Epicurean Encounters: Avanti Food and Beverage, Denver

Destination food halls first sprang up in coastal cities such as Eataly in Manhattan and The Hall in San Francisco. Denver recently joined this trend with Avanti Food and Beverage in Highland. What was once a hardware/variety store has been cleverly converted into a swanky multi-level urban hangout. The owners smartly kept the original red brick facade thus preserving history.
Avanti is open daily at 11am. There is complimentary valet parking during popular times otherwise you must search for street parking. Although the exterior of the building is a harmonious marriage of old and new, the interior is all contemporary. A hostess is stationed at the entrance to answer any questions. There are a total of seven food vendors, five on the first floor, and two upstairs. Each level has its own bar and lounging area with two distinct vibes. The downstairs is darker with a big screen which will be nice on nippy game days. The upstairs is definitely geared towards nice weather. The inviting patio with its umbrellas and lovely outdoor furniture affords an unparalleled view of Denver as does the larger roofed outdoor dining room.
Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are available at the bars. The owner is a friend of Dogfish Head Brewery (previously of Denver, currently in Delaware) and offers 10 of their beers on tap. A variety of cocktails based on the usual liquors are also available as well as wines. I recommend grabbing a drink at one of the bars, then sip it while you peruse all the various food purveyors.
Avanti provides test kitchens for chefs at established restaurants to experiment with new concepts and get a feel for the public's reception. For instance, on the first floor, the current chef and sous chef from Bonano Concepts' Bones are helming Mijo. Similar to Bones which is a noodle based eatery, Mijo offers a variety of noodles with your selection of flavor profiles as well as proteins. However, unlike the traditional Japanese flavors of ramen broth, the flavors at Mijo are a fusion of east and west. The bowl I selected here was the tare (a combination of caramelized onion, bean sprouts, and napa cabbage) with udon and tofu. It was surprisingly sweet, tangy, and spicy. The noodles were plentiful and cooked al diente but the toppings were minimal and bland. I found the broth a tad too sweet and tart. The unseasoned tofu cubes were minimally seared and sadly tasteless.
Having heard good things regarding Quiero Arepas, which was closed on my first visit, a Sunday, we did not miss the opportunity to try one of these Venezuelan street foods. Your choice of a variety of fillings such as chicken, pork, beef, beans, cheese, avocado, etc. are stuffed into a thick griddled white corn cake and folded like a taco. We selected the jamon y queso, ham and cheese. The corn cake was definitely the star. Crisp on the outside and moist on the inside, it was delicious by itself. The filling was somewhat lacking in flavor. The cheese wasn't melty and the beans were bland. Also, it was one of the smallest items at Avanti.
Upstairs at Bixo, I had the seafood paella. Although beautifully presented, it is not a paella for a purist. First, it is served on a paper plate and not in a paella pan. I realize this is a fast casual eatery, but the essence of paella is the caramelized crust that developes on the bottom of the rice as it cooks in the pan. Second, paella is made with short grain bomba rice from Spain. Here it is made with a long grain rice that stays separated. I asked the chef what kind of rice it was to which he answered: "you can use any kind of rice, Uncle Ben's works great". Converted rice?! I was aghast. Fortunately, the seafood were all fresh, well cooked, and delicious. Truth be told, the rice had a nice color and taste but was more reminiscent of Chinese fried rice than any paella I had in Spain.
In conclusion, Avanti is a perfect place to hang out with friends after work where you can grab something to eat while you gab and watch the sun set over Denver. But if you are a purist foodie with high expectations, you may find this place a bit disappointing and pricey.