Duets is changing up the menu but keeping and updating the generous patio. "We fell in love with this place right away," says co-owner Jessica Eliassen. "We wanted something downtown, but sort of on the edge. A neighborhood place, you know?"
The bar and restaurant has been in soft-opening mode for a couple of weeks to give its kitchen some time to train; it hosted a neighborhood meet-and-greet on September 3, and has been open for lunch Monday through Friday since.
But on October 4, Duets will throw open its doors starting at 11 a.m., with a grand-opening party beginning at 4 p.m.. Expect live music all night, drink specials and more. On Saturday, it will open for its first college football day; Sunday is, of course, NFL football. Both will kick off with a well-stocked Bloody Mary and mimosa bar. And to complete the party atmosphere, there's a game room open and ready for quarters, with a pool table, some pinball, arcade games and more. Everyone who comes to enjoy the food and fun during opening weekend (October 4-6) will also get 20 percent off their bill on their next visit.
Duets has not two, but three co-owners (L-R): Kamry Gimmeson, Jessica Eliassen and Mike McNamara.
Duets
"We met back in Wisconsin about 25 years ago, working at the same bar," Eliassen recalls. "And then I moved out here, and Mike relocated here, too, and we found ourselves working at the same place again." That place was the Bennigan's chain, and Eliassen laughs when she talks about the popularity of its legendary Monte Cristo sandwich, which was a turkey and ham sandwich with Swiss and American cheeses, batter-dipped, deep-fried and coated with powdered sugar. And if that wasn't enough, it was served with red raspberry preserves for dipping. "We called it the Meat Donut," she grins.
Some might find it sad that Duets has no plans to bring back the Meat Donut (though this writer would encourage someone to start a petition), but Eliassen promises that the dishes on the menu have been designed to keep people happy and coming back. "We do a baked beer mac and cheese that's just to die for," says Eliassen. "Anyone who loves Wisconsin is going to love this — Wisconsin beer, Wisconsin cheese. Then there are our Cajun fried pickles, which aren't just pickles: We give the same treatment to jalapeños and banana peppers and mix them all together in a spicy rub. Perfect snack with a cold beer.
"But I think the thing we're going to be known for is our wings," Eliassen says. "They're absolutely delicious. Baked first, then fried, so they're tender inside and super crispy outside, with six different flavors to choose from. You know, come in, watch a game, listen to some live music, have some wings and a beer. That's what we're about."
That connection to music is important to Eliassen, who's also run a DJ company for several years. "That's where the Duets name comes from. We wanted a place that was the perfect marriage of music and food. We're also going to be having karaoke nights, so we want singing a duet at Duets to become a thing."
Eliassen says that even though the team is ready for crowds and rarin' to go, they still have some exciting plans to come. She hopes to be able to start serving brunch on the weekends to go along with the Bloody Marys and mimosas, and a backroom space is set to turn into a space for indoor golf bays. "The cool thing about the golf bays is that they can pull double duty as a private party room," says Eliassen, "so if you wanted to have a Super Bowl party or a bachelorette bash, we'd have you covered."
In the meantime, she notes, Duets has a "semi-private" space that can be reserved for parties of twenty or more at no charge whatsoever — for the remainder of 2024. The only caveat: All food and drink has to be purchased through Duets. For a place that can legally seat over 600 inside and on the patio, there are lots of options for gatherings. "We don't intend to ever have 600 people in here," laughs Eliassen. "We limited ourselves to 56 tables on purpose."
Eliassen concludes, "We want people to come enjoy the 75-inch screens we'll have on the dog-friendly patio for game days. We want locals to make it their own, and we want people from all over Denver to hear how great it is and check it out for themselves. We've already felt so welcomed by people who live and work nearby. We're in the right place. It's already feeling like home."
Duets Tap and Grill is located at 2403 Champa Street and is open from 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to midnight Sunday. For more information, visit duetstapandgrill.com.
