wordplay: JJ
images: Sean Hartgrove

 Down on Market Street—the edge of the downtown area near the ballpark and the outskirts of the town’s industrial Five Points neighborhood—things are Real. A building stands just past 19th and Market, formerly a club called B-52s, before turning into an ultra-hip house for the spoiled brats on Denver’s Real World.

Now, with all of the exposed brick and ceilings and the enclosed patio, the building is bringing some upscale class into the neighborhood in the form of a “Real,” fine restaurant.
Thëorie hopes to not only offer class to the neighborhood, but the owners and servers hope to appeal to the growing demographic of hip and with-it yuppies that are calling the formerly industrial area of Denver their home.

“Thëorie is the place to see and be seen,” co-owner Shane Alexander said. “We want to open this area up over here like they did with Larimer Square,” said public relations manager Dana Crow. “We’re trying to shift the neighborhood a little bit.”

With Thëorie’s eccentric décor, flawless lighting, intimate and hip atmosphere and fine food and drink menus, they’ve certainly made a strong start in the right direction. “Our whole thing is about the lighting,” Crow said, touting the restaurant’s many fine, imported chandeliers, tempered with unique lighting arrangements all set to precision dimmers. “It definitely creates the mood for any type of atmosphere, be it the night life or romance. It’s certainly a lounge at night, but we’re trying to steer away from the whole dance club kind of place.”

“We want it to be more of a place where you come to kick back and enjoy a bottle or enjoy a martini.” Considering that Thëorie has over seventy-five martinis on its menu, there are plenty to choose from.

One of the ways Thëorie creates its unique atmosphere is with several intimate, separate areas of the club, available largely through reservations as opposed to walk-ups (although Thëorie does have more seating than most clubs and, with a large patio, patrons are almost guaranteed a place to sit and enjoy themselves).

Among the more elaborate areas of the restaurant is a luxurious back room that sits nearly twenty, decorated with long couches and plenty of table surfaces for drinks, but room for good friends to mingle. Perhaps the room’s best feature is the ceiling, which is lit up and lined with elegant Swarovski crystals that glow at night with far more serenity than can be caught outside under the shadows of the nearby Coors Field.

Another clever addition to Thëorie’s romantic intentions are the Cabana booths, including drapes peppered with more expensive Swarovski crystals that can be detached and drawn, giving parties up to six people all the service of an upscale restaurant with all the intimacy of a meal at home with friends.

For the Real upscale dinner-goers, there is the main glass table with clear seats as well, which sits on a glass platform located at the heart of the restaurant and lit by a $20,000 Italian-imported chandelier.

No matter where you’re seated at Thëorie, the food and drink menus offer a promising array of dishes and drinks; and, executive chef Deryk Schnepf offers such a wide variety as to appeal to the most fickle of palates.

Thëorie’s appetizer menu includes everything from your typical upscale Asian-infused starters such as tempura soft shell crab ($16) and a dim sum trio ($15) to a more blue-collar fare in the form of sliders ($12). Of course, these are no Jack-In-The-Box burgers, but are instead quality Kobe beef topped with black and smoked Gouda or caramelized onions and gorgonzola.

 A small choice of sushi is included on Thëorie’s dinner menu and they also offer a seared Kobe tataki ($12/ounce) that balances out their assortment of ahi, albacore and season sushi.
For those “late-nighters” not accustomed to making it out for dinner, Thëorie – which serves main courses until 10:30 p.m. – offers one of the more extensive late-night menus in town. Among the twilight fare is an assortment of pizzas ($8-$10), sweet chili and ginger wings ($8), rock shrimp tempura ($10) and a white truffle and cheddar popcorn ($5) that is sure to be a better bet than the stuff you had at the movie theater the night before.

Guests can wash it all down with one of Thëorie’s specialty martinis (ranging from “Tahitian Vanilla” to “Wild Grape” to “Chocolate Covered Candy Cane” and “Pomegranate Mojito” martinis) or one of the full bottle services on the menu that includes all manner of high end vodkas, rums, gins, scotches and whiskeys, cordials and cognacs (ranging anywhere from $100-$200). However, Thëorie takes special pride in their champagne menu, which includes an international selection from Pierrier Jouët to Louis Roderer and Cristal to Dom. 
 “It’s the most beautiful place around, especially visually, and the liquor menu is incredible,” Dana said of Thëorie’s bottle and champagne lists.

“Thëorie is the ultra chic destination for premier dining and exquisite drinks from around the world,” co-owner Josh Haakinson said. “It will provide Denver with its first true luxury full service restaurant and lounge and will commit to give back to the community.”
 With that said, Denver’s new hot-spot Thëorie is keeping it elegant, nice and, definitely “Real.”

1920 Market

TheorieDenver.com