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When PastaVino closed its doors earlier this month, a prime restaurant space—the one situated between Salt the Bistro and the Kitchen—on Boulder’s Pearl Street came available. But it never really landed on the market. Many months ago, sensing that all was not well with PastaVino, chef Bradford Heap (the owner of Salt and Colterra) submitted a Letter of Intent on the building. “I’ve wanted that space for about four years,” Heap says, detailing how he tried to nab it when Juanita’s closed in 2011. “It’s not often you have an opportunity like this—to have four organic, farm-forward, sustainable restaurants in a row.” (The fourth restaurant being the Kitchen Next Door.)
Come late February, Heap and his wife Carol Vilate, will open a still-unnamed sustainable seafood house with a large oyster and raw bar. The concept is inspired in part by Oyster House in Philadelphia and Joia in Milan, Italy, and it will adhere to Heap’s dedication to cooking with nonGMO foods. Fish will be prepared over a wood-fired grill, steamed, or roasted. In addition, a good portion of the menu will be devoted to vegetarian dishes with organic, local produce. These won’t simply be side dishes, they’ll be composed, stand-alone vegetarian entrées. “It’s exciting to respect and pay homage to beautiful, seasonal veggies and pristine fish,” Heap says. “That’s a lot of how I like to eat.” There will also likely be one steak entrée.
Stay tuned for more details about the new restaurant, including the name.
1043 Pearl St., Boulder
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—Photo by Kirsten Boyer Photography
