You’ve likely been to at least one of Bryan Dayton’s Denver area restaurants. With Oak at Fourteenth and Corrida in Boulder and Acorn and BriDer in Denver, his eateries offer a wide range of cuisines that are sure to please any palate. Dayton’s most recent concept – MELTED – is different. “I’ve been working hard in the restaurant business for 30 years and wanted to do something that’s more playful. It’s a new adventure for me, totally different from what I’ve done before,” he said. MELTED is a small dessert bar in the former Western Daughters Butcher Shoppe at The Source where guests can pop in to get freshly baked cookies, soft-serve ice cream and Thai ice cream sandwiches.
Dayton tasted a Thai ice cream sandwich for the first time when he was in Thailand about 20 years ago and since then hasn’t been able to find anything like it in Denver. “When I was in Thailand I ate one every day but nobody does them here,” he said. Dayton explained that a traditional Thai ice cream sandwich is created by dousing leftover bread with ice cream, condensed milk and peanuts to create a delicious dessert. His version is made using a milk bun from MELTED’s neighbor – Reunion Bakery – topped with Thai ice tea flavored ice cream, condensed milk and peanuts. Guests have the option of ordering this traditional Thai ice cream sandwich or building their own with the additional three flavors of soft serve ice cream –vegan coconut, chartreuse and pomegranate – and various toppings. You can also order your ice cream – single flavor or swirled – in a cup or freshly made waffle cone if you prefer.
In addition to the Thai ice cream sandwiches and soft-serve ice cream MELTED offers cookies from Azucar Bakery’s Jennifer Akina. “I have to learn restraint because they’re so good,” Dayton said. Akina will offer two cookie flavors at a time and the selection will rotate weekly – tempting guests to keep going back for more. It won’t be hard to become a regular customer since you’re able to dine-in, take your dessert for a stroll around The Source or take some items to-go to enjoy at home.
A night at The Source won’t be complete without a visit to MELTED to satisfy your sweet tooth. It offers diners a fun, unique spot to grab dessert and diversifies Dayton’s portfolio of restaurants under his hospitality group – Half Eaten Cookie Hospitality. Be warned – there will be no half-eaten cookies after visiting. MELTED is on a soft opening schedule from January 7 through January 13 and will host a grand opening on January 14 from 11:30 a.m.- 10 p.m. The grand opening will also celebrate the reopening of Acorn after recent renovations.
MELTED soft opening hours are listed below. Regular hours start January 14 and are as follows. Sunday – Thursday 11:30 a.m.- 10 p.m. and Friday – Saturday 11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m.
1/7: 4 – 8 p.m.
1/8 – 1/12: 12 – 8 p.m.
1/13: closed for a private event
1/14: 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.