Vegan kitchens often get placed into a box. It’s easy to understand how that happens, but doing so minimizes efforts of the best ones to not only elevate their specific brand of eateries, but to further advance the wider dining scene through an all-encompassing lens. Since 2019, Somebody People has been fighting exactly that fight – hoisting more than the vegan, vegetarian or veggie-driven corners of Denver’s restaurant landscape, and instead rising alongside brasseries of all creeds to their position as a staple in the city.
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It hasn’t been only the South Broadway restaurant’s expertise with exploring the possibilities of vegan cuisine that has, for years, connected so well with guests. The hip, laid-back and colorful atmosphere is in alignment with Denver’s culture. For all the fine-dining spots up the street on South Pearl and all the posh haunts a neighborhood over in Cherry Creek, Somebody People’s muraled walls and casual environs speak to all sides of the city’s fun-loving dining crowd.
Beyond the space itself, there’s the vivid tableau of seasonal cocktails which levels up Somebody People’s stirred and shaken identity to parallel the inventiveness of much of Denver’s bar mosaic. The Sugar Daddy – which melds the natural balance of fresh strawberry with tequila, mezcal, Aperol and lime – is a Summer-tinged, refreshing note to start on, without caving into the pressure of drinking overly sweet. What follows is an urge to dive deep into the wine list. By the glass, a balanced collection of classics and trendy pours – many of which are imported from founders and owners, Sam and Tricia Maher’s homeland Australia. We recommend Deliquente Wine Company’s Screaming Betty Vermentino which provides the light, refreshing yet structured and acidic complexity necessary to cut through or pair with everything on – or off – the menu. And by the bottle – one of the most fun, wide-ranging and reasonable lists in Denver.
But more than anything, it’s the service of Somebody People’s ownership, management and staff that so seamlessly reinforces the quality, the uniqueness and the fun of the menus at large. And there is no better time to see it all on display than for Somebody People’s Sunday Supper. Sans a menu that a guest can plan for in advance, Sunday Supper is the restaurant’s weekly tradition of utilizing its remaining ingredients for a creatively inclined, multi-course meal. “It’s a great opportunity to use what’s left in the kitchen,” explained our server, Hillary. “And to also give the young cooks the chance to build their own menu.”
Naturally, where creative freedom and a touch of competitive spirit mix with the know-how of Somebody People’s team, Sunday Suppers have become as inventive as they are delicious. “Everybody back there takes the reins on one dish,” detailed Tricia Maher as she stopped by the table before dessert – a Sabayon of Summer Strawberries served alongside Somebody People’s famous Tiramisu made with whipped lentil cream. “It turns into a little bit of a rivalry by the end of the night. So, we always like to ask, ‘What was your favorite?’”
Sifting back through the 90-minute barrage of flavors only made for indecisiveness. On this particular Sunday, Supper began – and then continued – with pairs of dishes. A chewy, homemade Sourdough Focaccia served with a spread of pinto and black garlic offset a refreshing, spicy Summer Salad of tomatoes, herbs and ribbons of zucchini and summer squash. Next, a pair of overtly Summertime offerings to transport a guest straight to a park picnic. Pickled Tri-Colored Wax Beans piled high with fresh dill, mint, parsley and fennel alongside a chilled and creamy Potato Salad where its creator deftly avoided the trap of a mayo bomb in favor of a light house aioli with crunchy carrot, celery and chive. And then, a dish of still-simmering Roasted Leeks, sweet, hearty and garnished with fresh hazelnut for both textural and flavorful equilibrium was served alongside a spiraled Trotolle Pasta folded into pickled cippolini onions, delicate asparagus and toasted pine nuts. It was pesto without so many of the traditional ingredients that it calls for. And yet, none of those ingredients felt absent.
To some extent, that idea serves as a microcosm for the Sunday Supper experience at large. Creating not only good, but downright memorable and unique dishes from the necessity of clearing out a vegan pantry without missing a flavorful beat. Somebody People’s Sunday Supper is always a surprise, and always worth it.
Somebody People is located at 1165 S Broadway, Denver. Its hours are Tuesday – Thursday from 5 – 9 p.m., Friday – Saturday from 4 – 9 p.m. and Sunday Supper from 4 – 9 p.m.
All photography by Chelsea Chorpenning.