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Broadway Market, set to open before the end of the year, has announced two new food stalls from acclaimed Front Range chefs. Daniel Asher and Josh Dinar, who opened River and Woods in Boulder in 2016, will helm Mother Tongue, while Biju Thomas will add another location to the Biju’s Little Curry Shop empire. Both stalls will share a wall with Pizzeria Coperta, Paul C. Reilly’s Roman-style eatery that was announced last month, offering their own interpretations of much-loved global specialties.
Asher—who led the kitchens at Root Down, Linger, and Ophelia’s, and will soon open Ash’Kara, an Israeli restaurant—is no stranger to international cuisine. Shawarma was an integral part of his childhood spent among the Arab community in Montreal, and since, it’s been a reoccurring staple during his travels from Germany to Turkey. When Asher was offered the Broadway Market stall, his mind immediately went to a lesser-known variation of the popular street food: doner kebab.
“Essentially, it’s beautifully marinated protein that’s been spit roasted and shaved, and wrapped in some sort of flatbread,” Asher says. “There’s a lot of room for interpretation and play within that idea.”
Although the Mother Tongue menu isn’t yet finalized, Asher shares there will be a rotisserie for cooking various Colorado-raised proteins, possibly even tofu, as well as falafel, a few Middle Eastern spreads, lavash, frites, and, most crucial to good doner kebab, multiple sauce options. “I’m completely obsessed with condiments,” says Asher. “We’re going to have a very strong sauce game.” Asher hopes Mother Tongue will serve as an “ongoing dialogue of street food,” with a core menu complemented by a few dishes that can be swapped out, highlighting additional international cuisines.
For Biju Thomas, Broadway Market offers the opportunity to take his successful fast-casual concept and tweak it slightly. Although the newest outpost will still serve Thomas’ ever-popular samosas, chapati, and coconut chicken curry, and continue to keep a dairy-free kitchen, Thomas is excited for the opportunity to debut some new dishes. “I really needed to do the next version of our curry shop—I want to go bigger with curry,” says Thomas. “I want to do different, more interesting things, and I want to try more seasonal things.” The final menu is still in the works, but Thomas confirmed it will include a spicy goat curry—“the most sustainable meat out there”—as well as more vegan dishes, including a saag paneer of sorts with grilled tofu instead of cheese.
This biggest tweak will come with the style of service. “We’re going to do away with the Chipotle-style flow,” Thomas says. “We’re going to preset the flavor combinations based on what I think is a good marriage of flavors and textures. It allows us to do a slightly more special plate of food.”
Thomas sees the new Broadway Market serving a strong lunchtime crowd. “South Broadway is really the heart of Colorado politics and business—there’s so much in commerce happening right there,” says Thomas.
Asher likens Broadway Market to a musical super-group. “It’s like we’re putting together an amazing band,” he says. “When someone asks if you want to play drums in a super-group, it’s hard to say no.”
In addition to the doner kebab, curry, and pizza stalls, the 15,000-square-foot food hall will include six yet-to-be-announced food concepts from Colorado chefs, a central bar, and plenty of communal seating, as well as a couple small retail stores. Thomas hinted at quality concepts to come: “There are some really good, eclectic, small operators coming.”