Chef Amos Watts Composes Edible Hymns at the Fifth String

When chef Justin Brunson closed seven-year-old Old Major in June, he left the Tejon Street restaurant space in talented hands—those of Amos Watts, who has led the kitchens at Acorn, Old Major (from 2015 to 2017), and, most recently, Corrida in Boulder. Watts purchased the business from Brunson and launched his first solo project, the Fifth String, in August. There, Watts and longtime partner and chef de cuisine Marcos Mendez are cooking small plates inspired by Watts’ Nebraska upbringing, his fine-dining pedigree, and Colorado’s bounty, featuring local producers including Esoterra Culinary Garden and Brunson’s River Bear American Meats. Right now, that translates to dishes like butternut squash two ways (roasted and marinated) with green chiles and potato-cheese pierogi with Brussels sprouts. A selection of family-style dinners with all the fixings—such as juicy whole roast chicken, bone-in short ribs, or homemade lamb sausage plus seasonal side dishes—is also on the menu, and beverage director Gene Fereda is ready to pair your meal with the perfect bottle from his thoughtful wine list. Together, it makes for ideal takeout on those winter nights when you would rather put dinner into, well, someone else’s hands.