Three Local Restaurants Expand Hours, Add New Offerings

Dan Dan Noodles will soon be on the dinner menu at Olive & Finch. Lucy Beaugard

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While many restaurants have cut back on hours in the years since the pandemic, as rising labor and ingredient costs put a strain on their businesses, three recently decided to expand.

Olive & Finch, chef Mary Nguyen's fast-casual daytime eatery, has long been a favorite for breakfast and lunch. Now, starting May 24, the Cherry Creek outpost at 3390 East First Avenue will open for dinner service from 3 to 9 p.m. daily.

Diners can get 50 percent off the new dinner menu (while supplies last) from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 24, through Sunday, May 26. The lineup includes salads and sandwiches, tartines, flatbreads, shareable starters and plates, all priced under $20.

Highlights include dan dan noodles with spicy pork; cacio e pepe flatbread; steak frites; the Seville tartine with tuna conserva on rosemary-garlic sourdough; bucatini pasta with tomato sugo, whipped ricotta, basil and spicy breadcrumbs; and the Full of Seoul crispy chicken sandwich.

click to enlarge

Katsu curry is one offering on the Sushi Den lunch menu.

Sushi Den

Lunch is back at Sushi Den after a four-year hiatus. Guests can visit the restaurant at 1487 South Pearl Street from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday for the relaunched "catch of the day" offerings, which include sushi, sashimi and nigiri.

There are also several new lunch menu items on offer, including tonkatsu (panko-crusted pork loin with tonkatsu sauce, rice and side salad); katsudon, which is tonkatsu over an omelet served with rice and a rich broth; and katsu curry, or tonkatsu with root vegetables in a spicy and sweet sauce.

Brunch returned to American Elm on Mother's Day weekend.

Lucy Beaugard

Also making a comeback is brunch at American Elm, the neighborhood eatery at 4132 West 38th Avenue. The team took a winter brunch break, but now the restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, with a revamped menu that includes trout and grits, chilaquiles, whipped ricotta toast and more, along with some dinner staples such as its burger and French dip, which is one of the best in town. "The menu features some great brunch classics with local ingredients such as River Bear bacon, Grateful Bread and Mountain Man Micro Farms," notes executive chef Daniel Mangin.

American Elm also updated its brunch beverage program, which now includes bottomless mimosas and punch bowls for groups of four to eight that highlight the restaurant's surprising penchant for making great tiki drinks.