A Former LA Chef Is Opening His First Denver Deli on East Colfax | Eater Denver

"Laid-back brunching, all day long, is the vibe Vince Howard says he’s bringing to Park Hill and Montclair this spring at Tessa Delicatessen. A former fine-dining chef who moved from Los Angeles after running a beachside sandwich joint in Playa Del Rey, he’s combining “chef-y techniques” with “speed-demon” sandwich making to bring a piece of California fresh to East Colfax. The restaurant will occupy a 2,500-square-foot former antique furniture store at Colfax and Ivy Street (5724 East Colfax Avenue), outfitted with a large industrial kitchen and a smaller dining room with benches and community tables for about 60 guests. The all-day menu leans brunchy—pretzel roll breakfast sandwiches, Tapatío-topped grain bowls, avocado toasts, fresh corn and cotija salads, meats and cheeses and other “nosh stuff”—but the sandwiches are the stars, served hot and cold, likely on City Bakery ciabatta and pretzel rolls with River Bear meats and all the fixings. Howard says “life’s a little better with a sandwich,” and he references pancetta tesa (unsmoked bacon) and a family joke about the name, quipping, “This will be my most expensive daughter for sure.”" - Josie Sexton