Chef Kelly Whitaker has never done anything small, but this summer, he’s doing something smaller, on purpose. SHEEP, the chef’s new residency atop Cherry Creek’s Clayton Hotel & Members Club, is billed as an offshoot of The Wolf’s Tailor, his two-Michelin-Star flagship. Think of it as the looser, sunnier cousin. Same fire, same obsession with ingredients, same reverence for the makers behind them, just with less ceremony and more choice. The four-course tasting menu is built around fire itself: smoke, flame, ember, and ash, each course tracing a different stage of the cooking process.
Kelly and longtime collaborator chef Taylor Stark built the menu together, working in tandem to translate The Wolf’s Tailor’s ethos into something more immediate. Don’t skip the table upgrade: bone marrow butter and caviar piled onto a sourdough piada is exactly as decadent as it sounds. It’s a fitting summer project for Kelly, one of Denver’s most beloved and decorated chefs, four Michelin-recognized restaurants deep and still finding new ways to play with fire. SHEEP runs through October 4, so there’s still time to grab a seat, sip something from the ingredient-driven beverage program, and taste what happens when a Michelin-starred kitchen decides to have a little fun.”
Happy Hour
Spirit Hound Distillers brings a taste of the Rockies to Denver’s Highlands with a happy hour that’s equal parts cocktail stop and craft spirits education. Every Tuesday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m., the tasting room pours $8 cocktails made with its award-winning spirits, alongside a rotating $5 punch and $12 whiskey or spirit flights. Founded in Lyons, Spirit Hound has earned more than 60 national awards using Colorado ingredients, including Rocky Mountain snowmelt and locally sourced botanicals and grains. Whether you’re discovering a new favorite whiskey or sampling a flight with friends, it’s an elevated way to toast the end of the workday.
News Bites
If you haven’t landed a reservation at Milpero yet, it’s time to start trying. Since debuting this spring, Johnny Curiel’s intimate RiNo tasting-menu restaurant has quickly become one of Denver’s hottest tables, offering an immersive, 18-course celebration of Mexican cuisine that’s already generating Michelin buzz.
The Carriage House brings a taste of Europe to Cheesman Park. Keep an eye out for when the café debuts its full cocktail bar and expanded menu soon.
Since opening this summer, Mother Other, the Design District restaurant from the team behind The Easy Vegan, has earned rave reviews for its inventive, comfort-driven, veggie-first menu, thoughtful cocktails, and warm hospitality.
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