The Way Back Reopens Next Week With a New Look | Eater Denver

"After six months closed for a move and remodel, the bar reopens at 3963 Tennyson Street in Berkeley’s arts district, having relocated from an out-of-the-way West 38th Avenue spot to a more visible storefront with a full kitchen. The ownership team sought a fresh start and a new culinary direction: former chefs Samuel Charles (who has moved to Iowa to start his own restaurant) and Marcus Eng are gone, replaced by talent from Danny Meyer’s Maialino — head chef Jon Lavelle, who spent seven years at a Roman trattoria in Gramercy Park, and sous chef Michael Calabro. Cocktails remain a strong focus under owner Chad Michael George, while the kitchen shifts to a globally inspired, locally sourced menu emphasizing seasonal vegetables and grain dishes alongside a rotating handful of handmade pastas. The interior is a complete transformation of the former all-wood, lamp-lit Irish pub into a darker, more feminine space with black walls, honey-toned tables, hunter-green microfiber booths, and eclectic light fixtures ranging from floral-patterned boxes to dangling bulbs with hanging plants. The venue will open for happy hour and dinner Tuesday through Saturday starting at 4 p.m., with a weekend brunch planned for the near future." - Josie Sexton