Driving down 20th street, it’s hard not to pass the old brick building beside the forthcoming Hilton Garden Inn, and wonder what it’ll become. Today, the old brick building, formerly one of Denver’s first fire stations and Union Station’s oldest remaining buildings – Hose House No. 1 — has its new tenant. Set to open this spring and donning the name Woodie Fisher, the forthcoming restaurant will be a communal gathering place in the Union Station neighborhood with an emphasis on nuanced yet approachable globe-trotting cuisine.
Executive Chef Kelli Daniels, a runner-up on The Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen,” “Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell” and a competitor on “Chopped,” will helm the restaurant. As a third-generation chef with a rich ethnic and culinary lineage, Daniels discovered her love for the kitchen at just 11 years old, when her father – one of the youngest chefs to achieve French Mastery, who has cooked for the Queen of England and two U.S. presidents – positioned her as sauté cook in a busy restaurant the family owned. Speaking on the concept behind Woodie Fisher, Daniels kept the neighborhood at the forefront.
“The inspiration behind the dishes at Woodie Fisher is vast, but ultimately results in a cohesive menu for the diverse neighborhood around us,” said Daniels. “We pulled fire-driven elements representative of the building’s past, elements of the Lowcountry Delta from my time in Memphis, Tenn., Mediterranean elements from my family’s heritage, and even ballpark nostalgia for baseball fans across the block. Guests will see a nuance woven into a menu from which they still feel comfortable ordering.”
The menu fire-inspired menu will feature small plates with Colorado-raised proteins, locally- and seasonably-sourced whole grains and greens and baseball-inspired classics. Some of the dishes the restaurant will feature include lamb meatballs with smoked tomato sauce and feta, the “Beet Down,” a salad made with quick pickled and roasted beets, citrus segments, celery tops, toasted sunflower seeds and fresh buttermilk ricotta, Redwood’s cheddar and scallion biscuits with black pepper honey butter, Colorado bison short ribs with toasted garlic and scallion relish and much more.
The 175-seat restaurant will feature a bright and airy dining room, bar, private dining room and chef’s table for groups, as well as patio space for outdoor dining. Open daily for lunch and dinner, Woodie Fisher’s hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Woodie Fisher will be located at 20th and Chestnut and is set to open this spring.
*Editor’s Note: A previous version of the article stated that Woodie Fisher is beside the Aloft Hotel, but has since been corrected to Hilton Garden Inn.