Citizen Rail, a new restaurant, will be opening Summer 2017, in Denver’s Union Station neighborhood.
The new restaurant, featuring a dry-aging room and wood-fired grill, will offer soulful, ingredient-driven American food. Executive Chef Christian Graves’ menus set the stage for a warm and sociable dining experience. The wood-fired grill uses both native hard and fruitwoods and serves as the anchor of the exhibition kitchen.
The menu highlights the various house butchered cuts displayed in the adjacent dry aging room. Chef Graves will employ different wood fired cooking methods including smoking, grilling, and searing in cast iron.
The concept of cooking over a wood fire resonates deep within American culture. The exposed wood-fired grill is the heartbeat of the space; guests will be drawn to the scent of house-butchered and aged cuts of beef, pork, lamb, game and seafood perfected over live wood fire. The large bar and high-top seating area combine with the open kitchen at the center of the dining room to provide a vibrant, bustling atmosphere.
“Cooking over a live fire lets me share my passion for honest cooking techniques—starting each dish from scratch with a focus on local, fresh and seasonal ingredients,” said Chef Graves. “From butchering in-house, to curing and dry-aging a variety of meat, everything we’re doing at Citizen Rail is rooted in traditional American cooking methods, creating soulful dishes from the top to the bottom of our menu.”
Upon entering the restaurant, guests will feel the warmth of natural woods married with modern-rustic accents. Citizen Rail seats over 150 guests, including: 12 at the Chef’s counter, more than 50 bar and high-top seats, and 36 patio spots, for happy hours, intimate dinners or celebratory gatherings that linger into the evening.
The experience at Citizen Rail will be rounded out by a classic hand-crafted cocktail program. The wide selection of distinctive Colorado beer and thoughtfully curated wine will enhance every aspect of the meal. The flavors of the wood-fired grill serve as the inspiration for the beverage list – each selection is designed to pair with Chef Graves’ creations.
Dinner will be served Sunday through Wednesday from 5pm to 10:30pm, with the bar open until 11:30pm. Dinner is offered until 11pm Thursdays through Saturdays, with the bar open until midnight. Citizen Rail will open with daily breakfast service, and brunch and lunch service will be added at a later date.
For more information regarding Citizen Rail visit: www.citizenrail.com, follow the Citizen Rail story on Facebook and Instagram at @citizenrail. Citizen Rail will be located at 1899 16th St, Denver, CO 80202.