"Broadway Roxy, serving up a menu of New American fare, Prohibition-inspired cocktails, and eclectic music, officially opened yesterday at 554 South Broadway. The venue occupies the former home of another music venue, Syntax Physic Opera. Owner Paula Vrakas is responsible for the design of the space, which will include local photos from the 1920s on the walls and “an epic library ladder” when it is complete. There is a full bar as well as a main stage, where live music will play every night it is open. Brunch service is expected to begin this fall. Chef Christopher Rasmussen, formerly of Highland Tap & Burger, is cooking up a selection of small plates intended for sharing—fried brussel sprouts, pastrami sliders, and “stems and flappers” (a lively term for chicken wings), to name a few. Also worth highlighting are Grandma’s Meatballs, which are made with beef, pork, veal and red sauce and adapted by Rasmussen to be gluten free from his grandmother’s 100-old recipe. In fact, the majority of the menu is gluten free or can be made gluten free upon request—Broadway Roxy encourages modifications of the items made using its scratch cooking model. Options also include burgers and salads. The cocktail program, inspired by the 1920s and Prohibition, features such classics as a Bees Knees, an Old Fashioned and an Aviation. Music, of course, is a major draw here, too. Its also Broadway Roxy’s biggest similarity to its Syntax predecessor. “This is a different brand of music than what’s up the street,” Vrakas explained. The venue will continue to bring former Syntax guest favorites such as Anthony Ruptak, Weird Touch and Mile High Soul Club to the stage. And the stage? “That stage is one of the best in Denver,” Vrakas said. Broadway Roxy is the second location for the Roxy brand. Vrakas also owns Roxy Encinitas, which is located in Encinitas, California, and dates back to 1978. Broadway Roxy is currently open Tuesday-Saturday from 5 p.m. to close. Weekend brunch will debut this fall, with plans to eventually open seven nights a week. Once it is open on Mondays, it will offer an all-day happy hour." - Georgina Rupp
