with a happy hour from 2-6 p.m. You can browse the menu and discover further details here.
Photos by Brittni Bell Photo unless otherwise stated.