The Team Behind Beckon Blasts Off a New Dinner Concept, Major Tom

Ground control to hungry diners in the Mile High: On February 15, the team behind high-end tasting menu concept Beckon debuted Major Tom at 2845 Larimer Street. The cozy RiNo space was most recently home to Beckon's sister concept, the daytime cafe Call, before it closed in late 2019.

“Although we realized that style of cafe wasn’t working for us anymore, we had more and more patrons at Beckon asking about Call and if it would return, so we wanted to make sure we brought some of our favorite parts about Call over to Major Tom," says chef Duncan Holmes, who is the culinary force behind both concepts. Rounding out the core team are partners Craig Lieberman, founder of 34 Degrees Crisps, and tech entrepreneur Joshua Elson, along with director of experience Allison Anderson.

Open from 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, the new addition may have some nods to Call, but it's focused on evening fare. The decor reflects that shift, with dark, galactic-inspired walls and serene music, creating a vibe that is now more on par with its prix fixe neighbor. Along with just half a dozen handcrafted wooden tables, there are also a couple of counter seats that offer the opportunity to observe every plate as it is precisely prepared and presented.
With a focus on worldly small plates created with innovative techniques and a five-star champagne list, Major Tom offers a more elevated and intimate dining experience than its bakery-centric predecessor, but it's also designed to be more low-key than Beckon. "We spent the last year perfecting a menu that’s more approachable and will guarantee regular returns," notes Anderson.

The menu is inspired by Holmes's knowledge from his travels around Scandinavia as well as Anderson’s eye for bold dishes, with options like Overnight Cabbage, which is marinated for at least ten hours in citrus and miso, and the pork meatballs prepared with sea buckthorn and other tender herbs.

Four Scandinavian-inspired tartines are reminiscent of the offerings at Call — one even features the chicken salad that was popular at the cafe, while another, the Shooting Star, comprises prawn, skate and caviar. These are ideal companions to larger plates like the heritage pork chop or the massive Crispy Green Salad. Also expect to see indulgences like shaved truffles, Kaluga caviar and plenty of bubbly.
Major Tom offers house-baked pastries for dessert; currently, you can find classic chocolate chip cookies and an eclair with light and airy cream, but expect the sweets to rotate regularly.

The eatery also boasts a beautiful patio, a self-contained urban oasis full of seasonal foliage and an outdoor fireplace on this bustling block at 29th and Larimer, where cocktails and some small bites will be offered this spring. Major Tom shares a fence and walkway with Beckon, and the team has begun referring to the whole compound as "the Beckon campus." Whatever you call it, there's no denying the duo's strong gravitational pull in a neighborhood filled with top-notch culinary options.

Major Tom is located at 2845 Larimer Street and is open from 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. For more information and to make reservations, visit majortomdenver.com.